coppersin

I think his brain was just fried at that point. He didn't bat an eyelash at her "three weeks" either. The doc was so far gone in season 1 that he frankensteined his own dead baby and proudly showed his wife the result. Between his perpetual high and the growing mindfuck that comes with living in the murder house, I think he was open to just about anything. Same way it got on the carpet - she manifested it. I can buy those two having legit feelings for each other despite no build-up whatsoever, entirely because of the actors, but I wonder if the intensity and zero-to-sixty speed of the relationship might've been egged on by Tristan's vampire mojo. He's probably not in full control of his abilities yet - he may not have even known he was doing anything. But we were at least given reasons for the attraction, which is more than Murphy sometimes delivers. Would've been nice to see something beforehand, though. And unless Tristan comes back as ghost, that's all we're going to see. Poor Liz. The list of people that want the Countess dead is really adding up. Personally, I vote for taking her out Orient Express-style so everyone gets a stab in.

This week on Poor Scarlet: continues to be abandoned by mommy, drunk-dialed by daddy. And don't bother relaxing your defenses, doll, not even in your own home, 'cause you never know when there's bloody clothes or gunshots to set you right back on edge. She seems clear-headed and rightfully pissed despite everything, so I was hoping she would become some kind of awesome Buffy-esque asskicker as an adult. But with a parent like Alex, she's really more of a Winchester in the making, isn't she? I think John is supposed to be the closest we get to a sympathetic lead this season, but IMO they shoved him down the rabbit hole too quickly. Hopefully his storyline will improve once he knows he's not completely cuckoo. (Maybe next week? Looks like we get movement on the 10C killer.) Looks like Drake is a goner, so I'm back to hoping Lachlan and Scarlet have the common sense to either run like hell or get shit done where their fathers are clearly going to fail. Gaga was rocking that blue gown at the end. Crappy "day" indeed. Is anyone clear on the timeline? 'Cause it's clearly past Halloween - in fact, Countess had time to get to Paris and back - and yet we've heard nothing about a class of kiddie vamps who, even if they're controlled enough to not rampage en masse, should be hungry enough to leaves bodies everywhere. If Liz agrees to it, would she be a ghost? Per Sally, it's all about unfinished business, and I don't know if karma would count it as "murder" if Liz is giving her blessing. It's a sweet thought, though, and would be nice for them both to take control of their afterlife like that. The coffins probably serve a purpose, but honestly? I think the Countess is just a drama queen with a need to accessorize EVERYTHING. We'll see how much she loves the kids when they're living sleepover-style in the videogame room. I'm a bit of both, I guess. I find Alex's concept interesting and bittersweet, especially since I'm sure this sort of thing happens often in real life. I'm not judging her for how she feels; I absolutely am judging her for how she's acting on those feelings. As a vamp nanny with a permanently young vamp son, it's not like she has to care what the outside world thinks - she could easily sign the divorce papers and give full to custody to John and let people think what they will of her as a mother and a wife. She can just disappear into the hotel forever. Instead, she's driving her husband insane and making zero effort to console her daughter when the kid is sitting in a police car. There has to be a less harmful way of handling this - either bail completely or make an effort when they're around. Because unlike his mother, Holden has an interest in the rest of his family. Which is another Alex-peeve of mine - she's doing this crap to stay with her son forever, but is basically hoarding him so that his father and sister can't get to know him too. That's not love, that's obsession. On paper this makes sense. But on screen Alex looked (at best) dismissive when the cop was driving her daughter away. Maybe as a human she would've at least focused on Scarlet's safety and well-being but now I think she's just one less obstacle for Alex to deal with. Since I'm pretty sure the Countess was turned by her One True Love, and that guy was the prototype for all the men to come after. I wish they'd give us that backstory already. We're getting there, since baby Bart is almost certainly his, but I want details now because I'm sure I've waaay overbuilt this backstory in my head. Hopefully she'll be too busy defending herself in future eps to have time for a new boy toy, but if she does bring a new one home, at least we know we'll have something pretty (and probably nude) to look at. I think that the Countess has become so detached from her humanity that she's as good as dead in some ways, and has become stuck in certain loops like the ghosts are. Like Tristan said, she keeps the same relationship cycle going, and she really gets off on the heartbreak part of it - I suspect because it's cathartic; her true love probably treated her the same back in the day, and this is her way of taking back that power. And "loving" the vamp kids is her way of interacting with children on a level that she never can with Bart. Happy wave to the murder house! Ah, the nostalgia when we went down into the basement - so, so much crap went down in that basement, it was like Grand Central Station for ghosts. Was hoping for a better season 1 character than the doped-up doc, but I'll take what I can get. Would love to see the house again, but I won't get my hopes up. As I understand it, they say "purpose" but what they really mean is "focal point." Your mindset when you die defines you as a ghost, so that's your default unless you have something to keep you engaged and in the moment. I'm guessing bathtub girl took the overwhelming loneliness and sorrow of her suicide and turned those negative emotions into another negative (rage) and thrived on it. The nasty water and soggy carpet might be her signature way of saying, Look at what I did to myself. The Swedish chicks aren't angry, they're lost and sad, so mind-fucking John gives them someone to "play" with to perk them up. Or, I'm overthinking it and Ryan Murphy has put zero thought into any of this. As for the blood, it's the same as Sally's drug supply (which must be real, 'cause it affected Iris) - the hotel is just manifesting it somehow, and I highly doubt we'll ever get more explanation than that.

I'm curious what the consequences are for that. Countess made is sound like feeding on someone who's sick or high would transfer that issue to you (temporarily), making you weak and presumably vulnerable. Makes sense. Donovan survived falling off the wagon when he fed off those junkies, but he seemed high before his blood was cleansed. But he's older, and experienced, and he was only feeding. What happens when children are turned with tainted blood? Are they permanently affected, or were they fine once they fed on healthy blood - their spots, at least, seemed to disappear afterward. If feeding on the sick makes you sick, maybe turning with infected blood means you'll be weaker or have more vulnerabilities? I've wondered where Holden ends up at the end of this series, since his parents seem doomed and his sister isn't old enough to raise him. I'm thinking he'll feed off the wrong person and catch the mutated virus and die from it. Can't imagine Alex will survive the guilt of that.

80's makeover music! That's easily the most I've liked the Countess - even her "Howdy boys!" had a little more pep to it. Just wanted to hug Iris and Liz forever during this ep. Though we can now add Liz to the list of crap parents on this show - that poor little boy and his drawing. I'm still holding out hope that Drake and Lachlan can maintain a decent parent-child relationship 'til the end - though Drake's being targeted by the Countess and Lachlan thinks kids in coffins is a perfectly acceptable and cool thing to look at, so... So it has been very thoroughly established that John Is Not Well - they need to either show us he's the killer soon, or reveal a twist that shows he isn't, 'cause his storyline is starting to drag. The ten commandments are actually part of the opening credits - I should not keep forgetting that the 10C killer is even a thing. Alex is kind of an idiot (or possibly just a mess given everything that's happened) and waaaay to comfortable with her new place in her son's life, but at least she was accidentally amusing - she's pro-vaccine and a doctor to boot, yet she manages to kickstart a homicidal epidemic involving not one but two viruses! Gold star! Poor Scarlet. This season is basically watching her become an orphan in increments. And next week she's screaming, poor kid. Preview looked very promising. Feels like the show is really hitting its stride, and may end up being as enjoyable as Murder House, before it inevitably goes off the rails in the last few eps. Since Iris is probably the governess that the Countess said was overdue for a pink slip, I'm guessing she's figured out one or both and is just biding her time. Although I'm absolutely willing to buy that she's too self-involved to notice any of it. I don't think she even really cares about any of the lovers she turned, they're just possessions and possibly a placeholder for the one she lost. I'm curious if she was more "human" before she was turned, or if she makes such a good vampire because she was always like this.

The nurse is Tommy's adoptive mother, so yeah, I'm betting she and Hiro raise him. Judging by her preppy look and elegant surroundings in the preview, Malina was probably raised by their grandmother. As for their biodad, I don't think it's even relevant. Claire moved on with her life, tried to start a family, and ended up in a morgue. It's sad, but that's probably the end of their parental backstory; it's all about saving the world now. Even if they did introduce a biodad for the twins, it's unlikely to be anyone from the original series, so how invested would any of us be? Are we sure there was a butterfly effect, though? If we've always had the twins in the present, then Hiro always took them to the past. So, we don't know that anything we've seen yet would actually alter the timeline. If Tommy/Nathan knows his true name and purpose on the day of the summit, that could just mean that his memory was altered between the Odessa explosion and the current storyline. Nope, as long as Hiro and Angela are careful, they can stay in the past without affecting the orginal series' timeline. The babies were taken to the past by versions of Angela and Hiro from the day of the Odessa summit. Two versions of the same person can exist at the same time without a paradox, as proven by the two HRGs of this episode. So, Odessa!Angela & Hiro can exist in the past raising the kids somewhere that they won't be recognized, and their past selves will keep living their 1999 lives without knowing anything or being affected. They're essentially different people. Even though it was poorly handled, I'm guessing we didn't see Claire's face simply because 1) they were short on time and money, and 2) it gave them a loophole in case she wanted to come back later. Though if they really wanted us to believe the indestructible cheerleader was dead, they could've found someone similar to HP, who is very pretty but whose features are fairly typical and All-American, and just slapped on the "death" makeup of pasty white skin and blue lips. I do hope they explain how she was killed by a heart attack, though, because that's one hell of a loophole. I don't think the timeline of Phoebe's massive shadow matches up, unless Claire was conveniently caught under one of the practice runs? What about the drug they pump into caught Evo's via cannula - that restrains powers, yes? Maybe she was dosed with that? And until we see a body, Mohinder isn't dead. Unlike everyone else at the summit, he knew that there were bombs and had time to at least try running somewhere safe. I know he wasn't the brightest bulb, but I still loved Mohinder, even during his dullest and dumbest storylines, and since we've already lost other original characters, if we also lose Mohinder's pretty pretty face and pretty pretty hair, I'll still watch to the end - but I'll probably start rooting for the CME. Not sure this is actually a spoiler, but just in case: Interesting that Luke's power seems energized by sunlight, yet his son is harmed by it. So either his DNA did a 180-turn, or maybe his sun allergy was just a forerunner to his own sun-sensitive power? Poor Hiro - when he first popped out of Evernow, his long (fake) hair had a bit of a mullet happening in the back. In the previews, he has some rather unconvincing paint-by-numbers grey streaks. Time has not been kind to his hair. He was, however, adorably uncomfortable holding lil' Tommy. If we never saw Carlos or heard of his storyline again, I would be annoyed that we spent so much time on him but doubt it would make any difference to future episodes. I'm sure the writers have a plan for him, but he still seems to detached from the action. You're right. Nostalgia was basically 90% of why I was watching; now that we're getting meatier stuff with the original cast (and Matt appearing next week!) it's closer to 95%. I'm mildly interested in the twins and that's basically it for the "new" material. Even original characters that I never much cared for (Claire) seem like time better spent than Carlos or Miko. And as frustrated as I am with the quality of this show, I still getting a happy little grin when we get callbacks to the original, like the tinkling piano music when Mohinder first appeared, and the eclipse on the nursery mural. I'm curious if the creators had any interest in continuing this beyond a single miniseries (ratings permitting), since they seem so kill-happy with the original cast.

Well, on the bright side, look at how many died in prison. Not cool if they are indeed still killing, but at least they're permanently trapped in really crappy locales. Though I wonder if all ghosts can be so hands-on year-round in their haunts the way they are at the Cortez and the murder house? Maybe there's way less danger if location itself isn't evil as well. Does the timeline of Evers and March line up with the original owners of the murder house (aka Lily Rabe and co.)? Evers' outfit gave me that impression. I'm still convinced March had something to do with the murder house. Friends with the architect? Attended the housewarming? Body dump at the construction site? Sally isn't my favorite (though Paulson is wonderful) just because she's so stuck in the destructive cycle of dragging others down, but I did feel for the poor woman when she spent her one night of freedom doing what seems to be their yearly arrangement: scoring victims in exchange for a year of (relative) space. She can't even stray far from the city because she needs to get the "dessert" to the dinner party on time.

If John's so far gone/dissociated that he's the killer and doesn't know it, I can see him hallucinating a phone call. It may even be his way of trying to get caught, by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that leads right back to him. The detail I'm having trouble with is John being led to the same hotel where his undead son is residing. Unless he solved the kidnapping while he was in his serial killer state of mind, I'm guessing there's a reason that John and Holden were reunited - I doubt that's just fate. I'm in the same boat - I can't tell if she's brilliant as a detached, inhuman being, or if she's inexperienced. Whatever she's doing is working for me for now though - I expect the real test will be when we flashback to her "great lost love." For now, yeah, the outfits are really setting the scene and mood - and her hair! Even if it turns out she can't act, her hair sure knows how to put on a show - it's shown some serious diversity over the decades. Liz: still awesome, still leaving me wanting more. And I'll close with what has become a weekly tradition this season: "Poor Scarlet." But at least this week she got pie!

I knew we could count on Snart to bring the mellow and the sarcasm, so I was fine with having him on the team if not thrilled. But the turning point for me was when they were in the vault and Barry told him that his sister was safe - the relief on his face and the way his shoulders slacked like he could finally breathe - that's the guy we can count on to save lives, even if he's more morally grey than the others. Then he shot his terrible father right in the heart, and I was even happier, 'cause sometimes you just need a hero that won't hesitate to pull the trigger.

To be fair, "But [needlessly recycled plotline/twist] again?" has become a hallmark of this show. I could see her being a love interest for Tom, and I would like to think this close to the end they wouldn't try to throw anymore crap at Edith, but I won't rule out blackmail because: it's this show. Already a few times this season I've said to myself, "Surely they wouldn't - oh, wait. Yes. Yes they would."

Poor Scarlett. Her mother loves her brother more (definitely believe), her father loves her mother more (could've just been grief talking). At least out of everyone in the Lowe family I think she has the best shot at surviving. Name-dropping Laurence Harvey could be a hint that Liz's decade was the 50s or 60s - but then it may just be that Harvey worked with Liz Taylor. Out of all the backstories, I'm most eager for Liz's - the Countess' will probably be more dramatic, but I'm not nearly as invested in her storyline (and certainly not in her survival). So based on previous changelings, can we expect a wardrobe upgrade for Iris? Pretty please? We got some interesting backstories this episode, but not much actually happened. I'm enjoying this season but I do hope we pick up the pace a bit.

You're right, I should've been more clear - my mini-rant at the beginning was about such storylines in general and why they don't bother me. But in Crimson Peak, absolutely there are issues of consent and power imbalance. I've been trying to convince coworkers and friends who were turned off by the reviews to go see the movie (because this really is so gorgeous on a big theatre screen), and I've basically been telling them what you said - if you figure out the "twists" early on, you're still entertained. If you go through most of the movie thinking the house and siblings are supernatural, then you're gonna see clues for that and then have a nice twist at the end; but if you've figured everything out, it's still satisfying watching everything unfold. I didn't mind him, but I think other actors could've brought just as much to the role. I like Charlie, so I was glad to take what we got, but I was a little surprised that there wasn't more to his role since there was the drama of him leaving 50 Shades because of scheduling conflicts with this shoot. I get that he didn't want to break his promise to del Toro, but it sounds like Hunnam really stressed himself out over... not much. I wonder if del Toro ever does blooper reels with his DVDs? 'Cause this entire cast has gorgeous smiles and lovely personalities, so seeing them in dark moody settings only to suddenly start laughing would be fun.

Okay, I'll just get the inappropriate bit out of the way first: since incest has become more of a capital-T Thing in movies and tv, I'm gonna need at least one couple that is either two good guys and very rootable, or at least wins in the end. These relationships don't bother me because 1) it's fiction and 2) they're consenting adults, but surely even to people uncomfortable with it, incest in stories isn't as taboo as it was? It just isn't a shocking twist anymore. So while I can certainly understand why a brother-sister relationship is always symbolic of doom and downfall, an interesting twist would be if just once they weren't the bad guys, or they were totally awesome at being bad guys and win everything. Something less predictable! Now, the movie: I agree with most, that it was visually lovely and 100% del Toro's flavor, and that script-wise it was less than perfect but good enough. I suspect some of the script's weaknesses would've been more noticeable with a less talented cast. It was still more satisfying and rewatchable than the typical Halloween fare. I don't typically go for 3D, but would've definitely seen this a second time in 3D if it were an option just to see the smoky edges of the ghosts and delicate movement of falling leaves and moth wings. Still a little disappointed that the house wasn't actually alive and needing to be fed as I had hoped, but the non-supernatural bits were still good. The use of color was well-done. New York was mostly normal colors and shading. The sharp contrasts of snow and blood and black machinery were striking. Red, red, red everywhere, even oozing from the walls, but different tones and textures so that you still notice it throughout. The dark colors of the siblings and the lighter colors (and poofier dimensions) of innocent Edith's dresses. (I especially loved when she wore yellow - she looked like one of the butterflies that Lucille had admired in America.) Papa Cushing: Damn. Lucy just kept. going. with the head slams. With all the blood and stab-happy moments of the movie, his death was the only scene that had me genuinely cringing. Edith: I admire her focus, even when she was frightened. But just once in a horror movie it would be nice if, when the lead knows there's supernatural hijinks about, that they don't say, "If you're here, give me a signal!" but rather the more appropriate and life-affirming, "If you're here, give me a signal from a safe distance and I will respectfully haul my ass out the front door - you were here first!" Mia was a bit distracting with the Tim Burton-esque blonde wig, but adorable in her little spectacles. Thomas: Hiddleston in period garb was gorgeous, Hiddleston partially out of his garb was even better, and ghost!Thomas reminded me of The Devil's Backbone. I like that he wasn't the evil mastermind but being swayed by his sister, yet not completely innocent or manipulated in all of it. I wasn't totally convinced until he took a stabbing to the face that he was on Edith's side - I was kinda hoping for a long con, if only so that Hiddleston could get his crazy on alongside Chastain - man, that would've been perfection. Those two need another movie together. Lucille: Chastain is the MVP of this movie. She never once slipped with material that could've been scene-chewery (is that a word?) in the hands of another actor. She pulled off small details, like her possessiveness of the keys and nails-on-a-chalkboard scrape of spoon against bowl. I really felt for her when she was describing her mother and father, because even when you knew damn well that she put that hatchet in her mother, you could see how Thomas and she ended up as they did. I wish this movie was based on a book so there was more backstory to read up on - an impartial view of their isolated childhood would be interesting. And let's give a shout-out to the billowing nightgown and robe Lucille was rocking at the end - that was 100% gothic, gorgeous as hell, and Chastain's movements were so elegant they seemed choreographed. Fun times! The house sometimes looks more like the adult version of a Disney attraction than an actual set, but I think it actually works for the story. Look at who is running the house and what they've done to keep it. As much as they're determined to keep the home they've "earned," they both despise it as well, and that mental friction is visible in the treatment of the house. In my previous post I included a link to an article - "Great Expectations" is one of the vibes they got from the story, and I certainly see shades of Havisham in how that house is lived in. I have informed my boyfriend that I want to name our next puppy "Hiddlebum." He is not amused. Probably because he can't tell whether I'm joking.

Aw man, I was so excited to see that we finally had a QI forum, and the first thing I read is that Stephen Fry is leaving! I know we've already had him for over a decade but this seems so much like "his" show that it's hard to imagine it without him. Top Gear, Daily Show, and now QI - sort of "legacy" shows moving ahead without their most famous faces - what a busy year! I would imagine there will be a little less pressure for Sandi than the new presenters on Top Gear and Daily Show, since viewers seem to love this show but aren't fanatical about it, but it must feel like quite a challenge to her to keep the same feel of the show while still making her own impression. I've always enjoyed her appearances on the show; she's quippy and well-spoken, and seems to interact well with other guests. I guess I've never noticed how she is with Alan Davies, but so long as they're both having fun with their roles, I think it'll be fine. I agree that Stephen is a hallmark of the show, and it won't really be the same show without him. But we still have Alan, an excellent array of guests (MMV on individuals, of course) and the writers and researchers behind the scenes that make all of this possible. There will be some adjustments, but I'm confident that the show will still be playful and occasionally absurd, and that's all I really need from it. Cheers to BBC for selecting an older female presenter. Even if quiz shows were more of a thing in America, I doubt we'd get someone like Sandi.

"Sense"? "Science"? The showrunners don't have time for that kind of nonsense! They're too busy dragging along eight separate storylines that will clearly not come together until episode 10. In fact, even the scientists IN the show probably don't have time for science. They're too busy creating unnecessarily detailed yet factually limited movie-quality video of How We're All Screwed and using it to explain very basic info to the evil mastermind who presumably should know all of this already yet nods along like this info dump is absolutely need-to-know. 'Cause the world is ending. Like, in a few days the world is ending. And this is how they spend their time. I'm expecting the last two episode to be when all the good stuff happens. The story will move at a quick pace, we'll care about the episode 12 cliffhanger even if we've already figured everything out, and probably the best cameos will happen then too. So the show will end and we'll be wondering why, if they're capable of it, we weren't getting this all along. And it will be just enough for me to sigh and say, "Dammit, I would watch a second miniseries." I agree that there's an imbalance, and since she seems a bit more nutso than him as a result of their son's death, maybe showing who she was pre-tragedy would help. But since Joanne's still off somewhere happily slaughtering people and using her son as an excuse, my sympathy is limited. Frankly, I'm more bugged by Luke burning ANY photo of his own son. His DEAD son. As in, mementos are permanently in short supply, so protect what you have, jerk, instead of staring at your family's faces while they turn to flame, then leave what is presumably most/all of your shared past in ashes. (Sidenote: I actually like Zachary Levi and know he can act, so please have this new phase of Luke's life lead to more expression than grimaces and scrunched eyebrows.) Which is a sad state of affairs because I realized today what else is bugging me about this show: the visuals are (for me) mostly low quality and uninspiring. For a comics-inspired series, looks matter! I realize that a limited run won't have the same time or money invested as the original show, but nonetheless this is a continuation of Heroes and there were some awesome visuals in that show. Can you imagine them building anything like the explosion memorial or string theory room in Five Years Gone? Five episodes in, and no final scene has made an impression with me - certainly not like Sylar standing on a rooftop at night with light pulsing from his hands. Even Mohinder's crappy Manhattan apartment that no cabbie could possibly afford - they took their time designing those rooms, and it looked lived-in as a result. The Reborn folks just seem to move from location to location and set to set. There have been a few cool moments on Reborn - the flower in the icecream was a quick gorgeous moment. The mass butterflies on the snow were pretty. Phoebe's power has a lot of potential for creepy and impressive, but it's too soon to tell. I would say the biggest "fail" so far has actually been the image we've gotten from the beginning: Malina and solar flares, because what we were seeing was essentially aurora borealis, one of nature's most beautiful wonders, and all I thought was, "oh, not bad for cgi." A visual like that should add to the scene, not pull me out of it. ...All my whining and snark aside, though, this show must be doing something right, because I tend to be fickle yet I'm still here and know I will be for another eight episodes. Surely it can't all be nostalgia and residual good will from the awesome season 1 of Heroes. 

As a creepy, bittersweet ending, I could see them saving the baby vamps but not being able to re-humanize them; then we have a doctor and a cop spending the rest of their lives illicitly gathering blood to feed their eternally young son (and possible his "siblings" if their own families aren't an option). Even though Iris said she'd never met the owner, episode 2 hinted that Mrs. March was the Countess, so I'm betting she's still the owner. My guess is that she's finally burned through her husband's wealth and the hotel isn't exactly a thriving revenue stream, with most of the occupants being junkies, monsters and ghosts, so her plan is to sell the building to someone and then promptly seduce them, giving her control of the hotel again and possibly another inheritance. If there is a bigger, badder vampire, I'm hoping the story doesn't become too complicated or far-reaching. I like the idea that these vampires are just violent parasites, and if they turn you, you just continue the cycle. No time for hierarchy or arch-enemies. Just hurting and feeding and whatever glut works for you. I do think we'll see Countess' sire/the great love of her life, at least. I'm trying to remember which stars/guest stars have been announced that we haven't seen yet and which resemble the other men on the show, since she clearly has a type. And I'm trying to remember - didn't she imply that her sire was dead? It would be an interesting twist if he had tried to dump her the way she dumped Donovan (thus all the heartbreak talk during their breakup) and she responded with a stake to his chest. Ah, love. Agreed. The kids will be saved, giving John resolution for the perceived "failure" of losing Holden (in a crowded space, to vampires, but whatever). And his soul will be trapped in the hotel a la The Shining. I just hope he doesn't go all Jack Nicholson by the end - as much as I love my villains and morally greys, it's nice to have a good guy to root for occasionally too. If the parents die and the kids live, I think the last scene should be the kids making a habit of slipping away from their foster family to visit ghost!John in the hotel.

I didn't see Stein at first and I was about to freak. Not that death means anything in the DC universe, but still - not Stein, not ever, 'kay? Kinda surprised Purcell's in the photos, since his lack of presence in the trailer had me assuming he was a goner. And the flowers in Hawkgirl's arms. Definitely a funeral, and because of the flowers I'm guessing it's Hawkman's.

So blah. Nothing over-the-top bad, but most of this show is just... beige. Tommy and Penny Guy keep my focus (which was unexpected - usually I abhor teenage drama), and Phoebe definitely has potential but will probably disappoint. Otherwise, I'm not invested in what's going on and would've bailed if this weren't a limited run. At this point I'm most eager for cameos of the alums, more of whom we've seen in the trailer than the actual series, and it's been five episodes already! If I'm gonna slog through this, I wanna do it staring at Mohinder's pretty pretty face, and no, a wanted poster does not count. It has been nice to see HRG each week at least. The Dark Matters prequel on NBC's site is the equivalent of one episode time-wise, and I honestly feel that we got more plot and character development than most of the storylines on Reborn have gotten so far. AND we got an original recipe hero! Some stuff is happening on the show, but none of it feels like actual progress. I noticed that too - I'm pretty sure my reaction to him walking away from his home with his son's toy tucked beneath his arm and a grim look of determination on his face was NOT supposed to be inappropriate giggles, but really: Luke: I'm atoning. Literally ten minutes later.... Neighbor: Honey? Do you smell smoke?

It's official, Season 4 is the last.

You're not missing anything - neither Dr. Light has appeared on the show yet. This article briefly explains the characters, but basically there's a male Dr. Light (bad) and female Dr. Light (good) - IIRC, last season there was one line about male Dr. Light being a psycho, and female Dr. Light is the metahuman in the trailer wearing the black-and-white costume.

Oh, I like this. Going with the addiction theme, I had seen Iris staying in the hotel because she "needs" to see her son every day like an addict having to want to get clean before rehab works - it's her choice to leave and she's too fixated or dependent to go. It would explain her concern at being kicked out by the new owner. But if the Hotel California, er, Cortez represents Purgatory or Hell, then choice leaves the equation and all we're seeing is her punishment, which would at least explain the downgrade in appearance from the flashback. I'm hoping the hotel is actually a combination - it's Hell for the straight-up evil like Countess and Drilldo (I feel icky typing that, I hope we're given a name soon) and people that made their bed and have to lie in it (Donovan and Sally); it's Purgatory for people like Iris with her impulsive murder and John with the perceived failure of losing his son, who might be able to work through their issues and walk away. Until we get the backstory, I'm hoping Liz falls on the Purgatory side of things.

I had originally thought that this season's connection to the murder house would be in a flashback, maybe revealing that the hotel's designer (Evan Peter's character) was involved with building the house as well, which might explain why both are so evil. But now that we have at least one ghost (Sally) this season, I'm actually hoping that we get to see some of the murder house ghosts again this year - IIRC, ghosts could go anywhere on Halloween, so no flashback necessary.

It's like the hotel is a feeding ground - everything bad in the hotel (so far) takes something from you. An earlier post mentioned the baddies representing aspects of addiction, which I definitely think is the idea, especially since we seem to have "excess" and "fashion" and "Los Angeles" as some of our keywords. Myself, I'm thinking of the baddies as demonic hotel bed bugs - sometimes they drain your blood (Countess), sometimes they feed on your emotions instead (Sally), sometimes they attach just to hurt (rapist) - but once you check in, you're fresh meat, you will be targeted, and something is going to latch onto you. So was Sally literally staking her claim for the emotional upheaval the rape was causing? Or maybe no one wants a crowded crime scene, so the baddies tend to stick to their own kind? Going with the addiction theme, addicts tend to be very selfish - when you're high, you're really focused only on your own needs and your next fix - so maybe the baddies just tend to be very territorial? Though, if Sally wants to "observe" or whatever she's doing, I'm not sure how anyone could stop her. She's a ghost, how can they hurt her? Yet Iris implied that Sally would have to deal with the Countess when things went wrong with the Swedes.

I got a Rebecca vibe too. Also, Poe - "Fall of the House of Usher" especially. I could've sworn I read an interview with del Toro back when they were filming this, where he mentioned his inspirations for the film, but I can't find it now. (Edit: I did find this recent article though, that mentions Rebecca and Usher, as well as The Haunting and The Innocents - these comparisons are definitely adding to my enthusiasm.) I'm psyched that the house seems to play a prominent "role" and that a lot of attention has gone into set design - del Toro's sets often feel like real, lived-in locations instead of sets, and that feeling really adds to a horror movie. With mansions especially, the feeling of age and history, and the sounds of echoing hallways and creaky old floorboards elicit more of a genuine shiver from me than the constant jump scares of most recent horror movies. I don't mind violence and I'm certainly expecting it in Crimson Peak - I just want it properly paced and moderated so that when something gory or scary happens, I actually care about it - not just frights for the sake of adrenaline. I loved black-and-white movies as a kid, so my idea of horror is more creepy and suspenseful than slasher flicks and constant bloodshed, which are fine but tend to feel like uninspired overkill by the end credits. A looming gothic mansion with a mysterious family in residence is my siren song, and so close to Halloween! Though, honestly, this movie could turn out to be two solid hours of ghosts killing off the cast with zero plot and I would still be invested because of the awesome actors. And they're in period clothing!

Possible, but considering the Bathory inspiration I'm guessing her reasons are more practical than sentimental. Maybe they're livestock? Don't know if she could feed on her own kind, but judging by Donovan and Holden, you don't age once you're turned, so maybe this is her way of maintaining a constant source of pure young blood without kids constantly disappearing. Or maybe kids are just more malleable than adults and she's using them as minions - they certainly seemed zombie-like in the game room. I'm sure we'll find out via Lachlan - I'm interested to see when/if he's "turned" since his father seems attentive (though the standard for AHS parental skills is less than stellar, so that could change).

Bryan Fuller really needs to sit Ryan Murphy down for a loooong talk. I'm not invested in any of the storylines yet, but some of the characters appeal to me and the actors are clearly loving it, so I'm in until the Halloween episode at least. Longer if we get the yummiest bits of Bomer every episode, because I'm cheap like that.