The Sunday Salon: All the Media I've Been Consuming

It's hard to believe that August starts this week. Time is flying by at an uncomfortable rate!! Before we know it will be 2013! The fact that I'm actually thinking about things like Fall and Halloween and Christmas is downright scary.

I've done quite a bit of reading this week compared to recent times. I read the bulk of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as well as a small chunk of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I think overall it should count for like 4 normal sized books. The reread is really enjoyable to me, it's interesting to be revisiting these books right now. And hey it was fun to see J.K. Rowling and Voldemort during the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics! Even if many Mary Poppins scaring away the children's villains was kinda strange. Which reminds me! I never really thought about how Mary Poppins was a book until recently when I read something about how much the author hated the film and it made me kind of curious to read the book(s?). Have any of you read it/them?

I also read a couple of middle grade books this week, one which was really sweet and charming and the other which was terrible, hopefully I'll be able to write reviews this week!

The Dark Knight Rises

I went to see this midweek and...I thought it was okay. It certainly was engaging enough, but I felt like the tone of the film was too overbearing and also I seriously needed some closed captioning. I missed a fair bit of dialogue which was irritating. I have to agree with critics who said the climax was was pretty tired and cliche, (SPOILER) I saw that season 2 of 24 you know? (END SPOILER) Even so, I did enjoy it, I just didn't love it.

The Olympics!

I feel like I'm watching the Olympics a day after the rest of the world. I mean how annoying is NBC's coverage? I don't really want to watch on my computer, but being on the West Coast is even worse, like the next day's events were starting while we were still watching the Opening Ceremonies. From a business standpoint, I understand why they did it this way, the Opening Ceremonies were the most watched non-American Olympics (RME be more predictable US) and if they'd shown it during the day people could record it and FF commercials. Same with all the good events I guess, but ARGH. I hate that I can't watch in real time excitement. Next Summer Olympics are in Rio though, so that should be fixed!

Some of the stories that have already happened are pretty interesting, like that soccer game where they put up the South Korean flag for North Korea!!! Also yay US male gymnasts and Ryan Lochte! What are y'alls favorite sports to watch during the Olympics? Any competition you're looking forward to in particular?

Other TV This Week

Borgen

Continues to be the best show I've watched in ages, how much did I love that Kasper and Katrine actually working? Hanne talking sense into Katrine so she didn't use the info she stole from Kasper? Kasper convincing Katrine to drop the story to preserve the peace agreement? Torben telling Hanne he respects her work? The return of Amir on his terms for something he really believed in? These two episodes were full of so much goodness. Also, I just have to say that Magnus BROKE MY HEART. I mean yes I was concerned for Laura, but all that pressure he was under and you could tell how desperately he wanted to tell his mother that Laura had stopped taking her pills but felt so bullied by his sister not to, and that kid who plays him is just so so cute and gah. Anyway the title, "What Is Lost Inwardly Must Be Gained Outwardly" was a perfect way to describe a pair of episodes where Birgitte achieved her greatest political triumph while also facing her greatest crisis at home.

Speaking of Nordic Noir, the US version of The Killing has been cancelled, which is sad, but was to be expected. In happier news, I got the DVDs for the first season of the Danish version of The Killing, the original, and I'm super excited to watch them, except that it has THE NEW THE WIRE written all over it and well...that's a show I was never able to get into, so we'll see.

The Closer

I liked this week's episode quite a bit. I guess it's kind of interesting how they are building this big conflict between Pope and Brenda since he brought her in and now it's almost like he's forcing her out. Also, I loved that scene with Fritz where she was all, "Pope's a big jerk" and he tries to get her to see how she also puts her job first a lot and then she went and PUT HER JOB FIRST. They are still so adorable, I love them. The case was really sad and awful, too, I mean can you imagine thinking you're getting medicine when you're not?

The L.A. Complex

Good news! All the episodes are available on the CW website right now so if you're in the United States you can catch up!

I thought Abby wearing her bra to the first day of Saving Grace was overkill, and when the "siblings" first demanded she got out with them, I thought they were going to ask her for a threesome! But...not yet. The thing is that guy Brandon was so super flirty with her so it was surprising he was in love with Laura. I guess maybe it was just supposed to be misdirection, I don't know.

I was glad Sabrina and Nick made up but I thought the plot twist of only one of them being hired was stupid. Like...who would start work without a contract or agreement? I don't know, but I was back to liking Sabrina this week, I liked how she helped out Nick even though it came across as less than kind.

Beth and Simon are whatever to me.

Connor ♥♥♥ Being asked to be someone's boyfriend for show is the exact kind of thing that would strike at his deepest insecurities so that was perfect. I don't know how I feel about Raquel talking him into it, but we'll see.

Kaldrick's storyline was absolute perfection. You could just taste his desperation for help. He didn't want to leave the hospital, he wanted to be able to stay and work things out in his own time. How touching was it that he finally tells someone they call "The Abyss?" I think it's really interesting that Kaldrick's story is the one they've chosen to follow since he doesn't live in the complex and has no other connection to the other characters, but I totally get it because that's where the story is.

Other Stuff

I also finished Avatar: The Last Airbender this week. I liked it quite a lot, though I stalled out in a few different parts, mainly season 2. I may write about this more, going off some of the stuff Ana, Jodie, and Renay have said about it, but I don't know....

By the way Grimm starts back after the Olympics!!! So early, I don't know what's happening there.

I hope you all have fun stuff planned for the week, will you be watching the Olympics? Going on vacation? Reading something amazing?