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shadowkatVery happy this week is over. As I told someone today over the phone - so tired of arguing with people. I've been fighting with people for two days over Railroad Protective Liability Insurance Coverage. Honestly, I've come to the conclusion that if you don't tell someone what they want to hear, they will bully and argue with you until you do.
Was about write a lengthy soap-box post about Elizabeth Moon, but chose to spare you. I think I said it better with my other posts on the topic. I don't believe condemning Ms. Moon is the answer, I think however countering her point of view and proving her wrong is. This is how we change someone's point of view - by proving them wrong with our own actions and with factual information. How they choose to interpret that information or actions is not within our control. But if we condemn and hate, we are no better than the individual who condemns us. It's like Joseph Conrad pointed out in Heart of Darkness - he who looks into the abyss, risks the abyss looking back into him. Evil can't be fought with Evil - this much I've learned.
On the tv front? Eh. Maybe not that much of a tv slut report. I haven't watched that much this week - have an insanely full DVR. And I mean insanely - 70% full, which is about 28 hours of tv saved. Bad, very bad. Either need to watch more during week or stop DVR'ing. Luther methinks is going to get the ax, no time to watch the thing. Plus it conflicts with two other shows on Sunday nights.
Only shows I've watched worth noting were Mad Men (which I already wrote a review on) and Grey's Anatomy (which I won't because who would read it?). Loved, loved, loved Grey's. So if you hate that show? Go away. Shoo. I'm not going to post on it. I'm going to love my show in peace, thank you very much. Except to say, Cristina and Bailey are awesome - must locate icons. (Note = the only shows I've watched so far are Desperate Housewives (which sucks this season and is getting close to being canceled by me from my DVR not by network - so don't worry, not that you are, just saying), Vampire Diaries, and No Ordinary Family. So...this may not be a fair assessment.)
No Ordinary Family's writing, which was hardly stellar to begin with, has rapidly gone downhill. The pilot was charming and showed potential. The series reminds me of a Saturday Morning Superhero show circa the 1970s but with better special effects. It's sort of Father Knows Best meets the Fantastic Four, minus the one-liners. You know there's a problem when The Fantastic Four movies were better written. While last week's episode was tolerable, a bit sappy, cliche and redundant, but tolerable if only for the Julie Benze bits, this week's episode was unwatchable. I had to fast-forward over most of it. UGH. What is with tv and super-heros? So far the only one I liked for a suspended period of time (ie more than three years) is Smallville. Heroes - I made it up to the third year, then just got really bored and gave up. Oh well, maybe James Marsters weird comedy, which makes me giggle whenever I think about it - will be good? Assuming of course it get's picked up for more than a nano-second (I'm looking at you Middleman.).
That said? I'll give No Ordinary three more episodes before I cancel it.
Vampire Diaries?
Good Stuff first: Love Caroline's arc in this series. Her interaction with her mother in the cell, was well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. Unfortunately it was only 15 minutes long. But it was there. I felt for both characters. Caroline's description of what it is like to be a vampire and the differences as also well-done, she provides insight into Stefan. Who she describes as a blood-a-holic. Caroline, unlike Stefan, is fairly honest and upfront. My natural inclination is to kill all the time. I want to do it. But I'm controlling the urges. I'm better at it than Stefan, I can limit myself to bloodbags. "Do you steal them from hospitals?" Asks Sheriff Lockwood. "No," states Caroline, "I pilfer them from Damon, who steals them from hospitals. Stefan wants me to eat animals instead, but I just can't do it."
This character is perhaps the only three-dimensional female character to date in this series.
I care what happens to Caroline right now. I didn't last year by the way. I saw her as basically a red shirt character and mildly annoying. This year...I find myself caring, and they've built her well. She makes sense. There's layers!
But, only 15 minutes of the show were Caroline.
The other bit - was Damon and Jeremy - which continues to be interesting. Not quite sure where the writers are going with this exactly. But Jeremy clearly has decided Damon isn't a threat to him, all evidence to the contrary. (Apparently having his neck broken and almost dying wasn't a big deal?) Although will state - that I rooted for him when he told Elena - "since I'm in this because of you, I don't think I have to take your advice on anything." True. Besides, she's hardly the best role model to be following at the moment. Then again...Jeremy, hon, can you really be that shocked that Damon was going to kill Mason. Hello, jealous, half-crazed, and extreemly peeved homicidal vampire, what part of that do you not understand?
That said? The dynamic is actually sort of interesting - it means that homicidal Damon (who tends a bit unpredictable on his best days, and just plain homicidal on his worst) has layers. So does Jeremy for that matter. Plus, they have chemistry. Although Ian Sommerland was going a bit over the top with the scenery chewing in this episode - I'm guessing he was bored.
Which brings me to the Bad? Oh where to start???
I have to admit 85% of my fun with this show is snarking at it, which apparently rubs a few of you the wrong way? Sorry about that. Go away now...if that's the case.
Still here?
Well, you can't say, I didn't warn you.
The episode starts with yet another chapter in the insanely dull VD version of romeo and juliet take 2. Elena: You were gazing at me again. Stefan: I love to gaze at you, what's wrong with that? Isn't it romantic. Elena: totally romantic and also creepy, but I love it when you gaze at me.
ME: Also incredibly boring - can we move on please? Katherine to Mason (who I just noticed resembles Stefan quite a bit, just a much sexier and entertaining Stefan, for a minute I thought it was Stefan, I can tell it's Katherine because unlike Elena, she has a body perm - ie. her hair is long luxurious and curly, as opposed to straight and sticking to her head. That and the clothes. Plus the snarky lines. Other than that? ) - "Oh, you are so wonderful, you get the stone and we will live happily ever after..." (You wish. Mason, you idiot, she's totally manipulating you.)
Not to worry - Mason, it seems, is not long for this world. Damon convinces Bonnie, with Stefan and Jeremy's help, to knock out Mason with her ability to give supernatural beings killer migraine headaches, hasn't quite mastered the head exploding bit - but give her time. (Personally, I hope she never does, because eww.)
Jeremy being a helpful lad, with Alaric's help, does a bit of research and determines exactly what Mason's weaknesses are. Apparently wolfsbane is vervaine (aka toxic) to werewolves. This delights Damon - who gruesomely tortures Mason to get the info he seeks - ie. where's the moonstone and what does it do. (IT's in a well, in water, and he doesn't have a clue what it does...most likely breaks the curse, but hey it's anyone's guess.) Bonnie wonders why he'd put it in a well with water.
During all this - Elena feeling left out keeps buzzing Stefan, who finally fills her in and goes with her to seek out this mysterious well. As do Bonnie and Caroline - who are attempting to get over their differences (basically Caroline killed Bonnie's most recent crush, and Bonnie is struggling to forgive her for that and let bygones be bygones...because you know Caroline had just turned into a vampire and couldn't help herself, and considering the fact that Bonnie was partially responsible for it...).
Upon reaching said well, Stefan lowers himself in, without first checking to see if - you know, the water toxic. IT is, and apparently being dropped in water with vervain is a bit like being dropped into a vat of holy water except far less gross. It also has snakes in it, since, it is an abandoned well. Kudos to Mason for foresight. Don't worry, Stefan's not in any danger of kicking the old bucket or dying as it were - we should be so lucky or rather I should be so lucky - Elena is up above, and soon, so is the rapidly moving Caroline - who throws the chain down the well and lowers Elena - so Elena can save Stefan. Elena being our stalwart and spunky little heroine, stays down there to hunt for the stone, but almost gets bitten by a snake, which she sufficiently scares away by screaming at it. (No she's in no danger. One truism of these shows - they never kill the lead characters, no matter how much we want them too because then there would not be a tv show. And if they do kill them, don't worry, they will come back..again and again and again - like a bad penny. See Buffy and 85% of daytime soap operas. But minor supporting characters, who we may actually like - no such like, they are cannon fodder. (Again see Buffy and 85% of daytime soap operas.)
Speaking of minor supporting characters...Mason is in a pickle. Damon has found out via Bonnie that
Mason is Katherine's latest trophy boy. He's not happy. And tells Mason that he's just another sucker like Damon, that she's doing to him exactly what she did to Damon, and so and so forth.
While the conversation was admittedly entertaining, Ian Sommerland acts the hell out of it, I honestly thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head at one point. The things that man does with his eyes --- seriously, I'm in awe. I could have done without the gruesome torture. It's very difficult to justify liking Damon - if you keep showing him torturing supporting characters.
And is it just me - or does Damon hate himself and keep taking out his self-loathing not to mention, somewhat suicidal tendencies on poor unsuspecting supporting characters? First Jeremy gets his neck broken because he reminds Damon of Damon, now, Mason. Where will it end?
Damon pulls out poor Mason's heart with the line: "She's going to rip out your heart just like she did mine, but I'm going to save you the pain of it happening and do it first." Rip. Mason, dude, we hardly knew yah. Literally, we hardly knew the character - the writers gave us very little information, and almost no reason to care about him. The tomb vampires, Vicky, and Anna - I cared about more. And damn, poetic, but also a bit overthetop and silly. Not to mention...eww.
I don't know what Jeremy was thinking - that he could change Damon's mind? Not bloody likely.
Stefan didn't seem to mind, but then Mason did try to kill Stefan and Damon last week...
Can't say I miss Mason. Although did feel oddly sorry for Tyler, who next to Caroline, Damon, and Jeremy is possibly the most layered and developed of the characters. Tyler who has a violent streak and fears what it might mean.
Damon, idiot that he is, feels the need to brag about what he did to Mason to Katherine - which results in Katherine hunting a new way to have her fun. Or plan B. She does two things at once - sends a message to Elena that if she doesn't break things off with Stefan, she'll kill everyone Elena cares about...and from a distance no less. Aunt Jenna apparently has been compelled to stab herself. (Okay, how hard would it have been to actually give Aunt Jenna a storyline? OR make me care whether she lives or dies? I don't know this character. She's barely there. She does zip regarding the kids. Doesn't discipline, doesn't seem to care what happens with them. For a bit in the first season - they appeared to be exploring the younger sister suddenly being strapped with her sister's kids and making a go of it and her career at the same time and screwing up royally, then bang, gone. And it was all Stefan and Elena murmuring lines like - I see her and I had to know her? Purple prose apparently is not reserved for pulpy teen romance novels. It's also reminding me of why I gave up on Dawsen's Creek - it started out being an ensemble series with the adult drama entwined with the kids, then it became about Dawsen and his love life, which Williamson can't write worth shit. I'm sorry, buddy, but you suck at romance. Many male tv writers do. Want a well written romantic relationship? To see how it is done? Go watch Grey's Anatomy.
Or My So-Called Life (which was about teen romance). Or even Veronica Mars and Friday Night Lights or Gilmore Girls. It's not that hard.) Anyhow due to Aunt Jenna's complete lack of a storyline, and rare appearances, she appears less in this series than Joyce did in Buffy. Also - note, I cared about Joyce, so much that I was sobbing in The Body. Jenna, not so much. So again this is a fault in the writing. Jenna has maybe five lines? It's sad. Alaric, Jenna's boyfriend, has been developed more - I care about Alaric, actually care if he lives or dies. Heck Uncle John had more storyline. So for that matter does Sheriff Lockwood - who I did care about.
Compare and contrast Sheriff Lockwood/Caroline and Elena/Jenna - note how one actually has a conversation and a relationship, and the other not so much. It's hard to understand why Elena would care what happened to Jenna or Jeremy - because they have no relationship with her. We never see one. We are told it's there, but the writers don't "show" it. Ugh. Bad writing.
This story suffers a great deal from far too much telling and not enough showing. I don't care about Elena and Stefan and I should. I don't care about Jenna. And I should. Or even Bonnie for that matter, another character who has not had a storyline in a long long time, and appears to be just a tool for other characters. Oh, we need a witch in this scene - let's plop in Bonnie, and we'll manufacture a way to convince her to help the vampires capture a werewolf.
I do however care about Matt - who Katherine is compelling to force Tyler into killing him, much as she did with Mason and the man, Mason killed. I doubt she'll succeed, but one never knows.
Matt has cannon fodder written all over his forehead. He's the only one who remains oblivious to the existence of supernatural creatures in his own town.
Sigh. The difficulty with this show is even though I care, I don't care that much. I'm not emotionally invested in the characters in the same way I am with say Buffy or Grey's or even Caprica. Damon - the most entertaining of the characters, is unfortunately too sadistic and homicidial to form a lasting attachment to, also I don't see how it is possible for the character to come back from some of this. The two leads, the lovers, I can't relate to, at all. And that's a weakness. Granted, I may well be the wrong audience for this show.
Overall rating D+
Was about write a lengthy soap-box post about Elizabeth Moon, but chose to spare you. I think I said it better with my other posts on the topic. I don't believe condemning Ms. Moon is the answer, I think however countering her point of view and proving her wrong is. This is how we change someone's point of view - by proving them wrong with our own actions and with factual information. How they choose to interpret that information or actions is not within our control. But if we condemn and hate, we are no better than the individual who condemns us. It's like Joseph Conrad pointed out in Heart of Darkness - he who looks into the abyss, risks the abyss looking back into him. Evil can't be fought with Evil - this much I've learned.
On the tv front? Eh. Maybe not that much of a tv slut report. I haven't watched that much this week - have an insanely full DVR. And I mean insanely - 70% full, which is about 28 hours of tv saved. Bad, very bad. Either need to watch more during week or stop DVR'ing. Luther methinks is going to get the ax, no time to watch the thing. Plus it conflicts with two other shows on Sunday nights.
Only shows I've watched worth noting were Mad Men (which I already wrote a review on) and Grey's Anatomy (which I won't because who would read it?). Loved, loved, loved Grey's. So if you hate that show? Go away. Shoo. I'm not going to post on it. I'm going to love my show in peace, thank you very much. Except to say, Cristina and Bailey are awesome - must locate icons. (Note = the only shows I've watched so far are Desperate Housewives (which sucks this season and is getting close to being canceled by me from my DVR not by network - so don't worry, not that you are, just saying), Vampire Diaries, and No Ordinary Family. So...this may not be a fair assessment.)
No Ordinary Family's writing, which was hardly stellar to begin with, has rapidly gone downhill. The pilot was charming and showed potential. The series reminds me of a Saturday Morning Superhero show circa the 1970s but with better special effects. It's sort of Father Knows Best meets the Fantastic Four, minus the one-liners. You know there's a problem when The Fantastic Four movies were better written. While last week's episode was tolerable, a bit sappy, cliche and redundant, but tolerable if only for the Julie Benze bits, this week's episode was unwatchable. I had to fast-forward over most of it. UGH. What is with tv and super-heros? So far the only one I liked for a suspended period of time (ie more than three years) is Smallville. Heroes - I made it up to the third year, then just got really bored and gave up. Oh well, maybe James Marsters weird comedy, which makes me giggle whenever I think about it - will be good? Assuming of course it get's picked up for more than a nano-second (I'm looking at you Middleman.).
That said? I'll give No Ordinary three more episodes before I cancel it.
Vampire Diaries?
Good Stuff first: Love Caroline's arc in this series. Her interaction with her mother in the cell, was well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. Unfortunately it was only 15 minutes long. But it was there. I felt for both characters. Caroline's description of what it is like to be a vampire and the differences as also well-done, she provides insight into Stefan. Who she describes as a blood-a-holic. Caroline, unlike Stefan, is fairly honest and upfront. My natural inclination is to kill all the time. I want to do it. But I'm controlling the urges. I'm better at it than Stefan, I can limit myself to bloodbags. "Do you steal them from hospitals?" Asks Sheriff Lockwood. "No," states Caroline, "I pilfer them from Damon, who steals them from hospitals. Stefan wants me to eat animals instead, but I just can't do it."
This character is perhaps the only three-dimensional female character to date in this series.
I care what happens to Caroline right now. I didn't last year by the way. I saw her as basically a red shirt character and mildly annoying. This year...I find myself caring, and they've built her well. She makes sense. There's layers!
But, only 15 minutes of the show were Caroline.
The other bit - was Damon and Jeremy - which continues to be interesting. Not quite sure where the writers are going with this exactly. But Jeremy clearly has decided Damon isn't a threat to him, all evidence to the contrary. (Apparently having his neck broken and almost dying wasn't a big deal?) Although will state - that I rooted for him when he told Elena - "since I'm in this because of you, I don't think I have to take your advice on anything." True. Besides, she's hardly the best role model to be following at the moment. Then again...Jeremy, hon, can you really be that shocked that Damon was going to kill Mason. Hello, jealous, half-crazed, and extreemly peeved homicidal vampire, what part of that do you not understand?
That said? The dynamic is actually sort of interesting - it means that homicidal Damon (who tends a bit unpredictable on his best days, and just plain homicidal on his worst) has layers. So does Jeremy for that matter. Plus, they have chemistry. Although Ian Sommerland was going a bit over the top with the scenery chewing in this episode - I'm guessing he was bored.
Which brings me to the Bad? Oh where to start???
I have to admit 85% of my fun with this show is snarking at it, which apparently rubs a few of you the wrong way? Sorry about that. Go away now...if that's the case.
Still here?
Well, you can't say, I didn't warn you.
The episode starts with yet another chapter in the insanely dull VD version of romeo and juliet take 2. Elena: You were gazing at me again. Stefan: I love to gaze at you, what's wrong with that? Isn't it romantic. Elena: totally romantic and also creepy, but I love it when you gaze at me.
ME: Also incredibly boring - can we move on please? Katherine to Mason (who I just noticed resembles Stefan quite a bit, just a much sexier and entertaining Stefan, for a minute I thought it was Stefan, I can tell it's Katherine because unlike Elena, she has a body perm - ie. her hair is long luxurious and curly, as opposed to straight and sticking to her head. That and the clothes. Plus the snarky lines. Other than that? ) - "Oh, you are so wonderful, you get the stone and we will live happily ever after..." (You wish. Mason, you idiot, she's totally manipulating you.)
Not to worry - Mason, it seems, is not long for this world. Damon convinces Bonnie, with Stefan and Jeremy's help, to knock out Mason with her ability to give supernatural beings killer migraine headaches, hasn't quite mastered the head exploding bit - but give her time. (Personally, I hope she never does, because eww.)
Jeremy being a helpful lad, with Alaric's help, does a bit of research and determines exactly what Mason's weaknesses are. Apparently wolfsbane is vervaine (aka toxic) to werewolves. This delights Damon - who gruesomely tortures Mason to get the info he seeks - ie. where's the moonstone and what does it do. (IT's in a well, in water, and he doesn't have a clue what it does...most likely breaks the curse, but hey it's anyone's guess.) Bonnie wonders why he'd put it in a well with water.
During all this - Elena feeling left out keeps buzzing Stefan, who finally fills her in and goes with her to seek out this mysterious well. As do Bonnie and Caroline - who are attempting to get over their differences (basically Caroline killed Bonnie's most recent crush, and Bonnie is struggling to forgive her for that and let bygones be bygones...because you know Caroline had just turned into a vampire and couldn't help herself, and considering the fact that Bonnie was partially responsible for it...).
Upon reaching said well, Stefan lowers himself in, without first checking to see if - you know, the water toxic. IT is, and apparently being dropped in water with vervain is a bit like being dropped into a vat of holy water except far less gross. It also has snakes in it, since, it is an abandoned well. Kudos to Mason for foresight. Don't worry, Stefan's not in any danger of kicking the old bucket or dying as it were - we should be so lucky or rather I should be so lucky - Elena is up above, and soon, so is the rapidly moving Caroline - who throws the chain down the well and lowers Elena - so Elena can save Stefan. Elena being our stalwart and spunky little heroine, stays down there to hunt for the stone, but almost gets bitten by a snake, which she sufficiently scares away by screaming at it. (No she's in no danger. One truism of these shows - they never kill the lead characters, no matter how much we want them too because then there would not be a tv show. And if they do kill them, don't worry, they will come back..again and again and again - like a bad penny. See Buffy and 85% of daytime soap operas. But minor supporting characters, who we may actually like - no such like, they are cannon fodder. (Again see Buffy and 85% of daytime soap operas.)
Speaking of minor supporting characters...Mason is in a pickle. Damon has found out via Bonnie that
Mason is Katherine's latest trophy boy. He's not happy. And tells Mason that he's just another sucker like Damon, that she's doing to him exactly what she did to Damon, and so and so forth.
While the conversation was admittedly entertaining, Ian Sommerland acts the hell out of it, I honestly thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head at one point. The things that man does with his eyes --- seriously, I'm in awe. I could have done without the gruesome torture. It's very difficult to justify liking Damon - if you keep showing him torturing supporting characters.
And is it just me - or does Damon hate himself and keep taking out his self-loathing not to mention, somewhat suicidal tendencies on poor unsuspecting supporting characters? First Jeremy gets his neck broken because he reminds Damon of Damon, now, Mason. Where will it end?
Damon pulls out poor Mason's heart with the line: "She's going to rip out your heart just like she did mine, but I'm going to save you the pain of it happening and do it first." Rip. Mason, dude, we hardly knew yah. Literally, we hardly knew the character - the writers gave us very little information, and almost no reason to care about him. The tomb vampires, Vicky, and Anna - I cared about more. And damn, poetic, but also a bit overthetop and silly. Not to mention...eww.
I don't know what Jeremy was thinking - that he could change Damon's mind? Not bloody likely.
Stefan didn't seem to mind, but then Mason did try to kill Stefan and Damon last week...
Can't say I miss Mason. Although did feel oddly sorry for Tyler, who next to Caroline, Damon, and Jeremy is possibly the most layered and developed of the characters. Tyler who has a violent streak and fears what it might mean.
Damon, idiot that he is, feels the need to brag about what he did to Mason to Katherine - which results in Katherine hunting a new way to have her fun. Or plan B. She does two things at once - sends a message to Elena that if she doesn't break things off with Stefan, she'll kill everyone Elena cares about...and from a distance no less. Aunt Jenna apparently has been compelled to stab herself. (Okay, how hard would it have been to actually give Aunt Jenna a storyline? OR make me care whether she lives or dies? I don't know this character. She's barely there. She does zip regarding the kids. Doesn't discipline, doesn't seem to care what happens with them. For a bit in the first season - they appeared to be exploring the younger sister suddenly being strapped with her sister's kids and making a go of it and her career at the same time and screwing up royally, then bang, gone. And it was all Stefan and Elena murmuring lines like - I see her and I had to know her? Purple prose apparently is not reserved for pulpy teen romance novels. It's also reminding me of why I gave up on Dawsen's Creek - it started out being an ensemble series with the adult drama entwined with the kids, then it became about Dawsen and his love life, which Williamson can't write worth shit. I'm sorry, buddy, but you suck at romance. Many male tv writers do. Want a well written romantic relationship? To see how it is done? Go watch Grey's Anatomy.
Or My So-Called Life (which was about teen romance). Or even Veronica Mars and Friday Night Lights or Gilmore Girls. It's not that hard.) Anyhow due to Aunt Jenna's complete lack of a storyline, and rare appearances, she appears less in this series than Joyce did in Buffy. Also - note, I cared about Joyce, so much that I was sobbing in The Body. Jenna, not so much. So again this is a fault in the writing. Jenna has maybe five lines? It's sad. Alaric, Jenna's boyfriend, has been developed more - I care about Alaric, actually care if he lives or dies. Heck Uncle John had more storyline. So for that matter does Sheriff Lockwood - who I did care about.
Compare and contrast Sheriff Lockwood/Caroline and Elena/Jenna - note how one actually has a conversation and a relationship, and the other not so much. It's hard to understand why Elena would care what happened to Jenna or Jeremy - because they have no relationship with her. We never see one. We are told it's there, but the writers don't "show" it. Ugh. Bad writing.
This story suffers a great deal from far too much telling and not enough showing. I don't care about Elena and Stefan and I should. I don't care about Jenna. And I should. Or even Bonnie for that matter, another character who has not had a storyline in a long long time, and appears to be just a tool for other characters. Oh, we need a witch in this scene - let's plop in Bonnie, and we'll manufacture a way to convince her to help the vampires capture a werewolf.
I do however care about Matt - who Katherine is compelling to force Tyler into killing him, much as she did with Mason and the man, Mason killed. I doubt she'll succeed, but one never knows.
Matt has cannon fodder written all over his forehead. He's the only one who remains oblivious to the existence of supernatural creatures in his own town.
Sigh. The difficulty with this show is even though I care, I don't care that much. I'm not emotionally invested in the characters in the same way I am with say Buffy or Grey's or even Caprica. Damon - the most entertaining of the characters, is unfortunately too sadistic and homicidial to form a lasting attachment to, also I don't see how it is possible for the character to come back from some of this. The two leads, the lovers, I can't relate to, at all. And that's a weakness. Granted, I may well be the wrong audience for this show.
Overall rating D+