“Game changer” just does not mean what it used to.  In fact, it means virtually nothing these days simply because the over-use of the term has diluted the very meaning of it.  When did the phrase “game changer” turn into such a snooze-fest? Back in the good ole days, when you heard that a television show was going to air a “game changer” episode, it meant something so much more thrilling — something so significant and unexpected that viewers were shocked and could not believe their eyes.  A “game changer” used to mean that a key character was being killed-off, someone was coming back from the dead, or there was going to be so mind-blowing that you could not foresee it happening.  But nowadays, it could mean anything from the addition of a new character, a character losing their job, or even less gasp-worthy, a character getting pregnant.

Great examples of “game changers” were LOST, 24 and TORCHWOOD’s willingness to kill off key characters.  Another show particularly adept at game-changers was the J.J. Abrams’ series ALIAS, such as when it took down SD-6 with one swift blow during the second season or when it surprised viewers with the 2 -year time jump.  Game-changers are risk taking and shocking.  The viewer should be sitting on their sofa wondering why the world felt like it had just tilted.

In recent television, FRINGE’s reveal that there was an alternate universe qualifies as a game-changer, but the over-hyped Fauxlivia’s pregnancy did not feel as mind-bending.  Likewise on V, the fact that Anna could bliss humans did not feel as big a game-changer as it should have been.  Nor the fact that Katie was carrying a super-human baby on NO ORDINARY FAMILY.  True game-changers would have been to find out that Father Jack was a mole working for Anna since the beginning on V; or that Katie was a plant by Dr. King to keep an eye on Steph’s research from the get go.  Even the fact that Orwell was afflicted by a similar mental illness to her father’s in THE CAPE did not feel as startling, as it should have been.

To be worthy of the label “game changer,” something must be not be foreseeable.  It must be unexpected to such a degree that everyone is talking about it, altering the way you look at a show completely.  Unpredictability is essential:  a previously unknown relationship, a major deception such as a traitor or mole, an unveiling of another layer of reality, a shocking and unexpected death of a key character.  All of these things send a show spiralling out of control or in a different direction.

Anything that can be foreseen or which is just a blip on the radar of a show feels less game-changing and more like a predictable event within a storyline. Perhaps over the years, television viewers have simply seen too much and things that would have surprised us a decade ago, now feel much more mundane.  Having just seen that DEXTER killed off Dexter’s wife, Rita and that LOST killed off Sun, Jin and Sayid in one quick swoop, even primary characters are not safe on television these days and we have come to expect that shows will take such risks – even with beloved characters.

Other classic game-changers in television included:  Angel losing his soul in BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, the Cylons taking over New Caprica on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, the death of Marisa Cooper on THE O.C., the Veronica-Logan kiss on VERONICA MARS, watching Michael kill Ana Lucia and Libby on LOST, and Fox Mulder’s abrupt departure from THE X-FILES.  Each of these events were shocking, surprising and game-changing for each of these shows.  It propelled storylines in new directions and left viewers wondering what the heck was going-on.

Imagine today if such scenarios played out:  if Peter is the real villain of FRINGE; if DEXTER were killed leaving his sister to avenge his death; if the crew of Destiny were enslaved by the Lucian Alliance for an entire season on STARGATE: UNIVERSE; if Clark Kent or the Powells lost all their super-human abilities for an extended period of time and had to live normal lives on SMALLVILLE and NO ORDINARY FAMILY.  All such scenarios would be truly game-changing.  Unexpected, horrifying and mind-boggling.

It would be a fun change of pace to truly see a genuine “game changer” on television and not feel let down when the hyped game-changers are merely a minor reveal and not shocking at all.  Let’s bring back true “game changers” so that we may all savor the fun of being surprised once again!

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

 
On the fateful day that it was announced the Syfy had canceled STARGATE: UNIVERSE the sci-fi fans rose up in anger and the sleeping horde of sci-fi fans let their voices be heard. It was the second time in as many months that a beloved sci-fi series had been canceled – on the same television network no less. It was a double-blow to an increasingly diminishing genre.
 
Science fiction has always been a hard sell on television. For one, the mass viewing audience tends to avoid anything remotely looking like science fiction. Another reason for the problems surrounding sci-fi shows gaining traction on the television landscape is that sci-fi fans are picky in what they will embrace. They are unforgiving of so-called bad sci-fi shows or lackluster writing.
 
Whatever the multitude of reasons, sci-fi fans did not whole-heartedly embrace CAPRICA and STARGATE: UNIVERSE. Thus, it was with a heavy-heart that both were reluctantly canceled. But the ratings showed that fans were abandoning the shows, not sticking by them. So in light of the eroding audience retention, the ax fell.
 

We can debate why fans were not tuning in for the live broadcasts, or avoiding watching such stellar sci-fi shows. But, in the end, the reality remains the same: time had run out. With 10 episodes remaining to air hopefully next Spring, STARGATE: UNIVERSE will have a chance to still enter sci-fi canon. It may or may not be the last chapter of a long legacy of STARGATE franchises. Let’s hope not. But it will be a dark hour to see the last of a remarkable universe explored by three different television series.
 
STARGATE: UNIVERSE began innocuously enough. It introduced an array of characters forced to flee through a wormhole onto an alien spaceship over which they had no control. Light-years away from home and unable to return home because much of the ship’s functions were damaged, the escapees had to learn to cope with being lost-in-space without the resources necessary to survive. The premise was familiar, yet more limited in scope of another classic sci-fi series where a rag-tag group of survivors were forced to flee into the stars.
 
Having been forewarned, I knew that the initial episodes would be heavily foundational. As the survivors on the alien-ship Destiny took their initial steps into alien territory, the viewer would experience each incremental step. Not every episode could start with a space ship fight. Much of the episodes were to emphasize the need for basic necessities and how ill-equipped a group of civilians and military personnel would be to secure such things when they have no ability to determine where they are going and the emotional strain and stress that would place on each of them.
 
However, right from the start, one of the largest portions of the sci-fi fan base was outraged over the portrayal of women on the series. While subsequent episodes did well to temper the outrageous stereotypes and give credence to a more equal status in the series, many female fans jumped ship (figuratively). Then many of the male audience became critical of the series’ laborious tone and pace. They wanted more action, more gunfights, more space battles. Alas, STARGATE: UNIVERSE was a series not equipped to provide all those testosterone-laden elements. Instead, STARGATE: UNIVERSE was something more. It was a thinking-fan’s show. It was borrowing from earlier sci-fi series and laying the groundwork for intellectual debate, more than simple physical confrontations. It wanted to use physical confrontations sparingly and as-needed to propel the story it wanted to tell.
 
But the damage had been done. Many female sci-fi fans had stopped watching and many male fans were too impatient to endure a well-thought out storyline. That left a tenaciously devoted core of fans who were delighted in the carefully constructed storylines intermeddling short-term and long-term story arcs to keep the fans engaged. STARGATE: UNIVERSE also began unpeeling the layers of each of its complex characters – each neither fully altruistic, nor all evil at their core. The series wanted to explore the shades of gray and allow its characters to reflect as much possible the flawed humanity in which we all live. People are not clear-cut good and bad – they are something in-between; and to choose to highlight the flaws – the cracks in each person’s soul – was intriguing.
 
Therefore, the lens in which STARGATE: UNIVERSE portrayed humanity was multi-faceted and provided a potentially limitless number of stories that could be told with just a core group of characters.
 
Having been given the time needed to establish its basic premise and introduce its characters, by episode 10 (“Justice”) the show had finally come into its own. For the fans who had stuck around, their patience was rewarded. When the show allowed Dr. Rush to be beaten to a pulp and left for dead on a planet while Col. Young returned to Destiny without him, it was galvanizing. Suddenly the harsh reality and brittle personalities stretched beyond their breaking point had reached a violent and brutal climax. It was brilliant storytelling. It left viewers breathless with anticipation during the long 4-month hiatus.
 
Then, astoundingly, the show returned with even more force and momentum with the introduction of the Ursini aliens in “Space (part 1).” The Ursini had rescued/captured Dr. Rush and had performed untold amounts of experiments on him. The simultaneous rescue of Dr. Rush and Chloe who had been abducted right off the Destiny ship was breath-taking. This was STARGATE: UNIVERSE. It had laid its foundation so carefully that when the story broke out, it caught us all off-guard and became the cutting-edge series that we had hoped for.
 
In the subsequent months, the series reached another major crossroads with the incursion of the Lucian Alliance and the loss of T.J.’s baby. The dangling storylines thought forgotten were resurrected and woven into the main story. It was a roller-coaster ride that was moving faster and faster.
 
When the show reached its second season mid-point, it left us wondering if the Destiny-ites would forsake their journey home to Earth and go in search of the beginning of the universe, while being hotly pursued and toyed with by the Ursini aliens. The show was just about to embark on another fantastical journey. It was therefore a cruel blow to learn that when STARGATE: UNIVERSE returns in Spring 2011 to finish its second season, that will be all there is. We may never learn if Destiny would actually take them to the beginning of life itself and what they would have found there.
 
It is also likely that the series will end on a cliff-hanger as the cast and crew found out about the cancellation after they had wrapped the second season finale; in which case, fans will be even more outraged when that time comes.
 
It feels too soon to really mourn a show that is coming back for 10 more episodes. But knowing in advance that those final 10 episodes will be the last, shall make them that more precious. As with any TV show that is canceled before its time, it is hard to understand the “why’s” of it all. But in the end, the “why’s” do not matter so much as taking the time to appreciate what we were given. In today’s ridiculously impossible world of keeping a television show on the air, it is a blessing that STARGATE: UNIVERSE was given two full seasons. Not even CAPRICA can boast that feat.
 
So I challenge the sci-fi fans who loved STARGATE: UNIVERSE: cherish the final ten episodes. Do not wail and gnash your teeth in despair. Rejoice that we were given those episodes at all. Sci-fi television is still in decline. It is a dying genre. Embrace the final amazing moments that are actually given a chance to be broadcast — for not every television show is given such a graceful end. It is time to appreciate what we are given.
 
Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV, AirlockAlpha and InsideBlip.

 
This Fall brought an interesting phenomena to television: For the first time summer shows were returning in November and December, after only a short 2-3 month hiatus. Just when viewers were adjusting to summer shows returning in January and February, the television networks had the bright idea of mixing it up and bringing back their biggest summer shows to compete during November sweeps and during the December dead-zone.
 
It used to be that television was divided into the standard television season running mid-September through late May, with a winter break in December and January. Yet with the need to push for year-round programming, networks began dabbling with a third season, launching summers shows in June and July to run for 8-12 weeks.
 
For the most part, summer shows were a huge success. Viewers loved having new programs to watch with little or no competition vying for their attention; and networks got to test the waters of whether or not it was financially viable to launch a third season.
 

Thus, television became a three-season event, Fall, Spring and Summer — with Winter still a hodge-podge of either specials, repeats or the slow return of the regular season shows. Then in the past few years, networks decided to use the lull time of Winter to debut new shows or re-launch established series. Dubbed “Mid-Season,” it was made a television event. Viewers began to look forward to January and February for the return of major series such as LOST, 24, or AMERICAN IDOL; and last winter the new series CAPRICA and HUMAN TARGET were both launched mid-season.
 
But the biggest proponent of Winter Season programming has been USA Network, which first began with split seasons of its biggest television series, MONK. As early as 2004, MONK was broken into two half-seasons with the first half in the Summer and the remainder in the Winter. Then in 2007, it did the same with its second biggest original series PSYCH, and then in 2009, it brought back BURN NOTICE in a similar split season fashion. Based on this successful formula, it then did the same with its new series WHITE COLLAR in January 2010. The latest series to join the split-season format is ROYAL PAINS, which returns January 20, 2011.
 
Another network venturing into Summer/Winter programming, Syfy split seasons with its flagship series STARGATE SG-1 as early as 1998. Then in the past year, it continued with that format by splitting the seasons of both CAPRICA and STARGATE: UNIVERSE.

Yet, for all the success for some series with split and off-season programming, this year has shown a dramatic change. Viewers are less tolerant and seem more than a little confused by it.
 
When both PSYCH and BURN NOTICE returned from their Fall hiatus earlier this month, viewers did not return as expected. Off by 2 to 1 million viewers each, it would seem that (1) viewers simply did not know these shows had returned to conclude their current seasons, or (2) were already overloaded with other television shows and unable to find a way to work these shows into their TV viewing schedule.
 
Similarly, STARGATE: UNIVERSE and CAPRICA returned in October and also felt the impact of viewer disinterest or schedule overload. Either way, viewership had declined dramatically.
 
So it begs the question: do viewers want their summer shows in winter? Do shows that appeal one time of year, run the risk of being rejected if they return another time of year?

Do shows such as BURN NOTICE, PYSCH, and ROYAL PAINS suffer because viewers think of them as “blue sky” series? Meaning shows that offer us the escape into the fun in the sun and where life has a perpetual blue sky. The entire visual background of these shows are sold to us on the premise that life is always sunny. They offer characters who dress in summer attire, who live near the beach and are frequently outdoors enjoying life in the sun. Thus, it feels a bit out of place to have these types of shows on during Fall or even the Winter season.
 
In addition, it feels like shows that viewers devoted their time to were trying to encroach or push themselves on viewers who had committed to other television shows during the Fall/Spring seasons. What if football were to begin games in March, instead of August? Would football fans be elated or frustrated because it encroached on basketball season? Television has always been seasonal and by tinkering with programming schedules, networks do not realize that they are antagonizing the very viewers that were loyal and appreciative and gave their shows an audience.
 
Fans aware of the scheduling shifts are generally supportive, but quick to point fingers at networks for the lack of promotion when they move or re-launch shows at different times or during seasons that seem out of place. However, even with an overdose of publicity advising viewers that shows like PSYCH and BURN NOTICE were returning in early November — viewers still did not tune in. This then leads us to speculate that it was viewer-fatigue or viewer-frustration that kept them from watching.
 
Perhaps networks have gone too far. Are television viewers ready and willing to adapt to having their shows plopped onto the television schedule at any old time? I propose that they are not. Even DVR’s are not smart enough to know when TV shows return, and with TV Guide Magazine becoming obsolete and out of date, viewers are unable to keep track of when the shows they want to watch are on.
 
Figuring out when TV show are on has become a labyrinthine-like puzzle. For sophisticated viewers, we track shows through a multitude of sources via online sites, Twitter and a combination of print media. We set up tracking grids to keep track of the shows we want to watch and how to make sure each is either recorded or watched live — or has to be bought online or by DVD because there were simply too many competing shows on at the same time.
 
So the unreasonable assumption by television programmers that we want our summer shows sprinkled throughout the remainder of the year (whether that be November through December, or January through April), it is just pushing our tolerance levels to the extreme. Too much change and transition makes it hard to keep track of the shows we do love and want to watch; and by sliding them around and springing them up at the least expected times of the year is not making it easy to be a fan.
 
Networks need to establish fixed schedules and stick with it. No more meddling with our TV shows and treating them like chess pieces. Television viewers do not want to watch TV like they are playing a board game — and summer shows, need to be summer shows and not pretend that they are winter shows. It is confusing, disorientating and discouraging. It is no wonder that DVR’s are being used to simply watch shows a day or two later, but sometimes weeks later. Viewers want what they want, when they want it. Bring a show back at the wrong time of year, and it may suffer for it. “Blue sky” shows belong during the summer — not smack dab in the middle of winter when no one expects them. Winter is a time for dreaming of sugar plums and ski boots, not bikinis and mojitos on the beach.

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV, AirlockAlpha and InsideBlip.

When it comes to our favorite fictional serial killer, suspension of disbelief is pretty much par for the course. Which is why we’ve gladly put aside our question as to how on earth Dexter Morgan’s employer, the Miami PD has yet to clue into his extra-curricular activities in lieu of a far bigger mystery: Just how on earth does a blood splatter analyst afford to support a wife and three kids in a spacious suburban alcove, plus an oceanfront condo and a boat on his public servant salary?

In the world of STARGATE UNIVERSE, mankind is capable of harnessing the power of a Stargate to travel millions of miles away, transport themselves to-and-from ships at will, and protect themselves with state of the art weaponry. Yet David Blue’s Eli Wallace is still using an iPhone.

Be it father William or brother Tommy, the Walker family hasn’t exactly had the most stellar track record when it comes to family members working in the family business. Yet Uncle Saul and Holly waited all of three-minutes to hand over the financials and entrust the future of Ojai Foods to very-sketchy illegitimate step-son Ryan.

Giving us yet another reason for us to worry about the American educational system comes GLEE’s Will Shuster, who has yet to clue into the fact that his wife is wearing a fake pregnancy belly.

Only in the world of MELROSE PLACE do men who look like they’ve just stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue have to hire call girls like Stephanie Jacobsen’s Lauren. We’re just sayin’

Good News: Proving that no politician on either side of the aisle is safe, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE delivered a scathing (and fairly accurate) assessment of President Obama’s progress (or lack-their of) over his first 10 months in office. Bad News: We’re still waiting for Fred Armisen to deliver a convincing Obama impersonation. [ZonTV]

Good News: Thanks to the tweet heard ’round the world, BONES gets some much deserved publicity. Bad News: All it took was a production shutdown due to a rumoured case of swine flu. [TVMoJoe]

Thanks to the void left by BATTLESTAR GALCATICA ending its run combined with our rejuvenated interest in all things space courtesy of JJ. Abrams successful STAR TREK re-boot, Sy Fy’s third incarnation of the STARGATE universe, appropriately titled just that, could not have arrived at a better time. Which is why last night, this TV Addict went where I have never gone before and subjected myself to an actual entire episode of STARGATE.

The two-hour pilot kicked off with a literal bang, when some space baddies (who this STARGATE virgin can only assume have a history of blowing stuff up) attacked a planet — forcing the mysterious Dr. Nicholas Rush (Played by ‘foreigner’ Robert Carlyle, so you know he’s both really smart and obviously ‘up to something’) to shepherd a ragtag group of military types (like Louis Ferreira’s Colonel Young and Brian J. Smith’s Lieutenant Scott), politicos (Elyse Levesque’s Senator’s daughter) and computer nerds (David Blue’s Eli Wallace, serving as a guide into the STARGATE universe for us neophytes), among others — haphazardly through a Stargate. Destination: Who-knows-where!

Of course, ‘who-knows-where’ turned out to be the Destiny, an ancient ship, which as luck would have it, came complete with a Stargate of its very own. Not to mention, enough problems to provide for a solid twenty-two episodes (or more!) of adventure. Giving the crew — when they’re not searching for ways in which to find home — ample opportunity to jump from planet-to-planet for spare parts.

An adventure we’d be a lot more excited for, had ‘spare parts’ not also served as an apt metaphor for one of our biggest problems with the show. From the ragtag fleet of painfully generic character archetypes (See: the ex-con, the strong female and Blue’s nerdy comic relief that treads dangerously close to Wesley Crusher levels of annoyance.) to the fact that try as they might, SGU’s pilot failed to introduce even one original story-line (Power struggle between the brilliant but morally ambiguous scientist and the political figure! Hmmm…. Where have I seen that before?), it’s hard to ignore the total lack of originality on the creative team’s part. Especially when the shaky camera docu-drama feel and the dark corridors devoid of light practically beg comparisons of the less-than-kind variety to that of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

That said, as all good pilots must, there certainly were more than enough interesting plot threads and likeable personalities (Full disclosure: We have a soft spot for both David Blue and Ming-Na — assuming of course her character ever gets to do anything!) to entice me to jump on the STARGATE bandwagon and give this series a shot.

Will you be joining me for the ride?

2:59PM: David Blue comes out of the closet… as a huge nerd/ geek. Explains the actor, “It’s a great role to play because I get to come onto the show, watch the Stargate turn on, and like anyone of us in the same situation be absolutely flabbergasted.” Adds co-creator Brad Wright, “David Blue is our on-set focus group.”

3:01PM: Still apprehensive about this nerdy Sci Fi SyFy show? Perhaps co-creator Robert Cooper’s taste in television can entice you, “I’m a huge fan of FIREFLY, which kind of set the bar for modern day science fiction for us. I’m a big fan of the SHIELD, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and their shooting styles and the way they use character to forward their series.”

3:03PM: Actor Lou Diamond Phillip’s gets the panel’s biggest laugh by explaining how he came to the role. “Like Edward James Olmos [on BSG] they needed another three-named ethnic guy.”

3:04PM: Bad news for fans of the Wraith, not to mention Vancouver’s latex industry. Creators Wright and Cooper promise that SGU is stepping away from rubber-faced english speaking aliens.

3:06PM: A TCA reporter congratulates Lou Diamond Phillips for making it out of the jungle [on NBC's I'M A CELEBRITY....] with his dignity, which we’re *sure* he appreciated being brought up in a roomful of well, anybody.

3:09PM: Spoiler Alert: There is a device on the show which will allow people on the ship to switch consciousness with people on earth. Begging the obvious question, isn’t that what the Stargate is for?

3:11PM: David Blue really is a geek. He just tried to talk quantum theory at a TCA panel. Me no follow.

3:12PM: Wright clarifies, we will run into aliens, just not rubber-faced english speaking ones. Phew.

3:12PM: Robert Carlyle recounts what attracted him to the project… can’t focus… mesmerized by the coolness of his accent.

3:13PM: Ming-Na calls San Diego Comic Con, “a tremendous experience, 4,500 screaming fans, I felt like a rock star, I want to cut an album.” Hey, if William Shatner can do it…

3:14PM: David Blue mentions he’s on twitter. Which yeah, we’re not gonna lie, we already know… because we’re like totally twitter bff’s!

3:15PM: Wright re-iterates that original fans of the franchise will be rewarded, but their goal this time really is a mainstream audience… on SyFy… really?

3:16PM: In response to whether or not 24: REDEMPTION was a trial balloon for doing American television, Robert Carlyle responds, “Yes and No. I tend to always go towards projects where I like the people. Kiefer Sutherland and I are very good friends and he’s always on the phone saying, “You gotta do 24.” Which I really enjoyed. But more of an indication was when I played Hitler for CBS [HITLER: THE RISE OF EVIL] and HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Both very joyful experiences.” Added Wright, “We’re Canadian, so he’s not entirely doing American television.”

3:17PM: In case you didn’t get the message, once again, the producers honestly believe that STARGATE virgins can tune in, watch the show and find out in the course of the first two hours through the introduction of Eli [David's characters] to the program. Eli’s introduction is the audiences.

Direct from Comic Con comes a gritty, dark and exciting new look at STARGATE UNIVERSE. Or with apologies to CAPRICA fans, what SyFy is definitely hoping is BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Version 2.0.

A dark and ominous tone reminiscent of our dearly departed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, an enticing mission (“survival”) and UGLY BETTY’s David Blue… finally a STARGATE [UNIVERSE] we can get behind! How about you?

Now far be it from theTVaddict.com to toot our own horn (Oh who are we kidding, did you see our inclusion in Rick Ellis’ 30 Essential Twitter Feeds for TV Fans?) But we just wanted to take a moment to congratulate one of the nicest guys in Hollywood: David Blue. Who as reported first by Michael Ausiello (seriously, not bitter at all), has been tapped to join the cast of Sci Fi Channel’s much buzzed about STARGATE UNIVERSE as Eli Wallace, a total slacker, who just so happens to be a genius when it comes to anything he puts his mind to.

The congratulatory self-pat on the back comes in when you realize that Blue won the role two months after taking part in an exclusive interview with theTVaddict.com and mere weeks after making it into our illustrious Top 10 TV “Davids” of 2008.” Coincidence? We think not.

But in all seriousness, welcome to Canada David… now go buy some warm clothes, it’s freezing here.