Les Miserables: Extended First Look

I just get more and more excited for this movie.

Roller Coaster Mania: Magic Mountain

This is what I did yesterday. These are two of the roller coasters I went on at Six Flags Magic Moutain. They are the most extreme roller coasters I've ever been on.

X2

Green Lantern

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: season 1, ep. 10 Quippy Quotes

"Nightmares" is an interesting episode where the characters' worst fears, or nightmares, are coming true. We get a deeper glimpse into the psyche of the scooby gang as the episode goes on.

Buffy's worst fears are that she has to take a test she hasn't prepared for, that her father doesn't love her anymore, and that she will become a vampire. Xander's fears are that he comes to class in just his underwear, and that the clown from a birthday party when he was a kid is chasing him. Willow's fear is that she has to sing in front of an audience and she doesn't have a voice, or know the words. Cordelia's fear is that she will be ugly and unpopular, and Giles's worst fear is that he can't read.

Quotes:

The Master: Fear is in the mind, like pain. It can be controlled. If I can face my fear it cannot master me.

Xander: If there's something bad there, we'll find, you'll slay, we'll party.
Buffy: Thanks for having confidence in me.
Xander: You da man, Buff.

Wendell: Do you guys want something?
Buffy: We just thought you might want to talk about what happened.
Willow: You know, yesterday with the spiders.
Wendell: I don't know what to say about that.
Xander: There's nothing to say, you saw 200 insects. You gonzoe'd - anyone would have.
Wendell: They're not insects. They're arachnids.
Xander: They're from the Middle East?

Giles: I can't read.
Buffy: What do you mean? You can read, like, three languages.
Giles: Five actually, on a normal day, but words here don't make any sense. Gibberish.

Giles: The boy's been in a coma for a week. How can this be possible?
Buffy: What am I, knowledge girl now? Explanations are your terrain.

Buffy: Could I be seeing Billy's asteroid body?
Giles: Astral body.

Xander: Um, our dreams are coming true?
Giles: Dreams? That would be a musical comedy version of this. Our nightmares are coming true.

Willow: Why is this happening?
Giles: Biily.
Xander: Well, that explanation's shorter than usual. It's Billy. Who's Billy?

The Master: This is a dream. A dream is a wish your heart makes.

Willow: I had to sing. Very bad - to sing.

Xander: You were a lousy clown. Your balloon animals were pathetic. Everyone can make a giraffe.

Willow: Excuse me. When did they put a cemetery across the street?
Xander: And when did it become night over there?

Vampire Buffy: Well, we better hurry, cause I'm getting hungry.
Xander: That IS a joke, right?

Buffy: There are a lot scarier things than you. And I'm one of them.

Billy: I had the strangest dream. And you were in it, and you. Who are you people?

Willow: Personal question.
Xander: Yea, shoot.
Willow: When Buffy was a vampire, you weren't still like, attracted to her we're you?
Xander: Willow, how can you... I mean, that's really bent. She was... grotesque.
Willow: Still dug her, huh?
Xander: I'm sick. I need help.
Willow: Don't I know it.

Pic of the Week: Disneyland

Grammar Gaffe: The Wrong Word

This may not be a grammar gaffe, but one of my pet peeves is when people use the wrong word in print. Some words that are commonly used in the wrong context are then instead of than, and sense instead of since.

I assume it’s because of the way they pronounce the words.

Incorrect:

I like him better then I like her.

The correct word is “than.” Some people will write it “then” because that’s the way they pronounce the word.

Incorrect:

It’s been quiet sense you’ve been gone.

The correct word is “since,” but again, some people may use the incorrect word because they pronounce the word “sense.”

Are there other similar instances that you can think of?

So You Think You Can Dance: I Called It

In my last post about season 9 of So You Think You Can Dance I predicted who I thought should and would win. I was pretty confident that Eliana would win, but I wasn't sure about Chehon. Cyrus was never in the bottom three the whole season, and he was very likable and popular, so I thought maybe he would win. I hoped Chehon would win. He did!

A ballet dancer has never won So You Think You Can Dance, and this season two did. Nice.

Take a look at their auditions, and you'll see why they deserved to win because of their talent.

Chehon's Audition


Eliana's Audition


Chehon didn't get to show all he could do when he and Eliana were able to do a ballet routine, but you can see the talent both of them have.

Chehon and Eliana's Ballet Routine

Doctor Who: A Town Called Mercy

I was excited that Doctor Who was going to a western American town in the late 1800s, and I was ready for a great Western Doctor Who episode, but it took me two viewings to like the episode. It was very straight forward, and easy to follow, which I did like, but it just didn’t catch my interest much on the first viewing. It wasn’t a bad episode, it just wasn’t a great episode.

However, it was visually and cinematographically stunning. I love how cinematic the show has become. One of the great things that has come out of the shows popularity is the bigger budget for locations and special effects.

Observations:

Looking at the Cyborg's targets from his point of view was like looking at a Dalek's target from its point of view. And the Cyborg's phrase, "terminate," was similar to the Dalek's "exterminate."

The episode had a familiar "western" conceit of a stranger coming into a town and changing everything. There is the typical scene of the stranger walking into town and there is no one in the street, but the townspeople watch the stranger from their windows.

I love it when the Doctor enters the saloon. He pushes the swinging doors open and walks in bowlegged like he just got off his horse after a long journey. It's also funny when he gets the toothpick stuck in his mouth. I just love little details like that.

Why do they give the Americans from the west bad grammar? Just asking.

I loved the effect when the Cyborg is coming toward the town, how he disappears and then appears closer to the edge of the town.

Why do they call the Cyborg The Gunslinger when his weapon isn't a typical gun, and everyone one "slings" a gun? And, his weapon doesn't shoot bullets, so why would there be a single bullet hole in the hat they give to the Doctor?

I love that the Doctor speaks "horse."

We know how Jex got to earth, but how did the Cyborg get there?

The Doctor certainly goes from one extreme to another in this episode, from judge, jury, and executor to protector.

Amy talks about the Doctor traveling too long on his own, and how he needs other people to help him keep his humanity (even though he's not human). However, his solo traveling happened between the season 6 finale and the season 7 opener. We didn’t see him traveling by himself, so we don't know what happened during that time to cause him to make the choices he makes. With David Tennant, there were episodes of him traveling by himself, so the consequences we see in episodes like "The Waters of Mars" of him traveling alone rang more true.

I loved it when Amy accidentally shoots the gun. That was a great moment.

By the time Amy and Doctor had finished talking about how "that's not the way we roll," the Cyborg would have killed Jex.

If it's a western, we have to have a shoot out at high noon. That's so predictable.

The Doctor never carries a gun. I don't like that he carried one in this episode. But, I suppose the writers thought he had to in a western.

So, who was the real villain here? I don't think there was one. I'm not sure I like that. A great western has to have a great villain.

There wasn’t enough of Amy and Rory this time. Amy was the Doctor’s conscience, and Rory… well, Rory didn’t do much of anything. Are we being weaned from them so we won’t miss them? After seeing the preview for next week’s episode, it looks like that’s not the case. But there was just too little of them in the episode. Looking at the image above, you would think that something about the dirt in the town would be part of the plot. Uh, no.

Quotes:

Rory: The sign does say "Keep out."
Doctor: Keep out signs are suggestions more than actual orders. Like dry clean only.

Doctor: Anachronistic electric lights, Keep Out signs, aggressive stares. Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?

Doctor: Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag.

Isaac: We call this town "Mercy" for a reason.

Amy: What is that? No crazy schemes, no negotiations?

Doctor: I've matured. I'm 1200 years old now.

Jex: You're a mother, aren't you?
Amy: How did you know?
Jex: There's a kindness in your eyes. And sadness. A ferocity too.

Jex: That wasn't the plan. He's not following the plan.
Amy: Welcome to my world.

Security System: Thank you for using the Brakkson (sp?) Security software. Incinerating intruders for centuries.

Jex: Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking in a mirror.

Amy: You've clearly been taking stupid lessons since I last saw you.

Isaac: Anyone who isn't American, drop your guns.

Amy: See, this is what happens when you travel alone for too long.

Isaac: You're both good men. You just forget it sometimes.

Doctor: You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid.

Jex: We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past. Yours is your morality.


And, here's a trailer for the next Doctor Who episode, The Power of Three. This episode looks great! I'm so excited to see Brian, Rory's Dad, in another episode.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: season 1, ep. 9 Quippy Quotes

"The Puppet Show" explores a common event at a high school: a student talent show. Giles is reluctantly given the job to oversee the school production. Auditions include a singer, a magician, a dancer, a tuba player, and a ventriloquist. When a dancer is found murdered, with her heart missing, the dummy becomes the main suspect.

One of the funniest scenes in the whole series is at the end of this episode, over the end credits, as the real horror for the scooby gang comes from performing a dramatic scene from Oedipus Rex in front of the school.

Quotes:

Buffy: The school talent show. However did you finagle such a primo assignment.
Giles: Our new Furor, Mr. Snyder.
Willow: I think they call them "Principals" now.
Giles: He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students and I tried to explain that my vocational choice as Librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact. But he would have none of it.
Buffy: Giles, into every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.
Giles: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.
Buffy: Nah. I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch.
Xander: And mock.
Willow: And laugh.

Buffy: I think we'd better leave Giles to this business we call show.

Buffy: Ew, dummy.
Willow: I think dummies are cute. You don't?
Buffy: Ew. They give me the wig. Ever since I was little.
Willow: What happened?
Buffy: I saw a dummy. It gave me the wig... There really wasn't a story there.

Xander: I can't do this.
Buffy: Xander, come on.
Xander: I can't. I have my pride. Okay, I don't have a lot of my pride, but I have enough so that I can't do this.
Willow: A dramatic scene is the easiest way to get through the talent show because it doesn't require a natural talent.

Buffy: What am I going to do, slay vampires on stage?
Willow: Maybe in a funny way.

Principal Snyder: Kids... I don't like them.

Cordelia: It's just such a tragedy for me. Emma was my best friend.
Xander: Emily.

Cordelia: All I can think is, it could have been me.
Xander: We can dream.

Xander: Next time we split up, someone else is on Cordelia detail. Five more minutes with her and we would have had another organ donor.

Principal Snyder: There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed, and also smoking.

Willow: Once again I'm banished to the demon section of the card catalog.

Buffy: This means that whatever's out there still needs a healthy, intelligent brain.
Xander: In other words, I'm safe.

Principal Snyder: I don't get it. Is it avante-garde?

Stage Review: In the Heights

L-R: Debra Cardona (Abuela) and Joseph Morales (Usnavi). Photo by Alexander Weisman.

In the Heights, which is playing at Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who grew up in Washington Heights. The show is a love letter for the neighborhood where he was raised. And what a lovely love letter it is. It’s a sweet, vibrant, and at times touching snapshot of the Manhattan neighborhood.

The musical opens on a wonderful set representing the neighborhood, with a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge and a bright full moon in the sky. As we get into the story, walls open so we see the inside of Usnavi’s bodega, the Rosario Car Service, Daniela’s beauty salon, and the Rosario dining room.

The music is a eclectic mix of rap, Latin rhythms, and beautiful ballads. Some of the songs had you tapping your feet, wanting to stand up and dance along with the ensemble, especially during " Carnaval Del Barrio." The first number, “In the Heights,” draws you into the world while Usnavi raps about his life in the neighborhood and introduces his neighbors. Each of the solos gave you a glimpse of the characters, who they are, where they came from, and what they want in life.

The majority of the cast was very good, but standout performances came from Joseph Morales (Usnavi), Natalie Hill (Daniela), Natalie Toro (Camila), John Herrera (Kevin), Emily Vasquez (Nina), and Anthony Ramos Martinez (Sonny).
Joseph Morales has performed the same role in the touring company, and his performance of Usnavi was very strong and moving. Natalie Hill is a native of Orem, Utah. Her portrayal of Daniela was very entertaining, and her voice was one of the strongest in the cast. Natalie Toro’s rendition of “Enough” was one of the highlights of the all of the musical numbers in the musical.

L-R: Manoly Farrell (Vanessa), Natalie Hill (Daniela), Emily Vasquez (Nina) and Ariana Escalante (Carla). Photo by Alexander Weisman.



One of the most moving numbers in the show, “Everything I Know,” was sung by Emily Vasquez. I don’t like it when musicals make me cry, but I forgave them this time because “Everything I Know” was such a beautiful song that will touch the heart of anyone who had someone special in their life help change them for the better.

The ensemble was very strong, and the choreography was energetic, entertaining, and well performed.

I seldom give a standing ovation at a theatrical performance, even if everyone around me is standing, but by the end of the curtain call for In the Heights, I was on my feet. The musical won me over completely.

In the Heights plays at Pioneer Theatre Company through September 29, 2012.

Stage Review: Little Women

Little Women, at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, is a beautiful production.

All of the actors are very strong vocally and in their character development. The actors who play the four sisters have wonderful chemistry, and their relationships with Marmie (their mother) are believable, especially between Jo and Marmie, as they are really mother and daughter. This relationship made the song, "Days of Plenty," which Marmie sings to Jo, even more touching.

The costumes were incredible, and I especially loved Amy's black dress and hat she wears when she returns from Europe. The set worked well for each scene. The actors had wonderful voices, and they had a beautiful score to work with.

I have to give a special shout-out to my friend Megan, who plays Amy, the youngest March sister (she's the only blond sister). She does a wonderful job showing her growth in the musical from a spoiled little girl to a lovely, mature young woman. This is Megan's second time playing the role, and I enjoyed seeing her play the character again.

All in all, this was just a delightful production, filled with beautiful music, humor, delight, sorrow, and wonderful acting.

It closes Saturday, so hurry and go see it!

Stage Review: The Winter's Tale

The Winter’s Tale is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and given the chance, I will see any production of it, whether it be good or bad. It took only a few minutes into Sting & Honey’s production of the play to be impressed by the talented cast. These were actors who could carry off Shakespeare.

However, as good as they were reciting Shakespeare’s poetry and prose, I would have liked to see more emotion, real human emotion, from the actors, not just an elevated “Shakespearean” acting. The Winter’s Tale is about loss and recovery, of repentance and forgiveness, of jealousy and misaccusations. When Leontes accuses Hermione of infidelity, I wanted to see shock from Hermione. This accusation comes out of the blue to her, especially because Leontes' jealousy comes on so quickly, and Hermione is innocent, so she has no reason to think Leontes would suspect her of such a horrible thing. Hermione reacts as if she almost expects his accusation. She says that she is not the type of person who cries, but I wanted to see a physical reaction of anger, or some heightened emotion.

The last scene didn’t have enough emotion for me either. I wanted to physically see Leontes’ joy that his daughter, whom he thought was dead, was alive. I wanted him to have her at his side, afraid that if he couldn’t physically touch her that she would disappear. When it is revealed that Hermione is not dead, I wanted Leontes to get down on his knees to show repentance for the things he did, and for Hermione to take his hands and lift him up to show that she had forgiven him. I also wanted Hermione and Perdita to have a more joyous reunion.

All in all, I just wanted to feel more real human emotion from the main actors. Shakespeare’s plays are all about human emotion, and just because it’s Shakespeare, it doesn’t mean you can’t show that emotion just as you would if it were a modern play.

There were still many things I liked about the play.

One of the hardest parts for the actor who plays Leontes is to make his sudden jealousy believable. I think that Javen did a good job in this area. I paid close attention to him at the beginning of the play to see how he played that scene, and I think he did a good job.

I liked the reaction from Polixenes when he finds out about Leontes’ belief that Polixenes and Hermione have committed adultery. His response physically feeling sick, showing disbelief that his friend could believe he would betray him with his wife.

The large white tree, which was the only set piece on the stage, was stunning. It was a beautiful moment at the end when the tree is turned around to reveal Hermione’s statue as part of the tree. I liked the poses that the actors made throughout the play. I liked how they foreshadowed the important statue we would see at the end of the play.

Drop Dead Diva: Season 4 Finale

The season finale of Drop Dead Diva gave us one cliff hanger we were expecting, and another that I did not see coming. The unexpected twist will make for a very interesting season five.

It was great to see Fred again. I’ve missed Fred. But then, how can you not miss someone who’s name is Fred? That name just evokes “missing” when he (or she) goes away.

The two cases in the season finale were interesting ones. One was case was about a woman who has a brain tumor, and because of the location of the tumor in the brain, the woman’s IQ has gone up significantly. However, it also means she has only a few months to live if it is not removed. Her husband, of course, wants her to have the tumor removed, but she is reticent because she likes being smart. Jane (Deb) can understand where the woman is coming from, because Deb was never known for her intelligence until she got Jane’s body and her high IQ.

The other case is a country singer who is on trial for causing one of her fans to act out the lyrics of one of her songs and cut the brakes on her ex-boyfriends car, which led to him being injured in a car accident. It's very topical, with so many singers bashing their exes in their songs, and so many songs about retribution. How responsble would a singer be if someone decided to do exactly what one of their songs say. Would a case like that hold up in court? Who knows.

The cases weren’t the big stories of the episode. Jane and Owen were getting married. Jane (Deb) was finally really moving on from Grayson. The big question was, how did Grayson feel about Jane? We find out, but it's not "as easy as..."

I'm excited for season 5. How long do I have to wait?

So You Think You Can Dance: Who I Think Should Win

After Will was voted off a few weeks ago, I didn’t really care which of the male dancers won So You Think You Can Dance. I really wanted Will to win.

After the last episode, I’ve changed my mind about not caring. I really want Chehon to win. Now, I like Cyrus. I think he’s grown a great deal during his time on the show, but he isn’t near the dancer that Chehon is. He is still weak and sloppy in most of the genres that he has performed in. Cyrus should have been let go by the judges long before now. I think the winner should be the better dancer, not the one who’s more personable.

After watching Chehon’s solos the last few weeks, I am blown away by his talent. That man can jump! Beautifully. He is magnificent.

I also can’t believe that Nigel said that he wouldn’t be voting for Cyrus, right to his face, and in front of millions of viewers. I think it was a crappy thing for him to say. Whether he said it because he wants people to vote for Cyrus in sympathy, or he realizes that the judges have really coddled Cyrus this season and he’s trying to back-peddle and tell the viewers they should vote for the better dancer, I’m sure no one but Nigel will know. However, I don’t think he should have said it.

Now, to the girls. Should Eliana win or Tiffany? I definitely think Eliana should win. And I think she will. This win will definitely go to the more talented dancer. Both Eliana and Tiffany have sweet personalities, so I don’t think personality will play a factor. Tiffany is a very strong dancer, and some of my favorite routines have been by her. However, Eliana is strong in every genre. And even though she was paired with Cyrus at the beginning of the competition and couldn’t really showcase all she could do then, her talent shone through and she overshadowed Cyrus in all of her dances.

We’ll find out tomorrow which dancers will win. I know it’s just a reality TV show, but I hope I won't be disappointed.

Dr. Horrible Comes to the Idiot Box

I mentioned in an earlier post that Joss Whedon’s web-musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog, would be making its television premiere soon. Well, “soon” now has a date. The hilarious short film will makes its debut on the CW on October 9, 2012, 9pm ET.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, here’s your chance to see why I think Joss Whedon is “the man.” His writing is hilarious, and he writes musicals! Oh, yea!

I would love to see what he could do on Broadway. I don’t know if it’s ever crossed his mind, especially with all of the projects he has, but if you’re reading this blog, Joss (hey, you never know), what about it? Big Broadway musical? If anyone can do it, you can.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: season 1 ep. 8 Quippy Quotes

This episode, "I Robot... You Jane" aired in 1997. It's interesting to see how far technology has come in 15 years.

In this episode, the demon, Moloch, was bound in the 15th century, and the only way it could be released is to read words aloud from the book he was bound into (pun intended). Unknowingly, Willow releases the demon into the computer by scanning the book, and they begin a relationship online. Of course Willow doesn't know her new boyfriend is a demon.

Quotes:

Jenny Calendar [to Giles - regarding computers]: I know our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the twentieth century, with three whole years to spare.

Giles: Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box.
Jenny: That's the TV. The idiot box is TV. This is the good box.
Giles: Well, I still prefer a good book.

Jenny: You know, for the last two years, more email was sent than regular mail. More digitized information went across phone lines than conversation.
Giles: That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror.
Jenny: I'll bet it is.

Giles: I'm just going to stay and clean up. I'll be back in the middle ages.
Jenny: Did you ever leave?

Willow: I sort of met someone.
Buffy: I knew it. This is so important. When did you meet?
Willow: Last week, after we did the scanning project in the library.
Buffy: Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed? What's he like?
Willow: No. Malcolm. No. And very nice.

Willow: I met him online.
Buffy: On line for what? [pause] Oh.

Buffy: She certainly looks perky.
Xander: Yea, color in the cheeks, bounce in the step. I don't like it. It's not healthy.

Xander: It's just this Malcolm guy. What's his deal? I mean, tell me you're not slightly wigged.
Buffy: Okay, slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like.
Xander: Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school student, but I could say I'm a high school student.
Buffy: You are.
Xander: Okay, but I could also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?

Buffy: Oh, this guy could be anybody. He could be weird or crazy, or old, or he could be a circus freak. He's probably a circus freak.
Xander: Yea. I mean, we read about it all the time. You know, people meet on the net, they talk, they get together, have dinner, a show, horrible ax murder.
Buffy: Willow ax-murdered by a circus freak.

Buffy: Okay, okay. What do we do? [pause] What are we doing? Xander, you get me started. We are totally overreacting.
Xander: But it's fun, isn't it?

Giles: Things involving the computer fill me with a child-like terror. Now, if it were a nice ogre or some such, I'd be more in my element.

Buffy: I can just tell something's wrong. My spider sense is tingling.
Giles: Your spider sense?
Buffy: Pop culture reference. Sorry.

Jenny [to Buffy and Xander]: You're here again? You kids really dig the library, don't you?
Buffy: We're literary.
Xander: To read makes our speaking English good.

Jenny: We are creating a new society here.
Giles: A society in which human interaction is all but obsolete. In which people can be completely manipulated by technology. Well, well, thank you, I'll pass.

Giles: Well, it's been so nice talking to you.
Jenny: We were fighting.
Giles: Must do it again, sometime.

Giles: The scanner read the book. It brought Moloch out as information to be absorbed.
Buffy: He's gone binary on us.

Xander: What does he want with Willow?
Buffy: Let's never find out.

Giles: Couldn't you stop Moloch by entering some computer virus?
Jenny: You've seen way too many movies.

Xander: Hey, I got to hit someone!

Jenny: Welcome to my world. You scared?
Giles: I'm remaining calm, thank you.

Giles: I'll see you anon.

Jenny: Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell. Jenny: Computers don't smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and, and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is a - it, uh, it has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um, smelly.

Willow: The one boy who truly liked me, and he's a demon robot. What does that say about me?
Buffy: That doesn't say anything about you.
Willow: I really thought I was really falling...
Buffy: Hey, did you forget? The one boy I've had the hots for since I moved here turned out to be a vampire.
Xander: Right, and the teacher I had a crush on? Giant praying mantis.
Willow: That's true.
Xander: Yeah, that's life on the Hellmouth.
Buffy: Let's face it. None of us are ever gonna have a happy, normal relationship.
Xander: We're doomed!
Buffy: Yeah!

Bachelor Pad: That's Not The Way I Raised You

 

In July I wrote a post about Bachelor Pad. I mentioned how much it shocks me that people are willing to behave so badly on national television just because they have a chance to win a quarter of a million dollars. I also said that their behavior reflects on their family, particularly on their parents. I said that it would probably embarrass their parents to see them act the way they do, especially if they were raised better than that.

The finale was on Monday night and I read a recap of it on the EW website. During the finale participants were able to talk about their experience in the mansion, and how they felt watching themselves on the show. One contestant, whom I assume did not behave nicely on the show, said that it was tough for him to watch. And it was also tough on his family and friends. He said that his family didn’t have anything good to say about his behavior, and that his Dad said, “That’s not the way I raised you.”

His poor father. Can you imagine watching your son, who you think would know better based on the way he was raised, mistreat two women, and know that millions of other people are watching him behave that way. I would be devastated. I think that would be a good time for Dad to take the son out to the woodshed and get out the switch (even though his son is a grown man and I don’t believe in violence).

Doctor Who: A Town Called Mercy Trailer

Here's a sneak peak at the next Doctor Who episode, A Town Called Mercy.

I've never seen the Doctor in the wild, wild, west. Looks like fun.



A Town Called Mercy airs on BBC America on Saturday, September 15, 2012.

Angel: Corner of the Sky

John Rubenstein guest starred as an evil lawyer in seasons three and four of Angel. I first heard of John Rubenstein when I bought the Broadway cast recording of Pippin (written by Stephen Schwartz, who wrote Wicked) years ago. John played the title character in the musical in the 70s, and sang my favorite song from the show, "Corner of the Sky."

In episode 1 of season four of Angel, "Deep Down," John Rubenstein's evil character, Linwood Murrow, says, "This is my corner of the sky." I love pop culture references that very few people will get. And I love that there are so many of them in Joss Whedon's TV shows.

Thanks Joss, for giving me these little tidbits to enjoy and to blog about.

John singing "Corner of the Sky"

Doctor Who: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

I loved that this episode was simply a fun adventure. Not too cerebral or timey-whimey. Just the Doctor and his companions trying to save a spaceship - with dinosaurs on the passenger list.

Observations:

It's funny that the Doctor saves Egypt from locusts.

I loved Rory's Dad, Brian. I loved how he was brought aboard the Tardis accidentally. I loved how flumoxed and flabbergasted he was and how excited he was to discover things he never could have dreamt possible, and I loved how he had a big hand in saving everyone.

I loved the dinosaurs, and I love how the effects for Doctor Who just keep getting better and better.

It's interesting how when the gang was split into two separate groups, that Amy took the role of the "Doctor" in her group. She's learned a lot from her travels with the Doctor, and she loves taking charge anyway.

I loved seeing Brian sitting at the open door of the Tardis, looking down at earth.

I don't know how I feel about the Doctor at the end of the episode. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be in his character to do what he did.

Questions:

Why does Nefertiti want to go with the Doctor? She's the Queen of Egypt, not some slave girl trying to escape from her life. And how does she know they'll be going somewhere in that big blue box? This is ancient Egypt. She would have no concept of time travel in a Police box. And why isn't she more surprised at the world in the 24th century? It's a bit different from ancient Egypt. And why does the Doctor call her "Neffie"? They don't know each other that well. If they made it seem like he'd been there before and they really knew each other then I'd believe it more. All we know is the Doctor saved Egypt from locusts, and now she wants to leave her boring husband.
It's like when the Doctor asks Rory, "Isn't it obvious?" And Rory responds, "It's sort of the opposite of obvious." Hmmm.

Why does the Doctor need Ridell's help? As much as I like Rupert Graves, I'm not completely sure why the Doctor brought him along. I don't always understand what Matt Smith is saying because he speaks so quickly sometimes, and he may have said why he chose to bring him. I just feel like they were "playing the ending" - having a game hunter on a spaceship with dinosaurs, when the Doctor didn't know there were dinosaurs on the spaceship before they got on it.

Indira says that there's been no response from the spaceship on any channel in any recognizable language. Is she saying there was a response in an unrecognizable language or no response at all? If there's no response at all, what's the difference between no response in an unrecognizable language and no response in a recognizable language?

Quotes:

Doctor: You think you can just bring your Dad along without asking? I'm not a taxi service, you know.

Doctor: This is the gang. I've got a gang.

Rory: You know when Amy and I got married and we went traveling?
Brian: To Thailand.
Rory: More like the entire space and time. In that police box.

Doctor: Time flies. Never understood that phrase.

Amy: They're with you. Are they the new "us"? Is that why we haven't seen you?
Doctor: No. They're just people. They're not pawns. I thought we might need a gang. Not that we had a gang before. It's new.

Amy: Doctor!
Doctor: I know. Dinosaurs! On a spaceship!

Brian: Are you saying dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?
Doctor: Brian, please, don't be ridiculous. They're probably just passengers.

Rory: Dad. I'm 31. I don't have a Christmas list anymore.
Dcotor: I do!

Nefertiti: And you, Amy. Are you also Queen?
Amy: Yes. Yes, I am.

Amy: I've spent enough time with the Doctor to know - whenever you enter a room, press buttons.

Amy [to Ridell and Nefertiti]: Stop flirting. I will not have flirting companions.

Rory: [to his Dad]: While you carry a trowel, I carry a med pack. It's all about pockets in our family.

Nefertiti: You and the Doctor - are you his Queen?
Amy: No, I'm Rory's Queen. Wife. I'm his wife. Please don't ever tell him I said I was his Queen. I'd never hear the end of it.

Doctor: Brian Pond, you are delicious.
Brian: I'm not a Pond.
Doctor: Of course you are.

Doctor: Phase two sorted. Now for phase one.
Amy: No. No. Phase two comes after phase one.
Doctor: You are so linear.

Riddell: This is a two man job. [Amy grabs a gun] What are you doing?
Amy: I'm easily worth two men. You can come too, if you'd like.

Once Upon a Time: Season 2 Trailer

Just take a gander at the new trailer for season 2 of Once Upon a Time. Oh yes!



Thanks to Ruth at Booktalk & More for the heads up on the video.

The Piano Guys: What Makes You Beautiful

Thanks Nadia for making me aware of this great Piano Guys performance. They are simply irresistible!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: season 1 ep. 7 Quippy Quotes

Angel is the brooding, no-last-name, mysterious stranger with the face of an angel, who has been helping Buffy fight evil at the beginning of the first season. Buffy is falling hard for Angel, but she doesn't know how he feels about her. In episode 7, "Angel," Buffy finds out that Angel has feelings for her too. She also finds out he is a vampire.

I like the relationship between Buffy and Angel so much better than the relationship between Bella and Edward in the Twilight series. I wonder if Stephanie Meyer watched Buffy. If she did, I wish she would have learned too things: give your main character a backbone, and have some conflict in the relationship, instead of just, "Oh, I love you and I can't live without you." Case in point: Buffy is the slayer. Angel is a vampire. The slayer kills vampires. Major conflict!

Quotes:

Buffy: I was just thinking about things.
Willow: So, we're talking about a guy?
Buffy: Not exactly a guy. For us to have a conversation about a guy there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Was that a sentence?

Willow: What about Angel?
Buffy: Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey. You're in grave danger. I'll see you next month.'

Angel: Good dogs don't bite.

Angel [after he and Buffy run into Buffy's house, chased by vampires]: It's all right. A vampire can't come in unless it's invited.
Buffy: I've heard that before, but I've never put it to the test.

Willow: How is it you always know this stuff? You always know what's going on. I never know what's going on.
Giles: Well, you weren't here from midnight until six researching it.
Willow: No, I was sleeping.

Buffy : Cool. Crossbow, huh? Check out these babies. Hmm. Goodbye stake, hello flying fatality.

Buffy: You read my diary? That is not OK. A diary is like a person's most private place. I - You don't even know what I was writing about. 'Hunk' can mean a lot of things, bad things. And when it said that your eyes are penetrating, I meant to write 'bulging'.
Angel: Buffy...
Buffy: And 'A' doesn't even stand for Angel for that matter. It stands for Achmed, a charming foreign exchange student. So that whole fantasy part has nothing to even do with you, at all --
Angel: Your mother moved your diary when she came in to straighten up. I watched her from the closet. I didn't read it, I swear.
Buffy: Oh.

Darla [a vampire, to Angel]: You're not exactly living off quiche.

Buffy: 240? Well, he said he was older.

Willow: So, he is a good vampire. I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being someone who's killing and maiming every night, and 1 being someone who's -- not?

Master: Angel. He was the most vicious killer I ever met. I miss him.

Willow: Okay, so let's review. Reconstruction began when? Buffy?
Buffy: Huh? Oh, um, reconstruction. Uh, reconstruction began after the construction, which was shoddy, so they had to reconstruct.
Willow: After the destruction of the Civil War.
Buffy: Right. Civil War. During which Angel was already, like, 100 and change.
Willow: Are we going to talk about boys, or are we going to help you pass history?

Darla [to Joyce, Buffy's Mom]: I was supposed to help her with the war of independence. My family kind of goes back to those days.

Darla: It's very nice of you to invite me into your home.

Joyce: Would you like something to eat?
Darla: Yes, I would.

Joyce: I know she's having trouble with history. Is it too difficult for her or is she not applying herself?
Giles: She lives very much in the now and uh, well, history, of course, is very much about the "then."

Buffy: I've killed a lot of vampires. I've never hated one before.

Angel: The Elders conjured the perfect punishment for me. They restored my soul.
Buffy: What? They were all out of boils and blinding torment?

Darla: Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?
Buffy: Bad hair on top of that outfit?

Darla [after Buffy shoots her with the crossbow]: Close, but no heart.

Xander: Ah, the post-fumigation party.
Buffy: 'Kay, so what's the difference between this and the pre-fumigation party?
Xander: Much hardier cockroaches.

Willow: So, no word from Angel?
Buffy: Nah. It's weird though. In a way I feel like he's still watching me.
Willow: Well, in a way he sort of is. In the way of that he's right over there.

Angel: Look, this can't --
Buffy: --ever be anything. I know. For one thing, you're, like, 224 years older than I am.

So You Think You Can Dance: Mia Michaels Tribute

A few weeks ago the producers of So You Think You Can Dance did something they have never done before in their seven seasons: they had the dancers recreate routines from past seasons. The one thing they had in common was they were all routines choreographed by Mia Michaels.

I like most of Mia Michaels routines, and they did many of my favorites and other fan favorites. However, none of the dancer's interpretations of the routines lived up to the originals. It may be because we are all so used to the originals, or that many were choreographed specifically for the strengths and individuality of the original dancers, and in some cases simply because the original dancers were just better. But in spite of the reasons, it was still interesting to see the routines recreated by the season 7 dancers.

Among the routines they included, was my favorite (as well as many others' favorite) Mia Micheals routine, The Bench. It was not the best of the night, however. I think that if I had never seen it before, with Travis and Heidi, that I probably would have liked it better. But a great routine like that becomes ingrained in your memory with those you first saw perform it. And Travis and Heidi not only performed it perfectly, they had the right emotion also, which was what put it over the top. You can see a performance of it here.

I think the best routine of the night was "Gravity," performed by Lindsay and Cole. The theme of the routine is someone who is trying to overcome an addiction, and it was orginally performed by Kayla and Kupono. I just love Kayla and Kupono's performances and characters, it's so intense and emotional, but Lindsay and Cole performed it well also. It's interesting to see how differently the couples interpreted the dance, especially how differently Cole and Kupono interpreted their role as the addiction. Which do you like better?

Kayla and Kupono - Gravity


Lindsay and Cole - Gravity


My favorite Mia Michaels routine (other than The Bench) is a group dance from season 7. The routine is performed to Sting's "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic." I wish they would have done this routine for the group dance for the Mia Michaels tribute episode instead of the routine they did. I don't even remember what that group routine was, is was so unmemorable for me.

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

Doctor Who: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship Trailer

The first episode of the season, "Asylum of the Daleks," was so good. And "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" looks great too. Just check out the trailer:

I am so excited about this new season of Doctor Who.

Angel: I Don't Dance

Since I've finished watching the complete series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've started watching the spinoff series, Angel. As many have said, Angel is darker than Buffy, but it still has a lot of humor, and so far I'm enjoying the series.

If you know anything about the character of Angel, you know why this scene was just so funny to me. He's very brooding and not very social.

This was in episode 13, "She," of season 1. I just couldn't stop laughing when I saw it.

Grimm: Quill

The latest episode of Grimm was great. If the season keeps having episodes like this one, this is going to be a heck of a season. It's still episodic, but continues to have side plots that will carry through the season.

Observations:

I loved the scene with Nick and Hank sitting in a coffee shop and Nick explaining to Hank what Wesen are and about his life as a Grimm.

We finally get an answer from Nick himself that he can see the Wesen in their true form when they get emotional (which we pretty much already figured out). However, he said that he doesn't really know how Wesen can sense he's a Grimm. I suppose that's a question he's never thought to ask Monroe. So, we have no answer to why Hank could see Carly when she was frightened in "Bad Moon Rising." I guess she wanted them to see her to frighten them.

Juliette is trying hard to remember Nick. She is going through his clothes and she's asking people about him. She calls up Monroe asking about her relationship with Nick and really throws Monroe for a loop.

There was no narrator during the opening sequence this time. I wonder if there were other people who didn't like it, so they took it out. Well, I just didn't like the narrator's voice - I didn't mind the narration so much.

Side note: One of the executive producer's last name is Wolff. I never noticed that before and I think that's funny. That is all.

Juliette remembers Bud coming to her house to fix the refrigerator and that he was afraid of Nick. Then she sees the quilt Bud gave her. And she actually invites Bud over to get some information from him. I miss Bud.

Renard is still curious about Nick's parents' accident - specifically about his mother. What does he suspect? Also, that obituary didn't look like a real obituary, well, not the ones I'm used to seeing. It looked more like a newspaper article about the accident. Except for the last paragraph, and saying that they were survived by their 12-year old son.

The royal family is sending another Wesen to find the key. A Nuckelavee. I wonder why Nick's mother didn't take the key - only the coins? Hmmm.

Renard and the man on the phone did the French/English thing again: started the conversation in French and ended in English. Strange.

Monroe doesn't seem too happy that Nick told Hank.

Juliette is now remembering Bud, the Wesen who fixed the refrigerator, and how he was afraid of Nick.

I will say it again - Poor Nick. How would it be if the woman you loved remembered everything in her life except you?

How does Renard think that a cop who knows nothing about Wesen would be able to catch this Nuckelavee?

Now, I have nothing against cats, but it's kind of funny when the cat gets hit. However, it really wasn't the cat's fault that it infected Juliette with Adalind's spell.

Juliette invited Bud over to talk to him about Nick. Why is she asking all of these Wesen? Why doesn't she ask her friends or family? Strange.

Poor Bud doesn't know that Juliette doesn't know Nick is a Grimm, and he let's the cat of the bag, so to speak. It's funny watching him try to cover his tracks, saying that a "grimm" is a term for a good cop, a good man who helps people in need. It's good that Juliette is learning that Nick is a good man. And it will be interesting to see how much more she learns about him being a Grimm, and how she learns it.

I love Sergeant Wu. He is really one of my favorite characters. It's sad to see how affects him that he had to kill the woman affected by the plague.

If it was a pig that started the plague, then why don't they try to track down the pig and get rid of it? Am I the only person who thought about that? Hello?

Nick had to fight Rosalee. By the time we got to that point, I thought it was going to be a two parter. I didn't think they would resolve it so quickly. It felt a little rushed to me.

Monroe's line to Nick that he "didn't have to kill" Rosalee was delivered too much like a funny line. If Monroe truly thought Nick had killed her, he would have been more upset than that. Unless he knew he didn't kill her and was just being "Monroe."

I'm glad that they were able to save Gilco.

I love the look Monroe gives Rosalee in their last shot.

I'm looking forward to the first meeting between Juliette and Renard since that kiss. I wonder what will happen.

Quotes:

Juliette (to herself): Why can't I remember you? Why can I remember everyone but you?

Hank: Did he do that change thing?
Nick: Right before he charged at us.

Hank: How do you do this? How do you know who's who and what's what?
Nick: Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
Hank: That's no help.

Monroe: Guess we're on the same wave length.

Monroe: Ever think about how I might react? Maybe we should just have a coming out party. Tell all your friends.

Nick: How was your day?
Juliette: You know, just taking a stroll down lost memory lane.

Monroe: What's wrong?
Rosalee: Cat got out.

Rosalee: Are you asking me out on a picnic?
Monroe: That depends on what you say. And if you were to say yes, then yes. But if you were to say no, then, you know, I just wanted to tell you about my great grandmother's picnic basket I found in the attic.
Rosalee: I haven't been on a picnic in a long time.
Monroe: I'm leaning on that being a yes. Cool.

Monroe: If you take the blanket, I'll do the heavy lifting.

Rosalee: There was a time when I used to love to run through the woods.
Monroe: Man, me too. I was usually chasing someone. Then.

Bud: My wife will kill me if I don't ask about the pies.

Hank: I'll stick to the modern world, thank you.

Rosalee: You're not so hard to get used to.

Rosalee: I've rushed things in the past.
Monroe: Yea, me too.
Rosalee: And that's about as much as I'm going to discuss my past relationships.

Rosalee: That was more exciting than any picnic I've ever been on.

Monroe: You could be infected.
Rosalee: With love.

Rosalee: You saved me.
Monroe: It wasn't just me. Nick's here. And Hank.

Downton Abbey: Season 3 Trailer

If you have been waiting for a glimpse of season three of Downton Abbey, you can view a trailer on the PBS website.

I was so excited when I found out that Shirley Maclaine would be playing Cora's mother. I know she'll bring a great character to the show that has so many wonderful characters already.

I'm also looking forward to meeting the new, very tall, footman.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 1 ep. 6 Quippy Quotes

"The Pack" is the first episode where one of the Scooby gang "goes bad." It's through no fault of Xander's that he becomes possessed by the spirit of a hyena at the zoo. He was just trying to help a boy who's being bullied, and he becomes the bully himself, and even worse.

Quippy Quotes:

Xander: Buffy, this isn't just about looking at a bunch of animals. This is about not being in class.
Buffy: You know, you're right. Suddenly the animals look shiny and new.
Xander: Got to have perspective.

Xander: Why don't you pick on someone your own species?

Willow: I thought Xander would be here by now.
Buffy: That would make him on time. We can't have that.

Buffy (re: Angel): I suppose some girls might find him good looking. [pause] If they have eyes. All right, he's a honey.

Xander (to Buffy and Willow): Girls!
Buffy: Boy!

Principal Flutie: When I was your age we cared about the school's reputation and the football team's record and all that stuff. Of course, when I was your age I was surrounded by old guys telling me how much better things were when they were my age.

Coach: All right. It's raining. All regular gym classes have been postponed. So, you know what that means. Dodge ball. Now, for those of you who may have forgotten, the rules are as follows: you dodge.

Buffy: Something's going on. Something weird.
Willow: What are you going to do?
Buffy: Going to talk to the expert on weird.

Giles: Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?
Buffy: Uh-huh.
Giles: And, uh, there's a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?
Buffy: Yes.
Giles: And, well, otherwise, all his spare time's spent lounging about with imbeciles?
Buffy: It's bad, isn't it?
Giles: It's devastating. He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Of course, you'll have to kill him.
Buffy: Giles, I'm serious.
Giles: So am I. Except for the part about killing him.

Giles: Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it.
Buffy: I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me.

Willow: What are you going to do?
Giles: Get my books and look stuff up.

Principal Flutie: You're going to have so much detention, your grandchildren will be staying after school.

Willow: Why couldn't Xander be possessed by a puppy? Or some ducks?

Buffy: It's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti.

Giles: I've been reading up on my, uh, animal possession, and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards.
Xander: Did you tell them that?
Giles: Your secret dies with me.
Xander: Shoot me, stuff me, mount me.

Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks

I don't want to say much about the first episode of season 7 that premiered on BBC America on Saturday. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't seen it yet and wants to enjoy it free of any bias or too much information. So, I won't give any "spoilers," as River Song loves to say so often. I will say this: I loved the episode and I'm so excited for the new season.

Synopsis:

Kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter... the Asylum. A planetary prison confining the most terrifying and insane of their kind, the Doctor and the Ponds must find an escape route.

Quotes:

The following quotes don't contain any spoilers. Some were in the trailer, so they may be familiar to some of you already.

Doctor: I got your message. Not many people can do that - send me messages.

Woman in Distress: They said you could help.
Doctor: Do they? I wish they'd stop.

Rory: So, how much trouble are we in?
Doctor: How much trouble, Mr. Pond? Out of ten -- eleven.

Doctor: You think hatred is beautiful?
Dalek Prime Minister: Perhaps that's why we've never been able to kill you.

Rory: Who killed all the Daleks?
Doctor: Who do you think?

Rory: I'm going to be cold and logical.

Oswin: Tell me I'm cool, chin boy.

Doctor: Doctor Who.

Grimm: Bad Moon Rising

First of all, I have to say that "Bad Moon Rising" is such a great song by Creedence Clearwater Revival. And secondly, I have to say that it looks like Grimm is still episodic. I'm so happy!

Observations:

This episode really has nothing to do with the source fairy tale, "The Old Woman in the Wood," other than the quote at the beginning.

The story follows a common theme in fairy tales - a girl who has lost her mother and only has her father.

Nick brings pictures to Juliette to try to help her remember him, and we find out that she remembers everything and everyone from her life, except Nick. So, Rosalee's potion that they put in her eyes didn't work. Was Adalind's spell for Juliette to specifically forget Nick, not her whole life? If so, she really got Nick back for what he did to her. It's so sad when Juliette sees Nick in the doorway and she says, "I know you." He gets his hopes up, and then they're completely dashed when she says, "You're the policeman who brought me here." Poor Nick! (That's going to be a common theme for a while, and I hope they don't drag it out for too long.)

So, if Nick knows that only a prince from the "royal" family can wake Juliette, wouldn't he ask the staff if a stranger came to Juliette's room at any time? Come on detective - do some detecting.

At first I thought the Wesen was the same "species" as Rosalee. But no. They're Coyotl, and she's a Fuchsbau. They look very similar.

Nick brings Monroe to see Juliette, and she does recognize him. How very awkward for Monroe. It's funny that she acts like she's known Monroe for a while. She asks Monroe how he knows Nick. Before she asked Nick how he knew Monroe. The tables are turned. I love that Monroe thought he should have brought Juliette flowers.

Nick (the character) sure is a good actor. He talks to Renard about the investigation into Catherine's murder like he really doesn't know anything about what happened or who she really was. And why would it be strange that Catherine had a lot of mirrors in her house?

Nick is ready to tell Hank about the whole Wesen thing when Hank's friend, Jarold comes in to tell him about his daughter's disappearance.

So, Hank has a friend whose a Wesen. How is this going to turn out?

If Carly never makes her bed, then why would a made bed prove that she never slept in it. It only proves that either she made it that morning, or he makes her bed for her.

Why doesn't Jarold know that Nick is a Grimm? What are the rules here? When does a Wesen's "wesenness" appear to Nick? When does a Wesen know that a Grimm is a Grimm? I want some answers here. *wink*

I think Jarold didn't recognize that Nick is a Grimm for plot reasons. The writers didn't want the audience to know Jarold was a Coyotl too because they wanted us to wonder if Jarold knew what his wife was, and what is daughter is too. Or I guess you could argue that he's just too upset about his daughter to pay attention.

You don't begin your 17th year on your 17th birthday. Your 17th year starts on your 16th birthday. Because you're in your 1st year until you hit 1, and then you start your 2nd year. It's kind of like the millenium didn't start until 2001 (okay, that's a different matter, but it still bugs me that people thought the new millenium started in 2000. I know, I should just get over it.)

It's funny that Monroe isn't going to help because it's the full moon, and it's not a good time for him to be out.

Jerold doesn't freak out when Nick says he's a Grimm like most Wesen do. Interesting.

Why does Carly change when she's afraid of Hank, but she doesn't fight these guys with her full "Wesenness"? She should at least give them a good kick where it counts.

Again, these guys don't know Nick is a Grimm, but Carly knows right away. Come on writers, you can't break your rules just to make the story good.

I was hoping that Nick would tell him about Wesen, but maybe it's a good thing that Hank found out about it from a friend who is one, so he knows that they're not all bad monsters.

Now that Hank knows he's not crazy, he's ready to fight.

Nice that Hank finally knows that he's not crazy. Now he can stop going to a therapist and stop sitting in his house paranoid with a rifle cocked and ready to shoot.

Now that Juliette has come home, hopefully it won't take long for her to remember. Or maybe they'll just let them begin anew and Juliette will fall in love with Nick all over again. Or, maybe they'll have her leave him and he'll get a new girlfriend after mourning for a while. Who knows? I just hope there's some kind of resolution one way or the other soon. I hate stories like that that go on forever - it makes it more like a soap opera to me.

Quotes:

Carly: I thought he was going to kill me.
Hank: Why?
Carly: He's a Grimm. That's what they do.
Hank: A what?
Carly: A Grimm. It's sort of a family problem.

Jarold: It's not easy being this - different. I would have told you the truth if I could.

Sgnt Wu: So, let me get this straight. In the last six hours you've arrested six felons, Saved a damsel in distress, reunited a family, while I've filled out three dozen overtime reports and scrubbed out the coffee maker. Yea, we've all put in a rich full day.

Nick: Hank, I know today's been --
Hank: Don't even try it.
Nick: What?
Hank: Today's been one of the better days of my life.
Nick: Really?
Hank: Yea.
Nick: How?
Hank: Because I might be crazy but now I know I'm not alone.

Grimm: The Kiss

I am so glad that Grimm is back. This was a great episode.

Observations:

Grimm was gruesome last year, but seeing the FBI agent hanging upside down with an arm handcuffed to him with no body attached was really grimm.

That Wesen really doesn't stand a chance against two Grimms.

Having just watched a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I see lots of parallels between the two shows, especially in the superhuman strength given to the one with the "calling."

Just a sidenote: I don't particularly like the voice of the narrator over the opening sequence. His voice just isn't "epic" enough for the epicness of the show.

It would have been interesting to see how Monroe and Rosalee would have tried to get into Juliette's hospital room to give her the potion. But, Nick comes just in time so they don't have to be the ones trying to get past the staff.

I love it when Nick asks Monroe and Rosalee to take his Mom back to his house, because you know that Monroe is still deathly afraid of Kelly. And his line, "You take care of the dead, and we three will just go on living," is hilarious.

It's funny that Kelly is sitting in the back seat of Monroe's VW Beetle. You would think that Monroe would let Kelly sit in the front because she is older and has to climb back into the back seat. Of course the shot of him looking back at her with nervousness in his rear view mirror is great, and I'm sure that's why she was sitting in the back seat - for those shots.

The interrogation of Monroe and Rosalee by Kelly a great scene. Kelly knows that Nick trusts them, so she has to be okay with them for now.

Nick is in big trouble. The FBI found the bullet shell at the crime scene that came from his gun, and they discover that the dead FBI agents last call from her cell phone was to Nick. He knows he's in trouble, and even throws his gun into the water.

I love it that Monroe is such a gentleman. He opens the car door for Rosalee. I also love that Rosalee hugs Kelly, and that Kelly tentatively hugs her back.

Nick's Aunt Marie (who was Kelly's sister) was in love with a Wesen (I wonder if Kelly knew that), and even told Nick that as a Grimm he was supposed to fight the bad Wesen. So, why is Kelly so bent on hating all Wesen, and thinking a Grimm couldn't be friends with a good Wesen?

I love how Renard sticks up to the FBI agents who are investigating the death of the other FBI agents. Renard protects his officers - or is he just protecting Nick?

It's interesting that Renard's first words to his brother when he calls him are in French, but then they speak in English. Was the French part at first supposed to show that they are speaking French the whole time? You know how it is, in a movie that's set in France (or any other foreign country) the actors are speaking English, but the characters are really speaking in the native language?

I want that castle. Enough said about that.

Renard has a different agenda than his brother. I wonder what that is.

I think it's funny that Catherine only accepted 50.00 off of the ingredient she needed from Rosalee when she showed her "hexenbiestiness." You would think she would be hoping to get it for free.

I love Monroe and Rosalee's relationship, and that he's so protective of her. He says, "She threatened Rosalee. I"m not too happy about that." Even though Monroe is a "reformed" Blutbad, and is very sweet, I'm sure he could do some damage.

Kelly talks Nick into letting her talk to Catherine about what she knows, "mother to mother." But it's really going to be "Grimm to Hexenbiest."

Why was Renard looking at an article about Nick's parents' accident? Does he know something about that?

I love that when the FBI comes in to arrest Nick that Renard tells Hank to go with Nick, and that Hank probably would have gone anyway.

Renard has to drink the potion to wake Juliette. He really must want Nick to stay in Portland. Again, what is his agenda?

Kelly seems pretty worried that there's a Prince in Portland, and pretty surprised. I wonder what this royal family can do? Other than send Wesen after Grimms.

I love it how the story is taking the fairy tale literally this time - where the prince kisses the sleeping beauty to waken her.

It's a funny shot showing the girl walking her dog and she hears Kelly and Catherine fighting.

So, there's a fight against a Grimm and a Hexenbiest - I wonder who's going to win? I think the fight would have ended much differently if Nick had gone to see Catherine instead of Kelly.

I love that when the FBI is interrogating Nick and they ask who he's covering for, Nick says, "My mother." Nick tells them the truth, and they think he's just giving a sarcastic answer.

Renard is part Hexenbiest. Hmmm. And he's nervous to drink the potion. Hmmm. Then he tells himself, "Get a grip, it can't be that bad." He thinks he's okay, but then the potion gets a grip on him. He's not very pure of heart. Hmmm.

Kelly knew that Catherine meant one of the "royal" family when Catherine said that only "he" could save Juliette.

Nick must be so torn about losing his Mom again and trying to keep her from getting caught.

What was that with Kelly's expression when Nick gave her the coins? She definitely has her own agenda with the coins, and it's not about destroying them. They're not supposed to affect a Grimm. So, who is she going to give them to?

Kelly tells Nick not to make the same mistake she made about leaving the people you love when they're talking about Juliette. But she's leaving him now. Hmm, she's making the same mistake again. It's so sad to see him say goodbye to her just as he has her back again.

Renard kissed Juliette, and she wakes up! So, my question is - what does it mean to be "pure of heart"? Is it going to affect Renard in any other way, other than being able to waken Juliette? Or is it simple going to wear off?

Juliette doesn't know Nick! Nooooo!!!! Poor, poor Nick. This is more devastating that anything else could be.

Quotes:

Monroe: I'm sure he's just spending some quality time with his mother.

Kelly: You should go.
Nurse: Who are you?
Kelly: Don't argue.

Rosalee: You look like you're about the kill somebody.
[Monroe tries to put on a fake smile]
Monroe: How's this?
Rosalee: Better.

Kelly: I'm his mother. If you have a problem with my son, you'll have to deal with me.

Kelly: This relationship, whatever you want to call it, between the two of you and Nick doesn't make sense to me.
Monroe: To be honest, it doesn't really make sense to use either.
Rosalee: But why does it have to?
Kelly: I'm beginning to think it doesn't.

Rosalee (re: Kelly): Was that a smile? Because I think that might have been a smile.
Monroe: Oh, that was a smile.
Rosalee: You think so?
Monroe: I have no idea.

Monroe (re: Catherine): She doesn't know how close she came to getting her throat ripped out.
Rosalee: That's so sweet. Maybe later.

Catherine: The person who wakes her has to be pure of heart. It's challenging finding someone like that nowadays, so we have to do it chemically. The more pure of heart you are, the less painful the process.
Renard: What are these lumps?
Catherine: It's better that you don't know. And since you're barely human, you're in for quite a ride, sweetie. [Renard leaves] Quite a ride.

Catherine: You're his mother?
Kelly: And I'm feeling very protective right now.

Catherine: You have no idea how high this goes.
Kelly: Heights don't scare me.

Kelly: Tell me how to save Juliette.
Catherine: You can't. Only he can. (and... she dies)

Kelly: One more thing. [pause] You have to take me to the station.
Nick: I can handle that.