![[a case of the blog]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SY-CjpYjN_U/VF0vl6CNPjI/AAAAAAAAEOo/kQO_lGphFIs/s1600/newblogheader19.gif)
Last week I noted that despite not particularly liking her, Caroline has developed into one of the most enjoyable characters on the show. That became possible when the writers allowed her to become more than Bonnie and Elena’s superficial best friend. And in reflecting on this past week’s episode, I can’t help but realize how pretty much every single character on this show has evolved into strong, multidimensional personalities – many of which could carry an episode on their own. First introduced as a delinquent drug addict, Jeremy has now become a sensitive, brave, motivated man who truly cares about those around him. He’s willing to risk his life in order to protect those he cares about. When we first met Bonnie, she was your typical best friend character who seemed to have some eerie abilities. We now know she has strong beliefs – almost to a stubborn extent, although she’s still willing to work alongside those she does not like to help those she does like – and that she’s confident in her abilities, yet still occasionally displays some of her insecurities. Originally, Tyler was the asshole, verbally abusive boyfriend – the bad boy. We came to understand that he does frequently make bad and sometimes self destructive decisions, but in many cases he’s powerless to what fate has planned for him. Whether it’s an equally abusive upbringing or Katherine’s manipulations, it seems he’s bound to suffer certain tribulations. He’s powerless enough that I found myself saddened when circumstances forced his hand, and he succumbed to the werewolf curse.
Of course, not all of the characters are quite there yet. While Matt has come a long way, he’s still one of the lesser developed characters. And despite the fact that I like her, Jenna is pretty weak as well. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that those are pretty much the only two characters at this point who are still clueless about the existence of the supernatural.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 10-7"....
Another observation: The past two or so episodes have done a fantastic job of portraying Katherine as a dangerous, murderous psychopath. With a lot of shows, characters such as Katherine can rest on their laurels by having surrounding characters constantly bring up maniacal things she’s done in the past. In turn, the new character is portrayed as dangerous and the writers aren’t forced to do anything with the characters we already know. Unfortunately, this method is often unsuccessful. And a little lame. I mean, near the end of Heroes, characters would rattle on and on about what a threat Sylar is, all based on the reputation he earned in season one. In reality, he was typically crying in the corner about some mommy issue or something. Sure, nobody of substance died over the past two episodes, but we got a clear indication that Katherine is not taking any prisoners. She came awfully close to having Jenna killed. She made significant efforts to sacrifice Matt in order to activate Tyler’s curse. She quite ruthlessly paralyzed and then killed that chick at the masquerade ball. This is not some pretty, love struck chick who likes to wear black. She’s a killer.
And she’s pretty clever, too. I enjoyed the fact that she sensed something was up, and had the foresight to have that spell placed so that any physical harm that befalls her will hurt Elena as well. And her interactions with Damon and Stefan were fun. One common criticism of Lost is that the characters never ask the questions your typical person would immediately inquire about. Stefan didn’t hold back. Sure, Katherine didn’t answer, but Stefan calmly yet persistently asked her the questions we’re all wondering. And Katherine constantly asking Damon when he became so fun was pretty humorous. I do have to wonder, though: How long do you think it will be before we see her again? Surely she wasn’t brought back with such fanfare for a seven episode stint?
Follow up question (non spoilers for answers, please!): Who was the person who abducted Elena at the conclusion of the episode? And why was Katherine so afraid to reveal his identity when prodded by Damon?
It seems we might see a few new romances as well. There’s Jeremy and Bonnie, which honestly I think would be pretty cute. Jeremy deserves a good girl after messed up relationships with Vicki and Anna. And did I sense any potential sparks between Caroline and Tyler? Could their forced revelations bring them closer together?
Oh, just a random add-on here: How fun was it seeing Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and Alaric band together as they plotted to kill Katherine? I’d say we have a new Scooby Gang on our hands.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 2-7
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-6
Remember last week when I said the episode was going to be a filler before being saved by the final few minutes? Well, I think it’s safe to say that this episode does solidly fall into the “filler” category. It wasn’t a throwaway by any means, as it featured Clark giving Lois the full spiel on his alien heritage, as well as the consummation of their relationship, but Clark and Lois vs. a village full of Amish people dressed up like the bad guy from The Strangers? Yeah, I’d say that this ranks as inconsequential in the long run.
As such, this probably won’t be a very long review. Then again, I’ve promised that in the past and ended up with a two page report. So who knows?
Honestly, there’s just not a whole lot to say about Clark and Lois’ Harvest Festival adventure. It was a different spin on the stories we’ve seen throughout the first few years of Smallville, where a community is impacted by Clark’s arrival due to some Kryptonite. In this case, it was blue Kryptonite, and the result was beneficial. However, the townspeople interpreted it as an act of God, and their blind worship led them astray. One thing I did have a problem with, though: Did I see it wrong, or did Clark shoot one of the villagers in the back? I understand it was a dire, life threatening situation….but man, that was vicious.
To me, the focal point of the episode – or, at the very least, the portion of the episode that will have long running consequence – was the evolution of Alexander into Lex. Earlier this season I noted that nobody could possibly handle this degradation as well as the supremely talented Michael Rosenbaum. I stand by that opinion, yet I must admit that the young actor portraying Alexander did a rather admirable job. I really did sense that this young man was the evil, manipulative Lex Luthor in a child’s body. It was actually rather sad watching this innocent boy slowly devolve into the monstrous mastermind we met seasons ago – and both he and Tess were powerless to stop it. His cold and calculated appraisal of Tess – that she attaches herself to powerful men in order to feel worthwhile – was delivered with surprising force. Ditto for his declaration that his name isn’t Alexander, it’s Lex.
Although, I have to say, Tess slapping young Alexander did seem a tad forced. Nonetheless, the final scene of a shaved headed “Lex” standing in his bedroom, with that typical smirk, was pretty great. It actually makes me a little disappointed that this final season is not focusing on the REAL Lex and Clark.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
It's that time of year
Monday, October 25, 2010
LIVE Raw thoughts
11:09 - Sure, this wasn't a shocking ending, but sometimes that's a good thing. That just means the story makes sense. I did really enjoy the allusion to last night's event, where Cena attacked Barrett in order to get him the win. Count me intrigued! What do you think, though, are they ending this Cena in Nexus story too soon? Or is it best that they go out while they're still ahead?
11:03 - For a second there, I thought they were going to give Cena the completely clean win.
10:58 - Is there anything more annoying than hearing the Attitude Adjustment called "The AA"?
10:47 - I really think they missed the boat by not having John Cena wear the full Nexus gear.
10:32 - Actually, a Sheamus/Morrison feud would be fun. They had some good matches a few weeks ago on Raw.
10:30 - Why do R-Truth and Santino do the same split/duck move?
10:27 - What the hell is this guy talking about?
10:03 - Or I guess we'll see that epic Miz/Eve Torres feud...
9:59 - Heh, NOW I see why Miz and Big Show were the captains, despite having people on their teams that were arguably bigger stars.
9:53 - Last year, the Raw loss led to a very entertaining (even if it ended disappointingly) feud between Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton. What will be the resulting feud this year? Miz and Morrison seems like an easy answer, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Miz and Big Zeke.
9:50 - How far Melina has fallen. It seems like a couple months ago she was making this huge return, and now her entrance isn't even shown on TV. Reunite her with Morrison on TV -- it would be mutually beneficial.
9:46 - I think we all know what's going to happen here. Cena will beat Orton, allowing Barrett to pick the ref. He picks Cena, and tells him that if he helps him win the WWE Championship, he'll let him out of Nexus.
9:35 - I must say, what an incredible match between Dolph and Bryan. Both of these guys brought it and put on an exciting match. And I love the idea of a Punk/Bryan feud, even though I'd rather see Punk fighting for the WWE Championship. Oh, and he should grow back that beard.
9:33 - "This match is the greatest thing to happen to Green Bay in I don't know how long." "The Packers won last night." "Who?" Awesome.
9:26 - "William Regal did the real work with this young man. Shawn Michaels just took $3,000 from him." Why is CM Punk not on every show all the time?
9:24 - "What's the name of that move, KING?" CM Punk is just all sorts of awesome.
9:22 - CM Punk wearing a DARE t-shirt is kinda epic. Love that guy.
9:21 - Is Jerry Lawler the lamest commentator ever? I mean, a Roseanne "Barr" reference? Are you kidding? It astounds me that so many people rip apart Cole when Lawler is there sitting right next to him. I'd love to see Cole and Matthews call Raw.
9:14 - How is this the biggest main event in Raw history? Wasn't this same match the main event, like, a month ago?
Anyway, really interesting start to the show. It makes sense giving Slater and Gabriel the tag belts, as they actually could do some neat things in the tag division. And the somewhat unnecessary dissension between Otunga and Barrett adds some additional intrigue into this Nexus story arc. And man, are the fans digging this angle or what?
9:10 - So Wade Barrett can make matches now?
9:03 - "Ladies and gentlemen, please simmer down." For some reason I found that hilarious.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-5
Over at my blog (which you should be visiting, by the way), longtime reader Javier had this to say:
Another thing that I took from this episode was the amazing job Erica Durance as Lois Lane does. She is perfect for the role and I fell in love with her all over again. That final scene where they profess their love for each other was sweet and heart warming. I frankly do not understand why they don't let these amazing actors play these characters on the next Superman film. Tom Welling IS Clark Kent. Erica Durance IS Lois Lane, and while we haven't seen him in a while Michael Rosenbaum IS Lex Luthor. It would be amazing to see this become a reality but we know better.
I completely agree. With the Superman reboot coinciding with the Smallville series finale, why can’t they interconnect these two events by having one story lead into the other? Sure, you might say that it’s a bit risky using a CW series to launch a multi-million dollar movie franchise, but a recent poll on the Entertainment Weekly website indicated that over 50% of people wanted to see Tom Welling portray the Man of Steel in the new Superman movie. So, clearly, the mainstream interest is there. Plus, people like Tom Welling, Erica Durance, and Michael Rosenbaum are far more talented than they are given credit for, and receiving such a break is definitely most deserved.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-5"....
Anyway, every season, Smallville has a series of really powerful, very significant episodes, and then lighten things up a bit with a filler episode, before getting back into high gear with the season’s big story arc. Until the last few seconds of this past week’s episode, I was ready to write it off as “filler.” However, that final scene really catapulted this episode into one that will be remembered as we look back at the series’ most memorable moments. Through the years Smallville has featured many “coming out” moments, where Clark in one way or another comes clean about his abilities. With Pete, it seemed like a desperate plea to maintain his friendship. With Chloe, he simply admitted what she obviously already knew. With Lana, it was a heat of the moment confession (and in many ways, an act of desperation as well). With Lionel, it was a reluctant admittance. In order to save his mother, he had to openly display his abilities. Then there’s Tess. After months of playing games where she would make knowing claims, Clark just gave up weakly denying the truth. A dire moment occurred and he rather matter of factly acknowledged that he does indeed have abilities.
But this scene with Lois seemed different – somehow, more special. I really didn’t know how it was going to play out, as both seemed to have second thoughts about their previously rehearsed speeches. Lois was halfway out the door, and I expected both of them to put off this “moment” for another time. But then Clark softly said, “You’ve had a lot of questions about the Blur…..and it’s me.” He then turned to her and repeated, “I’m the Blur.” And it occurred to me that this was perhaps the first time that Clark told somebody his secret without any threat of losing them (which was the case with Lana and Pete) or without the knowledge that they already knew (which was the case with Chloe, Lionel, Lex, Tess, and virtually everybody else).
But with Lois, it was something he wanted her to know. She expressed why she understood Blur needed to conceal his identity, and Clark reiterated why the Blur can’t reveal his secret to those close to him. But then, when it seemed like he had an “out,” he decided to pull the trigger and tell her anyway. And while the sight of her leaping into his arms could have come across as ridiculous, I found it to be a genuinely sweet moment. Honestly, it did seem romantic, and it did seem like something they’d both look back on and celebrate.
As far as revelation scenes go, this one certainly ranks high on my list.
As far as the rest of the episode goes, to be honest, I don’t have a whole lot to say. I thought the stuff with Tess was nice and sweet. I liked the idea that Clark and Oliver view her as a soul that can be saved through kindness and trust. In turn, Tess believes that by genuinely loving Alexander, she can prevent him from turning into Lex. One thing I can’t help but worry about, though: Is that the “end game”? This clone growing up into the Lex we all know? Because if so, no actor (whether it’s this child or a teenaged version) will EVER be able to do this degradation into darkness as well as Michael Rosenbaum (who did it over a span of 5 or 6 years, and not 20 episodes).
Another thing: I could really do without Oliver going on and on about how much he and Chloe loved each other. I have no doubt that they cared deeply for each other and that they brought each other great joy, but let’s not rewrite history here. They basically began sleeping with each other because they were so depressed and miserable, and then, as luck would have it, they discovered they actually enjoyed each other’s company. I understand that they want to add some substance to their relationship, but does he really need to go on and on about her every single time he’s on screen? Chloe didn’t even talk this much about Jimmy (her husband) after he was murdered. I mean, enough already.
What's wrong with Bragging Rights
Let me just preface this by saying that in this era of concept PPVs, I actually think Bragging Rights is one of the more unique and clever ideas. Granted, I like the brand split and I enjoy it when they do things that differentiate the brands, so I suppose that plays into this. But there are two issues that really work against making this PPV a success.
The first is the timing. This event is highlighted by a multi-person match, fought elimination style. Just one month before Survivor Series, the second longest Pay-Per-View in the company’s existence, best known for featuring such a battle. Not helping matters is that, just two months ago, SummerSlam featured a very similar main event (with many of the same competitors, no less). To tell you the truth, I think Bragging Rights would be better served shortly after WrestleMania, preferably the night before the WWE Draft.
Which brings me to the next issue: This event is immediately watered down by the fact that they really aren’t fighting over anything. Honestly, are you invested in this match knowing that they’re fighting over a big trophy? Here are just a few ideas of what they could fight over:
1) If it were held the night before the WWE Draft, perhaps this match could determine a “draft advantage.” The General Manager of the winning brand gets to hand pick somebody from the opposing brand. Or, the GM of the winning brand gets to reneg on one of their losing draft picks (this could lead to an interesting scenario where the GM prevents a trade, only to lose a bigger trade later in the night).
2) Somebody from the winning brand gets the coveted #30 spot in the Royal Rumble. Taking it one step further, they can also penalize the losing brand by forcing one of their Superstars into the #1 slot.
3) A bit tougher to plan ahead for, but the winning brand gets the main event, final match slot at WrestleMania.
Sure, those are only three ideas, and none of them are earth shattering (although I really do like the idea of moving the event immediately before the Draft, with the reward being an advantage for the winning brand), but in my opinion this show has the capabilities of being something unique and special. It’s not often that you get to see the concept of the brand extension take center stage, and it’s fun seeing enemies and those feuding with each other being forced to stand together for the “greater good.”
I don’t really have any predictions, but there are a few things I’m hoping for. I think Smackdown should get the win, despite the fact that they’ve been completely dominant throughout the build. Raw doesn’t need the protection, so allowing Smackdown to get the upper hand so completely helps them more than it could ever hurt Raw. Plus, it’ll show that the two brands aren’t just going to swap victories every year. Ideally, I’d like to see Edge and Rey Mysterio as the last men standing, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Edge is the sole survivor. If Raw wins, I could see Miz, Sheamus, and MAYBE Morrison surviving.
Oh, and I hope the Superstars show some brand pride in their attire. Edge and Kofi Kingston both utilize red in their uniforms, but since they’re on Team Smackdown, I hope they switch it to a blue alternative.
And will the show feature last year’s half-blue, half-red ring ropes, now that Raw uses white ropes???
A Case of the.... The Vampires Diaries - Episode 2-6
I think I should move to Mystic Falls. Sure, they’re ridden with supernatural killers, but man, do they know how to party! Carnivals, Balls, costume parties….a week doesn’t seem to go by if they’re not having or planning some sort of gala.
So I finally got around to watching the first 15 minutes of this past week’s episode (hence why this is so late), and while the opening scene could have come off as hokey (with the switching of scenes while having the same actress portraying two characters doing the same thing with two different guys), I quite liked it. And, again, while the clinched use of symbolism could have been a miss, I think it worked. You had Elena looking innocent in her straight hair and white clothing, tenderly showing her affection for Stefan. Meanwhile, you had Katherine, with wavy hair and wearing black, doing the same – in a far more aggressive manner – with Mason.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 2-6"....
I’m going to do something different and begin with the revelation made at the end of the episode, where Katherine has been posing as Elena and was able to convince her to forego the usual tricks that were unknowingly protecting her – and, in turn, she used Jenna to get information – was quite interesting. To tell you the truth, I actually thought they might kill her off, although I’m glad they didn’t. There is always a temptation to “fill characters in” in these shows that deal with the supernatural. Take Smallville, for example. When the show began, only the Kents knew Clark’s secret. But by the halfway seventh or eighth season or so, Pete, Chloe, Lana, Oliver, Lionel, Tess, and pretty much everybody other than Lois knew about it. Hell, even Jimmy and Lex discovered Clark’s secret by the end of their run. Ditto for Vampire Diaries. Originally nobody knew about Stefan and Damon. Now Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Rick, and Jeremy are all in the know. And Tyler is at the cusp of finding out, I suspect.
This is not a criticism, by any means. To tell you the truth, I think Smallville worked a lot better once they freed themselves of the burden of creating these situations where Clark’s secret would be kept intact. Nonetheless, a lot of these shows need that blissfully ignorant character in order to keep the various situations relatable to its audience. And in this show, Jenna tends to fill that role. Additionally, since they’re clueless about what’s going on around them, they develop an aura of innocence, making attacks such as these all the more tragic. So I’m glad she “got lucky” and survived her self inflicted stab wound. Besides, even though she’s not utilized all that often, I actually kinda like Jenna. Again, she’s the one person Elena can interact with and sound like a genuine teenage girl.
However, we did get a somewhat surprising death nonetheless (another reason why I thought Jenna might bite the dust – the show has a tendency to kill off significant side characters with no warning or remorse), as Damon literally pulled out Mason’s heart, killing him instantly (which gave way to Stefan’s brilliantly nonchalant, “I see you used your usual restraint”). I guess in hindsight Mason has pretty much served his purpose at this point, and now the attention can be shifted over to Katherine’s plot with Tyler and Matt. Plus, we now have the fun of trying to figure out why Katherine so desperately needs a vampire.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t really like Caroline all that much, but yet somehow, someway, she’s becoming the highlight of many of the episodes. I thought the scenes with her and her mother were genuinely touching, especially when her mother told her “this isn’t what I wanted for you.” I’ve been critical of the fact that Elena hasn’t really reacted to the fact that her best friend is now a vampire, so it was really refreshing to see somebody recognize the sad realization that this young girl is, like, actually dead. And Caroline tearfully compelling her mother, forcing her to forget the time they spent together, genuinely bonding for the first time because she knew she would never be able to trust Damon and Stefan, was one of the most selfless things we’ve seen the character do.
Of course, yes, Bonnie HAS reacted to Caroline’s transformation, but to be honest I don’t find her blind response much better than Elena’s inaction. Bonnie doesn’t seem to care about the fact that this girl she once cared very deeply for is now the walking dead. Instead, she just unilaterally hates vampires, so now she’s got issues with Caroline as well. I mean, who cares about the fact that she’s some innocent victim in this – a pawn in a game that’s been played for a hundred years. Caroline’s a vampire now, so she’s bad in Bonnie’s eyes. I wish they went a little deeper.
Oh, what’s happening next week in Mystic Falls? That’s right – a costume party!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
And here's your HD Scream Trailer
You can still hear the audience in the background, but this is much better quality.
Why a double tribal council?
If you watch Survivor and you're like me, you enjoy it when the producers and other outside forces basically sit back and let the competitors play the game. That means no tribe swaps, no unfair, out-of-nowhere advantages, and no double tribal councils. No spoilers, but last night had both tribes going to tribal council. Well, over at EW.com, Jeff Probst laid out in a very open, honest, and logical way why this is a necessary evil. I quite liked his explanation and thought I would share it here:
Let me explain why we have to have double tribal councils. When the show first started we had 16 contestants. That is still the perfect number if you want to vote one person out each week and have a final two scenario at the last tribal council. To be clear — we LOVE starting with sixteen people.
Here’s the problem. Over the years, contestants have become okay with quitting. After Osten did it back in the Pearl Islands, it became acceptable to quit. Well, a quit really screws us up because then we don’t have enough people to finish the season. So, in an effort to make sure the game can play fairly and without interruption, we started bringing more people.
If you bring 18 people, which we have done, you have to consider the fact that you’ll have an uneven number of men and women on each tribe.
So, that often leads you to bringing 20 people. Twenty people is great because even if people quit, you are okay because you brought more people than you needed.
The two problems with 20 people are:
1. It’s a lot of people for the audience to get to know.
2. At some point you have to get rid of the extra players.
That’s where the double tribal councils come into play. To keep it a bit more fair, we now offer everybody a chance to win individual immunity, so you do have a shot to keep yourself in the game. But obviously if you’re the one in trouble, then you hate this facet of the game.
So anytime we have 20 people you can expect to see at least one double-elimination at some point.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
LIVE Raw thoughts
Sunday, October 17, 2010
More Matt Hardy
In some news that shocked no one, WWE finally granted Matt Hardy’s release late last week. Being that I comment on the guy and his idiotic behavior pretty frequently on Twitter, I thought this “story” warranted a blog post (and hey, since Fox has been pulled from Cablevision for the time being, I don’t have my usual Sunday night shows to watch anyway).
Before it appears like I have some sort of vendetta against the guy, let me once again preface that Matt Hardy is a human being, and that every human being deserves to live a happy and healthy life. I know Matt has had some health issues over the past year (which he’ll tell you about, ad nauseum), and I genuinely hope that the worst is behind him in that regard. And if he really was that unhappy fulfilling his WWE contract, then I too hope that this newfound freedom brings him the joy and peace of mind he seemingly so desperately needs. And while I will have a lot to say about Matt Hardy the person (who I will admit I do not know), I want to also make it clear that I don’t think he’s a bad person. There are clearly many people within the industry who care about him a great deal (although I do find it rather telling that Lita had kind remarks to make about Edge, John Cena, and pretty much everybody else she worked closely with, but was less complimentary about Matt Hardy’s attitude towards working a high profile feud with a woman).
Got it? Good. Let’s move on.
A lot of my feelings on Matt were expressed in a prior post, so I’m not going to reiterate that stuff too much. This will just revolve around Matt’s more recent behavior. Like how, for months on end, he’d post numerous daily Tweets and frequent YouTube videos essentially blasting WWE. But now that he’s been granted his release, he’s suddenly the beacon of positivity on Twitter, and anybody who has any negative comments directed towards him is sad and pathetic. And as I noted on Twitter, some of the comments and insinuations he’s made about WWE are ridiculous. Like, he says he’s free to do whatever he wants now, and follows it up by saying that he donated money to a library so that they could buy books. Does that mean that WWE wouldn’t have allowed him to make that donation? And then he says that he was only able to do projects that WWE allowed. First off, I don’t find this particularly strange. Matt Hardy is a well off, well known personality because of WWE. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for WWE to want to keep a watchful eye on those representing the company. But nonetheless, Matt also produces a series called The Hardy Show, and let’s not forget about his onslaught of YouTube videos. It’s not as if WWE forced him to stay in a cage until the next Smackdown taping.
One thing that really irked me was something Matt said in one of his videos. In an attempt to justify his behavior, he said something along the lines of “If you were treated the way I was this past year in WWE, wouldn’t you want to be released as well?” I will admit that I don’t know what’s happening backstage, but the context of his comments definitely made it seem like he was referring to the way he was being used on television. Let’s be clear, Matt (and Jeff too, for echoing those sentiments in recent interviews): Not everybody who works hard and is passionate about their profession is entitled to being a World Champion or consistent main event player. The fact of the matter is that you were regularly featured on Smackdown, participated in a number of PPV matches, and despite the fact that you weren’t involved with any championship matches, your midcard rivalries had actual storylines behind them. That is FAR more than most people get. Take a look at Chris Masters – a guy who does seem to be working hard and is actually improving. He’s typically relegated to Superstars, if anything. I’m sure he’d kill for Matt Hardy’s spot. So Matt (and Jeff), recognize that just because you’re not being pushed to the moon, that doesn’t mean you’re being “mistreated.” The truth is that virtually everybody on the roster that’s higher up the ladder than Matt is there because they’re more talented, bring more to the table, or simply have a better upside.
I believe it was in that same video that Matt admitted that he didn’t play a convincing bad guy when he was feuding with Jeff. Quite simply, that was probably one of the strongest singles pushes he’d received his entire career. He was being portrayed as a serious, dangerous heel, and he even got the “W” over his insanely popular brother at the grandest show of them all. Yet Matt admits that he couldn’t make it work, because nobody bought that he would set Jeff’s house on fire. And that inability is what sets him apart from the Superstars who have a World Championship on their resume. That material was certainly no less believable than some of the other things we’ve been forced to swallow. And it’s too bad he couldn’t make it work, because at the time I commended his efforts to set himself apart from his Hardys days, switching over to the cool looking jacket and traditional tights.
So Matt, I do hope you go to TNA. Your absence will mean nothing to WWE, and your arrival won’t do anything to help TNA. Honestly, you’ll just do what you’ve done practically your entire career: Ride your brother’s coattails.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Best Buy, Bad Economics?
I know I’ve been pretty critical of Best Buy and Geek Squad lately (and for good reason), but I did feel the need to share this mostly positive story about the electronic megastore. Over the summer I purchased a digital camera from Best Buy, and remembering that I seem to have the worst luck with my cameras getting damaged, I decided to splurge and pay for the damage protection plan.
Well, within a week or so of having the camera, something happened to it, which resulted in a blotch appearing on the lens (meaning that every picture I took which have a black blotch at the bottom of the image). A week or so ago, I finally got around to taking it to Best Buy to get it fixed or replaced. I brought in the whole box, but was told they just needed the camera (meaning I held onto the charger, adapter, and all other wires). Earlier this week I was told to come by the store, where I was told that they would replace the camera because they were unable to fix it. Not too shabby. So they gave me a brand new camera, which was the same model that I had sent in. However, the camera was on sale. So not only did I get to keep the accessories to my original camera, but I also got a brand new camera (including accessories) AND a $20 store credit, because the camera was on sale and thus less than what I had originally paid. On top of that, the original warranty is still valid!
But yeah, still not a huge fan of the place. Or Geek Squad.
Friday, October 15, 2010
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-4
Wow, what a great episode of Smallville. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous when I saw the preview, as I was worried that we would see Clark constantly reminiscing about Lana. This fear was strengthened when his memories were spurred upon entering the school. However, I was pleased that those feelings quickly took a backseat to his anguish over Chloe’s absence. And aside from a few passing references, the Lana stuff was kept to a minimum. On the contrary, the episode focused almost solely on the amazing impact Lois has on his life. And by the end of this episode, Clark was reminded of how much he loves her, not how much he misses Lana.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-4"....
In fact, present and future, all of his scenes with Lois were spot-on-awesome (I LOVED her constant signal for Clark to put on his glasses). The expression on Clark’s face when Lois quickly showed him the date in which he finally trusts her with his secret, but threw it down before he actually got a good look at it was just priceless. If there’s one thing that annoyed me about this scene, though, it’s that Lois clearly knows his secret and the freaky stuff that goes along with it, yet he didn’t just outwardly say, “I’m from 2010, I was at our high school reunion and got sent here when I grabbed hold of the Legion ring.” One of those annoying TV moments where a situation can be solved rather easily by just opening your mouth and clearly explaining the situation. Oh, and while I really enjoyed the floating scene at the end (again, showing that she’s the motivation behind his eventual heroism), I’m not counting that as flying.
I do have two questions regarding the future portion of the episode, though. Is this the first time in the entire series that we’ve heard an explicit reference to Superman? I’m not talking about the play on words (like Lana asking if Clark is “man or super man”), I mean a straight-out referral to Superman the superhero. Secondly, did we see what year they were in? When Clark looked at the paper, all I saw was “20” with the last two letters cut off. At first I figured it was a clever way of leaving the actual timeline open to interpretation and individual imagination. But then I also realized that I’m not watching in HD, so maybe it was just cut off on my TV, while the HD viewers might see the full date. And as a side note, I loved seeing “future” Clark, with the slicked hair, glasses, and suit. Tom Welling really has grown into that role quite magnificently.
Regarding the actual reunion, I thought the final scene, with Lois and one of the kids Clark saved, was great. It actually reminded me of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just before their high school graduation, where the graduating class thanks Buffy for protecting them. They didn’t understand her powers or what she was doing, but they recognized that she was doing something to protect them. It was the same thing here, with Clark’s former classmate realizing that Clark is special, even if he has no real comprehension of his abilities.
I will say, though, that the scene with Lois and the girl at the punch bowl was a tad bit ridiculous. I mean, first off, who says that sort of thing? Secondly, who in their right mind would ever make such broad and harsh judgments about a guy you haven’t seen in 5 years and a girl you don’t even remember? I understand that it was merely a vehicle to make Lois feel doubt and insecure, but it was a weak mechanism.
And this is just nitpicking, but did anybody find that newscaster’s condemnation of Oliver a bit unrealistic? Due to journalistic integrity, and a newscaster would NEVER express such a biased viewpoint (remember, I’m talking about a newscaster, not a panelist). And that interviewer at the end (who was likely a “hard news” correspondent, so the bias isn’t unexpected or outlandish) was just plain nasty. Even the notoriously tough interviewers begin with pleasantries.
Last but not least, I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t mention the brilliant return of Brainiac. Except this time, he was fighting for the side of good, not bad. His turn, assisting Clark in forgiving himself for the grievances of his past, while giving him hope of what is to come in the future, was quite touching and powerful. It was actually quite nice seeing Brainiac as a good guy.
By the way, before I forget, I want to thank Wally Kovics for his comment in last week’s review. Here’s what he had to say:
With the Davis Bloom situation... they seem to be going in a different direction with Darkseid possessing people, but the characters are basically reflections of various characters from Apokalips. So far we've seen Granny Goodness (just as a cameo at the end of last season), Glorious Godfrey (well, his human alter ego), and they have referenced Dessaad as well.
I'm guessing they are taking some cues from the Seven Soldiers/Final Crisis concept of the "reborn on earth" equivalents of the baddies just to avoid having too many rubber suit monster moments. Most of Darkseid's minions don't need to be monsters. You have some manipulators, torturers, assassins, etc. They should have some people in costumes for some at least (especially the Furies, which is basically just bondage gear). If they break out the Parademons and Kalibak, and the eventual fight with Darkseid himself, then they should have some actual makeup and effects, etc.
I have to admit that my knowledge of Darkseid is pretty elementary, so a lot of those sly references got lost on me. If that’s the case, I commend the writers for this method. Having said that, I do hope we don’t have to wait too long to see the actual monstrous Darkseid, and when we do see him, I hope the appearance isn’t fleeting (as it was with Doomsday). To once again reference Buffy, I don’t want this to echo the series’ final season, where viewers and characters were told time and time again “from beneath us, it devours,” yet in the end we just saw a spirit dressed as 5’3” Buffy Summers, and a skinny priest with a Southern accent.
Monday, October 11, 2010
LIVE Raw thoughts
11:11 - And one must wonder, who fills that mystery 7th spot?
11:04 - Miz has had a great year, no doubt, and he is somebody I associate with Raw, but I hate the idea of him captaining a team with CM Punk and John Morrison.
10:58 - Honestly, right now I could hear the Nexus music playing to a HUGE babyface reaction.
10:51 - You know what would be a fun ending to this match? If Alex Riley gets involved, and Otunga, Slater, and Gabriel even the odds and help Cena win. And with this, Cena begins to realize there is an advantage to fighting with the gang.
10:45 - Michael Cole marks a smarky comment and Lawler responds with, "Yeah, well if brains were rain they'd be the desert!" That's why Cole and Lawler don't work nearly as well as Cole and Matthews (the best pair on television right now). Matthews strikes back or challenges Cole's illogical comments. Lawler just sets himself up for his own terrible joke.
10:34 - Punk tying Bourne in the Anaconda Vice while yelling "Nothing personal!" = awesome.
10:33 - Punk as the team leader? They could do worse! Now grow that beard back!
10:30 - The good news: CM Punk rules and I'm glad to see him on my TV. The bad news - Raw has historically not treated him as well as Smackdown, which in and of itself sometimes didn't even treat him that well. The REALLY bad news - Punk practically shaved off his super awesome, incredible beard. Damn, that was a fine beard.
10:19 - A very respectable, even match that featured a lot of offense from Daniel Bryan. He didn't seem out of his league in the least bit. And c'mon, has Bryan even lost a one-on-one match clean since his return at SummerSlam?
10:13 - I do expect Sheamus to win this, but it'll be interesting how even this battle is after the outcry over last week's beat down. I suspect we'll see Bryan vs. Ziggler, in an IC vs. US champ match like last year.
10:03 - Did anybody else expect a "STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" from Orton after that botched 450 splash? Even though Orton should have had the sense to roll in, and not out.
9:50 - At least Randy Orton doesn't have that goofy smile as he walks down the aisle this week. Between Diesel, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena, you'd think they'd learn that bad ass characters that fans turn face should stay bad ass.
9:42 - Just a question - are we ever supposed to consider the guy who doesn't even get his entrance shown on television a serious contender? I can't believe one of these two guys are going to be on Team Raw.
9:35 - That's a great looking finisher. Of course, he will only be able to use that move on Superstars who have the athleticism to do their part. A real fun match. However, this is starting to look like the SummerSlam team.
9:30 - I definitely see John Morrison on Team Raw. Although it'll be a bit awkward seeing John Morrison on a (possible) Miz-led team. Since Morrison is being pushed so hard, why remind people he's a notch below his former partner?
9:24 - Why would the Lie Detector even hurt the slightest bit?
9:23 - Why is Michael Cole saying they need to avenge "our loss to Smackdown" when he's the lead announcer on Smackdown now as well?
9:19 - I love Eve Torres, but this isn't really the type of song you dance to. It just looks awkward. As far as who's going to Bragging Rights....well, neither of these guys are ideal. I guess DiBiase is the lesser of two evils.
9:14 - I do hope that we see Cena slowly don the Nexus gear. For one, the black and purple just doesn't go. Maybe this week we'll see him wear the hat and t-shirt?
9:10 - "Well there goes the element of surprise." Another great line.
9:08 - Playboy reference in this PG era? I have to admit, that "I'm captain, I called it first!" line was brilliant.
9:06 - The Miz looks awfully Lex Luthor-esque in that suit.
It's been a while since I've done my LIVE Raw streaming thoughts. Let's do it again tonight. So come back at 9:00 for my ongoing thoughts of the show.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-3
So wait, this guy got a book published in three weeks?
First and foremost: How great was it seeing Laura Vandervoort on Smallville again? Much like Nina Dobrev, who I first saw on Degrassi, I feel a certain sense of personal attachment and happiness when I see Laura Vandervoort achieve recognition and success on a national level. I was first exposed to her through Instant Star, and I’m really happy she’s been able to make a name for herself here in the United States as well. And not for nothing, but she’s pretty much the perfect person for the Supergirl role. She fits the part like a tee.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-3"....
Along with that, Kara’s return brought a bit of humanity to Jor-El’s earlier coldness. It seemed apparent that Jor-El wasn’t treating Clark with tough love – he legitimately seemed disappointed and disgusted with his alleged lack of development. Yet we would come to learn this episode that Jor-El disavowing ownership of Clark was actually, in a twisted way, for the safety of the human race. If Clark went up against Darkseid unprepared, the villain would be able to use Clark’s abilities to take over or destroy earth. Sure, the fact remains that Jor-El is still selling his son short, but nonetheless his motivations were more or less pure. I do hope, by the end of the series, Jor-El is revealed to be a loving, supportive father (like the clone we met last season).
I’m also glad this episode brought attention to the whole flying thing, and I’m happy that Clark is taking steps towards achieving that ability. And, admittedly, it was pretty funny seeing his facial expression change as he stopped soaring through the air and realized he would plummet back to earth (why didn’t Kara catch him, by the way?) But I stand by what I have always said: Clark flying should NOT be held off until the finale. Sure, they shouldn’t give it away in an anticlimactic matter such as him jumping off of a windmill, but it shouldn’t be the final moment of the last episode, either. CW shows tend to go on a month hiatus towards the end of the calendar year, so why not build anticipation for its return by having him fly in the last episode of 2010? Or build up the 2011 return by advertising that he’ll fly in the first episode?
I’m intrigued to see where things are going with Oliver revealing himself as the Green Arrow. This goes into the category of one of those things they just can’t “undo,” so his character has pretty much changed forever. I do have to wonder, though, how much longer Clark can realistically continue buying that Lois hasn’t figured out his secret. He now knows she knows about Kara (her cousin), and he now knows she knows about Oliver (pretty much his only guy friend). Wouldn’t he expect her to be able to put two and two together at this point? And speaking of the characters growing into their future, familiar superhero selves, how about Oliver grow that goatee in?
Also, is it me, or did Lois not seem all that concerned about the news that her cousin vanished, has no intention of returning, and nobody knows where she is? I mean, I understand that she empathizes with Chloe’s situation – she did, after all, run off to Africa herself – but there just wasn’t much in the way of reaction.
One thing that concerned me about this episode, however, is that it made me worried that we haven’t avoided the Davis Bloom situation of Season 8. We were all pretty excited to see the monstrous Doomsday appear on the show as its central villain, and much of us were disappointed to discover that instead of the jagged, gnarly beast, we’d be seeing an Abercrombie model instead. I certainly hope we’re not going to see a season’s worth of Darkseid portrayed as short bald men with black eyes.
Actually, there’s another thing that does irk me as well, which is the sometimes ridiculous levels the show goes to in order to avoid uttering “Superman” or “Supergirl.” Like, given the opportunity to coin a name for Kara, who would instinctively say “Uber Girl” or the highly uncatchy “Mega Girl”? I recognize that “Supergirl” probably only sounds “right” because that’s what we’re used to hearing, but honestly, wouldn’t “Super” be the natural inclination any time you’re referring to a hero of some sort?
Dive Bar Shirt Club: Ray's Happy Birthday Bar
So for my birthday I treated myself to this cool thing I saw, I believe, in Maxim Magazine. It's called Dive Bar Shirt Club. Basically, for $20 a month, they send you a high quality t-shirt of a random dive bar they've visited throughout the United States, and they give you a little description on that bar. I love beer/bar related t-shirts, so this seemed like a really need gift (and for those of you curious, they have different installment plans. You can do 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc. And you can cancel your subscription or shirt size at any time).
Yesterday I received my first shirt, and I thought it'd be fun if I shared with my blog readers each shirt I get sent. The first t-shirt is from Ray's Happy Birthday Bar, in Philadelphia, PA. Here's a bit of information about Ray's, according to their website:
Ray's "Happy Birthday" Bar's popularity has continued to increase and gain publicity. The bar has won awards from the City Paper and has even been used as a location in the movies such as Explicit IIIs and the Nail , (The story of Joey Nardone). Photos of legends ranging from Frank Palumbo to Babe Ruth adorn the walls. Live music performed by local bands every Saturday night. Every Friday night Karaoke with D.J. Lars.
Dive Bar Shirt Club: http://www.divebarshirtclub.com/Default.asp
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 2-5
Man, does any community have more town events than Mystic Falls?
So this episode was a bit of a game shifter, in my view. It portrayed Caroline and Damon in a far brighter light, while shedding some darkness on Liz (Caroline’s mother) and Mason. Speaking of Mason, I don’t know why, but I got a kick out of him telling Tyler that he has to be careful – as if killing somebody is just one of those things that might happen on the way to school. Of course, I do realize it COULD easily happen at any given time, but his delivery made it sound like it almost certainly WOULD happen if he let his guard down. And while on the topic of killing people, how about Liz shooting Stefan without total confirmation that he was a vampire? Sure, she got some pretty damning evidence against Damon, but her classification of Stefan was based on pure presumption.
Wow, how’s that for a tangent?
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 2-5"....
Right, so this episode established Caroline as a sympathetic character. Not only that, but she’s pretty damn aware as well. She understands her faults and her insecurities, and she knows when she’s doing something wrong. In the end, she had to decide between helping her friends and protecting her relationship with her mother – and she made a selfless choice. And when it became apparent why she was helping Katherine, it was clear that she was doing it out of fear and a desire to protect those she loves. She wasn’t manipulated and she wasn’t acting out of bitterness or insecurities. To be honest, I never cared much for the Caroline character – this was the first time I found her likable.
Her mother, meanwhile, came across far more negatively. While I understood her feeling of betrayal and her limited knowledge, I was a bit taken aback by how quickly she resorted to torture and death when she was holding the Salvatore brothers hostage. And when Damon pleaded with her, “But we’re friends…” I got the sense that there was a certain level of sincerity. Sure, I don’t believe for a second that Damon’s feelings were hurt, but I do think he was surprised that she was behaving in this manner. And I do think, over time, he did come to consider Liz something of an ally – no merely a pawn to avert the attention from him and Stefan.
And while I appreciate that Liz actually reacted to the fact that her daughter is a vampire (take note, Elena), her response was downright cruel. Again, even Damon was put off by her behavior.
Which leads me to the elder Salvatore brother. First, he showed compassion towards Liz, despite the fact that she had tortured him, by opting to compel her instead of killing her on the spot. Hell, he’s even providing her room and board! Then he tried to convince her not to simply write off her daughter as some dead monster. Capping it off, he tells Elena that Damon didn’t betray his belief system, but talked her into giving him her blessing to do so. Pretty positive episode for him, I’d say.
And finally, there’s Mason. For the first time since his introduction, I found him downright dirty. Despite the fact that he basically had an “out” through a truce with Stefan, he still conspired with Liz to eliminate the brothers. Then, when given the opportunity, he did not hesitate to use Elena as a human shield, even tightly holding her around the neck. By the end of the episode it was obvious to me that he’s not a nice, good guy at all. Yes, his pathway began as a victim of circumstance, but at this point it seems like he’s up to no good.
I think the most fun and interesting revelation, though, was that Katherine pretty much arranged for Mason to become a vampire. And it’s actually her who wants the moon rock. So I have to ask, what are the predictions (predictions – not spoilers!) on what the moon rock does?
By the way, it was good to see Jeremy again. And while his budding friendship with Tyler could have been predicted since, say, the first episode, I think it’s a good thing. They’ve both developed into pretty interesting characters.
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 2-4
I thank everybody for their patience as I post this quite late review of last week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries.
This episode focused heavily on Katherine and her history with the Salvatore brothers, particularly Stefan. I actually enjoyed what we learned about Katherine this go-around. They did a good job of building her up as an absolutely monstrous individual – selling out her vampire family without the least bit of remorse in order to save herself and chastising Stefan and Damon for only trying to help, and then talking about how she could violently kill the people Stefan and Elena care about. Discovering her cruelty only made it that much more powerful when we would come to see that she truly does love Stefan and that he may very well be the reason why she came back. Interestingly, her flashback scenes with Stefan – specifically, her reaction to Stefan’s profession of love, and her running back to an unconscious Stefan moments after making a deal with George Lockwood – were the only times she seemed human.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 2-4"....
I will say this: Jenna really throws together a lame BBQ. It was essentially her boyfriend, niece, and three guests. What the hell is that? And for that matter, who breaks out the expensive silverware for a BBQ. A BBQ! Very odd stuff. But, of course, it was saved by Damon’s brilliantly transparent werewolf innuendos. They started out somewhat clever, but quickly degraded into borderline blunt comments. I liked Mason’s reaction, though, that there’s no beef between them and that they shouldn’t let some legend that doesn’t involve them make them mortal enemies. But, of course, Damon got impulsive and tried to kill him anyway. That didn’t work out too well, though. I’m curious to find out the story behind Mason killing somebody, though. And I’m still wondering what the moon rock actually does.
In my last column, one of my readers – amy – commented on the fact that the writers are having Damon regress to his evil and self destructive ways in spite of the fact that there are a legion of fans that want to see him end up with Elena. This is an interesting situation, because there is always the question of what to do with an antagonistic character once they become really popular with the audience. On the one hand, there’s this tendency to soften them up to make them more likable – like with Sawyer on Lost – and conversely, sometimes they have the character act in unbelievably inhumane ways in order to sustain their edge, even if it’s at the expense of believability, like with Dr. House. Which category does Damon fall into? At this point, honestly, I’m not sure he falls into either. In my eyes, he’s following a path similar to that of Spike, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Through his affection for Elena, he’s working towards becoming the sort of person that she could care for and maybe even love, but at this point, he’s just not there yet. I’m actually not convinced that Elena belongs with Damon, but nonetheless, I think it’s way too early to submit to that option.
Moving on, did anybody else find it odd that Elena doesn’t seem the slightest bit emotional about the fact that one of her best friends is now a vampire? I mean, I understand that she’s dating a vampire, and she spends a significant portion of her daily life dealing with the supernatural, but this is somebody she’s seemingly known her entire life. This is a girl who will now likely never have a chance to fulfill the bright future she had available to her. Because she is a vampire, Caroline will never be able to live a normal life. Sure, she was shallow and insensitive, but now she has to deal with the reality that at the blink of an eye, she could conceivably kill somebody. And all of her family and friends will grow old and die, and she’ll still be in the body of a teenager. This scenario is quite tragic, really, and it was a little odd seeing Elena sitting on the porch with her, acting as if things are the same as they’ve always been.
Alright, I’m going to close things out for this week. I should be back on schedule for Thursday’s episode. I think. Thanks for reading and keep those comments coming!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-2
Sorry for the lateness of this review. I was displaced from my home for the week, due to having our floors redone, and I’ve been a little behind on my television shows. But better late than never!
So this episode was reminiscent of the early seasons of Smallville, featuring the freaks of the week. I think that formula got tired and I think the long-term villains that are developed throughout the season is a far better model, but this works fine enough when used sporadically. And to be honest, I don’t think this episode was even meant to be about the villain – it was about Lois’ understanding of Clark’s abilities, Clark understanding his responsibilities, Oliver’s quest to rescue Chloe, and the reintroduction of the Suicide Squad. The villain just filled in the gaps and acted as a means to those ends.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 10-2"....
As I’ve mentioned numerous times in my reviews of The Vampire Diaries, sometimes episodes really work when you take the characters out of their comfort zones and allow them to interact almost exclusively with characters they rarely work with or don’t even know. Such was the case this episode, where Clark and Lois were kept separated the entire time. Lois shared some very fun scenes with Hawkman, while Clark spent the majority of the episode alongside Cat. In the latter’s case, things went from annoying to borderline hostile to suspicious and finally to tender. And it was nice. We’ve seen Clark save his friends and we’ve briefly seen him save strangers, but we’ve never really had an episode that was devoted to him helping somebody he doesn’t even know. It was a nice departure and showed that these “strangers” aren’t nameless, faceless people to him.
I will say this: I’m glad Clark ditched the black Blur costume. It was really cool looking, but it felt a lot more like Batman than Superman. And the motif didn’t fit the positive aura of the Man of Steel. I also like that he’s styling and gelling his hair when he’s playing the Blur role, as that’s consistent with the Superman look as well. Having said that, I’m REALLY not sold on the flaming red leather jacket with the “S” shield on the front. It’s just a bit…..over the top, and not the least bit intimidating. Honestly, I think a regular red trench coat would have served him better, with a blue t-shirt that sported the classic Superman logo. Just one man’s opinion. But I do recognize that this is one step closer to having him don the iconic costume. Oh, and was I the only one who thought he might actually fly when they showed him at the top of the building?
The highlight of the episode for me might have been Lois’ scenes with Hawkman. I loved the moment that Hawkman pieced together that she knows Clark’s secret, leading him to whip out some liquor and shot glasses, and cutting her off her line of questioning with “Why don’t you just ask Clark?” It was a great moment that really rattled the typically collected Lois. I have to commend the writers of Smallville for doing such a great job – beginning last season – of showing us how Lois is the one who makes it possible for Clark to become Superman. In her absence, he retreated from humanity and became a dark vigilante clad in black. With her love, he becomes a genuine hero and symbol of hope and humanity. I think Hawkman pointing out this important distinction will lead to her return to Smallville. Oh, and I loved her stream of consciousness questioning relating to Clark’s abilities, like whether he even sleeps.
While I thought Oliver’s quest to find Chloe was sweet, I had trouble swallowing that Chloe loves him more than anybody else in her entire life. I mean, between her, like, five year obsession with Clark and her, ya’ know, MARRIAGE to Jimmy, it just felt a little empty and forced. But I did enjoy the reveal that she had essentially faked her death. And I love the prospect of Tess easing into her role within the team. Especially with Clark and Oliver having to reluctantly trust her.
Not surprised that the abductors were revealed to be the remains of the Suicide Squad. Again, I don’t know much about the comic-version of this unit, so I’m not going to outwardly say whether this is a good or bad revelation. Having said that, I did enjoy their arc last season (although I could have done without Red Queen Martha Kent), and there’s something about that actress who plays Plastique that I just love. Can’t put my finger on it.
Anyway, I think things are REALLY going to pick up next week when Supergirl makes her return. I suspect that’ll really kick off the Darkseid story arc, which will take us into the series finale. And it’ll be great seeing Laura Vandervoort on Smallville again!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Well this is surreal
WWE.com has posted an interview with Mick Foley (ya' know, current TNA Superstar) about his upcoming autobiography, Countdown to Lockdown. This is pretty uncanny and unprecedented, I'd say. As I've said, I was a bit disappointed in Foley's third autobiography, but the pure joy I had reading the first two definitely earns him the benefit of the doubt here. Plus, I'd like to see what he has to say about his departure from WWE (another reason why this is so extraordinary -- Foley likely won't be all that complimentary of his former company). And I actually wanted to go to the local book signing tomorrow, but due to scheduling conflicts, I won't be able to. Anyway, be sure to give the interview a read:
http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/countdownwithfoleypage1
