Me, Distracted

I have not been reading; I’ve been distracted. Work is keeping me incredibly busy, excited but busy. To the point that even when I’m home, curled up on the couch, I’m mentally reciting a list of things that need to get done, be worried over, or forgotten in the shuffle. The stack of obligation reading I have to do is practically crying from neglect. But, to be fair, work isn’t the only thing keeping me from picking up a book. No, there’s also my very last graduate course, and, oh, living (or some facsimile thereof.) But …*stubs toe into ground*… there have been a few other distractions clamoring for my attention. One happens to come in the rather fine form of actor Timothy Olyphant.

I had seen Hitman (at the time, the biggest draw was the trailer’s rather awesome action sequence set to “Ave Maria”); I had seen Live Free or Die Hard; I had made my way through the first season of Deadwood. But it wasn’t until I started watching – and loving – Justified that I realized some might call me a fan.

Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, Olyphant’s new show is an hour long character sketch featuring a man who hides his anger well; he’s casually lethal, well-mannered, deceptively smart and intuitive. He makes questionable – and sometimes downright awful – decisions. He’s a hero, or so the badge he wears would have us believe, but his flaws and insecurities inform his code of honor as much as his strengths do. The show isn’t action packed – though Olyphant’s character’s controlled violence offers a definite adrenaline punch – but its slowly unraveling main character makes for fascinating viewing. At least for me.

Now that I’ve realized that, however unintentionally, I’ve kind of been following Olyphant’s career, I’ve been going back and filling in some of the gaps. And even as I’ve done so I realize how weird it is; the actors that get under my skin are usually expressive, something in their faces catches me and holds on, but Olyphant doesn’t really fit that mold. Not to the level I’m talking about. And yet…

So, that’s it, one of my recent distractions. I’m going to try to really buckle down this week and try to get some reading done. Reviews soon, I hope!

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