When Flashbacks Work

Tonight, one of my all-time favorite movies is on TV, Good Morning, Miss Dove." It's about a stern teacher, "the terrible Miss Dove." What's great about this movies is that, in flashbacks, we discover how she came to be "the terrible Miss Dove," and how she influenced her students. If you think honor an old fashioned concept, this probably won't work for you, but I love it. This is one story where flashbacks don't just work, they're essential. You have to see Miss Dove in "the present" and then go back to get the full impact. Bonus feature: two characters are played by alumnae of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Jerry Paris and Richard Deacon.

Also tonight: another "viewers' choice" episode of Stargate SG1. I tell ya, I am so kicking myself I overlooked this show for what, eight years? Richard Dean Anderson's cynical O'Neill is a hoot, and the perfect balance to Michael Shanks' justice-for-all Daniel Jackson. Great writing and especially GREAT continuity. They've had the same people involved since Day 1, and it shows. Any show that has me yelling "Kiss him! Kiss him!" because a guy's about to sacrifice himself after revealing his love (well, technically his symbiote's -- long story there) to Samantha Carter and then she doesn't and the episode ends with him being left behind to destroy the baddies and die in the process, and I'm tearing up.... Now *that's* a show!

I watched Prison Break. First hour -- slooooow. Second hour -- faster, better and YOUCH! I'll keep watching.

I finally got back to work on my own book last night. With everybody home and no real schedules yet, trying to write right now is like trying to write in Grand Central Station: possible, but not the most conducive to creativity. And I had hit a bit of a snag. I had to get from point A to point B in the plot and didn't want to do that via a lot of (static) discussion among the characters. I solved it (temporarily, anyway) by leaving one scene with a hint of what's going to happen at the end of the chapter. Next chapter begins where the action picks up. If I think I need to show the machinations, I'll put it in later. For now, it's more important for me to move on to the next part of the story.

Until 8 p.m., when it's TV Time!