Following up on all the things - JE

Blacklist follow up with spoilers (not for you, but for those who don't watch):

He is totally her dad. I mean yes, he has a demonstrated ability to care about people (his team was obviously quite important to him), but nothing like his loyalty and commitment to her. I do like that we are questioning/debating what seemed so obvious in all the show promos. And her husband is totally evil. He's probably Alan Alda's minion.

And how are we feeling about Agent Ressler after 10 episodes? I mean, I know he isn't amazing, but he grew on me. And I'm pretty sure he's totally in love with Lizzie. And when her husband is revealed to be an evil secret spy, he is totally going to sweep in. Except Lizzie has way too much going on for that, she needs to focus on Lizzie, so he'll have to wait.  

I like your resolutions. The no new show thing is probably a good idea. I caught the Almost Human pilot the other night (show with Bones from the new Star Trek and his android with feelings partner). It was pretty good and I am contemplating watching some more because that actor is coming to Emerald City Comicon. But then Downton is back Sunday and Teen Wolf is back Monday. And Sherlock on the 19th. And seriously, don't even tell me if you watch it. I'm having enough trouble with my damn tumblr feed. And I thought Revenge was off until March like OUAT, but it's back on Sunday. I need some winter hiatuses to catch up.

I have to get going on my Oscar prep. I pretty much need to see everything, but I'm thinking it probably won't happen until next weekend. And then it can't interfere with football. So many things!!

I am glad you got to watch Austenland. I loved that movie. Mostly because of Jennifer Coolidge, but also because the main guy who looks like Tom Hiddleston, but isn't, is very attractive. And Brett from Flight if the Concords is also adorable, although not so endearing. And I want to see About Time, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.

So my buzzfeed list of the day is this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/h2/fbsp/intelligence/12-tv-heroines-who-should-be-your-role-model

And I think it's an okay list. I mean it's a decent spread of intelligence and physical strength among other traits. Plus it's got Abby, Buffy, Veronica & Starbuck, which is pretty solid. But I started to think about who was missed (Sydney Bristow, Kate Beckett, Dana Scully, Olivia Pope, Olivia Dunham, Claire Huxtable, CJ Craig, all other west Wing women, etc etc) and I decided that really the list is just too short. Should have at least 100. 

And can we just talk about the Veronica Mars trailer? I cannot wait for March 14th. I just hope that Rob Thomas doesn't go all Serenity on us and kill off beloved characters. I mean, I think Serenity is great, but so many tears.

Finally, I'm just going to leave this here http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/reasons-you-should-be-rooting-for-the-seattle-seahawks-to.  

Thanks to that Nintendo game we had, Sarah knows exactly how to defeat Ursula.  So she rolls the appropriate number so she can flick her tail and capture other sea creatures in bubbles and throw them at the sea witch.  Of course, once you defeat her she comes back even larger.  And the only logical choice is to find a broken ship to steer into her. 

Buzzfeed lists and a lot of Whedon links

So I love Buzzfeed lists. They can be the best thing on the internet and often get forwarded around. Like the 20-something vs 30-something party comparison, which was sent around multiple times between almost everyone I email with frequently because it was perfect.  We were like, that's totally us, and you've made references that we understand.  Well done. And even when the lists are ridiculous, they incite discussion. Like this comparison of random TV facts. http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexnaidus/truly-disappointing-facts-about-tv-shows

Mostly I just think it's kind of random. Sure, I dislike reality TV more than most and some of these facts make me cringe, but some of the others are stupid. I think Amy Poehler deserves 400 Emmys, just for being awesome, and another 12 million for the supreme being that is Leslie Knope. But I also think Jim Parsons deserves all of his Emmys and they don't compete against each other. So who made that decision. I understand that there are some who knock BBT's wide appeal and think it is more nerd-bashing than nerd-celebrating, and I could engage in a fight with you on that, but whatever your thoughts there, you cannot deny Parsons' brilliance.  The Wire also deserved all the awards, and Two & a Half men has definitely been on too long, but they aren't in the same category. General Hospital is a daytime soap and Twin Peaks is a bizarre cult drama. And perhaps my inability to get into Twin Peaks and my never-ending love for Sonny Corinthos makes me ill-suited to comment on this, but we are again comparing apples and oranges. I think they may have done just as well listing just the things on the right, because they are disappointing regardless of your thoughts about column A. 

Before we get to the Whedon portion of this post (the rest, basically), I'm just going to leave this here. 

http://hellogiggles.com/nick-miller-is-my-spirit-animal

Because who doesn't love Nick Miller?

But back to the Whedonverse.

Did you see who they are getting for the first of the new Netflix Marvel shows, Daredevil? Drew Goddard. 

http://www.thewrap.com/netflix-disney-marvel-daredevil-drew-goddard

Not ringing any bells? Because familiarizing yourself with names of writers/producers who work with your favorite creators is a life priority? Well, let me (and the link) help, Mr. Goddard's credits include Buffy, Angel, Lost, Alias, and he directed a little flick I still need to see called Cabin in the Woods. Speaking of things I need to see, he also wrote the screenplay for World War Z. Point here goes to the "you can never have too much superhero everything" camp.

Did we discuss how great this week's SHIELD was? I love Fitz and Simmons so much, and I am really starting to buy how this little family is coming together.  But that's not even my favorite thing from this week, my favorite thing is this amazing review that came in rhyming form on my favorite fandom site. 

http://www.hypable.com/2013/11/12/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-season-1-episode-7-the-hub-recap/

You did watch Dollhouse, right?  This is another list, although not from buzzfeed.  I would probably tweak a little, but overall, pretty solid.   But spoilers for anyone who hasn't watched all the Whedon shows. 

http://www.charactergrades.com/exclusives/deaths-of-the-whedonverse-from-least-to-most-devastating

 

And my final link for the week brings us back to Buzzfeed, where someone ranked every Buffy episode from worst to best. http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/ranking-every-episode-of-buffy-the-vampire-slayer

I can't say I agree across the board and they are much harsher to the bad than I would be, but in general I think their order is pretty good. Their top ten isn't exactly mine, but it's not far off. This may have to be a group project, creating our own list. What do you think? 

Sarah rolls a 3 and her oxen stage a coup.  Tired of dealing with a wagon full of dysentary, they redirect toward an old house in the woods.  They have heard a rumor that if find a wardrobe in a room of an old house, it is possible to escape the old west and travel to new lands. Proceed carefully.

Jamie's Life Update

Kacey's blog was so awesome and completely accurate in highlighting what to look for in a neighborhood that I hate to point out one tiny inaccuracy. But that's what sisters do, right? Kacey indicated our conversation was over Skype the other day, but we have actually moved on from Skype. We are now Google Hangout people. I don't know if you are aware, but on Google Hangout you can wear a tiara. Also a scuba mask, various mustaches, an eyepatch... even a monocle! It's kind of amazing. You can do other things like share screens, but that tends to make my Internet break. So mostly, it's all about the tiara.

Kacey missed a couple other things that have kept me from blogging, and I want to be honest with all of you that I have disappointed with my lack of posts.

First, I have been watching entirely too much TV. I mean, I've only added two new shows: Revolution, which is fantastic, in case you aren't watching and Elementary, and as I suspected there is no such thing as too much Sherlock. Although I may add Scandal so that Meryl will stop peer pressuring me about it, oh, and probably Arrow....so I guess that will make four new shows. It's a little much. I mean, with Alphas overlapping with the start of network TV, Monday alone has gotten out of control. Plus, as Kacey noted, baseball is still happening (and I love October!). Not to mention all the Presidential debates. I have been watching so much TV that I haven't had time to blog about TV.

Because of that, I had fallen behind a bit in my reading, but it is back with a vengeance. With an assist from the library and some stuff I was waiting on finally coming in, I have been tearing through the books the last couple weeks. I also find that when I am waiting to hear on a house or an inspection and I wake up at 6am on a Saturday or Sunday because I can't sleep, then I can usually knock out a book by around 9 or 10. House buying is incredibly stressful, and somewhat roller coaster-esque. Thankfully I have amazing agents who help me tremendously.

I didn't even get up my fave five from September, and it was good. Quickly: Googling anyone’s Bacon number (as in Kevin Bacon, not the delicious food), Chris Kluwe's amazing openletter, Parks and Rec star Retta's tweets about watching Buffy, AlexCarpenter's awesome reaction songs to the 5 new Doctor Who episodes, and AmyPoehler’s YouTube channel Smart Girls at the Party.

I will try harder though. I will get up a review of Fall TV with some thoughts on where all these shows are going (or how they are ending) by this weekend. And maybe even a little pre-election post. I think it's important to pull out the soap box from time to time.

 

Books read: 41 (BAM, said the lady! Best of the last little group was Divergent, which was amazing, and I am currently reading Robin Wasserman's very intriguing Book of Blood and Shadow)

 

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a tell-all of the celebrity dogs that are staying at the dog hotel. Using, of course, very discreet fake names like Rooby Boo and his annoying little friend Dappy.

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. 

Jamie's Emmy Nod Highlights

While most of the west coast slept, the nominations for this year’s Emmys (which take place September 23^rd) were announced this morning.  I have some initial reactions for you.  Of course.

Modern Family domination – Proving that they are truly a brilliant ensemble; all 6 of the principal adult actors on Modern Family are nominated in the supporting actor in a comedy series categories.  You can talk all you want about Mad Men & American Horror Story racking up 17 nominations each, but that is the real story to me.  No lead actors and everyone gets recognized.  Well, except the scene stealing younger cast members.  I would argue they deserve to be there as much as the adults, but regardless I love seeing this intelligent and hilarious show get recognition through its talented cast. (Even though I don’t watch it regularly, shhh… don’t tell or they’ll take away my TV card)

Supporting Actor – I am elated to see Max Greenfield here for the New Girl.  I love this show and Schmidt has definitely developed into one of the funniest characters on TV.   I am disappointed that yet again, Nick Offerman (Parks & Rec’s Ron Swanson) was overlooked.  I have noted my love for the adorable Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt on Parks & Rec), and I would knock on doors for Leslie Knope, but that show is made by Offerman’s brilliantly hilarious, steak eating, secret saxophone playing, government hating, government bureaucrat.  He’s amazing.  Also notably left off was Neil Patrick Harris. I feel like he could have fit in there somewhere amongst all those Modern Family guys, because I just want NPH to win all the awards. 

Mini-series/Movie vs. Series – This year I am finding the mini-series vs. series thing to be a little strange. Sherlock, American Horror Story, & Luther are all in the mini-series/movie category, even though they all have had or are going to have multiple seasons/series.  I guess I don’t really understand how that works.  It’s not like they are just picking on the British shows because of their strange schedules (and because they call their seasons “series), since Downton Abbey is sitting in the drama series category, and as noted, American Horror Story is not.  That said, I am convinced the 17 nominations pretty much means that this award will go to American Horror Story instead of my favorite, Sherlock, but that’s okay because…

Benedict Cumberbatch – The man with the greatest name in the history of names is totally going to walk away with the award in his category.  Kacey & Meryl assure me that Luther is fabulous, and I am a big fan of Stringer Bell, I mean, Idris Elba (I mean, how could you not be?) but I’m putting my money on Cumberbatch all the way.  I bet I could actually put my money on him in Vegas.  But I probably won’t, the odds would probably not result in a very big payoff.

Drama, Drama, Drama – Have you seen the drama category?  The subtitle should be: 6 examples of how TV is kicking film’s ass in the game of quality.  I don’t even watch most of these, but their reputation precedes them.  I think this is easily the most anticipated category of the night; any one of these shows could walk off with the award. 

Big Bang Theory – I would be remiss to not mention my favorite show, as the Big Bang Theory was nominated for best comedy and the incomparable Jim Parsons (well, maybe I would compare him to one Mr. Cumberbatch, but no one else) is up again for his role as the, well, also incomparable Sheldon Cooper.  However, mostly, I am super excited to see Mayim Bialk (Amy Farrah Fowler on the Big Bang Theory) up for best supporting actress.   I really think the addition of Amy & Bernadette as regular characters has pumped new life into the show, which continues to be funny week in and week out.  It’s a great blend of allowing the characters to evolve and change, but not losing what made it so brilliant in the first place.  Also, if she wins, I hope she gets a shiny new tiara (to be honest though, I kind of hope it goes to the late Kathryn Joosten, how can you not want Mrs. Landingham to win?).

The rest – Apparently, I need to see Game Change.  And American Horror Story.  I wasn’t sure about it, and I am sure that I will need to watch it when it’s light outside, but let’s consider it officially “on the list.”  Supporting actor in a drama is a tough category.  I’m partial to the gentlemen from Downton Abbey or Tyrion (partially because Peter Dinklage is amazing and partially because he is my favorite character in the books), but I know that the Breaking Bad guys are highly regarded.  Plus I think that John Noble should be on there for Fringe, but the Emmys are a little slow with the sci-fi love.  And when I say “slow” I mean, they pretty much ignore it.  I don’t understand how you could ignore Walter. 

Looking forward to watching who wins in September, but of course I’ll be changing the channel when they get to the “reality” awards.

Books read: 32 (finally finished a Storm of Swords, but I’m still ahead of pace and working on the Dovekeepers for book club)

Coming soon:  Sarah reviews The Dark Knight Rises with a particular focus on the character of Bain. Oh, I’m sorry, it’s not a liberal conspiracy against Mitt Romney and the character is Bane?  Well, I’m sure that her piece will still be riveting. We hope that you can respect her opinion so that we don’t have to turn off the comments like Rotten Tomatoes.  We’re confident our readers are more mature.

Jamie's June Fave Five

We can’t stop now, we are on a roll!  Kacey got a post up on Saturday AND we went to see Les Miserables at the 5th Ave. Which was brilliant, for the fourth time.  I think it’s my favorite, and I don’t say that lightly.  I love musical theatre in general, and I have a number of favorites (Rent, Hairspray, Wicked, Spring Awakening, Avenue Q, etc). But I think that Les Mis may top even RENT.  And that is saying something for someone who will be seeing RENT for the seventh time in August.

But anyhow, another month has come and gone so it’s time for another internet fave five.  Here’s what I loved in June (and, okay, the first couple days of July).

1)        No White Noise: Buffy Re-Watch – I have not been participating in the Buffy re-watch that this blog is doing, for a couple reasons.  1) The “live” re-watch is Monday nights, which interferes with Eureka and 2) I just did a full Buffy re-watch a few months ago.  That said, the hilarious recaps from a first time watcher (see what I did there) are inspiring me to want to catch up, or at least join in.  Reading someone’s initial reactions to one of my all-time favorite shows, complete with hilarious screen shots/captions is priceless.  Even if you don’t join the re-watch (or first time watch), I recommend reading their recaps, which generally get posted on Tuesdays. ,

2)        Nerds Fixing Internet Errors – Back to the Future – Speaking of screen shots, if you were anywhere on the internet on June27th, you probably saw the screenshot of dates from Back to the Future?  It was posted around with people making comments that we were supposed to be in the future and where the hell were our hover boards.  Generally this is a valid question (along with jet packs, I mean, why don’t I have a jet pack yet??) However, the true nerds and BTTF fans spoke up to note that this was just a little photo shop and we really have another 3 and a half years until we should panic about the lack of hover boards.  The true date from Back to the Future 2 where they travel to the future to check out Marty & Jennifer’s less than awesome future is October 2015.  I just loved how quickly the internet nerd community policed itself, because we certainly wouldn’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves if we are not living up to the promises of the future from a 1980s time travel comedy.  An iconic film, yes… but a film nonetheless.

3)        Top Ten Sherlock Quotes – I read a lot on the website Hypable (which I mention on here a lot) because instead of being an entertainment site that is obsessed with the details of the TomKat divorce of who is getting the first pictures of the newest oddly named celebrity baby, it focuses on the kind of nerdy fan stuff that I really care about.  Whether it’s leaking spoilers or casting news for my favorite show or a highly anticipated film, or starting a lively debate over the best TV theme songs of all time, Hypable never fails to keep me coming back for more.  Multiple times a day usually.  This little piece on the top ten quotes from the brilliant BBC Sherlock series was one of my favorites.  Not only did the author pick out some of my favorite Sherlock quotes, but they also used the word plethora in the opening paragraph.  Bonus points for that.

4)      Paul & Storm - Write Like the Wind - Now, I am only halfway through book 3 of the amazing Song of Fire & Ice series, but I'm fairly confident that I will catch up before George gets another book done.  So I'd just like to say that I totally support this plea (which, for those who have not read/watched Game of Thrones, is totally spoiler free) from Paul & Storm that he get on it with writing more books.  They posted this fabulous song on the brilliant Geek & Sundry YouTube channel. 

5)        Lego Settlers of Catan – Well, let’s just make this post as nerdy as possible and round off my fave five with this link that a friend sent to me of this awesome lego version of the game board/pieces.  I didn’t learn to play this game until a few months ago, and now I’m not certain where it has been all my life.  Not only that, but I left the game with my parents and apparently my mother is a little obsessed.  We might have to make an intervention banner. 

Books Read: 31 (Only a few hundred pages left, but A Storm of Swords is so good… and intense… and emotionally devastating.  I might have been cursing George R.R. Martin in a manner I typically reserve for Joss Whedon after a particularly upsetting character death)

Coming Soon: Sarah analyzes what will need to happen for us to get to a future where we don’t need roads.

Jamie’s Finale Follow Up: Castle, The New Girl, Two Broke Girls (SPOILERS! Seriously, don’t read this until you’ve watched)

I’m going to weigh in on the season finales in little bunches, shortly after they occur.  At least that’s the plan. Because I set them up earlier this week, so it only seems appropriate to follow up.

Castle

Lived up to the Hype?: Oh, hell yes.  Hard to follow last year’s epic and intense finale, but I think they may have done it.

Excitement for Next Season?: Absolutely. Now that we’ve covered will they or won’t they, there is just so much more.  Extremely well done.

Questions Remaining?: What will they do now?  Can’t you see Beckett & Castle (Caskett? Beckstle?) become private detectives a la Veronica Mars.  Okay, so it’s highly unlikely, but wouldn’t it be fun?  More likely they’ll get called back into work, because they are a badass crime solving duo.  Even Gates has to admit that, unless she’s evil.  I’m going to ponder that over the summer.

Standout Performances/Character Moments: I wanted to punch Javy in the face, and I love Ryan.  Also, love that Tahmoh Penikett (aka Paul from Dollhouse, and Helo from Battlestar Galactica) was cast as the shooter.  Hope we get to see him some more next season, you know, before he gets killed/arrested. 

The New Girl

Lived up to the Hype?: I don’t think there was a lot of hype, but it was awesome.

Excitement for Next Season?: Yes, in that we get more fun with the roommates.  All four of them.

Questions Remaining?: Nah.  We all know that Nick & Jess are meant to be, some day. For now, they can all just keep hanging out. 

Standout Performances/Character Moments: Technically, AC/DC is not a character on the show, but maybe it could be.  The end sequence with everyone dancing to You Shook Me All Night Long has got to be one of the best endings to a season ever. 

Two Broke Girls

Lived up to the Hype?: Well, I mean, it had Martha Stewart.  Which, for a show about two girls who want to have a cupcake business, is pretty awesome.

Excitement for Next Season?: Not particularly, but I will certainly keep watching. 

Questions Remaining?: Not really that kind of show.  And I assume we are done with Johnny and can move on now.  I like that the romance elements of this show are secondary.  I’m sure they will come into play if it keeps going, but for now, all about the ladies.

Standout Performances/Character Moments:  I think in general, the addition of Jennifer Coolidge mid-season was a brilliant choice.  She fits into the little dysfunctional that they have created extremely well. The scene in the dress store was classic.

Books read: 25, Halfway! (Couldn’t put down Shine by Lauren Myracle, it was incredible)

Coming Soon: On a roll with TV mashups, Sarah writes cameos for Nathan Fillion to appear on both The New Girl & Two Broke Girls.  On The New Girl he subs for Jess when she is out sick and gives Captain Hammer like advice to her students on how to deal with bullies and super villains, with Nick, Winston, & Schmidt’s assistance.  On Two Broke Girls he plays a wealthy writer with a cupcake obsession looking to invest in a new business, but things fall apart when we realize that the girls getting rich would pretty much ruin the point of the show (it’s very meta).

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 Talks Death on TV

So Kacey’s Harry Potter marathon sounded pretty epic and here I am writing about death on TV.  To make up for it, I promise to follow it with a post about how many things on Fringe keep reminding me of Alias… but only after I finish season 3.  So for now, we’re talking death on TV.

After reading a recent Hypable article about worst character deaths (which made some very good points, even if I didn’t agree with all of it), I was thinking, if those were among the worst, then what were the, hmm… I don’t want to say “best” for this post, so let’s go with most intense. You know what I’m talking about, either jaw dropping shock, or when you know it's coming but still sob through it. I could have just done a list from Joss Whedon shows (guy is not afraid to kill of characters, on Buffy alone there could be a whole post) but opted to make it a little more well-rounded.  Here’s what I got:

Dawson's Creek - The Creek (as I like to call it) broke our hearts more than a few times, but never more than with the loss of Dawson's dad Mitch and then again in the finale with the death of Jen. The first was out of nowhere with a car accident  that led even Gram to note that she and the Lord were not on speaking terms this week.  This man, reconciled with his wife with a new baby on the way was taken quickly, with the audience caught completely off guard.  For the series finale we were transported five years into the future (they had accomplished quite a bit in those short years...hmmm) only to lose Jen to an incurable disease.  We sobbed along with her friends, especially Jack, who was the logical choice (with his partner, Pacey's brother Doug) to take care of Jen's now parentless child.  They just wanted to give us one last emotional roller coaster, and I don't recall a dry eye in the college apartment where I watched the show.

ER - There was no surprise here, Dr. Green had been sick, the previews for the episode had been clear, we knew Anthony Edwards was leaving, but the episode still delivered an emotional punch to the stomach as Dr. Mark Green flew to Hawaii with his family for his final days.  For me this was yet another episode viewed in college, only this time it was the entire lobby in the dorm that sat around watching through the tears.

NCIS - The death of Kate was a pretty bold move for this show in its second season. Killing off one of your main characters?  So soon?  Just as we made it through Tony getting the plague, we are immediately dealt the loss of Kate, which still haunts our surviving main characters to this day.  A few years later, to show they still weren't afraid to make big changes, the writers killed off Jenny, leaving the rest of the team to pick up the pieces, and leaving the audience searching for that damn box of tissue.   Of course, this gamble paid off as we still sit around in fear week after week that one of our favorite characters might disappear at any moment.

The West Wing - We mourned the loss of Mrs. Landingham right along with President Bartlett, as Aaron Sorkin's writing made us feel like we too were losing a member of our team.  However nothing could prepare us for the end of season seven when real life impacted the show in a heart-wrenching manner. Actor John Spencer passed away unexpectedly late in the season of the show's final year.  Spencer's Leo McGary had been a pivotal and beloved part of the show, both as Bartlett's chief of staff and later as Matt Santos' running mate.  We went from jubilation after a Santos/McGary win to utter devastation as both cast and characters dealt with this tragedy.  Again, Sorkin left no dry eyes in the audience as he put forward a fitting tribute.

Angel - And we come to the first Joss Whedon series to make my list (note: Firefly was omitted because the major deaths came in the film, not on TV, and Dollhouse is omitted because Kacey needs to watch it, and Dr. Horrible is really a mini-movie… but you see why I could just write a post about how Whedon shows will leave you mourning the characters you love most) The death of Cordelia was covered well in the Hypable article mentioned at the start of this post.  And I have to agree that overall, Cordy's demise was disappointing.  However, the season 5 episode where she made one last appearance that confirmed she really was gone was very well done, and a far more appropriate end for the character who showed us that even the bitchiest popular girl can grow up and grow a heart.  Mere episodes later, however, just when Wesley & Fred finally get together we are devastated by Fred’s death along with all the boys on the show who loved her.  Leave it to Whedon to break our hearts by the death of a beloved character, yet manage to keep the actress in the show.  Amy Acker's performance in that episode should have won her awards as her shift from Fred to Ilyria was flawless.

Buffy - Did anyone not die on this show? To highlight that epic battles don't just take extras we lose Anya and Spike in the finale.  Anya dies fighting the good fight, after having come a long way from season 3 where she flees prior to the ascension.  Spike bravely sacrifices himself, putting his season 7 soul to good use.  Thankfully he came back to life on Angel the following season. A world without Spike is too much to take, and we clearly needed him in the season 8 comic.  Tara's death at the end of season 6 almost destroyed Willow (and the world), but surprisingly it was Dawn's reaction to it that broke my heart.  That depressing season was just starting to look up when they laid that tragedy on us. Buffy died twice, the first only briefly, but in the season 5 finale our heroine gave it all up for her sister (and the world) in a finale fitting of a season full of tears.  However two deaths were more powerful than all the rest.  The first was the death of Angel at the end of season 2 (even though he comes back in the next season).  Season 2 is brilliant, both as a whole and it also contains some of my favorite stand-alone episodes (Halloween, I Only Have Eyes For You, Passion), but none better than the two part finale.  Joyce finds out about vampires, Giles kidnapped, Kendra murdered, Willow in the hospital, Buffy kicked out of school, an alliance with Spike, all leading to an epic battle with Angel.  But it's not enough to just let it be a normal battle. At the last second, or more accurately a few seconds too late, Angel's soul is restored. Buffy has no choice but to kill the love of her life and save the world.  No wonder she ran away, wouldn't you?  It has taken years of re-watching to get to a point where I am desensitized enough to not sob through the end of that season.  I cannot, however, make it through the brilliantly devastating episode, The Body, where our heroine loses her mom, Joyce, without heavy sobbing.   Who knew that the loss of a character you didn't even think you liked that much would be the most powerful episode (although she did grow on me a little that season, Whedon probably did that on purpose). It was the performance of all the survivors that was heartbreaking. So used to fighting evil and demons, they are at a loss on how to deal with what they cannot defeat with weapons and magic.

Not included on this countdown, but contemplated: Lost (because everyone dies)... among other shows (The O.C., Alias, Once Upon a Time, and I'm sure others...)

Final thought on TV deaths and internet spoilers: There have been a number of significant deaths on shows I either don't watch or am not current with, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and I can't help but notice how the internet has changed the way that we watch these shows. On the one hand, I can choose to watch these shows later in life, either on Netflix or some other method of online streaming, or on DVD.  On the other, as someone who reads a lot of entertainment news online and uses Twitter, it is nearly impossible to avoid spoilers when the deaths are particularly shocking (ex: Boardwalk Empire).  My parents, they can watch any of these shows and be completely shocked when the big deaths happen, but I have to make an effort to avoid knowing who is going to die in Game of Thrones before I find the time to attempt to read the massive series.  I could just spend less time online.  But that's not going to happen. 

Jamie is Elated that TV is back!

Nothing against my much-loved summer replacement shows, or my Netflix instant watch queue (yes, I have some opinions on that topic, but that is for another day), but I am loving the return of TV.  There is an abundance of crap on TV, but that just makes the stuff I take the time to view seem all the better.  The quality of what I watch varies, but it all entertains me, so here are my preliminary thoughts after a week of premieres.


Castle, Hawaii 5-0, & NCIS: There is a new sheriff in town.


Each of these shows lost a person in a position of power at the end of last season, Captain Montgomery was killed in a gun fight, Wo Fat killed the Governor, and the Sec-Nav had to step down after a scandal.  These people are all in positions of power that greatly impact the lead characters on the show and we saw right away in the premieres how the changes would impact things.  The new no-nonsense captain on Castle is in no mood to put up with her department's resident writer, no matter who his friends are, which should add for some quality conflict where we deal with the reality that there is no way a writer should in this position.  In Hawaii the Lieutenant Governor reinstated 5-0, but not with the same red-tape cutting abilities that they had previously.  We saw the new Sec-Nav at the end of last season, giving Tony a special assignment, but we saw a whole lot more of him in the NCIS premiere as we all pieced together the last few months along with DiNozzo.  A lot more happened on these shows to set up the season - Beckett lied about what she remembered as Castle hid the truth to protect her, Alex Mack, I mean, Larissa Olenik's character is actually (surprise!) working with Wo Fat (who killed off Victor Hess, so there go all my vampires battling in the sunlight comments), and we have new nemesis on NCIS (and Scott Wolf, who finally looks almost as old as he actually was when he played a high school student on Party of Five) - but I think the biggest adjustments for our characters will come because of these leadership changes.  They don't just have a new challenge this season, they will have to alter the way they go about taking them on, or work harder at keeping their real efforts from the boss.


How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, & Glee: They just keep making me laugh.


Drunk Marshall, Sheldon trying to figure out what Penny & Raj did, Barney & Robin's dance, Brittany, drunk Marshall, Amy's excitement about a sleepover with her bestie Penny, Howard & Raj making out via Skype, Leonard's attempt at cyber sex via Skype, Bernadette yelling at Raj but still being nice, the red chair, Marshall on the internet, Martin Short, Sue Sylvester, Emma thinking Kurt & Rachel were an item, Blaine & those red pants singing Tom Jones, & of course drunk naked Marshall. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  The premieres set up a great new season for all, and I even think Glee is back on track after an entertaining but scattered season 2. 


The New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, Ringer: New shows!


Last season Hawaii 5-0 was the only new show that I really got into, but I am giving 3 (so far, I do intend to check out the fairy tale show(s) as well) a try this year.  The New Girl was brilliant and by far the winner.  Zooey Deschanel & her supporting men have a great chemistry and I laughed at the entire show.  I hope they can keep it up.  2 Broke Girls had me laughing as well, although I am not sure if it's just Kat Dennings or if the show as a whole will be able to keep my interest for long, but regardless, I was entertained.  After the premiere of Ringer I was left a little uncertain.  I love Sarah Michelle Gellar, but I'm concerned about the soap opera gimmicky nature of her playing multiple rolls (no matter how well she does it).  That said, if they can play up the mystery elements with just the right level or drama, I will probably get hooked.  I haven't watched the second episode yet (The New Girl is going to win that battle on a weekly basis) and will reserve further judgment at least until I watch that.  There was a great deal of exposition in the pilot, so I feel viewing a "normal" episode is only fair. 


That's my review of premiere week.  This 8 day wait thing has started with Fox apparently, so we'll have to see how that works out (and if I cave and try out Hulu+), but regardless of how/when I watch it, I am glad that new TV is back!

Jamie Watches TV on the Internet - A Mini-Rant

I came across this article: "Fox Starts its Web Pullback and ABC Gets Ready to Follow" via Felicia Day's twitter (@feliciaday).  Not surprising to see the creator of an awesome web series (The Guild) taking an interest in this story, and I'm so glad that she posted it to her world of twitter followers because it gives me a chance to give you all my two cents on the topic.  So here is my open letter to cable networks.  I recognize that I could probably solve some of my own problems, but what the hell is the point of a blog if not to complain to strangers.  And I'm pretty nice about it.


Dear ABC, CBS Fox, & NBC:


Despite putting some awful crap on television, you each have some shows that I find thoroughly entertaining.  There are a good half a dozen (sometimes more) that I take the effort to watch each and every week.  However, I also have a life.  Contrary to what some may think, I don't sit on my couch every night so that I do not miss my favorite shows.  Alternatively, I can't always stay up long enough to watch the shows you put on at 10.  So I greatly appreciate that within the next day or so, I can pull up your website, see all your lovely ads and pop-ups, and stream the show when I have the time to watch it.  Thanks to my friend Krystal, I can even hook the computer up to the TV and watch it as you intended.  Then I'm not behind and should I find myself on the couch the next week at the time when the show is on, I can watch it.


This 8 day wait concept is ridiculous.  If I miss one week, then have to wait 8 days, I am never going to catch up.  I'm also not going to watch the show "live" again until there is some kind of hiatus, because I'll be behind.  I'll probably start watching something on another channel.  I'll see the commercials they are showing.  All because you couldn't get it together to put my show up online right away.


I don't have a DVR/Tivo, which would be a viable solution to this problem.  But you, of all people, should love me for that.  I have to watch the commercials you put online.  And I totally don't care that they are there.  I have watched TV for most of my life with commercials, I know how to tune out the inane and I even appreciate those that are well-crafted.  So please, keep putting those ads up for me to watch, because then I know that you are getting some money for my favorite shows. 


Speaking of credit and money for my favorite shows: linked in the article above is another article talking about how the creator of Modern Family doesn't even want his show online, because his show is not getting anything out of it.  I kind of knew this was the case, but how long do you have to be so behind the times?  When are you going to get it through your heads that ratings have got to include online views and DVR?  Who are these Nielsen people?  Did they kidnap your children?  (If so, I know some great TV detectives that could help you out) I kind of doubt they did, so let's just bring it back to me for a minute, I watch a lot of TV.  A lot.  But I watch so much of it online that sports and the ABC Family Harry Potter weekends when they air the extended scenes are pretty much the only reason I have cable.  I also know that I'm not alone.  And that the population of people who watch stuff online is only going to grow.  So figure it out already.  It's not rocket science.  It's not like you aren't easily able to track views online. 


You can embrace the changes that have already occurred, much like you have been before this ridiculous pullback crap, or you can lose.  Because if I miss a show too much, especially a newer show that I'm not as attached to yet, and I can't catch up online.  I'm not going to buy DVR, I'm going to lose interest, and just cancel you altogether.  And I'm going to stop watching.  Or worse.  I'm going to watch it illegally.  I don't want to do that, but the internet is clearly smarter than you.  And if you don't put it out there, with your revenue-generating ads, then I'm going to find it without.  I don't want to do that.  And you, the network, can't complain about it that much (not the way your shows should), I mean you're not even properly counting my view in the first place.


Good luck figuring this out,


Jamie
Who remains a fan of TV, despite what you have done to it with your Bachelor and Jersey Shore bs.

Kacey Watches Alias

For someone who doesn’t have cable I watch a quite a bit of television- mostly thanks to the internet and Netflix. My viewing choices are widely varied, but all totally awesome. I have a particular love for anything JJ Abrams- I only recently learned Felicity was JJ produced and I totally watched that; I watched Lost religiously through the end and currently look forward to the wackiness of Fringe each Friday (well usually Saturday because I have to wait until it gets posted online), however it wasn’t until rather recently did I decide to watch Alias after Jamie watched it and communicated how incredibly awesome she thought it was. So I began about a month ago to watch it. I actually spent most of my Spring Break not even waiting for the disk to arrive in the mail, but instead finding sources online to watch it. I now have one more disk in season 4 left.

So this is where I’m at: CAUTION MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Sydney might be one of the most famous badass female characters of all time- definitely up there next Buffy.

Rambaldi: The Rambaldi stuff is the reminder that Alias is not only an awesome spy show but, as Jamie put it, a reminder that it is a JJ Abrams creation. It’s weird, you’re never quite sure what the “endgame” is, and it just gets more confusing each week.

Where is Sark? Jamie has this whole idea that I will let her explain to you that Sark is like Spike from Buffy. But since he escaped (again) I have yet to see him… Where is he? (He’s my favorite bad guy)

I knew Irina wasn’t dead- sort of like a soap opera, it seems you never really die on Alias.

Sloane=Ben Linus:

• You never really know when to believe him because it seems he ALWAYS has a hidden agenda.
• Sloane believes in the Rambadli blindly much like Ben believed in the island.
• They both had weaknesses for their daughters.
• Both very creepy and even when they seem good I still kind of hate them. 
• Just when you think you’ve got him figured out, he does something to confuse you.

I love Marshall.

I miss Will, (well a little bit just Bradley Cooper in general) but can appreciate that the complication of Sydney having civilian friends could only go one for so long, even Buffy had to tell her mom after a while that she was the Slayer.

FINALLY: I have to admit I have become a little paranoid. CIA spies could exist anywhere and most people would never know it. I find myself walking down the street and wondering if people are really who they say they are. I probably shouldn’t be writing about this or think about it too much if I don’t want to end up like Will. So please disregard- I don’t think CIA has hidden agents everywhere….