Misc. Monday: TV Finales

Today, I thought I'd return to my Misc. Mondays roots a bit and share my final thoughts on my favorite TV shows for the season.

Supernatural: This is still probably my favorite show on television. I think it's past it's true golden era (seasons 4 &5), but I still enjoy the hell out of it.

Things I Loved In Season 7:

• The dynamic between the boys remains strong. Even when Sam was off his rocker, dealing with Satan induced insanity, there was still a lot of great dialogue to be had.
• A few really great individual episodes. My favorite of the season was Death's Door, when Bobby wonders around in his own head after being shot, trying to climb back to consciousness long enough to deliver a message to the boys. Seriously, Bobby, I love you. You're like the alcoholic uncle I never had. And you will be missed.
• Castiel. Simply love his character in general. I loved his appearances in the final two episodes, in which he became a peace loving tree-huger. Cas, if you're out there and you're reading this: I will help you save the monkeys. 

Bullshit Moments:

•  As an overarching villain, the Leviathans just didn't interest me. There was just so much heavy handed "Americans are fat, and it's killing them!" subtext in this story. Instead of dying from heart disease, we're all going to be eaten. Fine. Whatever.
• They freaking perma-killed one of my favorite characters! Sad panda!

• After seven seasons, I think they're starting to severely stretch their limits when it comes to dramatic season end cliffhangers. I could almost hear the writers' thoughts: "Well, we've already sent them both to hell, put them in comas, stolen their souls, unleashed Satan and other untold evils...but we haven't sent either of them to purgatory yet! Score!" I should probably withhold judgement on this until I've seen what they do with it next season, but all I can say is--really guys? 

Once Upon a Time: This is the finale that surprised me the most, and I'm wondering if it won't spell creative death for the show. I hope not, because I really enjoyed this first season.

Things I Loved:

• Emma is a kick-ass heroine. She's likable, but not perfect. You can sympathize with her, although she's led an unusual life. Her growing relationship with Henry was the most engaging aspect of the non-fairytale half of the show.
•  The fairytale portions of the story were pretty much always entertaining. I enjoyed seeing familiar stories with unfamiliar twists. 
• So many individually wonderful episodes. It's honestly difficult to pick a favorite. I'd have to say Skin Deep is the one that pops to mind first. In this episode, we learn some of Rumpelstiltskin's backstory, including an occasion when he fell in love. Beauty and the beast, and a sympathetic villain? Yes, please!
• Engaging characters. I loved Red Riding Hood, I loved August, I loved the nun/fairies, all of it. I love that even the freaking mirror is a character.

Bullshit Moments:

• I don't think I'm ever going to think of Regina as sympathetic. Giving her a cheesie and predictable young adult love story didn't help. Sorry.
• Mary Margaret and David. Interesting how I enjoyed, even adored, the Snow white/Prince Charming part of the story, yet heavily despised them in their real world versions. I especially disliked the soap opera-esc cheating/revenge/miss person plot. Ugh...really?
• Didn't really care for the ending. If this had been the series finale, and it was all over, sure. But I feel like they've written themselves into a place were the story is going to have to increase in ridiculousness or be retconned in order to stay interesting. I hope I'm wrong.

Grimm: The show I care the lease about while still caring. I think it's because I love fantasy but don't really love cop shows, so I don't know how to feel about something that merges the two. 

Things I Loved:

• I find Nick to be at least marginally likeable. He's kind of an average Joe, other than the fact that he's a Grimm, so it's hard to get really attached. But it's hard to hate him, too.
• Loved Monroe and everything about him. Such a quirky, fun character.
• Favorite episode was Last Grimm Standing, because it involved cage fighting among supernaturals. Don't ask me why I find that exciting. 

 Bullshit Moments:

• Hello, overarching plot? Remember me, the viewer? You want to explain what you're doing? Seriously, they've been working so hard to make the mythology dense and interesting--good for them. But sometimes, you are going to need to stop and explain what the pieces are, if not how they fit together. Plus, sometimes, less is more
• Dear Nick: Keeping supernatural secrets from your loved ones never works out well in the end. Call Mary Winchester from Supernatural, ask her about it...oh wait, you can't. BECAUSE SHE DIED. I was continuously baffled as to why Nick would stay with Juliette, let shit happen to and around her, and not tell her anything until the last possible second. Bad boyfriend. Bad!

 Honorable Mentions: I tried to watch The Secret Circle, but gave up maybe five episodes in. I'm a little surprised that they cancelled it, but not sad. Terra Nova train wrecked, which I thought was a little disappointing. There aren't enough good science fiction shows for me. I also briefly watched Awake, which was a show that wanted to be so much more than a show ever can be. I felt that story would have been better as a movie, and wasn't surprised that it got cancelled.

So that's that, folks. What about you? Did you watch any of these shows, and if so, did you like them? Agree with me? Disagree with me? Through carrots at me? Share your comments. Happy Monday!

Miscellaneous Mondays: Catching Up

This week the name of the game was multi-task, as I tried to complete as many mundane tasks as possible while also watching the shows and movies that I've really wanted to get caught up on. So, here follows an account of my adventures in TV land. But first, a personal anecdote.

Sometimes Plans Change...

This is the dress in question...

I don't know that I've mentioned before that I was to be a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding in May. In any case, that friend and her fiance broke things off over Thanksgiving break. It was one of those break-ups that, while shocking and sad, was really for the best.

Emotional drama aside, the incident has left me with what I'm referring to as The Dress Dilemma. Our bridesmaid dresses were bought and paid for months ago, and it's too late to return them. Thankfully it's not a fancy or expensive dress, as the wedding was to be a simple one. I thought about keeping it, because it's pretty close to my taste, and maybe it could be worn to a baby shower or wedding some day down the line...but I don't want my friend to see me in it, because she does NOT need the reminder. The other problem is that it's a tiny bit big--a size 4 was the smallest size available, and we had planned to get it altered because I'm very petite in the bust area.

Interestingly, when The Dress Dilemma was brought to the attention of certain male parties (who shall remain nameless), the reaction was "Oh just keep the damn thing!" Some people told me to donate it, but I don't know how useful a sundress would be to the city mission in the middle of winter. So I'm selling it on ebay, for way less than I paid for it, just to be rid of it.

I'm not trying to imply that this is some huge tragedy or frustration for me. It's just that life was going in one direction, took an abrupt left turn, and left me in a different situation where a dress became useless baggage. Things change.

What I've Been Watching

I got caught up on Terra Nova. I have to say, the novelty is starting to wear off for me on this one. It still has it's interesting aspects, and I'll keep watching it for now...But it's definitely my least favorite of the shows I watch (now that The Secret Circle has been taken off the list). It's starting to feel a lot like Lost used to, where they are constantly trying to build up to some big reveal that is never satisfying, and each episode adds a layer of ridiculousness until you can't even remember the point of the show. But I guess that's what happens when your shows entire premise is a location.

I am NOT caught up on Supernatural, having missed the mid-season finally do to impromptu napping. So don't spoil it for me. Seriously, I am prepared to fling penguins at you.

The last episode of Grimm that I saw featured Bluebeard as it's villain. It was a decent episode...But it felt a lot like Law and Order SVU with a slight paranormal element. This show has loads of potential, but it needs to get more confident with it's use of mythology and supernatural aspects. I think next week there will be two episodes, so I expect I'll have a lot to say about it. Incidentally, last year I read an erotica version of Bluebeard that I can't seem to find (if someone thinks they know, please send me the link). Anyway, the erotica version prompted me to read the originally version, and I enjoyed both equally.

I think Once Upon a Time is the show that I currently look forward to the most. I am well and truly aware that it's basically a soap opera with fairy tale characters. I don't care. I find it cozy, familiar, interesting, and occasionally surprising. I love the Disney references, I love the characters, and I love the storytelling style. This week's episode gave us a back story for Prince Charming (James) and I have to say, I'm loving his character.

Our Favorite Fantasy Creature!

 Dragons took the lead in this week's poll, with over 30% of the votes! I really love dragons. They're a part of all that great high fantasy that I really wish I read more of. Sometimes they're monsters, other times sidekicks, and sometimes heroes. Even the monster dragons are majestic and demand respect. So yeah, I wish their were more dragons in my books and movies.

This week's poll is a blood thirsty one--What's your weapon of choice when battling evil? Remember to vote on the right side of your screen! Have a great week, and Happy Reading!

Miscellaneous Mondays: In Honor of Heroines

Kicking off yet another week with Miscellaneous Monday, I want to talk about something a little more specific than usual: heroines. Anyone who reads my reviews has probably noticed that I'm tough on heroines. Not only do I want them to be well written, three-dimensional, and fully developed, but I also want them to be tough, smart, and talented. I'm quick to point out when the leading lady isn't up to snuff. Why am I so tough on heroines? I guess it's because when I read a book, even one written in third person, I tend to "see" everything through the heroine's eyes. She becomes like my tour guide through the story, and if I like her I feel like she's my friend. If she's stupid, whiny, or boring, I end up hating her and the entire book by proxy. The same goes with shows and movies (just look at how I reacted to The Secret Circle). Let's look at some of the heroines in my fictional life.


Once Upon a Time

Emma from Once is a great example of how you can have a likeable heroine who isn't boring. She's a loner, and she's lonely, and her social skills are questionable. She obviously hasn't had an easy life. But she has a lot of heart, and she wants the best for her son. So she stays and fights even when she'd much rather leave. If you've seen the show, than you know what I'm talking about. And if you haven't, than you need to. It's like a family drama and a fantasy show melded together.

Terra Nova

Elizabeth is the "wife/mom" character in Terra Nova. Like everything else about the show, Elizabeth's character is pretty cliched--but cliched does not mean unlikeable. She's a doctor and sometimes researcher (because all scientists know everything there is to know about science), but she also occupies the typical mommy role in a big way. I recall one episode when she works late and asks her husband to handle the kids and make dinner, and of course he fails without her--dads can't do mom things, that's just crazy! I do like her, though, because she's a smart, optimistic, forward thinking character. In the most recent episode she spent a day trying to heal a baby dinosaur so that it would hatch from it's egg healthy--just so her daughter wouldn't be upset. That whole thing was a bit over sweet for my taste, but it did show how much she cares.

Grimm

I'm cheating a bit with this one because Aunt Marie is not the heroine of the show--she isn't even a main character. She's more like the plot device that kicks everything off. But I don't care, I like this show and I want to talk about her. Aunt Marie has apparently had quite and interesting life, fighting the monsters from the old Grimm fairy tales. At one point a nurse comments about her many scars and asks what line of work she was in, and Nick replies that she was a librarian. A librarian who kicks ass--that's simply fantastic! It saddens be that we aren't likely to get much more of her story, but I'm filing her away in my cool fictional characters list.

Disney Heroines

I made this the subject of last weeks poll because I've been on such a fairy tale kick. A lot of people, especially really hard core feminists, like to go on and on about how Disney heroines are not stellar role models. On some level I can see their point, but it's not something I take too seriously. To me they've always been fantasy characters from another time and place, and you can't hold them to the same standards that you would a contemporary character of today. That would be like berating the ladies of Jane Austen's books for not getting jobs.

Anyway, Mulan ended up winning in the poll, which I find exciting because she is an entirely different kind of heroine. Not only is she actually heroic, she has goals that have nothing to do with romance and getting married. Sure, the romance is there, but it's a secondary concern to all of the cross dressing, self discovery, and saving China plot threads. I just watched Mulan over the weekend for the first time in quite a few years. Questionable handling of Chinese culture aside, I really love that movie.

So, who is your favorite heroine (Disney or otherwise)? What makes her awesome?

As always, a new poll is up! In keeping with the fantasy theme, this week I'm asking what super-power you would choose. Take a second to vote on the right side of your screen. Thanks a bunch, and Happy Reading!

Miscellaneous Mondays: Dinosaurs and Zombies

Terra Nova

I watched the first three episodes of this online. I was curious because the premise is so cheese-filled and outlandish, it rivals even to most contrived dystopian YA novel. For those of you that missed the commercials, it's about people from the year 2149, when the Earth has become overcrowded and polluted, that travel through a rift in time to the age of the dinosaurs in order to start a new colony. Ridiculous? Yes. Delightfully cheesey? Absolutely.

I ended up really enjoying this first episode. We meet Jim and his wife Elisabeth. They have 3 children, and in 2149 families are supposed to be restricted to two. One thing the show did really well was that it established, in very little time, how harsh the conditions of the 2149 world are. You see the family get really excited about and orange that Jim found. And then you see population control come and raid their house, where they find the third child and send Jim to jail as a result. Jumping ahead in the plot, once the family travels through the time rift the show takes a turn from gritty dytopian to bright fantasy world. The thing is, though, even here I can't fault them. The show is very imaginative in it's vision of humans coping in a world dominated by dinosaurs. The show stumbles on it's own "science" a bit, explaining (in awkward dialogue) that this is in fact a separate time stream from the own they were living in, so no worries about those pesky paradoxes.

Episodes 2 and 3 confirmed to me that there are a lot of interesting stories that could be written in this universe. I find the character's likable, the setting and plots interesting, and the overall tone to be good dramatic sci-fi fun. I'm caught up now, so I may be able to watch the shows at the time they air (if I remember) from here on out.

The Secret Circle, Episode 4


This was actually a surprisingly good episode. Cassie wants to use the magic in her family's spell book to help a woman who appears catatonic, in order to get some answers about the fire that killed everyone's parents. I liked seeing Cassie actually take some kind of action, even if the decisions she made were rash. And as I've said before, I like the fantasy element of this show, so having an episode that's more focused on that than anything else was a big plus.

Clothing My Wedding Party...

...has certainly been an adventure. I picked out my dress in July, and it was the third one I tried on. I went in pretty much knowing what I wanted, found the perfect dress, and that was that. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be about three times as hard to find bridesmaid dresses that I really liked.  It was really important to me that my minions friends have something that they like and feel pretty in. I was well prepared to be flexible, and I told them they could pick whatever they liked as long as they were all the same color. They really wanted to match though, so the search was on to find something that would flatter three very different body types. We finally found this one, and I have to say I'm quite pleased with it. The waist is designed to create a nice hourglass shape. There's some subtle beading on the bodice and underskirt that compliments my dress (which has quite a lot of bead-work).

I still have to find something for my junior bridesmaid, who will be 9 at the time of the wedding. I have no idea what a 9 year old would feel comfortable in, so that will be interesting. Plus we have to figure out what the guys are wearing, but boys have it easier, right?

Weekly Poll Results: Your Favorite Classic Monster

Zombies prevailed over all contenders with 21% of the votes! I was pretty surprised by this, because I was so sure it would be vampires or werewolves. But not even close! Ghosts came in second place by only one vote! Apparently you guys like dead things.

I think my favorite zombie book would have to be one of the early Anita Blake books, most likely The Laughing Corpse. I don't really have a favorite zombie movie. Possibly Shaun of the Dead, but I've only seen it once. Anybody have good recommendations for zombie books or movies? Share!

Finally, don't forget to participate in the new weekly poll: What influences your reading choices? Happy Reading!