To My Best Friend In The Whole Wide World

Us back in the day.

So I re-watched yesterday's finale of Parks and Recreation this morning at work and realized something really strange. For those of you who don't watch the show, 1. You suck, 2. You'll know it's the one where Anne and Chris leave Pawnee forever and ever and Leslie and Anne have to say unbearably tearful goodbyes to each other. The end nearly killed me, I was bawling which is something I never do in comedies, so bravo Parks and Rec. 

But this morning I noticed something different. Leslie and Anne's goodbyes runs in direct parallel to me having to say goodbye to one of the most important people in my life; my best friend Dominique Lefebvre who has been with me through thick and thin, through all my poor and questionable decisions, and been not only a solid shoulder to cry on, but the warmest pair of arms that hug me. She's stood by me during my best moments (literally), and helped me up from my the floor at my most painful moments. She's a treasure. I sadly haven't seen her in a very long time, basically not since moving away from New York which was in 2010 unless you count our Brief Encounter (one of our favorite films!) in Los Angeles in 2011 where we celebrated my 26th birthday with a bottle of champagne, caviar, and Beard Papa's cream puffs like a baws. 

The three musketeers (our best friend Steven is in the middle) at our favorite go-to, Suite. A gay bar 2 minute walking distance from all of our apartments. Kareoke was a tradition. 

But there's not a day that went by in those almost 4 days where we didn't talk in one way or another, or touch base. So let me just give you some exposition on her. She's French Canadian, and now has to move back to Montreal this Sunday. But, because of Gchat, Skype, and Facebook, I'm sure we'll survive...and yet it's the end of an era! 

She's a filmmaker, as well as a lyricist. She is extremely talented and we met completely by accident when I crashed an MFA mixer before our classes even started at Dodge Hall in Columbia University's School of the Arts. Someone had suggested leaving the bar everyone was at and finding another one, and me having lived in NY for three years already, new the perfect place. We ended up seated next to each other at the now closed Cooper 35/Asian Pub (Rest in Peace) near the Bowery, drinking 4$ mojitos and chatting and then all spending the night at another friend's place. Since that night, we were inseparable. We got lots of teases for being joined at the hip even though we weren't even in the same department, and when mommie dearest came to visit NY she immediately fell in love with her, and my mom is hard to please. 

Freckles on her graduation day so pretty and proud!

But more about Dom, or 'Snickers' as I call her, which she hates so I basically stick to 'Freckles' (we're Lost fans, her name for me is 'Blondie', thanks Sawyer). Anyway, she is extremely talented, writing and directing as well as producing a many shorts during her time in Columbia, all which were brilliant. In fact, I've written about them before, you can find them here: Make Way For The Gossip Queen. I know that wherever she is she's going to go far and accomplish great things. Her tenacity, sense of humor, originality, loyalty, and creativity round out such an amazing person that I am so unbelievably lucky to call my friend, that I have no doubt that whatever she seeks out to accomplish, she will. I love you sister, and remember, that maid of honor promise still stands :) I'll miss you more than I already do, but I know that no matter what (as sappy as this is about to sound) we'll always be as close as we were when we lived two streets apart in New York. And in the words of our favorite band: Thank you for the music. 

Here's her website where you can see what kind of work she does: 

Dominique Lefebvre

And just for old times, here's something for you Freckles: 

The Only Good Shows Left On TV

Let's face it. TV has taken serious hits. If I went down the list of every show that sucks out there, this might be a blog worthy of a dissertation but just to name a few; no one cares about Mad Men anymore because the nostalgia has worn off and no one wants to see Don Draper in high-rise bell bottoms when they enter the 70's, Breaking Bad has also lost a ton of momentum considering it's just gotten long and boring and at this point you've taken a knee and tried to run out the clock. In terms of vampires, True Blood has just gotten a bit too much; too much sex, too much blood. It's like Twilight was chopped up into serials...or if there was a third tier daytime soap opera but with vampires. You know my feelings on Girls so let's just save us both time and not go there. And let's not even get started on Reality TV, the juggernaut that is backfiring like crazy right now. At first it was kinda cool and interesting; delving into that curious kitty inside all of us, then it became gratuitous, and now a days, they just make shows about anything until the novelty wears off too, even The Soup isn't funny anymore...I stopped watching ages ago. And basically most of Bravo and the E! Network's shows are tired. They are just scraping the bottom of the barrel with shows that actually have a hashtag in their title (i.e. #Richkids Of Beverly Hills). And after Phil Robertson's incendiary comments on the ridiculously overblown show Duck Dynasty, we can all agree that the well of redneck TV has run dry also. As for situation comedy, there's only one show that is still standing and has the Golden Globe to prove it. So here we go... 

Parks and Recreation, NBC. Still going strong, on its 5th season. It came out of the box so poorly with the first season being basically a throw away and was this close to being cancelled, but with new writers and Amy Poehler's tenacity and comic genius and Ron Swanson as the resident breakout character, this show has plenty more seasons in its future. It never gets dull, repetitive, or boring. It's everything a sitcom should be. 

Hannibal, NBC. This is a really seriously interesting take on the crime thriller TV show genre. It focuses on a detective who has severe mental and emotional trauma and deals with his solving crime cases in a very dark, morose, and existantial way. Not to mention the biggest criminal and focus of the show is based on one of the most infamous characters in pop-culture; Hannibal Lecter, and you would think no one would be able to trump Anthony Hopkins nor should attempt it, but Madds Mikkelson is a blessing sent from the acting heavens and gives new brevity and life to this format, and creates a psychological drama so profound it's terrifying yet beautiful to experience. 

The Vampire Diaries, CW Network. Unlike it's biggest competition; True Blood, it's an actually character driven show with great writers and interesting arcs. They aren't preoccupied with shock value and really nuance every story they are telling no matter how seemingly superficial it seems. It's a winner. 

Downton Abbey, ITV. This show received so much flack for being boring and too 'British', but at the same time it caught America by the balls and hasn't yet let go. Whether it be the Dowager Countess' sarcastic comments or reliving big events we never actually got to live through from the Titanic sinking to the First World War, the characters again, are that which matter the most in this show. Julian Fellows has followed a very important rule of writing, which is consistency. And it has paid off in spades. Without it's success in America and American's fascination with the series, it probably wouldn't have lasted longer than a couple season, but it's on it's 4th and going strong. 

Sherlock, BBC. This is perhaps the best show on television right now, and definitely in the top ten of the decade, easily. Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat have reinvented the entire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle cannon and done so brilliantly, appropriating it for modern times. You can see just how much they love the source material considering how true they stay to it. On top of that, they made two genius decision; stretching each episode to an hour and a half so they only have to put out three episodes a season, and casting Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock. There has never been an actor more suited for the role he's playing.

Vanderpump Rules, Bravo. I know what you're thinking, but you know what? This show is exactly what it is; an unapologetic view of some of the most hideous personalities that exist on earth, and it's fascinating. No matter how little reality is actually in this reality series, it is starting to trump it's predecessor; The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, of which this is a spin off. It's low art and low blows. It's silly and addictive, fabulous and nauseating. It's not exactly a breath of fresh air, but it's sticking by the principals of Reality TV and not taking itself seriously. Perfect example: Bravo decided to link the two shows and show the same party first from the perspective of the housewives on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, then from the servers, from Vanderpump Rules, back to back I might add, and the latter was far more interesting, especially Stassi's impressions and Jax's comments. 'It was like a drunk United Nations'...priceless. 

Saturday Night Live, NBC. With the departure of Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Seth Meyers, and Kristen Wiig, you would think this show that will seemingly never die would go down the crapper and fast, but with the casting of Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Taran Killam, and most newly Beck Bennett, Saturday Night Live has pumped newer and younger life into its content and is still going strong. Just because some seriously strong and valuable players have retired and Lorne has to now send out the bench warmers, they are proving they can play in the big leagues. And with the digital short concept no longer in play, the new cast members have found new and creative ways to compensate. Also with the female cast almost as close in count with the male, it's no longer the 'boy's club' and they've taken full advantage of that. Can we say 'Girlfriends Talkin' About Guys and Stuff'? 

Clips below: