<p>For a recent Scout project, I had to write (among other things) a free choice essay. There are a lot of things to write about, but I chose this topic because it is one I can never manage to express in spoken words. Please forgive the typos, as it is just a quick draft, but I’d appreciate feedback.</p>
<p>"I should hate Joan of Arcadia. I should find it blasphemous, offensive, boring, lame, or all of the above. It is something wrought of no promise whatsoever, a show about a teenage girl who talks to God-and a God who talks back. So I avoided the show despite all its critical acclaim, went on with my life and eventually forget it existed. That is, until one Friday night in May 2004 when I surfed across it. I don’t remember why I stopped and kept watching-probably just simple boredom-but I did. I liked it, and the preview for the next week looked interesting enough to catch my eye. So I tuned in the next week and saw for the first time the show that would force me to redefine “good” and rethink faith. I saw Joan of Arcadia, and I loved it.</p>
<p>Though I didn’t know it at the time, I came at the tail end of the season, just in time to view the final two episodes. Yet for all my ignorance, I found myself caring for the characters I had never seen before that night. I didn’t know Helen’s past or Adam’s mother; I didn’t know Adam was an artist or that Luke was Joan’s sister and Grace her best friend. But somehow, I, who hadn’t seen the legendary kiss in “Jump” or the simple beauty of “Do the Math,” appreciated the kindness of Adam Rove. And somehow, I, who had not walked Joan’s journey with her, who had seen her build the boat or find the poem, had my heart broken when she stopped believing. I, who considered the very idea of a “Cute Boy” God avatar blasphemous, was awestruck by the loving tenderness He displayed to one who had just denied His existence. The night Joan Girardi stopped believing in God was the night I started believing in her show.</p>
<p>I love Joan of Arcadia for a lot of reasons. I love the acting because I forget it is acting and buy into this story, this crazy idea of a teenager girl who talks to God. I see these people as people instead of script readers or divas or products of Hollywood nepotism. I admire Amber Tamblyn’s acting because she lets me admire the flawed character of Joan in all her humanity. I admire those who somehow managed to make this show so much more than I could have imaged, for making me laugh out loud one minute and want to sob the next. I admire that they’ve given God personality (“I’m snippy because you understand snippy.”) while not making Him too human (“Nothing I could say would make sense to you.”), even if I don’t always agree with how they’ve done it. I admire them for making me look past what I would consider blasphemy just because the show is so beautiful. I admire them for single-handily making me buy scarves. I admire them for making me love something I was dead-set on hating, for making me overlook flaws and missteps and guest stars I hate. And I admire them for making it is so hard for me to tell you why I love this show because there is so much to love. </p>
<p>Before I started watching Joan of Arcadia, I never thought much of faith. It was something nice but not really something to be pondered, something to turn over in my head as I walked down the halls. God was someone I loved and someone I prayed to-when I had the time. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe; I simply never really thought about it very much. But more and more this year, I found myself thinking of God as I walked to English or stood in line for lunch. It’s a perfect system, I would think as I wondered why this or why that, summoning a quote from “Death Be Not Whatever” into my head. When I thought of light or faith, I would think of Joan and the lamps she built as false light, cheap replacements of the light of God she so dearly missed. By seeing Joan struggle, I unconsciously learned to value faith, not as something free and weak but as a hard won and wonderful thing, something I never, ever wanted to lose. And it is not only the brilliant episodes that stay in my mind but the just decent ones, too. “That’s the problem. You stopped trusting,” God says to Joan in “Wealth of Nations,” and as much I said I hated that episode, I often find myself thinking of that quote, unknowing remembering Joan’s error as to avoid my own. I walked away from the recent episode guest-starring Hilary Duff of all people, convinced it was the worst episode ever. That is, until seeing Joan’s rise and fall reminded me not to get too caught up in pride, lest I stumble. I sat here trying to think of an episode I hated until it came to me that there was no episode I could not immediately find a line to ponder. It was only then I realized that the only bad episode of Joan of Arcadia is the one that doesn’t make me think, and, despite Duff sisters and new writers this season and somewhat traditional plotlines, I have yet to see one of those. I sincerely hope and pray I never do. </p>
<p>Even in the face of bad press and disgruntled fans, Joan of Arcadia still stands head and shoulders above the rest of television. Because while CSI may be interesting or The Amazing Race thrilling, only Joan can make me laugh and cry and cheer and walk away realizing the glory, majesty, and power of God. “Faith is believing when there is no rational to believe,” God tells Joan in “The Gift,” the first episode I saw. Remember that and don’t miss your chance to be amazed."</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
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