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The pay here is absolutely awful, and distractions are pretty much omnipresent, but I get plenty of downtime. Right now, I am using that downtime to watch the TV show 'Taxi'. Fist off, according to the never-incorrect subtitles, the theme song is Bob James' 'Angela'. Also, Judd Hirsch get the toppest of billings. His name comes before the name of the TV show, which seems like a bit much. I could be mis-remembering, but I feel like Tim Allen's name didn't come before the name of the 'Home Improvement' TV show. And, not to split hairs, but 'Home Improvement' (8 seasons) ended up being a little more popular than 'Taxi' (5 seasons). Oddly enough, while 'Home Improvement' was on ABC the entirety of its run, 'Taxi' started on ABC and then did its last season on NBC. I'll be starting the review with Season 3, because of reasons. One of the SM-51x's has something brewing about this, so I will link it here if it ever finishes. Suffice it to say, when a popular broadcast network sitcoms goes for at least a handful of seasons, it is best to start a re-watch (or just a 'watch', if you haven't ever seen it before) at season 3. Lemme just say, I like 4:3 aspect ratios. I dunno why, maybe it's just my age, but I think it's neat to see a box screen. It's something of a rarity these days. This episode has Rhea Perlman dating Danny Devito, which is kinda funny given their future together. Apparently Judd Hirsch (the 'star' of the show)'s character had a thing for her, but this is apprently not a very 'Judd Hirsch' episode, so that tidbit of info comes and goes. Overall, the episode is a very Devito-heavy episode. Most of it takes place outside of the taxi garage, which is probably indicative of the direction the show would take (moving from 'these are coworkers who work in this central location' to 'these are friends who meet at various locations'). Hirsch, being the 'Alan Alda' of the series, uses his wise counsel to put Devito onto the path of resolution in the conflict he is having. I didn't like that Rhea Perlman's character's relationship journey seemed to take a backseat to Danny Devito's character's journey, despite the fact that she got more screentime than Judd Hirsch in this episode. The first episode of the 3rd season is definitely a reflection of early 1980's TV sensibilities, for better or for worse. Also, there was a barely-touched-upon B plot involving Marilu Henner's need for a babysitter. It left me thinking 'Why did the writers even include it in the script?' Overall, I would rate this episode as a solid 'meh'. If you want to see Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman act together, go ahead and watch it. Other than that, skip the episode. It ends with everyone in the same position they were in when the episode began. | ||