I'm giving The Big C an A+

...and I'm back. Excuse the week long absence. It has been too crazy at home.

Laura Linney plays a Cancer-striken wife/Mom on The Big C

Anyway, took a break from all the craziness to check out the first episode of The Big C. This series stars Laura Linney. I've always known her to be a good actress, but watching her star in her own TV show has left me really very impressed.

Some actors stand out because they are good. Laura Linney is of a different breed, I think. She stands out because she's not only good at what she does, she makes everyone in the cast good at what they do, too.

I think that if you're an actor and you have to do a scene with her, you are so challenged to match her caliber. You know what I'm saying?

Suffice to say, The Big C has a good ensemble of cast and characters. If you happen to check this out, you will find a lot of them quite interesting, including the old woman that lives across Cathy's (Laura Linney's character) house, and Cathy's brother who is a homeless man (by choice....he chooses to live as a homeless man! How crazy huh?)

That The Big C is carried by Showtime only means this show is kind of quirky, and (to borrow Meredith Gray's line) "dark and twisty". The cable network has a roster of dark comedy series with women leading the pack ---- United States of Tara (personality disorder), Nurse Jackie (drug addiction) and Weeds (drug pusher).

The writing's quite stellar, too. I found myself smiling a few times, the way the scenes were played out. Among my favorite quotes:

CATHY: "I haven't had onion in 15 years because you say they're 'stinky poo poo'"
PAUL (her husband): "They are!…..C'mon Cathy, do you honestly tell me that I'm sleeping on my sister's couch because you want to cook with onions again?"
CATHY: "Yes, Paul. That's it. I want onions to be a major part of my life next year!"

CATHY (disciplining her son): "Listen! Someday, I am gonna be dead and as a courtesy to the world I don't wanna leave them a guy who doesn't know how to flush his own shit down the toilet.... And let me be clear!!! Your dad isn't living here because I only want to raise one kid, and I chose you. And from now on, I'm gonna raise you so hard, your head's gonna spin!"

The Big C is going to be on my list, for sure!