2010: The Year in TV and Movies

Art accompanies on the journey of life and fills in the cracks of time. Stories comfort, soothe and cause mini-revolutions in our hearts. Music weaves in and out of our celebrations and record our silent moments of reflection. We invite our artists to write the words of our hearts, and give us music to express what we cannot say with words. A calendar year is no way for me to measure the art that has defined me in a year, so my best of lists are instead the art, the stories, and the music that I discovered during the year, and that are threaded through my days of 2010.

I saw a ridiculous number of movies this year...sadly not many of them are worth mentioning. However it's been a great year for the TV I watched and of course, we said good-bye to the greatest show that ever was. :) This is a look back on what I watched this year...not necessarily released in 2010.

MOVIES

The Kids Are All Right
I loved this when I first saw it, but read quite a bit of criticism of it afterwards. I disagree with the criticism and we can talk about that if you'd like. But ultimately I found this a funny, touching story about love and family and marriage and one that gave me a moment of insight.


Toy Story 3
Likely my favorite movie of the year, I can't think of something more satisfying that I watched all year. Funny and touching, with a load of inspiration it's story telling at its finest. And seriously, the addition of Totoro to the toys pretty much made my year. Like many others, I cried at the end...this film celebrates the changing purpose in our lives and also grieves the loss of childhood. It is many things. I adore Pixar and hope they show a little more love to the females in the future!


Catfish
I saw this movie shortly after The Social Network and had no idea what it was about. I was surprised and glad to discover it was a documentary about a Facebook friendship and nothing was as it seemed. The best way to see this movie is to go in rather blind, but it was definitely thought provoking for me.

TV

LOST (ABC)
The sixth season kept us guessing as to the nature of the sideways world, but the ending left many fans cold. Not this one. I loved it without reservation, I found it emotionally satisfying and I was glad not every question was answered in explicit terms, allowing viewers to infer their own conclusions. I don't know if I'll ever love another show like I loved this one, epic in so many ways. Great characters, great relationships, great scenery, great music, great acting. LOVE.

DAMAGES (FX)
I found the second season a bit slow while well plotted, but this third season was back in form. I loved the storyline and was kept guessing as to how the final events all played out. I found it layered and rich, though dark, and I was so glad that DirecTV rescued it for two more (shortened seasons)

THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
I became very excited for this show at Comic-Con and was thrilled with how much I loved it. I love stories of survival in the aftermath of an apocalypse and zombie stories add a dimension of tragedy and urgency. While only six episodes long, I became very invested in these characters and their relationships and their fate. Apocalyptic stories always explore the depths of our ability to feel compassion and also our ability to feel despair. Highly recommended.

THE CLOSER (TNT)
I have loved this show every year and this season was no exception. I know of no other crime drama with such a strength of characterization, writing, a light touch of humor and at times it's even full of nail biting suspense. I loved this season as Brenda was confronted with being on the short list for a promotion she wasn't sure she wanted, and the pressure she felt to pursue this job. She is quite simply one of the best female characters we have on TV..my only regret is she is so often the only main one on this show.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (CW)
This show got off to a slow start but once it got going it became appointment TV for me. I love this show that is everything a fun vampire show should be. While I do think they burn through story rather quickly, I've been delighted with the progression of the story lines, the writers ability to make me care about characters I found boring at first, and their fearlessness in offing characters. The hour always flies by. I love it.

RUBICON (AMC)
Oh we barely knew you. Rubicon was not a show for the faint of heart...if ever there was a slow burn show, it was this one. Every line spoken perfectly in place, every shifty gaze increasing the tension. There were no gorgeous people on this show...it was very much a show about dysfunctional analysts, the office scenes often felt like they could be real, and yet the last few episodes paid off majorly. So sad to know this won't be coming back.

DVD and NETFLIX STREAMING

BREAKING BAD (AMC)
I've only watched the first two seasons, so please don't spoil me on the third. It took me awhile to warm up to this show, at times I watched in sick fascination, it took awhile for me to realize that I did actually care about the characters. The second season ended in a rather brilliant and unexpected way. For me, the amount you're able to gain from watching a show like this depends on how much of yourself you're willing to find in the story and characters. Set aside your judgment..and well....you might be surprised. For those who don't know what it's about..well the short of it is that a man discovers he's dying from cancer and decides to cook meth to provide for his family before he goes. But oh there's so much secret keeping and deciding what's best for everyone to go around! It's a study in how things never go as planned.

SURVIVORS (BBC)
Loosely based on the original series by way of a book based on the series, this updated version is utterly compelling. Only 12 episodes long (and yes it ends on a delicious cliffhanger we'll never see the resolution to) 99% of the world's population has been wiped out by a flu virus. Now only the immune survive in the world left over. What would a world like that look like? What sort of obstacles would the people face? A small group of people band together and form a new family and many of these issues are explored. By the time you reach Season 2 you will feel deeply invested in the fates of these characters.

SUMMER HOURS (2008)
This French film is a surprisingly engaging look at three siblings left with their mother's estate after she passes away and how they must deal with selling off her possessions and their various reactions to her belongings and the loss of them. It's touching in the way it examines family relationships, but also our relationship to stuff. It's a film that will stick with you.

SILENT LIGHT (2007)
Not a film for light entertainment, Silent Light takes its time. Faith, family, love, and death are all explored here. This story creeps under your skin and won't let you forget it easily.

Other Notables: Inception, Winter's Bone, The Social Network, and The Gates.

What were your favorite TV shows and movies of the year?

Read about my year in music as well.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: TV

(I'm going to attempt to recap some of my SDCC impressions by theme. Starting with TV!)

One of my favorite things about San Diego Comic-Con are the TV panels. As much as I love books, I also love story-telling in general and television is probably my second favorite form of it. I really enjoy checking out the panels for the shows coming up because it gives me a good chance to see if I'll be interested in watching them and also they tend to be MUCH less crowded. I have to admit the loss of LOST was extremely noticeable to me, but more on that later.

My first day at Comic-Con I had nothing to do with television, but my second day, Friday was almost completely devoted to it.

The first panel I went to was for the CBS reboot of Hawaii Five-O. Honestly, I expected this one to not be very crowded since it's off-genre, but I had misjudged the immense popularity of the panel following it. (They don't clear rooms between panels at Comic-Con so a good rule of thumb if you really want to see a certain panel is to go to the one before it). So when I arrived at the convention center, the line was already really long, and people were tweeting about being worried about getting in! I ended up only being in line for about 30 minutes, which for SDCC is really not bad. I enjoyed the clips they showed, and I especially enjoyed all of the hot actors that will be in this show. I was happy to hear from Daniel Dae-Kim that he had liked the ending of LOST as well. (I did, too, and still hope to blog my thoughts on it before the release of the DVD set) And lucky me, I also met up with Florinda during this panel. Even luckier for me, Florinda snagged one of the Vampire Diaries bags I was coveting and gave it to me. It's absolutely gorgeous and I'll show it to you in a different post. Many thanks for Florinda!

Florinda headed off to meet her husband at this point but I stayed for The Walking Dead panel. AMC has got to be the most exciting channel producing scripted drama today. They've brought us Mad Men, Breaking Bad (which I haven't watched, but will!), and in October they are bringing us the first serialized television show about zombies. Oh the love! The Walking Dead is an extremely popular series of graphic novels from Image Comics. The creator of these comics, Robert Kirkman, has been extremely involved in the making of the show and trust me...it looks awesome! I was really hoping AMC would release the official trailer but for now you can watch this leaked version someone illegally recorded! Tell me does it not look insanely good? This might the be the post-apocalyptic TV show I've been hoping for!

You can also check out the official AMC site for The Walking Dead.

I also sat in on the panel for NBC's The Cape which is a superhero show. They showed us the pilot which was fairly entertaining. I felt certain segments of it were a little bit confusing and the plot moves incredibly quickly. Having said that, I enjoyed it enough to consider tuning in this fall and seeing where they take it. I also just really love Summer Glau.

The Cape Panel at Comic-Con

Immediately following this one was the panel for Teen Wolf. I was all kinds of interested in this panel because I remember watching these movies with Michael J. Fox when I was but a young thing and the idea that MTV was creating a scripted drama inspired by these movies was almost too much. But for better or worse, I'm a huge fan of the paranormal and while we have vampire-centric shows that also have werewolves, I can't think of any (besides maybe Being Human) that are werewolf-centric. They showed us just the very first act of the show (I bet you can guess what happens) and I do think the show is fairly early in production...they don't have a premiere date or anything. But I'm really excited about it because they're taking away the cheese factor and aiming to make a show that's edgy. One thing they've changed is the sport...it will be Lacrosse instead of basketball which is really interesting itself. I only knew one member of the cast, but I think this will be a really fun show and I'm looking forward to it. And yay for MTV dipping its toes into scripted drama!

The new Teen Wolf!

My final TV panel on Friday was for Falling Skies. Falling Skies doesn't premiere until next summer on TNT, but once again, I'm looking forward to this show! It's a Steven Spielberg produced post-apocalyptic alien invasion show. I mean that's all you need to know right? Whee! Evil aliens destroying the earth! Also it stars Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood. I was skeptical they were going to be able to show us any footage, but they did have a short trailer. Apparently, a lot of people were disappointed by it, but I thought it was pretty awesome. I mean I feel so lucky that when I was mourning the loss of LOST one of the things I wanted was a post-apocalyptic show and now I'm going to get two. Yay! Admittedly this panel was fairly low energy...the cast doesn't really have much chemistry yet and there's not much to say since no one has really seen anything but I'll definitely be anticipating it!

The Falling Skies panel with Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood

SATURDAY

On Saturday I attended three panels for shows already on the air: V, Fringe, and The Vampire Diaries

V--I have to admit I almost dumped V last season when it started to drag. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because the season finale was pretty exciting. The panel teased things to come in the second season. Part of the reason I wanted to attend this panel is my love for Elizabeth Mitchell! The other reason is my favorite television writer, Jace Lacob of Televisionary was the moderator.

The V Panel!

Fringe--I stopped watching this show halfway through the first season, but clearly I need to catch up on it, it looks like it's gotten a lot better! Also I just love Joshua Jackson! If you're wondering why I attended when I don't watch the show it's because it was right inbetween the V panel and The Vampire Diaries.



The Vampire Diaries--this panel was full of fun and energy. It's funny because last year when I attended this panel, most of the people were waiting for the Mythbusters panel and made fun of The Vampire Diaries. It was irritating for devoted fans like myself! So it was fun this year to be in the company of fans, and see a short teaser of the season premiere which looks AWESOME! I'm so excited with the direction this show is going. As a reminder, I'll be recapping it every week and inviting you to link up your recaps as well.

In Summary

Of the new shows I saw, I'd say I'm looking forward to them in this order:
The Walking Dead
Teen Wolf
Falling Skies
Hawaii Five-O
The Cape

Of the existing shows, I think they all look like they have promising seasons ahead but I'm really just excited for The Vampire Diaries.

Do any of these shows look good to you??? What shows are you most looking forward to coming back on air?

The Vampire Diaries: Lost Girls

Is it just me or was that really really good???? I just have to completely divorce the books from the TV show and I say it's awesome! :)

So Elena is a smart cookie. She's figured out not everything is on the up and up with Stefan...normal people don't usually live for that many years without aging. So she confronts him. And she says, "I know what you are." And he says, "Say it." JUST KIDDING! He tells her he's a vampire and like a smart girl she runs!!! And he follows...sort of in a vampirey way. He says he won't hurt her, but she's not really listening.

Damon is off drinking all sorts of human blood but there's one human he wants to have a little fun with...Vicki. But he has a little problem...Stefan still has his super magical ring that protects him from the evil sun. So he asks for the ring, but Stefan's trying to hold on to what little power he has.

Elena goes off with Stefan and agrees to give him a day to explain things. He shares the history of Katherine...a beautiful and manipulative woman who played with hearts of our two favorite vampire boys. Was it not wonderful to see Stefan and Damon actually....friends?

The town is getting suspicious that there are vamps back in town and we know that's not going to mean good things.

Damon has allowed Vicki to drink his blood but she's not yet a vampire. So he kills her...which gives her the opportunity to either drink blood and become a full vampire or...die.

Unfortunately, Stefan tries to warn her about what's to come and in the process a member of the town...who is hunting the vampires shoots Stefan with a wooden bullet. Damon comes to the rescue in blazing hotness and rips the bullet out of Stefan's chest killing the guy who was trying to kill Stefan. But leaving enough blood for Vicki to drink....and her choice is made.

And so is Elena's...she calls things off with Stefan.

Great episode..the show is really developing its mythology and most importantly I'm continuing to enjoy my vampire brothers.

Your thoughts? If you recapped the show as well, leave your link in comments!

From Book to TV: Can Flashforward Succeed?

Apart from the Vampire Diaries, Flashforward is the show I'm most looking forward to this fall. I suppose it has to do with the inevitable comparisons with LOST...time travel, fantastic ensemble cast, etc. While I doubt any show will come close to touching LOST in sheer enjoyment and brilliance for awhile, Flashforward might help fill the gaping hole.

The Flashforward panel was a priority for me when I attended Comic-Con. I was pleased they allowed us to watch the first two acts of the pilot, as it gave me a good idea of what to expect from the show. I loved it! Television pilots seem a bit like mini-movies these days...full of crashes and dramatic events and Flashforward was no exception.

Yesterday, I gave you a review of the book Flashforward, which is the source material for the show. I really enjoyed the book, particularly the thought provoking questions that it raised. I have no doubt that the TV show will also explore these questions in some depth through the eyes of the new characters. So here are some of the differences between the show and the book.

--In the book, the world flashes forward twenty years into the future, which is huge. For example, I have no idea where I'll be in 20 years. When one of the book's characters sees himself in a dead end job, he plunges into depression. In the show, however, the flash only takes place 6 months into the future. This could be rather interesting as we all have a reasonable expectation of what will be happening six months into the future. The individual storylines will likely be quite different. It also goes to show that they really will wrap up the first storyline within the first year. For the people who have no visions a short six months into the future? SCARY.

--The book focuses on the scientists who caused the flash, or time displacement as they call it. It appears the TV show will focus on ordinary characters and how they deal with the flash and what they see. This will eliminate the heavy guilt the characters in the book experienced.

--Book is mostly in Europe, TV show is in the States.

And that's all I know! Robert J. Sawyer has been supportive of the show and will be even writing an episode which I think is really cool.

I think Flashforward has a great chance for success. The creative team behind the show is amazing. The cast is fantastic. I'm really looking forward to it...and I hope you'll tune in, too! Flashforward premieres on September 24 at 8 PM EST/PST on ABC.

My Recent Thoughts about the TV Shows I Love. Or Don't Love. Or Used to Love.

I, for one, was glad to see Jack Bauer back in action, saving children no less, last week. Is it just me or was 24: Redemption pretty awesome? I think this show has a serious chance of reviving itself so long as I can buy the reason Tony is still alive. I'm excited about the new direction, and found the child soldier storyline powerful and effective without half the violence of the movie Blood Diamond (which is also good just very very very violent) Some of the things I love about 24 are the incredible production (tight editing, original score, fantastic shots--so few shows have this), the ability to convey serious emotional consequence amidst all the action...and of course Kiefer Sutherland whom we love so dearly as our hero Jack Bauer. A flawed and imperfect hero to be sure, but one that is impossible not to root for. (I once saw a poll that asked who was the better hero...Jack Bauer or Jack Shephard...really? Sorry, no contest)

In other very sad news, Pushing Daisies has been canceled. This is a big loss as far as I'm concerned. Sadly, I tried to force my relatives to watch it Thanksgiving Eve and they just didn't get it. It's a highly stylized show but even as the relatives were rolling their eyes, I was giggling at the funny and smart dialogue. (i.e. from Emerson: "You're about to be the first man to be murdered twice") Oh well. I guess we can't win them all. I hope Lee Pace finds another awesome job asap. I just love him.



LOST released a new promo that struck me with the realization that Desmond might be required to go back to the island. This is intolerable. He can't leave Penny! (not to mention he was on that island for soooo long already!)


Did anyone else watch Gossip Girl last night? Nate continues to baffle me, Dan and Serena clearly need to get back together (am I really supposed to take Aaron seriously? eww!), and Chuck and Blair keep teasing me!!! Actually it looks like Ed Westwick has some great stuff coming up in the next show. By the way, I read that Verizon will have an exclusive series from the viewpoint of Dorota. I have to admit when I first read this, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. But, I suppose if they make it funny enough, it might not be bad.



Which leads me to the show I wish I liked, but just can't seem to get. I really really really wanted to like Fringe. It had so much going for it. An interesting mythology. A pretty stellar cast. J.J. Abrams. (and other LOST alums) but I've missed several episodes and can't seem to care. When I do manage to watch it, I sometimes have to force myself to concentrate. I've tried to figure out why this show doesn't work for me and sadly I think it's the main character, Olivia. She just has no spark. She's boring. Very boring. And while I'm somewhat interested in Josh Jackson's character and his father, that interest is not enough to overcome the fact that I feel nothing for Olivia. Anyone else share these sentiments?

Oh and I've officially given up on Grey's Anatomy. Considering how much I used to love that show, this is kind of surprising. But somehow, the writers thought when there was backlash over Izzie/George that what the fans wanted was Izzie and Denny sort of resurrected from the dead. The writing is just so completely out there in almost every storyline that I can no longer enjoy it. Which is too bad, because the first two seasons were excellent television.

So....how are your favorite shows going?

My Favorite TV Couples

Last week Booking Through Thursday asked about favorite literary couples and I just couldn't think of any literary couples that I LOVE LOVE LOVE.

But I almost immediately thought of my favorite TV couples. (who I do sort of feel strongly about) I think (and agree with Florinda) that it's easier to think of favorite TV couples because you get to see the relationship develop overtime and see the chemistry of the actors, etc.

So while I should probably save this for Valentine's Day or something, I thought I'd talk about my favorite TV couples.

Felicity and Ben

For some reason, I just LOVE Felicity and Ben. And a great deal of it is probably that I love Felicity. I know some people found her annoying, but I found her incredibly endearing. Maybe because I related so much to the trying to find meaning in everything/overanalytical side of her. And Ben was so mysterious with that barely above a whisper voice. And that smile.... Long before the bigger successes of Alias and LOST, J.J. Abrams worked on this little gem of a show. There's nothing more romantic than a girl chasing a boy across the country, learning to stand on her own two feet, and then eventually winding up with him anyway. Sometimes, the on again off again tension could get to be a little much but I loved these two. I love this show.

Buffy and Spike

I'm sure that this one comes as no surprise after yesterday's post, but this was the first TV couple I cared strongly about being together. The chemistry between them was super hot and the amount that Spike suffered for Buffy was incredibly romantic. You're going to see the theme of the bad boy here...in real life, I actually go for the nice guys but I'm much more forgiving of fictional TV characters. :)

Logan and Veronica

Yes, yes, yes, LoVe all the way. I think I've said it before, but Logan Echolls is quite possibly my favorite bad boy on TV. I remember watching the pilot for Veronica Mars and thinking how perfectly Jason Dohring was cast. From the very first seed planted that Logan and Veronica would get together, I was a total shipper! I just wish they hadn't trashed their relationship in season 3. Even so, the relationship still ended on a decent note with Logan beating the crap out of that guy.

Here's a perfect example of why I love Logan and how all the intense relationship scenes always seemed to play out. (Logan pouring out his heart and Veronica freaking)

Chuck and Blair

Sadly, I haven't had a lot of satisfaction in this relationship yet. However, I do think they are meant to be, as fangirly as that sounds. I just don't think we'll arrive there anytime soon. Their chemistry is amazing and they are so well suited to each other. Blair is the most interesting heroine I've ever rooted for on TV. She's not self-sacrificing and saving the world like Buffy, kind and intelligent like Felicity, or driven by justice like Veronica. Instead, she's rich, selfish, and still deeply insecure. She's manipulative and seemingly heartless, and yet, I prefer her to Serena any day of the week. And Chuck is just as wounded. LOVE THEM!

Penny and Desmond

My favorite epic love story! I just really hope there is no killing of the Penny or the Desmond in the next 34 episodes. Penny and Des forever!!! In fact, let's have a look at that beautiful phone call again.




There aren't any other couples I really care about. I would be interested in a Naomi /Dell relationship on Private Practice, but I don't know if the show will ever go there. I prefer Kate and Sawyer together on LOST, but I won't die if she ends up with Jack. (talk about some really fervent shippers, though...) Once upon a time, I loved Meredith and Derek but that show did a great job of making me just not care.

So, um, do you like any of the same couples? Who are your favorite TV couples?

Some of Favorite TV "Dads"

This is my submission to Strange Culture's Dads in Media Blogathan.

I love a television show with a strong female lead and two of my favorites are Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars. These two shows had a great many things in common including some pretty touching father/daughter relationships.

While Buffy's biological father was largely missing in her life, her relationship with watcher Giles was in every way a father/daughter relationship. Giles was only supposed to be her watcher, a bit like her boss, but he couldn't help growing to love her as a daughter. He admired her courage and strength and like a father found that letting her make risky decisions related to her calling caused him personal grief. He had opinions about who she dated and wanted her to grow and succeed as a human and not just a slayer. On Buffy's end, it was clear that Giles filled the missing role of father in her life and she placed a tremendous amount of trust in him. Yet even as Buffy continued to grow in skill and as a human, Giles came to the point where he realized he needed to let her go. Some of the most heart wrenching moments in the series were when these two were at odds with each other.

In Veronica Mars, the father daughter relationship was an actual father/daughter relationship though there were times Veronica wondered if Keith was truly her father. What made Keith Mars so admirable as a father was that he had such tremendous respect for Veronica. You could always tell that he truly just enjoyed the company of his daughter. She followed along in his crime fighting footsteps and never seemed to resent him or his strong moral actions that led to them being shunned by the Neptune California society elite. Their relationship at times echoed the Carson Drew/Nancy Drew relationship. Keith was always willing to put himself at personal risk for his daughter and for others. He often took the higher moral ground and paid the consequences. But his success was in raising a smart and beautiful daughter who did the same. This series, sadly, ended prematurely on a very sad note for this particular father and daughter, but one can only hope the storyline will eventually be resolved in comic book or film form.

Both of these are great examples, in my opinion, of a loving father in a non-traditional situation.

Another Defense of TV

This week's weekly geeks question is what other methods of storytelling you like besides the obvious favorite of books.

Well, dear loyal readers it will come as no surprise that my choice right now is a well executed serialized television show.

I think TV is highly underrated. If you actually admit to liking TV, people look down their noses at you. Sometimes, they'll say things like...I don't have time to watch TV. (this goes along with "I don't have time to read fiction") You don't have to watch TV every night, you can have one show you like and it will take at most an hour a week of your time. Less if you TiVo it.

I have spent a lot of time here lately extolling the virtues of my favorite TV shows, but last week's Booking Through Thursday question about books and movies and the difference and this week's Weekly Geeks question have all made me think a bit more about these issues. One participant in last week's Booking Through Thursday said that movies and television require nothing of the viewer which naturally, I heartily disagree with. It's important to understand this in the context that I am first and foremost a lover of books. I will always love books best, that's just the way it is, but loving books doesn't mean that I can't see the value in a good movie or a TV show.

Here's why I choose TV over movies. I love character development. I also like an interesting plot, but movies tend to be more fully plot driven than television. (a book can be either/or/and quite easily) Television has the opportunity to develop characters while also telling a great story. LOST (I haven't seen the finale yet due to the no internet/cable fiasco so don't spoil me!) is a perfect example of this. My favorite characters on LOST are Sayid and Desmond. (the conflict in their characters are the most interesting to me) The episode Enter 77, about Sayid coming face to face with a woman he had tortured in the past and receiving her unsolicited forgiveness is one of my very favorite episodes of any television series ever. However, if you were simply telling a story about "a magical island" in a movie, you would not have the chance to tell a story that shows how a variety of people from completely different life situations interact with trying to survive and facing unexplained phenomenon. The story of Sayid would be completely untreated in favor of a much less developed Jack Shepherd. Speaking of...
While Jack can get on my last nerve on the show, I think his character is one of the best developed and true to life characters on the show. They have really done a masterful job with him, and I hope Matthew Fox gets an Emmy.

I have also slowly been working my way through the first season of The Tudors. This is a great example of being able to tell this story in a more complete fashion than a movie like the Other Boleyn Girl, which made no sense as it was much too rushed. (but the book is wonderful) Also I think Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a fantastic King Henry!

But wait! This discussion would not be complete without talking about Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is another excellent example of prolonged character development while telling a whoppingly good story. She spouts off a one liner, stakes a vampire, and in the end, it's really all about this magnificent character of Buffy, one of my favorites ever.

The downside of TV is that at times ratings dictate a story. If the audience is unhappy with the direction a show is going, they have a lot of sway. Additionally, some stories are stretched out because they just don't know when to stop.

So those are my thoughts, my defense of TV as a storytelling medium, and this was a lot longer than I planned...sorry!

I'm Procrastinating Again

So, yeah, I'm moving this week. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate moving? I hate it. Part of the problem is that I have an incredible ability to accumulate stuff. Very very quickly. I don't really understand how one moment I have nothing, and the next there is all this...stuff. Take for example, the most difficult thing in the world to move is also the thing I love best...books. They are heavy! They come in different sizes! I don't even want to tell you how many books I acquire a week (mostly due to blogging). It's an embarrassment of riches.

Secondly, we don't run the a/c here at the homestead and the temperature has escalated into the 100s. On the weekend I'm supposed to be packing. So after I put like three books into a box I need to take a break. So I don't pass out.

Thirdly, I am not at all organized, so while I'm packing my room looks like it threw up. Stuff is everywhere and somehow I have to get that stuff into the boxes. In the meantime, it's getting on my last nerve sitting out instead of being tucked away in a drawer or a shelf.

So as you can see, I hate moving. And it's 2:27 a.m. and I keep telling myself I need to sleep, but the computer is enticing me into procrastination. I have caught up on my reader, read about a zillion LOST theories, and found the following two videos of the TV shows I am most looking forward to this next television cycle. This past week was the unveiling of the networks schedules and while it was mostly a bit dull these videos have found their way to me. Tell, me they look fantastic do they not?

There's No Place Like Home (LOST)

How in the world am I going to survive the next two weeks? Okay so that might be overly dramatic, but seriously! When the promo ends with "What did you do?!?" it's hard not to feel excited!

Tonight really set us up, I think, while giving us some fragmented bits of important information.

*Jack learned Claire was his sister post-island. This makes sense as we don't have much more time to have learned it on the island. Also, Claire's mother woke up! This could be significant or not, we have yet to see.

*Sun is awesome! Yay for the settlement money! She blames her father for Jin's death, and who else? Were those glares at Jack significant? (or did I miss the other person she blames?)

The freighter is obviously in a heap of trouble, but somehow Sun and Aaron get off that boat. The others? Don't know.

It was sad that there was no one to meet Kate or Sayid when they first landed. Thankfully, Nadia quickly caught up to Sayid in touching moment, but we know that doesn't end well.

As stated before, I am becoming terribly worried that Sayid is the one in the coffin. There is plenty of story support for it, in fact, I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be him. So please convince me in comments that it's impossible for Sayid to be in the coffin. :) Convincing me that it's Desmond won't help. I wouldn't care if it was almost anyone else, though.
***************SPOILER ALERT**********************

A significant death is rumored to take place in the finale. Who will it be? I'm afraid it's Jin. I could live with it being Michael or even Juliet (though that makes her entire story unbearably sad). Anyone else is going to cause me grief.

I heard that we should not be asking whether or not people are dead but rather, what does dead mean? I don't even understand that, but it will be interesting to explore on this show. If you have a theory, do share.

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Enter my book giveaway for Healing Promises by Amy WAllace here!

Battle of the Davids, LOST tonight

So it's going to be a battle of the Davids as was predicted somewhere around the top ten! Go David Cook, we love you!

In other news, I (a relatively new LOST fan) found the major spoiler site. And I'm conflicted. So, yes, you now know my full geekery in that I read forums for television shows from time to time...especially those that tend to have plot twists and kill people off because I like to know what the other fans are thinking. (I haven't been on one in awhile, but I thought I'd check out LOST's and they've really changed Television Without Pity! It's huge now!)

I also know the major 24 spoiler site and used to read it and get spoiled. Not always, though. Like, can you imagine how much less fun it would have been in S5 if I had known Logan was behind it all.

It's called being American and having no sense of delayed gratification.

So, I haven't read the spoilers but I'm getting darned worried that Sayid is in that coffin. I will not be happy if Sayid or Desmond is in the coffin. Let me say it again. I. WILL. NOT. BE. HAPPY. (truthfully, my time is probably up, though. the only character that's been killed off that I was really attached to was Mr. Eko and maybe Charlie but we had a lot of time to prepare for that one)

If I keep reading that site I can probably find out. This is going to be a huge exercise in patience for me. Because the moment I know...I will want to unknow. Do you get what I'm saying?

Who do you think is in the coffin? Do you read spoilers for shows? Which David are your rooting for?

Mostly LOST, (but a little bit of Grey's)

Before I dig into LOST, I need to say a few things about Grey's.
What in the world was that whole survey everyone's sexual partners junk? I can't imagine that happening in the real world! The show seemed really far fetched tonight. I have to say that no matter what, Sandra Oh is an absolutely terrific actress who delivered that strange little monologue brilliantly. Don't you think?

Ok LOST...Claire has officially entered the camp of the creepy. What was up with that creepy smile? And was anyone else impressed with the casting and acting of the little boy John Locke and the teenage John Locke? And weren't we all thinking little boy John Locke was going to pick up the knife so it seemed strange that he wasn't supposed to? Why was the knife wrong? And yay for seeing Sayid and Desmond again, though I'm concerned for Desmond's safety. Michael apparently continues to be un-killable which I guess means the Island isn't through with him yet. And you know I have to ask....what does "he wants us to move the island" mean??????? So...
is Claire dead or possessed or what? Why is Christian so important or does he factor in since the Island is essentially his burial ground? Ok, I've got to get to bed, but please feel free to share your thoughts if you watch either show. Or not. It's really up to you.

(Oh one more thing. I do have another guilty pleasure called Gossip Girl Does anyone else watch this show? I know it's a teeny bopper show. Anyway, if anyone else watched did you not think this week's episode was like a story on speed? Sloooowww down writers! There's plenty of time to tell all these juicy stories!)

Grey's, LOST, and the Future of Addictive Television

Grey's Anatomy was ok tonight. Now that I know (spoiler alert) that Derek and Meredith will be getting together for good, I want it to happen already. I want a nice beautiful romantic reunion. I also think we are headed for a same gender relationship on this show, and that will be the big kiss. These are my theories. I did love what Ellen Pompeo had to say in this interview though. She's so honest!

Now onto the superior show...LOST. I rather like Daniel. Jack is still a complete mess that wants a woman to feel like she owes him something off the island. Kate is obviously still torn between two men. Where in the world were Sayid and Desmond tonight? (Ok fine I realize I can't see them every episode...it was so much better watching on DVD because if they weren't in an episode or two you didn't have to wait weeks to see them again!) Claire is obviously hallucinating something fierce and abandoned her baby. Jack seems to know the baby is related to him off the island and I better get some answers in the few episodes we have left!!!! I want to know what those who stay on the island are doing. What are they doing there? What cost did the Oceanic Six pay to get off? Why must they go back? Who is meant to raise Aaron? And who is in the bloody coffin??

OK, I had one more post planned for my addictive television series and I'm going to include it here. There are two shows that I am looking forward to coming on next year that have great promise. One is Dollhouse created by Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. I'm especially excited about this because those who've read the pilot are buzzing. Televisionary Blog had this to say about it:

In the gifted hands of Joss Whedon, Dollhouse is a beautiful enigma wrapped in a riddle, a gripping conspiracy story for the ages filled with urban legends, memory tampering, and long-buried secrets coming to the fore. It's a Shakespearean story of hubris and likely vengeance, filled with sound and fury and signifying, well, lots.

Sounds fantastic!!!

The other show is called Fringe and comes from J.J. Abrams and a bunch of other people. This show has a few things going for it. J.J. Abrams. It's a supernatural drama which means loads of story to be explored. The pilot has a 10 million dollar budget. And another thing this show has going for it? Joshua Jackson has been cast. Yes, that's right.

So...those shows should be awesome come fall or spring or whenever they premiere and I'll probably talk about them again then because they will probably need ratings help.

Sooo...what did you think of LOST and Grey's tonight?

Addictive TV round-up (and last night's addictive tv)

LOST won the poll! Probably because it's in one of the best seasons right now, and because let's face it...it's brilliant.

Grey's Anatomy came in second. There was a time when I would have agreed with this, but Grey's has just not been the same since the George/Izzie hook-up, Mer/Der break-up, Burke/Christina failed wedding. I think it might be hitting its stride again, though, last night was pretty good.

Other also made a strong showing, so if that's what you voted for please state in comments what show is most addictive to you.

I wrote about LOST, Buffy, and I also wanted to write about 24, but I couldn't think of a clip that stands out. I think 24 would have done better in the poll if season six hadn't been such a...downer. This show is addictive tv at it's best for the first five season, though, the stakes are always so high. Jack Bauer is one of the finest characters on television ever (that I know of..please keep in mind, I don't actually watch as much tv as it seems and only really started watching tv since I've been in my 20s).

So what did you all think of Grey's Anatomy last night? I was really pleased to see Meredith in therapy, that girl needs it. I was also happy to see her win the contest, she's had nothing but downers for so long that it was nice to be reminded that she is a gifted doctor. If you can't tell, I'm absolutely a Meredith fan. I generally always like main characters best. I liked Buffy best, I liked Harry Potter best, I like Jack Bauer best, I like Meredith best. How about you? Do you usually like the main characters or do you find yourself more attached to secondary characters?

LOST was all kinds of awesome last night. I was blown away by the Smoke Monster...that was so cool. Also everything with Ben and Charles Widmore is fascinating and poor Sayid! In the span of one year he's lost two women he loves (three if you count the other assassin girl)! Someone wondered whether or not the Oceanic 6's relatives would continue to get murdered..if so is that to get them to go back to the island? What exactly is the relationship between Ben and Widmore and who was the German chick working for? Poor Alex. I'm sorry she died with so many unanswered questions about her past. I am really looking forward to the many answers we are supposed to receive this season...

Share your thoughts in comments.

Why I Love Lost

13 Reasons I Love LOST.

LOST is my favorite show. I totally love it. In honor of it coming back on tonight, here are thirteen reasons I love it.

1) Intrigue. From the first episode we are hooked into wondering who these people are, where they are, and why they crashed. With every answered question comes about twenty more which keeps you pulled into the show.


2) Delicious characterization. Despite its enormous ensemble cast, most characters are fleshed out through flashbacks (though we’ve veered into flash forwards now) in situations that mirror their current experiences on the island. There is development and growth and remarkable consistency.

3) An epic love story. I love the Desmond/Penny arc. There is a grace, tolerance, and tenderness to their love story that is so hard to capture and depict. I love epic love stories.

4) Excellent use of music. Music can be overdone or underdone in the suspense arena, but is delightfully thematic and perfectly used in the show.



5) Smoking. Hot. I love the way his character is written. It’s funny, because it’s easy to forget about him until a Sayid-centric episode comes along and then I remember all over again why he’s one of my favorites.

6) Multi-ethnic cast. LOST is in the groove of globalization with a cast that hails from many different parts of the world. While this opens up a delightful myriad of storylines it also feels like an authentic representation of our world and enables us to see beyond national borders and care about characters for their innate humanity.

7) Inner connectivity. In our isolationist world it is tempting to forget that we each play a role in someone else’s story. We are not isolated and we are not alone. I feel this is beautifully represented on LOST.

8) Creative story-telling techniques. Although well known for using flashbacks to tell a story, LOST is not afraid to take risks, and mix it up a little.

9) Literary Love. Sawyer is a voracious reader, and books are everywhere on the island, in addition to literary allusions throughout the show. The Others had a book club for crying out loud. It is a bit of a relief to see the world of reading encouraged and portrayed so positively on television.

10) Philosophical ideas are tackled with depth. The great thing about high concept shows is that you must delve into the core issues of life. I feel it must be a lot of the appeal of fantasy and science fiction….when you’re building a world you have to set the parameters for what will work in that universe, which leads to an exploration of these ideas. These ideas are definitely explored on LOST—sometimes over something as small as pushing a button.

11) Everything has meaning. This show is all about the pay-off. Seemingly insignificant storylines or details are often bought back in later episodes. It's so fun to watch, and makes me hope the same is true of my own life.

12) Beautiful Scenery. I can't get over it. For such a horrible situation to be in, it sure is beautiful.

13) Definite End. They know where they're going with the story and even know the final scene. Of course, we used to think the final word of Harry Potter was decided and it changed. But I like knowing it's not going to carry on indefinitely into the ridiculous a la the X-files.

Agree? Disagree? Do you love LOST? Why?

Buffy's Gift

So continuing my riveting series of great clips from my favorite addictive tv shows, I now present one of the most stunning moments in television and Buffy the Vampire Slayer's history. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE SHOW (and plan to) DO NOT READ THIS.

First of all, I know a lot of Christians have problems with shows that deal with the supernatural. My initial response to this is that although on the surface Buffy is about a young girl who fights vampires and demons, that's not what the show is really about. It's about life, about growing up, and how had that can be.

Secondly, even though the supernatural depicted in the show is different than what you believe, it's still a great grounds to explore the weightier themes in life.

In the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer we have an awesome girl role model, fantastic dialogue peppered with pop culture references galore, sorrow, humor, redemption, an exploration of death, significance, calling, and love.

If you watch this clip pay attention to the truth of its meaning...Buffy closes the gates of hell with the power in her blood. She sacrifices her life so that another (and others) may live. She leaves as a last message that her friends must now be take care of each other and live in the world. The hardest thing to do.

Don't get freaked out by the end, I wish it wasn't on this clip, but it is. Enjoy! I get goosebumps everytime! Love Buffy!

LOST's Epic Love Story

(I'm going to be away this weekend so I tried to do the scheduled post thing, but it didn't work and once you mess it up you can't fix it as I learned. So I'm posting this now, which gives you plenty of time to watch! It all worked out for the best.)

I recently discovered and devoured the show LOST. I think (not positive yet because it's still fresh in my mind and it's not finished) that I might consider it the most brilliant TV show ever. Yes, maybe even more brilliant than Buffy. Maybe. (those of you rolling your eyes obviously never watched Buffy) I'm going to write more about my top addictive shows later while the poll is on (and clearly we disagree on what's addictive) and I'm also working on a Thursday Thirteen about LOST (it's called addiction people!)...so stay tuned for why I think you should consider watching it even if you don't watch TV.

Until then, here's one of my favorite scenes from the show. It's a bit um spoilerish, so don't watch if you haven't seen this season yet and care about not being spoiled. But please watch if you don't watch LOST. Humor me.

My two favorite characters are in this clip, though one of them isn't that important to the scene. (Sayid!)

Tears came to my eyes when I saw this and Pete Peterson said this scene even made him "whimper and sniffle like a housewife with a Harlequin" ( just had to quote that line--it brought a smile to my face.

I watched it again and loved it again. So watch and enjoy and indulge me y'all!