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Sep 25 2012
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NBC, Recaps, TV

revolution recapping: chained heat

This may have been inevitable, but I find myself – slightly against my will – liking Revolution more and more. Sword fights, faked deaths, ethical justifications, and a wrist gun? My poor brain can’t resist.

Plot

  • The gang (Miles, Charlie, Aaron, and Maggie) are off to find Nora, an explosives expert who Miles insists they need to rescue Danny.
  • Charlie learns an important lesson: sometimes you should let Uncle Miles kill ruthless bounty hunters in cold blood.
  • Miles takes off on his own to rescue Nora from a militia prison camp, leaving Charlie, Matt, and Maggie.
  • Maggie gets a back story: she keeps her defunct iPhone since the photos trapped inside are the last reminders of her children from across the pond.
  • Charlie catches up to Miles – after sneakily handcuffing her stalker, not-Nate.
  • Apparently, Nora didn’t need to be rescued. She was at the slave camp to steal a sniper gun from the warden.
  • Charlie volunteers to use Nora’s nifty wrist gun to shoot the warden. But wait? Isn’t she a sweet, innocent girl? Nope! Flashbacks reveal that Charlie’s mother, Rachel, was sort of a bad ass – and apparently the apple doesn’t fall very far from the presumed dead tree.
  • Charlie ends up killing the warden and another militia man as she, Miles, and Nora liberate the prison camp.
  • Nora’s resistance tattoo (an American flag that’s missing a few stars) is revealed, and Miles doesn’t like it.
  • Maggie and Aaron, embarking on a side story, don’t make it to Grace’s house in time to hand the mysterious woman Ben’s necklace. Randall got their first! Who’s Randall? I don’t know, but Grace does – or at least she did.
  • And twist! Rachel, Charlie and Danny’s mother, is alive and a prisoner of evil Monroe!

Talking Points

Danny

So let’s get something out of the way: Danny is an idiot. Last week, I compared Danny to a llama, but that’s unfair to llamas. Llamas at least know how to stay silent. Why does this guy keep talking? He practically got his father killed because of his big mouth (and quivering crossbow), and now he taunts his captor as a morally misaligned murderer? You know something funny about morally misaligned murderers? They’re not that forgiving to mop-topped young brats with an apparent death wish. This isn’t the actor’s fault, I should add – and maybe it’s actually no one’s fault. I just think that since a lot of this show currently hinges on rescuing this silly guy it would be nice to make him slightly more appealing . . . or intelligent.

The Abram Effect

Oh, J.J. Abrams, I’ll follow you wherever you lead – even though all that usually gets me is a closet full of Rambaldi junk and a forgotten smoke monster. I’m genuinely hopeful for the direction of this show, and I’m especially looking forward to further intrigue surrounding Monroe, Rachel, and the resistance. I think Rachel, in particular, adds a lot to the show’s ensemble. She’s already been given more depth than characters with triple her screen time and it doesn’t hurt that she has some proven acting chops. Monroe seems suitably intriguing and complex, as does his obedient henchmen and the mysterious members of the resistance. If Abrams can resist his trademark slant toward the supernatural, I think we’ll be all set for a fantastical and character-driven adventure.

Complaining (Or a surprising lack thereof)

I have nothing to really complain about this episode (though I did watch it at 6 a.m. this morning in a groggy, pre-coffee haze). Sure, I find Charlie’s perpetual frown and dopey repetitiveness a bit grating (“So you’re militia”?) and I already complained about her unlikeable brother, but that’s nitpicking and I know it. I generally just enjoyed watching the characters prance around and slash each other with swords. It’s fast-paced, somewhat intelligent, and overall intriguing story-telling. It’s not perfect, okay – I get that. But in a sea of nauseating network sitcoms and been-there-done-that drama programs, Revolution offers something refreshingly different and I heartily appreciate that.

Looking Forward

No cancellation rumors! And the preview for next week features a former BSG cylon. It’s like this show is consciously trying to to lure me in – and it might be working.

Hayley has other interests besides just nerdy TV shows. She also is a big fan of thinking. She ponders the great mysteries of life, like how more of her time can be devoted to watching those nerdy TV shows.

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Jul 17 2012
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thoughts on true blood: hopeless

Previously on True Blood: Let’s Boot and Rally

“Peace is for pussies.” – Russell Edgington
“You might as well be praying to leprechauns or unicorns or the motherfucking Kardashians”- Russell Edgington
(It was an impossible task to pick just one.)

As a variation of my usual format, this post will be in mostly observational form. Why? Well, this episode completely massacred all of my former theories. All I thought I knew? Wrong. The direction I thought the season was going in? Wrong. I have no clue what’s going on and while that makes it hard to figure out what’s happening/coming next, it has made me (perhaps prematurely) fall in love with this season.

Observations, mini-theories and quotes:

  • [SPOILER ALERT] Roman is dead. Chris Meloni has confirmed the scene between Russell and Roman was his character’s “swan song”, but he also states that, “For the time being, he’s dead.” That sort of wording can be twisted and turned to mean so many things, but mostly, I think we can expect another Roman appearance in the same way we’ve seen Godric since he met the true death: hallucinations and flashbacks. Did TB waste Meloni’s talents? Possibly, but that’s unfair to say until the season ends.
  • There is sexual tension between Tara and Pam. It’s intense. This isn’t something I’m just seeing because I want to, and no one can convince me otherwise.
  • Vampires can glamour werewolves? Did we already know that? Also, when Eric “conditioned” Alcide to find Sookie disgusting, all I could think of was the kid being hypnotized in that children’s book Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger.
  • I feel I will repeat this weekly: Emma is my favorite werewolf pup. Ever.
  • “Hoyt, this is not you.” Hoyt, listen to Jessica. The pass you get for embarrassingly pitiful post-breakup behavior only lasts for so long. Then again, time in the True Blood universe moves at such a weird pace that you might be right on schedule.
  • What does Jason have to fear, Jason’s dad?!
  • “You not gon’ be able to keep me away from her, so don’t even try.” Very sexy Sam. Let that intensity fuel you during your search for the Shifter/Supe Shooters (as they will be know moving forward or until their actual identities are revealed).
  • Don Bartolo has Jesus, according to Ruby Jean (offensive and politically incorrect as always), and Lafayette is going to rescue him. Road trips always go so well on this show, but that’s next week’s fun time.
  • J.D. as Alcide’s “formidable” opponent for the packmaster position doesn’t even seem like a fair contest, at least not without Martha there to help him out.
  • I’m slowly starting to question Molly. We don’t know her political/religious beliefs, just that she works for the Vampire Authority. All of that access and being privy to certain info could make her a great mole for the Sanguinistas.
  • Why do people always announce upcoming executions? It leaves way too much time for the best laid plans to go awry. If they simply executed Russell once they had him, Roman might have made his tee time.
  • I want to like Arlene. She’s become a lot more easygoing since being with Terry. However, she is an idiot. All of the mystical/supernatural/unexplainable occurrences in Bon Temps, yet your husband tells you that he’s cursed and somehow it’s unbelievable? Also, did she just completely forget Rene’s warning?!
  • Assuming Claude is even telling the truth, who is the vampire that killed Jason and Sookie’s parents? Russell is drawn to Sookie’s fairy blood, but so are the rest of the vampires. I doubt it was Eric and for the sake of Sookie’s increasingly fragile psyche, I hope it wasn’t Bill.
  • Maybe the Vampire Authority didn’t have just one traitor. Maybe Roman was the only one who still believed in the mission, while the other members were either on the side of the Sanguinista Movement or apathetic as long as it didn’t clash with their political agenda. However, without an “us vs. them”, there’s nothing to really drive conflict for this storyline. I forsee Dieter gunning for the leadership role before Roman’s blood is even cleaned off the carpet. I don’t think it will be Salome, but that’s only because I’m convinced her and Nora are working together.

Next week’s True Blood: In the Beginning (Russell Edgington has made a full comeback, fedora and all)

Nicole is a TV junkie and TVDM helps her feed a lifelong addiction. She can be found here, providing biased commentary (sprinkled with a few Pop Up Video-esque insights) on her favorite shows, every week.

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Jul 13 2012
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HBO, quotes, Recaps, true blood

thoughts on true blood: let’s boot and rally

Previously on True Blood: We’ll Meet Again

“The more things change, the more they fuckin’ stay the same.” -Tara

Can Lafayette catch a break?!
Not only is he relatively friendless at the moment, but he’s dealing with all of his new powers that he doesn’t even want. Every season Lafayette is caught up in some other character’s inner and outer turmoil. Jesus was supposed to be his reward, which was why I wanted him to return and I’m grateful that he has. However, I was more interested in seeing him as a ghostly figure who comes to Lafayette and guides him through the process, NOT as a head with his lips sewn shut. Ruby Jean is batshit crazy, but I’m thinking she’ll be the only one who can help Lafayette right now.

How did Andy and Jason get home?
You can’t keep teasing the fairy storyline! The guys woke up naked in their respective homes and although they discussed their previous night, nothing was really resolved. I wasn’t expecting a full-blown explanation, but I’d like to see this turn into something or at least connect to other parts of the season…by the next episode. Maybe that’s asking too much.

Who freed Russell?
Did Nan have time to do it before she died? Was it Nora? Is Rosalyn also a traitor? Can Salome be trusted?! All we know is it’s a woman, or at least someone that looks like a woman. We also know this same woman decided to have a human carry Russell instead of using her own super strength and speed to do the job herself. That conveniently helped lead Sookie and co. to Babcock Hospital, which is good for pacing the episode, but foolish on the part of the lady vamp.

Is Patrick trustworthy?
Originally, we were led to believe that Patrick was the reason for Rene’s warning and then we learned about Ifrit and it seemed that was the basis for the warning, but I’m going back to my original theory that Patrick is the one Arlene should be worried about.I’m officially going on record and stating that Patrick is somehow connected to Ifrit, and not just because he was the one who told Terry to kill that woman. I don’t think he’s as oblivious as he seems. Honestly, I’m still unimpressed with the whole fire monster story, all it does is remind me of a less interesting version of last season’s Antonia.

Are the Pelts and Russell somehow connected?
Let me preface the following comments with this: I am probably completely off base with this theory. Moving along, we’ve seen that daddy Pelt is a werewolf and we know that Debbie was inducted into the werewolf/Russell alliance in season three. Alcide noted that he smelled wolf when they got to the hospital, so Russell is clearly still working with them in some big (or small) capacity. At the end of the episode it sounded like Alcide was attacked by a fellow wolf. Maybe, just maybe, the Pelts aren’t just the caring parents of a dead daughter. Maybe Cooter introduced them to Russell awhile back and they now work with him. Again, this could be a huge stretch.

Who shot Sam and Lana?
The masks obviously hid their identity and I didn’t recognize the voices, so we have no way of knowing their motive just yet. This could somehow be connected to the Sanguinista Movement or it could just be a new batch of people who hate all supes and feel like shifters are the easiest group to kill.

Other observations:

  • Barb AND Jeff? Someone over at True Blood must be a fan of Cougar Town.
  • Jason in his He-Man pajamas was really cute. His (dead) mom asking if he wants sex (or even a BJ) made that moment unnecessarily creepy.
  • Sookie’s “must be Thursday” line reminded me of Buffy Summer’s “So, Dawn’s in trouble… must be Tuesday.”
  • “I don’t care if those ladies are faires or leprechauns or freaking Ewoks.” I’m really enjoying Andy this season.
  • Tara and Jess shouldn’t be fighting. They are both young lady vamps. They were both turned against their will by very reluctant makers. They both fell for Jason. That’s more than enough to base a friendship on!
  • iStake makes wayyyy more sense than what I thought they were saying: Ice Stake. Also, more Molly please.
  • Hoyt in black eyeliner wearing a red tie and purple vest, complete with a popped collar and black nail polish. I laughed at him for a full minute and then came the pity. Poor guy.
  • Terry’s pile of bodies in Iraq and Russull’s pile of bodies at the hospital. Coincidence?
  • What did Jesus say to Ruby Jean?!
  • Emma is still the most adorable little wolf in the world.
  • Does anyone else remember there being another shifter in Sam and Lana’s group? I believe he wore glasses. If he’s real and I didn’t make him up, then where is he?

 

Next week’s True Blood: Hopeless (The hunted becomes the hunter)

Nicole is a TV junkie and TVDM helps her feed a lifelong addiction. She can be found here, providing biased commentary (sprinkled with a few Pop Up Video-esque insights) on her favorite shows, every week.

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Jul 02 2012
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thoughts on true blood: we’ll meet again

Previously on True Blood: Authority Always Wins

“Let bygones be bygones, bi-girls be bi-girls.” – Pam.

What other fun things will Pam command Tara to do?
I have always felt Tara was a weak character. She was always in some sort of trouble and perpetually complaining about her lot in life. It made it very hard to like or even tolerate her time on the screen. Pairing her up with Pam, who is arguably one of the show’s strongest characters could be a great idea. Gone are the days when Tara tries to commit suicide or flees town when things get too intense. With Pam as her maker, she’ll be forced to grow a backbone and maybe become a little more fun in the process. Jessica could surely help a little bit since she’s no longer the resident vampire baby and might be able to offer Tara some advice. I’m hoping now that they’ve normalized Tara being a vampire a little bit, we’ll be able to see the funner side of where this story is going.

Is Alcide the “new fool” that will take a bullet for, and subsequently protect Sookie?
According to Tara, Sookie will always be safe because she is protected by the fools around her. If last night was any indication, Alcide is ripe for taking over the new position. They’ve been doing this little dance for awhile and Eric and Bill are out of the picture (romantically), so this would be a good time for the two to explore things. There are two things to remember: Alcide still may have to take over packmaster duties and daddy Pelt, along with his wife, could still make a return. Either of those things happening could have a negative impact on the brewing romance between Sookie and Alcide. Also, it looks like Bill and Eric are prepping to ask demand Sookie help them find Russell, which would definitely stall things for Alcide.

What will Pam and Eric’s “break up” mean for their relationship?
As evidenced by Lorena’s hold on Bill, a maker releasing their vampire doesn’t mean the ties are completely broken. I look at Eric releasing Pam as the contract being broken; however, just because she can leave him doesn’t mean she will. Sure, I think she’ll take some time to nurture her new relationship with Tara in some form or fashion, and she may ever enjoy having a certain level of freedom she didn’t have when Erin was in charge, but I doubt this is little more than a formality.

Who else pegged little Alexander as the traitor?
If anyone was going to be accused of the double-cross, I would have thought Rosalyn immediately (something about her suits and helmet hair just didn’t seem trustworthy). Although Alexander, the adorable kid vampire, was the one killed for working with Nora to further the Sanguinista Movement, something still seems off. We never actually saw Nora out him as a fellow traitor, so he might just be one of several traitors among the Vampire Authority. Or, he might not be a traitor at all, and instead just had the misfortune of getting caught with the right video at the wrong time. Please, can we see more of this and less of Patrick and Terry’s trek across the country?!

Other observations:

  • The more Lafayette accidentally taps into to his new witch-y side, the more I’m hoping Jesus makes a return, however brief it may be.
  • Which club looks better: The fairy fantasy sex den or Fangtasia?
  • Jessica’s eyes were especially gorgeous in this episode. And speaking of eyes, how cute is it that Pam sleeps in glittery eyeshadow?
  • Sam’s shifter buddies, Emory (Barack) and Suzanne (Hillary) are dead. Obviously, this was the only way prideful Sam and equally prideful Luna were going to find their way back to each other. What I’m more concerned with is who killed them…and why.
  • Patrick and Terry’s little search for Brian, which took them to South Dakota, is slowly starting to get interesting. I’m hoping they were under supernatural influences in that flashback and not just good ol’ fashioned ecstasy. Also, seeing Terry in action during his time in Al Anbar, Iraq really helps you understand why he’s a little bit crazy now.
  • Judge Clements, was your sole purpose in this episode to get Andy and Jason to that club? Are we going to see more of you? Did Andy cheat on Holly with Maurella? Did those two boy fairies actually hurt Andy and Jason? How is Hadley still alive?! Who killed Jason and Sookie’s parents?!? As you can see, I was left with a lot of questions and almost zero answers.
  • Drunk Sookie singing Escape (aka The Piña Colada song) was adorable, but Alcide noting that the room smelled like mint and peaches and letting her know he was “gonna need more than one” helped transition the moment from cute to the type of sexy Eric did effortlessly.

Next week’s True Blood: Let’s Boot and Rally (Tara…and Hoyt?!)

Nicole is a TV junkie and TVDM helps her feed a lifelong addiction. She can be found here, providing biased commentary (sprinkled with a few Pop Up Video-esque insights) on her favorite shows, every week.

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Jun 25 2012
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HBO, quotes, Recaps, true blood

thoughts on true blood: whatever i am, you made me

Previously on True Blood: Authority Always Wins


“Russell Edington is alive? What an epic fucking disaster.” – Dieter Braun

Will Rev. Newlin as the “new Nan Flanigan” turn out to be a bad idea?
He wasn’t all that nefarious as a human, and even as a vampire, Newlin hasn’t done anything to make himself seem particularly scary, so that’s already a strike against him. Bill and Eric’s “get Russell or die trying” plan will finally get going next week or the week after (I’m assuming) and the members of the Sanguinista Movement aka the Anti-Mainstreamers will make an appearance in one way or another as well. I still don’t think we’ll learn all there is to know this season, but I doubt Nora is the only Movement member we’re introduced to. All that will be a joy to watch, but it’s not likely Bill and Eric can wage this little war undetected by any humans or outsiders, and that will give Newlin something to do. I’m not starting to like him, but I think he has possibilities in a role that has authority over Bill and Eric. Hopefully it’s one of those bad ideas that’s really good to watch.

Are Pam’s flashbacks the only ones that aren’t incredibly boring?
An emphatic yes! Not only did it draw an interesting parallel between Pam, Eric and Tara in their respective maker/makee roles (Eric is NOT going to be happy that Pam made Tara and then abandoned her!), but it was also fun to watch. We met the incredibly flexible Rubber Ruby and heard Pam say, “A good merchant doesn’t compete with her merchandise.” Bust most importantly, we finally saw where Bill and Eric’s dislike for each other initially stems from, which had a very Angelus/William the Bloody feel to it. Eric and Pam making out was hot, but closing out the flashback watching Pam cry tears of blood in her sleep was significantly less hot.

Was there something more to Ms. Steeler?
I could be reading way too much into this, but something about Miss Steeler (played by Melinda Page Hamilton) and her cat Rex’s reaction to Jason makes me think that was a hint to something more. Perhaps Rex smelled something on Jason (lingering panther? fairy blood?) or maybe Steeler is more than just a teacher who slept with her student 15 years ago. If I’m wrong and she was just there to let us know where Jason began his sexual journey and push him into the strictly platonic arms of Jessica, that’s fine too.

What makes Salome the Guardian’s ‘secret weapon’?
She’s obviously a seductress, but surely Roman has higher qualifications  for his right-hand (wo)man than being the dancer of the 7 veils. The Vampire Authority is a varied and powerful bunch, so whatever it is that makes Salome special is probably a very big deal.

Is Alcide going to tell on Sookie?
Nope. Never. Gordon and Barbara Pelt will probably figure it out long before Alcide decides to betray his dear Sookie or Andy puts the pieces of the puzzle together. I care less about the Pelts learning that Debbie is dead and more about us finding out whether Gordon and Barbara (or both) are werewolves.

Other observations:

  • Sookie using her fairy powers to return Pam’s push with one of her own, and Pam combating her embarrassment by telling the patrons to “get back to dry-humping each other and buying her overpriced drinks.”
  • Anyone who’s familiar with Bubba in the books surely appreciated the mention of Elvis.
  • Molly was played by Tina Majorino (Veronica Mars, Big Love). Similar to Mac, her character is an adorable tech geek.
  • Want to kill vampires straight to the heart with a cross that straps on like a training bra and shoots a wooden-tipped bullet? There’s an app for that.
  • Does anyone else find Jessica calling Bill her daddy as just a little…creepy?
  • “Arlene, these beans is colder than titties in a brass bar.” How could anyone not love Lafayette?!
  • Andy and Holly are really cute together.
  • Bill and Eric’s little moment in the elevator? Also cute.
  • FINALLY we’re going to meet the TV version of Claude (played by Giles Matthey)!
  • “Humility is for humans.”
  • Hoyt rocking the eyeliner and the desire to become some vamp’s plaything was just pitiful.
  • I’m not convinced Nora is really a member of the Sanguinista Movement, regardless of what she said.
  • Tara attempting suicide…haven’t we been down this route before?

Next week’s True Blood: We’ll Meet Again (Who is Lafayette calling the Angel of Death? Probably Sookie.) Also, whoever made this “Carly Pam Jepsen” is awesome.

Nicole is a TV junkie and TVDM helps her feed a lifelong addiction. She can be found here, providing biased commentary (sprinkled with a few Pop Up Video-esque insights) on her favorite shows, every week.

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