The Big C - Season Two

The Golden Globe-winning Showtime series, The Big C, returned for its second season and its beginnings are solid, but not especially terrific. The show is, of course, still anchored by Laura Linney (Savages) and she continues to bring her A game, unafraid to make her character unlikable in her attempts to capture the realities of being a realistically embittered cancer patient.

Season two finds Cathy (Lnney) deciding to get a second opinion and trying to get an appointment with Dr. Atticus Sherman (Alan Alda). Her relationship with husband Paul (Oliver Platt) seems to be going well, unlike her relationship with her brother Sean (John Benjamin Hickey). She also worries about her son Adam (Gabriel Basso).

The truth of the matter is the show is good but not great. For one thing, most of the characters are rather annoying and hard to empathize with. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why that is. The cast is pretty good but the characters don’t seem to have a genuine affection for each other. And with a show that bounces from darkly comic to warmly touching, you need an inviting cast of characters to make it go down smoothly.

Not only that, but some interesting ideas are introduced and then tossed aside. The second episode “Musical Chairs” begins with Cathy and Adam returning to a school of fake sympathy. That would have been interesting to explore for a whole episode; instead the focus goes to a baby shower for Cathy’s friend Rebecca (Cynthia Nixon), who’s carrying Sean’s baby, which is not nearly as interesting.

Laura Linney remains really the only major reason to check out this show. Platt, Hickey, Basso, Nixon and Gabourey Sidibie (as Cathy’s one genuine student Andrea) are all okay but they struggle with their poorly underwritten characters. Hopefully the quality of the show will pick up as the season progresses.

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CelebSelect

Danielle Panabaker's Top Pop Picks
- Favorite Band: The Avett Brothers
  
  "I'm really into the Avett Brothers as of late."
- Favorite Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  
  "My girlfriends are I - we are very nerdy. We started a book club and the first book we read was Gone Girl."
- Favorite New Movie: Silver Linings Playbook
  
  "I thought it was a great film and I thought Jennifer Lawrence was incredible, you know those angry tears, I've certainly experienced that."
Paul Van Dyk: Current Favorites
- School of the Seven Bells
  
  The New York-based band unites Benjamin Curtis of "Secret Machines" and Alejandra Deheza. Formed in 2007, the duo is named after a mythical South American pickpocket training academy of the same name.
- Linkin Park
  
  The Californian rock veterans have come a long way since 'Hybrid Theory.' Back now with their fifth studio album in over a decade, 'Living Things' is one of Paul Van Dyck's favorite albums this year.
- Jupiter Jones
  
  The German punk rock band formed in 2002, but has already released several LPs, including an eponymously-named album in 2011.
- Depeche Mode
  
  The legendary Essex electronic band from the 80s remains a classic for Van Dyk. It was also recently among 'Q' magazine's "50 Bands That Changed The World!".
Cody Simpson
- Favorite Movie
  I'm still really into the Ocean's series. I got into them recently. I was always too young to watch them.
- Favorite Book
  This book called Contest by Matthew Reilly, he's an Australian author.
- Favorite Album
  Drake's Take Care — big fan of that
- Favorite TV Show
  The Mentalist
Styx's Lawrence Gowan
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
  
  "That’s got me laughing hysterically on airplanes."
- Making Mirrors by Goyte
  
  "I thought that was a tremendous record."
- The Artist
  
  "It really impressed me."
- Keane
  
  "They’re really strong."
90210's Michael Steger: My Favorite Stuff
- Favorite TV Show: Rome
  
  HBO's series starring Cirian Hinds
- Favorite Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
  
  "Either that or The Gypsy Kings."
- Favorite Book: The Fountainhead
  
  "Probably my favorite book of all time."
- Favorite New Movie: Attack The Block
  
  “It reminded me of The Goonies.”