Suburgatory

I recently watched an episode of the TV series Suburgatory. The Suburgatory series is about the lives of a single father, George, and his daughter, Tessa, in the community they recently moved into. The episode I watched was titled “sex in the suburbs,” and was about George’s concern regarding Tessa’s relationship with her boyfriend Scott, and specifically her sex life. In the episode, George finds condoms in Tessa’s room, and becomes concerned with what she is doing on her alone time with Scott. George therefore begins to think of ways to keep Tessa home, and away from Scott. George’s actions eventually lead to Tessa leaving for a day, because she feels as though she’s being treated as a child. One theme evident in this episode is a parent struggling with his child growing up. As Tessa matures, and becomes sexually active, George has great difficulty accepting the fact that his “little girl” is growing up. George therefore finds the need to slow Tessa’s growing up, which leads him to try to find ways to keep her at home. Tessa therefore becomes frustrated with her father’s antics, as she feels as though he treats her as a child, and leaves home for a day.  Parents across the United States can surely relate to this theme when their children progress through high school, as many struggle to accept the fact that their child is growing up.  Also, I believe American adolescents can also relate to this theme as many often feel as though their parents treat them as a child, and don’t give them credit for their maturity. I think that Suburgatory’s popularity is due to the fact that the show is so relatable to American society. In terms of film techniques, I noticed that close up shots are used in scenes where characters are conversing. I believe this is used to show the characters’ facial expressions, which convey their feelings, and to allow the audience to feel as though they are also in the conversation, listening in on what the characters have to say. I think this allows the viewer to better connect with the characters in the show, and the show itself.