For starters, she kicks Paul out of the house, basically telling him she is tired of all of the little things that annoy her and she needs some alone time. Next, she starts a little tough love on Adam, trying to make him into a self-sufficient member of society for when the inevitable comes. Paul and Adam don't know she has cancer, so they are understandably confused and just think she's gone a bit batty. Even her eco-warrior homeless brother Sean (John Benjamin Hickey) sees the difference in his sis, but he likes it. He thought she was way too boring and a bit of a goody two-shoes anyway.
Cathy is a teacher and, over summer school, she reaches out to her overweight student with a bad attitude, Andrea Jackson (Gabourey Sidibe, Precious), trying to encourage her to get her life on track, but Andrea can't really seem to manage. While Cathy doesn't realize it, Andrea actually admires her quite a bit but this admiration turns to rage when Cathy embarks on an affair with school artist Lenny (Idris Elba), a handsome black man that Andrea had her eye on. The new Cathy is doing things the old Cathy would never have dreamed of, and Cathy's cranky neighbor Marlene (Phyllis Somerville) is quick to tell her so. Although the pair lived by each other for many years, they only recently became friends. Once Marlene finds out Cathy has cancer, she determines to help Cathy get Adam on the straight and narrow, but Marlene has Alzheimer's and this puts a strain on the relationship at times.
For most of the season, the only people to know about Cathy's grave situation are she herself, Marlene, and her handsome oncologist, Dr. Todd Mauer (Reid Scott, My Boys). They have a special relationship because she is his first terminal patient and he is determined to be there for her, even as she tries way-out medical procedures in an attempt to keep her cancer at bay.
The Big C is a funny look at a very serious subject. The show doesn't mock the situation, but offers the point of view of a person who wants to find the lighter side of a bad deal. Laura Linney is amazing as Cathy. I've seen her in things and she's never particularly impressed me, but I am wowed by her. She is simply beautiful in the role of Cathy and I'm a big fan now. In fact, the entire cast is fantastic. Oliver Platt is adorable as Paul. He loves Cathy so much and doesn't know what he's done to make her turn from him and he is so innocent in his fun-loving and childlike ways. John Benjamin Hickey is hysterical as Sean and things only get funnier when he sort of falls for Cathy's college best friend, Rebecca (Cynthia Nixon, Sex in the City) and the relationship gets complicated. Phyllis Somerville is one of my favorites as Marlene because she is tough as nails, but has a soft side. The only character I wasn't fond of was Gabourey Sidibe's Andrea. She just rubbed me the wrong way and I really didn't find her funny.
Special features include outtakes, a handful of deleted scenes, a featurette on the characters that make up The Big C, plus Q&A interviews with all of the key members of the cast. It's light stuff, but enjoyable to watch.
The Big C: The Complete First Season is simply excellent and I highly recommend it. You will laugh and you will cry, but most of all, you will gain perspective. This life isn't here forever and, just as Cathy discovers, it's important to make the most of your time. While I don't recommend it for children because of the adult content and sexual situations, the acting is terrific and the storyline is great. Check out The Big C: The Complete First Season, so you are prepped and ready for when Season Two airs.
