"WINGS'" Acting

[pilotguy]

After watching last night's first part of the "Joe Blows" story, I am convinced that "Wings" had the best ACTING of any sitcom around.

Most of the cast members have episodes where they're giving us something other than laughs, and those moments are always well done.

Sitcoms like "Cheers" and "Taxi" were funny, but I really can't remember moments of heart-tugging or emotional acting on those shows like I've seen on "Wings".

What I also like about those serious "acting" moments on "Wings" is that they're not done in a heavy-handed way...

Norman Lear-produced sitcoms like "All In The Family" and "Maude" had moments of great acting, but it always seemed like they wanted the viewer to KNOW it:

"Get ready folks....We're going to give you a big dramatic moment now...". "Wings" just doesn't seem to shove it in your face like that.

The more I watch "Wings", the more impressed I get with that fine cast!

[Krista2882]

I agree with you!
Although I haven't seen part 1 of "Joe Blows", I do agree with you about the outstanding acting talent of the cast of Wings. That's one of the things that drew me to the show. Acting is something I always notice, and I always value a TV show with talented actors.
And I know what you mean about how on some shows, it seems like they wan't you to know, "ok, this is a dramatic moment- wow, the acting is good." lol. I know what you mean, and I notice that on some shows too, and it bothers me. But I've never seen that on Wings.

~Krista
:o)

[AgtSkye]

i missed it last night. but i loved steven weber's acting in joe blows pt. 2. and as for the funny parts him trying to decipher faye's writing was hilarious. oh and lowell with his "mirage" speech.

anne

[wingshock]

ITA. The first time I saw Joe Blows 1 I was not expecting Joe's meltdown at all. It is a great scene and Tim was brilliant.

The parts of his meltdown that really got to me were when Helen said (sounding like Joe was really scaring her) "Stop it, Joe!" and Joe lit into her: "No *you* stop it, Helen!" He even scared me!

And then when he said his dream had turned into the nightmare of being a baggage handler, and he threw those luggage tags... that scared me too, and the looks on Brian & Helen's faces during those moments were just right.

I also loved the whole floating in the pool thing, that was a great brain-teaser.

In Joe Blows 2 the funniest thing to me was Brian deciphering Fay's writing. I *laughed*!. "We've already established that omelette means overdue." Ha ha ha

Oh, I remembered something else from JB1 that made me laugh, when Joe said, "Currently I'm listening to the New Christy Minstrels singing 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag.'"

Helen: "Joe. Joe Hackett."
Lowell: "Harley. Harley Davidson."

I can't wait to watch those eps again!

Love,

Wing<><

[pilotguy]

Originally posted by wingshock
ITA. The first time I saw Joe Blows 1 I was not expecting Joe's meltdown at all. It is a great scene and Tim was brilliant.

The parts of his meltdown that really got to me were when Helen said (sounding like Joe was really scaring her) "Stop it, Joe!" and Joe lit into her: "No *you* stop it, Helen!" He even scared me!

And then when he said his dream had turned into the nightmare of being a baggage handler, and he threw those luggage tags... that scared me too, and the looks on Brian & Helen's faces during those moments were just right.

I also loved the whole floating in the pool thing, that was a great brain-teaser.

That's just what I mean....Tim's tirade was POWERFUL stuff, and the scared reactions of the customers and co-workers were very realistic....even ROY had a shocked "Holy ****!" expression on his face!

Many of you probably already know this, but there are some of you who may be too young and are unfamiliar with the film, so I'll say it anyway:

That whole "Joe floating face down in the pool" thing was a spoof of the 1950 film "SUNSET BOULEVARD". The film opens with William Holden's character floating face down in a swimming pool, having just been shot to death....and his voice-over begins narrating the story, which is told in flashback form.

As an old movie buff, I found Joe Hackett's "floating and narrating" bit kind of weird for "Wings", but VERY funny!

[Krista2882]

Originally posted by wingshock
ITA. The first time I saw Joe Blows 1 I was not expecting Joe's meltdown at all. It is a great scene and Tim was brilliant.

The parts of his meltdown that really got to me were when Helen said (sounding like Joe was really scaring her) "Stop it, Joe!" and Joe lit into her: "No *you* stop it, Helen!" He even scared me!

............

yeah, I agree with you! Tim did a great job with that scene. It wasn't over-acted, like it had the potential to be. It was great, and very real.
the part when Joe yells at Helen, when he says, "no, you stop it Helen! I'm sick of you always coming to me with your boyfriend problems! Has it ever occurred to you that I am alone, and I may not want to hear it?!" (i don't know if that's exactly what he said, but close enough. hehe), that part got me the most for some reason. I think it was just the way he said it.
But you know what? I don't know if you guys were thinking this too, but I felt like when he said that to Helen, he wasn't just saying that it bothered him when she always came to him about her relationship problems just because it bugged him because he wasn't in a relationship with anyone himself.. it seemed like he was almost saying that it bothered him because it was *her* coming to him about her relationships with other guys, because he wanted to be the one in a relationship with her... I don't know. What do you guys think? It was just how emotional he got with her, differently than when he was yelling at the others. But who knows- it could be me just imagining things because I know the two of them get back together later on in the series. hehe.

But anyway, yeah. great episode. Great job by the whole cast in both parts 1 and 2 of the episode.

[pilotguy]

Originally posted by Krista2882



the part when Joe yells at Helen, when he says, "no, you stop it Helen! I'm sick of you always coming to me with your boyfriend problems! Has it ever occurred to you that I am alone, and I may not want to hear it?!" (i don't know if that's exactly what he said, but close enough. hehe), that part got me the most for some reason. I think it was just the way he said it.
But you know what? I don't know if you guys were thinking this too, but I felt like when he said that to Helen, he wasn't just saying that it bothered him when she always came to him about her relationship problems just because it bugged him because he wasn't in a relationship with anyone himself.. it seemed like he was almost saying that it bothered him because it was *her* coming to him about her relationships with other guys, because he wanted to be the one in a relationship with her... I don't know. What do you guys think? It was just how emotional he got with her, differently than when he was yelling at the others. But who knows- it could be me just imagining things because I know the two of them get back together later on in the series. hehe.

I'm a 47-year old guy and Joe's remarks about Helen hit ME the same way too!
It was like he was saying "Stop treating me like your big brother or one of your girlfriends....It really BOTHERS me to think of you with someone else....What is WRONG with you even ASKING me about your current boyfriend?".

No, I don't think that you were reading too much into that....I thought the same thing!

[wingshock]

Originally posted by pilotguy

No, I don't think that you were reading too much into that....I thought the same thing!

Me too. For example, his gripe with Brian coming to him with girlfriend problems isn't what makes Joe feel lonely. It's when Helen talks to him about her boyfriend that makes him say, "I am alone here" and that he doesn't want to hear about it.

Plus knowing they get together later helps to put that in our heads, I think. In fact, they get back together in only 16 more episodes.

Love,

Wing<><

[losthighway]

I also agree about Joe's reaction to Helen. He wasn't just pointing out that he was tired of being her sounding board, he was also showing that it was bothering him that she was with another man. It was a subtle way to do it, but I think that is exactly what the character was expressing.

At the same time, I was enjoying Helen's reactions to Joe. She was very upset and worried when Joe went missing. And when Joe returned the way she leaped over the counter and hugged him was great. And then even after Joe set her down, she kept on holding on to him all the while.

I felt that also was a great subtle clue about Helen's feelings towards Joe because she was dating another man at the time, yet her feelings were obviously still so strong for Joe. Of course as a "friend" you are going to care and worry if another friend takes off like that. But her reaction came across to me as someone who was thinking of him as more then just a friend. Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but I thought the actors and writers did a great job of showing the feelings ran pretty deep between the two characters.

[phoebe7165]

I had written this on another board, but extremely fine acting from Tim Daly on this episode. I had never heard Joe yell like that, especially when he was yelling at Helen. I don't know why this show has never even been nominated for Emmys or Golden Globes. It was always the same people and the same shows year after year. I asked this before on the other board but is it me, but does it get to anybody else when Joe says,"Where do I go when it finally dawns on me that my life sucks?" I don't know why but I always get tears in my eyes when I hear him say that.

__________________________________________________
Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!

[pilotguy]

Originally posted by wingshock


For example, his gripe with Brian coming to him with girlfriend problems isn't what makes Joe feel lonely. It's when Helen talks to him about her boyfriend that makes him say, "I am alone here" and that he doesn't want to hear about it.

Plus we ALL know how annoying Helen can be when she gets a new boyfriend.....She gets all perky, giggly and squealy, and when the new boyfriend walks up to her lunch counter, she drops WHATEVER she's doing, grabs the guy and slobbers all over him right in front of everybody....

I'm not Helen's ex-boyfriend and her carrying on gets on MY nerves!

[Ice Cream Man]

Agreed on the fine acting portion of it. Tim Daly did a fantastic job. But I disagree that Helen's situation was the main cause of his losing it. If you remember, this thing with Helen and Davis has been building now for at least two episodes - ever since she met Davis.

I think what really did it for Joe started three episodes ago when Davis denied him a loan (and it didn't help that the loan went to Roy). Joe just wants to make his life better and he wants to expand his airline. I think what pushed Joe over the edge was the newspaper interviewer. He asked the "push my buttons" questions that Joe didn't want to face - that he wasn't flying jets, he had no family or girlfriend for that matter, and he still lived on Nantucket. Like Joe said, "Who do I go to when I finally figure out that my life SUCKS!?"

[pilotguy]

I agree, Ice Cream Man....The newspaper interview really brought things to a head and laid all of Joe's failures right out in front of him.

[spunkygirl]

Joe Blows I & II are my all time fav Wings episodes. Tim Daly is just fascinating in that episode, I honestly thought Tim was so into it, I really felt like it was Tim's pain and not just Joe's.

I too think it was partly the fact that he doesn't want Helen running to him about her love life cause he still loves and that he is alone, also Brian talking about his sex life all the time would get to anyone if they're lonely.

I say great acting all around, that's why I love this show so much

[wingshock]

Originally posted by Ice Cream Man
But I disagree that Helen's situation was the main cause of his losing it.

For my part, I never meant that Helen's situation was the "main cause" of Joe losing it. I don't think that's what the other folks were saying either...

We were only saying that we thought Helen talking about Davis to Joe was hurtful to him because he still has tender feelings for her. But that wasn't the main cause... it was everything put together.

Love,

Wing<><