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It seems that more and more shows have indie song-set montages. The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy quickly come to mind, because their music seems to be the most intrusive. Are there shows that don't abuse the ability to set scenes to music? —Aleks
Ah, you have hit upon one of my favorite TV annoyances. I'm not against a good montage, when deployed sparingly and effectively — sparingly and effectively! The first season of Rescue Me used them perfectly at first, showing each of the characters in their personal space during the course of one song. It was a moving way to contrast inner lives vs. public lives, a conflict which so much of Rescue Me's drama depended on. That series way overused the device during season 2, but has of late scaled back, fortunately. (The O.C. and Grey's should follow its lead). Two series that handle music well are Scrubs (which uses songs to move scenes — and knows when to cut them off) and Veronica Mars. VM, which, like The O.C. aggressively features new/indie music, has a knack for blending it into a scene. This past season featured Mike Doughty's catchy ''I Hear the Bells'' played at a party — that tune of longing became the background for Veronica and Logan's short-lived reunion, but not until Veronica remarked pensively that she liked the song. Me too.
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