Friends are the DNA of society, the building blocks of life...

Lately, life has been a little too realistic. Too much on my mind. And how do I get through this mess? Relying on those around me.
Remember when I got in a huff because someone said television based friendships are artificial and shallow? I’m still pissed about it. Not only has television united me with some dear friends, it has inspired in me the kind of friend I should be. This is why I love tv.
Here are five of the most poignant, remarkable quotes (in no particular order) that are reminders why I believe that television truly can foster friendship through example.

“This guy's walkin' down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you! Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can ya help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are ya stupid? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out."” – Leo McGarry to Josh Lyman (The West Wing)

Leo McGarry is the greatest political mind. Ever. But, like all of us, is still human. He has struggled with his personal demons. Yet, these very trials are quintessential to the advice he can give. His own experiences guide those around him through disaster. And when he sees Josh stumble, he picks him up and tells him not to worry. Someone who will jump down in that hole to help you out is someone you want with you. Dedicated to my friend Josh.

“When you can’t run anymore, you crawl. And when you can’t do that, you find someone to carry you.” – Tracey to the crew of Serenity (Firefly)

Though Tracey is an, ultimately, inconsequential character, this quote best illuminates the tenants that Mal and the rest of the crew fully believe in. You don’t leave another behind. You pick them up because they’d do the same for you. For all his faults, I really wish I could be like Mal. Dedicated to my friend Tim.

“‘You're going to die if you stay here.’
‘I guess I might.’
…
‘Come with me.’
‘I can't.’
‘Why not?’
‘I got friends on the line.’” –Xander to Anya (Buffy: the Vampire Slayer)

Xander feared this approaching apocalypse more than any before. If the heavy handed symbolism of graduation as the end of world did not sink in before, it should here. But the real importance of this quote is Xander’s loyalty and steadfastness. Some have would consider him the weak link of the scoobies but Xander is the only one who only had himself to offer. And always did. Dedicated to my friend Julia.

“It seems to me that more and more we've come to expect less and less from each other and I want us to start bucking that trend.” – Dan Rydell to his fellow cast and crew (Sports Night)

Dan was going through some personal issues at the time and had snapped, on air, thus risking not only his career but everyone he works with. The network was already facing dire straits and he wasn’t helping. He swallowed his pride to try and amend the rift that he had caused. They need each other and so do we. Dedicated to my friend Dan.

“I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith. You give it to the people you love. But the people who really deserve it are the ones who come through, even when you don't love them enough.” – Veronica Mars about being rescued by Logan and Keith (Veronica Mars)

No one could argue that Veronica Mars’s life has been ideal. A parent abandons you. A best friend is murdered. A father ostracized. A boyfriend on meds. You’re raped at a party and no one case. No, things could be better, so it’s pretty reasonable to understand that after all this trauma, one would want to be a little reclusive. That loss of innocence, though, is so heartbreaking and I fear that it isn’t near rare enough. Which is why I am glad that pushing away those around us is something that sometimes we can take back. Sometimes we should hold onto our idealism, so that we have something to aspire to. Dedicated to my friend Kyle.

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Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming...

We take a break from Lost recaps (though Ep. 3 is coming soon, I promise) to bring you another top 5. As a newly christened tv blogger, I think it's fair to see some of my credentials, so I present the top 5 most influential tv moments in my life:

5. 1997-1999 -- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (seasons 8, 9, and 10)
I started watching this cult classic on Sci-Fi channel in elementary school. It's intelligent, irreverent, and just plain incredible. It can be seen as one of the first influences on me to direct witty comments at the tv screen. Or at least try.
4. Fall, 2005 -- Firefly
Starting college is an awkward time. New people, new place, trying to fit in. In those first nights away from home, my roommate asked me if I had ever watched a little known Joss Whedon show called Firefly. A space western, I was hesitant but intrigued. It turned out to be really damn good. And he and I bonded, huddled around the glow of his laptop computer, watching Mal evade the alliance. Kyle has proven, time and again, to have pretty impeccable tv tastes (of the shows that he's watched...his childhood catalog is a little sparse) and you should be hearing more from him anytime soon.
3. Spring 2004 -- Arrested Development
I was a senior in high school, bored on Sunday night. I was waiting for the simpsons to come on and caught part of Arrested Development. I thought, "maybe this will be good, I know it's a critical darling" but jumping into the middle of it was just the wrong move. All the self references were lost on me and I was quite confused in the chaos. I quickly changed the channel. It's a pity, because I think many people did the same thing except never went back.
Good news though AD fans: http://tv.yahoo.com/show/35099/news/urn:newsml:eonlinekristen.com:20080202:TV-6a829db24533e7aa026268d0738c29d5__ER:1;_ylt=AuK7ETKJIdGTP7M9Gu47UVyAo9EF
2. Fall, 2005 -- Veronica Mars (season 2, episode 5, "Blast from the Past")
It was freshman year in college and I didn't really regularly watch network programming anymore (not since around junior high). But one night, a couple friends down the hall were having trouble with their cable so they came over to our apartment to watch tv. Lost was a rerun so we watched a little show on the WB called Veronica Mars at the request of my friend Julia. After that, I was hooked. I downloaded all the old episodes and we all watched it together, a real bonding experience that continued in watching several other shows together, ultimately inspiring this blag. Julia also is a very talented writer slash television reviewer and thought we don't always see eye to eye, her opinions are always with some merit. Hopefully, she too, will get something up on here.
1. Spring 1999 -- Seinfeld (season 9, episodes 23/24, "The Finale)
Above any others, Seinfeld was the show I was dedicated to watching. Must See tv really meant something to me and I religiously watched what can be considered one of the best shows ever made. When I first heard news that season 9 was the final one, I was a little heartbroken. And when I watched the finale, I was a little angry. The greatest show about nothing went out on, in my opinion, one of the weakest endings ever. I guess it had been built up so much, it was bound to fall on its face. But this moment was when I realized that even great tv shows can stumble. And when they do, say something so it doesn't happen again.

And there are 5 of the most influential moments in my tv watching 'career'
Feel free to post your own.
And good news, some Office recaps are on their way!

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