Supernatural 9.04 Review: There's No Place Like Home

Anyone that has yet to watch last night’s episode of Supernatural, entitled ‘Slumber Party, I suggest you go do so now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

I’m going to keep this brief because I am beyond exhausted (no really, above I first wrote hast instead of has yet, I combine words when I’m tired). This is a long week for me, so I apologize now for the brief reviews forthcoming.

Anyways, I’ve got to say I liked this episode. A nice nod to the old episodes of this series, although not quite fully there. It was nice to not have a demon or angel being the villain of the episode, something this series has grown too accustomed to depending upon. Fairytales, legends, that’s what used to make the monsters in this series so great, and it was nice to see that on tonight’s episode.

Still, I don’t know what it is, but I’m not a fan of the bunker. Maybe it’s that it makes it too easy for them to have a place where they’re safe and have all the material they need. I just think that when you’re fighting evil, it shouldn’t be that easy to research, research is supposed to be grueling work. Yes, I like that the boys kind of have a home, but it makes me feel like the world has ended, being stuck strictly in the bunker. After all, it is a bunker.

One thing I was happy to see in this episode was the reappearance of Charlie. The girl definitely needs to stop by a little more often – although not too often – she’s just geekily hilarious. Not only that, but she brings out this protective older brother side to Dean that we don’t get to see as often as we used to, and in a refreshing sort of way. So boy was I glad that Dean asked Zeke to save her over stopping the Wicked Witch. I was about to bash my TV in for killing off a character so unnecessarily (okay, no, I wouldn’t really do that, but you get my sentiment).

This week’s episode also brought the character of Dorothy to fruition. I have to save that I enjoyed her character, and would also like to see her pop up once or twice more. She’s a strong, rebellious woman type that dresses the way I expect Amelia Earhart did. She had this attitude to her that said she wouldn’t let a man tell her she couldn’t do something, and I admire the writing for giving her that.

A few other things to point in this episode were also how fascinatingly awesome Dean’s facial expressions are at times. I mean, really, the man barely has to talk; he just has to move his face around a bit. One particular moment was the face he made after Charlie said she wished hunting was more magical. The other thing to note would be how ridiculous Sam looked going from running Sam to strutting Zeke. I’d been on board the last couple episodes, everyone except the scene where he’s first possessed, but that was just plain ridiculous. Plus the terrible hair… Please Mr. Padalecki, cut your freaking hair, it’s too long.

All in all, I’ll repeat myself about how this series truly needs to end soon. Sure it has a little gem of an episode every now and again, and it has gotten better than two seasons ago, but it’s just not like it was in the old days. There’s almost too much mythology circulating, that sometimes it becomes overstuffed with information. It makes it difficult to keep track. This is why I’m happy that Buffy the Vampire Slayer knew when it was time to end, before it ran the series into the ground. I still think if the creator leaves, it’s time to end the series, but we’re already four seasons passed that, so please stop soon. I can’t watch much longer, it’s hurting my heart to watch such greatly established characters be written to burn out.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Hello, Moose.” – Crowley greets Sam.

“A top secret place I call Amazon.” – Charlie sarcastically remarks about where she’s bought the Supernatural books.

“None. Nobodies. No, uh, there are no bells.” – Sam stumbles with a response, after learning who’s published the short stories of the books.

“Damnit, I just cleaned in here.” – Dean grumbles, about how the Wicked Witch has trashed the kitchen.

“Am I a zombie now? Do I need to eat brains?” – Charlie questions Dean about her resurrection.

Okay, I’m off to sleep now, hopefully get seven and a half hours, if I’m lucky. Check back in tomorrow for reviews of Nashville, Revolution, and American Horror Story: Coven.

The Originals 1.05 Review: The Significance of Davina

For all those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of The Originals, titled ‘Sinners and Saints’, I suggest that you go and do so now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Well, that hour was filled with a major amount of information and mythology, and so early on in the series. There wasn’t a lot of action or movement to this episode, but there was a lot learned and a lot of changes to the overall story. It makes me a little worried though, that all of this was given to us so early on in the season. Although, it was nice to finally have a timeline, even though I am skeptical about how brief a time it’s been. I would’ve believed a couple years to eight months, that’s such a short time for all that has happened and it makes it a little unbelievable.

I’m growing to absolutely adore Hayley’s character. Away from The Vampire Diaries, where she was kind of trying to steal Tyler away from Caroline, she was a pest that also kind of wedged herself between Klaus and Caroline (who I still believe could happen; can Caroline just jump over to this series next season or something?). But over on this series, in her search for her family and in kind of finding it with Klaus’s siblings, she’s beginning to grow into her very own character. She’s got a lot of backbone, and oh so much chemistry with Elijah. I am so glad that is the relationship they seem to be hinting at in the future, because about all Klaus and her have in common is the child growing in her uterus. Up until that slap she gave Elijah, the music just swelled brilliantly into that squeal inducing moment. Their eye contact with each other, it’s just incredibly obvious… And now I have a new favourite pairing to cheer for on this series Eliley (you got that here first! I’m also considering Elijley, just because it reminds me of allegedly in pronunciation).

Okay, the one thing I have issues with technically in this episode, is that Jane Anne is supposed to be the mother of sixteen-year-old (eight months deceased) Monique, but she barely looks older than thirty. Is she supposed to be a young mother, or does she just look younger than she’s supposed to play? Maybe it’s how warped my brain is with television where twenty-plus year olds play teenagers that I can’t tell what age someone is supposed to be playing anymore… Usually I can tell pretty easily around what age someone is, and Jane Anne just did not look old enough. Also, even if she is supposed to be nearly forty – or around there – there’s no way Sophie is older than thirty.

For the most part, I’m a big fan of the episodes that give us information jam packed in them. It feels like we’ve earned it and that it’s justified, and that we don’t need to wait indefinitely for the answers. This episode, however, was a little pre-emptive; I would’ve given it a couple more episodes before we got the full answers. And also, I would’ve waited more than an episode to learn who had caused Cami’s brother to commit a massacre. It hadn’t even been a full episode before we found out. Still, I did enjoy this episode immensely, I’m just worried too much may have been given away.

So who do you think is in the right? Should Davina be killed in hopes that it brings all of them back to life, and replenishes their power? Or should Davina be hidden away until it’s too late to complete the Harvest, and thus guarantee at least she survives, but all the witches become human? I don’t think there’s anyway the witches will lose their power, but I’m not sure how all of this will play out. I’m not even sure what the honourable Elijah plans to do, he is big on family, but he’s also big on honouring his word.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Or to, you know, that.” – Klaus says, unable to say the actual word of whose child Hayley is carrying, and just calls it ‘that’ when referring to not wanting it to be endangered.

“Oh, right.” – Rebekka recalls, after offering Hayley a drink in their bonding moment, but remembers that she’s pregnant.

So, I’m off to watch Supernatural now. Stick around.

Trophy Wife 1.06 Review: Halloween Schemes

This is going to be quick. If you haven’t watched last night’s episode of Trophy Wife, entitled ‘Halloween’, then I suggest you do that now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Okay, this was a pretty funny episode. The humour to the series seems pretty easy, although I don’t completely feel connected to any of these characters enough to care if this series were cancelled. I might miss the actors, but the characters and story haven’t been developed well enough to feel involved in their lives.

Jackie’s lack of any cultural – pop or otherwise – knowledge is astounding. She even confused Marie Antoinette’s infamous line about cake for Queen Elizabeth’s. Still, I think she may be the funniest character on this series. Vice versa, Hillary seems to be the most normal, but still not completely normal in that she goes to actual parties without alcohol. I’m sorry, that’s not a thing these days; alcohol at teen parties seems to be more prevalent than ever. That’s about the one ludicrous issue I have with this series for the time being.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. It had funny little tidbits, and had some pretty nifty costumes. Although, you’d think Hillary would want to dress up for a party like most people that age like to do. If some of these characters are this enthusiastic about Halloween, I’d be excited to see how they are with Christmas (P.S. That’s my favourite holiday).

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Line:

“I knew I should’ve had him microchipped.” – Jackie exclaims, after her son goes missing.

Okay, I’m off to watch The Originals now. After that it’ll be Supernatural, so stay tuned.

The Blacklist 1.06 Review: Love Blinds Us

For all those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of The Blacklist, titled ‘Gina Zanetakos (No. 152)’, that are hoping to do so spoiler free, I suggest you divert your gaze from this blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

Not as solid of an episode as this series has debuted the last few weeks, but there were still a number of good things to this episode. It brought to a head the mystery box in Keen’s floorboards, as well as her husband’s possible hand in a Russian defector’s death. For now it appears that the issue may have been settled, but I can’t help but believe Reddington over Keen’s husband and Zanetakos. Why would the man leave clues that point directly at him? Reddington is smarter than that, and I thought Keen was to. But I suppose love blinds even the smartest people, and I expect this to come back around eventually.

The performances this week, I found, were a bit uneven. While I believe Megan Boone has improved her portrayal of Keen this week, James Spader’s take on Reddington this week made me feel like the guy is understated but comes off a little bland. I enjoyed the subtlety between Donald and Keen, but I would have thought Harry Lennix’s character Cooper would have gotten more interesting by now. His role on Dollhouse was still much better than this one. I do have to say that I was glad to see Aram back again this week, although he wasn’t nearly as funny and interesting as he was last time.

Maybe my paranoia is getting the better of me, but I just don’t think Tom is innocent. The writers are better than that to have planted little things in each episode to build to this, only to have had Reddington be the cause, so I can’t believe that this is the end of it. Not only that, but there’s no way Reddington is going to put that much effort into making sure he works with Keen, only to have it foiled by Zanetakos’s word that he was the one that paid for the hit and thus set up Tom, dissolving any trust Keen had in him. The way that was written was well done, so I expect there to be more.

While I am very much a believer in the chemistry between Keen and Donald, certainly over her chemistry with her husband, it was the relationship between Keen and Reddington I found most interesting this week. Struggling with the fact her husband may have committed murder, Keen clings to her relationship with Reddington and seeks comfort in him (not in that way, get your mind out of the gutter) as a fatherly figure. I still say that if he isn’t her dad, there’s too much of that relationship between them that just isn’t realistic to me any other way, even if he feels indebted to her actual father. But anyways, to see the one eighty of her seeking his time and company, to her telling him to go to hell, there was a phenomenal amount of subtlety to the interactions. While she may not trust him now, I am intrigued by where they are, as I hope for many seasons of this mostly brilliant series.

One thing I have to remark on before I go was the brilliance of the music as Donald and Gina fought in the elevator, to the silence of Keen looking through the phone in the hotel room. Just a subtle addition that this series seems to do well in, for the most part, that they are able to work with such subtle nuances and acting and writing, and tie it brilliantly well.

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Delivering criminals to you is a hobby.” – Reddington informs Cooper.

“That’s my girl.” – Reddington remarks, referring to Keen’s ability to put things together. (Can I get an ‘awe’ moment right there, before she tells him to go to hell?)

Alright, that’s all for tonight. I’m off to get some sleep; I have a bit of an early morning for me. Check back in tomorrow for reviews of The Originals, Supernatural, and Trophy Wife. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and New Girl will be back with new episodes next week.

How I Met Your Mother 9.07 Review: Secrets Among Friends, Not Significant Others

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s episode of How I Met Your Mother, entitled ‘No Questions Asked’, that wishes to do so devoid of spoilers, I suggest you do that now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

This is going to be short and sweet, because I’m beyond tired and have very little notes about this episode. It was funny, especially compared to when I turned my television on and heard the terrible laugh track to 2 Broke Girls, but it’s just not exactly the same show I’ve come to love. There’s been too little time packed into this one season, and they have managed to keep it interesting enough for the first seven episodes, but it has been believable.

And where is the mother? I know she meets everyone before Ted, but she’s only been in the first two or three episodes so far, so where is she? She doesn’t necessarily need to be meeting characters, but she could at least pop up every now and again. Also, I’m a little annoyed about Marshall still being on the road, I want to see him actually interacting with the rest of the characters. I sincerely hope he’s in the next episode. And that the next episode doesn’t have some kind of problem between Barney and Robin before their wedding. That’s getting annoyingly old.

Overall, this is a very cute, hurrah kind of season, but it’s nothing compared to how this series developed over eight seasons. I did like the whole no questions asked thing between the friends, and how cute it was for Barney and Robin to make a plan together, only to have had Ted sitting in that chair with a glass of brandy. Probably my favourite moment of the episode right there. So this season is good, for a sitcom, but not as good as it could have been. The way it’s being written, it should’ve just been given a shortened season.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Line:

“Why do you have a gun? Why do you always have a gun?” Ted sputters out the question to Robin.

Okay, I’m off to have a nap. Check back in in a couple hours to catch my review of The Blacklist. Otherwise, I’m out.