#TBT Merlin Review

Merlin is a BBC show which tells about the adventures of young Prince Arthur of Camelot and his servant, Merlin, in a kingdom ruled by “evil” King Uther (played by Sir Anthony Head) who has banned magic of any kind. Many hijinks ensue as Arthur continually underappreciates Merlin, who must keep his magical talents a secret. The show hits on many of the high points of any Arthurian story, including Guinevere, Lancelot, Morgana, Nimue, Mordred, the Sword in the Stone, the Lady of the Lake, and the Round Table. There is a lot of magic and magical creatures; in particular there is a dragon “friend” of Merlin voiced by the late Sir John Hurt.

I would call it very kid-friendly for the most part, especially in the earlier seasons when the bad guys are obvious and the solutions to the problems are funny. One of the first things I noticed was how clean it was; they barely show any blood, despite the frequent battles. Some of the stories do play out like a simple

One thing I like about the show is it has the ability to play two different tones. It can be completely light-hearted and hilarious, with line deliveries and innuendoes and antics and a musical backdrop that is playful. It can also be very dramatic and emotional, much like other fantasy shows I’ve seen. There are character deaths and high-stakes moments, betrayals, captures, battles, and tension, so much so that you are held captive at the edge of your seat. Sometimes the show does both of these things in the same episode. Sometimes the show picks one or the other.

There is a long time span from the start of the show to the end. Even though in reality it lasted 5 seasons and therefore 5 years, at least 10 years and probably more goes on over the course of the show. I like this, because there is so much that happens between episodes that you can headcanon and there is a marked difference between the characters at the beginning and the end.

The fun game was trying to recognize all the actors. Many of them were in Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Games of Thrones, or other British things. This was fun to do, to see actors in similar or completely different roles. My favorite was when Harry Melling, who played Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter, played a sorcerer on Merlin.

I have found this show, like many others I have discovered over the years, to have a small, but strong and active fandom. Since I had never heard of it until I stumbled upon it on Netflix, it is good that I found there was a fandom, still thriving. I recently found a fanmade script for Season 6 I am still making my way through. The power of fandom is amazing.

Will I watch again? Probably

#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

#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

#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

#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 

#TBT Dollhouse Review

First watched in: 2014

I’ve heard Dollhouse described as the black sheep of the Whedonverse, and I can see why. For someone who’s had experience with Firefly or the Buffyverse, Dollhouse is something very different. I still enjoyed it, and like with anything else, I get more out of every runthrough. For new watchers, I would recommend to watch the show as close together as possible, especially in the second season. There are many details and nuances to the world that can get lost if you spend too much time between episodes.

Dollhouse is a Joss Whedon original that ran from 2009 to 2010 and starred Eliza Dushku, of Buffy fame. It gives the audience a look into a Dollhouse, which are places where people, called Dolls, can volunteer to have their personalities and memories removed for five years and instead get rewritten with different personalities and skills depending on the demands of the extremely wealthy clients, becoming "actives". That’s the point of contention; in a way, it shows human slavery. These volunteers (well, sometimes “volunteers”) have no free will. The argument is whether or not the personality and the body are two separate things, and the show gets a little into the morals of it all but was cancelled before much of the lore could fully develop. It’s a different kind of show, that’s for sure.

In retrospect, I saw this show as a bit of an actor’s vehicle. Over the course of the show, the people who played the Dolls had many different personalities, which included accents, tics, likes and dislikes, talents, and mannerisms. There was an instance where one of the scientists put his personality into a Doll so he could have an assistant he trusted. The actor who played the Doll was phenomenal, getting everything from vocal inflections to hand gestures spot on, so much that you really didn’t notice it wasn’t the scientist. Yes, the purpose of being an actor is to play all these different people, but having to change so quickly and give their characters full backgrounds and personalities, sometimes several in the course of an episode, is talent. There’s no other word for it. Some actors discover different layers to their characters over years of playing the same person. That’s not the case here. There’s only 26 episodes.

Fans of other Whedonverse shows will appreciate actors such as Eliza Dushku, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Alan Tudyk, and Summer Glau. It’s always a treat to see familiar actors in different roles.

Dollhouse, despite its controversial themes, really lays out an enjoyable story that makes the viewer think as well as entertained.

Would I watch again? Yes, but probably not for a while

#TBT Torchwood Review

First watched in: 2014

Torchwood is the made-for-adults spinoff of the popular show Doctor Who, with the simple premise of “cop show with aliens”. The Torchwood team in Cardiff is part of an organization that investigates different strange and extraterrestrial things around the area and properly makes contact and saves the day, unbeknownst to most people in the city. It’s overall pretty good.

Fans of Doctor Who will appreciate the appearance of Captain Jack Harkness as the leader of the team. Torchwood delves more into his backstory, answering questions you didn’t know you had about his life before we meet him in “The Empty Child” and after “The Parting of the Ways”. There’s also special guest appearances by Martha Jones, 10’s companion in Season 3 of DW. However, you could also watch this show without ever seeing Doctor Who. Besides the appearance of Martha and little references to the Doctor, it’s mostly a self-contained show.

The show has four seasons, technically. You could also just watch the first two seasons and call it a day. It follows the alien of the week format with a couple small running stories. There’s plenty of adult content and language that I would immediately put a flag on it and say definitely not for the PG crowd. The third season is a five-part story with an interesting premise: a potential invasion of Earth and The Doctor is nowhere to be found. How do humans react? This season does wrap up the show pretty well, but there is a continuation in the fourth season. I’ve only seen it once, and I think once was more than enough. It is a ten-part story that again presents humanity with a worldwide dilemma (no one can die) and we see the disastrous results. This season feels different than the rest of the show because it is set in America and was produced by the BBC and the American network Starz, which is where it aired.

I am more partial to the characters and situations found in the first two seasons. There’s some downright spooky episodes, as well as heartbreaking ones, but all the way through that is humor and heart. The Torchwood office just seems like a cool place to hang out: underground with a pet pterodactyl. There’s complicated relationships and cool gadgets and aliens and creatures and flashbacks. What more could you ask for in a sci-fi spinoff that doesn’t have a TARDIS?

Would I watch again? Maybe, if I’m in the right mood

#TBT Star Trek: Enterprise Review

First watched in: 2016

Star Trek Enterprise aired in the early 2000’s and takes place before the time of Captain Kirk. I actually enjoyed this concept, from the realistic nature of growing up in a world slowly exploring the universe to the absence of the traditional Star Trek things like transporters. A lot of the show felt comfortable and familiar, and seemed like a logical look into the future. Yes, if we could travel in space sometime in this century, this is what it could look like. This is what we would wear, this is what we would eat. It has a different feel than the 90’s shows, which makes sense since this is a different era in the history of the Federation (well, technically, it’s even before the Federation). That doesn’t mean it’s bad.

My main quip I had with the show was some of the storylines. I did notice that there were plots similar to stories found in DS9 and Voyager, like the crew having to be put asleep while the non-affected life forms could run the ship. I’m sure, though, that at this point in the life of Star Trek there’s only so many plots. I was more interested in the characters and the overall story of the show, not the individual episodes.

As always, the characters are an interesting assortment, pretty diverse in a typical Star Trek way. There are less main characters than a regular Star Trek series, and their jobs are slightly different. The only aliens are a Vulcan and a new species, a Denobulan, who is a somewhat cuddly, very bubbly change of pace. Everyone else is a human, but that fact that they are from a near future makes them feel familiar.

If you’ve seen the other shows, you will enjoy a lot of the little nods to things that are being developed. This show also explains things that were previously unexplained in the other series, like why the Klingons in TOS looked like they did when they looked so much different in later series. Whether or not you feel like you need that explanation is up to you.

Since I have not seen TOS and have no loyalty to Kirk, when asked “who’s the best captain” in some ways I think you could answer with Archer, captain of the original Enterprise. He did many things that Kirk and Picard and Sisko and Janeway did, except without most of the technology and knowledge the members of the galaxy are equipped with during the time of the other series. You have to give him credit for that. Overall, this show is enjoyable if you keep an open mind about it.

Would I watch again? Maybe

#TBT Star Trek: Voyager Review

First watched in: 2016

Voyager is considered by many to be the weakest of the Star Treks. I had this perception going in and was a little nervous, afraid it would unfunny, boring, and a waste of time. However, I didn’t think it was awful or deserving of the criticism it continues to receive. The concept may be a little overused as far as sci-fi concepts go (a ship thrown to the other end of the galaxy and they have to get back home), but I think it was overall well-handled and realistic, if you can call anything about Star Trek realistic. The second half is stronger than the first half, definitely. I’ll give you that. If you are a new watcher, push through the first few seasons. You will be able to see a marked difference, particularly through a new addition to the cast.

Speaking of the cast, it was a very diverse cast, both in terms of actors and the species and characters they portrayed. I got to see answers to questions I never knew I had, like what happens to a hologram that’s left on all the time or what happened to Native American tribes in this future or what happens when a Borg stays out of the collective for a long time. They also delved more into Klingon and Vulcan lore; the Vulcan in particular was enjoyable since I haven’t seen TOS and therefore, Spock.

Of course I appreciate Janeway as the first prominent female captain. Though women have had strong roles on the other Trek shows, there weren’t any female captains that stayed for more than a couple episodes. She was a very strong leader, up there with Picard and Sisko, having to make tough decisions no one ever had to make before.

It’s a different show because there are always several layers to the story going on at once. Voyager needs to get back to the Alpha Quadrant; that’s the main goal. There’s several stories that deal with this idea, whether they’re looking for more fuel or debating whether they should even go back or just settle down somewhere. But then there are also main character-centric episodes that give many of them well-developed arcs. My only complaint with this, going back to my DS9 review, is there are very few secondary or recurring characters, and fewer who get whole episodes dedicated to them.

The Voyager theme is my favorite of the Star Trek opening themes. Something about it just evokes a journey, heroism, and strength, something the crew had much of. That’s why I liked this show better than I thought I would. It is a complete story, showing a journey, literally and figuratively. It’s not as bad as mainstream nerd culture would make it out to be.

Would I watch again? Probably

#TBT Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Review

First watched in: 2016

Deep Space Nine is my favorite of the Star Treks. I’ve seen it twice and loved it both times. There’s a feeling of completion and satisfaction at the end, the idea that all roads led to there. Everyone’s story was finished. What is started in the first episode, ends in the last episode. And there’s quite a journey to take, despite being on a space station and therefore not really out exploring new worlds. You grow to love these characters and feel so protective of them as they go out to war over and over again. I cried when I watched the finale. Both times. That doesn’t always happen. So you should totally watch it.

My favorite episode is definitely "Far Beyond the Stars". It takes place in the 1950’s and shows the struggles of writers of a sci-fi magazine, especially the woman who writes under a pen name and the African American man who isn’t allowed to have an African American protagonist. It is a brilliant episode that uses science fiction to portray racial issues of the past that can carry over to today.

The main crew is an interesting assortment, carrying over the characters Worf and O’Brien from TNG, and bringing in new species, like a Trill, a Bajoran, a Ferengi, and a shape-shifter. And they’re all great characters who grow and learn and all those wonderful things, but what intrigues me more about DS9 is how much emphasis is placed on the secondary characters. They have centric episodes and arcs and relationships and backgrounds. From Nog to Garak, there is more to the DS9 crew than those whose names appeared in the opening credits. There’s even a character who doesn’t say a word in the entire series, and he has an episode all about him. A lot of these characters aren’t exactly “good” or “bad”, but sport a few shades of gray that varies from season to season. I love it. The main villain is a delight too, but I’ll let you discover him on your own.

Though the title of “favorite theme” will have to go to Voyager, I still enjoy the DS9 theme song and title sequence, especially the beginning, with the rock slowly moving through empty space until, in the distance, you see the station. Also, in season 7, there is a small scene with music therapy that I adored and listened to several times on my first watch (right after that I began transcribing it and hope to cover it some day). The little hints of music in Star Trek are always fun.

Deep Space Nine is a piece of science fiction that I will continue to watch and recommend for many, many reasons. Give it a watch!

Will I watch again? Yes!

#TBT Star Trek: The Next Generation Review

First watched in: 2016

Star Trek: The Next Generation was the first Star Trek I ever saw. My dad would have it on occasionally when I was younger, because he enjoyed it when it was on air originally. I knew some of the characters through these occasional viewings. So when looking for something to watch during spring semester last year, I decided to start TNG from the beginning, skipping right over the original series and holding onto my small amount of knowledge about Captain Picard, an android, and an annoying kid named Wesley.

It was…good. Not mind blowing, but definitely entertaining once it hit its stride a couple seasons in. Definitely some boring, strange, and confusing episodes, but some good, thought-provoking, funny, and beautiful episodes as well. Alien of the week episodes were interesting, even though most of them just seemed like humans but with a strange extra custom. I also enjoyed episodes that employed the holodeck as the source of the week’s problem or enjoyment; references to modern and historical literature and music were a nice touch to remind us that this could be our future.

I’ve found, through a little poking around online, that Star Trek is known for its easy fixes to problems, so some of that annoyance of frequent last-minute solutions was resolved. The only thing I had a problem with was the use of time travel as a frequent plot device. I kept muttering to myself, “This has more time travel than Doctor Who”. It seemed like every few episodes they hit a rift or a wormhole or a time loop and they used time as their antagonist for an episode. That’s an exaggeration, but I can be picky like that.

Data the android is definitely my favorite character of the TNG set. It was enjoyable to see him grow as a character and as a “person”. He gets a cat and learns how to paint and play the violin (and the oboe, my instrument!). It is because of his character I enjoyed the non-organic characters on the other series as well. The other characters on the show have interesting and varied backgrounds and arcs, like any other show, but Data’s intrigued me the most.

Looking back, after having seen the rest of the series except TOS, TNG was probably my least favorite. I’m not sure why. It might have something to do with the fact it was the first of the 90’s series and unlike Deep Space Nine and Voyager, didn’t have a set story arc because it was following in the footsteps of the original Star Trek, carrying on the Enterprise’s journey. But I’m still glad I watched it.

Would I watch again? Probably not for a while, if at all

#TBT The One Where I Review Friends

First watched in: 2015

*clap clap clap clap*

Soon after the Internet and my peers freaked out about Friends being added to Netflix and after my parents told me they enjoyed it while it was on TV, I decided to give it a try. I liked it, I really did, enough to give it a rewatch. But it’s been about a year and a half since then and I haven’t had a desire to watch it again since.

One thing I did enjoy about Friends was even though the show took place in the 90’s, much of the humor transcends the century shift and remains funny even today. The same troubles we all have involving jobs, relationships, and friendships existed twenty years ago. They all grow up, in a way, over the course of ten years, and I’m sure anyone who watched the show who was the same age would feel like they grew up together. But for everyone else, the college kids who have latched onto them and refused to let go, it’s a show giving us a glimpse of what the future could be like, and it isn’t always a happily ever after.

Some of the stereotypes and overacting in some cases bugged me, but the more I look into sitcoms, the more I find that the “situational comedy” part of the writing comes first, the character development second. It’s easy to write situational humor that everyone can relate to when all you have are stock characters to work with. The reason Friends stood out was it didn’t always fall into the cut and paste trap and their actors had a crazy amount of chemistry from the first season on. It still had its flaws, though. No show is perfect.

My least favorite character was probably Ross and my favorite character shifted between Monica and Chandler, depending if one of them just did a stupid thing or not. And therefore it’s no surprise that I really wasn’t all that invested in the Ross/Rachel relationship, unlike most everyone I know who watched. The interesting thing was, I could see a bit of myself in every character, and that must be why Friends has stood the test of time and wormed its way into the subconscious of another generation of twenty-somethings.

The main takeaway from it is we should all be so lucky as to find such a close-knit group of friends as them. Friends is definitely here to stay, in the greater scheme of American culture. That’s a fact.

Would I watch again? Probably not for a while.