Ah, Caprica

I don’t think you’ll be seeing it on my “what I watch” page.  Maybe.

I never could get into Battlestar Galactica, even though some of my friends absolutely loved it.  For me, it was way too depressing.  How could a rag-tag scrap of survivors hold up against an enemy of more advanced and nearly indestructible robots?  Sorry, Cybernetic life-form Nodes.  It didn’t help that idiot hangnails of society never got their comeuppance.  I’d try to watch every now and again, especially when it got so many, many rave reviews.  But all it did for me was cause a pit to form in my stomach.

I thought Caprica might be different, less dark.  And I like Esai Morales and Eric Stoltz.  So I decided to give it a try.  But the same darkness, the since of doom, is there.  What with crazy Dr. Graystone, the Tauron mafia, and the Zoe prototype killing all those poor innocent mobile bowling pins, it was depressing.

Couple that with the heavy-handed religious overtones, it’s all just too much.   I  get the feeling someone is trying to preach some sort of deep religious message.  And that’s not why I watch tv.

And yet, I found myself watching the second installment, “Rebirth,” Friday night.  I’m not sure I like it any better, but I can see why people are drawn to the characters.  For me, the most interesting one (at the moment) is Sister Clarice Willow.  Well, after Serge.  (I think Serge should have his own show.  Something like  Benson, a show from many ages ago, where Robert Guillaume starred as the butler to some governor.)

For someone like me, who’s not too up on BSG lore, the plot was easy to follow.  Sure, I missed some of those references to things that had been mentioned in BSG, like the game of pyramid, the allure of Gemenon, discrimination of Taurons, not to mention William Adama’s background, but it didn’t interfere with understanding the show.

Would it have made any difference if I’d been up to speed on the BSG background.  Sure.  But to be up on the background, one had to like BSG show enough to watch it. So it’s kind of a catch-22 thing.

I’m not saying a complete “no” to the series.  I might still watch it.  Come Friday, I might find myself drawn to it again.  And who knows, perhaps at some point I’ll totally fall in love with it.  (But don’t bet your paycheck on it.)

Supernatural Short Take: Swap Meat

You know, this episode could have easily been called “Sam, Interrupted” too.  Ha!

I didn’t have a lot of high hopes for this episode.  I’m not sure why.  So much of this type of story depends on the talent of the younger actors, and that’s sometimes a gamble.  But these kids were quite good; certainly the kid who played Gary, and especially the girl who played Nora.  About 2/3 of the way through the episode, I found myself really enjoying it.  There’s only one thing that marred the story for me.  Well, that, and Dean’s strangely orange-tan face in the first Impala scene with mini-Sam/Gary.  It was highly distracting, and not in a good way.  Which is saying something when the canvas is Jensen Ackles.

I wonder how much Jared Padalecki enjoyed playing that first scene with the woman at the bar, marveling at how glorious he looked, and later while flexing his muscles in the mirror.  I gotta tell ya’, the guy looks good in blue.  I thought Gary’s striped hoody and down vest looked awfully good on him.  Yeah, I know that’s probably not the look they were going for, but what can I say?  I’m a sucker for blue.

The only thing that bothered me about the episode was the total gloss-over of the friend’s death.  So, are the kid’s parents going to come home now and find their son dead in the basement (with his heart [literally] ripped out) while Gary and his new girlfriend just go on with their lives?  I forgive a lot of this kind of “oops” story telling from Supernatural, in that I don’t obsess about inconsistencies, or characters acting “out of character.”  But the fact that the friend’s death was never mentioned in that final scene bothered me a lot.  Enough to lessen my enjoyment of the show.  Perhaps I was supposed to have been so moved by the “deep, meaningful talk about family” that I’d forget poor Trevor (although he did bring it on himself).  Truthfully, though, I found Sam’s rain-soaked hair sticking to his face far more distracting—but in a good way this time. 

Legend of the Seeker redux

Remember when I said I was a bit underwhelmed with season 2 of Legend of the Seeker?  And that it’d taken me a few episodes to warm up to it during season 1?  Guess what?  It’s happened again!

Yep, Legend of the Seeker came back from it’s winter hiatus with a vengeance.  Well, maybe not vengeance; more like loud voice?  Granted, it’s not award-winning tv, but it is entertaining tv, and I’ve enjoyed all three of the episodes that have aired since the break.

First there was “Resurrection” with the return of Denna.  And Denee.  (Man, don’t get those two mixed up!)  With Gina Holden as a guest star.  Nice to see a guest star I’ve heard of.

With “Light,” they began to introduce characters and events the second of the Sword of Truth books.   I wondered how the second season would address Stone of Tears, since Richard and Kahlan were apart for most of it.  If tv Richard & Kahlan were going to be apart most of the seaon, I wondered if my interest in the series would lag.  I guess with the addition of Cara, the introduction of Sister Verna (my favorite character from Stone of Tears)  and the return of Denna, the separation has been bearable.  (Plus, it hasn’t been the entire season.)

Which brings us to “Dark.”  Naming a new Seeker was not something I saw coming!  Since I haven’t read beyond Stone of Tears, I don’t know if this is something that happens in a later book.  But it certainly is an interesting twist.  And Leo’s ttempts to get Cara to lighten up are sweetly enjoyable.  Of course, we all know what’s going to happen to Leo eventually, right?  Then again, maybe the writers will surprise us.  They’ve been known to do it before.

Quick Takes

In an effort to post more frequently, I’m going to try out a new feature I call “Quick Takes.”

Oftentimes, I’ll start to write a review, but have difficulty saying exactly what I want to say.  I’ll work on it for a couple weeks, and by then, it’s… well, it’s 2 weeks old.  I also hesitate to write reviews immediately because sometimes my thought on a particular episode will change, either upon second viewing or  over time as I’ve thought about it.

Quick Takes will be an attempt to give you my first impressions of an episode.   They most likely won’t be deep thoughts, and they certainly won’t be long, but hopefully they’ll be regular.   They’ll be similar to “insta-reactions” on some LiveJournal blogs, but they won’t be quite as “instant.”  Look for Quick Takes to appear the day following an episode.  Or, in the case of Legend of the Seeker, possibly two days later.  (Or, in the case of the first one, 3 days later.)

In the meantime, VOTE!  =================================>

The best of Supernatural season 2

Are you ready for another “Best of Supernatural” post?  Well, here it is.

• Best episode:  “What Is and What Should Never Be.”  Not only that, it’s my all-time favorite episode.
  • Honorable mention: “In My Time of Dying,” which has won the Supernatural March Madness Tournament of Episodes two years running.
• Best song:  “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane; or Jefferson Starship, depending on how old you are.   I didn’t care for the song all that much when it first came out.  (Yes, I am that old.)  But the song helps set the dark, ominous mood at the beginning of “Hunted.”
  • Honorable mention: “Green Onions” by Booker T and the MGs, from “Folsom Prison Blues.”  It’s a song I’ve always liked.  Incidentally, it was also featured in American Graffiti.  Can you name the now megastar who had a small role in that movie?  No peeking at IMDB , either.
• Best scene:  Dean’s graveside talk to his father in “What Is and What Should Never Be.”  Dean’s voice cracks, becomes lower when he’s speaking as John, and chokes so he can’t finish.
  • Honorable mention: Sam almost rapes and torments Jo in “Born Under a Bad Sign.”  Creeeeepy!
• Best guest character:  Sarge, from “Croatoan,”  played by Bobby Hosea.  Yes, the episode had some good moments, and Sarge was one of them.
  • Honorable mention: Ronald Resnick from “Nightshifter.”  Chris Gauthier played the nutty paranoid perfectly.
• Best girl of the week: Carmen from… you guessed it, “What Is and What Should Never Be.”  I don’t care if she wasn’t real, she was still awesome.
  • Honorable mention: Detective Diana in “The Usual Suspects.”  No, she wasn’t a love interest, but all my favorite guest stars were filled up.  I really did enjoy Linda Blair.
• Best monster of the week: Yep, “What Is and What Should Never Be” again.  The djinn.  C’mon, a creature covered in tattoos that emits blue sparks and drinks blood from IV?  You gotta admit, that’s pretty awesome.  In an gruesome sorta way.
  • Honorable mention: The clown rakshasa from “Everybody Loves a Clown.”  Just because he was a clown.
• Jensen Ackles’ Emmy reel:  I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now.  “What Is and What Should Never Be.”  He submitted “All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2,” and while his speech to Sam was heartbreaking, I thought the graveyard scene was more subtle, which I think is harder to do.
• Jared Padalecki’s Emmy reel:  “Born Under a Bad Sign.”  Sweet puppy-eyed Sam became incredibly menacing.  And dangerous.    Jared’s expressions, timing, and body language were perfect.

Finally, how about some little shiny squares from season 2, including 3 from the most awesomely awesome “What Is & What Should Never Be.”

In My Time of Dying

Crazy Ronald

Everybody Loves a Clown

Dean

Dean & Carmen

Sam

What are your favorites from season 2?

Deaths done to death

Ha!  I bet you thought I’d totally abandoned the Great Supernatural Death Count.  Au contraire! I had continued my watching; I just hadn’t updated in a long while.

A week & a half later…

I bet you thought because I hadn’t posted in a while that I was disappointed in Modern Family‘s episode last week, titled “Up All Night.”  No way! It was awesome!  Awesome, I tell you!  And Benjamin Bratt was fantastic!

As with anything Ben Bratt-related, I’m always concerned about how the reviews will be, because there are a lot of people out there (Tom Shales, I’m looking at you) who don’t like him.  Well, if the reaction on the Television Without Pity forum is any indication, he was a smash hit.  The fans there loved the episode, many saying it was the best one to date.  And they loved Ben’s portrayal of Javier, Manny’s father and Gloria’s ex.  And so did I.  (Shocking, I know.)  And I loved him even more on repeat viewings.

"Did you catch them with your bare hands?" "No. I bought them with my bare hands!"

Our impression of Javier to date has been, from Gloria’s descriptions, some kind of a larger-than-life super man; all negated by being Manny’s no-show dad.  And he truly was larger than life.  From his huge grin and open arms upon first appearing (with a [possibly stolen] speed boat in tow), to disarming and charming Jay, to throwing a few baseballs around Dodger Stadium at 2 a.m.  But we all knew what was coming as soon as he’d made plans for drinks with Jay.  (And I loved how Manny was the one to comfort Jay with the no-show.)

What a great role it was for Ben Bratt.  The actor himself is very charming himself, and a bit larger than life for us long-time fans.  He gave Javier some wonderful little moments; his wincing when Jay said he “used to,” and his glance down at Manny just before the stadium lights came on (which I’m sure came from being a devoted father himself).

I still have the episode on my DVR, where it will most likely stay until the it’s repeated this summer.

And can I just add that Mitchell and Cameron rock my world.

The best of Supernatural season 1

Since “best” is the theme for NaBloPoMo this month, I thought I’d list some of my favorite things from Supernatural‘s first season.

• Best episode.  I always thought it was a tie between “Faith” and “Something Wicked.”  But over the years, I’ve found myself rewatching “Something Wicked” more often.  Interestingly, it’s also the first Supernatural episode I ever saw.
• Best song.  “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Blind Faith/Steve Winwood from “Route 666.”  I won 2 tickets to a Steve Winwood concert once.  But the song would still have won had I not been, like, the 6th caller. 
• Best scene.  The diner scene in “Hell House.”  Dean is tormenting a pissy Sam with the Laughing Fisherman.   Only it turns Sam has the last laugh. Hee!
• Best guest star.  I’m going with Bobby Singer.  I’m one of the few people who recognized his awesomeness before season 2.
• Best girl of the week.  Layla from “Faith.”  I was rooting for the “good girl” and the “bad boy.”  But they just sat on the bed.
• Best monster of the week.  The daeva(s) from “Shadow.”  In a season of creepies, the ones you couldn’t see were the scariest.
• Jensen Ackles’ Emmy reel.  “Dead in the Water.”  It confirmed what I discovered in “Something Wicked”—this pretty boy is a damn good actor.
• Jared Padalecki’s Emmy reel.  “Asylum.”  Our first look at “bad Sam” and his psyche.

And in honor of my awards, here are a few shiny little squares (aka icons or user picks at LiveJournal) commemorating some of my picks.

Something Wicked

Diner scene

Layla & Dean

So, what were your favorite moments from season 1?

Tripping down memory lane

I blame Natalie for getting me hooked on Modern Family.  I started watching not because she told me it’s a great show, or combines the right amount of humor and sweetness, or has wonderfully goofy characters.  Those are reasons I continue to watch it.  Nope, I started watching when she told me Benjamin Bratt was going to appear as Manny’s (no good) dad.

[Yes, I am a Benjamin Bratt fan, but you probably figured that out from yesterday's post.  He was the fuel that fired my  passion for web development.   Back in the olden days of the mid-90s, I started a fan site for him.  It was the only site for him, and very small, only a couple pages. But it grew, and I finally discovered what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I don't run the website anymore. My interests diverted and I just didn't keep up with the Bratt news. The talented and fabulous Francesca took it over, and her dedication has made the site sing.  /background]

Not only is Benjamin going to be on a terrific show, he’s getting a lot of promotional air time.  ABC has really been hyping his guest stint, giving him “star” status.   This tickles me.  You see, we long-time fans remember the days when he flew so low under the radar, he could ride the NYC subway without being recognized.   For him to be given this level of attention—on his own—is new to us.

As for the character of Manny’s father Javier, we know he’s charming and impressive on the outside, but rotten and selfish as a father. I’m really looking forward to Benjamin’s performance. He plays both the good guy and the bad guy quite well.

As for tonight, I guess I’ll watch the Orange Bowl. My alma mater is playing. Woohoo!

Numbers can lie

I knew when I started the Great Supernatural Death Count that those who complained the show is racist and/or sexist would not be swayed. This is not a new phenomenon. I experienced something similar with the Law & Order fandom several years ago.

At that time, Lennie Briscoe, played by the legendary Jerry Orbach, had worked with three different young detectives, Mike Logan (Christopher Noth), Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) and Ed Green (Jessie L. Martin). There had been great consternation when Chris Noth was replaced by Benjamin Bratt, and in an effort to keep Mike Logan’s legacy alive, someone asked Jerry who Lennie’s favorite partner was. Jerry replied, “Benjamin Bratt.”  Chris Noth’s fans disagreed, saying that Lennie liked Mike better, even though the answer came straight from the actor himself.

The moral of this story is people will continue to believe what they want to believe. And that’s ok.

I think the “real” complaint, as pool and cali5 noted in comments on the Super Stats page, is the treatment of recurring characters. In anticipation of this, I actually took a cursory look at the deaths among repeat performers. The numbers are indeed different, but statistical analysis indicated the differences were not significant. But then, the number of subjects was too small to give reliable results.  (I realize this is all a bunch of statistical mumbo jumbo no one probably cares about. It’s just that the researcher in me loves playing with statistics.)

Anyway, their comments actually got me thinking about other ways to look at the treatment of women and ethnics.  I’ll discuss it some other time.  Right now I need to go and watch some more season 4 episodes.