'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.

'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.

'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).

'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.

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.

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.