Supernatural 9.08 Review: Back to Basics

For all those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Supernatural, entitled ‘Rock and a Hard Place’, now would be a good time to go and do that. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

This season is definitely making up for the crap that was the combined seasons six, seven, and eight. Honestly, this season is just amazing. They’re finally getting this series back to the basics of hunting down monsters and facing foes in different cities. It’s not just all about angels and demons anymore (Thank God!), although they are still included, they’re just not as heavily involved as they were before. This season is just making me so utterly happy, it’s hard to believe. The only thing that would make this season better is if Sam would cut his unbelievably ridiculously long hair.

It’s been a while since this series has done an episode where the brothers haven’t figured out who the villain of the piece was before the halfway mark. It took until the last quarter of the episode for them – more like recurring character Jody Mills – to figure out that it was the goddess Vesta going after born-again virgins that broke their pledge. And in order for the boys to figure this out, they had to become – of all, laughable things – born-again virgins themselves so that they could infiltrate the purity group the missing people had been apart of. And while I’m not too keen on bringing Greek and Roman gods into the mix of this series, it was still a much more interesting breath of fresh air compared to the crap known as angels, as well as the seasons past villains Leviathons (ugh, so glad they’re dead). This is what I liked from the show I’ve loved for five years.

Honestly, this series is managing to get back into the days of Kripke greatness, and, while I don’t think it can legitimately go on much longer than a season or two more, I am much happier with the material they’re generating. They even managed to get back to his womanizing ways – something that hasn’t happened for the viewers’ eyes in a very long time. This season is definitely making me feel like the last three didn’t happen at all, to which I am utterly grateful to the showrunner for managing to do that. Thank you.

My rating: 8 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Dragons? Those are a thing?” – Jody Mills asks. “Yeah, too many things are things.” – Sam responds.

“I’m calling the cops.” – the poetry reading virgin exclaims. “I am the cops.” – Mills retorts.

“Because of that hippie from Bethlehem.” – the goddess Vesta sums up her lack of worship in a nutshell.

“What’d I miss?” – Dean mutters after popping up out of the ground.

In conclusion, this series needs more Jody Mills from those lines right there.

Alright, folks, I’m going to call it quits for the night. I may watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. tonight, but I won’t be reviewing. Also, sorry for the break between reviews, I was getting my Christmas on by wrapping a couple of my roommate’s gifts – because I have none of my own to wrap yet – and watching Home Alone. But here this is, and don’t forget to tune in tomorrow night after midnight for my reviews of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 

Bones 9.08 Review: Tactfulness and All It Entails

All those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Bones, entitled ‘The Dude in the Dam’, now would be a good time to do that before reading ahead. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed at your own discretion.

While I do believe this series has limited time left after giving the fans what they wanted when Booth and Brennan got married, I’m trying to enjoy the episodes this series has left while I can. In that sense, this was a very pleasant episode to watch. Booth and Brennan had their first fight after being married, about none other than Brennan and her idea of whether she is tactful or not. It was a nice easy fight that we didn’t see too much anger behind, other than the fact Brennan thought being called tactless was incorrect and disrespectful to her. For a couple that practically does everything together, they don’t fight quite as often as I’d expect them to.

The circumstance that stirred on the fight between the newly married couple was surrounding Brennan’s review of another novelist’s books and vice versa. It was actually interesting to see the books brought into this series again, other than to be fawned over like in last week’s episode. The drama between Brennan and Tess was very intriguing and something that is adeptly true of life and those involved with entertainment. I loved that Brennan had strong enough morals though to not want to be part of the ruse, and that the author in the end got her karmic justice.

Another big part of this episode was Hodgins and his being a living host to a fly larva. Hodgins is definitely a character. He’s such a strange man, and while I miss, at times, his grumpy side and extreme conspiracy theories, this happy go-lucky side isn’t something I wouldn’t wish on someone I cared about, it just doesn’t always make for dramatic television. I did like the little giggle he made when he said yes to Angela asking him if he was growing a fly. He’s definitely goofier now than he was broody early on in the series. I do tend to prefer broodiness – to an extent – but this isn’t terrible either.

Of course, there was also the murder of the week that we were introduced to this episode with. I loved that it began with this whole beaver dam being studied for these two kids class, and it definitely made for an interesting place to find a body. I was also quite intrigued by the murder victim’s life, although I didn’t quite get his narcissistic personality thing. It didn’t come across clear enough for me to grasp. The whole leopard slug goop was very cool, and the fact that it basically becomes like a glue was interesting information. Definitely brought on a funny moment with Wendall and Hodgins, particularly when he basically backhands Hodgins accidentally and his gloved hand becomes stuck to Hodgins face. This series certainly is ripe with funny moments.

Overall, a decent outing this week for this series. I loved that the writers plugged in Booth’s whole anti reading newspapers on touch pads, and how technology isn’t always a good thing. I very much agree, while I don’t read newspapers all that often, I prefer holding a book in my hands, the feel of the pages, and the look of the paper as its read rather than the bright white of computers. One thing I wasn’t sure of was how inappropriately short Angela’s dress was. I don’t think that any self-respecting person with a job in a place like the Jeffersonian would ever wear a dress that short to work. No, I don’t think Brennan’s earrings would likely be up to dress code, but there not as apparent as that dress. Still, this was a good episode, not outstanding by any means, but good.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Technology is not all about improvement.” – Booth tells Brennan. I agree that it can often be a hindrance with its readiliness.

“Bitch.” – Wendall calls the other author offhandedly to Brennan.

“Angela is going to divorce you.” – Wendall says to Hodgins, regarding the bug growing in his neck.

“Oh man, this is becoming normal to me.” – Wendall remarks, after making cutesy noises to the larva popping out of Hodgins neck.

“Yeah, but I’d need a laser. … That alien attacks you, you’d be happy I had a laser.” – Booth says to Brennan, trying to convince her to write aliens into her next book.

I’m off to go watch Sleepy Hollow now. After that it’s The Blacklist, so stay tuned.

How I Met Your Mother 9.08 Review: Never Settle for Less than What Makes You Happy

Anyone that has yet to watch last night’s episode of How I Met Your Mother, entitled ‘The Lighthouse’, that are hoping to do so devoid of spoilers, now would be the time to stop reading and go watch the episode. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! Proceed with caution.

So, we’ve finally made it to Saturday morning, with thirty-three hours to go before the wedding. I’ve made it eight episodes into this season of the longest wedding weekend ever, and I’m calling it now, this is not working. The way this is being written is completely ridiculous. I can’t keep track of time, Daphne is an annoyingly useless character, and none of these characters really feel like their getting to interact with each other. This is not the same series that I fell in love with; I am thoroughly disappointed with its farewell season.

On the road, Marshall and Daphne stopped in at Ted’s old house, and stayed the night under Ted’s mom and Clint’s roof. All fine and dandy to want to stop in with these characters for the last time, but it’s kind of uselessly written in there. Was this the best reason the writers could come up with to get these actors back on this show? It seems pretty pathetic, and aggravates the writer in me.

Ted, on the other hand, decides to accept the advise of a woman angry at her significant other, and takes the woman he can barely stand, aside from her looks, up a lighthouse. Anna Camp’s character is also the seemingly last, annoyingly useless roadblock in the way before Ted meets the titular Mother, and that can’t come soon enough. Seriously, I was expecting she’d at least meet someone other than Lily by now, because even with the flash-forwards, I’m not really feeling like her character fits in Ted’s life. She’s almost too much like him, and that scene at the end; I know I’d get bored with someone that was almost exactly like me. I’m very disappointed with the way they’re going with the Mother we waited eight seasons to finally meet. She’s cute as a button, sure, but I’m not seeing the connection yet between her and Ted. But maybe I’m the only one.

There was some sweetness to the Robin and Barney situation, but I find it kind of hard to believe that someone’s own mother wouldn’t attend their daughter’s wedding, with such short notice. What was the point of even becoming a mother if you didn’t want to be there for your child? Still, it was nice to get a sweet moment between Robin and Barney’s mom, when Robin broke down a bit. And we learned that Barney did know Robin couldn’t have kids, but then I could’ve sworn she’d told him in that bathroom last Thanksgiving. Again, I could be wrong, I haven’t watched that episode since then, and it’s drawing mostly a blank.

The other nice thing about this episode was Lily. I enjoyed her seeing judge related terminology in everything she hears that morning, although it was a little farfetched that she didn’t cut her hands with how many glasses she broke. This temperament seemed very Lily, and a nice personality trait to be able to depend on. Also, did anyone else think Alyson Hannigan looked great in this episode, better than she has pre-baby? Her hair and dress were both amazing this week.

Alas, I may stay disappointed in this series’ final season until the end. The whole set up is proving to be too much of a creative change; trust me when I say that changing a series’ dynamic for a show’s knowledgeable final season was not a smart decision. They took a gamble this year, and it’s proving to have failed, at least in my books.

My rating: 5.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Morning, bitches. Like my new blouse?” – Robin says to the room.

“Drivin’ a car, Clint.” – Marshall states, in regards to not being able to do trust falls.

“I hate this song.” – Daphne whines. “Give it time.” – Marshall replies, regarding his and Ted’s road trip song ‘500 Miles’.

Okay, so that’s going to be all for tonight. I have watched Bones, Sleepy Hollow, and The Blacklist, but I won’t be writing those reviews tonight, after my seventh shift of work in a row. I’m tired, and I’m going to go sleep or watch Buffy, not sure yet which will come first. I wasn’t going to do any, but I wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep after checking my email, and I’d just watched three and a half hours of television and needed a break from that, so here this is. Goodnight and see you tomorrow.