Criminal Minds 12x20 ‘Unforgettable’ Review

“Unforgettable” was great! This is an episode I’ve been waiting for, and I didn’t even know it. I can see how the season will come rushing to an end, and it’s exciting.

We get an episode that revolves around a close friend of Stephen Walker, and we do get a couple flashbacks to take us into the past, to Russia, where they bring back the ideas of his past as someone who had to travel a lot and the fact that he could play the trombone (hey, I pay attention to music-related details!). The question that was posed was if Sam was sick because of things they did in Russia or was it completely unrelated? Turns out it was. True, he was irradiated by using a Russian technique, but he was not the target.

After several weeks of the unsub being a socially awkward twenty-something white male with some kind of misogynistic or other mental problem, it was a woman. Granted, it was a woman whom we did not see until they caught her, but I guess that was the point of the episode: it could have been anyone you meet on the street, wrong place, wrong time and all that. If you think about it, poison is traditionally a woman’s weapon. It makes sense the unsub was a woman. I liked it; it reminded me of a couple episodes of NCIS, especially an episode with an ex-KGB agent and similar poison pellets.

Spencer's mom visits him.

The final thing I need to discuss is of course Reid, who is still being treated poorly by the guards. His lawyer arranges a visit with his mother. She is rather confused as to why he is there. Spencer is somewhat glad to see her and tells her exactly why he is there. I did appreciate that: he was very straightforward, “I’m in prison waiting for my murder trial”. The best and worst part of this was the amount of guilt his mother feels over learning he is there, partially because of her. He tries to reassure her, eventually Scratch would have caught up to him. I wished they could have hugged each other.

The meeting was over and theeen…we meet her new nurse. She’s younger and Reid instantly recognizes her, even though she gives a different name. At first, I was suspecting she was going to be the person behind the radiation attacks. Then it was better. It was a girl from a few seasons back. I recognized her, but I can’t remember the exact story; I think she was kidnapped, or maybe her father was the unsub. Either way, she’s turned to the Dark Side and somehow Mr. Scratch found her. She’s the one who killed Nadie. This is the plot drop we’ve been waiting for. Let’s go go go!

9.5/10

#TBT How I Met Your Mother Review

First watched in: 2014

Readers, this post is a review. A review of How I Met Your Mother.

How I Met Your Mother is a sitcom that is what it sounds like: a man telling his two kids how he met their mother. Of course it takes 9 seasons to get around to it, but you can tell yourself it’s all worth it in the end. It’s really just following along five friends in New York City as they struggle with adulthood, relationships, jobs, and life. Yeah, I know that sounds familiar (*clap clap clap clap*). You can compare Friends and HIMYM all you like, but they have some key differences (and I definitely prefer HIMYM).

My favorite part about the show is how unique it is in its form of storytelling. There are many times there are stories within stories, flashbacks, flashforwards, little foreshadowing hints throughout an entire season, and even examples of characters recounting events in different ways. It really feels like someone is telling you a story, and on rewatches I can appreciate the crazy amount of continuity. If he says something happened 2 years before it did, you can be sure that 2 years later he will get around to sharing that story. There were only a handful of loose threads at the end of it all.

Another thing that draws you in are the characters. Sure, they may start a little stereotypical, but by the end of it all you have gone on a 9 year journey with them and they have definitely grown up. They all go through things you have gone through or imagine you will, and you can easily relate to them. They all have catchphrases and mannerisms and personal touches that make them easily recognizable. There are also many running jokes and stories, such as The Slap Bet, which make for funny additions to any story.

Since this is a story, there is also a small bit of the fantastical mixed into it. Some things are overdramatic or glossed over, things that shouldn’t be possible in the real world but we’re working with it for the sake of this story. I often found this very funny, instead of annoying; it’s a story, so it doesn’t have to be completely realistic.

A final thing I really enjoyed about the show was the amount of music in it. 4 of the 5 main actors could sing, and the creators took advantage of that by giving them little musical numbers that both worked in context and out of context. I always enjoy a little bit of surprise music in the shows I watch.

HIMYM is the show I continually turn back to when I need some cheering up. Give it a watch, and hopefully it does the same to you.

Will I watch again? Yes

Once Upon a Time 6x18 "Where Bluebirds Fly" Review

SPOILERS

Okay, so it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Captain Swan domestics made me melt in a puddle. And I really get why Snowing is getting all…Snowing about the upcoming wedding, but I really was not enjoying those scenes. I was actually a little invested in the other story. I know they needed a light-hearted storyline and a way to stick Snowing in there somewhere, but it got a little tedious after the second cutaway. Perhaps it’s because I’m rewatching the series as well and early season Snowing is just so good. “Wanna elope?” “I’ll bring the rum.”

The whole focus of the episode was Zelena. We got to see a young Zelena rescue a baby bird with a completely new character, Stanum, and then we get to see an older, bitter, Wicked Witch Zelena almost brush him off, but then decides to go with him, not admitting to herself that she is lonely. It turns out he is slowly turning to tin due to a curse and he needs to find a magical heart to break the curse. On their way, they fend off a ferocious lion who ends up being a coward (the animation was so good there; his poor face was so sad. Also, “king of the forest” was a nice little reference). I have blocked out a lot of the middle seasons so I can’t remember if they have ever had the Scarecrow, but this is the first time I remember them doing this part of the Oz story.

Regina tells Zelena to go back to Oz.

Zelena was very “Zelena” about everything and against everyone’s wishes made her way down to the mines to meet the Black Fairy. It is obvious she is more powerful than Regina. The Black Fairy uses Zelena’s magic to turn the crystals dark, and Zelena ends up giving up her magic in order to set the Black Fairy back and turn the crystals light again. I really thought she was going to jump to Oz and live happily ever after with Stanum or something, but this was close enough.

I think Killian summed up my feelings about her best: “How is it when she’s not the villain we’re fighting she’s the villain we’re fighting?”

Next episode we are getting some more Rumple and Black Fairy backstory, and possibly the waking up of Blue. Storylines are wrapping up so quickly; I’m really excited. Also, I didn’t realize they were actually doing a musical episode this season! This is going to be awesome; I can’t tell yet if it’ll be a one-off or a “Once More, with Feeling” situation. I’m game for either. It’s like “The Prom” with Buffy or the party with the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi: a little bit of fun before the most likely heart-wrenching season (series?) finale.

8/10

Doctor Who 10x02 "Smile" Review

SPOILERS

“Smile” was another episode that seemed to hit all of the things that make Doctor Who great: scary monsters, a look into the future, good dynamics between Doctor and companion, and a few comments as to how we are living our lives today. It was really good.

This episode starts with Nardole reminding the Doctor that he is not supposed to leave Earth; he needs to guard the mysterious vault (I was reminded a bit of Three – I hope they do not wait too long to reveal what the Doctor is doing with the vault!). Bill is asking all the right questions about the TARDIS, like why the chairs are so far away from the control panel. The Doctor seems excited to be showing someone around. He gives Bill the choice of past or future and, like Rose, she chooses future. The Doctor takes her to a near future where the humans have evacuated Earth and they are populating other planets. She is blown away by the cool future with cute robots and plant-based food, but that excitement doesn’t last long.

The Doctor and Bill meet an emoji-robot.

The Vardies right away reminded me of the Vashta Narada  (another instance of bringing back similar past monsters) and were therefore very creepy, as they tear through the humans so quickly and leave just bones seconds later. That made some of the chase scenes really scary; even though they were smiling, they were smiling to keep from dying.

The coolest part was how much sense all of it made. The robots developed their programming beyond just making the people happy: they wanted to eliminate all sadness. When a colonist died and people became sad, they all started being killed off because the robots thought they would be better off. The robots created the city (they were the city) and became, in the Doctor’s eyes, a life form with ideas and motivations. And to top off this technology-heavy episode, the day was saved by turning them off and on again so they forgot all their new programming. That bit made me laugh out loud.

I was expecting the commentary on our modern social media use to be a bit more obvious, but maybe that was not the point of the episode. I think my favorite bit was when they put on the badges and they couldn’t see their own moods, and the badges flew to their backs. They are forced to look at each other’s faces as they talk to each other. This is reminiscent of something I’ve talked about in my communication classes before: texting is so blunt, and it’s hard to figure out your tone, so we eventually created emojis to help with that. However, emojis are no substitute for looking a person in the face and reading all of their unspoken words.

The Doctor overshoots somehow and they end up in London in the past. There’s an elephant on the Thames and who knows what’s going to happen next!

9/10

NCIS 14x21 "One Book, Two Covers" Review

SPOILERS

I really liked “One Book, Two Covers". After hearing so many little hints about Torres’s past as an undercover agent, it was nice to see his past catch up to him, in a way. Most of the episode was about him, and the title of the episode definitely refers to him. It’s not his first “focused” episode, but probably my favorite. The episode was pretty plot heavy as well, and since the focus was so much on Torres the other characters felt like they were barely there.

I do have to say, a dirt bike gang who robs banks is a first for me, and a first for the show too. Maybe I don’t understand the gang mindset, but “Rosewood Boyz” is a kind of silly name. Whatever. So when the leader of the gang went to prison, because of Torres and his “snitch”, Royce Layton, Royce was placed in Witness Protection for his own safety and Torres never checked up on him. He probably should have, because it turns out Royce took over as the leader of the Rosewood Boyz.

I predicted the wrong bad guy! I have yet to figure one out; maybe I will by the end of the season. I figured Royce Layton was not the bad guy. I guessed they would not even show him, but I was also not too surprised when they had Torres turn up on his doorstep; definitely in character, Torres broke the rules and did his own investigation, tracked him down, and chatted, not really suspecting a thing, and allowing for the line about him making pottery drop as a little hint for later. And he would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that pesky clay that sticks to everything! The whole scene at the end when Torres finally confronts him and then chases him down on the dirt bike was pretty cool. Though I did predict Royce would make a run for it as soon as Torres took his eyes off him. That’s a trope I’ve seen way too much of.

Royce shows Torres his pottery wheel.

Abby had a nice little bit of humor as well. Untraceable: “That word is blasphemous in the house of Scuito”.

Torres did have some nice moments with Gibbs, including an elevator chat which lets out a big secret about his old case. In typical Gibbs fashion, he says “you did the wrong thing for the right reasons…never do it again” and then he just forgets about it.

8/10

#TBT Firefly Review

First watched in: 2014

Firefly is one of the best examples of a show cancelled way before its time. It's a Western set in space inspired by the Civil War. That might be a little confusing as to how it all works out, but it does. The cast is top notch, it is funny but also dramatic, and of course, it was created by Joss Whedon.

The show takes place in the far future, long after Earth has been rendered uninhabitable and the remaining superpowers, the U. S. and China, seek out a new galaxy. They form a government and set to terraforming as many planets as possible. Some thrive, others don't, and there was eventually a civil war between the rich inner planets (Core) and the poor outer planets (Rim). The aftermath of the war has led those of the losing side to resent the government and turn to lives of crime to get by.

Firefly follows around a group of smugglers (first mate, pilot, engineer, and weapons expert) led by fearless Captain Mal in their Firefly-class ship Serenity, along with their passengers: a genius sister and brother on the run from the government, a preacher called a Shepherd, and a high class prostitute. I can't really speak much as to character development or centric stories, since there is so little to pull from, but what I did see was really good with much potential for what could happen in the future. I wanted to know more. The characters are funny, with almost all of them having an oft-quoted line attached to them (“curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal” “big damn heroes” “the special hell” and “no power in the 'verse can stop me”).

Surprisingly, they never come across any aliens. However, that doesn't keep it from being a good sci-fi show. The production value is pretty high. The music is really good. A lot of it has that Western feel to it, twanging strings and the like that sets you immediately in the Wild West and is perfect for the dusty plains and gun-toting scenes that happen juxtaposed to a spaceship getaway and lasers (the genre-bending really does work). It also lays the groundwork for future commentary about the government, like any good sci-fi show.

The fans ended up funding a movie, called Serenity, which wrapped up the story for the characters and is a must-watch for anyone who has finished the show. I didn't know about it when I first watched Firefly and was really sad at the very open ending the show left. Luckily, many fans felt the same and only a couple years later did this movie happen. (Another fun fact: I researched this heavily for a research paper on fandoms I wrote a couple years ago). Watch it, and add your voice to those still angry at Fox over twelve years later.

  

Would I watch again? Yes

Once Upon A Time 6x17 "Awake" Review

SPOILERS

“Awake” wrapped up two plot threads, which only brings us closer to the end of the season and possibly the series.

The pixie flower is a new magical device that was introduced in the episode, and I really didn’t like it, just because it was a new thing that appeared and magically solved their problems. Their explanation made sense; it only appears in the presence of great evil, and the Black Fairy is apparently the biggest evil out there. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The cryptic preview from last week made a lot more sense. They did not re-write the series, but rather showed a bit into Storybrooke’s past in which Snow and Charming manage to wake up thanks to the pixie flower Snow finds. They are able to see Emma as a young girl and have the choice to claim her and raise her, or leave her alone and let her grow up to be the Savior and save the town in the future. It was a really touching scene, and it was nice to see Snow and Charming back in their early selves. I liked seeing them integrate themselves carefully into the town and I really liked the scene with Charming and Mr. Gold, how Emma’s name “wakes him up”.

Snow and Charming outside of the gateway to Emma.

Killian Jones finds himself captured by Tiger Lily, and then the Lost Boys, and through a bit of magic sap he manages to send back a message to Emma with his shadow. I really liked Tiger Lily and want to see more of her. I’m glad she escaped; does that mean she will be back someday? It kind of seemed like a waste of using Neverland, though without Pan is it really the same Neverland anymore?

Snow yet again chooses to sacrifice her own happiness for her daughter and makes her take the pixie dust from the last flower to get Killian back (let me also just remind everyone that Gideon was the one who left one flower – he is still pretty annoying in the sidelines but not as evil as he could be). Finally we have him back, with words of forgiveness and a proper proposal this time. The unnecessary drama of the last few episodes is resolved and Emma has enough support to bring her into the Final Battle.

Regina convinces the townspeople to share in the sleeping curse and weaken the power of the curse. They do and it lifts the curse. Again in a callback to the early days of Snowing, the pair wakes up and sees how much the town supports them. And this (sort of) unnecessary drama of the sleeping curse ends as well. Everything is being cleared away and getting ready for the Final Battle, whatever that will be.

Since I’m not a fan of Zelena or the Black Fairy, I’m not really looking forward to next week’s episode, though maybe I’ll get lucky and one will kill the other.

9/10

Doctor Who 10x01 "The Pilot" Review

SPOILERS

Doctor Who is back and it was pretty pretty good. This season is going to be amazing, hopefully with fewer clunkers than in the previous two seasons. “The Pilot” gave us a lot of information. We are introduced to Bill and she is in turn introduced to The Doctor and the TARDIS. There’s a lot to go over, so I’ll keep it to the main points.

I can’t tell you how much I loved the first half of the episode. Even without adding in the “weird girl becomes ‘pilot’ for random space alien” subplot, there were so many little details. For example, we could see Nardole has a robot body. The Doctor is still playing guitar and he is spending his time lecturing about anything and everything. On his desk is a picture of River Song and a picture of (I can’t believe how long it took me to figure it out) Susan, along with all his old screwdrivers. When Bill tells him she has no pictures of her mother, he creates some for her. So much love and little hints. I really liked Bill, and Capaldi was just his regular awesome self.

The Doctor and Bill run from Heather.

Second half of the episode got us into the first alien of the season. I’m sure I’m not the only person who thought this was a mix of Midnight and The Waters of Mars. How do you make a scary new alien? Combine two previous scary aliens. This was a genuinely creepy alien; I was a little on edge throughout the whole thing. The fact that it could move so quickly was scary, and the bit when it was mimicking a Dalek was chilling (I figured out this would happen before it did, since I specifically remembered this from one of the trailers). Despite being creepy, the alien was a little sweet (?), since it still had a bit of Heather inside of it and Heather wanted to wait for Bill, so the alien was trying to bring Bill along with it. So it wasn’t completely malicious; it was just something who wanted to get home but needed a “pilot” to get there.

The end of the episode had the most emotion attached to it. I couldn’t believe The Doctor was tempted to wipe her memory (obviously he wouldn’t because we know she is the season companion, but it was still interesting to watch), though I appreciated the fact that Bill saw what was happening and stopped him, asking him if he would like it if someone did it to him. Clara’s theme played a bit during this, recalling that scene at the end of last season. Twitter pointed out this is a nod to Donna as well. So he doesn’t and invites her along, apparently after some time. And TARDIS apparently means ‘what the hell’. The rest of the season looks amazing. We’ve got a dabbing Missy and, oh yeah, JOHN SIMM! Allons-y, fellow Time Lords!

10/10

Just a quick plug here about Class: I watched it. I loved it. It played Ten’s theme and name-dropped Buffy and OUAT. What else would I want? However, for this season anyway, I will be just watching for my own enjoyment. 

#TBT Angel Review

First watched in: 2014

Angel the Series is the spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There’s a couple crossover episodes, many crossover characters, and major Buffy series spoilers. It’s a good show, about the vampire Angel and his demon-hunting allies as they navigate the dark underside of LA at night. I think I like Buffy more overall, but Angel still has its high points. It’s hard to describe as a show, because the tone and purpose of the show changes with every season. The first two seasons are mostly monster of the week, a “cop show with demons”. Seasons 3 and 4 have strict arcs that most episodes adhere to. Season 5 is a moral and emotional masterpiece. My humble opinion is Season 4 is the worst and Season 5 is the best; there’s your motivation to get through the show.

On my first runthrough of Buffy, I didn’t even realize Angel was a show until it came up in my recommended shows. I watched it on its own, then I watched it alongside Buffy in order (because there is an order, with all those wonderful crossovers, like “Darla” (ATS) and “Fool for Love” (BTVS)). You could watch it either way and enjoy it. You could also watch it without seeing Buffy, but that’s at your own risk of spoilers.

Angel grows and develops the characters that leave Buffy in Season 3, most notably Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley. You get to see them have a full character arc that grows them beyond the stereotypes of brooding boyfriend, popular girl, and cowardly wuss as we left them on Buffy. Even the characters that Angel brings to the Buffyverse are interesting and add a layer to the already established lore. From the empath demon Lorne to the cool and calculating lawyer Lilah, it’s very clear that Angel the Series is not just about the growth of Angel the character. Unlike Buffy, in which almost every episode and storyline relates back to Buffy the character and her growth, all the characters in Angel have separate hurdles and growth.

The additions to the Buffyverse canon found in the Powers That Be, Wolfram and Hart, and the Shanshu Prophecy show that ATS is not just another spinoff. It has heart. It has those emotional gut punches you love and hate Whedon for. It is its own show, not overshadowed by its parent. It has its own messages and themes and stories and metaphors. Angel is a solid show best enjoyed as an extension of the universe first introduced in Buffy.

Will I watch again? Yes

Once Upon A Time 6x16 "Mother's Little Helper" Review

SPOILERS

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel with this episode. It was okay, and I was relatively dismissive of it until the very end.

Okay, so Gideon really isn't a thoughtless evil annoying person? His heart is being controlled by the Black Fairy and he somehow isn't able to tell his parents or Emma about what is going on? I am glad they gave us more looks into his past, as depressing as they are. His friend Rodrick was a nice touch. I was guessing he was the one who had stolen the key, and I was definitely predicting his death, but Gideon's raw reaction to it made it even better. He had a very rough childhood, I’ll give you that.

I hate the Black Fairy. Not just as a character, but a bit like Zelena. Once she starts talking I just want her to shut up. Too sickly sweet. Her and Gideon's relationship is a bit like Season 1 Henry and Regina (thanks for that idea, Twitter). I like it and don't like it at the same time.

So Blackbeard is a scumbag, but that isn't a surprise. Killian makes a wager and gives up the Jolly Roger in exchange for a magic bean, but because of the enchantment put on him by Gideon he isn't able to get back to our realm and is instead transported to a Pan-less Neverland. This might be interesting. My only quip with that scene is Blackbeard and Killian shouting as Blackbeard rows away. HOW can they hear each other? I know, that's the most unrealistic thing I found in this episode.

Blackbeard leaves Hook to the Lost Boys of Neverland

You know, I was expecting Gideon to really be a “good guy” this episode and everything would be fine: Killian would be back, Gideon wouldn't be wanting to kill Emma, and they would all be teaming up against the ultimate evil, the Black Fairy. I really did not expect Gideon to turn on her, though at that point in the story it was very much in character and we had not yet seen he was being controlled. Is he going to double-cross the Black Fairy and is only pretending to go along with her game? Probably not, but that would be a good twist. I am holding out the smallest bit of hope for him, that he will be a redeemable character, or at least have a good death and not cause Emma’s.

I must say I highly enjoyed the Hamilton tickets plug. No one has powerful enough magic to get Hamilton tickets. I'm glad Henry is getting a little more attention and can’t wait to see where they’re going with this “possessed Author” storyline.

It's the Final Chapter of the story book! Is this the last season? Apparently no one knows. I’m excited to keep this all going next week. A re-write of the entire series? The sci-fi nerd in me says, bring it on!

8.5/10

5 Things I'm Looking Forward To In Doctor Who Season 10

Less than a week before the premiere of Doctor Who Season 10! After waiting a year and a half for new episodes (minus the Christmas special), we finally get some new content, and it's going to be a countdown to Capaldi's end.

1. Bill

A new companion is always exciting, but Bill in particular seems funny, down to earth, and is a breath of fresh air, sassy and sarcastic and asking the right questions, a mix of Rose and Donna. And that's all we know based off of a few small previews. If that doesn't make you excited for the new season, I don't know what will. Like I've said before, I am really hoping that she is completely normal. No Impossible Girl, no Girl Who Waited, just a regular girl who happens to run into the Doctor.

2. Nardole

I don't care what others think, I really like Nardole. As I've said before, I really like when Team Tardis has 3 people. He's a great little addition, a little bit of guaranteed humor in a sometimes dramatic show. I hope we get a little more back story on him as well, since he's only had a handful of appearances thus far.

3. Missy

Who doesn't miss the Doctor's greatest frenemy? While Simm!Master with Ten will be my favorite, Missy was something a little different, an evil Mary Poppins who was the same not-entirely-sane that defines the Master. She always has a little trick up her sleeve and is equally willing to help or hurt her oldest friend. She's delightful. Sign me up.

4. Old and New Monsters

The most iconic things about Doctor Who are the monsters. Who doesn't get a little chill when you hear “exterminate” or “delete”? The trailer makes it clear that we will be introduced to different monsters, and there's always the possibility that some old classics will come back. I hope we get one that will become an integral part of the Doctor Who canon, like the Weeping Angels.

5. Capaldi going out with a bang

This will technically be my first regeneration; I got into Doctor Who the spring after Smith left, so Capaldi was the first run of a Doctor I will have watched from start to finish as it aired. Therefore, no matter how the show goes from here, Twelve will always have a special place in my heart. I really did like Capaldi and I can't wait to see how they're going to make this season amazing for him. I don't know if they've revealed if he is regnerating this season or at Christmas. The second trailer has a small shot of him starting to regenerate. I guess it will be obvious. I'm also wondering if they will reveal the next Doctor before the season ends, or sometime this year. So many things are unanswered!

I can't wait for Season 10. I'll be watching live on the 15^th and will be writing reviews for each episode, to go up on Mondays. I haven't decided if I will be doing reviews for Class yet. I'll decide when I watch the episode.

Criminal Minds 12x19 "True North" Review

SPOILERS

I kind of saw the ending coming, but “True North” was a really good episode. Just the right amount a drama to keep me hooked and nothing was ambiguous.

First, let’s talk about the weekly case. Again with the unusual. So we have a guy who is creating human sundials and using water and a shock collar to shock them, all out of some twisted revenge that he did not receive a college scholarship at a science fair. He ends up killing the kid who got the scholarship by using ideas from both their projects, the sun dial and the shock collar. He is also on his way to killing the woman who was the judge for the fair and didn’t give him the scholarship, but is apprehended by Luke and JJ. This is all after he mercy-kills his afflicted mother and attempts to kill himself. A smooth take-down occurs as JJ cut the power and therefore he couldn’t electrocute himself. Yes, he’s another revenge-bent 20-something white guy. I’ll let it slide. It was interesting.

The episode begins with the ending of last episode and a transition that shows us how Reid is coping with what happened. The team comes up with a strategy to get Scratch, but only if Reid identifies him in a cognitive, so they send Tara to talk to him. It made sense Reid was so withdrawn for most of the episode and was resisting Tara. He kept blacking out at the same spot as always, and became increasingly frustrated, completely convinced that he was the one who killed Nadie with the knife. He was also still feeling the effects of the last episode; he made a difficult decision, he’s feeling disconnected, and I believe he was starting to lose hope, which is why he kept believing the “I killed Nadie” narrative.

Tara guides Reid through a cognitive interview.

That ending, though! There were only two outcomes: it would either be Scratch, or it wouldn’t. I was guessing it wouldn’t, and I was right. But a woman! Nice. Finally we get a female bad guy. I wonder who she is. I’m glad that Reid pulled himself out of his misery for a minute and really focused and gave the audience what they wanted: a clearer look into what happened. Now we just have to wait to find out what happens next. Only a few episodes left! I knew things would start to pick up, and now they have. There’s a woman out there who wanted to frame Reid. Is she with Scratch? Is she alone? Will this carry into next season or will it be happily resolved in a month? I can’t wait to find out.

9/10

NCIS 14x20 "A Bowl of Cherries" Review

SPOILERS

You know what? I liked "A Bowl of Cherries".

I learned something! I didn't know ransomware was a thing and now I'm scared. Not really, but it's just another reason to make sure I have protective software and, yes, backing up everything. (I've learned that lesson without the use of a “Russian” hacker). As far as I know this show is pretty accurate in terms of what they protray, so this must be a real threat. I found it interesting they set up the virus so it seemed Russian. That is topically relevant and I'm guessing deliberately chosen, and that's all I will say about this.

The Admiral bugged me. I guessed he sent the virus to McGee on purpose, and then I was thinking it had spread to the entire NCIS network before they revealed it was just Team Gibbs and he did send it out of spite. McGee took all of this like a champ and it was nice to see him as “cyber-guy” again.

Gibbs coming out on top when it comes to technology is always funny to watch. He's got his hack-proof flip phone and has no sympathy for the “kids”. Little things like Torres going to take a picture of the file and ending up just taking it, or them going without GPS and using a map, were funny too and made me think about the early days of the show and how much technology has changed.

Gibbs shows off his "hack-proof" phone.

Torres was a gem. “There's a mission, a stakeout mission I signed up for.” and “Moms love me.” See, if I like a character their dialogue becomes even more enjoyable.

Cryogenics! It's a bit of sci-fi a computer nerd playing without a full deck tried to make real by using liquid nitrogen. Well, it worked. It worked really well, on the freezing part. I also didn't know cold spas were a thing. I guess I learned a lot in this episode.

I liked the synchronized tea drinking done by our favorite doctors. I hope there's an episode that features them a little bit more in the near future.

Part of me wants to go back and look through each episode where they are at the shooting range, if there is any significance to characters while they are there. It's been a while since we saw them at the shooting range last. I guess they do need to be re-certified.  

I don't like Quinn, so she was the only damper on this episode for me. I guess it was my bias against her that had me look at the whole “mother losing memory” story line without much sympathy (it was more like “they've already done this on Criminal Minds...and even on NCIS too!”). Oh well. Having an ongoing underlying story might make her a little bit more interesting.

NCIS will be back in 2 weeks!

9/10

#TBT Buffy The Vampire Slayer Review

First watched in: 2014

Let me be completely transparent here and say I’ve been in a Buffy mood pretty constantly since Halloween, and it’s kind of hard to write down how much I love this show in a 500-word post.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show created by Joss Whedon, based off of the movie of the same name. It follows Buffy Summers, the latest vampire slayer, and her high school and college years with her assortment of monster-hunting friends as they protect their town from all sorts of evil things that go bump in the night. It has been described as groundbreaking, particularly through the way it often flips stereotypes but not in an overly overt way. The main character is a little blonde girl, who very regularly goes into dark alleyways and completely destroys (usually male) vampires and other monsters. How’s that for different?

Buffy is definitely a different kind of show, one that will continue to live on and bring in new viewers for many years to come. It is continually the source of research as to its cultural impact and its many double meaning themes. It’s also just pure entertainment, between the typical high school storylines mixed in with literal demons, the struggles of growing up and taking care of yourself, and hilarious, clever dialogue that will make you wish you could be as witty in your life. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, it’ll make you think. What more could you want out of a show?

There are four episodes in particular that really stand out as groundbreaking in the history of television: one that’s completely silent (“Hush”, 4x10), one that takes place only in dreams (“Restless”, 4x22), one that has no music with a very raw storyline (“The Body”, 5x16), and one that is a musical that seamlessly furthers the plot and story (“Once More, With Feeling”, 6x7). The only downside to these is they are much later in the series and can’t be used to entice new viewers easily. However, knowing you have these to look forward to might be motivation enough, and once you get to them you’ll see why they are as acclaimed as they are.

There are seven seasons that each have a mixture of “monster of the week” and following an ongoing storyline. The first season is rough: low budget, last-minute, only 12 episodes, not very deep storylines. But that means it’ll be very easy to get through, and you really can’t skip it as a whole (though there are some individual episodes you could). Seasons 3 and 6 are probably my favorites, though all of them have their share of good and bad episodes and are liked and disliked rather equally amongst fans for different reasons. That goes for characters and storylines too. My favorite episode is definitely the musical, “Once More, With Feeling”.

Give it a watch; it’ll change your life.

Will I watch again? Yes, most definitely 

Once Upon A Time 6x15 "A Wondrous Place" Review

SPOILERS

Okay, maybe I was feeling a bit pessimistic last week. This episode wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It definitely isn't without its criticisms, however.

There was a bit of a parallel drawn between the two main couples of the episode, Captain Swan and Aladdin and Jasmine. They have problems of communication. Jasmine doesn't tell Aladdin the whole truth about what happened with Jafar and there is a whole bunch of not talking between them about how they really feel. It's the resolution of that which leads to Killian talking to Emma. I think the point of Ariel in this episode was to get Killian able to talk to Emma by using the magic seashell (otherwise, I don't know why she was there). Good. I'm glad they cleared that up just a little bit. It makes sense that Emma would not be sure what to feel during the bar scene. The writers do not want to make her completely give up on him, just ready for the end of the episode for the talking and to make the distance between them even more sad.

The whole Aesop's Tables sidebar was okay. It ended up being necessary but it took until the very end for us to understand the point. I wasn't quite getting into it. Yes, I was all for a Emma and Regina Girls' Night Out, but I wasn't into the Drunk Snow challenging some Vikings. (I think I found the definition of “shoehorn”.) Emma got some small catharsis by opening up to the bartender (not a mixologist, my goodness) and they made a big show of her wiping her tears on a napkin. I was really prepared to like Aesop but of course OF COURSE he was Gideon in disguise.

Continuing the Season 1 callbacks, the spell that had Agrabah trapped in the ring was broken by True Love's Kiss. Should have seen that coming, but I'm glad they finished up that storyline. Agrabah is found, Aladdin is free, and Jafar is a stick (I think he could have gotten a better ending but Jasmine being a badass was pretty good after a whole season of being generally whiny).

Jasmine faces Jafar again.

I never thought I would hear Captain Hook say the words “off-season tiki bar” but I did.

Next episode looks amazing. Not in a carefully-edited way either. The Black Fairy, Blackbeard, Never Land (!?), Isaac, Emma helping Gideon. It's looking really good. They'll drag out the Hook's gone story for a little bit since they haven't had a major character trapped in a different realm much this season (unlike the past with whole stories set in another realm). There are only 7 episodes left, so obviously they can't make Gideon not want to kill Emma anymore.

8/10

Sherlock 4x3 "The Final Problem" Review

SPOILERS

The Final Problem was problematic for much of the fandom. Some people seemed to think that Sherlock has devolved and the several year wait was not worth it.

While watching this episode, I was on the edge of my seat, not relaxing during the entire hour and a half. The labyrinth and Eurus’s game was one heart-pounding scenario after another. The game of the governor and his wife, the hanging men, putting Molly through an emotional wringer, and then making Sherlock choose between Mycroft and John…there was so much packed in the episode and it didn’t seem to stop.

I did laugh out loud with the reintroduction of Moriarty. I was so nervous for a minute that they did bring him back from the dead somehow, but I was glad that it took place in flashback. The little interruptions by Moriarty throughout the game did get a little annoying after a while, but I am glad they brought him back, just for a little, especially if this is the final episode.

The realization that Eurus was responsible for the death of Sherlock’s only childhood friend was chilling. I am glad that they did reveal what happened and it does explain so much about his past and his present. Eurus being the little girl in the plane did make me a little frustrated. It makes sense, her inner child reaching out to Sherlock as a cry for help. But it just did not give me a satisfactory feeling when it was revealed. I was honestly expecting her to die, either by Sherlock’s hand or by suicide. But she didn’t and was sent back to Sherrinford. I did like the bit when they played a violin duet.

I liked the ending. The series has come full circle. We’re back to the roots of Sherlock; it’s all about Sherlock and John solving cases. Moffat and Gatiss have wrapped it up neatly. I could have sworn they had planned another season, but I would be okay if this was the end. If they did continue it, I would prefer if they stuck to solving strange cases, not creating these demons for Sherlock to fight. The show that finished was not exactly the same as the show that started (though that can be expected, after seven years). Watching Sherlock as it aired was an interesting experience. It seemed to me like the fandom was burned out and ready to criticize more than enjoy. I watched it more passively than passionately. I’m not sure if I would rewatch it, but I would be curious enough to watch if there was another season. 

Criminal Minds 12x18 "Hell's Kitchen" Review

SPOILERS

“Hell's Kitchen” was a good episode. Reid's story keeps working towards an explosive resolution, and the unsub was more intriguing than usual.

I liked the unsub. Yes, he was a “bad guy” for kidnapping and killing those girls, but unlike many of them he thought he had a good reason to do it. The scenes with him were very creepy, mostly because of the darkness. He thought good blood would help him be in the sunlight; I loved the scene when he was sticking his hand in the sunlight and was counting the seconds. It was a nice little look into his mind and how he is thinking. I really enjoyed the contrasting shots of the busy, loud streets of New York City and the stark quiet and darkness of the unsub's underground place.

This felt like the episode was supposed to have an emphasis on Walker, but someone forgot to write a little bit extra for him. I liked the beginning and end with him calming himself (and Garcia and the unsub) with satanama, which is actually something I do with my fingers but as a nervous/unconscious habit as opposed to a way to keep myself calm (and I didn't realize it was a meditative technique). There were little hints into his background; he's been to Sri Lanka and apparently he has a daughter? And he was the one who tried to connect with the unsub after he hit him and shot him.

Reid makes a decision.

Reid had a lot to do in this episode. It is revealed to us that he has been keeping a journal and attending group therapy after the death of his friend Delgado. He is counting the days while he is in his cell. His voiceovers make it clear that he is struggling with his new life. At least we as an audience can assume and hope that this will all be over soon. I loved the look on his face when he saw Rossi. I'm so glad they showed another interaction between Reid and a member of the team.

I was excited to meet Malcolm until it seemed like Calvin didn't know him. And Calvin has been on a suspect list as someone who is not very trustworthy; I've been waiting for him to do something.

Maybe I missed something, but I'm not quite sure what Reid did. I guess he somehow poisoned the drugs, but I don't know with what. Whatever he did, it was spread to more than just the intended user, including his new acquaintance Malcolm and Calvin Shaw. I guess we'll find out next time.

9/10