So, I just watched "The Big C"

faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
It's bold and even empowering, and yeah...I cried. There's a certain rawness and honesty to the story. The protagonist's cancer is melanoma, yet it still resounded for me with some moments with which I could easily identify. I don't want to give too much away, it could be a tough thing to watch for some, but I will watch more episodes.

The first episode is available on iTunes free until the 16th with numerous 'bleeps' for those that might be offended by such language. Hey, if you ask me, 'cancer' is a pretty profane word.

Killing me softly through cable.

Comments

  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #2
    Thanks for the reminder
    I don't have Showtime, and have never done iTunes, but the 1st episode is also on the Showtime website, and I just watched it.

    Man, I'm depressed now. Not because of anything to do with her cancer, but just her life and her relationships -- geez, she's a mess.

    But what made me angry was when she had lunch at a beautiful waterfront restaurant with her VERY hot young doctor. I have THREE handsome-to-hot young doctors, and NOT ONE of them has ever taken me to lunch!

    I mean, seriously...who goes to lunch with their doctor? That made me question how realistic (or not) this show may turn out to be -- but I'm intrigued enough to keep watching.

    Traci
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #3
    TraciInLA said:

    Thanks for the reminder
    I don't have Showtime, and have never done iTunes, but the 1st episode is also on the Showtime website, and I just watched it.

    Man, I'm depressed now. Not because of anything to do with her cancer, but just her life and her relationships -- geez, she's a mess.

    But what made me angry was when she had lunch at a beautiful waterfront restaurant with her VERY hot young doctor. I have THREE handsome-to-hot young doctors, and NOT ONE of them has ever taken me to lunch!

    I mean, seriously...who goes to lunch with their doctor? That made me question how realistic (or not) this show may turn out to be -- but I'm intrigued enough to keep watching.

    Traci

    Yeah I agree with Traci
    I wish I had lunch with my plastic surgeon or new gynecologist. Never even use my firs name. Alway nice , compassion but very formal.
    Cheers everyone
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #4
    New Flower said:

    Yeah I agree with Traci
    I wish I had lunch with my plastic surgeon or new gynecologist. Never even use my firs name. Alway nice , compassion but very formal.
    Cheers everyone

    I have showtime .. and I have yet to decide if I'm going to
    watch this new series.. I am still very angry about my breast cancer ... Haven't forgiven my body for it's betrayal.

    I need to get a slap from Chenheart ... need some of her wonderful sense of pride and humor!

    Just me ..


    Vicki Sam
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #5
    VickiSam said:

    I have showtime .. and I have yet to decide if I'm going to
    watch this new series.. I am still very angry about my breast cancer ... Haven't forgiven my body for it's betrayal.

    I need to get a slap from Chenheart ... need some of her wonderful sense of pride and humor!

    Just me ..


    Vicki Sam

    If you do decide to watch it, VickSam -
    The first episode may be a good one to catch. It's really not very much about cancer at all, only a couple of brief scenes with her (did I mention really hot young?) doctor.

    The first episode is much more about her messed-up life, her relationships with her family, her neighbor, her job, etc.

    Traci
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #6
    TraciInLA said:

    If you do decide to watch it, VickSam -
    The first episode may be a good one to catch. It's really not very much about cancer at all, only a couple of brief scenes with her (did I mention really hot young?) doctor.

    The first episode is much more about her messed-up life, her relationships with her family, her neighbor, her job, etc.

    Traci

    To be frank...
    Traci is correct, Cathy's life is in turmoil, but some of that is a function of her own way of handling her diagnosis. The pilot implies she knows the diagnosis as the show begins as she is in negotiations. Lots of layers in this show. As many of us discovered, cancer is inconvenient and changes our life's priorities when those words are muttered by our doctors.

    I found the final scene the most difficult part, having myself gone from laughter to sobbing within a single breath.

    Just remember you can always switch the damned thing off.
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #7
    We don't have cable but even
    We don't have cable but even if we did I don't think I'd watch it. They say you watch tv for either enjoyment or education and I'd not enjoy it and already had the education.
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #8
    Thanks for the reminder
    I want to check it out. I'd be interested in a show that does not portray cancer survivors as either heroic victims, on death's doorstep, or ceaselessly optimistic. People don't like to be reminded of illness or mortality, so it'll be very interesting to see if people respond to this.

    Mimi
  • heidijez
    heidijez Member Posts: 441
    #9
    TraciInLA said:

    Thanks for the reminder
    I don't have Showtime, and have never done iTunes, but the 1st episode is also on the Showtime website, and I just watched it.

    Man, I'm depressed now. Not because of anything to do with her cancer, but just her life and her relationships -- geez, she's a mess.

    But what made me angry was when she had lunch at a beautiful waterfront restaurant with her VERY hot young doctor. I have THREE handsome-to-hot young doctors, and NOT ONE of them has ever taken me to lunch!

    I mean, seriously...who goes to lunch with their doctor? That made me question how realistic (or not) this show may turn out to be -- but I'm intrigued enough to keep watching.

    Traci

    poor traci!!
    no pesto recipe ;( no blow-up gown ;( and no lunch with her doctor(s) ;(

    but on the other hand, you are so amusing that you make me smile a lot!
  • KayNYC
    KayNYC Member Posts: 495 Member
    #10
    Don't have Showtime
    I've seen all the ads and hype about the show. The way I figure, it is afterall a tv show that needs to get viewers to survive the season so I don't expect much in terms of it being reality based.I don't watch soaps and dislike reality tv. I will probably not watch this either.
    K
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #11
    KayNYC said:

    Don't have Showtime
    I've seen all the ads and hype about the show. The way I figure, it is afterall a tv show that needs to get viewers to survive the season so I don't expect much in terms of it being reality based.I don't watch soaps and dislike reality tv. I will probably not watch this either.
    K

    Have it .. DVR programmed
    Lunch with 1 of my many doctors .. Yikes, not a pretty picture ..

    Oncolgist .. I may throw myself across the lunch table and lunge for his throat ..
    Breast Cancer Specialist .. WE would be the entire time talking about Austrialia .
    Plastic Surgeon .. I would spend my time asking Dr. Turpin, about a tummy tuck, laugh line removal, eye lift ..

    All my doctors are over 55 and not very attractive....


    Vicki Sam
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #12
    VickiSam said:

    Have it .. DVR programmed
    Lunch with 1 of my many doctors .. Yikes, not a pretty picture ..

    Oncolgist .. I may throw myself across the lunch table and lunge for his throat ..
    Breast Cancer Specialist .. WE would be the entire time talking about Austrialia .
    Plastic Surgeon .. I would spend my time asking Dr. Turpin, about a tummy tuck, laugh line removal, eye lift ..

    All my doctors are over 55 and not very attractive....


    Vicki Sam

    Thanks for the reminder. I looked at in On Demand
    and really was left without an opinion. It didn't strike me as she was in turmoil, just living a regular life with the usual problems. They really didn't touch very much on details other than melanoma and it appeared to be in her organs (they show her looking at her x-rays and there were several areas that looked affected). She has chosen not to tell her family because...I really don't understand why. They wouldn't understand? She doesn't want to upset them? She drained her 401K and bought a fancy sports car and is having a swimming pool put in (her husband apparently is brain dead because he hasn't seemed to notice any of this). I personally like her and she is starting to stick up for herself. She stated to her doc (who is really a Dr. McDreamy) she didn't want treatments and be sick and lose her hair for just a little extra time. Apparently she has a year to live.

    I'll watch it again, the first show just brought us up to speed, but it is an made for TV movie and is purely for "entertainment" so I'm not counting on any real facts. I'll watch On Demand after the fact, not even sure when it's actually on and don't care.

    But the fact that her doc calls her at home to see if she's told anyone yet and then they are having lunch is just totally TV and puts the show in a "B" movie status as far as I'm concerned. That just doesn't happen anywhere that I know of.

    Undecided in Algonac, Judy :-)
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #13
    mimivac said:

    Thanks for the reminder
    I want to check it out. I'd be interested in a show that does not portray cancer survivors as either heroic victims, on death's doorstep, or ceaselessly optimistic. People don't like to be reminded of illness or mortality, so it'll be very interesting to see if people respond to this.

    Mimi

    I forgot about this show.
    I forgot about this show. Thanks for the reminder!
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #14
    VickiSam said:

    I have showtime .. and I have yet to decide if I'm going to
    watch this new series.. I am still very angry about my breast cancer ... Haven't forgiven my body for it's betrayal.

    I need to get a slap from Chenheart ... need some of her wonderful sense of pride and humor!

    Just me ..


    Vicki Sam

    No need to lean in this
    No need to lean in this direction for a slap~ I didn't watch it either! I mean really, Vicki Sam, how would watching The Big C and involving myself in the life of the main character be in keeping with my penchant for Ostrich Therapy??? I scarcely acknowlege my own cancer, much less entrenching myself with a fictional Big C warrior!!!

    So, I just creep myself out watching Criminal Minds, and any and every incarnation of Law and Order~ Why? because I already have cancer~ I am hoping NOT be find myself at the mercy of a serial killer, or on the receiving end of the criminal justice system. I love, love, love keeping
    my head in the sand!


    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #15
    chenheart said:

    No need to lean in this
    No need to lean in this direction for a slap~ I didn't watch it either! I mean really, Vicki Sam, how would watching The Big C and involving myself in the life of the main character be in keeping with my penchant for Ostrich Therapy??? I scarcely acknowlege my own cancer, much less entrenching myself with a fictional Big C warrior!!!

    So, I just creep myself out watching Criminal Minds, and any and every incarnation of Law and Order~ Why? because I already have cancer~ I am hoping NOT be find myself at the mercy of a serial killer, or on the receiving end of the criminal justice system. I love, love, love keeping
    my head in the sand!


    Hugs,
    Chen♥

    Chen,
    I also have no desire
    Chen,
    I also have no desire to watch the Big C. And I love Criminal Minds, all the Law and Orders, NCIS, and all the CSI shows. And being an ostrich is perfectly okay. If you aren't thinking about it, then you can't be worrying about it. And remember you can't starve if you have your head in the sand because of "all the sand which is there". LOL
    Stef
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #16
    fauxma said:

    Chen,
    I also have no desire
    Chen,
    I also have no desire to watch the Big C. And I love Criminal Minds, all the Law and Orders, NCIS, and all the CSI shows. And being an ostrich is perfectly okay. If you aren't thinking about it, then you can't be worrying about it. And remember you can't starve if you have your head in the sand because of "all the sand which is there". LOL
    Stef

    Stef~
    Let me just say that I
    Stef~
    Let me just say that I love you!!!! LOL That was hilarious! I am grinning, grinning, grinning! HAHAHAHAHA

    Hugs,
    Chen
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #17
    VickiSam said:

    Have it .. DVR programmed
    Lunch with 1 of my many doctors .. Yikes, not a pretty picture ..

    Oncolgist .. I may throw myself across the lunch table and lunge for his throat ..
    Breast Cancer Specialist .. WE would be the entire time talking about Austrialia .
    Plastic Surgeon .. I would spend my time asking Dr. Turpin, about a tummy tuck, laugh line removal, eye lift ..

    All my doctors are over 55 and not very attractive....


    Vicki Sam

    Mine actually are
    very attractive, I mean plastic surgeon and gynecologist. I am not watching big "C". I have had my own show which is still going on.
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398 Member
    #18
    New Flower said:

    Mine actually are
    very attractive, I mean plastic surgeon and gynecologist. I am not watching big "C". I have had my own show which is still going on.

    Wow
    I saw the name of show but didn't get the meaning dah...
    Well as long as it isn't a reality show I might be in for a look. Wouldn't it be fun to see a show that can make us all laugh about such a subject but I will not hold my breath.
    Tara

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