Enero

The previews doesn't look all that great. However, the premise sounds interesting. Though Halle has been hit or miss on the big screen. IMO she's always done excellent work when doing television (eta. Queen; The Dorothy Dandridge Story). The reviews I've read so far on the Pilot have been quite good. So I'm going to check this out.

We decided to do a movie last night. Didn't think there was any thing worth seeing out, but thought this was best of worst that was out there and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the twist on sleeping beauty being awaken by true love. The look of the film was wonderful. The fairies that raised (if that's what you want to call it) Aurora were nitwits but tolerable. Elle Fanning did well as Aurora, but I didn't think she brought anything special to the role. I think any halfway descent actor could've done what she did. Jolie was fantastic. While watching her in this movie I realized how much I've missed her on the silver screen. I think it's been about 4 years since she's been in front of the camera. There were a couple of things I didn't really like about the movie: Aurora being made queen in the end and how the curse was fulfilled. It seemed a bit contrived. Plus I thought it was stupid of the king to have all the spindles destroyed and stored in the bowels of the castle. It would've made more sense to destroy them and make sure there were no spindles in tact or not within 100 miles of the castle. Anyway, we enjoyed this very much. Good movie.

Yep. This case was interesting. Though the drug dealer killed was a criminal you have to respect the fact that he was able to stay under the radar for a very long time and appeared to be maticulous with his record keeping. Even the detectives investigating the case seemed to admire that about him, despite his criminal activity. As stated, the individuals who were responsible for his death weren't very bright. I guess they thought they could be Omar from The Wire and even he eventually ended up dead. Just watched the episode that aired last night, with the guy who was strangled by his boyfriend. Why oh why couldn't he have found a man that was on his level. Dealing with Major, a criminal who obviously wanted to continue living his life on the downlow so that he could have his cake and eat it too, was what ultimately got him killed. The ironic thing about this case is that the very thing Major had killed to prevent, will now be out there for all to know and see.

Plushy is just getting people riled up because that's what he do. Though he's landing 3lutzes and 3axels in shows that's a far cry from landing 7 jumps (including a quad) in a four and a half minute program. I love Plushy just as much as the next fan. But there is no way his body is going to hold up until the 2018 Olympics. I do wonder though if apart of his relentless desire to compete is tied to the Russian Federation and the monies that can make with him on the ticket. He is after all, the biggest skating start they have right now.

Though in theory this would make for an interesting twist, it really doesn't fly IMO. Would the CIA plant an agent with Bassam, who has moved to the US and pretty much renounced who he is, and wait 20 years for him to finally decide to go home and take over the country? Since Bassam had little to no contact with his family for the last two decades, she'd have been pretty much twiddling her thumbs all this time. The CIA would've got more traction planting someone inside of Abuddin to hook up with Jamal, his son or hell the Dad than waiting on Bassam to fall in line or be convinced to go back by his CIA wife, neither of which are solid plans. I think this kind of twist would be more believable if Bassam had recently married Molly, rather than them being married for the past 16-17 years.

In tonight's episode he claimed he got rid of his Middle Eastern accent by watching CNN and FOX for the past 20 years. I'm not sure what to think of Bassam's decision making tonight. One minute he's refusing to help resolve the kidnapping situation. The next minute he's showing up at the scene and demanding to talk to the kidnappers. One minute he's determined to go home to California. The next minute he's having an epiphany and deciding to stay on to help his brother rule. Everything with him seemed a bit rushed tonight. There wasn't much nuance or conflict, just a jump from one decision to the next with minimal logic.

This episode was okay. I think the Pilot was stronger. Bassam’s epiphany seemed more about plot than character. I guess I could see him feeling the need to protect his brother after all that’s happened in the past day or so, but still he’s run away from this for 19 years. He should be seriously conflicted about making the huge decision to remain in Abuddin and what about his family? Did the wife, as annoying as she is, excitedly accept the decision for them to stay? She probably did, considering what an idiot she is, giving no thought to how dangerous things are right now. And what about the kids? The son would probably be cool with staying, but I’m betting the daughter would have a serious problem with this. The kidnapping of the nephew’s wife seemed to be missing something. The kids were just kids and showed no dangerous ruthlessness at all, which I guess was the point. But I never really thought the wife was going to die. There was no sense of urgency from any of the family members about the kidnapping, except maybe the husband. Everyone else was walking around like someone had simply lost their shoe. Once again Bassam’s wife showed no alarm about the dangerous events happening around her (neither did their children) and practically shrugged off the fact that the kids who’d conducted the kidnapping were assassinated on the spot. And Bassam is not showing any concern about the safety of his wife and kids with all that’s going on. None of this is realistic. That said, I can’t say enough how much I dislike Bassam’s family, and wish they’d just send them back to the States to never return. They are annoying and not very interesting. Everytime they come onscreen their presence is almost enough to make me want to change the channel, but I’m guessing they are there to keep Bassam from slipping completely into the role of heartless tyrant. Jamal losing the use of his…appendage, even temporary was much deserved. Couldn’t have happened to a more despicable guy. Does anybody else think that Jamal’s son might at some point be revealed to be Bassam’s? Who didn’t see him and Jamal’s wife having a past coming a mile away? She’s been giving him the look since the moment they shared a scene. I’ll probably be back next week, but I don’t know if I’m going to continue watching. The Pilot didn’t blow my socks off, but it was intriguing enough. Tonight’s episode lost a lot of ground with me. Next week’s episode is going to have to step things up if I’m going to continue watching through the end of the season.

I didn't get this either. He even asked his wife to promise him they'd return. So he knew there was a strong possibility that he would get caught up in his family's web and get trapped there. Returning for the wedding seemed like a weak excuse at best. That said, when he met with the reporter he did ask the man why he hadn't called him back. So perhaps he was compelled to return after reading some of the reporter's recent articles about the country, used the wedding as a cover for his return, but once there decided it was a terrible mistake. It could also be the subconscious at play too. Reading all that was going on in his country some part of him might've wanted to see his father again.

I completely agree, but I guess they had to explain the actor playing Barry/Bassam blue eyes somehow. With that said, I thought the Pilot had questionable moments but showed a lot of potential. Though I thought Barry's decision to return to the Middle East after 19 years for a wedding was ridiculous and ultimately not very wise, I already like the character and find him fascinating. His story has the potential to be quite compelling if handled properly. However, I can't say the same about his wife and kids. Like many here I find the wife to be unrealistically clueless and the son as well. The wife constantly nagging him about working things out with his father was annoying. Could she not put two and two together and figure that something pretty terrible must've happened for Barry to leave his family and all he knew at 16 and never look back? Especially considering who his family is and where he's from? Then when he does give her some background she pulls an Oprah moment, as Jamal said, and tells him to tell his father how he feels. Then just when I think she can't get any more stupid, after the father dies she's appalled when Barry wants to leave the country immediately. SMDH. She epitomizes the dumb american stereotype and the blond hair, blue eyes and pale skin is not helping. And the son isn't much better. A general acceptance of gays is very new in the US. Surely being a gay man himself the son isn't that clueless to not know that there are many countries that do not accept gays, most especially in the Middle East. It was unreal that he'd be so reckless to be practically hitting on another guy at the wedding? As already been stated the daughter is the smartest person in the family. She seems to be buying a clue early on. Jamal, though interesting, is awful. I have great sympathy for what he went through as a child, but find his adult behavior reprehensible. I don't think I'll ever love to hate him. I'll be hating him as long as I watch the show. I kind of looking forward to seeing where they take this. I'm definitely in, at least for the next few episodes.

I remember this case. The boyfriend seemed like an ass and I also kind of found him sleazy due to the fact that he would get involve with a woman who obviously wasn't really capable of functioning as an independent adult due to her limited mental capacity. Anyway, I don't think he killed the baby. I think Joey did, but that it was an accident. The boyfriend might've found out what happened then killed Joey, which would explain why he wasn't hellbent on finding out what happened to his kid because he already knew. But whether he killed Joey, the kid or both, I think someone would've had to help him. Joey's car was found a couple of hundred miles away. If he left the car where it was found, how did he get back home? Someone would've had to give him a ride back, or at the very least he would've had to take some form of public transportation which there would've been a record of. Surely the police checked for all this since they did give him a polygraph and seemed to question if he was involved during their investigation. This was a really strange case. One I don't think will ever be solved.

I desperately wanted Merlin to have a girlfriend (I hated his obsession with Arthur) and actually liked the potential of him and Gwen. The actors didn't smolder, but they did have great chemistry. Gwen and Merlin had been through a lot together and had a strong foundation for a romantic relationship. But sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

Speaking of prison dramas, I never watched Oz, but did watch Prison Break, which needs to be added to this list. It was excellent in Season One. Season Two was good, but cracks started to form in the story. The conspiracy around Lincoln's imprisonment was weak at best and though T-bag was disgustingly awful, he was awesome in S1. However, in S2 and beyond he became insufferable (he really should've bit it like many of the other escapees in S2). The show should've ended at the end of S2 with Michael, Sarah and Lincoln escaping to South America. Because when they came back in S3 and tried to recapture the brilliance of S1 by throwing most of the gang in a Mexican prison, the show was lost and never recovered. It was an awful season as was S4 with the horrible story around Scylla.

Roswell - With the recent cast reunion it made me feel a deep sense of nostalgia. I went back to relive the magic and was quickly reminded of how much potential this show had and how it lost its way very quickly. The concept was interesting enough, but I don't think the writers knew how to make it work on a TV show. Season One was descent. It had some really great character/relationship moments and intriguing discoveries around the alien mythology, but for the most part it was boring. It did need more edge if the writers ever wanted it to be what it should've been. They tried to step it up in Season Two, but the potential of the show further deteriorated with alien doppelgängers, a silly end of the world scenario and a hour long alien orgasm that led to an unwanted pregnancy. By the time the show got to Season Three, it was unrecognizable. The alien mythology was pretty much non existent and the relationships had turned into the cookie cutter, sleep inducing teen angst that was seen on every other teen show at that time. When the show spent most of an episode with Maria trying to launch her singing career it became painfully obvious that the show was never going to be what it could've and should've been. It was a shame because they had a strong idea, and a good cast who had wonderful chemistry, it really could've even a great show in the right hands.

Roswell - The Dupes episode from S2. After watching that episode I knew the show would never be the same and that wasn't a good thing. Merlin - Love In the Time of Dragons from S2. Outside of the whole of S5 this had to be one of the most boring episodes ever aired for this show. Senfield - All of S9, but I think the Pilot and the second episode in S1 topped this as utter boredom.

Add me to the list of folks who hated Mulder/Scully as a couple. I’ll admit, Duchovny and Anderson smoldered, but I NEVER wanted to see them take it there. But they did, and in the worst way possible. The Immaculate Conception and the stories that followed were just awful. Scully was never the same afterwards and Mulder became insufferable. Other’s I hate… Fitz and Olivia – They were so hot in the beginning, but that quickly turned to disgust. Fitz is a wimpy punk who uses Olivia for sex any chance he gets, and she just becomes pathetic around him. I think if they ever got their chance to have the life they claim to want together, it would never work. She’d finally see him for what he’s not and get bored with having to tell him how to do every.single.thing. He’d end up finding another young hot thing to screw and their relationship would implode within a year. Carrie and Mr. Big – It started off okay I guess, but seemed to go downhill from there. The worst being when he left her at the altar. I was too through with him and them at that point and was furious when Carrie accepted his apology for stomping on her heart for the umpteenth time and married him. Fargo and Holly – Argh. They had to be the worst couple to grace the face of Eureka. Horrible couple. They had zero chemistry. Fargo’s lightning speed soul-mate romance with her made my head spin, then his obsession with getting her back for an entire season was unbearable. Her appearance and their relationship was one of many reasons why Eureka IMO completely lost it’s edge and ultimately got cancelled. Loved… Max and Liz (Roswell -Season One) – The chemistry between Appleby and Behr was soulful, everything you want to see in a teen romance. The slow burn of their relationship was very well done. Though the relationship went to hell in a hand basket the following season. I will always love what this couple was in the first season of the show. Pacey and Joey (Dawson’s Creek)– I never expected to get on this train. Actually I didn’t even watch Dawson’s Creek until I seen a preview for Cinderella Story, the episode where Pacey and Joey first kiss. I was hooked on them ever since. They were another couple that went to the dogs after the initial hook up, but they were wonderful in Season 3 and a portion of Season 4. I liked the fact that both characters actually did grow up while together. They supported each other (especially Pacey to Joey) and respected each other. They could be serious, but also had a lot of fun together. I always enjoyed their banter, even when they weren’t a couple. Their interactions never seemed forced, which gave the impression that they were truly connecting. This was another couple who had a wonderful slow burn and an awesome pay off. John and Cameron (The Sarah Connor Chronicles)– I know I’m the only one, but I really liked the potential of these two. They never became a couple, and honestly I don’t know if I wanted them to go all the way there. But the characters had such chemistry, it was undeniable. Whatever it was that was growing between them I thoroughly enjoyed and wanted to see more. Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)– Loved the push, pull, forbidden love story that grew between them. I was heartbroken when they had that one night together then all went to hell, almost literally when Angel turned evil after they made love, which in the end led to him moving away. They definitely gave new meaning to star-crossed lovers and I loved every minute of it.

Perhaps. Or maybe they'll both remain active over the next few years. I'm not much of a fan of Lawrence's meteoric rise over the last 2-3 years. It puts me in the mind of the old adage that a star that burns the brightest usually burns out the fastest. I prefer Shailene's slow burn, for lack of a better term, to stardom. I find it interesting that her latest movie Fault in Our Stars has done quite well at the movies. Yes, it was a best selling book, and she has the success of Divergent that I'm sure assisted in the success of this movie, but I like that she and a virtually unknown actor carried this movie and ultimately made it successful. We have yet to see Lawrence do this. She's had her blockbusters (Hunger Games, X-Men, American Hustle), but they were all already HUGE franchises with built in audiences that would follow them anywhere or featured mega stars who carried Lawrence along. I'd like to see what she can do without the extra help of a ready made franchise or other mega stars for support.

I agree. And honestly this sounds nothing like the Abby we came to know in Season One. I'm hoping this new guy that her and Jenny are supposed to be in a triangle over ends up being much ado about nothing. They can have him crushing on Abbie, while flirting with Jenny as some kind of acknowledgement to their past relationship, but ultimately have neither sister be interested in romance or FWB with him. This is what I'm most excited about, is Mama Mills. Abbie mentioned last season that their mom had some mental issues, and as a result, I believe she was in and out of mental institutions, which is why her and Jenny were constantly in foster care. I'm betting her mental instability has everything to do with the Horsemen, and might even be due to her inability to handle her supernatural ability or fate that's tied to the Horsemen. One can only hope her story will be more than a passing thought.

I totally agree. Though the premise of Sleepy Hollow is intriguing, the only reason why I gave this show a chance was because of Nicole Beharie. She is wonderful to watch, and I enjoy the amazing chemistry she has with all the other actors on the show.

Yeah I'm trying to take what's being said with a grain of salt and just wait and see how things will play out. I remember when TPTB said that Abbie and Luke were going to be explored. It never happened. I think we got maybe 10 minutes of them together throughout the entire season and none of those 10 minutes even remotely hinted at Abby and Luke rekindling their relationship.

I think the only reason why she had the alternating POVs was because of Tris' death in the end, but as you said there was no distinction between her voice and Four's. I agree with the general consensus here. Allegiant was just terrible from start to finish. Though I have to say, I wasn't too surprised by the disappointment of the book due to Insurgent, which IMO wasn't all that great. Tris and Four spent the entire book running from one faction to the other, which added nothing to the story. Four started to become annoying, but I still loved his character. However, the same can't be said about Tris. She became a complete idiot. I think Roth was trying too hard to make Tris fearless, brave and self sacrificing which made it come off less than authentic. The same thing happened in Allegiant, most especially in Tris' final moments when she had this internal monologue about self sacrifice, what it means etc, which made her death scene even more awful and less genuine. But I digress, as I've said, I didn't think Insurgent was that great and could see Roth losing her handle on the story there. However, I didn't expect the final installment to be the disaster that it was. For this reason, I haven't seen the movie either. After reading the final book, I lost all interest in seeing this story revisited on the big screen.

Twisted – This show had a lot of potential. A teen sociopath returns to the community after spending 5 years in juvie for strangling his aunt to death. Oh the possibilities. It started off intriguing enough, but quickly ventured into plots that made little sense and teen angst, all of which revolved around Jo Masterson who is probably one of the most obnoxious and un-relatable characters I’ve seen on TV in a long time. She, her ever present scowl and annoying parents became such a force on the show that it became unwatchable, which forced me to abandon ship less than half way through the first season. Supernatural – I loved this show so much. It was, IMHO, one of the best shows the CW ever put on the air. The ongoing mythology was interesting as was the mysteries of the week. I also thoroughly enjoyed the love and connection between Sam and Dean. But then the show started chasing Angels, then the Devil, then God and quickly went off the rails. To this day I feel the show should’ve ended when Sam returned from the dead (I know there’s been many seasons of this) and Dean had gone to be with his former love because he thought Sam was gone for good. That would’ve been a sad, but fitting end to the show. Anyway, I gave up the ghosts around this time (no pun intended), but not in a bitter rage, just in disappointment. Eureka – This was a fun, interesting and intelligent show. I enjoyed all of the geek speak and the characters were oftentimes a riot. But the show seemed to lose a bit of it’s edge when it killed off one of the main characters. It seemed to get progressively darker from that point on. There were still a few moments when the lightness and intellect of previous seasons would shine through, but it IMO never regained the brilliance that it had in the first two seasons. Scandal – It was an entertaining show, with some interesting cases, until it turned into the Olivia can’t keep her hands off Fitz show. Her addiction to that sorry excuse for a man and a President, destroyed the show for me. Merlin – Another fun, interesting show that had a LOT of potential. Unfortunately, the writers were more interested in Merlin/Arthur hoyay, minimizing the female characters and making sure all the boxes next to The Legend of King Arthur plot points were checked (eta: Lancelot, Excalibur, Guinevere, Mordred etc.) than writing a tight story that gave everyone their due. Before it was over Merlin was obsessed with Arthur, and lived only for him. Arthur was a complete dunce who didn’t know his ass from his elbows, much less how to run Camelot. Guinevere was just there because the legend said she was supposed to be, and Morgana was a raging lunatic without reason. It was a complete mess and extremely frustrating, so much so that I didn’t even make it to end of the final of season.

This episode was straight up boring and a bit ridiculous. I could understand the team desperately wanting to get those pedophiles off the street, but their behavior bordered on unethical. The undercover sting almost seemed like entrapment. The prosecution of the case wasn't much better. Amaro's family problems were snooze worthy. Furthermore, his anger over the case and subsequent attack on the acquitted suspect didn't feel authentic. And for the love of all that is holy, can't we have a cop show without a cop, specifically a male, having a box of pain he wears on his sleeve and is also sporting a short fuse? Amaro is just Elliot 2.0, which isn't very interesting. On a shallow note, Olivia looked lovely tonight, which was great to see. In past episodes she'd been looking a little rough.