kminfinity

In S4 BtVS, Faith swaps bodies with Buffy and sleeps with Riley, which causes one more long term problem in the Buffy-Riley relationship, especially since he doesn't realize he's slept with a dopple/body snatcher. I'm not saying Flash has to go there, but if Iris and Barry are NOT intimate the show really needs to state that and have Barry worry about it. They hinted at it already.

Normally, I’d try to post a sensible response but this deserves merely random commenting… *Crappy fanfic writers could have done a better job plotting the past three seasons. Luckyroll3, I agree…should have been easy to tie Black Claw into this mundane ending. *Even from S1, this show has always had more potential than it ever achieved. Throughout its run, there were so many elements that were so strong, and so many cool mythic ideas stillborn, that I think I am more annoyed than I should be. If it had just been crap from beginning to end and all around, I’d have shrugged and moved on. *The one stupid finale plot for me was how long it took the gang to realize the demon was tracking Nick and the stick. *The actors (well, most of ‘em) consistently made the very best of bad material. Like, Roiz made that brief moment of reflection and regret from Renard almost close that book and erase all that crap to the point where I can almost imagine him hanging out with Nick at a family holiday event. *If someone bothered to collect every single Black Claw scene, even scenes when they are only mentioned, in order to retcon a cohesive series bible for them, even in hindsight nothing would make sense. :D *My fanwank of the finale ending: Once the stick was “whole” it has super-duper powers, and can intuitively fix one’s problems. And might even have a mind of its own, but borrows from the wielder. Sort of like the One Ring in LOTR. It will play an active role in finding a user, and even try to use its wearers to reach Sauron, but the one wearing the ring can use its powers to achieve things too. So the stick wants to recreate what Nick wants.

I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not. I watched the original run, and generally loved the show, despite the many flaws and annoying plot elements and differences of opinions I found myself harboring about the writers' directions and choices. That said, I was surprised by how seriously underwhelmed and disappointed I was with the show when I binge watched S1 and S2 this past week. In general, when I binge a good show, I am so immersed I love it, whether it's the first time I've seen it, or a repeat viewing - for all the reasons so many people like binge watching. But GG actually seems to suffer from the process. The flaws are more noticeable, the characters less likable, the town less charming. I guess it's analogous to the case of too much candy at Halloween? Since I agree with those who feel that the show's quality incrementally decreased with each season, I am thinking I will not binge the whole series but pick out certain episodes to watch instead. Too bad, I was looking for something to replace my DS9 binging.

Love this episode so much. The whole S5 has been great, and has me mourning-in-advance. I liked the way the show incorporated "great filter" and how it's laid the groundwork well in providing Samaritan with a strong backstory and an internally consistent justification.

Oh I am perfectly okay with people liking one character or another, (Hey I was fine with the sliver of Riley fans :P ) I just am surprised that there's enough of them to sway writers and plots. Out of curiosity, does PTV get the numbers of page views and attention that would attract the attention of TPTB of the shows? (Grimm or otherwise)

I could write a long post damning with faint praise. I guess it boils down to the finale being a lot better than I feared. I did like some of it - the bad ass fighting; fast paced plotting; some cool scenes and events, with Monrosalee's pregnany at the top of the list; I also really liked that Diana took out Bonaparte, but am a little leery seriously worried the writers won't explore the use of power with Diana in any sensible fashion. This is so true. The Black Claw could have been a good, nuanced subarc exploring righteously upset Wessen who feel compelled to join despite hating the leaders and their global dominance games. Given that Nick is the first Grimm who seems to have understood the idea that being Wessen doesn't require an automatic death sentence, the Wessen community at large definitely has some justification for wanting change. What a waste of good plot material. The frustration with this show for me continues to be that the characters, big ideas, and myths are so creative and filled with so much potential, yet it all ends in such epic fail territory. Is there really a big Juliette fanbase? really? geez.

I had Michele picked edgically, but boy I hate being right. Phhht....

Great post. ITA on all points. I am surprised more people haven't commented on Pandora's comparison of IchAbbie and her relationship with THO. P+THO is/was clearly a romantic/sexual relationship, a marriage she even calls it. So the fact she uses IchAbbie as the model of a real, strong powerful relationship, and comes right out and states that they love one another, is huge for long term story. I'm sorry so many people are so disencahnted with TPTB that they can't trust a developing story to bear fruit, or that the show will be renewed. Hey, I was a huge Firefly fan, so cue the violins. But even knowing what might-not-ever-be, I am not supporting a rushed story. It is not yet time for IchAbbie. Also - Add me to the list of people who think Danny dies in the finale. After revealing to Abbie that he was really spying on her, not in love with her? Or maybe, started out as a 'job' to romance her and becomes real just as he dies and reveals all? That will rock her in several ways for next season in a good way.

I enjoyed this episode a lot. It was well written and hit all the beats the story needed. The writing was even able to breathe enough to include some really reflective subtext and context for the villains. My favorite parts: Crane and The Hidden One discussing Art; everything with Jenny and Joe (!!!!); the clever 'eavesdropping scene' foreshadowed with the donuts, then developed when THO hears Pandora admit she knew Abby had the magic Thura thingy; the humor playing easily off the drama and the action... A+ ETA I'm here. I really like your analysis of the way they counterpoint Abbie and Crane. I don't think it's necessary to dislike Jenny and Joe in order to love Abbie and Crane. They bring different vibes to the story. I do understand that some think their story/screentime comes at the cost of Abbie and Crane and that's a legitimate concern. But I did always think the romance would be a very VERY slow burn, and take several seasons to bear fruit, and I'm actually glad they aren't rushing it to placate a fandom. The problems with Sleepy Hollow imo is not/has not been that Ichabbie is not already a romantic couple. I will be sad though, if we don't get seasons 3-4-5 to see it play out as it should.

The show IS called Younger, so I guess they will try to keep the deception a while. Maybe each season someone new finds out... Kelsey at the end of this season or early S3? I'd guess Diana and Charles are later.

I've come around to liking Josh a lot. I don't know if Charles is the long-term plan, or end-game, but I hope if/when Josh goes they don't demonize him. That one episode earlier this season worried me.

I agree. This episode was actually not bad. It has a whole lot of bad baggage it ignored and a big nasty arc that won't get better over the season, but this episode reminded me of some of the things I liked in the early seasons. A lot can be forgiven if Monroe's getting his righteous Blutbad on, and the team dynamic gets a bit of attention. The reset needs to be quick and dirty and skate over a lot of crap but it could be done. Eve and Adelind join forces to save Nick and both die destroying the Black Claw, the keys reveal a whole underground castle full of grimm stuff that stocks a new grimmbago, Nick raises Kelly alone and we get back to CotW withn a subtle long arc exploring character development as Nick (finally) finds his Yoda mentor in all things Grimm. I have very little faith in these writers, so maybe this episode's improved quality was a random act of chance. But maybe someone in the writers' room finally got a clue...

Still no official confirmation it's a "Second Chances" style All-Star season?

I'm really liking this more and more, because it does seem to be delving into characters and how they are dealing with the challenges, rather than harping on the tired "who are the aliens and what do they want' as the main focus. I think the show may be more about whether to act out or keep the peace, rather than being just about a battle against the aliens. I'd add that the story is exploring choices in general - where are the lines "you" won't cross? what will you do to survive? How do you juggle competing goals? I like this aspect a LOT. Katie's mission - I think they did a good job showing the nitty gritty of rebellion. Very messy. Lots of collateral damage. Ambiguous goals especially in the beginning. The whole point to all that death was just to get some data on response times for the drones (Stopwatch One) and HS (Stopwatch Two). The supplies were a secondary issue, probably to provide good will to encourage people to look favorably on geronimo despite the collateral damage going forward. Which also came out in the radio broad cast, which I LOVED! Will and Katie keeping secrets - I do think Will and Katie should share their secrets. I assume they think they are keeping each other safe. But - too much secrecy results in weak effectiveness in any organization, and they should see that in this case, given Will's skills. Which makes it even worse that she continues to hide it form him, and HE TOO is hiding stuff from her.* Geronimo – Not a person, but an ideal. I think it's going to be a "John Galt" scenario. Will inside Homeland Security - Here's where I think this is going: *FROM ABOVE: Will wants to save his son. That's priority one. He needs to gain HS's trust quickly, so he's gangbusters getting the job done. BUT.... In the bar's back storeroom he alludes to having a longer range plan. WAG time: I think he might ALREADY be in the resistance, or plans to join them, and that depends on his early acceptance into HS. In fact, if anyone is Geronimo, I am betting it's him. No one knows it, not even the guys directly under him taking orders. He was a Ranger, then a top FBI guy. He has the skills to have started the resistance and could be directing them anonymously. But he doesn't know the low level stuff directly,so he doesn't realize (yet) his wife is involved. Beau's story - Just getting along... At some point, he will have a crisis of conscience. Probably have to step up and sacrifice himself for Will. San Fran and Kentucky - We learn LA is cut off it most ways, especially news of the outside. And from the son's GF, that everyone outside the Wall is gone. Her knowledge of getting outside the wall is going to be a HUGE plot point. Love that so far all she sees is to use it for scavenging. Son will see the bigger picture. LOVED seeing Adam Busch as the school teacher... He's going to figure into this plot I think. Broussard at the bar - That actually rang true for me. The Purloined Letter strategy. Hide in plain site. If his face is not known, no big deal at all. The creepy tutor - I loved Erin Way in Alphas. Her role here is unclear. Initially, we're to suspect her as a plant from the Proxy Snyder dude, but I'm betting she is resistance, to keep an eye on Katie.

Ghost of TWOP Past I very much agree with this. I'd add that from the human POV it is also a tragedy that to 'ascend' and evolve, one must give up the very things that define one's humanity. So the twist is that existence is tragic either way. I'm not sure the caterpillar/butterfly metamorphosis metaphor applies. I guess it does if you agree both the butterfly and the children as Overmind are destined. But the tone of the novel and, to its credit, the mini series, is about loss, so that seems to rule out a happy future. I guess there's a case to be made that 'progress' or evolution is its own justification, but you'd think ACC would have made a stronger case for that POV or else shown why joining the Overmind is a good thing. But he doesn't.