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shadowkatGot a reprieve - seeing the flats tomorrow after Church, which is much better. So not in the mood to do it today. Also there's more availability, because apparently no one likes to show them on Saturdays.
The sermon at Church this Sunday is on Buddha - which was much better than last Sunday, in which it was on well donating money to the church - which makes me feel guilty, because ahem, still not quite a member as of yet. But hey - I'm doing a newsletter and I pay at each service - granted that amount is split with a local charity and it's not that much, but still.
Sorry, as you may have noticed, I'm in an incredibly snarky mood this weekend. Probably in direct response to the bad work week I left behind me.
On the tv front - saw Mr. Sunshine, Being Erica and Vampire Diaries within the last 24 hours.
1. Mr. Sunshine - disappointing. It's probably worth noting that I'm a fan of everyone involved in this venture - in particular Matthew Perry, the guy who played Hugo on Lost, and Allison Janey, but the comedy felt forced as did the writing and personal interactions. None of the actors have any screen chemistry. And it feels as if Perry is trying too hard. Comedy is brutal. Not an easy art form to pull off. While I like Perry's somewhat snarky self-deprecating, wry wit - it at times falls flat. But - the set-up has a great deal of potential. So, since this is just the pilot? I'm giving it five episodes. It's not a stinker, it's just flawed. Also, I did laugh once during it - it's the scene, assuming you saw it, where Allison Janey freaks out over the clowns with axes entering her office and tries to hurl a small child at them in self-defense. This - I found absurdly amusing. (Yes, I have a dark sense of humor - we already know this.)
2.Being Erica - continues to be my comfort show. It's just an adorably comforting fantasy show about a woman finding herself through time-travel therapy. It also examines psycho-therapy in a way I've never seen done before, along with time travel for that matter. Two of my kinks with one stone.
The episodes this year have been a bit weaker than last year. I spent a good portion of episodes one and two wondering if Erica is actually dead and much of her story is happening in some alternate time loop. The reason for this - is that her mother and Sam seem to be acting as if she doesn't exist. It's like we are watching two stories for the price of one - Sam/Mom and Sam's flirtation with Janitor at the hospital where she works as a surgeon, and Erica's journey. And they don't really mesh that well. Somewhat jarring actually. It also took me a while to figure out who Sam and the Mom were in relation to Erica. Also on the fence about the whole group therapy deal. Yes, it has its benefits, but why is it always Adam so far that Erica is being paired with? Isn't that a bit obvious, show? I mean, we know she broke up with Ethan and lost Kai, so now - she's what being paired with group therapy guy? Okay. This would work better if you did it more gradually - like had other people in the group be paired with her first, then Adam. Having her always paired with Adam - makes me wonder if the therapists are also in the business of match-making. Other than that? No complaints. Loved it. Also so do not miss Ethan. Ethan was borring. Adam is far more interesting. Figuring the end-game is going to be Kai - that's how these shows work, it's so predictable. Which is why I find the romantic relationships on tv shows more often than not to be the least interesting and most predictable. Erica's relationships with her doctor, family, co-partner, and Brett are far more interesting.
3. Vampire Diaries - it's slowed down a bit from the fall. But it has to, in order to build again. IF you think I'm crazy for watching this - well people thought I was nuts for watching and loving Buffy too and whole host of other tv shows. It's fun. It's campy. And at times hilarious. I don't take it seriously - I watch it for much the same reason people watch 30 Rock - to laugh and be mindlessly entertained. This week's episode was yet another chapter in the Stefan/Elena star-crossed lovers of doom and gloom romance. Apparently people between the ages of 8-35 get off on this, but by the time you reach your 40s, you start thinking, alrighty...either let the matryed lovers live and try to make it work or kill them off already! You know a trope has been done to death when you can literally predict what the characters will say before they say it and what will happen next. Was I worried about Stefan and Elena getting taken and killed by the nasty werewolves? Nope. Although Elena was somewhat crafty in how she evaded big Alpha male werewolf named Brady. (Why didn't Brady just bite Stefan? Would have saved so much time. Maybe he has to be in full wolf mode to do it? Still unclear when that works.)
Stefan: Oh Elena...Elijah betrayed you, he meant to kill you all along
Elena: I know, he never lied to me. He never said he'd protect me, just ensure that those I love would survive.
Stefan: So you are matyring yourself? (cue for speech on why that's an idiotic idea.) And after we made plans? How dare you!
Elena: Why should you die over me?
Stefan: I am dead (you idiot) - I already lived. For 162 years! You haven't even begun.
(I'm rolling my eyes at Elena's dialogue and rooting for Stefan to jump ship and take off with Carolyn. Leave Elena to Damon already. Why people insist on putting two brooding gloom and doom people in a relationship together is beyond me. Where's the entertainment value? Who can out-whine who? We need a bit of banter and snark in the mix. Now Stefan/Carolyn and Damon/Elena or better yet, Stefan/Katrina and Damon/Elena would work nicely. Let Carolyn have Tyler.)
Best part of the episode hands down was Alaric and Damon - I loved the scene where Alaric requests that Damon not kill the "action news" reporter, because he'll have to lie about it to Jenna and he's sick of the lies. Note, it's not because he cares about the reporter and thinks she should live another day, but because he doesn't want to lie to Jenna about it. *Snorfle* Their pseudo-friendship over mutual hatred of all things Isabella and John, is actually quite amusing and entertaining.
Also quite liked the torture sequence with Damon - okay that admittedly came out wrong. First off - I know that they are not going to "permanently" kill off Damon, Elena, or Stefan. Everyone else - however is up for grabs. So I never worry that much during those types of scenes. Did I like the torture bit? No. I find torture scenes cringe-inducing actually - and far too prevalent on tv and film, indicating that the human race is bit more sadistically inclined than it would like to admit.
But I did like the dialogue. Damon says some fun things in there such as: If you only knew the irony of this situation. Julie: I do. Damon: Then you know that I won't tell you anything, there will be quite a bit of blood, and it will end with someone's heart being ripped out. Julie: Yes yours. Me: nope, most likely everyone else in the room - ah here's Elijah. (I rather like Elijah, I keep worrying that Damon or John will kill him with that nifty device and I want him to stay alive - because he's entertaining and has nice hair. Yes, in this show, I root for them to kill Elena/Stefan and keep the bad guys alive - needless to say, I'm going to be in for a shit-load of disappointment.) Speaking of bad guys - I liked Blair Witch Wolf Boy - who knew the legend of the moon-stone. They couldn't have kept him alive a bit longer? We barely knew him.
Jeremy and Bonnie's romance is progressing nicely - which most likely means one or the other will be dead soon. I'm predicting Jeremy - the moment he takes that ring off. Sure Jeremy has two dead girl-friends to his name, but Bonnie just has to flirt with a guy and he's toast or already toast.
Although Luka has been around a bit longer than usual - of course Luka is also an antagonist. Plus of the two - they can do more with Bonnie, not much they can do with Jeremy. (Well there is, but being tv writers - they tend to be a bit limited in imaginative scope. I'm sure the fanfic writers have come up with all sorts of stuff.)
Carolyn/Tyler - damn, it hardly began. What is it with this show and interesting romantic relationships that have actual conflict? If you wanted a star-crossed romance - that was it. Perfect.
Of course it could come back again...neither character is dead. Tyler merely left town. We don't know if he's gone for good. I'm not sure this is the big vampire/werewolf battle they were talking about or if that is still to come. Didn't feel like much of a battle - it was basically just Elijah pulling out a bunch of guys hearts, while Stefan pulled out Brady's at the lakehouse. More like a slaughter.
So, I'm guessing that's still to come and when it does, Tyler may be a bit more involved? And maybe the non-romance will jump-start? Not holding my breath. They did the same thing with Jeremy/Anna - which also had a lot of potential - since Jeremy is the direct ancestor of the late-great Gilbert who ensconced Anna's mother and family in the tombs. And Jeremy's uncle John kills her mother. Far more interesting star-crossed lover relationship than Stefan/Elena - which is basically tall dark stranger with secretive dark past seduces young girl and falls madly in love with her, she finds out about his dark past and they can't be together...but they desperately want to be. Gee. That's not been done before. Also found Rose/Damon to be more interesting than Elena/Damon - because Rose was pretending to be cynical about love but isn't and Damon much the same - found out more about both characters.
Also the fact that Rose keeps falling for men who love well Katrina/Elena. But no, instead we're going to focus on good angelic girl/bad demonic boy and can she possibly save him? Why do we revisit the same tropes over and over and over again?
Not much else happening. Hoping next week's is better.
The sermon at Church this Sunday is on Buddha - which was much better than last Sunday, in which it was on well donating money to the church - which makes me feel guilty, because ahem, still not quite a member as of yet. But hey - I'm doing a newsletter and I pay at each service - granted that amount is split with a local charity and it's not that much, but still.
Sorry, as you may have noticed, I'm in an incredibly snarky mood this weekend. Probably in direct response to the bad work week I left behind me.
On the tv front - saw Mr. Sunshine, Being Erica and Vampire Diaries within the last 24 hours.
1. Mr. Sunshine - disappointing. It's probably worth noting that I'm a fan of everyone involved in this venture - in particular Matthew Perry, the guy who played Hugo on Lost, and Allison Janey, but the comedy felt forced as did the writing and personal interactions. None of the actors have any screen chemistry. And it feels as if Perry is trying too hard. Comedy is brutal. Not an easy art form to pull off. While I like Perry's somewhat snarky self-deprecating, wry wit - it at times falls flat. But - the set-up has a great deal of potential. So, since this is just the pilot? I'm giving it five episodes. It's not a stinker, it's just flawed. Also, I did laugh once during it - it's the scene, assuming you saw it, where Allison Janey freaks out over the clowns with axes entering her office and tries to hurl a small child at them in self-defense. This - I found absurdly amusing. (Yes, I have a dark sense of humor - we already know this.)
2.Being Erica - continues to be my comfort show. It's just an adorably comforting fantasy show about a woman finding herself through time-travel therapy. It also examines psycho-therapy in a way I've never seen done before, along with time travel for that matter. Two of my kinks with one stone.
The episodes this year have been a bit weaker than last year. I spent a good portion of episodes one and two wondering if Erica is actually dead and much of her story is happening in some alternate time loop. The reason for this - is that her mother and Sam seem to be acting as if she doesn't exist. It's like we are watching two stories for the price of one - Sam/Mom and Sam's flirtation with Janitor at the hospital where she works as a surgeon, and Erica's journey. And they don't really mesh that well. Somewhat jarring actually. It also took me a while to figure out who Sam and the Mom were in relation to Erica. Also on the fence about the whole group therapy deal. Yes, it has its benefits, but why is it always Adam so far that Erica is being paired with? Isn't that a bit obvious, show? I mean, we know she broke up with Ethan and lost Kai, so now - she's what being paired with group therapy guy? Okay. This would work better if you did it more gradually - like had other people in the group be paired with her first, then Adam. Having her always paired with Adam - makes me wonder if the therapists are also in the business of match-making. Other than that? No complaints. Loved it. Also so do not miss Ethan. Ethan was borring. Adam is far more interesting. Figuring the end-game is going to be Kai - that's how these shows work, it's so predictable. Which is why I find the romantic relationships on tv shows more often than not to be the least interesting and most predictable. Erica's relationships with her doctor, family, co-partner, and Brett are far more interesting.
3. Vampire Diaries - it's slowed down a bit from the fall. But it has to, in order to build again. IF you think I'm crazy for watching this - well people thought I was nuts for watching and loving Buffy too and whole host of other tv shows. It's fun. It's campy. And at times hilarious. I don't take it seriously - I watch it for much the same reason people watch 30 Rock - to laugh and be mindlessly entertained. This week's episode was yet another chapter in the Stefan/Elena star-crossed lovers of doom and gloom romance. Apparently people between the ages of 8-35 get off on this, but by the time you reach your 40s, you start thinking, alrighty...either let the matryed lovers live and try to make it work or kill them off already! You know a trope has been done to death when you can literally predict what the characters will say before they say it and what will happen next. Was I worried about Stefan and Elena getting taken and killed by the nasty werewolves? Nope. Although Elena was somewhat crafty in how she evaded big Alpha male werewolf named Brady. (Why didn't Brady just bite Stefan? Would have saved so much time. Maybe he has to be in full wolf mode to do it? Still unclear when that works.)
Stefan: Oh Elena...Elijah betrayed you, he meant to kill you all along
Elena: I know, he never lied to me. He never said he'd protect me, just ensure that those I love would survive.
Stefan: So you are matyring yourself? (cue for speech on why that's an idiotic idea.) And after we made plans? How dare you!
Elena: Why should you die over me?
Stefan: I am dead (you idiot) - I already lived. For 162 years! You haven't even begun.
(I'm rolling my eyes at Elena's dialogue and rooting for Stefan to jump ship and take off with Carolyn. Leave Elena to Damon already. Why people insist on putting two brooding gloom and doom people in a relationship together is beyond me. Where's the entertainment value? Who can out-whine who? We need a bit of banter and snark in the mix. Now Stefan/Carolyn and Damon/Elena or better yet, Stefan/Katrina and Damon/Elena would work nicely. Let Carolyn have Tyler.)
Best part of the episode hands down was Alaric and Damon - I loved the scene where Alaric requests that Damon not kill the "action news" reporter, because he'll have to lie about it to Jenna and he's sick of the lies. Note, it's not because he cares about the reporter and thinks she should live another day, but because he doesn't want to lie to Jenna about it. *Snorfle* Their pseudo-friendship over mutual hatred of all things Isabella and John, is actually quite amusing and entertaining.
Also quite liked the torture sequence with Damon - okay that admittedly came out wrong. First off - I know that they are not going to "permanently" kill off Damon, Elena, or Stefan. Everyone else - however is up for grabs. So I never worry that much during those types of scenes. Did I like the torture bit? No. I find torture scenes cringe-inducing actually - and far too prevalent on tv and film, indicating that the human race is bit more sadistically inclined than it would like to admit.
But I did like the dialogue. Damon says some fun things in there such as: If you only knew the irony of this situation. Julie: I do. Damon: Then you know that I won't tell you anything, there will be quite a bit of blood, and it will end with someone's heart being ripped out. Julie: Yes yours. Me: nope, most likely everyone else in the room - ah here's Elijah. (I rather like Elijah, I keep worrying that Damon or John will kill him with that nifty device and I want him to stay alive - because he's entertaining and has nice hair. Yes, in this show, I root for them to kill Elena/Stefan and keep the bad guys alive - needless to say, I'm going to be in for a shit-load of disappointment.) Speaking of bad guys - I liked Blair Witch Wolf Boy - who knew the legend of the moon-stone. They couldn't have kept him alive a bit longer? We barely knew him.
Jeremy and Bonnie's romance is progressing nicely - which most likely means one or the other will be dead soon. I'm predicting Jeremy - the moment he takes that ring off. Sure Jeremy has two dead girl-friends to his name, but Bonnie just has to flirt with a guy and he's toast or already toast.
Although Luka has been around a bit longer than usual - of course Luka is also an antagonist. Plus of the two - they can do more with Bonnie, not much they can do with Jeremy. (Well there is, but being tv writers - they tend to be a bit limited in imaginative scope. I'm sure the fanfic writers have come up with all sorts of stuff.)
Carolyn/Tyler - damn, it hardly began. What is it with this show and interesting romantic relationships that have actual conflict? If you wanted a star-crossed romance - that was it. Perfect.
Of course it could come back again...neither character is dead. Tyler merely left town. We don't know if he's gone for good. I'm not sure this is the big vampire/werewolf battle they were talking about or if that is still to come. Didn't feel like much of a battle - it was basically just Elijah pulling out a bunch of guys hearts, while Stefan pulled out Brady's at the lakehouse. More like a slaughter.
So, I'm guessing that's still to come and when it does, Tyler may be a bit more involved? And maybe the non-romance will jump-start? Not holding my breath. They did the same thing with Jeremy/Anna - which also had a lot of potential - since Jeremy is the direct ancestor of the late-great Gilbert who ensconced Anna's mother and family in the tombs. And Jeremy's uncle John kills her mother. Far more interesting star-crossed lover relationship than Stefan/Elena - which is basically tall dark stranger with secretive dark past seduces young girl and falls madly in love with her, she finds out about his dark past and they can't be together...but they desperately want to be. Gee. That's not been done before. Also found Rose/Damon to be more interesting than Elena/Damon - because Rose was pretending to be cynical about love but isn't and Damon much the same - found out more about both characters.
Also the fact that Rose keeps falling for men who love well Katrina/Elena. But no, instead we're going to focus on good angelic girl/bad demonic boy and can she possibly save him? Why do we revisit the same tropes over and over and over again?
Not much else happening. Hoping next week's is better.
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Date: 2011-02-14 04:35 pm (UTC)Honestly, I'm still not convinced. It seems that everyone 'in' therapy is there because of a near-death experience so I can't help but sometimes wonder whether it was 'near'. I'm not spoiling really because, like you, this is just speculation, but I cannot help but think that death is somehow involved somewhere be it in the future or the past.
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Date: 2011-02-14 05:05 pm (UTC)Because it feels like they are dead and the whole therapy bit is some sort of purgatory or way of resolving their earthly issues before moving on?
According to the previews - she's supposed to die in 9 years, Kai pops up to warn her. (I'm almost convinced that Kai is her end-game or who she's going to end up with at the end of this series. With a series of guys in between leading up to it.)
So maybe they are working backwards? When she dies in life, she graduates to the therapist status? (Interesting commentary on psychology if that's the case.)