(Season 1, Episode 11 – “That Which We Destroy”)
I’m still really annoyed by the way they’re treating the Naomi character. They’ve made her into a completely boring Mean Girl and took away all depth and substance, or anything else that made her interesting to watch. Instead, they’ve reduced her to nothing more than a foil for Annie’s scrunchy-faced happiness with DJ Hair Plugs.
While Naomi may be the one who’s supposed to be “evil,” the things she does are just kind of… pedestrian. I admit, trying to ruin Annie’s birthday last week was bad, but this week, the best she can do is, “enjoy my sloppy seconds?” Come on. That’s not going to send anyone into lifelong therapy.
Annie’s initial insults aren’t much better. She makes fun of Naomi’s Uggs. Of course Uggs are ugly (hence the name); everybody knows this, including the people who wear them. And yes, they should have gone out of style in 2002, but unfortunately, if fashion choices were STIs, Uggs would be closer to herpes than chlamydia–not even penicillin is going to get rid of them, and they have a nasty habit of popping back up when you least expect it.
But I digress.
So, no, Annie didn’t exactly win a Gold in the Bitchiness competition with her swipe at Naomi’s footwear on Silver’s vlog. However, she turned into Michael freakin’ Phelps later when she has her heart-to-heart with Ethan after the lacrosse game. When she starts to go on and on about how she isn’t like Naomi, saying specifically that she isn’t “bitchy and slick,” isn’t that the bitchiest thing of all? She’s basically telling Ethan, “Unlike most of the girls you date, I’m not a total skank-bot bitch,” which simultaneously insults him and Naomi, not to mention the relationship that, although over, was very important to both of them. While they’ve made Naomi a mere cardboard cutout of a villain, they’ve made Annie the worst kind of all: the one who thinks she’s nice.
Elsewhere, now that both Annie and Naomi have officially decided that they don’t care about having a half-brother, Dixon is left to handle all of the awkward feelings by himself. Feelings that are completely valid. Not only does Dixon have to deal with being an adopted child, but he has to deal with having a adopted family of a different race — and now, to top it all off, the “real” son that his father never had shows up with his father’s nose and a military uniform.
Of course, Dixon and Harry have a heart-to-heart about the situation, and everything is all puppy dogs and rainbows at the end. What I’m confused about is the part where Harry tells Dixon that maybe it’s time he learns about his heritage. What does that mean? Because what it sounds like is that Harry is going to try to teach Dixon what it means to be black in America. I know that can’t be what he means, but I hope it is — because that’s an episode I would like to see. I predict it involves an awkward viewing of Jungle Fever.
Dixon isn’t the only one in an awkward situation this week. Brenda is back, and she spends the entire episode avoiding Kelly. I thought this storyline was lame, because the big reveal, that Brenda slept with Ryan, was totally shown in one of CW’s promos for this episode.
I also think that Kelly’s reaction to this is kind of bullshit. She and Ryan went out once, after she initially turned him down, and then she immediately ditched him to go get jerked around by Dylan. Kelly’s one of those girls who seems to believe that the fact that she looked at a guy once means that she has a claim on him forever. Granted, I’m sure Brenda’s “betrayal” brought up a lot of old feelings, but Kelly should follow her own advice instead of acting like a hurt teenager. Besides, Brenda is totally dying, so she should be nice to her. Okay, I don’t know if that’s true, but you know that the whole, “I’m in Macbeth, and it’s cursed” thing is bogus.
Just by the way…
Was tonight’s episode not the most obnoxious use of product placement ever? I will not give them any more publicity by naming the phone company or the phone, but COME ON. Could the awkward dialogue or random close ups have been any more distracting?
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Nov 19, 2008 @ 14:20 EST5EDT
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Here is how little product placement bothers me. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Missed it entirely.
Who the hell is the “son” that returned? Did “mom” plan this, and know him all along or what? I have no idea what is going on there.
Didn’t care about Brenda and Kelly, but I did like that Brenda said their friendship was a joke. At least she calls it like she sees it!
I thought Annie’s idea of bitchiness was a tad on the whiny side. Girl has to stick to sweet, its in her bones!