{"id":1679,"date":"2012-10-05T05:00:55","date_gmt":"2012-10-05T10:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/?p=1679"},"modified":"2012-10-04T12:46:02","modified_gmt":"2012-10-04T17:46:02","slug":"the-virgin-marys-sitcom-appearance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/christophers\/2012\/10\/the-virgin-marys-sitcom-appearance\/","title":{"rendered":"The Virgin Mary’s Sitcom Appearance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

If I told you a statue of the Virgin Mary \u2013 specifically Our Lady of Guadalupe \u2013 played a role in the plot of a modern sitcom, you\u2019d probably assume it would be the butt of some religious joke. In the case of episode 3 of Matthew Perry\u2019s new show, \u201cGo On,\u201d you\u2019d be wrong. The statue, though played for a laugh initially, actually provides a moment of poignancy and grace in the story.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cGo On\u201d is about a sports radio host named Ryan King (Perry) whose wife dies in a car accident because she was answering a text from him while she was driving. In addition to the sense of loss Ryan suffers, he\u2019s also racked with guilt. As a typical guy, he\u2019s not used to processing emotions in a healthy way so his grief leads him to act out in combative, self-destructive ways. His boss and best friend forces him to enter a therapy group to help him deal with his loss. Other members of the group are naturally oddballs who can be mined for laughs. The writers of \u201cGo On,\u201d however, also seem to want to make the group members three-dimensional characters so viewers don\u2019t just laugh at them, but also relate to them.<\/p>\n

The episode in question is entitled \u201cThere\u2019s No Ryan in Team,\u201d was written by series creator Scott Silveri, and directed by Todd Holland. Part of the plot deals with Ryan being unable to break the news about his wife\u2019s death to their Mexican gardener, Miguel, because Ryan is uncomfortable with people offering him their pity and condolences. Eventually he\u2019s forced to tell him anyway. Miguel responds by starting to build a fountain crowned by an Our Lady of Guadalupe statue in Ryan\u2019s backyard. <\/p>\n

At first, this is not an attractive option to Ryan. Yet multiple story threads come together in the end that provide a moment of catharsis through the fountain and statue. There are no overt religious implications in the script other than the visual of the statue. The names \u201cMary\u201d and \u201cOur Lady of Guadalupe\u201d are never mentioned. But the visual says it all if you have even a modest awareness of Christianity. A nice job of showing, not telling, are accomplished by the episode\u2019s writer and director. The comedy throughout the episode works well too.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve only seen a couple of episodes of \u201cGo On\u201d so I don\u2019t know where the show will go from here. But since Catholics and other Christians are quick to point out when Hollywood makes fun of our faith, I wanted to offer a word of praise when they did something well. The episode is embedded below if you\u2019d like to watch.<\/p>\n