Kacey and the Art of Surprise....

This is a long over-due blog… I feel like so much has happen.

Jamie mentioned in her last blog that I was headed to Bali for my two week spring break. PSYCH! I snuck home like a ninja and surprised the crap out of my family. It was awesome! But now I’m back in Abu Dhabi until summer.

The second thing that has been happening just in the past week… I started watching Battlestar Galactica and last night I finished season one. Now thankfully I have Netflix and won’t have to wait for a whole summer to find out what happens…but the surprise ending of the first season, combined with my recent awesome surprise home got me thinking about all the other shocking moments… well in television.

And TA-DA I came up with a blog!

WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS (Granted slightly outdated spoilers…BUT STILL MAJOR SPOILERS)!

Now obviously this is totally my personal list regarding moments that I remember watching television and say “holy &#?%!” … and honestly this day in age with spoilers all over the internet it’s hard to do that (as I have recently discovered with Downtown Abbey because I have NOT watched season 3)…but here some moments from some of my favorite shows.

Friends… Ross’s wedding to Emily. Two things: Monica and Chandler in bed together and then Ross saying Rachel’s name at his wedding. Oops!

Alias… SOOO many WTF moments in this show, but perhaps the one that made me physically react the most because I was on the edge of my seat  was Vaughn starting to tell Sydney who he really was but then BAM! They are hit by a truck…end of season.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer… There are two here. Buffy dying was pretty shocking….but the show was returning so I knew it wasn’t permanent. Probably even more shocking was her mom dying. With all the violence and death on this show… her mom dying from natural causes ended up being the most tragic of all.

Doctor Who… surprises at every turn here and I could say either the separating of Doctor and Companion  or a regeneration is always a bit intense, but since I’ve started watching Doctor Who I always knew those were coming. However so much happened along the way that I didn’t see coming… Few moments I remember going “WHAT!”: River Song meeting the Doctor but he didn’t know who she was (and we didn’t know who River was)… Amy being fake Amy…Amy and Rory being River’s parents… Every time Rory died… and River being the Doctor’s wife. Yes most of those have to do with River. Overall Moffat just keeps me guessing.

Lost….lord we don’t have time for that.

Battlestar Galactica… Okay I’m only one season in, but the end of that first season when Boomer shoots the Old Man was a total heart stopper.

Torchwood… when everybody dies. First Toshiko and Owen die… at the end of season 2… than Ianto dies in mini-series “Children of Earth” which is possibly one of the most intense and most shocking mini-series ever. Jack sacrifices his own grandson to save the world... just... too much.

Grey's Anatomy… so the finale where Meredith realizes their unknown crash victim was George was honestly when I stopped watching. That was such an edge of the seat season ending and I had to spend the whole summer wondering if he died (or Izzy). The next season just couldn’t live up to it. (However, Sarah has informed me about later happenings as she is a dedicated fan and I hear the finale with the gunman tops all other season finales.)

Fringe… again another JJ Abrams creation full of crazy-ass shit. But it all really kicked off when I realized that Olivia had managed to cross over to another universe at the end of season 1 and Leonard Nimoy was waiting for her in the alternative universe. Crazy.

Sherlock the miniseries…I didn’t know much about Sherlock Holmes before this miniseries and the Robert Downey Jr. movie versions, but I knew enough to know that Sherlock falls and “dies” in the “Reichenbach Fall” (but doesn’t really die). However, the whole finale of the second season and all the twists and turns about Moriarty setting Sherlock up just blew me away…and I still found the end utterly shocking.

I wasn’t alive for it actually happening… but honorable mention goes to M*A*S*H and the announcement of the death of Col. Blake because story goes that not even the cast new it was coming. It still gives me shivers and brings me to tears just thinking about it.

Okay that’s enough for now… there might be more later because the surprises just continue, especially as I continue to watch new shows. But I don’t want to give too much away!

Coming Soon: Sarah composes an impassioned essay about the importance of pencil safety.

Jamie's Fall 2012 TV Review

As I mentioned, my TV watching has gotten out of control. But it's all so good. Or if not good, then addicting, or I've watched it so long that I feel like the characters will be disappointed if I don't watch. What? Stop judging me.

Anyhow, there is too much to review to give you all my excuses, so here goes, let's do this by day of the week.

Sunday: Perhaps my new favorite night for TV. Both Once Upon a Time and Revenge have proven that they do have more than just a single season in them that can keep my attention. I absolutely love what OUAT is doing with the split locations for the present and again layering it beautifully with unexpected twists from the past. Plus, Captain Hook - hot! Revenge just keeps getting trashier and more insane and we can't stop watching it. Mostly because we love Nolan. Plus, Aiden - hot!

Monday: Not only are there too many network shows on, but Alphas & Warehouse 13's summer seasons extended into the fall. Both continue to be awesome, so I make it work. How I Met Your Mother is off to a solid start for what I hope is its last season. I will miss it, but I feel they are in a great position to end it exactly the way they want, on a high point in its popularity. I think next season would probably involve a shark. Bones is consistent, although I feel it is also nearing the end of its lifespan. Two Broke Girls continues to make me laugh, largely because of the amazing Kat Dennings. The 10pm time slot is why they invented DVR/TiVo/OnDemand/etc. Castle is rocking the new Caskett storyline, Hawaii 5-0 continues to be solid, and new kid on the block Revolution is amazing. And Uncle Miles - hot! (And complex and a little angry and has a very complicated past, kind of like everyone on Lost)

Tuesday: NCIS continues to build and develop its family of characters every week, and still catch the bad guy. I will keep watching it as long as they keep it on the air.  I am a little behind on Hart of Dixie (because it is not On Demand -- come on CW, what is that about?) but don't worry, I will catch up, Team Wade for life. Cause Wade (you can say it with me if you want) - hot! The New Girl still makes me laugh until I choke and I love the way they have handled Nick & Jess's obvious chemistry without hurting the group dynamic. And Schmidt - hilarious.

Wednesday: I am going to start watching Arrow, as soon as I find the time (cause the few minutes I have seen looked like Batman+Robin Hood+Revenge, and the main guy... hot!), and I have been watching a little Modern Family because it is amazing, but generally Wednesday isn't a big TV day.

Thursday: Sheldon & the boys and girls just keep doing their thing. I don't even have anything witty to say about it. Tina Fey is wrapping up 30 Rock brilliantly, of course. Cause that is what she does. The office supply montage that turned Liz Lemon on was priceless. And Leslie Knope is rocking both city council and the Parks Department. They are even managing to keep her & Ben's relationship fresh with the current long distance element. Plus there is still plenty of screen time for one Ben Wyatt, and, well, do I even have to say it at this point? (Ben - hot!) Meryl is peer-pressuring me into watching Scandal, but I haven't gotten to it yet. We are both loving Elementary though. I strongly believe there is no such thing as too much Sherlock, and I love that there is a female Watson, played by the always cool Lucy Liu. Plus, Sherlock - kinda hot.

Friday: Ah, the final season of Fringe. When it all comes together. I read some stuff pre-season that said they were planning it like a 13 episode movie, and I would totally agree. Don't jump in the middle, this half season series finale is for the committed, or those who can catch up quickly on the previous 4 seasons. I can't wait to see what unfolds each week.

Saturday: It's on a break now, but the 5 episode Doctor Who series made me feel all the feels. The Asylum of the Daleks got Amy & Rory back on track (and spun our heads a little about the new companion as the actress playing her made a surprise early debut and then was a dalek and then blew up?!?!). Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was everything I love about this show- humor, adventure, heart, the Doctor being friends with famous people in history, plus Arthur Weasley is Rory's dad...oh, and there were dinosaurs...on a spaceship! A Town Called Mercy was maybe the weakest of the 5, but gave us a reminder of why the Doctor cannot travel alone. The Power of Three gave us some more Arthur Weasley, and reminded Amy & Rory that life is short, so you should probably continue to travel with that mad man in a blue box while you can. And then The Angels Take Manhattan...tears, so many tears, but Amy & Rory were together, and that is what mattered. Plus, the previous 2.5 seasons had given us no reason to doubt that when it came down to it, Amy would always choose Rory, even over her raggedy Doctor.

 

So, that kind of turned into a Doctor Who series 7.1 review, but whatever. It was really good, it earned a little mini-review.

Alright, back to house hunting.

Books read: 42 (which is the answer to life, the universe and everything)

Coming Soon: Sarah is busy with the dogs, so in lieu of a full blog, she'll be posting a video of herself singing The Sound of Music as she wanders around Switzerland. Please ignore the whining of the dogs in the background, no animals were (seriously) harmed during the filming of her video.

Jamie's Fall TV Preview

Summer TV has been great. Besides The Closer & Eureka, we watched Rizzoli & Isles, Franklin & Bash, Warehouse 13, and Alphas. Plus I started Friday Night Lights, Meryl & I are half way through the first season of Revenge, and we got through the 4th season of True Blood. But now it is September, and all our favorites are coming back. Here is a finale recap and my predictions for the season to come. Some more serious than others. (In order of premiere date)

Glee - Is it okay that I don't really care? I mean, I'll watch until it becomes completely unwatchable. Don't get me wrong, it has certainly had its quality moments (I still can't watch the Furt episode without crying) over the years, but I can't help but think that Ryan Murphy & co expected this show to be cancelled after the first season and have just been winging it every since.

Bones - Bones ran off with the baby, leaving Booth & the team on their own to try and prove her innocence. My guess is that they won't draw this out for very long. I predict that Bones is back to a brunette by episode two. Did they renew for another season already? I kind of feel like it might be time to wrap things up.

Parks & Rec - Excited for Leslie to be on the council, and I hope that we still get some quality Ben time even if he is off in D.C. You can't just give me a couple seasons of Adam Scott and then take him away. But even without him, the rest of the team will be there to cause trouble, help Leslie, and make me laugh.

How I Met Your Mother - Barney is engaged to Quinn, but we all know the wedding they have been teasing is his & Robin's. Oh, and there is...waitforit... a baby! I feel like this show should probably also wrap up this season, but it's talented cast keeps getting more and more popular which is good for ratings, so we'll see. I predict a lot of humor involving babysitters so that Marshall & Lily don't miss too much quality bar time. Also, looking forward to the return of BSG's Michael Trucco. Oh, and meeting the damn mother already.

Two Broke Girls - I am going out on a limb to predict more cupcakes and inappropriate humor.

Castle - After 4 seasons of will they or won't they, they did! Okay, it was never really will they or won't they, it was more like when will they. Oh, and Beckett is off the squad. And the Ryan-Esposito bromance (I find it funny that the two best bromances on television - these two and Steve & Dano - occupy the same time slot) is in trouble. I have no predictions regarding Caskett, but I'm guessing Beckett is back at the station within 2 episodes. Even if my preference is that her & Castle create their own detective agency. Can you imagine? Martha & Alexis could help. Ryan would be their guy on the force that kept them connected, and out of trouble. You'd totally watch that with me, right?

Hawaii 5-0 - Kono went into the water. And she might drown and die. (which is a problem due to the lack of resurrection ships, that was just a little BSG humor). I'm going out on a limb and saying that she won't die. I'm thinking her super hot Yakuza boyfriend will save her somehow? But maybe I just want him to take his shirt off again. Regardless, I'm thinking that the Baldwin brother bad guy is going to be causing trouble all season long.

NCIS - I don't know that I am emotionally ready to talk about this. The office exploded, and Ducky. Oh, Ducky. I just don't know what things would be like without him, so I am going to keep hoping that he is alright.

The New Girl - Hilarity will ensue. Schmidt will be even funnier. Nick will be adorable.

The Big Bang Theory - I predict that by season's end, Sheldon & Amy round 1st base.

Fringe - Final 13 episodes to take place in the future. I couldn't predict this if I wanted, and I don't want to. I want them to do their thing one last time.

Once Upon a Time - Magic! In the real world. What I love about this show is that I have no idea what is going to happen now that everyone remembers. Besides things obviously getting a little uncomfortable for Regina, but that evil witch always manages to land on her feet. Mostly I hope that the curse lifted in time for Augustus to come back to life. And I hope that now David remembers he is Charming, he will be awesome and less of a tool.

Revenge - Well, from the season premiere I know that there is a murder coming, but as mentioned above, I am only halfway through the first season, so I don't know how we are going to end up back at that first scene. Looking forward to being caught up so that I can enjoy the new season.

Hart of Dixie - When I think about how this show ended I become very anxious. We finally get a Team Wade victory, and then George shows up at the door and kisses Zoey. Just thinking about them starting at that moment gives me a pain in the chest. I am probably going to pace. I predict heartbreak for Team Wade, but that's okay, we'll win in the long run. 

30 Rock - No predictions for this one, but looking forward to the final season.

 

New shows: Revolution (I'll try anything the JJ makes), Arrow (my interest in this went up exponentially with the addition of Torchwood's John Barrowman to the cast), The Mindy Project (after reading Mindy Kaling's memoir, I firmly believe she can do no wrong), Elementary (I'll try anything Sherlock at least once, I love Benedict & Iron Man's portrayals so why wouldn't I give Johnny Lee Miller a chance)

Good lord I watch too much TV. And we haven't even discussed that Downton returns in the winter...  

Books read: 34

Coming Soon: Jumping on the "add zombies to anything in the public domain genre" bandwagon, Sarah writes a short story titled Sherlock & the Zombies in Italy, based loosely on her recent experiences in the country. 

Everything Jamie Knows About Time Travel

Kacey & I have conversations like this all the time.  

How come some vampires can go outside and sparkle while others burst into flame?  

What are the best wizard duels of all time?  

How would the Doctor critique the other time travelers that we know and love?  

We are on a bit of a Doctor Who kick right now (more on that coming soon), so time travel is a hot topic.  Everything I know about time travel I have learned from the movies and TV. Okay, so there was that mini-section on special relativity in Physics in high school.  And it was arguably the most entertaining part of that class (better than my damn bridge).  But I just want to apologize now to people with a real understanding of what actual time travel would involve.  You know, people like Sheldon.   Here is what I know about time travel and where I learned it.

 

• Time machines come in all shapes and sizes.  This can be a DeLorean (Back to the Future), a Police Box that is actually a TARDIS (Doctor Who), a phone booth (Bill & Ted), or some kind of space ship like thing (most other films/shows).
• If you don't have a machine, then some sort of small device will probably work.  Like a timeturner that fits on a necklace (Harry Potter).
• Time is incredibly sensitive.  If you make one small little change, the whole world could be completely insane.  One guy from the past sneaks off with you to the future and and you come back [details have been redacted so as not to spoil Kacey on Eureka plot lines that she has not yet viewed].  Marty McFly (Back to the Future, but I seriously hope you knew that just from the name) almost erased himself from existence.  Try not to do this when travelling in time.  Just stick to the plan and lay low.
• Alternative timelines are complicated.  However, if you have already seen Back to the Future II prior to watching the J.J. Abrams Star Trek film, you will immediately grasp what is going on with this reboot.  Because you know that one little shift creates an alternative timeline where the future is different.  Your main timeline is still there, but you have to undo what caused the split in order to fix it.  Or you can just go on in the newly created future.  It's a choice really.  If it sucks a lot and you can pinpoint the moment of the change, and you have the means to change it, then you should go back and turn left.  You won't remember not existing.
• Do not be seen by yourself.  This would seriously freak you out.  You really shouldn't interact with a past or future version of yourself.  You could create a paradox.  Or just bad things would happen.  Of course, sometimes seeing how awesome your life is going to be can help you to go back and deal with a not so awesome childhood, like in Meet the Robinsons.
• Seeing an alternative version of yourself, however, is probably okay. At least according to Spock, and when is he ever wrong?   
• There are some things that cannot be changed - The Doctor is very clear on this, and when he tries to be bigger than these important moments, it backfires.  Some things simply must happen.  They are too important to the progression of time.
• History is really cool - Bill & Ted really captures this.  I mean, who doesn't want to pick up Socrates & Lincoln for a day to party, and then have them remind us all to be excellent to each other.  Not to mention, you just may get to hang out with Van Gogh or Churchill if you're traveling with the Doctor.  Of course, you may find out that romanticizing the past won't bring you any real happiness, and you should try to appreciate the present and dump your annoying fiance, like in Midnight in Paris.  Only realize this after having drinks with Hemingway.  Always have drinks with Hemingway first.
• Living the same day over and over again is not time travel.  It's torture. I'm pretty sure it's against the Geneva Conventions, but sometimes the powers that be feel you need some additional time to figure out your life (which is my interpretation of Groundhog's Day), or a device goes all wonky in Eureka and you are the only one who knows what is happening.  That, unlike if you are just some TV jerk, does not end well.
• Time is really just a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey All of these other things are totally true, but per usual, the last remaining time lord says it best.

 

 

Books read: 29 (The Art of Fielding is amazing)

Coming Soon: After hearing that 50 Shades of Grey was originally Twilight fan fiction, Sarah writes a colorful review of the series, without bothering to read it.  She also looks up the names of the main characters and offers casting suggestions.

Jamie's Finale Follow Up: We're getting serious now

Alright, we're getting serious now.  Only a few more shows left, but these four, whose finales happened Friday, Sunday, & tonight, are going to be hard to top.  Although it looks like people might die on some of those CBS cop shows we watch.  We'll see.  But for now, we've got science fiction, fairy tales, comedy, & good old fashioned drama.

Fringe

Lived up to the Hype?: Always.

Excitement for Next Season?: Whenever a show ends with a cryptic message from an Observer, and September in particular, you know it’s going to be good.  Good in that confusion, constantly changing, yell at your TV kind of way.

Questions Remaining?: Olivia was not in the future episode, so is she going to be alive then or not?  Will we jump forward and deal with the observers then (and if so, will that be an add on at the end, a la Dollhouse, or will we get there earlier in this 13 episode final run), or will they get some information from September that helps them change the future?  Plus a million more questions.  Cause it’s Fringe.

Standout Performances/Character Moments:  There were some lovely Peter & Olivia moments (especially the end!), but I still giggle when I think about Nina’s Glinda the Good Witch moment, as she tells Olivia that she’s always had the power.  I was pretty sure the next thing out of her mouth was going to be “click you heels...” 

Once Upon a Time

Lived up to the Hype?: Let’s just put it this way.  Both Kacey and my roommate sent me messages containing the phrase “holy shit” before I had a chance to watch, and I was still watching with my jaw on the floor.

Excitement for Next Season?: I think that purple smoke spreading over the town to bring back the magic pretty much counts for building excitement.

Questions Remaining?:  Only a million.  I love the set-up for the fairy tale world storyline for next season, getting from Snow & Charming together to them married with a baby and seeming to be royalty.  Also, who is Dr. Whale in the fairy tale world?  And could he maybe have a British accent there?

Standout Performances/Character Moments:  Emma shooting at the dragon.  You can’t use a gun on a dragon, obviously, but Emma is still rooted in reality (even though she believes) and so she had to try, before she just chucked the sword at it.  Also loved the return of Graham, even if it was only in the past.  He is just so cute.

How I Met Your Mother 

Lived up to the Hype?: It was pretty much as expected, with a little twist.

Excitement for Next Season?: It continues the overall theme of the show, which is...

Questions Remaining?: How do we get to where we all know we’re headed.  Robin & Barney are getting married (although apparently it’s a terrible disaster of a wedding??) but right now Barney & Quinn are engaged.  Plus Ted & Victoria are driving off into the sunset, but we’re all pretty sure she is not the mom, so we need to figure out where that is heading.  A lot of questions for a show whose conclusion is in the title.

Standout Performances/Character Moments:  This entire cast is absolutely brilliant.  Drunk Marshal is always amazing, and Barney stealing a motorcycle (while wearing the ducky tie) and also performing an epic magic trick was epic.  But the real scene stealer was Marvin Waitforit Erickson.

Hart of Dixie

Lived up to the Hype?: Oh dear god yes.

Excitement for Next Season?:  Drama, drama, drama.  That was quite the final moment with Zoe having her choice between two of Bluebell’s finest.  Again, I want to go on record: Team Wade.

Questions Remaining?: Wade or George.  George or Wade. Will Lemon completely break down?  Will she go back to Lavon?  Will he take her back?  Will anyone care?

Standout Performances/Character Moments:  I am partial to any time that Wade takes his shirt off.  And that happened, a couple times.  I also love Tom (and his weather predicting knee) & Wanda.  But mostly Wade taking off his shirt.  Oh!  And baby goats.  And when Wade took off his shirt to help save the baby goats.

Books read: 27

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a puppet show about a taxidermist named Victor and his three mice.  Or possibly it's a review of the Bloggess' book. 

Jamie Watchs Too Much TV

I do, I know I do.  Not only that, but I get really attached.  So that when season finale time comes around, it is high stress (not to mention, when you don’t know if shows are coming back for another season or not).  Here’s where I’m at (in order from Sunday – Saturday), as we approach the end of the season:

Once Upon a Time: When this started, I was very concerned about where they would go once Emma believed (and potentially broke) the curse, but then I got so wrapped up in what was happening each week, that I didn’t have time to dwell on that, I was too focused on how much I wanted to throw something that would go through my TV and hit Regina in her smug, evil face.  Now that we are a week out from the finale and it looks like Emma might finally believe, I am back to the original question.  However, I have decided to have faith in the writers (who say they have a plan for where to go from here).  I am guessing they may go a little the way of Heroes (only w/out the writer’s strike to throw off the flow in the middle) where each season wraps up a particular storyline, and we get something slightly new, but of course with the same characters, each season.  As opposed to making it more like Lost where there is build up each season toward one thing, which ultimately ends up disappointing a significant portion of the audience (except me, I am like the only person I know who likes the end of Lost, or the later seasons of Heroes for that matter).  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

**That was way too long.  Let’ s keep these a little shorter from here on out.

Sherlock: Just started, only 2 episodes to go, why is this show so amazing??

How I Met Your Mother: There’s gonna be a baby!!!  And maybe a wedding?!?!  I can’t say this has me super stressed, nothing like certain other Monday night shows.  But I am VERY intrigued.

Two Broke Girls: No stress, just laughs, and it’s renewed for next season.  Can’t wait to laugh at these ladies all over again next season.

Hart of Dixie: Stop judging me.  Mostly, I just hope that my favorite guilty pleasure of the season comes back next year.  Come on CW, all of your ratings are low, just keep this adorable little show.  Also, Team Wade for life.

Eureka: Don’t tell me what’s happening!  I have one more episode from season 4.5 (oh Syfy, you and your silly seasons) and then I can catch up on this final season and start watching it as it unfolds.  Pros to shows being cancelled: not stressing about whether or not they’ll get to finish.  Cons: The show is cancelled.  Obviously, that sucks.

Bones: I’m behind on this too, but I have heard tale of excitement in the final couple episodes.

Castle:  I could not be more stressed out about what tonight’s season finale has in store.  Beckett & Castle in love, dealing with her shooting, are they finally going to be together, will they fight, will they make up, and will we have to wait all fraking summer to find out???  I don’t know if I can take another Castle cliffhanger.  Not like last year.

Hawaii 5-0: I am a little behind on this show, but they don’t seem to have any lack of intensity.  Ever. 

Glee: Is it okay if I don’t care?  I mean, I still enjoy Glee and all its ridiculousness, but I’m afraid I have only a passing curiosity as to what happens to them next season.  Just sing me some fun songs and throw in a few tearjerker moments, and I’m good.

NCIS: Again, I think I’m a little behind.  But things are finally coming back around, so I’m sure Gibbs & Co will have some sort of noteworthy finale. Plus, maybe Tony & Ziva will work on breaking rule #12?

The New Girl: Mostly, I just laugh. And laugh.  And try not to choke on my food (there should be a disclaimer at the start, warning you not to eat while viewing) because of the laughing.  But I am a little concerned that Nick is going to move out.  Come on Nick, get it together.  You have to stay at the loft. 

The Big Bang Theory: Will Howard & Bernadette get married? Will Howard go to space? Will Penny & Leonard stay together?  Will Sheldon & Amy…um, you know? Will Raj find a lady? 

30 Rock: I don’t have any questions, I’m just here to watch (my BFF) Tina Fey be Liz Lemon. 

Parks & Recreation: I think I am as concerned about this election as I am about the real elections in November.  Okay, not really, but I am definitely worried for Leslie.  Voters can sometimes make poor choices, and she just wants this so bad, and would be so good for the town of Pawnee.

Fringe: Astrid!!!!  Kacey says she can’t die, she was in the amber.  But what if something happened and now that doesn’t exist.  I find it all very stressful.  Is that definitely where things end up?  What is going to happen to Olivia?  Can they really wrap this up in 13 episodes next season?  I mean, of course they can, and thank the TV gods they get to do just that. (Don’t anger the TV gods when you are still waiting to hear on other shows)

Okay, so when I lay it out like that, I think it’s really just Once Upon a Time, Castle, & Fringe that are high stress.   And Hart of Dixie is the only show left on the proverbial chopping block.  And you’re probably still judging me for that.  But whatever.  I’m just going to go make myself a Team Wade t-shirt.

Books read: 24 (Finally! I still have a couple hundred pages of Clash of Kings, but in the meantime, I finished Jenny Lawson's (The Bloggess) Let's Pretend this Never Happened.)

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a Bones/NCIS/Eureka triple crossover episode where they find the remains of a marine whose crazy experiment threatens to destroy town of Eureka.

Jamie Finally Started Watching Fringe (Please don't cancel it yet!)

After much pushing from Kacey and the use of Netflix, Amazon Instant Watch, and Xfinity On Demand I am completely caught up on Fringe.  As I worked my way through these three and a half seasons I could not help but think of other shows created by JJ Abrams.  I’ve comprised a list (super spoilery!!) of what you can expect when watching a JJ show, or, if you are an aspiring writer, what you may want to include in your show to get his backing:

Doubles – What a brilliant tactic, you kill of a major character, but keep the actor by putting in an imposter and waiting a few weeks (or longer) for the other characters to figure it out.  On Alias it was Francie, dead in the kitchen only to be replaced and then use poor Will to learn CIA secrets.  On Fringe we not only saw it happen to Charlie, but you never know when the shapeshifters might do it again. 

Prophesy – When they first pulled out that picture of Peter in the machine and again with Olivia playing a roll in the process, my first thought was of the image of Sydney in the Rembaldi prophesy.  I haven’t looked it up, but I feel like they used the same artist for both shows.  It is an excellent way to deal with the issue of fate vs free will, something that comes up time and time again in all of Abrams’ shows.

Romantic leads with the wrong person – Okay, so this isn’t unique to an Abrams series, but when Peter was shacking up with other Olivia I was yelling at the TV in the exact same way I was when Vaughn couldn’t see that Lauren was evil.  How could they not know? So, really, it's not just that they are with the wrong person, it's that the person they are with is actually evil. Or at least acting in an evil manner.  But I'm getting into the good vs evil topic and that comes later.

Daddy issues – So this is pretty much always present.  Peter & Walter and Peter & Walternate’s relationships are complicated in every timeline and every universe.  You could write an entire dissertation on the complicated back and forth relationship of Sydney & Jack.  But we can leave that for Sarah to handle in a future entry.  And Lost was a mass of characters whose issues with their fathers could keep a therapist busy for decades.  I wouldn’t want to make any assumptions about Abrams, but it is very consistent. Just saying, JJ, if you need to talk, we’re listening.  Let it out.

Badass chicks – As certain as you can expect to see some complicated father-daughter or father-son relationships on an Abrams series, you can also expect that the female lead could kick your ass.  I don’t really care who you are, her only competition would be one of Joss Whedon’s leading ladies.

Good vs Evil is not simple as it initially seems – Again, this is certainly not unique, but when watching Fringe I found that the relationship between the first universe we encounter and the second – from the perspective of both the audience and the characters – is very similar to the crash survivors and the Others on Lost.  We meet one group first and our initial introduction to the other side is so evil. The shapeshifters are killing people and causing chaos, the Others are kidnapping people. However, as we learn more about the other side and see things from their perspective, who is good and who is evil is far less certain.  While we maintain a certain degree of loyalty to our initial characters, we definitely abandon our black and white view of these complicated worlds.

Yell at the TV Cliffhangers and a constant fear of cancellation - Now that I’m finally watching a JJ Abrams show as it unfolds (I watched Alias on DVD and Lost on Netflix Instant Watch, both after the series had ended), I can now share the frustrations that come with taking such a risk.  First you live with the horrible cliffhangers week after week, and worry that the end of season will come with an even more insane ending and you’ll be stuck waiting all summer wondering what will happen. Like when Syd woke up and it was 2 years later and she had no memory of it or when Peter just up and disappeared… from existence.  And worse, as I am sucked further into the story and the lives of the characters I live in constant fear that some idiot at the top of the corporate food chain at Fox will cancel this show.  I mean really, what kind of ratings can you expect on a Friday night in the age of the internet and DVR.  Fingers crossed for season 5.

All in all, these are elements of great TV.  This is definitely not a criticism.  I like that I know what I'm getting when it says, from writer/creator/executive producer JJ Abrams, I'm getting quality, well-written TV and if lucky some time travel and red matter. 

Coming soon Sarah will write an epic poem on the adventures of Malcolm Reynolds, in iambic pentameter.