Monday yawns...but is otherwise okay

[shadowkat]

It's a Monday. But at least the weather for the most part was pleasant. Over cast most of the day, until I got home, but in the low seventies. I took a long walk to McNally's Book Store, and back. Picked up a book that I'd been eyeing the last time I was there. I told myself if I could find it again, I'd grab it. And after a little browsing, there it was, front and center in the recommended section. Took five minutes. Bought. Left. Jumped into the cookie store and wisely decided I did not need a giant chocolate chip gluten free cookie. (They had a lot of cookies, but only the chocolate chip were gluten free. This is becoming a pattern with bakeries - apparently it's impossible for these folks to make anything gluten free but chocolate chip cookies? Someone could make a killing if they could figure out how to do everything else, put all the other bakeries to shame.)

What was the book?

Sociopath: Memoir by Patric Gagne PH. D

It's actually cheaper on Amazon. I paid $21 for it at the book store. But hey, support your local independent book store and all that.

Sigh, now I want a cookie. Think of a cookie, want a cookie - like Pavlov's Dog.

I'll make baked salmon with veggies instead. Better for my blood sugar. Proof that I am not Pavlov's Dog.

I did not take photos, besides you've already seen all of them from this area. It would just be repetitious. Not that this has stopped me in the past, but I was walking briskly there and back, and popping in a visit to the book store and the cookie store in the midst of it.

Got back a little after 1 pm, not too bad. Left at 12:27 pm and got back at 1:10 pm. About thirty-five minutes? Next time I should do the walk before I eat my lunch not after.

Entertainment Items of note

1. To anyone who watched Angel the Series (and more importantly still remembers it well enough to answer this question) - someone on Facebook thinks Angel was turned human by Wolfram and Hart then turned into a vampire again because he had to fight the monsters in LA. They are referring to the fifth season. To my recollection, the only time Angel ever became human was in I Will Always Remember You. Granted it has been some time since I've seen Angel the Series, but I'd think I'd remember that? (Considering how many metas and reviews I wrote about it.) Anyone remember Angel turning human in Season 5? Or is this person completely deluded?

2. Buffy Revival - it's not a Reboot, although people keep calling it a Reboot, and people keep fighting over whether it is one or not, which I find amusing, because they've managed to completely confuse the fandom.
At any rate, Charisma Carpenter has finally clarified that she is not in it, she's not been contacted, and has no idea where they are with it, nor is she in contact with anyone involved. She's only made it known that she'd like to be in it.

I think the people who have been contacted and may be involved are Gellar's friends: Marsters, Hannigan, and Seth Green. They appear to know something.
But I could be wrong. Those are the three she still appears to be close to on some level and in contact with.

3. Alien Nation - the newest thing by Noah Hawley - who is best known for the television series: Fargo and Legion (he also worked on Bones for a bit). No, Ridely Scott isn't involved at all. And I could tell - after seeing the first two episodes. Scott is scarier. I can't watch Scott's Alien.

Once again, folks are fighting over whether it is a reboot. (It's not. It's an expansion on the previous series. Similar to say the Star Trek franchise.)

The first two are intriguing? But I'm on the fence about it. It's biological sci-fi leaning towards horror. [Anyone else see it?]

4. Alan Cummings reports loving filming Avengers Doomsday

"Cumming, however, has spoken at length about his distasteful experience making “X2.” The actor/host wrote about his experiences on the film in his memoir, “Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life,” speaking to a troubled production at the hands of [Bryan] Singer.

“Doomsday,” Cumming said, was a much different experience.

“It was actually really great to go back. And especially, I’m 60 years old. I did not think I would be doing stunts, playing a superhero in my 60s. So that was great,” Cumming said. “And everyone was really nice. And I got it done really quickly because I couldn’t go, because of ‘The Traitors,’ when most of my scenes were being shot.”

[They have some old guys doing an action superhero film - Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Harrison Ford, Alan Cummings, Robert Downy Jr...which I guess is good? And yes, everyone hated Bryan Singer. Jennifer Lawrence refused to work with again. ]

***

Music and Religion

Finally, I decided to listen to the Superman 2025 soundtrack, Punkrocker, Nine Inch Nails...I need album recs. I only really have listened to Downward Spiral and Pretty Hate Machine.

Also Jimmi Hendrix's Machine Gun, rec'd by a Franciscan Priest on loan to a Unitarian Church during a sermon on how to tell the Jesus story. (Yes, I was intrigued by all the contradictions in that sentence as well.)

Mother: Wait. What is a Franciscan Priest doing at a Unitarian Church?
ME: No clue. But I find it intriguing. More intriguing than the wannabe Rabbi playing Unitarian Minister actually. Plus he's doing bible studies.
And is a Jimmi Hendrix fan. What are the odds? [And having done the wannabe Rabbi's bible studies, I'd like to try the Franciscan Priest's bible studies.]

I like contradictions. I'm contradictory. These are my people.

Comments

[threemeninaboat]

Broken is my favorite.

[cjlasky7]

Angel did not turn human at any point in s5. In fact, in the series finale, Angel signed away his rights to the Shanshu Prophecy, sacrificing any chance to regain his humanity.

[kazzy_cee]

What they said ⬆️

[elisi]

Yes this^

[yourlibrarian]

My memory is the same as yours -- S1 not S5. Even as a puppet he was a vampire! And in S1 it was not W&H bu the Powers That Be the reset time.

[shadowkat]

Exactly, I remembered that as well. Although they retconned it so many times, that I was no longer sure if the TPTB existed or the oracles were a scam by WRH by the end? Whedon didn't like the God motif while Minear and Greenwalt did, and they kept fighting over it. Was very confusing - but also very noir.

[shadowkat]

Thank you. I was second guessing my memory.

I think the poster probably got confused and forgot it was that he signed away his rights to become human and the Shanshue. I admittedly forgot that part. It's been a while since I've seen it.

[cjlasky7]

You're right. The PTB were Greenwalt's baby all the way, and as soon as he left, Whedon dropped them like a hot potato.

After s3, the PTB were only mentioned tangentially (if that). Jasmine was supposedly a rogue PTB, but I don't remember if that was ever stated outright.

[shadowkat]

Exactly.

What a lot of folks don't realize about Angel - is there was a kind of falling out between Greenwalt and the WB, which poor Charisma got caught up in the middle of (due to her "hush" "hush" back-stage relationship with Greenwalt)? Also, to a degree, a falling out between Whedon and Greenwalt. (The WB asked Whedon to come in and "fix" the problem and well, we all know how they "fixed" it? Greenwalt resigned to head a new show (failed after one season), Charisma's character was supposed to be killed off at the end of S3 (but Greenwalt sent her to heaven instead - kind of his way of giving Joss the finger), and well S4.
[Honestly? I think they should have fired Greenwalt, kept Minear as show-runner, and cut Whedon out of the mix. Greenwalt had the power not Charisma. But Hollywood is male run and sigh, misogynistic to the max.]

Whedon obviously hated what Greenwalt did with Cordelia and the whole PTB bit chafed with Whedon. He didn't see Cordelia the same way as Greenwalt did. He was also took out his anger at his buddy, Greenwalt on poor Charisma.

To a degree the changes that Whedon made in the storyline fit with a noir series. Whedon turned Jasmine into a HP Lovecraft cosmic villain who had manipulated Cordelia along with the visions - and Cordelia fell victim to her need to be important and a hero (a reflection of Angel's need to be a champion and a hero - the line between hero and villain is razor thin after all), and jumped away from the PTB. Which is kind of a cool idea - but it was poorly executed due to the backstage fighting. Once he took over - the prophecy was shown to be a possibly a joke created by WRH, and it wasn't certain the PTB even existed. Which fits better with the noir concept. Greenwalt's was a touch too hopeful for noir.

But from an audience perspective? It was confusing as all get out and they managed to piss off a good portion of the audience who adored Cordelia. It also eventually resulted in Whedon being unable to work in the industry, and I think Greenwalt's been sidelined as well. Moral? Don't do what Whedon and Greenwalt did. They could have handled it better, and with far less dramatic fallout.

[shadowkat]

Thank you!

[cjlasky7]

Charisma had a "hush hush" relationship with Greenwalt? It must have been really hushed, because that's a new one on me.

Minear is thriving. Whedon is blacklisted. Greenwalt is...

Where IS Greenwalt?

[shadowkat]

Dochawk told me and Anom all about it way back in December 2002. Dochawk's best friend was production assistant to Greenwalt, and knew the whole story. Apparently CC and Greenwalt were having an affair. Her son is most likely Greenwalt's and Whedon knew. Both were showing up late, causing all sorts of production delays, and issues - and well, there were other problems. WB and the studio asked Whedon to fix the problem multiple times or resolve it. It was messy. I didn't believe it - but Doc also spoiled me completely on S4, I knew the entire plot before it happened, all of Cordy's arc. Also Minear came on the Angel's Soul Board and admitted that Cordy was supposed to die at the end of S3, but Whedon came up with this great story line, and CC got pregnant. This was echoed on the Bronze/Whedonesque.

Then CC came out with what she said. And it all tracked.

[cjlasky7]

Wow.

Mind blown.

You knew Cordy's ENTIRE s4 arc and you kept it secret that whole year?!

If I ever have a big secret, you're in on it, no problem.

[shadowkat]

Thanks.

I told you some of it? I remember telling you some of it? I told you that she was going to be the big bad, then they were going to bring in someone else. You didn't want to know everything. And I didn't want to spoil you. (Doc didn't know about Jasmine.) I just didn't really want to talk about the backstage gossip - because I was skeptical? Also, it was nasty. I mean really nasty. And through a third hand source. Anom and I discussed it and decided not to say anything to anyone on the board and Doc told us not to. Also, I didn't believe it? I mean it was Dochawk.

But over time - it became clear that yep, that's what happened. Between various things Charisma let slip in Q&A's and online, and The New York Magazine article on Whedon, well that more or less sealed it for me. That article made it clear the head writers were having affairs with the actresses. And I have a feeling Whedon was having his share of affairs too. (Which is a really bad idea - never get romantically involved with someone you work with or who works for you.)
The Angel set was as problematic as the Buffy one. I had a friend who knew the people who worked on Smile Time and she forwarded their email about the experience to me - and not everyone in that cast got along.

[shadowkat]

I looked up Greenwalt. It's interesting - but Joss gave him a better deal than Charisma.

"Left his position as head writer on Angel (1999) after its third season in 2002 to join the new series Miracles (2003) as executive producer and head writer. But he remained consulting producer on Angel (1999) and stayed in touched with the writing staff in season four.
Returned after two years absence (remaining consulting producer, though) to Angel (1999) when he heard that the show was canceled in February 2004 to direct one last episode (5.20 "The Girl in Question")."

Greenwalt had power, and most likely knew a few things about other people. So Whedon most likely found a compromise. It's why I didn't believe Dochawk for the longest time. And questioned it.
But after Charisma came out with her statement - and that NY article - I thought damn, Doc told me the truth. (Doc's friend did not like Greenwalt - at all.)

Where's Greenwalt?

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0339264/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

He landed on his feet - did better than Whedon, actually. And is married to the woman he married in 2016. I don't know if he was married when he was allegedly having an affair with CC, or not. Just that neither have publicly admitted to the affair, and CC has never talked about her son's father.