TV roundup and other bits...
Oct. 29th, 2011 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI'd planned to go out and do stuff today such as laundry which desperately needs to be done (should have done it last weekend), but the nor'easter got in the way, and I wimped out. Instead made another pot of turnip and leek soup, as well as gluten-free cornbread, courtesy of Red Mill. Will try to do the laundry early tomorrow morning along with farmer's market.
And watched a lot of tv. I think sometimes I watch too much tv. My tastes are wildly diverse and I'm not exactly discriminatory. Hey, tv slut, here. By the way you aren't a tv slut unless you watch more than 20 programs a week. Sorry five doesn't qualify, particularly if they are DVD's of TV shows that you've already seen and are re-watching.
Considering the NaNoWriMo but here's the thing - I don't need help to write a novel. I've written one. Actually have written two. Only one is marketable and publishable in my opinion, well mine and a professional editor who reviewed it and copy-edited it. Now I'm editing it some more. What I need help on is figuring out the rest of it. Also finishing my revisions. Nano doesn't appear to be for that.
In addition? I'm swamped at work. Mentally exhausted. And busy with church crap.
Anywho...the TV round-up. Still have American Horror Story, Walking Dead, PRime Suspect, a shit-load of Nikita episodes, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Supernatural to watch.
Yes, I decided to stick with American Horror Story, I got curious, which often happens with Ryan Murphy shows. Say what you will about Ryan Murphy, at least he's somewhat innovative and tries different things. Also AHS is weirdly entertaining, even if the only character I halfway care about is Viviane. Actually I think it's more entertaining because I don't care about anyone and am somewhat rooting for the House to win.
1. Grey's Anatomy This week's Grey's wasn't bad. In some respects the show is better than it was at the end of last year, but not quite as good as it was at the beginning of last year. I still like the characters though and their stories. Also the writing is a lot better than it was at the height of its popularity - the first four seasons. I suppose people might consider it soapy, but I don't really think it is at the moment. There's less sleeping around with everyone, and more focus on the cases and becoming a surgeon. Much less soapy than it was in the first four seasons. Favorite character continues to be the marvelous Cristina, portrayed by Sandra Oh, with Chandra Wilson's Baily a close second.
Grey's does women and minority characters better than anyone else.
2. Vamp Diaries - I refuse to call it TVD - that sounds like a sexual transmitted disease or a digital recording device, take your pick.
* Elena finally took her own advice and told Stefan what she told Jeremy, "I'm not going to spend my life pining after a ghost. Get your act together or you lose me forever." Yay, Elena. Finally getting some chutzpah, about bloody time. She said the same thing to Jeremy, but it should be noted, Jeremy didn't let go of Anna, Anna let go of Jeremy. Anna was really only holding on to find her Mom and not to be alone.
Speaking of Jeremy...
*Bonnie couldn't forgive Jeremy for taking longer to let go of Anna than Matt did of Vicki.
Okay this did not work for me. First of all, Matt wasn't seeing Vicki for months. Second,
Matt wasn't romantically involved or in love with Vickie, Vickie was JUST his sister. While it's nice to think that sibling love rivals romantic love, that's not the reality. I mean seriously, Bonnie, do you really think if push came to shove, Elena would choose Jeremy over Stefan? I know my brother wouldn't choose me over his wife, nor should he. Bonnie blew my mind when she said that. Granted Anna was Jeremy's dead girlfriend, but keep in mind he tried to kill himself to join her last year. And was planning on becoming a vampire too, in order to be with her. It's highly unrealistic that he'd get over Anna that fast.
I get why Bonnie is upset though..I mean clearly Anna meant more to Jeremy than Bonnie realized. Doesn't mean Jeremy doesn't care for or love Bonnie, but Anna was technically his first love. So yeah feel sorry for Bonnie. But her statement about Matt felt silly to me.
I'm guessing the show wants to throw Bonnie and Matt together now? I'm not feeling the Matt love. But that's okay, don't quite feel the Bonnie love either - the show doesn't seem to know what to do with her. She just pops up whenever they have to do a spell or magic.
I did however love her scene with Jasmine Guy. Although it blows my mind that Jasmine Guy is playing her grandmother. When did Jasmine get old? She can't be much older...wait, she's about ten years older than me, which would, sigh...never mind. I miss Jasmine Guy's Gran.
Bonnie does succeed in destroying the necklace - long enough to get rid of the ghost manifestations, which are in some not all cases wrecking havoc on the town. Just in time for Caroline to save Mrs. Lockwood. But the necklace comes back, it can't be destroyed that easily.
* Stefan, Lexie, and Elena. I apparently got Lexie confused with another supporting character that got killed. She seems younger and less interesting than I remember. Also a bit of a Rebbeca look alike.
That said, I did like her tough love routine with Stefan. Reminded me a bit too much of
Caroline's Dad's version of tough love with Caroline, but oh well. Stefan sort of got the point. He's still in there. I'm on the fence about whether he should come out or not.
* Damon, Alaric and Mason Lockwood (the werewolf that Damon killed and I sort of missed) -
guess what show manages to surprise me here. Mason isn't out for vengeance, he just wants redemption and a way to save his nephew. Apparently he thinks Damon's the way to do it.
He's clearly been watching Damon, hasn't he? Good news? Mason finds a way to reunite the buddy team of Alaric and Damon - thank you! Best development of the night. Oddly Damon is still the most interesting bit in this show. He's good with everybody. I'd say it was Ian Somerhandler, but I think it's just how the character is written - Spike was much the same way. (Stefan good or bad, still lacks a sense of humor. Boy? Lighten up.)
Mason unfortunately disappears before he can reveal what he's found and knows to Damon. So Damon manages to convince Alaric to go down into the cavern and into the space vampires can't enter - and reveal it. What Alaric finds are a bunch of ancient cave drawings dating back to the Vikings. He's not really sure what they are or what they mean. Oh cool - more mythology. (I'm not being snarky here, I seriously mean that - cool! more mythology. I like the mythology in this series, it's different.)
There's apparently a clue in the paintings somewhere on how to kill an original vampire.
Gran has told Bonnie to stay out of the original vampire stuff. That the old dead witch is at war with the original vampires. And is upsetting the balance because of that war.
Bonnie upset the balance by bringing back Jeremy. The witches in this verse create the rules and set the balance. They also, with few exceptions, all appear to be black or persons of color - which I find incredibly interesting.
* Other tid-bits that were interesting - the founding father's of the town got their wealth from the vampires. Or so says Anna and the other vampire ghosts seeking vengeance on the town's founding father's descendants.
- When people die they go to the Other side, where they watch those they left behind. But can't interfere. Some may pass on to peace. And they can talk to each other on the other side, some are alone though and too obsessed with the living.
-That necklace was Stefan's source of hope, it also appears to be a source of power for a long dead witch who wants to destroy Klaus.
-Elena has apparently decided it is time to move on, trying to save Stefan is getting tiresome. He has to save himself. Thank you, Jeremy, for making her see that, albeit unintentionally.
3. Secret Circle - the most interesting thing about this show continues to be the back-story on the parents or what the adults did. The kids are rather boring. And that's a problem. Also, getting bloody tired of seeing the kids in jeopardy every single week. Show? Seriously? Stop teasing me. I know you aren't going to kill the kids - they are the leads!
Unless this is the Ten Little Witches...in which case, it's going to be a very short series since there's only seven. No worries, doesn't appear to be.
I was frustrated through most of this episode. The show kept teasing me that it was going to tell me more about Cassie's back-story, but never quite did. Also Adam's father? I want more on him. He's more interesting than his son. Less Adam and Diana, more Adam's Dad. Actually all the adults are more interesting, including the Witch-hunters, and played by better actors.
I think I may be too old for the teen romantic angst stuff. Can't really identify. But the grown-up stuff intrigues me.
* Who was Cassie's dad and how did he die? John Blackwell. Adam's father describes him as a very bad man. Extreemly powerful. Calvin Wilson who gets killed in this episode (unfortunately, I rather liked him although I knew he was dead the moment I realized he had information - everyone with critical information who looks like they might be willing to tell it - gets killed), hints that John Blackwell was trying to do something that caused the boat fire and all the deaths including his own, and Cassie may have the same magic in her.
There's also a weird hint regarding Emilia, Cassie's mom, and that she may not have been all she appeared to be. The cryptic statements:
Calvin: Are you sure she's Emilia's daughter? (meaning power and personality)
Adam's Dad: Oh yes, she's Emilia's.
Calvin: You were always blind where Emilia was concerned.
Adam's Dad: Turns out in the end we were all blind, except for Emilia.
Makes me wonder. Also Heather's statements to Cassie - that Emilia tried to stop it, that Emilia had figured something out and asked for Heather's help to get herself and her child out of there, away. (Away from John??).
Jake is interesting but only in regards to Cassie - they may play up that romance. Sort of happy they are killing the Adam/Cassie romance or they went there, then backed off - showing why Adam is with Diana and needs Diana. And Adam's issues with Cassie being somewhat complicated - in that her mother was the wedge between him and his father. He never knew his mother - who died in the same accident as Cassie's father and both of Jake's parents. All the kids lost parents in the disaster.
Other hints? Faye's Mom and Diana's Dad appear to be wanting to use the kids to get their own powers back and maybe finish whatever John started. I'm guessing they were supporting John Blackwell?
This mystery intrigues me. The witch=hunter bit feels a bit ...cliche. But it could get interesting. I like the mythology around it.
The kids romantic entanglements and relationships are rather uninteresting. They didn't build up Cassie and the witch=hunter who almost kills her well enough to make me care.
Or surprise me when he turned out to be a witch-hunter. But it does make sense that Cassie doesn't trust Jake as far as she can throw him. Was happy about that. But it appears to be short-lived, if the previews for next week are any indication.
The problem with this show - is the kids aren't compelling enough. Either alone or together.
In Vamp Diaries, they are, but they are also inter-mixed with enough adults on a regular basis that it's well, more rounded. Here, we have far too much focus on the kids. Buffy had somewhat the same problem actually. But the kids were more compelling on Buffy, so it didn't matter.
4. Fringe S2 Finale...okay, I get why this show has a fan base, now. It's what they do with the parallel universe thing. Odd show Fringe, its a good show that is really poorly written. I keep wondering what this show would be like if it had great writers? I wonder that about a lot of tv series, actually. So this isn't new. Great concept, execution a bit on the clunky side. Dialogue...sigh. Characterization? Outside of Walter? Sigh. It's sad, but Walter really is the best and most interestingly drawn character. How the three characters inter-connect is equally interesting. But...it lacks something. Which is why it never quite took off the way X-Files or Buffy did. The writing just isn't quite there. That's not to say it's not entertaining or really interesting in places. And it is by far the best procedural on at the moment that I've tried. But..I hate to say this, X-Files was better written, just not as interesting conceptually or plot-wise, if that makes sense?
And watched a lot of tv. I think sometimes I watch too much tv. My tastes are wildly diverse and I'm not exactly discriminatory. Hey, tv slut, here. By the way you aren't a tv slut unless you watch more than 20 programs a week. Sorry five doesn't qualify, particularly if they are DVD's of TV shows that you've already seen and are re-watching.
Considering the NaNoWriMo but here's the thing - I don't need help to write a novel. I've written one. Actually have written two. Only one is marketable and publishable in my opinion, well mine and a professional editor who reviewed it and copy-edited it. Now I'm editing it some more. What I need help on is figuring out the rest of it. Also finishing my revisions. Nano doesn't appear to be for that.
In addition? I'm swamped at work. Mentally exhausted. And busy with church crap.
Anywho...the TV round-up. Still have American Horror Story, Walking Dead, PRime Suspect, a shit-load of Nikita episodes, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Supernatural to watch.
Yes, I decided to stick with American Horror Story, I got curious, which often happens with Ryan Murphy shows. Say what you will about Ryan Murphy, at least he's somewhat innovative and tries different things. Also AHS is weirdly entertaining, even if the only character I halfway care about is Viviane. Actually I think it's more entertaining because I don't care about anyone and am somewhat rooting for the House to win.
1. Grey's Anatomy This week's Grey's wasn't bad. In some respects the show is better than it was at the end of last year, but not quite as good as it was at the beginning of last year. I still like the characters though and their stories. Also the writing is a lot better than it was at the height of its popularity - the first four seasons. I suppose people might consider it soapy, but I don't really think it is at the moment. There's less sleeping around with everyone, and more focus on the cases and becoming a surgeon. Much less soapy than it was in the first four seasons. Favorite character continues to be the marvelous Cristina, portrayed by Sandra Oh, with Chandra Wilson's Baily a close second.
Grey's does women and minority characters better than anyone else.
2. Vamp Diaries - I refuse to call it TVD - that sounds like a sexual transmitted disease or a digital recording device, take your pick.
* Elena finally took her own advice and told Stefan what she told Jeremy, "I'm not going to spend my life pining after a ghost. Get your act together or you lose me forever." Yay, Elena. Finally getting some chutzpah, about bloody time. She said the same thing to Jeremy, but it should be noted, Jeremy didn't let go of Anna, Anna let go of Jeremy. Anna was really only holding on to find her Mom and not to be alone.
Speaking of Jeremy...
*Bonnie couldn't forgive Jeremy for taking longer to let go of Anna than Matt did of Vicki.
Okay this did not work for me. First of all, Matt wasn't seeing Vicki for months. Second,
Matt wasn't romantically involved or in love with Vickie, Vickie was JUST his sister. While it's nice to think that sibling love rivals romantic love, that's not the reality. I mean seriously, Bonnie, do you really think if push came to shove, Elena would choose Jeremy over Stefan? I know my brother wouldn't choose me over his wife, nor should he. Bonnie blew my mind when she said that. Granted Anna was Jeremy's dead girlfriend, but keep in mind he tried to kill himself to join her last year. And was planning on becoming a vampire too, in order to be with her. It's highly unrealistic that he'd get over Anna that fast.
I get why Bonnie is upset though..I mean clearly Anna meant more to Jeremy than Bonnie realized. Doesn't mean Jeremy doesn't care for or love Bonnie, but Anna was technically his first love. So yeah feel sorry for Bonnie. But her statement about Matt felt silly to me.
I'm guessing the show wants to throw Bonnie and Matt together now? I'm not feeling the Matt love. But that's okay, don't quite feel the Bonnie love either - the show doesn't seem to know what to do with her. She just pops up whenever they have to do a spell or magic.
I did however love her scene with Jasmine Guy. Although it blows my mind that Jasmine Guy is playing her grandmother. When did Jasmine get old? She can't be much older...wait, she's about ten years older than me, which would, sigh...never mind. I miss Jasmine Guy's Gran.
Bonnie does succeed in destroying the necklace - long enough to get rid of the ghost manifestations, which are in some not all cases wrecking havoc on the town. Just in time for Caroline to save Mrs. Lockwood. But the necklace comes back, it can't be destroyed that easily.
* Stefan, Lexie, and Elena. I apparently got Lexie confused with another supporting character that got killed. She seems younger and less interesting than I remember. Also a bit of a Rebbeca look alike.
That said, I did like her tough love routine with Stefan. Reminded me a bit too much of
Caroline's Dad's version of tough love with Caroline, but oh well. Stefan sort of got the point. He's still in there. I'm on the fence about whether he should come out or not.
* Damon, Alaric and Mason Lockwood (the werewolf that Damon killed and I sort of missed) -
guess what show manages to surprise me here. Mason isn't out for vengeance, he just wants redemption and a way to save his nephew. Apparently he thinks Damon's the way to do it.
He's clearly been watching Damon, hasn't he? Good news? Mason finds a way to reunite the buddy team of Alaric and Damon - thank you! Best development of the night. Oddly Damon is still the most interesting bit in this show. He's good with everybody. I'd say it was Ian Somerhandler, but I think it's just how the character is written - Spike was much the same way. (Stefan good or bad, still lacks a sense of humor. Boy? Lighten up.)
Mason unfortunately disappears before he can reveal what he's found and knows to Damon. So Damon manages to convince Alaric to go down into the cavern and into the space vampires can't enter - and reveal it. What Alaric finds are a bunch of ancient cave drawings dating back to the Vikings. He's not really sure what they are or what they mean. Oh cool - more mythology. (I'm not being snarky here, I seriously mean that - cool! more mythology. I like the mythology in this series, it's different.)
There's apparently a clue in the paintings somewhere on how to kill an original vampire.
Gran has told Bonnie to stay out of the original vampire stuff. That the old dead witch is at war with the original vampires. And is upsetting the balance because of that war.
Bonnie upset the balance by bringing back Jeremy. The witches in this verse create the rules and set the balance. They also, with few exceptions, all appear to be black or persons of color - which I find incredibly interesting.
* Other tid-bits that were interesting - the founding father's of the town got their wealth from the vampires. Or so says Anna and the other vampire ghosts seeking vengeance on the town's founding father's descendants.
- When people die they go to the Other side, where they watch those they left behind. But can't interfere. Some may pass on to peace. And they can talk to each other on the other side, some are alone though and too obsessed with the living.
-That necklace was Stefan's source of hope, it also appears to be a source of power for a long dead witch who wants to destroy Klaus.
-Elena has apparently decided it is time to move on, trying to save Stefan is getting tiresome. He has to save himself. Thank you, Jeremy, for making her see that, albeit unintentionally.
3. Secret Circle - the most interesting thing about this show continues to be the back-story on the parents or what the adults did. The kids are rather boring. And that's a problem. Also, getting bloody tired of seeing the kids in jeopardy every single week. Show? Seriously? Stop teasing me. I know you aren't going to kill the kids - they are the leads!
Unless this is the Ten Little Witches...in which case, it's going to be a very short series since there's only seven. No worries, doesn't appear to be.
I was frustrated through most of this episode. The show kept teasing me that it was going to tell me more about Cassie's back-story, but never quite did. Also Adam's father? I want more on him. He's more interesting than his son. Less Adam and Diana, more Adam's Dad. Actually all the adults are more interesting, including the Witch-hunters, and played by better actors.
I think I may be too old for the teen romantic angst stuff. Can't really identify. But the grown-up stuff intrigues me.
* Who was Cassie's dad and how did he die? John Blackwell. Adam's father describes him as a very bad man. Extreemly powerful. Calvin Wilson who gets killed in this episode (unfortunately, I rather liked him although I knew he was dead the moment I realized he had information - everyone with critical information who looks like they might be willing to tell it - gets killed), hints that John Blackwell was trying to do something that caused the boat fire and all the deaths including his own, and Cassie may have the same magic in her.
There's also a weird hint regarding Emilia, Cassie's mom, and that she may not have been all she appeared to be. The cryptic statements:
Calvin: Are you sure she's Emilia's daughter? (meaning power and personality)
Adam's Dad: Oh yes, she's Emilia's.
Calvin: You were always blind where Emilia was concerned.
Adam's Dad: Turns out in the end we were all blind, except for Emilia.
Makes me wonder. Also Heather's statements to Cassie - that Emilia tried to stop it, that Emilia had figured something out and asked for Heather's help to get herself and her child out of there, away. (Away from John??).
Jake is interesting but only in regards to Cassie - they may play up that romance. Sort of happy they are killing the Adam/Cassie romance or they went there, then backed off - showing why Adam is with Diana and needs Diana. And Adam's issues with Cassie being somewhat complicated - in that her mother was the wedge between him and his father. He never knew his mother - who died in the same accident as Cassie's father and both of Jake's parents. All the kids lost parents in the disaster.
Other hints? Faye's Mom and Diana's Dad appear to be wanting to use the kids to get their own powers back and maybe finish whatever John started. I'm guessing they were supporting John Blackwell?
This mystery intrigues me. The witch=hunter bit feels a bit ...cliche. But it could get interesting. I like the mythology around it.
The kids romantic entanglements and relationships are rather uninteresting. They didn't build up Cassie and the witch=hunter who almost kills her well enough to make me care.
Or surprise me when he turned out to be a witch-hunter. But it does make sense that Cassie doesn't trust Jake as far as she can throw him. Was happy about that. But it appears to be short-lived, if the previews for next week are any indication.
The problem with this show - is the kids aren't compelling enough. Either alone or together.
In Vamp Diaries, they are, but they are also inter-mixed with enough adults on a regular basis that it's well, more rounded. Here, we have far too much focus on the kids. Buffy had somewhat the same problem actually. But the kids were more compelling on Buffy, so it didn't matter.
4. Fringe S2 Finale...okay, I get why this show has a fan base, now. It's what they do with the parallel universe thing. Odd show Fringe, its a good show that is really poorly written. I keep wondering what this show would be like if it had great writers? I wonder that about a lot of tv series, actually. So this isn't new. Great concept, execution a bit on the clunky side. Dialogue...sigh. Characterization? Outside of Walter? Sigh. It's sad, but Walter really is the best and most interestingly drawn character. How the three characters inter-connect is equally interesting. But...it lacks something. Which is why it never quite took off the way X-Files or Buffy did. The writing just isn't quite there. That's not to say it's not entertaining or really interesting in places. And it is by far the best procedural on at the moment that I've tried. But..I hate to say this, X-Files was better written, just not as interesting conceptually or plot-wise, if that makes sense?