The kids are most certainly not alright
HOLY SHIT! If you just saw Supernatural tonight then I'm sure you had the same reaction to the last 5 minutes that I did!
Alright, so Dean tries to find his gumby girl (aparently he was the best sex she'd ever had and boy do I believe it!), but he finds she has a son. I was glad that it was revealed pretty early on that Ben was not his. There were some really great Dean moments in tonight's show, especially when he told Ben to kick the mean kid in the crotch to get his video game back. That was soooo classic. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that a child Ben's age would be so into chicks. What a cute child actor though.
On the Sammy front, we still don't officially know Ruby's name, but we do know SHE'S A DEMON! OMG! I was NOT expecting that. Amy and I screamed! I had a working theory going that she was Steve Wandel's daughter, you know the guy Sam killed last season while Meg was, as Dean put it 'all up in him.' Boy was I wrong. It is however interesting to see a Demon on the other side. We've been told time and again that Demons are only out for themselves, so what's stopping them from befriending hunters to get ahead. I wonder if Ruby was let out of the Devil's gate, or if she was already around? I need to re-watch the episode to figure out all those names and if they mean anything. Why would the Yellow Eyed Demon want to kill anyone who knew Sam's mom. But clearly the best part of all of this is that Ruby can potentially help Dean. Amy and I screamed again but for joy this time.
Other times when I screamed during the episode:
-When the guy ran into the saw blade (I hate circular saws)
-When something ran behind the little girl as she was hugging her mom in the beginning
-When the changeling's faces were shown for the first time
-When I realized that there were little things moving inside the changeling's mouths
-When Dean got in trouble for telling Ben to beat up the bully
-When Ruby sat down at the table the first time
-When Ruby started talking about Sam's mom
-When Ben was not Ben
I really missed the brother-to-brother interaction in this episode, but Sam trying to lie to Dean in the beginning was so classic. I also don't like that they're keeping secrets from each other. Dean never mentioned that he thought Ben might be his, and Sam hasn't said a word about what's going on with Ruby. Granted I know he is afraid of what that might mean for him, and how Dean will feel about giving his life up for someone who still may not be his brother. Oh my gosh the possibilities are endless.
I was also disappointed when Ruby told Sam that it was all about him. I know that Sam is Luke Skywalker, and that Dean is Han Solo, and Star Wars is not supposed to be about Han Solo (even though he is the reason you go to see the movie), but the reason that I was so happy to see the special-kid storyline end was because I have always felt that this show is about brothers, and not one more than the other. I thought with the whole deal thing, this year would really be Dean's arc, even though his character did develop quite a bit after Pappa Winchester died. But I trust Kripke more than any other show creator, and I know that he has a plan, so I'm willing to follow his lead.
Amy and I are warming up to Ruby, but I'm still not quite sold on the actress (the character is fine, and certainly more interesting now than ever). But episodes like this are why I have decided to try my hardest to avoid spoilers for this show. Although I accidentally (seriously) found out about Dean and his possible son weeks ago. I was pissed.
Finally, I wanted to hear more lore about changelings, there was about a minute of Sam and Dean talking about how they use mothers and are killed by fire. Does anyone else remember the Are You Afraid of the Dark episode with a changeling in it?
I've had far too many purple nurples tonight, See you tomorrow.
Monday, Tuesday, Happy Days
Usually I'll just try to tackle one show per night, but for the next week or two, I just can't help talking about more than one because all my beloved shows are returning to me for the fall season. Oh Joy.
Monday night was definitely good to me, as I was treated to two amazing premieres!
First How I Met Your Mother returned with a bang. We got a really big clue about Ted's future wife which involves a yellow umbrella. But that was just the tip of the ice-berg. It's been a few weeks since Ted and Robin broke up and she went to South America only to return with Enrique Iglesias (did I spell that right?), way to shove that in Ted's face Robin. (And just wondering, but what do you all think of her new hair, I kind of like it, but I kind of don't. I'd prefer if she'd alternate between strait and curly and not go curly all the time.) Anyways, in reaction to her new beau Gael (pronounced guy-el), Ted hooks up with Mandy Moore which results in a butterfly tattoo on his lower back. Originally I was disappointed in the lack of Lily and Marshall present in the episode, but towards the end there was a mini-montage of both Lily and Marshall being in love with Gael. (Oh Marshall, you are too adorable.) And just when I thought I couldn't laugh any harder there was a small bump before the next show started where Marshall called Barney late at night to warn him that the 'slap bet' from last season was still on. In a genius move on CBS' part -- the website is actually real! And viewers can countdown with Marshall and Barney at
SlapBetCountdown.com! I love it!
Next I watched the season premiere of Heroes. I was surprised that regardless of how much I loved the show last season I wasn't terribly excited for the premiere. However this could be due to the fact that I've been watching waaaaaay too much Supernatural with my roommate. But I have to say I was blown away. Every other scene I was gasping with surprise. I'm not terribly happy with having Hiro in the past, but I love what they have done with the show. There is still more mystery with 'the company' still existing, and who was that hooded figure that killed Hiro's dad!? I like the start-over we've seen for Claire and her family as well as Matt with Molly and Mohinder. Wow! And just when I was starting to get upset that Peter was merely mentioned but nowhere to be seen he shows up with no memory chained to a shipping container. Woah! Now I remember why I was so darn excited for the show every week last year. I cannot wait until next Monday.
So what a great start to the fall season! I watched Reaper on Tuesday and I wasn't terribly blown away (the premise is painfully weak), but I love the actor who plays the devil. I do recognize that the real reason why I can't fully support this show is that there is only room for one 'Sammy' on the CW, and Supernatural has that covered. I think I'll continue watching Reaper because the lead is cute, his chemistry with his female lead is palpable, but if for nothing else, because there is nothing else on at the same time. (At least there won't be once Eureka ends.)
I'll be back tomorrow with reviews of America's Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Top Chef and South Park! Hurrah!
Have a great day everyone!
-Angie
It's Been A While
Okay, so it's been more than a while, but I can't help my passion for TV and things are really heating up for the Fall season so much so that I feel the need to spread my Fall TV Season Cheer!
Woah, that was a little over the top. Recently I've been watching some new pilots, and although this year's TV line-up is certainly better than last year there are still some unfortunate series that made it to air.
I watched the pilot for Chuck last week through Amazon Unbox, I'm sure they'd be happy to hear that. It airs tonight on NBC before Heroes. The show was definitely amusing, but I'm still a bit confused on the premise. Basically this nerdy guy accidentally downloads a secret government computer into his head through an e-mail (which let's just get past that in the first place) and then is subsequently chased by two competing government agencies who want to 'protect' him? Along the way he is able to pull random facts from his brain to help the government get the bad guys. My question is, how can he pull new information from the now-destroyed computer? Is there like a wireless signal putting stuff into his head? You would think that after a certain point the information would become useless because it's old. I might just be dense however in my assumptions. Chuck's sister and his sister's boyfriend/fiance? are useless other than to make Chuck feel useless. However, his friend steals every scene that he's in, and I might seriously consider tuning in just for his random tripes. On the bright side I do feel that Chuck has quite a bit of potential because once the premise is set-up hopefully they won't have to re-explain it every episode and hilarity can ensue.
One pilot that I don't recommend you touch is The Big Bang Theory. Two words: laugh track. There is something that seemed so unfunny about the pilot. There was virtually no chemistry between the characters. The basic story is the a hot chick moves into an apartment next to two geeks. Real high concept. The show just tries way too hard, and between the genius babble between the two geeks and the hot girl being dumb, this show is going nowhere fast. It almost makes me wish The Class hadn't been canceled, and that's says something.
If sitcoms are your taste however you might want to check out Back to You which stars Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammar; it's also available for a free download on iTunes. Besides the somewhat random twist at the end these two TV veterens have remarkable chemistry with each other; it's almost a shame that the show is doomed to air on Fox because it would have been such a better fit on CBS' Monday programing or on NBC's Thursday. It's worth the download, and again there is a scene stealer in the fakely hispanic weather girl/meteorologist.
And finally, the show that I hope you all will be watching is of course the critical darling Pushing Daisies. This 1-hour crime dramedy revolves around a pie-maker who has the ability to bring people back to life for only a minute without consequences. He helps a private detective to solve cases and collect reward money using his power. Along the way he brings his childhood sweetheart back to life, but the biggest problem with his gift is that if he touches the revived object/person again they will die for good. Somewhat complex, but the cinematography in this show is spectacular and is somewhat reminiscent of Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands. The show's rich look and feel factor into the amazing character development; all of which was displayed in the pilot alone.
TV tonight includes my returning favorites How I Met Your Mother and Heroes. I predict that Chuck is the only sure bet to survive as far as Monday night shows go. Journeyman is doomed and The Big Bang Theory might last a little bit longer but there is no way it's getting a second season unless they bring in another recurring character played by an established actor to bring in some actual laughs.
I'll be back tomorrow with Tuesday TV. Until then I might be able to fit in a couple more episodes of Supernatural.
Check ya later!
-Angie
Flash Forward
Although a lot of TV shows recently have tried episodes consisting mainly of a flashback like Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, and most notably How I Met Your Mother, there is a new emerging trend of flashing forward. Let me explain.
Two CW shows have been reportedly toying with the idea of fast forwarding a significant amount at the beginning of next season, if they get renewed. The programs in question: One Tree Hill, and Veronica Mars.
It came out late last fall that a possible direction for One Tree Hill's fifth season could be a five year flash forward to all of the characters having just graduated from college, or on their respective career paths. This is definetly and interesting proposition for this show because it has been made clear that most of the characters will be going their seperate ways after high school with exceptions like Haley and Nathan. A move like this, obviously could be hit or miss. When you think about it, the audience for the show are pre-teens, who, while not opposed to twenty somethings managing life after college, are more prone to watching shows about their slightly older counter-parts. If OTH was to jump forward they may face a major rebranding of the show, and I don't know that the CW has the resources to do so. But potentially they could pick up a larger audience, because as previously stated, they will retain the majority of their pre-teen audience, but they could add high school students, college students, and even twenty somethings to their roster. It would be a bold move, but I don't see any other option for the show. I certainly don't want to tune in to a bunch of new cast members, and no interaction between our regular characters.
The second show which is debating this time lapse is Veronica Mars. It was recently reported by
Reuters that VM creator Rob Thomas approached the CW with the idea to have Veronica training at the FBI Academy after she has graduated college. It seems that the idea was proposed so that the CW would have more options to renew the show. Smart move on Thomas' part. I would do anything to keep Veronica Mars on air, including waving goodbye to Gilmore Girls. The one problem with this flash forward is the supporting cast. What makes VM such a standout show, especially in the first two seasons, was the supporting cast. We already know that we're losing Piz (Chris Lowell) to Grey's 2.0, and there are rumors abound of some of the supporting cast getting the axe should this new format be picked up. Michael Ausiello from TV Guide has
insisted in his column that this is just a horrible rumor. At this point, I think I would like to see a flash forward for Veronica as long as we don't lose Keith(her dad), Mac, and obviously Logan. I would be sad to see Weavel and Wallace gone, but they have done nothing this season, and I think that their characters functioned better in a high school atmosphere. The bottom line is that the college setting is not working with the VM format.
How do you all feel about these possible flash forwards? Or should these shows just end?
Kick it, Angie
When It Raines It Pours
It's always nice to tune in to a new show with high hopes, and end the show with those hopes being exceeded. This is exactly what happened with the NBC, mid-season replacement:
Raines. I tuned in because I have been a Jeff Goldblum fan since I first saw him in Jurassic Park, which is only like my favorite movie of all time. I also thought the premise of a man who has hallucinations of the victims was an interesting spin on a procedural.
Within the first couple of minutes the audience is introduced to the victim, and Raines. We find out that this isn't the first time he has had an experience with victims, but it is the first time he is physically seeing them, rather than just hearing their voice. Raines talks through his problems with his ex-partner who was injured while on duty with Raines. The supporting cast only gets better with the addition of the outrageously funny Nicole Sullivan, who's job title isn't quite clear, but she works for the police, and helps Raines out with specifics he needs.
The process that Raines uses to solve these cases is unique, and also resonates with the audience. The show really plays to the viewers more than other procedurals and asks the audience to play along. In this first episode, the first suspect was a red herring. Raines knew this, and more importantly, the audience did as well. It's always nice to find a show like this that lets the audience truly solve the crime along with the hero, as opposed to catching up at the end of the episode. It kind of reminds me of Scooby Doo, but in a good way, because I love Scooby Doo!
Anyways, if you're sick of your mom's procedurals, and CSI has gotten stale for you, as it has gotten for me, check out Raines. You can watch each episode, including the pilot for free at
NBC.com, which I would recommend because there's an awesome twist at the end. However, because it is a procedural, at this point I don't think you'd be missing anything if you just jumped in. If you watched it, let me know what you think!
Kick it, Angie
Oh, Robin
So, continuing on the British TV binge I've been recently enjoying, I decided to check out the latest update of the Robin Hood legend which just finished its first season on the BBC. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun this show really is.
Well, first we have the characters. Robin is youthful, but wary from war, and has a great sense of humor, along with the weight of the world on his shoulders in his understanding of the value of human life. He takes his people very seriously, but is able to put a comic (and extremely attractive) face on different situations. 
Marian, is young as well, and although she has a history with Robin, we don't exactly know what that all entails. I feel that she is way more outspoken than a woman could actually be at the time, but the actress, is just beautiful, and her and Robin have unbelievable chemistry. 
As far as Robin's 'merry men' are concerned, we have Much who used to be Robin's man-servant, but is now free because of his service while Robin was in the Holyland fighting for King Richard. Little John is also present, but I feel that Much has taken over the companion to Robin role. (Although, Much does it with a whiney tone) Little John is a father figure to most of the men in the group. We also have the side characters of Will Scarlet, and new characters for this show: Alan A Dale, and Roy. Each add their own personality to the show, and offer a decent supporting cast for Robin.
Where the show really shines however, is in its villains. Of course we have the necessary Sheriff of Nottingham who is deliciously evil, and played by Keith Allen. But it's the addition of Guy of Gisborne that really makes this show shine. I can't get enough, and I'm only 4 episodes in. I would highly recommend this entertaining update on a timeless classic that hits all the right marks.
Kick it, Angie
I'm Still Holding that Torch
So my roommate sent me a link to this magical website a while ago, and this mystical site in question has links to over almost three hundred TV shows that have streaming episodes over the Internet. The best part of this site is that you can find old TV shows in addition to current programs, but more so that I have access to foreign TV. And when I say foreign I mean British. Some of you may know that I'm in love with the remake of Doctor Who starring David Eccleston, and later David Tennet. But what you might not know is that during season one of the remake I fell in love with the character Captain Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman. I soon found out that he was to star in his own spin off called Torchwood.
I've watched 12 of the 13 episodes from the first season of Torchwood. I'm holding out on the last episode simply because I don't want it to be over. Because in reality the series only ended in December. The show was better than I expected it to be, simply because I had read so many negative reviews online from people who had seen it in Europe.
Owen Harper is described by the director in 'Torchwood Declassified' as "your typical cheeky bloke," and I think that says it all. He's a womanizer who obviously has his own issues, but hides them with his extreme personality. The scene between Owen and Gwen in 'Countrycide' while they are scouting the forest, may be one of the hottest scenes I've ever seen in TV and maybe movies. Their chemistry is undeniable, but I was disappointed when this 'cheeky bloke' personality was destroyed with the arrival of Diane from the 1950's in the episode 'Out of Time.' I liked seeing a deeper side to Owen's character, but I didn't see enough of them together to really understand the connection that they shared, and that ultimately broke his heart. In addition, the following episode, 'Combat' seemed like a waste on the character. I would have appreciated Gwen and Owen developing a deeper relationship, and then perhaps her choosing her current boyfriend over Owen, and breaking his heart in that way. With that scenario, we would have a plethora of consequences for both Owen and Gwen personally and professionally.
What I think is important to understand about the show is that it is not Doctor Who. What we draw from Doctor Who is the character of Capt. Jack, and also the establishment of Torchwood, which seemed to be a theme, especially in the second season, but we were never clearly told in Doctor Who, exactly what it was. However, we were able to see the beginning of the division in the Doctor Who episode 'Tooth and Claw' when they save Queen Victoria from a werewolf.
The season in general was a bit lopsided for me. I really enjoyed the first half more than the last portion. The beginning seemed a lot more fast paced, and seemed to involve more aliens rather than the supernatural, or in the case of 'Countrycide' simply disturbing human behavior. I was also very taken aback by the blatant sexual content found in the series. But again, I have to remind myself, this is not Doctor Who, which is very mild, and meant for a PG audience.
I also saw as a general trend that each episode separately focused on one particular member of Torchwood, rather than the cast as a whole. I do think that this was good for the beginning half of the season, as I enjoyed getting to know the rest of the cast, but after I knew who everybody was, and their background motivations I wanted to see them interacting together rather than alone.
I could honestly go on forever about Capt. Jack, and how dreamy he really is. The character development with him is perfect because we get little bits, and yet there is still so much that is unanswered. In one of the 'Torchwood Declassified' (a behind the scenes short for each episode) the director said what is interesting about his character is that the more you find out, the more you realize you don't know. Although I am a bit confused about his sexuality, I would watch anything involving this character, and even John Barrowman's over the top, but at the same time reserved performance.
I thought that the first episode of Torchwood actually mirrored the first episode of Doctor Who in the introduction of this new female heroine who has this innate interest in what she does not know, and is more than happy to let some control go, and go along for the ride in the hopes of new adventure. Indeed, Gwen Cooper, and Rose Tyler have a lot in common. Although some might argue this was redundant, I think the premise works for both shows, and especially Torchwood, because automatically, as a new viewer, you identify with her character because you are learning things with her, and understand her confusion and questioning. Gwen's relationship with Owen, and Jack is a very interesting sub-plot that I would love to see developed more.
Toshiko Sato is the resident tech expert, and easily the most intelligent of the bunch, but I have never been able to form a connection with her character. I found myself thinking during every episode, even her feature episode 'Greeks Bearing Gifts,' that I would never care if she died or not. I would rather have someone who offered a more plausible romantic interest for Jack or Owen, or Ianto, and possibly in competition or available as a best friend for Gwen.
And lastly we have Ianto Jones, who like Jack is ridiculously good looking, but besides 'Cyberwoman' which was his coming out episode, we rarely see him, except his moping about losing Lisa after the episode. I really would like to see him more on the show than we see Toshiko, because I feel like his character has a lot more possiblities, and that he is being used only as a plot device when his character deserves so much more.
Despite the faults I've outlined, I really do love this show, and even though I have watched it online, I will absolutely buy the DVD's when they come out in America. If you are a Doctor Who fan, tread lightly, but this might be the perfect thing to hold you over until season 3 is released in America. With a few changes, this show could be just as strong as Doctor Who in certain elements, but I appreciate it for being its own show.
Kick it, Angie
On the Sammy front, we still don't officially know Ruby's name, but we do know SHE'S A DEMON! OMG! I was NOT expecting that. Amy and I screamed! I had a working theory going that she was Steve Wandel's daughter, you know the guy Sam killed last season while Meg was, as Dean put it 'all up in him.' Boy was I wrong. It is however interesting to see a Demon on the other side. We've been told time and again that Demons are only out for themselves, so what's stopping them from befriending hunters to get ahead. I wonder if Ruby was let out of the Devil's gate, or if she was already around? I need to re-watch the episode to figure out all those names and if they mean anything. Why would the Yellow Eyed Demon want to kill anyone who knew Sam's mom. But clearly the best part of all of this is that Ruby can potentially help Dean. Amy and I screamed again but for joy this time.
