beadgirl

Argh!

sigh.

I don't know how it happened.

So sorry, everyone.

My God that's a lot of duplicative posts.

I think (assuming Michael is dead) that will be the season three conflict. Jane will mourn Michael, and eventually be drawn to Rafael again (I hope there is a time jump at some point), and Rafael will have a hard time not comparing himself and not doubting Jane's love. I think it would be a mistake to try to continue the love triangle, but obviously they will want more conflict and drama and that will be a way to generate it. The ending, and their "happy ending," will come at the end of the show right around the time Rafael comes to terms with Jane's love for him and for Michael. Mind you, that's not what I want. I adored Michael and their relationship, and I was Team Michael all the way. But like some of you, if the endgame is Jane and Rafael (so bland!) I'd rather Michael just be dead. Any other outcome (Michael having amnesia, Michael being in a coma, Jane deciding she no longer wants to be married to him) would be a real turn-off for me. Plus, I am highly amused by the idea that Jane is both a mother and a widow and still a virgin. It is quite common for Latinas to keep their names upon marriage (I did), or to hyphenate/use both. Although the latter can get out of control, given that it is also common for Latinos to use both their mother's and their father's last name. Also, I didn't find her wedding too Americanized -- heck, mine was even more "American" (with some notable examples) and I was born in P.R.

Elias! I dearly, dearly hope he is involved in the ultimate take-down of Samaritan. I've always held up the character arcs of Londo and G'Kar (from Babylon 5) as two of the best things on TV; to that I'm going to add Fusco's arc.

I hate that commercial so much. Not just for the twee, over-articulated, too-many-syllables singing style, but the smugness in the lyrics (other people have lots of kids, too, lady, and work two jobs, and work while you're sleeping). Not to mention the fact that U. of Phoenix is an awful, reprehensible institution.

Claire is great; I hope she gets her own (non-Dean) storyline someday.

I liked this episode -- it was nice to see Maude again, and I like it when Homer and Ned actually get along. Plus, I adored the conversation between Lisa and the guide (glad he made it!). They've done that recently -- inserted small little conversations that don't directly relate to the plot and don't have obvious jokes, but are nonetheless sweet/clever/touching/amusing.

When Sam was protesting how much he "loved" Abigail, I thought back to something my Church has said about love -- that true love isn't the hormonal, uncontrollable emotion many modern people make it out to be; rather, true love, selfless love, is an act of will. To love someone is to put him or her first above yourself, to want the best for him/her, to try to make your love be the best person he/she can be. Sam's "love" for Abigail wasn't that at all, obviously. And that's the problem with Amanda's love (and Sydney's, too) -- it's selfish. It's about what she wants, not what Sydney wants or what is best for him or what would bring out the best in him (this relates to that whole notion of whether she'd be a good vicar's wife, too). If I hadn't been spoiled about the ending, I would have thought that the little speech Guy gave about why he fell for Amanda would serve as a little nuance, a sign that there was still the possibility that they could be happy together. I think of Guy as a guy (heh) with jerky tendencies and a massive sense of entitlement, but he's also fairly intuitive and appreciative of Amanda's traits and interests. He's not hopeless, in other words, and neither is their marriage, but the writers aren't interested in complications or real life -- just in their juvenile notions of star-crossed lovers. And so Guy has to be the bad guy. Leonard rocks. That is all.

I thought so, too. It sounded like a whimper to me. A very dark episode, but I actually enjoyed it, particularly the parts involving Gary. I thought it was very well done, and liked (so to speak) how gutted Sydney was to witness the hanging, and I was in tears when the two mothers held hands. I do hope, though, that this is the darkest part before the dawn, and next episode relationships will start to heal. Although I suppose it makes more sense if that's the point of series 3.

I started playing his songs when I heard, and the opening to "Let's Go Crazy" was hard to hear. You suck, 2016.

Aw, I'm going to miss these!

Holt singing "Funky Cold Medina" killed me. Also loved Rosa's "The room needed a pop of color." This show is so fracking brilliant.

Then she needs to grow up and accept that and find some other aspect of her life that's fulfilling (children, art, charity work, her brothers, etc.). It's not fair to Sidney to keep him on the hook, and it's not fair to Guy -- jerk that he is, he still doesn't deserve a wife who won't honor her commitment. I really find her quite frustrating, because despite the pressures and compromises she faces she is still far more privileged than most of the women in the world.

Oh, man, the photos of the, uh, "vampires" had me laughing out loud. They remind me of a Crossing Jordan episode where the examiners are interviewing a self-described vampire, and someone opens up the blinds over the window, letting in lots of sunlight. The dork hisses as if the sunlight is burning him, but it's not, and he hisses again rather more pathetically, and then gives up.

After the episode was over I turned to Mr. Beadgirl and lamented that in today's parenting culture Beadboy2 can't have these sorts of adventures (plus we live in a city). Mr. Beadgirl thought I was a nut. So glad the two-butted goat was real! Although what was that line? "Overhearing teenagers at the pier is not the most reliable source of information?" Zeke is a delight, and has a real joie de vivre. I know people like that, who can talk to everyone about everything, and find the fun in any situation.

In honor of Opening Day (... which has been postponed until tomorrow for many of us in the NE), my favorite baseball songs (guess which team I root for!): Fanatic of the B Word -- De La Soul Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit that Ball? -- Count Basie Baseball Boogie -- Mabel Scott Talkin' Softball -- Terry Cashman (Simpsons' satire of his Talkin' Baseball) Bagged Me a Homer -- Lurleen Lumpkin Centerfield -- John Fogerty Sweet Caroline -- Neil Diamond Tessie -- Dropkick Murphys Dirty Water -- the Standells

Speaking of storylines that fizzled, remember when he asked his parents to set him up for an arranged marriage? He met the one woman and then they dropped that plotline, which was a shame. They could have gotten some mileage out of him meeting different women, tension with his parents over what he wanted in a wife versus what they think he should have, discussions of the differences between American and Indian cultures and how different immigrants assimilate or not, conflict with the gang because the idea of an arranged marriage would be so foreign to them (although I bet Sheldon would find it logical), etc. But no, they keep his character stagnated. It's a shame, because I think the character has potential.

I loved it, too. I can't watch most of this season (and the end of season 6) because I was so very opposed to Lorelai and Christopher getting back together again some more (let alone marrying), but the last episode, with Stars Hollow scrambling to get the party going, and Richard's sweet speech, and Emily trying to keep the dinners going, and Luke, still manages to bring a tear to my eye.

Hey, TV, not everything has to be grim'n'gritty. I really hope the next few episodes are lighter in tone. No kidding. First of all, yes it was the 50s but there were women who broke convention and expectations to achieve what they wanted; it was hard but it could have been done. Second, she's a wealthy wife with no responsibilities (not even children yet); she could be doing so much more to find fulfillment -- studying, reading lots of books, creating art, setting up charities or civic groups, traveling, helping other people. The last one in particular is quite good for getting your head out of your ass and recognizing the good things in your life. Third, if she really wanted to she could divorce the guy (just like she could have not married him). Sure she'd lose her inheritance and piss off her father, but it's not like she'd end up homeless with her only option to turn tricks. She needs to do *something* meaningful with her life, preferably off-screen and away from Sidney. Is Hildegarde coming back in any capacity? I liked her.

It still pisses me off what they did to Juliette and Nick in the first place. I loved having a stable, loving, no-drama partnership in the background. There was some conflict from Juliette being able to tell that Nick was hiding something, but the characters handled it like adults. And then they had to screw it up with the interminable amnesia storyline, and the idiocy of how Nick lost his powers and regained them (why sex, writers? At least the depowering of Adalind -- blood -- made sense, even if it was via a kiss), and the whole hexenbiest thing. It all could have been handled well nonetheless: show Juliette's genuine conflict over being able to fight back v. being "normal," her frustration at how bad Wesen and in particular Adalind keep targeting her, and Nick's and her revulsion at becoming a hexenbiest specifically. Maybe add in the idea of power being corrupting if abused, or even go the insanity route. But they didn't, and instead they had the moral, calm Juliette go from zero to evil in 60 seconds. If they do intend for Adalind to get her powers back (AGAIN) and Juliette to revert to normal and/or get back together with Nick, I don't see how they can do it credibly given the way they wrecked both Juliette's and Adalind's characters. I think they are thinking that hexenbiest powers are inherently corrupting, and that will be the explanation for Adalind's temporary "goodness" and Nick forgiving Juliette (the powers made her do it!), but if so that is 1) LAME and 2) not nearly developed enough to make it plausible. Ugh. I used to LOVE this show.

The addition of an inhuman vaccine reminds me of the 4400. Anyone besides me remember that show? By the end, they had a genetic test that could determine which humans could develop powers, a substance to trigger the powers, and a vaccine to prevent any powers from developing. Various governmental and culty groups had different plans for these substances, but the theme of the ending was the idea of letting individual people decide for themselves whether to get tested and whether to get the powers. That could be an interesting focus for this show -- let inhumans decide if they want to change, with tension/conflict coming from people, organizations, and governments trying to force the issue one way or another.

I would totally watch a TV series of Good Omens, Jamoche. This, not so much.