Swingtown: 1.5 ‘Go Your Own Way’ Review
Original Air Date: July 3, 2008
As much as it pains me to admit it, Swingtown is actually becoming almost entertaining … until you get to the boring parts with the kids, that is.
On this semi-realistic installment, Trina and Sylvia plan a party to fight censorship by raising funds for the legal defense of “actor” Harry Reems, the legendary star of the legendary porn film Deep Throat, whom the Nixon administration really did target in order to send him to jail for conspiracy to distribute obscenities across state lines. He was convicted in real life, but legendary lawyer Alan Dershowitz later helped convince the court to overturn the ruling on appeal.
In fictionland, Susan is all gung-ho to attend the party at the Deckers’ and help out, until she takes some seven-layer dip over before it starts and discovers exactly who the “actor” in question is, a wonderful laugh-out-loud moment for viewers. Predictably, the knowledge makes her extremely and immediately uncomfortable because (1) the movie is pornography and (2) pornography simply isn’t something she’s been exposed to in the past, although open marriages are just fine apparently.
Sylvia tries to convince Susan to think for herself and not worry about conventional attitudes towards pornography, especially when Susan admits she’s never even seen the movie. Susan more or less disinvites herself from the party, but begins reconsidering her decision later when she learns Bruce has seen the movie himself, along with colleagues from his job, as a joke.
While watching, I forgot the plot takes place in the 1970s (I know — how could I do that with those hairdos and outfits and forced era-appropriate references shoved right in my face?), when you couldn’t just fire up the old browser and see porn for free on a gazillion different websites. As a result, when everybody kept talking about the movie, I instinctively assumed they saw it on video. Silly me!
In those days, of course, you actually had to schlep to a public theater to watch movies, which makes it much more understandable why Susan was so tortured about seeing the film. Eventually she does, however, and it’s a revelation of sorts because aside from being filled with sex, the movie is also really cheesy. Suddenly, she’s convinced that the party is a good thing, and she goes despite Janet’s refusal to accompany her (Janet shows up to support her best friend in the long run, though) and Bruce’s condescending insistence that she not go without him.
Bruce’s childish reaction when he storms over to the Deckers’ after learning Susan has gone to the party regardless of his objections clarifies why Susan is afraid she and her husband are no longer in sync following the recent changes in their lives. Trina advises Susan that it’s up to her, then, to help Bruce move forward, too. But Bruce remains sullen when Susan returns home, demonstrating just how resistant he is to growing together with his wife.
The best scenes in the episode are the one at the very end, when Laurie lifts Susan’s spirits by showing she’s glad her mother acted independently and went to the party, and when Janet bumps into Harry Reems a bit earlier at the party’s buffet table and strikes up a conversation (when he answers her question about why he did the movie — because he needed the money — Janet responds with complete innocence and sincerity, “Weren’t they hiring at Woolworth’s?”), demonstrating again that she’s not quite as prudish as she often seems.
All in all, “Go Your Own Way” was pretty good, considering that this is Swingtown.
1 opinion for Swingtown: 1.5 ‘Go Your Own Way’ Review
Swingtown: ‘Friends with Benefits’ Spoilers (7-10-08)
Jul 12, 2008 at 11:01 am
[…] to make do with the following scene clipped from last week’s surprisingly good episode “Go Your Own Way.” You know — it was the one about the famous porn star and his famous porn flick. Take […]
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