Wednesday, November 18, 2015

'Lost Boys' -- Grimm 5x03


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Maybe it was just me, but I was expecting a bit more out of this episode. I was kind of expecting it to be a little more like the time when Monroe was kidnapped, but it wasn't anything like that ... in that I was never afraid for Rosalee. Well, to be fair, I wasn't exactly afraid for Monroe either, cuz I think that the writers realize what a good thing they have with Monroe (since he seems to be a fan favorite, and they'd have to be kind of stupid to get rid of him while people still like him), but at least when Monroe was taken, there seemed to be a bit of actual danger there. With this, there was no real danger, and I wanted to feel like there might be a little bit.

I was also kind of expecting that with the gang realizing that these kids didn't have any idea of what they were, that they would make sure that the kids were put into foster homes where they were other Wesen ... or that they would at least appear to make the attempt to help get the kids into Wesen homes; that way, they would learn the rules and history, and the gang wouldn't have to worry about trying to stop them from doing something crazy stupid later on. To just let them go back into the system without doing anything in the way of trying to take into account the fact that they aren't "human" doesn't seem smart. But maybe that's just me.

I'm also wondering if we're supposed to think that the person who was behind the door at the end of the last episode was the kid, instead of Juliette. The way that the kid had bruises on her face when we saw her at the end of the episode made me wonder if we're supposed to think that Juliette isn't there ... even though the writers have done a truly horrible job trying to convince us that she is. Maybe the kid got her bruises from fighting with Juliette? That could make things kind of interesting, with Juliette being all bitter that the kid tried to kill her.

I'm also getting the feeling that we're just supposed to kind of take it on Adalind's word now that Diana's Renard's daughter ... even though I'm still not at all convinced of that (just like we're supposed to take it on faith that his brother is dead, even though he was fine when we last saw him). The way that they try to make things mysterious sometimes, and then, just expect to accept some answer after they (seemingly) get tired of making something a mystery, is a bit annoying.

Also, is anyone else kind of getting freaked out by how Adalind is kind of becoming one of the gang? Sure, now that she doesn't have her hexenbiest abilities, she's saying that she would rather suppress them, but what happens when they come back (cuz you have to know that at some point they will)? She's going to go back to being someone that they can't trust, except now she'll be more of a danger to them, cuz she'll know some of the inner workings of the gang ... besides probably using Kelly against Nick.

'The Art of War' -- SH 3x07


Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, Jenny has become a zombie Anubis monster. Ok. But my question is: didn't the writers already kind of do that already with Irving and War? Are they going to go the way of the SPN writers and start rehashing old ideas? Ideas that weren't all that great in the first place? It kind of seems like they are.

And seeing as how we have now had a second mention of Norse mythology (first with the mention of Hel, and now with the mention of berserkers and mistletoe), it makes me wonder even more if Pandora is hiding out in Helhiem. Sure, Jenny has the shard of Anubis inside of her (and in a way, it might make sense for her to go to the Egyptian afterlife place ... sorry, don't know the name), but with the mentions of Norse mythology for no reason, it makes me get suspicious of the things that might end up happening. Plus, the writers of this show have never really tried to make sense with what they have been doing, so they may try to go into left field with some of the stuff that's going on.

I might also be kind of excited to see what was about to happen with Jenny, if it didn't feel like the writers were rehashing stuff from before, and if the acting from the actress who plays Jenny didn't feel completely stiff this entire episode. Usually, I really like her, but with this stuff ... none of it felt like it was real. It felt more like since she was expected to kind of be a zombie (or would the word we should be using be "vessel"), she didn't have to emote at all during this episode.

With the whole thing with Katrina finally being over, I was hoping that the show would pick up on some of the magic (forgive the pun) that it had when it first started, but it hasn't gotten any of that back. Instead, it's continued to stay stiff. For the most part, I don't think that's the problem of the actors, and is (instead) cuz of the writing. And the sad part of that is that the premise is a really good one, but it just hasn't been completely delivered.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

'Clear and Wesen Danger' -- Grimm 5x02


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I have the feeling that the writers want us to believe that it's the kid that's in the locked room that was at the end of the episode, but I really don't believe that it was her. I think that it's going to turn out to be Juliette. Yeah, I'm even more convinced that Juliette is alive, and that we're being led around by the nose (and the writers really want us to think that she's dead).

Maybe the kid is going to turn out to be in the same place, but somewhere else in whatever facility that dude Nick has been in contact with is camping out in, or maybe she's somewhere else; I'm not really sure where the kid may be.

And the more that I think about it, the more uncertain I am that Chavez was even after the kid. Wouldn't it make a cool twist if they were after Juliette the entire time, after finding out that she had turned into a hexenbiest, and they wanted to use her against the royals? It would certainly be a better plan than using the kid to get close to them, what with the way that the king had a thing for hexenbiests ... what if other members of the family also have things for them, and that "thing" can be exploited by the resistance?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Adalind say last season that she had checked, and the baby was completely human? As in that it didn't have any hexenbiest or Grimm abilities? Or am I completely misremembering what happened? Maybe the writers are just preparing us for changes that may happen later on with him? And maybe the fact that he was named after Nick's mom might also be an indication that he might have some Grimm abilities at some point? Or it's possible that I'm wanting there to be clues, so I'm finding them where there aren't any.

And if the resistance now has Diana and Juliette (and possibly the kid), I'm wondering if they might be planning on using them in conjunction with each other. After all, the two of them are both really powerful in their own right, and using them together would certainly make things interesting.

But then, maybe I'm just seeing what I'm wanting to see. Maybe it really is just the kid in that locked room. If it were Juliette, dude would probably have been hurt much worse if/when he came out of that room. He might have survived without an issue if it were the kid (having had more training than she has in how to fight).

Hopefully, we'll find out pretty soon who's behind that door, so I can stop speculating.

'This Red Lady from Caribee' -- SH 3x06


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Sooo ... Jenny is the new Death? If they do it correctly, I guess it could be alright, but I have the horrible feeling that it might turn the way that Irving turned out (where it was something that would have been really awesome, but ended up being a complete let down).

I almost have the feeling that they are going to end up using Jenny to get ahold of Pandora in whatever underworld that she's in. In a way, I kind of hope that she ends up being in Helheim, but that's only cuz of how much I love Norse mythology ... but on the other side, I really hope that it isn't Helheim she's in, cuz of how much I love Norse mythology (and I don't want the writers to mess things up).

But if Jenny turns into the new lieutenant of the Big Bad (the way that Bram was), that would make someone else attached to Team Witness working for a Big Bad. I suppose that it makes a certain amount of sense to come at the people attached to Team Witness, but I'd like to see someone who isn't attached to them be working for the Big Bad. It might make Abbie and Ichabod make stupid mistakes to know that someone that they care about is in danger, and that is smart on the bad guy's part, but ... I just want it to be someone that they don't know ... and for it the Big Bad to feel like more of an unbeatable threat than Pandora seems to be.

Yeah, I don't really think that Pandora is that much of a threat. So far, even though she seems to be a magic user that could actually cause some damage (unlike Katrina), she has been really underwhelming. A part of that might have to do with the fact that I don't care for the actress, and I am really unimpressed with her ability to "act".

Monday, November 2, 2015

'The Grimm Identity' -- Grimm 5x01


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Wow. Talk about working a little too hard to make us believe that Juliette is dead. And the more that the writers tried to drive it home that she really was dead (and how awkward it seemed when they kept trying to drive it home that Nick thought she got on the helicopter, but she didn't) makes me positive that she's alive. And that's not even counting my regular skepticism with not believing that a character is dead unless we actually see that character die on screen (and not even always believing that they will stay dead if we do actually see them snuff it ... like Sam and Dean Winchester).

I got the feeling that they want us to think that she's dead so that it will turn in this huge reveal that she's still alive, and that we're supposed to be shocked when it happens. But if it hadn't played out so awkwardly (and they hadn't tried to drive it into the ground), it might have ended up being the surprise that I'm sure that they are wanting it to be.

And I still really want to find out that the baby is biologically Juliette's. There was such a big deal made last season about how no one knows how much fallout there will be from the spell that Adalind used to become Juliette that it makes me think that we still haven't seen the end of it yet. And how much fun would it be to find out that baby!Kelly shares absolutely no DNA with Adalind, and for Juliette to find out that baby!Kelly is actually her child (from a DNA standpoint)? It would certainly make for an interesting thread in the plot.

Soooo ... it's the Resistance that kidnapped the kid and took Juliette along. What exactly do they have planned? It's obviously something against the Royals; it's just a question of what. Whatever they have planned, I don't have the feeling that it's going to work, cuz the writers would not be so silly as to get rid of the threat that the Royals pose. So, she may end up being freed before the season is up.

'Dead Men Tell No Tales' -- SH 3x05


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I was not terribly keen on this episode. A big part of that may have to do with the fact that I don't watch "Bones," and I have absolutely no desire to pick it up (as it does not interest me in the slightest). So, no, I didn't watch the "companion" episode of "Bones" that may have made some of the dialogue make a bit more sense (like Not!Angel knowing Corbin).

Also, it seems rather weird to me that the show that they picked to do a crossover episode with was "Bones," as the two shows don't really seem like they have much in common. The fact that one seems to rely so heavily on science, and the other is so much about the supernatural made the episode feel a bit jarring to me. It made a bit more sense when there were crossover episodes of "The Pretender" and "The Profiler" (I think that was the name of the show; I watched "The Pretender" but not the show they had the crossover with ... but I do remember it was about an FBI profiler).

It didn't really feel like all that much happened in this episode, other than finding out the reason why New York burned, and that Betsy Ross was a little more badass than we have already found out.

Captain Skinnyjeans starting up a new romance ... God help us. If this turns into Ichabod & Katrina part 2, I think I'm going to lose it. The writers seems to be kind of on point with Abbie and her FBI buddy, and keeping things interesting between the two of them (without getting to the point of making me want to stab someone with an electric pencil), but they've already proven that they don't seem to know what the fuck they're doing when it comes to Ichabod (and they're leaning that way with Jenny as well). What's been going on between Ichabod and his new love interest already has me getting impatient. I almost have the feeling that the writers have the idea that since he's from the past, the romances between him and someone else might be charming (or even a bit funny, in a "man out of time" sort of way), but they have a tendency to lean toward irritating ... at least to me, anyway.

I have a really bad feeling that the writers aren't going to pick things up in such a way that they're going to keep their viewership up. I have the feeling that the show may get the axe pretty soon, and I can't say that I'd be entirely sad about that. The premise is solid, but the execution isn't always what it could be.

Friday, October 30, 2015

'The Sisters Mills' -- SH 3x04



Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, it looks like there isn't going to be a huge fight between Abbie and Jenny about Abbie knowing about their dad, cuz Jenny already knew all about him. In a way, I'm not really surprised that Jenny went looking for him. I can see her being at least a little bit curious about what he was all about, and what his life was like ... just like I can also see her not wanting to get involved with him. Not ever knowing him, and having heard only bad things about him, I can see where she probably doesn't feel like she's missing anything by continuing to live her life without him. I kind of wish that she had told Abbie about what she had found out, but I supposed it's not really surprising that she didn't (for whatever reason).

I still get the feeling that their dad is going to play a role in something later on. Still not sure what that role may be, but I still feel like it's there.

I was glad that they were both able to be honest with each other about what they had found out about their dad ... finally. It's got to bring them closer together to know that they can trust each other a little bit more (at least, I'm hoping that's what will end up going down). I like it so much better when the members of Team Witness are open with each other, and everybody knows they can trust each other. There will be no more secrets in Team Witness. So it is decreed.

And I cannot be the only one that was wigged out by the MotW. It was more the way that it moved, and the fact that it felt so at ease with being upside down. Kind of thought that it was more creepy than clowns, and I think clowns are just about the creepiest things out there.

I keep getting distracted by how much I don't like the actress who is playing Pandora, and how much she is unable to act. If I were the little girl who she was talking to in the hospital, I would have been suspicious as fuck about her, and would have started screaming "I NEED AN ADULT!! I NEED AN ADULT!!" But maybe she did realize that homegirl was suspicious as fuck, and that's why she agreed to help Team Witness ... or it got her to over the hump to do what she needed to do, and she had already trusted them a bit before that.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

'Blood and Fear' -- SH 3x03


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Sooooo, Abbie is still keeping the fact that she's been stalking their dad from Jenny. Yeah, this isn't going to turn out well. Jenny is going to be pissed when she finds out that Abbie didn't tell her what's been going on with that ... and I think that Abbie was right about Jenny when it comes to whether or not Jenny would say anything to him (she will most likely confront him and try to find out why he ran out on them ... even though it may turn out that it wasn't as clear cut as all that ... at least that's what I'm hoping anyway).

Last week's episode was all about secrets (and how secrets are bad), and this week was all about fear. I'm getting the feeling that the writers are going to be leading up to something ... like there will need to be some sort of big reveal at the end of the season to help get rid of Pandora ... that maybe Team Witness will need to use the Shard of Anubis to help focus on doing whatever purging they need to do to get Pandora the hell out of Sleepy Hollow.

Speaking of the Shard ... I'm really hoping that it doesn't turn out that the "new player" that wanted the Shard doesn't turn out to be Papa Mills, but I have a really bad feeling that everything is going to lead back to him. It's the way that his picture is what Ichabod saw when he picked up Abbie's phone, and the way that the whole thing with Jenny and Joe goes back to his father, and Jenny's comment to what's her face about how Corbin was essentially her father. And if it turns out that he's not the one that wants the Shard ... I have a bad feeling that there's going to be something going on with him that the writers are going to try to turn into something Important.

I was kind of disappointed with the writer of this episode. As soon as I saw that the first dart wasn't going to make it into the Ripper's skin, my first thought was that Ichabod could just infect himself and get the Ripper that way. The fact that that was how it ended up going seemed far too easy, even if there was a fight in the process of turning the blade off. As soon as I realized that Ichabod had done exactly what I first thought he would/could do, my immediate reaction was "Oh, come. on." I guess I was just wanting something more than that.

Also, I have a hard time believing that he would have been sent home with an IV of drugs, instead of being kept for observation (at least overnight), when he had been infected with a disease that couldn't be knocked out by over the counter medications, and especially since he had been stabbed. It makes me think that either a lot of really weird things happen in Sleepy Hollow, or the medical community in that town are shit at their jobs.

I get the feeling that Pandora got to Abbie far more than Abbie is willing to admit. That look that she had when Ichabod was saying that he was grateful that they were homies again (and the way that Pandora seemed so triumphant) makes me think that she's far more freaked out by the whole thing than she's willing to admit right now; and I'm sure that Pandora is going to use that to her advantage, cuz why wouldn't she? It would only be the smart thing for her to do.

'Whispers in the Dark' -- SH 3x02


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Oh, this one is a bit late. I meant to do it earlier, but didn't get around to it; so, it'll be done now.

So, it looks like Jenny is now teaming up with Joe. I appreciate Jenny being given a B story line that is her own, instead of her kind of disappearing, since I like her, and I appreciate seeing another female lead that can take charge (except where the script needs her to fall on her face for no reason). And I think that I'm liking the idea of her taking Joe under her wing and showing him the things that Corbin showed to her, even if she realizes that this may not be the kind of life that he probably wants to be a part of. It kind of seems like it might do her some good to pass on what she has learned (and yes, that would completely make her Luke Skywalker in this scenario).

This whole thing with the Shard of Anubis ... who wants to bed that it's going to be the thing that is going to be key in getting rid of Pandora? The fact that it just suddenly became important now, right when Jenny's attention got caught by it, and started looking into it makes me super suspicious about it and what it's possibly used for. And what makes me even more suspicious about it is that as soon as she gets it out of wherever she's been hiding it, that's suddenly when someone else wants it. There's definitely something there.

I don't like the idea that Abbie is keeping the fact that she found their father a secret from Jenny. This doesn't mean that I don't understand her reasoning, cuz I completely do ... but that doesn't mean that I like the secret. If anything that the MoTW should have taught her, it's that secrets will have a way of coming back to bite you in the ass if you don't get them out in the open. Secrets can sometimes be a good thing, but in the broad strokes of a genre show, they are never a good thing ... especially when you have a monster that is essentially a Secret Eating Demon, who is coming after you for a secret that you know, and will not hesitate to also eat the other secrets that you are harboring.

I'm hoping that we end up finding out that there's nothing extraordinary about Abbie and Jenny's dad ... that he's just some normal guy, who couldn't handle their mom going (as it seemed to him) all crazy like. I want to find out that he truly does not believe in any of the supernatural stuff that is just Life for Abbie and Jenny, and he will think that they have inherited some of their mom's crazy if/when they try to explain what's been going on to him. I want the supernatural to come up and bite him in the ass, and for him to try to rationalize it all away. Part of it is that it seems like that would make for some good storytelling, since it will give Team Witness something to work against that is nothing but real world normal; but mostly, I like the idea that there are just normal people walking around the supernatural, who can't see what's right in front of them, and who actively refuse to see it (even when those who do see it are pointing right at it). Besides which, with all of the Destiny type stuff that they have from their mother's side, it seems like a good balance to have someone in their life who is just ordinary, and who thinks the supernatural stuff is bollox (having everybody believe, even if they see some crazy stuff, doesn't seem like it would happen).

Friday, October 2, 2015

'I, Witness' -- SH 3x01


Warning: Spoiler Alert

As I have said before, I am still not at all convinced that Abby and Captain Skinnyjeans are actually anywhere but Purgatory, and I'm also not convinced that they ever found each other while they were there. And nothing in this episode has made me think any differently.

I must give the writers a bit of a high five for have due who is living the thug life quoting "Annie" to Ichabod. Of course, Ichabod didn't understand what was being referenced, but even at this point, him not getting references like that has yet to become old. Him returning with, "Yes, it is, in fact, a hard knock life" (or whatever it was that he actually said) was kind of great.

So, the actress who played my least favorite character in A Knight's Tale is now the Big Bad for (at least) this season. I still don't care for this particular actress, but so far, she's already done more than Katrina did as far as the witchy way. Maybe she'll prove to be something more than a complete bore.

But speaking of her becoming the new Big Bad, I was rather disappointed that she dispatched Abraham so easily. Maybe she is supposed to be the person that the legend of Pandora is based on, and the writers have decided to make her a truly ancient witch who is not only superbly powerful, but also amazingly crafty (see what I did there?). Still, it doesn't feel like Death should be so easily dispatched, even if she is really powerful. It seems like he should have a bit more power at his disposal, seeing as he should have the power of the Apocalypse behind him, adding whatever he does ... plus, the writers seemed to be gearing up to making him the new Big Bad at the end of last season. Seems a bit of a let down that they just completely dropped that.

Speaking of getting dropped ... through a table. What the fuck with Jenny being all capable and ready, and suddenly having the table fall out from underneath her at the very last second? Ok, yeah, Ichabod and Abbie are the team here (not Ichabod and Jenny), and the writers probably wanted to have the Witnesses get their groove back (or should we be calling them "Destroyers" now?), but I did not like the way that they dealt with Jenny in that scene. They keep building her up as being completely awesome, and then, they have something shitty happen so that she gets knocked out in half a second. yes, bad things happen sometimes, but you know what? I'm kind of tired of the trope of the chick getting knocked out and lying there helpless. Yeah, yeah, this show does all sorts of good things with busting tropes normally; so when the writers seem to follow some, it bothers me (especially when the why and how of her getting knocked out was over something so stupid and pedestrian writing wise).

Also, while we're at it, can we just mention the utterly convenient cardboard boxes that happened to be just the right shape, and in just the right spot to break Ichabod's fall? I'm having a really hard time believing that they would have been there in the first place (and not in a trash compactor of some sort), or that they would have been in just the right shape, in just the right spot, and they would have been arranged so neatly (and without any obvious breaks or tears before Ichabod fell through them ... as though they had never actually been used for anything before that point). Sometimes this show just asks too much when it comes to the details.

But I will try to land a good note ... so ... I really like the new haircut for Captain Skinnyjeans ... I'm glad that the band is getting back together (at least mostly, since the writers seem to have written off Irving) ... and hopefully this new Big Bad will not annoy the fuck out of me the way that Katrina did toward the end.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Grandma Betts' Crescent Rolls

I just got a copy of the recipe from Rachael, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who would like to have it (having very fond memories of these rolls).


2 packages (2 T.) active dry yeast
¾ cup of dry milk powder (omit if using milk instead of water)
¼ c. sugar
2 cups of warm water (or milk)
-- about 110 degrees F.
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. vegetable oil (or melted butter)
5-6 cups of flour
Melted butter

Soften yeast in warm water. Stir with a fork after about 7-10 minutes and add dry milk powder, sugar, salt, and oil (or butter). Slowly add flour and mix with dough hook of electric mixer. Continue to add flour until mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You may need a little extra flour, but the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Knead in machine for about 8 more minutes. Spray the dough with a little olive oil and cover the plastic wrap. Then, place bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for about an hour, or until double in bulk.

Grease two large cookie sheets. Punch dough down and divide into two equal parts. Turn one part out onto floured surface and roll into a 12 inch circle. Brush the circle of dough with melted butter and cut into 12 equal wedges with a pizza cutter. Starting from the large end, roll each wedge into a crescent and pinch the pointed end under the roll as you place it onto the cookie sheet, leaving space to allow for rolls to double in size. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter. Repeat process with second half of the dough.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees after rolls have been rising for about 20 minutes. After they have doubled in size, bake in preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes. I bake one pan at a time and watch them to see how they are browning. Adjust time as needed. Sometimes you will need to bake slightly longer for rolls to achieve the desired color.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Thoughts about GoT, and the Season Five Finale

So, I just got my laptop back from taking it in to Best Buy for a cleaning (cuz it really needed it. It had been a few years, had been super slow for a while, was a pain in my ass getting onto the internet, and had started to freeze completely when I tried to get onto Facebook. Yeah, it was time), and I was able to catch up on "Game of Thrones" yesterday morning. I'm not sure that the father remembers that he gave me all of his sign in information (and I do mean all of it) when he first signed up with U-Verse, but he did, and I was able to use that to watch it. Granted, I have to use Starbucks' free Wi-Fi to do that, and it can be kind of awkward when it gets to the sexy time, but still, I'm caught up now.

The thing that gets be about the finale, wasn't anything that actually happened in it, but the reaction that people have had to the finale.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

I've seen people having a slight fit over the fact that Jon Snow died, and saying that they're not going to be watching the show anymore. I've never really reacted kindly to people who flounce in that way, and want to tell them that if they need so much attention (and want people to come running to them to try to convince them to not leave), then, they shouldn't let the door hit them on the way out.

But also, the people who have been kind of up in arms about Jon's death:

1) They should have read the books. That scene doesn't happen exactly in the show as it did in the book (such as the presence of Ghost. In the book, the scene ends with Jon calling Ghost over, and he has one of his hands in Ghost's fur, and it's left open as to whether or not Jon is going to survive the attack), but it's pretty close. If they had read the books, this scene should not have been a surprise (nor would Ned's death, the Red Wedding, the Violet Wedding, or numerous other deaths).

2) They don't seem to realize that they are watching a show based on books by GRRM. Dude is known for killing off main characters; he enjoys that shit. And the fact that he gets so much glee out of killing off main characters means that people should expect that sort of stuff and know that no one is safe. No one. And even if someone dies in the show that didn't die in the books, having read them, and realizing that no one is really safe should make it less of a surprise when someone who didn't die in the books bites it (at least, it seems that way to me).

And while texting my cousin after watching the episode, I had some really creepy thoughts. What if Jon doesn't somehow come back (in either show or book), and his face end up in the House of Black and White with Arya ... who takes on Jon's identity. Maybe she goes back to the Wall and starts leading the Night's Watch ... or maybe goes there and takes revenge for them killing Jon (either way, Sam would probably realize that it wasn't really Jon. The others probably wouldn't expect it, but Sam would). Or she could go to King's Landing and take the Iron Throne, or at least getting rid of the Lannisters as the family in power. Sure, that would mean that she hadn't learned anything yet from the lessons that they are trying to teach her about following the Many-Faced God, but if it came to her before she became a full on Faceless Man (she already knows enough to know how to take on someone else's face), it might not be a problem for her, but she fully becomes one of them, it might be a different thing.

Still, it struck me as kind of creepy to think that it might come to her, and she might be able to use it for some purpose. The amount of anguish that she would go through, knowing that her favorite brother had died. Even if she has taken the other deaths in her family kind of well (in that she's still able to function, even if they've given her a reason for revenge), it seems like Jon's death would come at her sideways and knock her to the ground.

And then, I was thinking that if he warged into Ghost, and then, he was able to warg into her (and his face came to the House of Black and White ... or even if it didn't) ... it would be like Jon died, but he didn't. I don't know that Jon would do that to Arya, since it would mean that he would kind of be killing her, but if Ghost was around ... maybe he could go back and forth between the two of them, and it wouldn't be that big of a deal?

Arg! Stupid brain coming up with crazy things that could happen.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

'Cry Havoc' -- Grimm 4x22


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, that was a giant pile of crazy, wasn't it?

So, we have someone to blame for the Jack stuff ... someone that will keep the police happy and away from Renard (so that he can continue being the captain, and no one will suspect that he was the one that was doing everything ... well, ok, so it wasn't technically him, but as he and Hank were saying, it would have been blamed on him if he tried to explain it). And they've left it open so that we will still have Viktor around, and I am guessing that he will probably be the king now, since he was the next in line after the king. And with Diana getting rid of the king, I'm guessing that things are going to be very different for the royals, since it seems that having her very early life with a Grimm has created a great deal of influence on her. It looks very much like she is going to be going along with the resistance, and she will be a great big weapon for them if they choose to use her that way.

I'm curious as to what was going on with the kid, and who she was talking to on the phone when Bud thought that Nick was calling her. Probably not Josh. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the FBI agent (whose name is escaping me right now) has something on the kid, and is using that to make sure that the kid does whatever it is that she wants; it certainly looked like they were setting things up that way for next season. But what could it be that the FBI agent has on her? Maybe she's holding Josh captive? The kid seemed a little bit cagy when Bud was asking about Josh, so it's possible that's what it was.

Juliette getting killed ... I know that there are going to be plenty of people who are probably happy about that; I have the feeling that she wasn't exactly a fan favorite, but I still would have liked to see her stick around. I kind of hope that this turns out to be a giant fake out, cuz I do like her (the old her anyway), but the writers do seem to have been gearing things up so that she wouldn't be brought back anytime soon. Still, there may be some interesting things that the writers could do in the fallout of the kid killing Juliette. Intellectually, I have the feeling that Nick will understand that she was only trying to save his life, but at the same time, I can see him being angry with her over it (even if there really isn't time to be angry with her, seeing as it seems like they aren't going to have time to even think and things are going to pick right up next season).

I just hope that we aren't going to see Adalind turn into one of the gang now that Juliette is gone and there will be a new baby. Not only does it feel like it's kind of weird after all the things that she's done to them already, but it also feels a little bit like it would be a replacement of Juliette, and if someone else comes into the gang it should be someone they know they can trust a little bit more than Adalind, and someone who wouldn't seem to be a bit of a replacement of a previous member.

Whatever is about to happen, I'm actually kind of hoping that the kid sticks around this time, and they don't get rid of her midseason (which I probably wouldn't have said at the beginning of this season).

Sunday, May 10, 2015

'Headache' -- Grimm 4x21


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm really disappointed that it turned out that Renard was "Jack." I still felt like it was far too much of an easy fit to have him be the one that was the killer, but I suppose going that way created some drama for him without taking too much away from what was going on with Juliette (which has been the primary story arch of the season). I'd also like it if they would come out and give some reasoning for why he kept coming to near water. There's probably a very simple answer, if a bit of research was done about spirit possessions, but sometimes it's nice when they just give us the answers as canon (since the writers' reasonings for things, and the way they have things work, may be different than the folklore).

Also, his story arch seemed to finish really quickly. Yeah, he wasn't part of the primary story arch of the season, but it seemed like we got the information about what was going on with him, and then, it was wrapped up within the next ten minutes. I think that I may have liked what was going on with his story arch more if it was in one of the tie-in books, where the writer would have been able to explore what the ramifications of what was going on with him were. It still probably wouldn't have been as much as I would have liked, since the tie-in books that are out right now aren't that long, but it still would have been better than nothing.

I'm also still not buying the idea that Adalind is suddenly the one with all of the answers, when the friend of her mother's was spouted as being super powerful and knowledgeable (and Adalind has been painted as more of a pretty face, and one that is more apt to use that pretty face to get what she wants, rather than getting into the more intricate spells). But maybe the writers are wanting to play around with (and broaden) her character somewhat, and I'm ok with that (since I do enjoy wanting to shake the fuck out of her).

I was expecting a bit more of the kid in this episode, but I suppose that getting more of her would have taken away from what they were doing with the primary story of the episode, and she did fulfill the function that she had been brought in for (to make sure that Nick knew that something was going on back at the house).

As far as Kelly goes, I wish that it wasn't so clear from the beginning of her appearance that they were using a body double and dialogue from previous episodes. It probably just came down to the fact that the actress wasn't available, but as soon as the double came out of the jeep, I kept thinking "body double ... body double ... body double," and it distracted me somewhat.

So, now Kelly is dead for real, and the royals have Diana. I get the feeling that Nick is going to want some serious revenge for his mom getting killed (and especially for the "What's in the box?!" moment), and he's going to rally the gang to storm the castle. If that's done, they'd probably be able to make an attempt at getting Diana back (which I don't think will be at the forefront of Nick's mind), and maybe she'll be reunited with Adalind and raised with her brother. I wish that Kelly had lived and had raised Diana into (at least) her teenage years. I still think it would make a very interesting exploration of the character to have a hexenbiest raised by a Grimm, and a half-Grimm raised by a hexenbiest.

I'm also getting the feeling that Juliette is going to be instrumental in the death of Kenneth, and the bringing back of Diana from the royals. There were too many points in the episode where she seemed like she was regretting her involvement with Kelly's death and the reabduction of Diana (and also like she was really starting to miss Nick). I have a feeling that she's going to switch sides again, try to help the gang, Nick's not going to forgive her, and that may be part of (at least) the secondary story arch for the next season. I do hope that a tentative peace is made at some point in the near future, and Juliette can go back to being somewhat part of the gang; Adalind has her moments where she's really helpful, but I don't think that she should ever really be trusted, since her loyalties are only really to herself, and she'll sell all of them out if she thinks that it would be the best thing for her. With Juliette, you know that there's a possibility of loyalty there, since she's proven that she has it in her (and got turned into a hexenbiest for her trouble).

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

'You Don't Know Jack' -- Grimm 4x20


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I feel like the writers are trying to make us think that there's some sort of significance to "Jack's" shoes in this episode. Either that we should recognize them as being someone's, or so that we will remember them for later on. And I am kind of getting the feeling that they want us t think that "Jack" is actually Renard, but I'm really hoping that it turns out to be someone else. Renard would feasibly wear the kind of shoes that Jack was wearing, he has been having lots of missing time (where in this possible alternate personality could be doing something), and he was at what's her face's house right before she was killed. It really does seem like they are wanting to lead us that way, but I'm holding out for it to be a red herring (since, in a way), it feels a little too much like we're being led around by the nose).

There is something going on with Renard and the water, I'm almost positive of that, but I'm still not sure what it could be. I wonder what it could be that would continue to draw him back to water, but I think I'll have to get a little more information before I try to even speculate on what it may be.

So, it looks like we're back to having Adalind without her powers, only this time it was of her own free will. From a writing standpoint, it would create all sorts of new possibilities between her and Juliette to have Juliette with the upper hand now (and being the one with the possibility of getting back at her for the memory spell she did on Juliette), but from a character standpoint, it seemed kind of stupid for her to suppress her abilities. Sure, it may have been the only real way for them to be completely sure that the potion worked, but it was pretty stupid of her to do so. She already knew that Juliette wanted to kill her, and that Juliette wasn't likely to want to go along with anything that would mean that she lost her new powers (especially if Adalind knew full well that Juliette was starting to like having all of the new powers that she has at her disposal). All she's really doing is leaving herself open to get killed (open in a way that she wasn’t before now).

I'm wondering what sort of affect this potion will have on the baby. Will he be all Grimm now, without any Wesen abilities? We've seen how Adalind getting her powers back only made Diana's powers stronger (even before she was born); is it possible that this potion will suppress that side of the new baby, or is it possible that it might suppress both sides? That would be an interesting development ... if he turned out to be your run of the mill human cuz of that potion. What I'm really hoping is that they don't turn around and have Adalind do something that will bring back her powers, only to make the baby's powers stronger; they already did that with Diana, and doing it again will be extra tired. But then, they are kind of rehashing her losing her powers again, so it's possible that they might try to do something to enhance the baby's powers while he's still in utero.

The burning of Aunt Marie's trailer and taking what they were able to salvage (which I'm amazed that they were able to salvage anything the way that the fire was going) to Monroe and Rosalee's (also with the talk of bringing back the kid in the next episode) makes me want even more to have Josh and the kid turn into the super librarians of the Grimm universe. I still want so bad for Josh and the kid to be like the Watchers from "Highlander: The Series" that it's kind of driving me crazy (WRITERS! MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!). After all, there has to be a way that they can make the information that they gather safer so that this sort of thing doesn't happen again; I never liked the idea of just leaving the trailer out somewhere (regardless of where it was) without anyone making sure that all the stuff that was inside of it was safe (look at all the generations worth of work they lost in that fire). Keep Josh and the kid in charge of making sure no one tries to torch the place, and there's a better chance that all of that information (and all of those tools) might make it on to the next generation of Grimms. Also, I think it's kind of great that Nick trusts Monroe and Rosalee enough to keep such valuable stuff in their house. I love the trust between the gang members like whoa (this is, of course, excluding Renard, since he’s not actually part of the gang proper).

Sunday, April 26, 2015

'Iron Hans' -- Grimm 4x19


Warning: Spoiler Alert

The save as far as "suppressing" the hexenbiest in Juliette seemed a little contrived to me. It wasn't just the idea that Adalind might be the one to make some sort of reparations for what she did to the Scooby gang (and continue to jump back and forth over the love/hate line), or that by helping them, she might get a clue as to where Diana currently is ... it was having a super powerful hexenbiest tell us, "Nope, there's no way that we can do anything about this," then, turn around and have Rosalee say, "Oh, yeah, I can probably figure out what to do if I had the book Adalind used ... yeah, I completely have an idea ... oh, yeah, psych," and then, have Adalind come back and go, "Oh, yeah, there is something that we can do. I kind of half-remember this thing that my great aunt told my mom once ..." Sure, it isn't a cure that she kind of remembers, but it's still something that might help get her somewhat back to what she was before.

I'll admit to being of two minds about this suppression spell that Adalind kind of remembers. One the one hand, I want Juliette to be a hexenbiest and have all sorts of awesome powers that could help the gang later on (and so she isn't just The Girlfriend); but on the other ... I'm not digging what the writers are doing with her character right now. I want her to have the awesome hexenbiest powers, but still be herself. But maybe the suppression spell could let me have my cake and eat it, too. She could go back to being herself, and the hexenbiest stuff might come out in unexpected ways (and times). That could be interesting.

So, now we know that the new baby is going to be a boy, and that makes me wonder if it might change the dynamic of his nature (as apposed to him being a girl ... which may have been more interesting). If he's half Grimm and half zauberbiest, he'd probably get the boost of strength from both sides, but from the way that it's looking, he'd likely not be able to do any spells (which seem to be what the hexenbiests can do exclusively). It might help him if he chose to lean more on his Grimm side than his Wesen, especially if he ended up being a fighter. And if he met up with Diana one day, it could create some interesting confrontations between the two of them.

I still think the idea that this new baby is genetically Juliette's to be kind of a cool one, and I would like to see what would happen if the writers decided to go that way with it. But then, I also like the idea of how Diana and the new baby could possibly react to each other would be interesting if they were biological siblings. Either way, it could be kind of cool.

Juliette working for the royals ... nothing good is going to come of that. Even if she changes her mind at some point (like if the gang is able to get the suppression spell working and into her system), the royals would probably make it very hard for her to get away. They might even make it more hard for her than they might for Adalind, since Juliette knows so much about Nick and can be used so effectively against him; and not having grown up in the Wesen world the way that Adalind has, I wonder if there would be unexpected pitfalls and traps that she wouldn't see coming if she tried to get away. Sure, Adalind hasn't had it completely easy when dealing with the royals, but it seems that she at least knows the game that she's in to a better extent than Juliette does, and wouldn't be completely blindsided when something doesn't go her way (since they're likely to have all sorts of things up their sleeves). And she's got to know that she's being manipulated by the new guy. Even if she' angry, getting into bed with the royals ... that still doesn't seem like a good idea.

WTH is going on with Renard? What do you want to bet that he brought something back with him when he nearly died?

Saturday, April 18, 2015

'Mishipeshu' -- Grimm 4x18


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'll admit to being glad that the writers branched out a bit and did something that wasn't based on European folklore or fairy tales. Sure, they've done a bit of that before now, but I dig the fact that they were using a Native American story for this one. I have the feeling that if I felt like I knew enough about any of those cultures to use their folklore in my own writings, I probably would, but I don't feel like I know enough (and I don't want to be offensive).

I also really like the fact that what they were dealing with wasn't a Wesen, but was something else. The idea that the world is far more varied than just Wesen, Grimms, and normal humans makes me all kinds of happy. Sure, they've also done some with things that aren't Wesen before, but to have it sprinkled in the show again is nice.

I have the feeling that the writers may be starting to explore something with Juliette that would be akin to them exploring exactly why hexenbiests are the way that they are. Maybe the reason why they seem to be on the vindictive and manipulative side has to do with their powers somehow. Maybe the ability to access those sorts of things mess around with their brain chemistry? If they didn't have access to their powers, or they used them a different way, would they be a different kind of people? It could be that I'm thinking about this too hard, or in completely he wrong way, and only really using the bitch that Adalind is and the bitch that Juliette is becoming (from the shock and such of her life changing so very much).

Also, as much as I like Rosalee, I'm having a bit of a hard time believing that she would have figured out something that would have stopped Juliette from being a hexenbiest anymore, when Elizabeth's friend didn't know of anything that could stop it. I suppose it could be headcannoned that said friend had never bothered to try and find anything that would have stopped someone from being a hexenbiest after they became one the way that Juliette has, but I really don't like the idea of brushing it off like that. Still, maybe the way things are going with Juliette, maybe it might be a good thing if they get the hexenbiest powers out of her. She's started going to a really dark place with them, and she's turning into someone other than herself ... someone who looks like she might leave the gang and do something incredibly stupid, which I don't want her to do (on either count).

Sunday, April 12, 2015

'Hibernaculum' -- Grimm 4x17


Warning: Spoiler Alert

MotW ... even more so than normal this week. Normally, I have no problem with that, but this one didn't really grab me and felt a bit more like filler. But I will admit that the Varme Tyv had me thinking that maybe that could have been where the legend of the vampire came from (which may have been partially what the writer was going for).

I kind of wish that Nick hadn't been there when Juliette when to see Monroe and Rosalee, if only cuz I want Juliette to get her footing back, and I get the feeling that she won't as long as she keeps hearing from or seeing Nick; I also get the feeling that she may have been able to get something close to what she has been looking for from Renard, if she had been able to talk everything out with just Monroe and Rosalee (cuz let's face it, they are the den mothers of the group). But having Nick not be there would mean that we wouldn't have the drawn out torture that is Juliette wrapping her head around what she is now. And I don't think that there's going to be anything that either of them is going to find that is going to reverse what's happened (not if a hexenbiest that already knows what she's doing has said that there isn't a way), but I'm glad that she got at least something from them as far as reassurances go (even if it was just them saying the words). Maybe it's through the two of them, and their efforts to try and help her, that we'll get a Juliette that's ready to come to terms with what's happened and willing to come back to the gang. That may not be the way that it happens, but it seems like it's a viable solution.

Speaking of Monroe and Rosalee being the den mothers of the group ... can I just give Monroe a hug now? Yes, he's a Blutbad, and they're supposed to be scary, but he's just a big softy and went through something pretty traumatic. I'm glad that Rosalee gave him his space at first, but came back and made sure that he was ok later on, and that he told her what was really bothering him. I JUST NEED TO SQUISH THE TWO OF THEM UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!!!!

I get the feeling that the writers may be gearing up to really fuck with Renard, and I'm perfectly ok with that. I ♥ Renard to no end, which is probably part of the reason why I want horrible things to keep happening to him. I think that we're supposed to think that the hands that came grabbing for him were Satan's (of the pitchfork variety), but I have a feeling that it's going to turn out to be nothing like that at all. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out that any Satanic figure that comes across in his fever dreams is nothing more than his own subconscious trying to grapple with what's going on with him. If he does end up meeting up with Death, or Satan, or some angelic figure, I have the feeling (or at least, I hope) that it will turn out to be someone that looks quite ordinary ... someone that you wouldn't be able to pick out in a lineup, and you would walk past on the street without knowing who or what the person really is (much like "normal" humans do with Wesen all the time).

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

'Heartbreaker' -- Grimm 4x16


Warning: Spoiler Alert

This episode brought to you by Pat Benatar ...

So, we've two episodes in a row where the Wesen that's been the focus of the episode has been one that hasn't followed what we have been shown to be the "normal" rules for how a Wesen lives and woges. I have to say that I dig the fact that the writers are branching out a little more and bringing in the idea that being a Wesen can be a bit more of a curse than they have before (where the prevailing attitude has been that this is just the way that people are, and they (as a general rule) have no major issues with what they are ... unless it's something like with Monroe, where it's kind of a moral issue against hurting other people).

The idea that being a Wesen might be a curse is kind of an interesting one, and not being able to be around people without being afraid that you might hurt them has got to suck. And I like the idea that Nick has to kind of retool what he's thought he knew about how he could tell if someone was Wesen, since in this case (and maybe in others that we haven't come across yet), there was someone who couldn't woge in any way that he had come across before. Sure, the whole thing with Juliette is making him have to rethink things that are going on, but this was another way to bring it home a bit for him.

Speaking of Juliette, I don't know that I'm really digging this whole thing that's going on with her right now, but I can't say that I really blame her. Yeah, suddenly finding out that you've been turned into a hexenbiest cannot be easy, and I don't know that anyone wouldn't be freaking out over it ... especially if the whole Grimm life wasn't necessarily something that they were absolutely keen about being a part of, and they only stuck around cuz they loved someone who was a part of it. I'm hoping that she'll be able to find her equilibrium again, since I still want her to be an awesome hexenbiest, to be a part of the team, and for her and Nick to stay together (I know that there are people who don't care for her, and who would rather see her with Renard, but I like her (as a general rule), and I want it to stay Nick & Juliette). I have hope that she will come back around after a bit of freaking out, since she was the one who said that they should do the spell to make sure that Nick got his Grimm back; so, there has to be a part of her that realizes how important it is that he remains a Grimm (not only cuz it's become so much a part of who he is now, but also cuz it makes him safer).

I have the feeling that the writers are trying to make us question whether Juliette is going to stay with Team Grimm, or if she's going to do something on her own ... perhaps reeking havoc as a hexenbiest, or some such nonsense. It's not so much that she's freaking out that is making me wonder that, but more that she's staying with Renard, and even though he works alongside Team Grimm when it comes to Wesen stuff, he's still not completely a member of the team. If it's done right, I think that the writers could do some interesting things with Juliette, fleshing out her character some and having her learn how to be a hexenbiest (maybe travelling to other parts of the world in the process, where we might encounter other royals who aren't part of the European branch that we've been dealing with so far). I'm not sure that they would do this, what with the base of operations of the show being Portland, and it would probably be dead expensive to have this one character travel the world and go to places that they don't already have set-ups for the show. Plus, they might not want to get her too far away from home, if they're going to want to have her get back together with Nick in the near future. Maybe if they did it in one of the tie-in books (or comics), but then, they'd have to still kind of deal with it on the show, since the tie-in stuff is kind of an extension of the things that happen on the show.

Oh, and while we're talking about hexenbiests ... at least now we know that Victor isn't Diana's father, even though he seemed perfectly willing to go along with Adalind's lie. So, the possibilities of who her father is have narrowed down to Eric and Sean, and I would not be at all surprised to find out it was actually Eric. It would actually make me laugh to find out that it was him, and for him to show back up alive after the reveal (yeah, still not convinced that he's dead). And as far as the new baby ... wow! Adalind went from not knowing she was pregnant to looking like she was seven months in like a week. Damn. Is that what happens when you have a Grimm as the father? (only slightly kidding with that)

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

'Double Date' -- Grimm 4x15


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Before I get into this episode, I have to bring up this recap of "Bad Luck", if only for the cool idea that was brought up about the new baby. What if, cuz of the spell that Adalind was using when she was trying to take away Nick's Grimmy powers, the baby is actually biologically Juliette's? I actually really like this idea, and not just cuz it would provide an interesting twist to the show (but also cuz I really want any Grimm/hexenhiest hybrid that we get on the show to have Nick and Juliette as parents). It would bring a whole new dynamic to the claim of parental rights, especially if Adalind has carried the baby and believed that it was her biological child. There could still be some pretty interesting thing done with the relationship between this new child and Diana (and the whole nature v. nurture thing), and I kind of hope that the writers go this way with the whole thing.

Ok, this last episode ...

I have to admit that I really liked the idea of this new Wesen and the way that they live their lives. In a way, it kind of makes sense that there would be both male and female present if this Wesen was based on a plant, and I do wonder if the reproduction of this particular one would be kind of plant like as well (if there is some sort of pollination that takes place). Yes, sometimes my brain starts to wonder about things that really aren't all that important to the storyline or the canon, just cuz something about some aspect of the story leads me down a rabbit hole.

I am also wondering what will happen when/if Stacey sudden shows up while Linus is in prison. That would make for a very interesting conversation with the guards, wouldn't you say?

However, the way that the writers wrote this particular Wesen, it seemed like they could have done some much better cons with them, instead of just having them con some business men in a bar and hoping that dude actually had a little bit of cash in their wallets. Wouldn't it be smarter to have them go after something bigger? Stacy and Linus seemed intelligent enough that they would have been able to figure out some identity theft with only a little more time spent on gathering the information that they needed (they were already well on their way toward doing some serious identity theft), and they likely could have run at least two serious cons in any given town without people becoming overly suspicious (what with them being able to change back and forth between each other).

I saw somewhere, where someone was saying something about how the writers were dealing with the issues of gender identity (and trans* issues) rather ham handedly with this episode, but I'm not sure that the writers were even thinking about trans* issues with this particular Wesen, so any ham handedness some people may have seen, I didn't pick up on. I had the feeling that the writers were thinking more of plant reproduction, rather than any gender identity issues. I may have been misreading what was going on, but that's the way that I saw it going down.

Also, I am really curious as to what the writers are going to do with Renard. I still don't have the feeling that they're going to kill him off, but I do think that they want to torture him a bit (which I'm perfectly ok with, as long as they don't kill him. He's my favorite character on the show, and as such I am perfectly fine with him being tortured a bit). Yes, his mom gives the impression of being a very powerful hexenbiest, and she probably had to do a whole hell of a lot to make sure that he survived being shot; that being said, I don't think that there's any way that she could plan for every contingency, so there is likely something going on there that she didn't have any way of preventing. Maybe it will turn out to be little more than his body finally reacting to being so close to death, and Juliette will be able to magic some sort of solution that will help forestall a permanent death. It would be nice to see her not be able to completely fix things, but only be able to put a band aid on things. As close as he supposedly got to dying, to have a magical solution that fixes everything doesn't feel genuine to how things should unfold. It feels like it would be much more natural if he had to deal with things for the rest of his life that were aftereffects of being shot (even if it's the terrible dreams, or a twinge he gets when it rains ... which would be kind of hilarious since he lives in a place where it rains all the time).

As far as Nick and Juliette go, I'm really hoping that the writers don't drag out this whole thing the way that they dragged it out when she couldn't remember him ... and that they don't try to mash up Juliette and Renard again. I have seen comments from some people on episode reviews who have said that they like Renard/Juliette better than Nick/Juliette, but I am fully in the Nick/Juliette camp. If Juliette was more devious (like Elizabeth), I think that I'd like Renard/Juliette a little bit more.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

'Bad Luck' -- Grimm 4x14


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Of course Nick is freaking out about the fact that Juliette is now a hexenbiest. How could he not be? I can understand why she would want him to at least look at her, but also why it would be hard for him to; I just hope that this adjustment period isn't going to be a long one, since I want the two of them to go back to being a team (and not fall apart cuz of this). I still have the feeling that once they both come to terms with what's happened, everything is going to turn out ok ... it's just going to be getting to that point that will be the tricky part.

And really, when I said that I would love to see what happens when a Grimm and a hexenbiest have a baby, I didn't mean that I wanted it to be Adalind and Nick. I wanted it to be Nick and Juliette, damn it! The writers really need to pay attention to my demands when it comes to where the story is going to go next, if only to appease me.

But having the new baby be the product of Nick and Adalind will create a whole new kettle of fish for everyone (and not just cuz we don't know yet what the baby will be like with the mixing of said bloodlines). Things may not turn out quite as sticky for Adalind with this new baby as they did with Diana (as far as the royals are concerned), but they may turn out to be very sticky for Nick. I have the feeling that Nick isn't going to be able to get this new baby away from Adalind the same way that they got Diana away ... it may very well be that Adalind is going to be far more protective of this child than Diana (knowing what might happen if she takes her attention away for half a second). Still ... I have a feeling that the new baby may be taken away as well, but this time, it might very well be the royals that get ahold of him/her. I can see them wanting this child very badly once they know of its existence (even more so than they may have wanted Diana). It would certainly create a kind of balance to have the hexenbiest baby raised by a Grimm, and the one that is half a Grimm raised by the royals; and it would raise some interesting questions when it comes to nature v. nurture. It also brings into question how these siblings will interact with each other once they know about each other and are old enough to start to understand the nature of the world that they are in. Will they be allies, will they leave each other alone (out of some kind of respect for blood), will they only come together when the need is great enough, or will they actively try to destroy each other? It could prove to be somewhat interesting.

That being said, I'll admit to being disappointed at having Adalind get pregnant again so soon. What could have been someone who was at least a somewhat decent annoyance to the gang is turning into someone who is only there to be pretty and be a breeder for a further generation of interesting things to come in the future. It would have been nice if the writers had put a little more into her than to make her a mild annoyance and a vagina, especially since hexenbiests have the possibility of being truly formidable opponents when they want to be. But I guess we can't get everything that we want.

Friday, March 20, 2015

'The Things They Carried' -- SPN 10x16


Warning: Spoiler Alert

You know, the more this season goes on, the more I'm thinking that I'm really not going to be able to make it to the end of the season (and certainly not into the next season). As much as I have been wanting to shake the hell out of the writers and the characters of Show in the past few seasons, the more that this season has been going on, the less that I've been caring about what's been happening.

I'm sure that we were supposed to see a correlation between Dean and Cole in this episode, but all I wanted to do was to keep hitting the guy upside the head ... not so much for anything that he did in this episode (since, who wouldn't want to make sure that their friend was all right), but more from stuff that has happened in previous episodes that has made me not like him all that much now (regardless of what he may, or may not be doing).

It also seemed like the writers were trying to tell us (in a rather ham-fisted sort of way) that when Dean finally goes crazy from the Mark, Sam is going to have to kill him, cuz he'll have no other choice.

Speaking of Sam, since when is Dean ok with anyone else calling Sam "Sammy boy"? He nearly sliced someone else for doing the same thing a few seasons back. Maybe that's supposed to be a clue about just how far Dean's gone? Who knows.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Cuz Everything is on Hiatus, I Bring You a Book Review.


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I went to see my cousin last week (cuz I had yet to see his daughter in the flesh), and I unexpectedly received a copy of Soulless. I ended up downing the book pretty quickly, cuz I was having so much fun with it and was curious as to what was going to happen next.

It's set in a steampunk England during the time of Queen Victoria (of course it's during her time. How could you not have Vickie in a steampunk book that takes place in England, right?), and the main character is someone who is extremely rare (in a world where there are werewolves and vampires out in the open): she has no soul (hence, the title). The interesting thing about her having no soul is that it protects her somewhat from the supernatural set; because of her soulless state, she can exorcise ghosts by finding and touching their corpses, and while she is touching them, vampires and werewolves return to their human state. Because of this, any ghost that comes into contact with her fears her, vampires are a bit leery of her for the most part, but werewolves look on her as something of a blessing (and refer to her as "curse-breaker").

The main character is the odd sheep in her family, as she is so very practical, and her family is so very Victorian (and oftentimes very silly) ... plus, none of them know that she is soulless, or that she inherited that trait from her father (who we are lead to believe died before the opening of the book, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to have him come waltzing back into the story in a later book). She's far too straight forward for most of the people that she interacts with (especially her mother and half-sisters), as well as being ill-advisedly half-Italian; as such, she was pretty much told by her mother when she was sixteen that she has no other prospects than to be a spinster, and she would rather spend her time trying to find the younger sisters suitable matches.

The thing of it is that the Alpha of the werewolf pack in London is completely taken with her, and she is completely taken with him ... except that she doesn't seem to realize this fact until the Beta says something, because her family has her perception of herself so warped that she doesn't believe that anyone (let alone someone who is an Alpha, an earl, or a high ranking official in what is essentially the supernatural police force) would be interested in her. The two of them bicker almost constantly, and it's far more entertaining than it has any right to be.

The story itself opens up with the main character being attacked by a vampire who doesn't know that she is soulless (which for the most part, all of the supernatural in London do), and she accidentally kills him after he attacks her. The Alpha and Beta of the werewolf pack in London come upon her after she's just killed said bloodsucker, noting to them that he acted oddly for a vampire, and the rest of the book is them trying to figure out the mystery of who created this particular vampire (since they have an idea of which hive he should belong to, but that hive is denying creating him), and trying to figure out why those who have allied themselves with the packs and hives in the surrounding area are disappearing.

All-in-all I was very entertained, and checked the rest of the series out from the library when I was only about half-way through. The worst I can say about it was that it was a bit formulaic and relied a bit on the tropes but that didn't take away from it being a fun read (or the fact that I'm half-way through the next book, still enjoying the world that these books are in, and am looking forward to finishing them). I would love to see the world fleshed out a bit more, and I am curious as to what it would be like if the characters visited the US (which has been described as being in the Wild West era, and full of people who are so superstitious that the supernatural set is still too afraid to identify themselves to the larger country for fear that they will be killed).

Thursday, March 5, 2015

'Not Just a Pretty Face' -- Suits 4x16


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I kind of wish that I could say that it was a surprise that Harvey refused to expand on telling Donna that he loved her (and acknowledge what he actually meant by it), or that she decided that she was going to be Luis's secretary, but the writers seem to have been building up to that for a while (both that Harvey wasn't going to act on any feelings that he might have for Donna, as well as Donna starting to work for Luis).

There is a part of me that hopes that now that Donna is going to be working for Luis that Harvey will actually act on how he feels for her (since there won't be any messy "you're my secretary and my SO" thing going on), but I still don't see it happening. I get the feeling that what will probably happen is that he will do something significant that will convince Donna to start working for him again, and the two of them will end up back in a status quo (so that we can have the dynamic of the top lawyer and the top assistant kicking ass and taking names together). I really hope that that isn't what's going to happen. I have the feeling that Donna and Luis would make a fantastic team together, and Luis would give her the appreciation that she wants from a boss (in that he will tell her how much she means to her as well as showing her), and I have a feeling that Donna will be really good for Luis (not just as a friend, but as someone who will look out for him and do her best to make sure that he doesn't do something stupid). I'm looking forward to seeing the two of them work together in an official capacity, since I'm sure it's going to be entertaining.

I'll also admit to the fact that I kind of want to see Harvey scramble to try and replace Donna. I want to see him struggle without her and have it thrown in his face how much he really loves her, and how much he wants her to be the SO (even if he does appreciate her, even though he doesn't say the things that he feels). But even if he does realize how awesome she is, I get the feeling that a part of him has been taking her for granted, assuming that she would always be there, and that she would never leave him (despite knowing that she's in love with him, and that she would like something more from him). It would be really nice to see him get shaken up over her and have it force him into action (especially since he usually has such an easy time when it comes to women).

Good on Harvey and the kids figuring out how to take down Forsman, cuz the guy was a smarmy git, and I will be kind of glad to not have him hanging around anymore causing trouble (or giving people someone to go to when they want to play at being Faust). And yes, I am counting what the kids did as part of what led to Forsman getting his ass handed to him, since it was their work that eventually led to Harvey getting himself wired up and having Forsman talk too much and get himself caught. You would think by now that bad guys would realize that you don't talk too much about the bad things that you have done, cuz it will only end up getting you in trouble. Apparently, not enough of them have watched old movies where that happens all. the. time.

And finally getting an actor that is the face of Harvey's brother! I would love to know a bit more about his family dynamic through flashbacks, but I think that they're doing a good job with stringing that information out a bit, since it's probably what is making me more interested his life from when he was younger.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

'Intent' -- Suits 4x15


Warning: Spoiler Alert

OMG!! I am so glad that it looks like Donna isn't about to be written off the show, since I need to have Donna in my life. She is everything that is good and awesome in the world, and that is no lie. I am not sure how much I would have continued to enjoy the show if Donna had been written off of it, since she is so thoroughly awesome.

Her relationship with Harvey ... holy hell. The two of them really need to get on the same page about stuff, since that would make things so very much easier on everyone. It's not likely to get any more touchy feely between the two of them than what it is now, since that's just now how they roll, but it would be nice if they could actually say what they mean without any hang-ups getting in their way (but their hang-ups are part of the reason why they are so awesome at what they do, and why I love them both). The thing is that I think that if she hadn't been so scared that she was about to go to prison, she probably would have seen what Harvey was doing, and she wouldn't have needed him to actually tell her that everything was going to be ok (but he was scared, so she did need to hear those words from him ... and I think that if he wasn't so scared that she might go to prison, he might have been more able to see that she needed to hear the words from him that she got from Luis).

And the fact that he kept saying through the episode about how she was different than everyone else ... in normal circumstances, that would have been a throwaway comment, but in this instance it wasn't. The way that this episode was played made those comments add even more weight (or a different weight) to him telling her that he loved her at the end of the episode. In a different episode (where her whole life might not have been ruined by what was going on in the episode), him telling her that he loved her might have been brushed off as him having a rare moment of showing feelings for a bestie (and someone that he knew that he could trust), but with those comments from earlier (and how scared he was that he might be able to protect her like he wanted to), him telling her that he loved her ... I kind of wish this would mean that the two of them would get together, but I have the feeling that the writers are going to go no farther than acknowledging that the two of them really are in love with each other, but because of how well they work together, they aren't going to ruin their working relationship to complicate it with a personal relationship.

I can't seem to make myself care about the fact that Jeff quit, since he outlived his usefulness to the show. The guy really only should have lasted a few episodes, but it was his relationship with Jessica that saved him from getting canned. He wasn't really adding anything to the show as one of the attorneys (since we didn't see him do much of anything after his initial few episodes). And after a while, his scenes were a bit too repetitive (him getting upset that Jessica wouldn't tell him what was really going on, and her being cagey about it); there's really only so many times that you can rehash that one scene before you have the character branch out in some other direction, or you write him/her off.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

'Tempus Fugit' -- SH 2x18


Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, that's what "Fuck you, it's magic" looks like where time travel is concerned. I had hoped that they would have done something intelligent where the paradoxes of Abbie being the past were concerned, instead of giving them the magical assist that would have undone every bit of damage that she and Katrina possibly could have done. And rather convenient that we weren't given a timeframe where using the Traveler spell would have not been effective in stopping the paradoxes was concerned. I have a feeling that no matter what might have happened, the writers still would have given themselves enough time to get Abbie and Katrina back before things couldn't have been undone. And I will admit that I feel completely cheated in that regard; I wanted there to be some ripples of badness that came out of the two of them going back in time, instead of having everything getting retconed, and Abbie still retaining her memory about what happened (complete with the nudge from Grace). I wish I could say that I think that there could be some kind of fallout later on from Abbie and Katrina going back in time (maybe with Abraham, or something that may have seemed insignificant at one point, but which has snowballed into something that is near impossible for them to solve now ... and maybe they don't even really notice that it's something that has changed), but I have a feeling that the whole thing was a way for the writers to give us a visual that starting with next season we are going to have a new beginning (with Abbie meeting Captain Skinnyjeans in the past while in a prison cell and not believing anything that she said, much like what happened in the pilot), and to give us some sort of plausible reason for killing of Katrina.

However, I will say that I am not sad to see Katrina go (and that we were given a most definite nod to the fact that we will not have to worry about the writers bringing her back). The things that the writers could have done with her character are astounding, but they botched the whole thing up, and I'm glad that we won't have to worry about them continuing to drag out that storyline (while continuing to lose viewers like whoa).

But since they have now officially gotten rid of Katrina, and we have had a bit of guidance from Grace to Abbie, I have a feeling that we may see a bit more of Abbie and Jenny using their magic (and using Grace's journal as their Book of Shadows, adding to the things that Grace had put in there with the things that they have learned and faced in the battle against whatever is coming next ... maybe something more about the angels? or the demons who escaped Purgatory trying to make Abraham the new Big Bad?). And maybe the comment from Franklin means that we are going to meet some more modern witches, and some of them might be able to train Abbie and Jenny in the Craft.

And since we have now gotten rid of Katrina and the awful soap opera that was her relationship with Ichabod, I am leaning toward hoping that we don't find out that they never left Purgatory (even if I still think that it makes complete sense that they are still there and only think that they're not), and we never have to hear anything more about Henry and marriage woes.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

'Derailed' -- Suits 4x14


Warning: Spoiler Alert

What is it with this show and giving tertiary characters that are involved with primary characters the axe as soon as they either find out about Mike, or edge up to finding out about Mike? First Scotty, and now Jeff. Sure, I wasn't all that interested in having the Jeff aspect of Jessica's storyline (not only their romance, but her being conflicted about telling him) be the primary arch that her character was involved in, but that doesn't mean that I didn't want her to have him in her life (if she could have opened up to him a little bit more, which I know was hard for her, I have a feeling that the two of them could have had a pretty solid relationship).

Stupid Mike, and his secret.

I know that it wasn't something that Luis had done on purpose, since sometimes he just isn't thinking about what he's saying and how it will come back and bite him (or someone else) in the ass, but I kind of want to shake him ... just a little bit. Not a whole lot, like I've wanted to before, when he was being a jerkface on purpose; just a little to make him think about what he's saying. Live the lie, bro.

That isn't to say that Jessica probably shouldn't have told Jeff what was going on before now, but since Luis knew that there was the lie there ... urgh! But I'll completely admit to being like Jessica with the keeping things very close to the vest, until sometime down the road (if I ever say anything about it), so that may be a bit why I'm kind of frustrated with him for not thinking about what he was saying so that she could tell Jeff when she was ready; not that I don't completely think that Jeff was right to be angry when he found out that she had lied to him, cuz he had every right to be.

Donna!! Donna!! Donna!! She really should have known better than to go down there and pretend to be someone that she wasn't, and that she had asked for copies of records that she hadn't asked for. She's worked in a law office long enough that doing something like that should have been a big no no ... even if the boys skirt around the law sometimes to get what they need. But you would have thought that she would have learned her lesson that time when her signature was forged on that paperwork, and she got fired. Her heart was in the right place (not only as far as Mike was concerned, but also with those people that were killed), but she still should have known that doing something like that could come back to bite her in the ass (she's Donna after all). I just hope that this isn't a way to write Donna off of the show, since I love her so. I would be beyond sad if she left the show; I'd be down right disgruntled. No lie.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

'The Executioner's Song' -- SPN 10x14


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, that didn't last anywhere as long as I was expecting. I figured that the fight with Cain might have lasted a bit longer than it did ... but I don't know why I'm surprised, since this is SPN (they're all about the build up, and not much about the execution). It would have been all manner of better if it felt like Cain was actually putting up a fight against Dean, since he reportedly was now not wanting to die (and wanted to get rid of all of those who were his descendants). If that's not what was really going on ... if he was still tired and really wanted to die ... the writers should have backed that up a little bit more, instead of having him go through all the trouble of putting up a fight, and then, just letting Dean finish him off. The whole thing was so very disappointing.

So, now, we're supposed to think that there really isn't any way that Dean isn't going to turn into a killer? That cuz of the life that they lead (killing monsters and whatnot) that he will never really ever be safe from the Mark (since Cain only really was able to be chill for so long cuz he had ditched the First Blade, and stopped doing pretty much anything at all ... only trying to live his life off the radar). But since there isn't much chance of Dean giving up the fight, since that's not what he's about (even when he tried, he was miserable, and he practically ran back into it when he realized that Sam was still alive), he's probably always going to be a danger to himself and everyone else that he's around.

I am glad, however, that Cas is now the one who knows where the First Blade is hidden, instead of Crowley. While Crowley is good for a laugh or two (or at least he was until his mom came into the picture), having to go to him to get the Blade if they needed it wasn't something that was entirely ideal ... besides the fact that having it in the possession of the King of Hell isn't something that seems like they should be ok with, since he can use it against them (even if he is a complete fanboy, and wants to hang out with them as much as he possibly can).

The whole thing with the Grand Coven seems like it might be something that would be interesting, and I wish that the writers would start going in that direction, instead of staying on the thing with the Mark. Dean becoming emo over the Mark isn't as entertaining as they may think that it is. I liked him much better when he was woobie, and not so much now that he's all about being emo.

'Awakening' -- SH 2x17


Warning: Spoiler Alert

I have the feeling that no matter what else happens in this show, we're never really going to see the end of Henry. We've already seen him come back once after he was supposedly dead, and with Katrina and Abbie now in the past, I have the feeling that Katrina is going to do something incredibly stupid to make sure that Henry doesn't die by Greek Fire ... and in doing so, I don't have any faith that she's going to stop him from being the git that he is; she will only ensure that he will become even more evil than he was before, Moloch will somehow come back to life, and there will now be a coven of evil witches with her at their head.

I really don't see there being any chance that Abbie going into the past with Katrina is going to turn out well. Ichabod may figure out a way to return her to the present day, but when she gets there, I have the feeling that everything is going to be so much worse than it was before that we will all wish (even more strenuously than before) that someone had either killed Katrina, or left her in Purgatory. At least, I hope that everything turns out horribly for everyone (even while Abbie does make it back to present day). There is way too much of a chance with time travel that the writers could use it to retcon everything that has been happening with Ichabod and Katrina, and get the show back into a place where they aren't hemorrhaging fans.

While I can see sending Abbie back with Katrina may have been the way to go, since having two Ichabods in the past might prove to be problematic, the writers were a bit heavy handed with their "fish out of water" imagery in the beginning of the episode. It felt a little too much like they were trying to drive the whole idea of someone being outside of their time home so that they could go, "Oh, look, we're doing it to Abbie now, too." However, I will say that I appreciate the aesthetic of having Abbie and Ichabod meet in the pilot in a jail cell, and then, having past!Ichabod meet her in a jail cell again.

And no matter what else was going on with the episode, I keep coming back to the idea that no matter what happens with Katrina, or Abbie and Ichabod, the future is going to be completely messed up (even while Team Witness may be trying to do what they think is the best for the future ... and they may have a better idea of what the "best" is when you compare them to Katrina). Everything good that Team Witness may conceivably be undone, since they are now creating a new timeline where Ichabod never made it to the future (cuz Katrina never put the spell on him while he was dying) ... but I have the feeling that the writers may not even want to open that can of worms, and will choose to ignore it instead, sending her back to a future where Ichabod is there, and he remembers how things originally were (while also, perhaps, remembering how things are now that they have been changed).

Monday, February 16, 2015

'Trial by Fire' -- Grimm 4x13


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Oh, look at that, Juliette decided to tell Nick about becoming a hexenbiest. I guess that the writers decided that they weren't going to drag it out like they might have done. I'm really glad about that, since I would rather they get that fight over with, and get everyone on the same page about what's going on. I don't see Nick not having a bit of a problem with it at first, what with what is supposed to be a Grimm's tendency toward not wanting to have anything to do with hexenbiests, and with it being a complete shock, but I'm sure that he'll remember that he loves her (and that she's still the same person that she was before this happened). So, I still think that things will get somewhat back to normal before too long (even if he might still get a bit hinky about what she is now every once in a while ... but even then, I'm sure he'll kick himself and remember that it only happened, cuz she was helping him to become a Grimm again, and they were both trying to help Monroe).

Speaking of Monroe, good on him for learning from the things that have happened recently (and listening to what Rosalee was telling him) and put his own hang ups somewhat behind him ... at least enough so that he could help to find dude who had killed those two teenagers. He's a good guy, and it was only a matter of time before his good sense won out.

I guess that Adalind can fight a little bit more than what I was giving her credit for, what with her being someone who relies more on her looks than anything else. Still, it was nice to see Juliette beat the hell out of her ... mostly, cuz I have a hard time not wanting bad things to happen to her after all of the bad things that she's done to everyone in the gang.

I really wish that the dude that Renard had gotten to look into Diana's whereabouts wasn't passing information on to his cousin, since I don't want Diana to end up in the hands of the royals, but I can't say that I'm surprised about it happening. All of the royals are bit too sneaky for something like that to not be happening. And I kind of wish that Adalind would be more leery about accepting help from a royal to find Diana, since she should know by now that she can't trust them to do what they are claiming to do (since they only say what they need to in order to get what they want).

Also, as far as there being a bounty on Nick's head now, I'm really hoping that the writers don't put that so far on the back burner that people forget about it, since it could be really interesting. I'm not saying there should be something all the time where that is concerned, but something every once in a while would still be cool. And I also cannot be the only one who is now wondering what would happen if this new "phoenix" wesen had a child with one of the "dragon" wesen. The idea of it amuses me to no end.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

'Fork in the Road' -- Suits 4x13


Warning: Spoiler Alert

Is it just me, or does the guy who plays Mike look kind of like Chris Hardwick? It may have a little more to do with the fact that their both skinny, the general shape of their faces, and the way they do their hair more than anything else; but as I was watching this episode, I don't know why it struck me so strongly that they kind of look like each other inside of my head.

So, now we have a little bit of an explanation of where the bad blood came from between Harvey and Luis ... other than just that Harvey is kind of a bully, and Luis is kind of a jackass (and that the two of them are too different to really be great friends, without there being some kind of common ground between them, and the two of them really wanting to be friends (and both consciously working at it)). Yeah, the two of them have been able to make the peace with each other in the past, but they are so different from each other (their personalities, their interests, their motives ...), I don't see it ever really becoming easier for them as far as being friends is concerned; it seems like it's always going to be an uphill battle for them, and they're always going to have to make a conscious effort to at least be civil with each other.

I'm so glad that Daniel isn't a regular on the show anymore. It was good having him as an antagonist for a while (and maybe again every once in a while in a flashback episode), but if he were a series regular, I think I'd be hoping that a comet would crash into the building, or something. The guy makes me want horrible things to happen to him (cuz of how much of a horrible person he is).

Another person I am glad isn't a regular on the show anymore? Trevor. There's another one that makes me want to bitchslap him upside the head. Yeah, it was a flashback episode, so there was going to be some Trevor in it, but ... I really could do without him; the guy was bad news.

But it was awesome to see Grammy again!! Oh, how I missed her!! It sucks so much that they killed her off, and I really wish that they hadn't. I can see how the writers may have thought that there was only so much that they could have done with her character, and they were possibly wanting to create some great tension within the story by killing her off, but ... she was such a great character, and I wish she could have stayed (and not just cuz she was good for Mike to have around, and I lived the interactions between Mike and Grammy).

So, now we've gotten some forgiveness for Mike from Luis. Maybe now Luis can get on board with being a secret keeper, and he won't keep lashing out at everybody about how they kept it from him (even though it was kind of stupid to think that they would have just come out and told him, and if he really thought about it, he would have understood why they would have not wanted that many people to know about it ... despite being friends with Mike). Now that he's on board, I can see him being a great secret keeper, since it seems like as soon as he decides that he's going to go all in, he is all in and does whatever he can to make sure that things are taken care of. And hopefully now he can be friends with the others again. Sure, he makes things hard for other people when it comes to being friends with him, but they are his friends, and I hope that he sees that. I don't like it when they have huge fights like that, and not just cuz it alienates Luis from everyone else.