Sue Thomas F.B.Eye
First, let me say that the real Sue Thomas, a deaf woman who works for the FBI is by all accounts a talented and fascinating woman. But then let me quickly say that the TV show based on her experiences, Sue Thomas F.B.Eye is F-ing horrible. Some talents just aren’t interesting to watch. Who thought lip reading would make for compelling drama week after week? OK, great, she read the terrorist’s lips and saved the day...again. I strongly suspect that the producers came up with the lame pun of a title and worked backwards from there to develop a show. Maybe I’m just bitter because the networks didn’t pick up my pilot episode of Stevie Johnson “Special” Agent in which a mentally handicapped Secret Service agent saves the President’s life every week through a series of wacky misadventures. Yay Stevie!!!
posted by angryman at 1:40 PM
5 Comments:
It was so sad to read your bitter and yes, almost angry commentary on Sue Thomas FBEye.
On a positive note, I and everyone in my family and circle of friends regard the Sue Thomas TV series as one of the most refreshing and emotionally uplifting programs aired in recent years.
The purpose of the show was to present human values and virtues that lift the soul and provide positive reinforcement of all that is good and wholesome in our world (or should be). In sharp contrast to police shows that depict killing without any remorse or second thoughts, shows the portray human life as cheap, Sue Thomas placed high value on human self worth. Any "violence" was kept to a minimum and largley never shown. Any time when one was confronted with having to "kill" another, there were real human reactions of a troubled heart (ie Cara in the episode in which she had to shoot and kill a robber), and the challenges all police (in real life) face when they actually do kill someone (many policemen actually get physically sick when having to do so in contrast to the unreal world of TV police who walk away unconcerned.
The sign language part of the series was a delight and one that set this show apart from all others. It was fun to learn some of the sign language and attempt to enter the other world of those less fortunate than us, and to begin to understand them. Very educational.
Look carefully at the plot lines of other comparable shows. Every show out there have elements that are divorced from reality because the entertainment factor is more important to seel the product. Viewers know this and accept it as they are simply being entertained. In reality, the vast number of shows (ie esp family sitcoms) have VERY shallow plot lines, and are just downright inane and too silly to spend even 5 minutes watching this.
We personally have the entire serios on DVDs, and I am in constant demand by many for copies of them. Sue Thomas was an incredible show, far more visionary that 90% of others on the market.
By the way, the same comments go for its companion show, "Doc" (we have all 88 episodes of that as well). For that show, you had to have a box of Kleenex available as you laughed and cried through the stories. Yes, it is OK for people to cry, even for men!!!
Please excuse me for being so forthright and candid, but I believe you need to seriously consider the other side of the coin. The series in particular had a higher purpose in mind above sheer "entertainment" for entertainment's sake. It was to portray and confirm all that is good about life.
If this is what you truly believe, then sadly, you are the last angy man...and dare I say, one that is the minority, thankfully.
Don't listen to the first anonymous YOU'RE RIGHT. Sue Thomas THE TV SHOW did suck, currently sucks, and will ALWAYS suck! It's in overkill syndication just because it's CanCon. CTV must be making a mint off the show it's on like six times a day if you have a dish.
Anyone who thinks "Sue Thomas FBEye" AKA "Touched By a Deaf Angel" has absolutely ANY basis in reality, on what it's like to be a disabled person in a "normal" workplace, seriously needs to get off the couch and get their butts out into the REAL WORLD.
The only realistic part was in the beginning, where one guy had it in for her, but it threw realism out the window, after they made all sappy face and 'came to an understanding'! NOT! In the Real World if somebody in your workplace has it in for you, and you're even a little bit different, they NEVER LET UP. Not ever. Not even a little bit. Not even on special occasions/for holidays. NOT EVER. They just don't!
Of course it would be too depressing if they had kept it realistic, and the guy who had it in for her kept undermining her, and getting her all kinds of (undeserved) reprimands, bad performance evals., kept her from advancing or getting raises, etc., the way it ACTUALLY happens in the Real World because people in the Real World don't want disabled people taking normal peoples' jobs.
As for Sue Thomas the person, yeah, great, she's a disabilities advocate, more power to her. I didn't much like her book, because I'm not religious (ha ha ha can you tell), but to each their own live and let live etc. etc.
However, the "real" Sue Thomas never so much as got outside of the J. Edgar Hoover building. She made it as far as department manager, but only for more lip-readers! She never even carried a gun, she was never part of an anti-terrorism task force, NONE OF THAT was close to reality, and it couldn't ever be because Hello?! She's DEAF. Yeah, you can do whatever you wanna do, be whoever you wanna be, but reality tends to put that to paid fast.
If you're sitting there going, "Ah, well, at least the show pictured all kinds of technologies for d/Deaf/HoH/whatever is the currently PC term people, that part was pure science fiction! Not even teenagers can text that fast, trust me, never mind the lag when you are actually using a relay system (which sucks worse than anything you could possibly imagine), never mind the confidentiality/security clearance that would be broken!
(Trust me: Running your personal life through a third party is not in any way shape or form CONFIDENTIAL. At all. No matter how many clauses or reassurances they have in their contracts. Think Homeland Security would let an FBI agent carry on a CLASSIFIED CONVERSATION over a phone line with a third party? I have a lovely bridge to sell you. Barely used.)
Don't even get me started on the "God Loves You!!" schtick they had to throw in Every Da*n Episode! I know I know I know it was made for an Xtian network first so they had to do the bible thumping, but at least on the real Touched by an Angel, the Irish girl started to glow, so you got a warning when to flip the channel cuz the bible-thumping was about to commence!
I don't know how the actors survived with all their teeth, the show was so saaaaapppppppppppy. Not safe for insulin-dependent diabetics for sure!
I can poke so many holes in "Touched by a Deaf Angel" AKA Sue Thomas: FBI/'Eye' (o aren't we sooooo cute -barf-) but I won't.
Good thing I'm not still living in Mississauga--turns out I missed "Da First Ever Sue Thomas Fan Convention!!!" last year. I would have been too tempted to set up my own little protest picket! (It was way too close to my old apartment. I wouldn't have been able to resist!)They probably would have thumped me to death with their bibles! HA!
It's so sad to see and hear of people with your ingrained view and mindset. You sound like a miserable person, and I for one, do not envy you. Life is too short to carry such anger and bitterness in life.
You're somewhat like the proverbial person who said, "I'm going to be miserable even if it kills me." You know, it takes a real effort to be that way. In actual fact, doctors will tell you (my daughter is a doctor) that it takes 17 less muscles to smile than to frown.
My kindly suggestion? Maybe lighten up, enjoy life for what it is, laugh a lot (they say laughter is internal jogging) and in this way, live longer.
I do, and I make is a point to to that every day. Life is good, and I for one, want to contribute to the goodness of life for the welfare of all. When you have lived as long as I have, and seen as many lives changed for better through even programs such as this, you'll know what I mean.
You sound as if you are still young. Mark Twain once said, "When I was 18, my father was the most stupid man around. But when I reached 25, I was astounded how much he had learned in 7 years!".
I, and others who read your comments are not offended in any way by your biting comments...just sad. I wish you better things in life in the days ahead, and that like Mark Twain, you may grow up a little :)
We love you anyway...
sue thomas is a really good programme it shows deaf people not to be scared and achieve all that you can so why you all go to work just think what is your job are you a car mechanic a telephone operator or do you save other peoples lives and risk your own because that is what sue thomas does every day and the show is showing everyone how entirely brave sue thomas is because she is more at risk of being killed because she is deaf and you never know if you live in u.s.a. she might of saved your life and the whole programme would never be sue thomas f.b.i with out them and all the acters and actresses to tell you the truth i am almost 15 and i have benn inspired by this programme you hate and it shows everyone including disabled people that you can acheive if you believe and try your best at every thing.
sorry about the (benn) mistake it should have said been but i forgot to mention somthing very important and everyone should know i am not disabled but the programme sue thomas f.b.i. has really inspired me and has opened my i eyes and shown me that disabled people are capable of anything.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home