Saturday, October 27, 2007

Calling Cooper Freedman

Other than 24 and Grey's Anatomy, I'm not much of a network TV viewer. However, this season has brought two unexpected surprises: Cane and Private Practice.

Cane is a modern-day Dallas, with sugar cane (and rum, of course) being the new oil. The riveting story of the Duque family of Cuban descent has just the right mix of love, passion, loyalty, and betrayal, with heavy doses of scandal, murder and other naughty secrets thrown in to make things even more interesting. It airs on Tuesday nights on CBS at 10 pm EST.

Then there's Private Practice, the Grey's Anatomy spin-off. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical after the first episode. It takes a great leap of imagination to get beyond the obvious inconsistencies between the pre- and post-spinoff personalities of the show's main character, Dr. Addison Montgomery. It's hard to believe that someone who is now so niave, so vulnerable, so emotional, was a world-renowned neonatal surgeon in a former life. It's even harder to believe that she gave all that up to move to LA to work with and live near her best friend Naomi, who owns a wellness clinic, without realizing that she would have no office, no surgical suite, no surgical staff, and an average of only one patient a day.

But once I decided to suspend belief and give the show some time, it's really grown on me. I love the new Addison (as long as I don't think about the old Addison). I think Naomi and Sam are great and I'm hoping that they'll realize that they still love each other and get back together. Pete is OK, but he clearly has issues which will begin to reveal themselves soon, I'm sure. Violet is a wonderful therapist and offers terrific advice to everyone else, yet her own personal life is a hot mess.

But the character I love the most is Cooper, the strong but soft-spoken pediatrician who's the emotional glue that holds the practice together. He's funny, kind, responsible, consistent, caring, loyal, great with kids and good-looking to boot. But what resonates with me the most about Cooper is that he is hopelessly, adoringly in love with Violet, yet because she is hopelessly, maddingly in love with her ex-boyfriend who has married another woman, Cooper hasn't found the courage to reveal his true feelings to her.

His love for Violet compels him to pick up the pieces of her mangled psyche, each and every time Alan rips her heart to shreds. Of course he'd love for her to love him back, but the thing is that he loves her completely and unconditionally, even though she doesn't love him "that way" (yet).

I know it's asking a lot, but that's what I want... a Cooper Freedman who will love me completely and unconditionally. A man who wants to be my friend, in the truest sense of the word. A man who falls in love with me because he knows me, likes me, trusts me and respects me. A man who loves me with the head on his shoulders first and foremost.

Cooper understands that love isn't always easy, or simple, but he loves anyway. He understands that the object of his affection doesn't always act or react in the way that he'd like, but he loves anyway. He knows that Violet is far from perfect, but he loves anyway. He knows that his future with her is not certain, but he loves anyway.

If art imitates life, and in this case I hope it does, there have to be some real Cooper Freedmans out there somewhere. If that's true, will a real Cooper Freedman please send me an e-mail?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I haven't had the chance to read your blog in its entirety or even your profile page but this one entry about wanting a Cooper Freedman has struck a cord with me and has compelled me to post a comment. I completely understand what you are saying. Completely. Considering how this entry was written in 2007 and it is now well into 2010 you may or may not have continued watching Private Practice but that's okay. I just want to share with the world that I want me a Cooper Freedman as well. I want a Cooper Freedman who will love me despite myself. I want a Cooper Freedman who will love me when I make mistakes, am a bitch and ass and just horrible. I want someone who is connected with their feelings and not afraid to express them to me, even if I am. I WANT CHARLOTTE'S COOPER FREEDMAN!