Moonchyld's Entertainment - the Big C on Showtime

The Big C is a show that sheds light on being diagnosed with cancer. The first season introduced high school teacher Cathy Jamison (John Adams star Laura Linney) who has kept a piece of sensitive information from those closets to her - she has cancer. She has come to terms with her fate and has decided to live each day to the fullest. She presents a brave front but underneath she hates she won't be able to see her son Adam (Gabriel Basso from Meet Bill) grow up or grow old with her husband Paul (Oliver Platt of the upcoming X-Men: first Class). Cathy found an unlikely friend in her neighbor Marlene (Phyllis Somerville from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), who lives across the street with her dog Thomas. In the beginning, Cathy doesn't want to tell her family because she doesn't want them to fuss all over her; to feel like a burden to her family. In the course of the inaugural season Cathy deals with the outcome of her life and yet is hopeful for a recovery. Another unlikely source of inspiration is her summer school student played by Precious star Gabby Sidibe who can match wits with the teacher.

This show can be viewed as a platform for people who have cancer as well as their families on how to cope and to understand it's not the end but a transition to a new beginning. Despite the fight she's gonna have to live on for her family, Cathy has remained optimistic and is open to any possible treatment that can contribute to her recovery. But like most secrets as deep as this one, it can start to eat at you and cause added stress but that's not the case with Cathy; she's more concerned about her family changing on her.

Todd Mauer (Reid Scott), her oncologist, has taken personal concern for her and how she's coping and telling her that she should tell her family but she doesn't want to change the order of things at home because of her illness. He became more like a friend to her who is with her every step of the way - such as the coffee enema she took and even going to a bee doctor with her who believes his treatment method could work for her.

Showtime's newest series brings a silver lining to the gray cloud to having the disease. It brings humor, hope and strength to a world of people who have suffered, lost a loved one or survived cancer. For Cathy this was a start of a new chapter in her life; but it wasn't without a few surprises.

Such as the brief affair she had with Lenny (Thor's Idris Elba), a painter who was working on a mural at the school she teaches. He introduced her to euphoric effects of ecstasy and was discovered by her husband who went on a drinking spree and had to have his son drive him home. There was also her sudden decision to cash out her 401K and splurge on a car she put away in storage for her son. As the season progressed she eventually decides to tell her family about her condition and lost her new friend Marlene; a turning point in the show for Cathy's character. Marlene was suffering from Alzheimer's and things became so bad for her; she felt guilty about pulling a gun on Adam - she didn't recognize him due to effect of the disease - and took matters into her own hands the best way she saw fit.

The season finale was a touching and empowering episode. Cathy received a surprising gift from Marlene - her house - and judging by her daughter's reaction Marlene made the right move. Marlene's daughters came off as coming to their mother's funeral as part of their to-do list. After the service they were literally clearing out the house in a way that enraged Cathy and she put them in their place - out of the house. Her brother Sean (John Benjamin Hickey of The Taking of Pelham 123), who by choice lives on the street but has much love for his sister, got a wake up call - he's gonna be a father and the mother is none other that Cathy's college BFF Rebecca (Sex in the City's Cynthia Nixon). Cathy and Paul told Adam about her condition and a new treatment she'll be undergoing; it appeared that he took it well - until he made a discovery of his own. What can be considered the most touching moment of the season - Adam took the money he was denied out of his mother's purse he found a small envelope with the message "Don't Open until I'm Gone" and a key. The key was to the storage unit where Cathy put the car. Upon opening the unit Adam sees the car and other gifts surrounding the it to be given to him throughout his life with cards wishing him Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas as well as gifts for his high school and college graduations. To top it all off there was a picture of Adam and his mom hanging in the back wall of the unit and it hit Adam like a ton of bricks. It deeply registered that he could be losing his mother and that her love for him was so grand.

The season closes with the feeling of hope for Cathy and the next steps on the journey she's taking towards a positive outcome; we the viewers will be taking it with her in season 2. Laura Linney may be a new source of inspiration on how to handle having or losing someone to Cancer. Although a sensitive subject matter, this show presents the alternative; to live life to the fullest.

The first season of The Big C is available on DVD and Season 2 will return to Showtime in 2011.