Last week on TV - Oct. 5th-11th

More premieres this week, including the show I've been looking forward to more than anything - Arrow. Didn't get to watch all the new episodes for my shows, since I was traveling for the later part of the week, but I saw the ones that really mattered.

Once Upon a Time - White Out: I spent half this episode cringing at Charming's hair in the flashbacks... In the present, I still like Elsa, but now that they've established her character, she needs to develop. Also, Hook and Emma are very cute together, although Hook and Charming make me smile even more (in a totally bromance sort of way). That was about all I liked from the episode. Did I mention that the flashbacks made me cringe? And not just at the hair, but at how awful they were as a whole. I get that the show reinvents characters, but bad-guy Bo Peep just didn't cut it for me, and Charming's whole progression towards heroism fell really, really flat (unlike his hair, which was really, really bushy...). Overall grade: C

Supernatural - Black: I'm going into this season with extremely low expectations, which lets me enjoy mediocre episodes much more. And that's what this was. Demon!Dean's actions actually made sense to me - Dean's been driven all his life by a desire to do the right thing; take that away and he's not really got a motivation to do anything. Cas, on the other hand, felt really out of character. After everything he's been responsible for, he would never stand by and let angels kill each other. And I felt like the writers were trying too hard with Sam. Yes, we already know he'll do anything to save Dean. You don't have to explicitly tell us that, multiple times. Can we just be done with the angels and demons and whoever the new guy is, and instead have Sam, Dean, and Cas all together, hunting bad guys and having sleepovers in the bunker? 'Cause I'd like that a lot more than what we've got right now. Overall grade: C+

The Flash - Pilot: This is how you do a pilot episode - fun, even funny at times, but with heart. I like most of the characters, especially Barry and Detective West, I really want to know what's up with Wells, and I'm invested in the show after just one episode. (Also, I really want crossovers with Arrow to happen every few episodes. Which I realize would be overkill, but I'm loving the fact that the shows share a universe, and apparently aren't going to forget about that fact.) I really like the idea of Barry using his new-found powers to protect his city, as opposed to the common superhero concept of saving the city. I think that will allow this show to set a different tone than every other superhero show out there (or at least that's my hope). Overall grade: A-

Arrow - The Calm: There was a lot to love about this episode - all the Team Arrow interactions were perfect, and the arrival of Diggle's baby girl was the best. Plus, we finally got the promised Olicity date (which was everything I hoped it would be), and their first kiss (which was very bittersweet and I don't know how I feel about it). The new Count Vertigo has potential to be a good villain, although I will admit I was hoping he would be a bit more like the New 52 version of the Count (whom I really liked). And I even found myself liking Ray Palmer (and Felicity dishing out hacker vengeance on him was amazing). And then there was the ending, which I did not love, at all. I know Sara's death will impact the most people, and will start Laurel on the path to becoming the Black Canary. I don't care. Sara was a strong female character (something this show lacks), and killing her off for the sake of furthering Laurel's development pissed me off big time. I knew it was coming - I actually thought she'd die in last season's finale, so she made it one episode longer than I expected - but that didn't make me hate it any less. Overall grade: B+

Last week on TV - May 4th-10th

Finally got caught up on H50 just in time for the season finale...

Once Upon a Time - Kansas: Once again, rushed and predictable - my two most common complaints about this half of season three. Everything fell into place too easily, and things that should have meant a lot, like Regina finding good in herself, or Emma choosing to save Hook, wound up having little to no impact. I was also annoyed by Rumple's character regression. Nothing annoys me more on a show than when character development is discarded for the sake of a plot device. It wasn't terrible - in fact, I don't know that it could have been much better, given the lack of good development up to this point and the pressure to fit a whole lot of plot into just a few episodes - but it struggled in some key areas. Overall grade: B-

Supernatural - King of the Damned: Manipulative Winchesters are awesome, Crowley having feelings and hating it is always fun, Dean was very bad-ass, and the angel command post was pretty cool. I wish they'd given us more this season on the angel war and how it's affecting the world, because that could have been really great. Having Crowley remember the Winchesters' code word was a nice touch. My only thought is that Abaddon went down way too easily, or at least it seemed like it to me. If she's not really dead, that'd be okay, but if that really was the fight to end it all, it was kinda lame. Overall grade: B+

Arrow - Streets of Fire: I've seen it twice and I still can't seem to manage to be coherent... It was amazing. From Felicity hitting Isabel with the van, to all the Team Arrow action, to the Lance family awesomeness, to Slade at his window watching the city burn, it was all perfect. And don't even get me started on the Olicity scene in the clock tower. Felicity balances Oliver out so perfectly, and they are perfect together. I was intending to save the highest marks for the finale, but this episode deserves all the points. Overall grade: A+

Hawaii Five-0 - O Ka Pilo 'Ohana Ka 'Oi: After last week's powerful ending, this episode fell a little flat, though it was still good. It felt more like a mid-season setup episode than a finale - the story was pretty much self-contained, with the only question being exactly what Wo Fat is up to. I think Grover will bring an interesting dynamic to the Five-0 team, if the show can find a good balance between character screen time. It was nice to have a finale that wasn't a cliffhanger, but there are a whole lot of unresolved questions from the season that have yet to be addressed, and I was surprised that none of them were touched on. Overall grade: B+

Last week on TV - Apr. 27th-May 3rd

Yes, I'm down to only three shows that I'm actually caught up on. I'm still watching most of my other shows - I'm just behind, so no episode reviews for those.

Once Upon a Time - A Curious Thing: The good: Outlaw Queen is adorable and I ship them hard. Plus the number of snarky one-liners in this episode was amazing. And let's not forget the extremely shallow but also extremely important fact of the hotness of Charming, Hook, and Robin. I also liked that the good guys were actually the ones who cast the curse; it was a nice twist. The bad: the good guys casting the curse had exactly zero lasting effects on them. I know no one ever really dies on this show (except for Neal, and don't get me started on how that was a terrible way to get him out of the way for Hook), but for something to have a proper impact on viewers, it has to last for longer than a minute or two. Also, those monkeys are cursed people - you might want to think before going around shooting them. And then we come to my constant complaint about this half of the season - it's way too rushed. I really like the ideas, but the material covered in this episode alone would have been enough for at least two, and maybe three, more in-depth episodes. It wasn't terrible. It made me smile. But it wasn't as good as it easily could have been. Overall grade: B-

Supernatural - Bloodlines: Mediocre episode, which had a very different feel from a normal episode of Supernatural. That was okay, though, because it was intended as a backdoor pilot. However, it would have worked better somewhere around episode 14-16 of the season. At this point, three episodes out from the finale, with so many unresolved plot lines, I didn't want to be wasting time on an only-halfway-decent MOTW episode. Nothing I'd heard or seen up to this point had made me excited for the spin-off, and this didn't really do much for me either. The bad guy being human was obvious from the beginning - I'd rather have seen the werewolf girl die, and him survive as a super villain or something, though. The shifter guy is hot, the hunter kid is not interesting at all, and although I'll still probably watch at least the pilot for the spin-off, I don't see myself really getting into it. Overall grade: C+

Arrow - City of Blood: Loved it. Still rather incoherent with happiness. Loved how all the pieces played out, loved watching Oliver say his goodbyes, even loved that Laurel was able to give him a new purpose. There was no way he was going to be talked out of giving himself up. It wasn't that Felicity failed and Laurel succeeded. Laurel just had information Felicity didn't have, information she'd obtained at great personal cost. It's nice to see her storyline getting the payoff it deserves (yes, I like Laurel). I want to see Felicity get similar treatment next season. But for now, I will be satisfied with that perfect scene where they both knew it was very likely the last time they'd ever see each other, and their guards were both down all the way. I really thought he might kiss her then, but I think he didn't because he didn't want to make his impending death any harder for her to bear. Just replaying that scene in my head makes me scream internally. Only two more episodes left, and I am so psyched. Overall grade: A

Last week on TV - Apr. 20th-26th

I didn't get lazy this time around - these were actually the only three new episodes I watched this week. (What can I say? I got the complete Indiana Jones collection on sale and I've been making sure those discs all work...)

Once Upon a Time - Bleeding Through: This show loves to play six degrees of separation. Except here, it's more like one or maybe two degrees. It makes me want to tear my hair out. Best part of the episode: Killian around Emma - very well acted on Colin O'Donoghue's part. I actually do find myself rooting for Robin and Regina as well, even though that hasn't been given the development it should have been. Plus, Roland is adorable. That's about all the good stuff I have to say. Like every other episode in this second half of the season, everything felt rushed. I feel like they're trying to do too much, too fast, and none of it has the impact that it should. This show has actually struggled a lot with pacing, being in turns too slow and too quick with plot lines. I really could care less about most of the characters at this point - I'm just watching because I'm hoping it gets better again. Overall grade: C+

Supernatural - Alex Annie Alexis Ann: Bob Berens is awesome. This was a great MOTW episode that didn't forget about events in the larger world and season arc. Another plus was the multitude of well-fleshed-out characters. The brothers felt right, though the Mark is changing Dean in ways that are more than a little frightening. Jody Mills is always a great character, and I loved the way she was written this week. Alex/Annie was a little cliche, but then again, vampire stories are also cliche, and her character was likable and fleshed out well for only having one episode. I hope she sticks around with Jody and we see more of her later. And the momma vamp was also awesome - just the right mix of creepy hick and grieving mother. Basically, the ep left me feeling good about my show, at least until worries about Dean and the Mark start to creep in... Overall grade: A-

Arrow - Seeing Red: All of Sara and Oliver's disagreements finally came to a head, and she realized they really didn't work as a couple. (I think she may have headed off to find Nyssa...) Thea wasn't able to get through to Roy, in a twist on an overused trope. Felicity reminded Oliver of how far he's come (and hopefully he remembers who helped him get there). Diggle was just plain awesome, although he's not really that great a bodyguard when the attacker is hyped up on Mirakuru (not his fault, though - no one would be). And just so no one forgets, the people we were shown during Slade's first big declaration of his plans were Quentin Lance, who was thrown in jail and beaten up for being loyal to the Arrow, Roy, who has now gone nuts and become a killer, thanks to Slade, and Felicity. Makes you wonder what's coming for her. And Oliver is not going to be in a good place to fight back, not after watching Slade kill his mother in front of him. Moira's death wasn't a surprise, especially after she revealed that she'd known Oliver's secret for the past year. I was sad to see her go, because, like pretty much every other female character on this show, her potential was somewhat wasted, and now can never be realized. But I'm hoping for some good fallout. Overall grade: A-

Last week on TV - Apr. 13th-19th

Yes, I realize I went a whole month without writing up anything. And yes, I did watch more than two shows this week. I was actually about ready to call this whole experiment a complete failure, and give up, but then both of these episodes frustrated me so much that I had to write something.

Once Upon a Time - The Jolly Roger: I like Hook. I like the complexity of his character, and the way it's been developed up to this point. And it doesn't hurt that he really is a dashing rapscallion. But this episode wound up falling flat for me. Everything that I think was supposed to be a surprising plot twist was not. And then we ended with the overused cliche of the lovers who can't touch/kiss for some reason or another. Not saying that can't be done really, really well (see Pushing Daisies), but it can also be a total failure (think Dark Angel). And sadly, this is already feeling like the latter. I wanted to like this episode; it was centered on one of the best characters, and there were moments when I really felt like it had potential (watching Hook react to losing Emma could have made for a really good story), but it never got off the ground. Overall grade: B-

Supernatural - Meta Fiction: Interesting ideas, poor execution. I've found that with Robbie Thompson's scripts, I either really like them, or they feel very disjointed and poorly paced - no middle ground. And this episode was the latter. Sam needed more time to react to seeing Gadreel, and to seeing what Dean did to Gadreel. Gabriel felt off, but since he was basically just the result of Metatron writing fanfiction, I'd be willing to let that one slide. If all he's brought back for is a poorly written cameo (whether that be Robbie's or Metatron's fault), I'm going to be ticked, though. I'd really like to see that last eyebrow quirk pay off and him play a role in either the end of this season or the beginning of the next, but I feel like that's probably hoping for too much. And apparently the fandom was hoping for too much as we waited for Cas to find out about Dean and the Mark. That was probably the worst paced part of the episode. Seriously, guys? Ten seconds to show Cas' reaction?!? That should have been a scene right there! I swear, the only reason I didn't throw something through the TV screen was because at least Jensen and Misha put enough emotion into those ten seconds that I can pretend it happened differently and rewrite the scene in my head, given what they portrayed. This episode made me sad, because there were so many things that could have been brilliant and were just wasted. And now those opportunities are gone. Overall grade: C

Last week on TV - Mar. 2nd-8th

This is me attempting to get back to actually writing these mini reviews... I feel like this experiment is failing me.

Teen Wolf - The Fox and the Wolf: The way the Japanese internment camp/nogitsune origin story played out was incredible (and a perfect example of how to do exposition without boring your audience). And I'm a huge fan of Derek, Mr. Argent, the sheriff, and Allison all working together. Plus, having the sheriff comfort Allison was really nice - her breakdown made her seem more human and more likable. Gotta say, I'm loving Sheriff Stilinski a lot - he's smart, caring, and passionate about doing the right thing. Overall grade: B+

Supernatural - #THINMAN: Subtle, this episode was not... That didn't mean it wasn't good, though. I will admit to finding the Ghostfacers annoying the first time they appeared, back in season one, but after a few series rewatches, I've come to really like them. Yes, they're ridiculous - but it works for me. The story this week was interesting, the parallels to the Winchesters were nice, although more than a bit heavy-handed, and I actually really liked not getting to see Sam and Dean's reactions to those parallels quite yet. I also like it when episodes explore the darker side of human nature, rather than having a supernatural baddie - that's about the creepiest thing, in my opinion. Overall grade: B+

Growing Up Fisher - Blind Man's Bluff: This show is, in my opinion, a breath of fresh air in the arena of half-hour comedies. Sure, it's cheesy, and sappy, and fairly predictable, but somehow that's really working for me. It's refreshing to watch something that, while not being laugh-out-loud funny, still makes me smile because of the way it approaches living life. It's not yet another jaded sitcom, and I like that. The family interactions are well played, the blind-guy gag isn't overused, and I feel like all the characters have potential. Overall grade: B

NCIS: Los Angeles - Fish Out of Water: The Afghanistan storyline has dragged on too long. This week's episode should have been an exciting reveal regarding the White Ghost - Kensi obviously reacted when she saw him, and the audience is supposed to be left wondering who it could be (her ex-fiancee being the obvious choice). But I don't care anymore about who the White Ghost is. I just want the team back together, and Deeks to have his partner back. The LA case was decent, and Sam and Callen's banter was back on form. Also, I totally believe that Hetty invented the internet. Makes sense to me. Overall grade: B

Chicago Fire - Keep Your Mouth Shut: I'm just gonna come out and say it: Jones is an ass. I know she's probably going to undergo major character development, but right now I hate her enough that I really don't care. On a brighter note, I'm liking Severide's storyline, and also really liked Mouch finding himself without a couch - it was entertaining. Overall grade: B-

Arrow - The Promise: I liked this episode a lot. Was it my favorite of the season? Probably not, but it was up there. The best parts, for me, were little moments that stood out among the rest: Ivo's call to Jessica, Slade picking up the mask, Sara making Oliver promise to tell her family she died on the Gambit. And of course, Oliver donning the hood for the first time. Slade is a perfectly menacing villain - I'm looking forward to seeing more of him as the bad guy. Overall grade: A

Modern Family - Spring-a-Ding-Fling: The best part of this episode was Lily lying through her teeth and blaming everything on Joe. I totally used to do that with my younger siblings. I also liked seeing Haley step up and be there for her dad. She isn't mature yet, but she's getting closer. Cam and Mitch have been irking me in recent episodes and sadly, that was true again (which sucks because I did really like their dynamic). Overall grade: B-

The Tomorrow People - Enemy of My Enemy: I wish we saw more of Astrid and John and Russell, and less of Cara and Stephen. The show would be much better if they cut out the whole love tangle (it's not even a triangle - that's how messed up it is). Julian was a good enemy, and I felt like they wasted his potential. The only thing I really liked about the episode was Jedikiah - looks like Mark Pellegrino is stealing the spotlight on yet another show. Overall grade: C+

Last week on TV - Feb. 2nd-8th

I've been having trouble settling down and focusing enough to write full-fledged reviews of episodes, so I'm going to try something new - a brief overview of the TV shows I've watched each week, along with episode ratings. We'll see how that goes...

How I Met Your Mother - Sunrise: An average episode - I liked the overall idea of Ted finally learning to really let go of Robin, because that needed to happen before he met the Mother. The resolution to Marshall and Lily's fight was also handled well - marriage isn't about winning or losing, it's about doing what's best for both of you, which might sometimes mean letting go of a dream or two and replacing them with something that's better in the long run. Barney passing along the playbook was kind of annoying. Yes, he's serious about settling down with Robin so his legacy passes to someone else, but I felt like we'd already covered that ground already (and better). Overall grade: B-

Teen Wolf - Silverfinger: This show surprised me earlier this season by turning away from the teenage angst and toward something much darker, and the episodes this year have continued that trend. The revelation that Stiles is possessed by the nogitsune wasn't entirely unexpected, but I felt it was handled brilliantly. This episode raised a lot of unanswered questions about Stiles' mother and Scott's father, as well as cementing Melissa McCall firmly as an awesome character. The Yakuza side of the episode was a little heavy on exposition, but that didn't ruin what was overall an episode on par with the ones leading up to it. Overall grade: B

Almost Human - Unbound: Cop procedurals always fare better with an overarching storyline to tie together otherwise unrelated episodes, and although we've had hints at this storyline before with bits of information about Insyndicate, I felt like this episode took a huge step forward with that. It's good to have a personal "big bad" rather than just a shadowy organization, and Vaughn's connection to Dorian should provide some interesting plot avenues. I'm also really curious about "the Wall" and what's on the other side - the show is expanding its universe beyond the confines of the city, and I can't wait to see what's out there. Looking back, the episode itself wasn't anything really special, but the potential that it revealed made me very excited for where the show is going to go from here. Overall grade: B

Supernatural - The Purge: I tried to like this episode, I really did. But the humor fell flat, the MotW wasn't interesting, the resolution to the case was extremely predictable... I wasn't impressed. The episode's only redeeming quality (aside from the boys wearing less layers than normal) was how the scenes at the bunker were handled, especially the ending one. I love Dean Winchester more than any other character on TV, but that conversation has needed to happen for years now. It hurt to hear Sam say those things, but the only way the brothers will ever find a happy ending is if they're able to work through this. I just hope Dean can see it that way. Overall grade: C-

NCIS: Los Angeles - War Cries: The bad guy was Colby from Numb3rs. Also, for so being tiny, Nell can kick some serious ass. And am I okay with Kensi and Deeks being apart for this long? Not really... It was a decent episode, but ever since Kensi left I feel like the dynamic of the whole team and of the show has been thrown off. Overall grade: B-

Arrow - Heir to the Demon: Most of the twists in this episode were things I expected to happen. I really liked Nyssa and Sara being lovers, and was also impressed by how Lance handled the news that his daughter is bi. I was much less of a fan of the ending scene with Oliver and Sara - even though I can see why it happened, I'd hoped they'd both matured past that. The best scene of the episode was probably Felicity confronting Moira - two strong women facing off. And I was glad Felicity didn't let Moira intimidate her, even though I hate to see her hurting. Overall grade: B+

Modern Family - iSpy: I've really been appreciating the way the show has been dealing with the kids growing up. And having Haley finally find something that she's good at made me happy (as did seeing the pictures she took - those were sweet). The other storylines didn't hold my attention very well - they weren't really funny or interesting. That's really been the story of this season for me, sadly. Overall grade: B-

The Tomorrow People - Things Fall Apart: So Stephen's mom is a Tomorrow Person too... I saw that coming about five episodes back, but it sets up some interesting possibilities. I wish they'd explored Cassie's heightened powers more, but maybe that will come later. And I'm not sure how Stephen hasn't been caught and stripped of his powers yet, since it's pretty obvious he's not on Ultra's side, given his recent interactions with Jedikiah and the Founder. Overall grade: B-

Enlisted - Rear D Day: I'm still on the fence about this show. On the one hand, it can be really funny or even occasionally play the "Aww" factor, but on the other hand, it can sometimes be borderline offensive. I think this episode bothered me because I hated the way the military spouse was presented for most of the time, even though he was sort of redeemed in the end. And the way the soldiers treated him wasn't okay, which the episode pointed out, but it tried to make it seem funny first. Up until this point, the show was growing on me after an iffy first episode, but now I'm back to not being sure what I think. Overall grade: C-

And that's it for this week - sadly, it was a rather disappointing week for my episodic shows. The Olympics started yesterday, though, so that will be on my TV a lot for a few weeks here.

SPN "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" review

After months of waiting, Hellatus is finally over, and there's a new episode of Supernatural to talk about! Yes, I realize the premiere was a week ago now. Yes, I know that means this review is going up really, really late (beating the new episode by about an hour). But my desire to write died a horrible, bloody death early last week (literally - I was working on a creepy story and I think I killed my muse along with my characters), and I only just got around to heading out to the crossroads to resurrect it...

So, here we go, on what will hopefully be the first of many positive reviews this season.

Supernatural Season 9, Episode 1 - I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (season premiere)

Before I get into the minutia, I'd like to start by saying that for any season premiere of a show I really love, my expectations are generally extremely high. The anticipation has been building for months, I've seen every promo and preview clip, every interview, I've read all the spoilers I could get my hands on, and I've basically built my expectations to a point where it's practically impossible for the episode to actually meet them (I think that only happened once out of all the shows I've ever watched, with the premiere of Fringe's fifth season...) So I wasn't actually surprised when the episode wasn't everything I'd dreamed it would be, and was able to still really, really enjoy it for what it was.

Okay, time for the details.

First, "The Road So Far." What a great job encapsulating the entirety of season eight in one minute and forty seconds. Sometimes I feel like these lean too heavily towards just showing the best fights and such (which is still cool), but this one was really nicely done. It fit really well with the song that was used as well, and after having seen the episode a few times, I feel like the song worked nicely with the episode as a whole.

And then we're inside Sam's head (although we don't know that for sure at the start). This time through I had an interesting thought - Sam knows that the news is reporting meteor showers to explain the angels falling, which means at some level he is aware of the things he's hearing out in the real world. Which means that later on, at some level, he could very well have heard Dean and Ezekiel talking. I know Ezekiel wiped all the memories from the hospital at the end there, but what if Sam remembers? I don't actually think he will, but it hadn't occurred to me until now that if he does, he's not just going to be wondering why he was in the hospital, he's going to know what Dean and Ezekiel did. I hope I'm right and he doesn't remember, but it's still an interesting thought.

I'd also like to mention the way the camera keeps shifting slightly during the scenes in Sam's head, so that the angles feel off the whole time - it helps to sell the idea that this is a fluid environment, created solely by Sam himself. The way the later scenes are tinted also helps with this, as the world is lit by something that's not quite sunlight. It's a nice use of cinematography to allow us to visit yet another dimension, and it's also interesting to me that Sam's head now looks very different from Sam's head at the end of season six (more on that later).

SPN "Sacrifice" review

So this review is going up a little later than normal, but there's a good reason for that - I flew back to PA on the day after the episode aired, and only got back to Oklahoma this evening. I was still able to watch the episode twice the night it aired, and then actually wrote this review during my third, fourth, and fifth times through (gotta do something while you're sitting in airports and on planes) I just couldn't stop rewatching, and every time I did, I noticed something else I wanted to talk about... So, just a warning - this is a long one... Enjoy.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 23 - Sacrifice (season finale)

I think with this episode, it's appropriate to start with the ending, because it was the ending that totally blew my mind. My jaw literally dropped and I just stared at my computer screen in awe. I'm pretty sure it was one of the most incredible scenes in any Supernatural episode, ever. From the shots of the angels falling while their wings burned off, to the ones of Sam and Dean staring at the sky in horror, to Cas in that field with the streaks of light burning across the sky behind him, the entire thing was visually stunning. And when you combined that with the fact that this was a total game-changer for really the entire world, I was blown away.

It was something you might expect to see in fanfiction, not canon, but that just made it that much more of an unexpected twist. Castiel's grace being torn out - did NOT see that coming! And every single angel being cast out of heaven - nope, didn't see that coming either, not at all. And both of those things change everything.

Let's start with the angels. From what was said in the episode, it seems that they'll still have their power; they'll just be trapped on earth. And given what we know about angels, a lot of them are not very good guys (this may be the understatement of the year) Add to that the dissension in heaven for the last however many millennia, and having every angel suddenly restricted to the earthly realm seems like a really, really scary thing. Imagine thousands of angels suddenly duking it out in our world... If two archangels could destroy half the world when they fought, how much damage could happen now? The war in heaven just spilled out down to earth, and that doesn't sound good for humanity.

SPN "Clip Show" review

I really love writing these reviews - there's something about putting my thoughts about this show I love into a coherent form that makes me really happy inside. That's been true before of my other favorite shows too, actually, now that I stop to think about it... I totally used to use study hall every Friday in high school to write at least a page on my theories from the latest episode of Lost, and then later on Fringe had me staying up til all hours spitting out fanfiction tags to episodes... Writing something, anything, is how I process. And the more I love the show, the more emotionally invested I am in it, and the more I need to get those thoughts out and organized. Thus, episode reviews!

Okay, I'm done psychoanalyzing myself now. On to the actual review.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 22 - Clip Show

First things first - from what I've seen on the web, the fandom was rather split in their reaction to the episode. There were those who loved it and were raving about how amazing it was, but there were also people who felt gypped, underwhelmed, and confused. Personal confession time - I fall into that part of the fandom that tries very hard to sit back and enjoy the ride, rather than picking things to pieces or sitting around going "But it could have been better..." So... I liked this episode. Was it as good as the last two were? Maybe not, but then again, the more times I watch it, the better I like it.

That's not to say I didn't like it the first time around. I was totally yelling at my screen at several points in the episode, got rather emotional during those last four minutes, and proceeded to totally lose it as the episode ended. But after I had a few minutes to recover, when it came time to decide whether I was going to rewatch it that night or not, I wasn't sure. I thought to myself, "Self, that felt a little disjointed. I'm not sure if I'll watch it again tonight." So I went and watched Arrow (best episode of their season right there, I think), and then, since it wasn't even 11:30pm yet, I thought, "What the heck; why not?" and gave Supernatural that second shot.

And the second time through all those emotions were still there (I even yelled at my screen again... yeah), and on top of that, it suddenly felt much more coherent to me. Why? Well, I had zero idea what was coming that first time through (no spoilers, not even the episode synopsis, remember?), so there was so much happening that it felt a little like riding The Phantom's Revenge for the first time... One crazy thing after another, one reveal on top of the next, leaving me breathless and actually a little overwhelmed. On the second viewing, I knew what to expect, and could therefore spend more time appreciating the dialogue and the way things came together. And I really liked it, even more so the second time through.

Yes, there was a lot packed into this episode. Yes, you could probably have taken out some of the filler episodes and spread out the main storyline over more of the season, but that makes it harder to attract viewers who want to jump in and out of shows, which is why it really isn't done anymore. And there's something to be said for having such a fast-paced episode like this. I think it really worked well as the setup to the finale - there's nothing like a crazy roller coaster ride of an episode to get your blood pumping before you fly off a cliff next week...

SPN "The Great Escapist" review

It's Thursday, and that means it's time for a review of last night's incredibly awesome episode of Supernatural. I'd like to preface this review by saying that if I had attempted to write this last night, I would have gotten exactly nowhere, because I was too busy being blown away by how good the episode was as a whole. I actually watched it through once, sat and stared at my screen for a minute, and started it all over again. And was still speechless after the second time through (aside from phrases like, "holy freaking..." and, "wow... just wow") Yeah. It was that good. So if at any point in this review, I sound totally incoherent and overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of the show, you can blame it on me not having fully recovered from having my mind blown :)

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 21 - The Great Escapist

I don't really even know where to start with this (mind still blown), so I think I'll stick with starting with the very beginning. That seems like a very good place to start...

So... from the moment Kevin woke up in the boat, I knew it wasn't real, couldn't be real. Wasn't sure yet whether it was demons or angels messing with him, but it had to be one of the above. I hadn't seen any promo clips or previews or anything, having decided to go spoiler-free for these last three episodes, and that totally paid off here, because I was left wondering rather than knowing from the get-go that Crowley had him.

It was also evident from the very first scene that this was gonna be an amazing episode. I mentioned in my review of Taxi Driver that the character of Kevin had really grown on me, and this episode solidified that. These last two eps with Kevin have been really well acted by Osric Chau, and I've (finally) reached the point where I actually care about what happens to the character. Which is good, because the episode wouldn't have been nearly as gripping if I hadn't care about a third of its plot...

And was anyone else both highly impressed and highly amused by the fake Sam and Dean? It really felt like you were watching a Sam and Dean from a mediocre piece of fanfiction - where they're close to how they should be, and yet all the little differences scream to you that this isn't the Sam and Dean you know and love. Which, of course, is exactly what the show was going for.

Plus, I love Crowley, and so I was totally psyched to see him appear. Definitely my favorite bad guy on this show (with Lucifer a close second), and probably on my list of top ten bad guys on TV. He has the best lines... This week, the ones that killed me were, "I was born to direct..." and then, "I was thinking to myself, 'Self...'" Combine awesome dialogue with Mark Sheppard's amazing acting skills, and Crowley rocked this episode. He's a freaking smart bad guy, too - melting down angel blades to make bullets, paying off an angel to have an inside man, figuring out how Cas' mind works... Naomi's wise to be scared of him.

Okay, I have now written four paragraphs with the episode paused one minute in... Time to move on, I think.

SPN "Pac-Man Fever" review

Here's a bit of background for this post and then I'll actually get around to talking about the episode... The way this usually works for me is that I watch live, then if it's good (which this one was) I watch again within an hour or so, then I listen to it while I write the review. That way I have the audio to remind me of what I was thinking when I first saw it. Anyway. Enough non-SPN related talking. Let's get down to what's really important!

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 20 - Pac-Man Fever

I'd seen the promo for the ep, seen the preview clip, knew it was a Robbie Thompson episode - in short, I was insanely psyched for this before it ever aired. And rather than falling short, it totally exceeded my already high expectations (I think I may be in love with Robbie Thompson and his ability to write a totally awesome script...)

First, let me just say - Dean Winchester in a military uniform!! Yes, I know it's really shallow, but guys in uniforms have always done it for me, and man, oh man, did he look good.

Following that, I proceeded to shake with silent laughter at Sam's bedhead and Dean threatening to cut it, with said laughter increasing even more with the whole thing with the missed catch... "That's why we don't have nice things..." - Jensen playing Dean talking to Sam quoting Jensen talking to Jared - so awesome...

And while I hate seeing Sam hurting, I have to admit to loving Dean in protective-big-bro mode, which we got to see a lot this time around. I'm worried about what the last trial will end up doing to Sam, but I'm probably even more worried about what Dean will do to save Sam. Because we all know that he will do pretty much anything to save his little brother - even something monumentally stupid. So while it's been really great to get the "broments" (love, love, love Charlie channeling her inner SPN fangirl this ep...), and while I'm totally a sucker for the brotherly relationship that makes SPN what it is, I got all concerned right along with Dean every time Sam showed just how sick these trials are making him...

But on a brighter note - the Batcave has a shooting range!! So totally awesome. The fact that Sam can't even hit the target - not so awesome. And Dean repeatedly saying that they're gonna sit things out until Sam gets better - my insides got all knotted up because I'm pretty sure Sam isn't going to "get better," and I think the brothers both know that too, but Dean, as always, isn't gonna let go of his little bro (more on that later).

SPN "Taxi Driver" review

And in keeping with my resolution, here's the next review. Side note #1: I'm writing this while listening to the episode, so you'll be getting what I remember of my first impressions, plus whatever comes to me this time through.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 19 - Taxi Driver

This episode made me wish I'd gone spoiler-free... It was good, hard-hitting, but I think I would have been even better if I'd had no clue what was coming. Anyway. Down to details.

I was really, really pysched for this episode, given that I knew Bobby and Benny were going to be back (benefits of spoilers - kickstarting those emotional responses before the episode ever even airs), and then I got a little worried seeing Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner's names in the credits. Given that their last episode was barely mediocre, and that they haven't really been known for delivering top notch fare, my spirits dropped a little, but thankfully they didn't do too badly with this crucial piece of the story. I'm gonna give their script for this maybe a 8 out of 10 for dialog, and about a 6 or so for actual plot, but thankfully it left room for the actors to take an okay script and turn it into something great (kudos to Jensen and Ty especially, but also Jim Beaver, Mark Sheppard, Jared, and Osric as well)

Up to this point, I hadn't really been drawn into the whole 'Kevin Tran, prophet of the Lord' plotline (not that I hated it, but it hadn't fully caught my interest), but this time around, I really liked his piece of the story. From him answering the door with a frying pan loaded and ready (which totally cracked me up - Tangled reference, anyone?), to him going very much off his rocker (or is Crowley really in his head? I'm still not sure on my conclusion there), that whole plotline played out really well. And like I said earlier, kudos to Osric for playing the is-he-nuts or is-it-really-Crowley dilemma to the point where the audience doesn't know either - well done.

I also feel the need to commend Mark Sheppard on playing one of the best bad guys of the series. He always, always plays Crowley with just the right balance between creepy and pure evil, and I have to admit that even though he might be less powerful than Naomi, he scares me more. And it seems like he's getting close to figuring out what the boys are up to, which isn't gonna be good... Side note #2: since watching this series, I now see Crowley when I try to picture Screwtape. Which is awesome.

SPN "Freaks and Geeks" review

This is my new resolution: I shall work on my writing skills by writing reviews of the newest episodes of TV shows (starting with Supernatural, and possibly expanding my horizons if I discover that I actually like this). I'm not going for an official sounding review though - what you're going to get is my unfiltered reactions to the episode, which may oftentimes include more than a little fannish squee. You've been warned, so if you proceed, you do so at your own risk.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 18 - Freaks and Geeks

I have to admit to not really being terribly excited by the premise for this episode when I first read it a little while back. While I did like the character of Krissy when she showed up a season ago, the idea of a "hunter's school" sounded like sort of a lame idea - too much like an X-Men ripoff, and not enough like Supernatural.

That being said, I wound up really enjoying the episode. After watching for eight seasons, I've learned to sit back and enjoy each episode for what it is on its own, as well as in relation to the greater myth-arc, which basically means I can enjoy a good standalone episode just as much as one that's mythology-heavy. And while this was not at the top of my list for standalones (Yellow Fever, anyone?), it definitely had its moments. So let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Finding out from the opening that we were returning to classic monster lore actually made me really happy. I was just thinking the other day that we're most of the way through this season, and we've encountered only one ghost this whole time, a few werewolves (and even that didn't really feel like your classic monster), and our only interaction with vamps has been through Benny's story. Of course, this vamp story didn't end up playing out quite like a classic vamp tale, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. It's been way too long since we've seen anyone behead a vamp, and the idea of the cure has sort of sat around going to waste for a couple seasons now, so it was nice to see that pulled back in, however briefly. Side note: I think the chance to cure the girl who'd been turned also fit very well with how Dean has progressed this season - giving him on opportunity to save a monster rather than just kill it. He's come a long way, and it's really good to see that.