mmitsos-1

I don't know where to begin. I am one hour into this documentary, and about twenty-two minutes are left. I am completely horrified by everything I've seen so far.

I have never heard of this crime, the people involved, anything. This tale, which is not simply a crime story, is probably the most horrifying incident I've ever heard in my life, and it's not the murder itself that is the most disturbing, but rather, ALL that led up to it. Given what Gypsey Rose endured her entire life, it's no wonder she finally murdered her mother. And, she'll probably need a lifetime of therapy to get over the trauma her mother inflicted upon her. Merely watching her story, I was beyond uncomfortable, unsettled, disgusted, revolted and horrified by what that woman did to her daughter, and I was equally as horrified by how the system COMPLETELY failed her. She endured purposeful, systematic abuse by her mother, and the system ignored her situation her entire life, wh8ch is why she felt compelled to take matters into her own hands. Her life heretofore has been a complete freak show.

I hope she will be able to start a new life. Somehow.

I could be each of these girls' mother. But, I'm not a mother at all. I do, however, well remember the first years after graduate school (eight long years of undergrad (5), then graduate school (3)), and trying to find my way. I did not live in New York (still don't). I have never shared an apartment with a girlfriend - - after five years of dorm living, I lived in my own apartment while in graduate school, and have gloriously lived on my own, or sometimes back with the parents (ugh) ever since. However, I still enjoy the show. The dialog is pretty well written, and I enjoy Hannah's character...an intelligent woman who still is quite naive about people and the world, finding her way through it, and finding herself in the process. I initially found Jemima Kirk's character the most insufferable (and I thought her English accent was fake, until I found out that the actress is actually from England), but, during episode nine (I think it was nine), I warmed up to her a bit (when the women whose husband she had the affair with spoke to her, she seemed to at least be listening to her...taking in all what she had about her life, being afraid to love, etc.). I like Marnie's sensibilities, and her confusion about her relationship with her boyfriend...very realistic, and good of her to leave him, since she clearly has been looking for something more...a much stronger partner. Her recognition of her being "a bit uptight", as she put it, allows her now to do something about it...thus, her letting a bit loose at the wedding. But, I actually liked her a bit uptight...she's sort of funny when she's a frustrated bitch...her reaction to Charlie's buzz cut was sort of mean, bitchy, and funny.

As for little Shoshana, I adore her. She is clearly such a virgin. She's sweetly naive, very giving, seemingly idealistic, and wears her heart out on her sleeve. The bartender friend of Charlie who is a bit infatuated with her sums it up when he tells her at the wedding (mystery party) that she is "strangely, uniquely wired". I don't want her to be corrupted in any way, but obviously, life has no way of avoiding doing that to her, at some point. I wonder what she is majoring in.

Their lives have absolutely nothing to do with mine...nothing. However, I far, far more enjoy watching these characters navigate through life than I did the women in "Sex in the City"...which is actually MY demographic. Many of my friends at work just loved SITC. I really never got into it. I watched the first season or so pretty regularly, then very sparingly in all subsequent seasons, and then watched the finale with some friends because they wanted to make a small party of it. I went to the party just to see my friends...not really to say goodbye to the show. I came to care NOTHING about any of those completely unrelatable, Manolo Blahnik (sp?)-wearing, sex-obsessed, clearly wealthy (though they don't really mention what their finances were...until we found that Carrie couldn't afford to buy her own apartment when it went condo...that was probably my favorite episode, because they finally addressed the fact that her character threw all her money away on her clothes and shoes, saving nothing), uptight and highly judgmental (Charlotte) women. And those diner meetings...do four women really have time in each of their schedules every single Sunday (they seemed to be meeting for Sunday brunches) to meet? The show was insufferable, particularly Carrie. I really couldn't care less about her obsession with slick, limo-driven Big. I haven't liked Sarah Jessica Parker much ever since that show.

But back to "Girls"....it's flawed, at times (but, maybe it's the characters....why would Hannah have given her now boyfriend the time of day in the beginning? What did she see in him....an alcoholic to boot....to stick around? Was she that desperate for just a little sex? Their conversations appeared to be nil. He texted her...and not much else.), but I still like the show, I like the dynamic, and I like their confusion, particularly Hannah's. I look forward to the show every Sunday. I wish it could move to a one-hour series for Season 2.