Cry Like a Rainstorm

I have never done a "tag" post on my blog before, and no one actually tagged me to do this one, but I saw it on someone else's blog and thought it would be fun. So, there you go.

Side note: I chose the picture above because there were a surprising number of songs from The Scarlet Pimpernel. Go figure.

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write down the song name and (if applicable) the movie it came from, no matter how silly it sounds.
4. If you read this blog, then consider yourself tagged. Have fun, and I’d love to read your answers if you do it, so please leave a comment so I can go to your blog!

Here we go!

If someone says "Are you okay?" you say... Take a Chance by Jeff McLean
I'm going to take that as meaning I’m willing to take a chance if I’m not okay.

What would best describe your personality? When I Look at You (from The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Well, they do say that Leos are vain. I guess this proves that I am a true Leo. *wink*

How would you describe yourself? Love in Any Language by Sandy Patty
It's a nice thing to describe yourself as "love."

What do you like in a guy/girl? So They Say (from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog)
That's very enigmatic.

How do you feel today? The Best Seats in the House by Barry Manilow
I really do like my couch. *wink*

What is your life's purpose? Pretending (from Glee)
I guess that’s a good answer for an actor.

What's Your Motto? Carry On by Kansas
For those of you who really know me, you know it couldn't get any closer to the truth than this.

What do your friends think of you? All you Ever by Hunter Hayes
Okay, friends, how wouldn't you finish the phrase, "All Karrie ever..."

What do your parents think of you? There you Go Again by Kellie Coffey
I could see my parents saying this to me, "Well, there you go again."

What do you think about very often? Prayer (from The Scarlet Pimpernel)
I like that.

What is 2 + 2? Black Roses Red (from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
I never was any good at math.

What do you think of your best friend? Falcon in the Dive (from The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Bet you didn't know that, did you?

What do you think of the person you like? I Will Never Leave You (from Side Show)
I like a lot of people, and I hope that they all know I will always be there.

What is your life story? Children of the Wind (from Rags)
There's definitely a story in that title.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Cry (from Glee)
Hmm. Not really.

What do you think when you see the person you like? Better than I by Jesse Clark Funk
It's funnier when you know that the complete phrase is, "You know better than I." Makes me sound very humble, doesn't it?

What will you do at your wedding? Unusual Way by Linda Eder (from Nine)
I won't comment on this one. *wink*

What will they play at your funeral? Testify to Love by Wynonna Judd
Now, that a song that wouldn't mind having at my funeral.

What is your hobby/interest? Bell, Book and Candle (from Charmed)
Charmed is definitely a show I have a lot of interest in. But the Catholic method of excommunication is definitely not a hobby of mine. 

What is your biggest fear? Marguerite (from The Scarlet Pimpernel)
Now I don't know if I ever want to meet anyone named "Marguerite." (Yes, another song from The Scarlet Pimpernel. *wink*)

What is your biggest secret? Who Will Love Me As I Am (from Side Show)
I had Chinese for lunch today, and my fortune said, "Everyone agrees you are the best," so I guess the answer to "who will love me as I am" is - everyone! *wink*

What do you want right now? Without You by Sara Gazarek
"I vant to be alone." *wink*

What do you think of your friends? Out of the Blue by Kathy Mattea
Many of my friends have come into my life from "out of the blue," and I am grateful for each and everyone of them. Yes, that includes you. 

What's the worst thing that could happen? Let the River Run by Carly Simon
Well, if that's the worst thing that could happen, I'm okay.

What is the one thing you regret? Just Not Now (from I Love You Because)
I guess that means I regret something I procrastinated on.

What makes you laugh? Across the Water by Linda Eder
Hahaha.

What makes you cry? Home (from The Wiz)
Well, not today.

Will you ever get married? Isn’t It Strange That We Can Love Again (from Catch Me If I Fall)
I guess that doesn’t answer it.

What scares you the most? Change in Me (from Beauty and the Beast)

Okay, I know I don’t like change, but I don’t know if it’s scares me the most. And how is this different than my biggest fear? Hmm.

Does anyone like you? Best of Times by Styx
I suppose that means that not only does everyone think I'm the best, I am "best of times." *wink*

If you could go back in time, what would you change? This is the Moment (from Jekyll and Hyde)
Does this mean I want to change every moment of my life? Well, that's definitely not true.

What will you name this post? Cry Like a Rainstorm by Linda Ronstadt

Once Upon a Time: Into the Deep

I must be very tired of this story line, because I couldn’t get very excited by the goings on in this episode. I just want the story to move forward. Just like Mulan said, is it just going to be one journey after another. If so, I might just stop watching until something actually happens. The show is beginning to feel like a soap opera where it can take a year for anything to be resolved. It’s very tiring.

The only real good thing for me about his episode was more Captain Hook. I likey.

Observations:

Once Upon a Time has the walking dead. Are vampires too far away? Will we meet Count Dracula or Vlad the Impaler?

Why would Charming believe Henry so quickly that he knows that his mother and Snow are still alive? He just woke up from a dream, and he hadn't explained anything to Charming about talking to Aurora.

I thought Regina sent Cora through the looking glass. Why does she tell Rumpel that she saw Cora’s dead body?

Why does Snow think that Rumpel will help them? Doesn't she remember him as the bad guy?

Aurora and Henry both want to be heroes. They don’t want to just be observers in everything that’s going on. That’s a good thing for Aurora, because she’s been pretty useless and unnecessary in the story since we’ve met her.

Rumpel mentioned mermaids. Will we meet Ariel soon? And if she eventually gets to Storybrooke, will she have legs?

If Henry and Aurora can be burned in the sleeping curse nightmare, why doesn’t Aurora just burst into flames? That fire would consume her dress in seconds.

For those of you who are familiar with Into the Woods, didn't you want Emma to say to Snow, “You talk to birds?” after the crow landed on Snow’s shoulder and squawked a bit? And when Emma and Snow start blaming themselves for the predicament they’re in (and finally blaming Regina), didn't you hear in your head, “so it’s your fault.”

So many assumptions were made by characters in this episode. Charming assumes that Snow will meet him in the sleeping curse world. Snow assumes that Mulan’s sleeping powder will put her back in the sleeping curse world. Charming assumes that Snow will be able to kiss him and wake him from of the sleeping curse.

It’s funny how the two most evil people from Fairy Land are now trying to do good in Storybrooke. I guess the writers don’t want us to have to worry about five villains. Also, it’s interesting that people have let Regina alone. They aren’t trying to get revenge. That’s what this show is all about – revenge. Revenge for betrayal, revenge for killing a loved one, revenge for cursing everyone.  

Why does Snow refer to Charming as David, but call him Charming to his face?

How did Hook get Aurora’s heart? Does he have magic too? That just came out of the blue.

Quotes:

Cora: Your pretty face buys you a lot, but not my time; it’s too valuable.

Rumpel: Condiments are this world’s most powerful magic.

Henry: So, Cora – she’s pretty powerful?

Rumpel: Yes, but not as powerful as I am.

Regina: Debatable.

Rumpel: Actually, no, it’s not.

(Side note: This line made me laugh. It’s just so random.)

Regina: If there’s one thing I know about your grandparents, they always find each other.

Doctor Who: Neil Gaiman Meets Cybermen

Neil Gaiman's first go around as a writer for Doctor Who gave us one of the best episodes in the rebooted series, season 6's "The Doctor's Wife." For Gaiman's second episode as writer, he is bringing back one of the Doctor's scariest enemies in the 50 year history of the series, the Cybermen. 

Doctor Who returns again on Christmas day, when we'll meet his new companion, played by Jenna-Loouise Coleman. Then the final six episodes of the season will start in Spring 2013. Gaiman's episode will be be one of the final six episodes in the Spring (I believe it will be episode 13, which would be the penultimate episode of the season). I am so excited for the rest of the season's episodes. It's been a strong season so far, I hope the new companion will bring good things to the show.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 2, ep. 6 Quippy Quotes

"Halloween" is one of my favorite Buffy episodes. It's probably in my top 15, maybe top 10 (if I actually made a top 10 list. Ooo, maybe I should. *wink*). In this episode, the Scooby Gang buy Halloween costumes from a new costume shop in Sunnydale, and on the night of trick-or-treating, everyone who bought their outfit from that new shop turns into the costume they're wearing, forgetting who they really are. And in true Buffy fashion, hilarity and danger abound. Willow turns into a ghost (and is the only one who knows who she is and figures out that something strange is going on), Xander turns into a soldier who isn't afraid of anything, and Buffy turns into an 18th century damsel who is afraid of everything. It all makes for one great episode.

Quotes:

Buffy: Who am I kidding? Dates are what normal girls have. Girls who have time to think about nail polish and facials. You know what I think about? Ambush tactics. Beheading. Not exactly the things dreams are made of.

Xander: Halloween quiet? I figured it would be a big old vamp scare-a-palooza.
Buffy: Not according to Giles. He swears tomorrow night is dead for the undead. They stay in.
Xander: Those wacky vampires. That's why I love 'em. They just keep you guessin'.

[Buffy "takes care" of a guy who is picking on Xander]
Xander: Larry was about to pummel me.
Buffy: Oh, that? Forget about it?
Xander: Oh, I'll forget about it. Maybe in 15, 20 years when my rep for being a sissy man finally fades.
Buffy: Xander --
Xander: A black eye heals, Buffy, but cowardice has an unlimited shelf life. Oh, thanks. Thanks a lot for your help.
[Xander leaves]
Buffy: I think I just violated the guy code, big time.
Willow: Poor Xander. Boys are so fragile.

Giles (as Buffy tries to sneak into the library): Buffy! Excellent.
Buffy: Nothing. Hi.

Buffy: You know, there's this place you can go. You sit in the dark, and there are moving pictures, right? And the pictures tell a story.
Giles: Ha ha. Very droll. I'll have you know that I have very many relaxing hobbies.
Buffy: Such as?
Giles: Well, um... I enjoy cross-referencing.
Buffy: Do you stuff your own shirts, or do you send them out?

Buffy: It must have been wonderful to put on some fantabulous gown and go to a ball like a princess and have horses and servants and yet more gowns.
Willow: Yea. Still, I prefer being able to vote. Or, I mean, I will when I can.

Buffy: Angel's a vampire. I thought you knew.
Cordelia: Oh. He's a vampire. Of course. But the cuddly kind. Like a Care Bear with fangs?

Buffy: You're missing the point of Halloween.
Willow: Free candy?
Buffy: It's "come as you aren't" night.

Buffy: Halloween is the night that not you is you, but not you. You know?

Xander: Buffy! Lady of Buffdom. Duchess of Buffonia. I am in awe.

Xander: Hey, Will. That's a fine "Boo" you got there.

Cordelia: Is Mr. "I'm the lead singer, I'm so great, I don't have to show up for my date or even call" gonna be there?
Oz: Yea. You know, he's just going by "Devon" now.
Cordelia: Well, you can tell him that I don't care and that I didn't even mention it, and that... I didn't even see you. So, that's just fine.
Oz: So, what do I tell him?
Cordelia: Nothing. Geez, get with the program.
[Cordelia leaves]
Oz: Why can't I meet a nice girl like that?

Willow: Buffy, are you all right?
Buffy: What?
Xander: Are you hurt?
Willow: Buffy, are you hurt?
Buffy: Buffy?
Willow:  She's not Buffy.
Xander: Who's Buffy.
Willow: Oh, this is fun.

Willow: She's from the past.
Xander: And you're a ghost?
Willow: Yes. Now, let's get inside.
Xander: I just want you to know that I'm taking a lot on faith here.

Buffy: I just wanna go home.
Willow: You are home. [to herself] She couldn't have dressed up like Xena?

Cordelia: What's going on?
Willow: Okay. Your name is Cordelia. You're not a cat. You're in High School, and we're your friends. Well, sort of.
Cordelia: That's nice, Willow. And you went mental when?
Willow: You know us?
Cordelia: Yea. Lucky me.

Cordelia (re: Willow): Who died and made her the boss?

Spike: Well, this is just... neat.

Xander: She's right. We must have some kind of amnesia.
Buffy: I don't know what that is, but I'm certain I don't have it. I bathe quite often.
Xander: How do you explain this?
Buffy: I don't. I was brought up a proper lady. I wasn't meant to understand things. I'm just meant to look pretty. Then someone nice will marry me. Possibly a baron.

Cordelia (to Angel): They don't know who they are. Everyone's turned into a monster. It's a whole big thing. How are you?

Xander (to Angel): You take the princess and secure the kitchen. Catwoman, you're with me.
Buffy: But I don't want to go with you. I like the man with the musket.
Angel: Come on.
Buffy: Do you have a musket?

Willow: I don't even know what I'm looking for. Plus, I can't turn the page.

Giles: Janus. A Roman mythical god.
Willow: What does this mean?
Giles: Primary the division of self. Male and female, light and dark...
Ethan (entering): Chunky and creamy. Oh, no, sorry, that's peanut butter.

Xander: It's strange, but beating up that pirate gave me a weird sense of closure.

Buffy: Hi honey, I'm home.

Buffy: You know what? It's good to be me.

Oz: Who is that girl?

The Host: Trailer

There is a new trailer for the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's book The Host (which I liked, unlike Twilight). From the trailer it looks like it's going to be a good movie. I hope it is.

Downton Abbey: Another Season of the Crawleys

Downton Abbey has been renewed for a fourth season. I am so excited about this. There are few series on TV today that have the quality in writing and acting as Downton Abbey, and it's nice to see that quality appreciated and awarded.

Click here for more information and photos from season 3. Season 3 will air in the U.S. on Masterpiece Theater in January.

Grimm: Season of the Hexenbiest

This was a great episode. It didn't have a plot from a classic fairy tale. It concentrated on regular characters and furthered the Nick/Juliette/Renard triangle plot. The episode starts where the last episode ended. Renard has brought Juliette into the spice shop, and while he and Juliette share an unexpected kiss, Monroe walks in on them. Then the episode ended with the words so many of us hate to see, "To be continued..." But then one more word appeared, "Sorry." That was unexpected and very funny.

And so much happened in between.

Observations:

This has been such an extremely emotional season for Nick so far. I think he deserves a break. I hate seeing him like that! I like Nick so much, and I just want him to be happy. It's been a while since I've cared so much about a character on a TV series.

At least Monroe told Nick that he thinks Juliette's "situation" has something to do with Adalind's spell. I hope that Nick remembers that. I just wanted Monroe to tell Juliette to get Renard and bring him back to the spice shop so he could make up the potion to reverse the spell.

I'm glad that Juliette went to see Monroe, that he was able to comfort her. But it's strange she would go to him. She doesn't know him that well. You'd think she's go to a girlfriend's house and talk to her. I know she told him it was because that's the last place she remembers being before the coma, but it's still strange.

I just have to say how annoying it was to me that Adalind kept pronouncing "aunt" differently. Sometimes she would pronounce it like we do in the West, "ant." Other times she would pronounce it like they do in New England, "ahnt." I wonder how the actress actually pronounces it. I think Claire Coffee is from California, and the show is set in Portland (Oregon not Maine), so she would most likely pronounce it "ant." Oh, well. It's just another one of those things that I noticed that most people probably didn't.

Renard is starting to lose control over everything.

Oh no! Juliette told Adalind about Aunt Marie's trailer.

Now, that was quite the look Juliette gave Nick when the police came in to arrest Adalind.

And what a saucy little wink Adalind gave Renard through the two-way mirror.

We know that Monroe enjoys working undercover for Nick, and he certainly does a good job of looking innocent - for a while.

And... we have the weekly opening of the weapons closet. Of course.

I loved when the Verrat said, "Allon-sy." It made me think of David Tennant as Doctor Who, and I wished that one of them had been called "Allonso." *wink*

Nick and Monroe got their fingerprints all over those dead bodies. Not smart. But, who knows if that will even come up in a future episode.

And... Nick now knows that Renard is the "other man." Oooo, what's going to happen? And if that isn't enough for a cliffhanger, Renard has found Aunt Marie's trailer.

Why would Monroe not suspect that Nick would know Renard. Renard is the captain of the Portland police department. And Nick is a Detective in the Portland police department Monroe's smarter than that.

In the old days of television, the second episode of a two-parter was usually the next week, you usually didn't have to wait until the end of the hiatus, or the beginning of a new season. How television changes.

Quotes:

Monroe: How are things with Juliette?
Nick: Well, they're kind of in a holding pattern. Except that no one's holding anyone.

Monroe: Hey, it's going to be okay.
Juliette: No, it's not.
Monroe: Well, there is that.

Adalind: I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you. It wasn't right.
Hank: Did you bring some more cookies?

Adalind: Sean, it's so good to see you.
Renard: You said that as if you almost meant it.

Juliette: I'm really getting sick of being left in the dark, like all the time.
Monroe: The dark does have its bright side.

Adalind (to Renard): Be a good little Prince and shut the door.

Adalind (to Nick): You don't know what happened to my cat, do you?

Nick: Be careful.
Monroe: I think the time for being careful is over, Nick.

Big Bang Theory Flash Mob

This is so funny, I just wish it were longer.

Arrow: Legacies

First of all I have to say, isn't that a nice picture of Oliver as the Hood? Mmmm.

I'm so glad that this episode again deviated from going after someone on the list. I like that Diggle tells Oliver that he should use his alter-ego and skills to help the city in other ways.

Observations:

I like it when Oliver and Thea act like real siblings, not like each others' conscience or therapist.

I like that Diggle doesn't wait for Oliver to tell him what to do. He sees an opportunity to help and he takes it. He is definitely not a sidekick.

Oliver figured out who the robbers were pretty quickly.

Oliver has all sorts of arrows that do cool things. I like seeing what his arrows will do next.

It sounds like the robbers have hit banks in other cities. So, if they know there's a vigilante on their tail who can either catch them or keep them from getting the money they stole, why stay in Starling City.

Windows 8 - that product placement isn't very subtle.

Oliver, why don't you forget Laurel and go for the smart blond with the glasses. *wink*

I like the references and jabs to modern culture. US Weekly, Windows 8, Facebook, MySpace, the economy.

That fundraiser was put together pretty quickly. Those things usually take months to organize. Wow, Tommy's the wizard.

Oliver gets put down by everyone all the time (except by Tommy). His mother, Laurel, Thea, Diggle (not as much as everyone else, but still), Detective Lance. Even his father tears him down in Oliver's hallucination. That would affect anyone's confidence. I wonder how Oliver gets through it.

I like Tommy. I'm not liking Laurel so much anymore. She's just so wishy-washy. "I like Oliver, I like Tommy. I hate Oliver. I hate Tommy." She's the poster-child of a woman who can't make up her mind.

We finally find out how the empty notebook Oliver found on his father becomes the notebook filled with "the list."

I'm glad that Moira apologized to Oliver about what she said to him. But she still puts him down a bit in the apology.

It's interesting how they make it look like rich people never eat hamburgers (or eat with their hands, for that matter). Well, maybe they don't. How would I know? *wink*

Nobody mentioned Sarah in this episode. Finally!

Quotes:

Diggle: You know, one of these days you're going to be straight with me about what really happened on that island.
Oliver: Absolutely. But not today.

Diggle: Sounds like you have a narrow definition of a hero.
Oliver: I'm not a hero.

Joanne: It's the economy, stupid.
Laurel: It's the stupid economy.

Moira (re: old friends): They're coming for brunch and I expect you to be there.
Oliver: I have plans.
Moira: That's fine. Brunch is tomorrow.
Thea (laughs): Inches from a clean getaway.
Moira: You too, Thea.
Oliver: Snap.
Thea: Nobody says that anymore.

Tommy: Hey, I just got a new sports car and I was thinking we could open her up. Get a few speeding tickets.

Diggle: You asked me to work with you, not for you.

Diggle: Please tell me you're not going where I think you're going.
Oliver: Diggle, why do you even ask.
(Side note: Okay, actually Dig didn't ask a question. It sounded like a statement to me. I know, picky, picky.  But that's me. *wink*)

Carter: One minute I'm publishing his book on how long-term potentiation initiates the creation of a slow-moving photosynthesis, and then the next there's an agent trying to make me the next Dr. Oz.
Oliver: Why would he want you to be a wizard?
Thea: For all our sakes, start reading US Weekly.

Felicity: I should add "personal researcher to Oliver Queen" to my job title. Happily, I mean.

Felicity (to Oliver): I guess you didn't have Facebook on that island.
Diggle: Nope, not even a MySpace account. It was a very dark time.

Oliver (to Derek Restin): You and I have one thing in common. We're both dealing with the consequences of my father's actions. What he did then, that's on him. What we do now, that's on us.

Diggle: You're going to do another abrupt exit?
Oliver: We're getting better at it with practice.

Moira: I'll bet Carter Bowen doesn't know where to find the best burger join in Starling City.
Olvier: So, I have one thing on him?
Moira: No, you have everything on him.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 2, ep. 5 Quippy Quotes

In "Reptile Boy," Buffy falls for a smooth-talking college boy and agrees to go to a frat party with Cordelia after Angel give Buffy the brush-off. The episode is not one of my top 20, but like all of the episodes, it has some great lines.

Quotes:

Xander (watching a Bollywood movie with Buffy and Willow): Is she dying?
Buffy: I think she's singing.
Xander: To a telephone. In Hindi. Now that's entertainment.

Xander: And we thought just because we didn't have any money or anyplace to go, this'd be a lackluster evening.

Buffy: How does the water buffalo fit in again?

Giles: Just because the paranormal is more "normal" and less... "para" of late, is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down.

Giles: Well, I'm not a demon, which is why you should let go.

Buffy: Taking on the undead doesn't exactly do wonders for your social life.

Buffy: Who needs a social life when you've got your very own Hellmouth?

Richard: Hi sweetheart. I'm Richard. And you are?
Buffy: Not interested.

Tom: Nice to meet you. Are you a senior here?
Buffy: Junior.
Tom: Me too. Except that I'm a senior. And I'm in college. So, we have that in common. And I major in History.
Buffy: Mm. History stumps me. I have a hard enough time remembering what happened last week.
Tom: No. Nothing happened last week. Don't worry - I was there.

Xander: Okay boots. Start a-walkin'.

Tom: Thanks for letting me ramble.
Buffy: You know, people underestimate the value of a good ramble.

Xander: I hate these guy. Whatever they want just falls into their laps. Don't you hate these guys?
Willow: Yea. With their charmed lives and movie-star looks and more money than you can count. I'm hating.

Angel: You're 16 years old and I'm 241.
Buffy: I've done the math.

Cordelia: Richard explained it to me, but I was so busy "really listening" that I didn't hear much.

Cordelia: Buffy, these men are rich, and I'm not being shallow. I'm thinking of all the poor people I could help with all my money.

Cordelia: It's like we're sisters, with really different hair.

Buffy: Well, say it.
Xander: I'm not gonna say it.
Willow: You lied to Giles.
Xander: Because she will.
Buffy: Look, I wasn't lying. I was just protecting him from information that he would't be able to digest properly.
Xander: Like a corn dog.

Willow: I can't believe she lied to Giles. My world is all askew.
Xander: Buffy's lying. Buffy's going to frat parties. That's not askew. That's cockeyed.
Willow: Askew is cockeyed.
Xander: Oh.

Cordelia: Are you ready for this?
Buffy: I don't know. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.
Cordelia: Me too. Let's go.

Cordelia: You know what's so cool about college? The diversity. You've got all the rich people and all of the other people.

Richard: Have you seen our multimedia room?
Cordelia: Oh, the one with the cherry-walnut paneling and the two 48-inch televisions on satellite feed? No. Wanna show me?

Tom: We're not all a bunch of drunken louts. Some of us are sober louts.

Giles: What are you doing?
Willow: Oh sorry. (to Angel) The reflection thing that you don't have. Angel, how do you shave?

Giles: She lied to me?
Angel: Did... she have a date?
Willow: Well, why do you think she went to that party? Because you gave her the brush-off. (to Giles) And you never let her do anything except work and patrol. And I know she's the Chosen One, but you're killing her with the pressure. I mean, she's 16 going on 40. (to Angel) And you! You're gonna live forever. You don't have time for a cup of coffee?

Xander (after Angel puts on his 'Vampire' face): Okay, that is the guy you want to party with.

Buffy: Tom, you talk too much.

Buffy: I told one lie. I had one drink.
Giles: Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words, "Let that be a lesson" are a tad redundant at this juncture.

Xander: Starve the snake, lose a fortune. I guess the rich really are different.

Doctor Who: Christmas Special Preview and Minisode

This makes me so happy! I'm so excited to meet the Doctor's new companion. It looks like Jenna-Louise Coleman will be great.



And here's a little prequel "minisode" (as Matt calls it) to the Christmas episode.



There is so much glee in my heart about this, I just can't hold it in. So pardon me as I say "Wahooooooo!!"

Once Upon a Time: Child of the Moon

The full moon after the curse arrives.

This is the episode that I've been waiting for since the curse was broken. Ruby turns into a wolf, and who knows what the consequences will be. It was an okay episode. I liked the story, but I felt that some of the scenes and acting were a little melodramatic.

Observations:

Was Gus (or Gus Gus, to be more exact) turned into a mouse with magic in Fairy Tale Land? Otherwise, how did an animal become a person in Storybrooke. The only other animal we know of that is a person in Storybrooke is Jiminy/Archie. And we know he was turned into a cricket with magic.

Henry was burned by the fire in his nightmare. If Snow's nightmare after she woke from her "sleep" was as bad as Henry's, I wonder how she was injured by it, and how long she had the nightmares.

Red found a very uncomfortable place to sleep for the night - on the rocks by the lake. Ouch.

The wolves' hideout is the grand hall of the castle that sunk underground. I wonder what castle that was, and when it sunk. This was all before the "curse," so it wasn't Regina's castle.

It's cool that Red is taught a way to control her actions when she's a wolf. So, I guess that means we won't have an episode with Ruby at the next full moon in Storybrooke. *wink*

Why does Mr. Gold care about Henry so much that he'll give him a way to control his actions in the nightmare so he won't be afraid or injured anymore? Is it because he reminds him of Baelfire?

So, this episode is all about having control over your own action - whether it's when you're having a nightmare or when you're a wolf during the full moon. I guess this is a good episode for all the Children of the Moon out there. It gives them hope. *wink*

How many nights does Red turn into a wolf when the moon is full? More than one. Three? I don't remember ever hearing that, but it's been a while since I watched the first season.

Spencer only calls David "Shepard." We still haven't learned his real name in Fairy Tale Land, have we? We know he's not "James." That was his twin brother who died. And Snow only calls him "Charming." And his mother never said his real name as far as I can remember. So, what is it? And when will we learn what it is?

The lesson that Anita teaches Red is "be the wolf." She's just giving Red an acting lesson. *wink*

Belle still annoys me. I can't figure out why.

So many good looking men die in this show. What do writers have against them? I know that I have complained about adding more and more characters to the show, but that doesn't mean I want them to introduce a handsome man and then kill him off. So, what handsome men have we lost so far: Graham (the saddest loss of all), Peter, James (the real one), Prince Philip, Billy, Quinn. That's quite a list.

So, Anita could change at will, even in the middle of the day. Once you have control of the wolf, can you change into the wolf at will?

I was kind of looking forward to a scene between Anita and Granny. I wanted them to have that "why did you do it?" conversation. It could have been very interesting.

The scene when the townspeople are walking through the town with their torches and pitchforks to find the wolf reminded me of the scene in Disney's Beauty and the Beast when the towns folk are going to "kill the beast." I'm sure that was the whole point of the scene. But, please, torches and pitchforks? In modern day Maine? Funny.

How does Red/Ruby change back from being the wolf fully clothed? I know this is a family show, but that's a bit unrealistic.

I liked the scene between David and the wolf. I thought it was well done.

I wonder what Red said to Granny when she saw her again after finding out that Granny lied about her mother. There's another scene that would be interesting to see.

When Ruby tells David that she wants to run, she goes off and changes into the wolf. Two things about this. 1) Once you have control over the wolf, I guess Ruby can turn into the wolf at will, even in the day (but can she do it when it's not a full moon?), and 2) she ran pretty fast, because as soon as she was out the door, she howled, and it sounded pretty far way.

I'm sad to say that the reason this episode seemed so melodramatic was Meghan Ory's acting. I really like the actress most of the time, and they may have been hard scenes to play, but they just seemed overly dramatic to me.

So, the ending with Aurora was good. I guess she finally has a purpose in this season - to help them get back to Storybrooke. Now, if only Mulan had a reason to be there...

And finally... My friend, Megan, was right. Henry and Aurora were seeing each other in their nightmares. Good guessing, Megan!

Quotes:

Leroy: Just 'cause it's called Happy Hour, Happy, don't mean you have to be there.

David: What the hell is this?
Ruby: We're making a cage. Do you know anybody who might want 30 frozen lasagnas?
David: I'm sorry, what?
Granny: I know. No one would believe it if you told them my lasagna was frozen.

David: Who do you call to tow a tow truck?

Mr. Gold (to Regina): It's remarkable you cast a curse you know so little about.

Mr. Gold: Once one controls something, one no longer need fear it.

Ruby: I don't need to be protected from other people, David. Other people need to be protected from me.

Anita: Humans want to believe we're the monsters. The moment you believe them, that's when you become one.

Anita: The only way you will control the wolf is by accepting it as a part of you.
Red: You can teach me to do that?
Anita: Indeed I can.

Belle (to Granny): You have wolf hearing?
Granny: It's not all it's cracked up to be, especially when you run a hotel.

Red: I found my mother.
Snow: But, I thought --
Red: Granny lied.

Belle: I'm sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation.
(Side note: I don't get that line. Is it because she was locked up for 28 years? Because that just makes her an expert in being a prisoner. Is it because she tried to rehabilitate Rumpel? Because that didn't work.)

Anita: You chose her.
Red: No, I chose me. I'm not a killer.

David: It was Spencer who killed Billy, not you. Don't let him trick you into thinking you're a monster.(Ruby/wolf growls) All right. Poor choice of words.

Ruby: You saved me.
David: No. You saved yourself. I just reminded you of what you already knew.

Ruby: You think you can hide from a wolf?
Spencer: I wasn't trying to hide.
David: You killed a man.
Spencer: He was a mouse.
(Side note: I wonder how Spencer knew Billy was Gus-Gus. Ruby didn't know that Billy was Gus. Would Billy have told Spencer for some reason? Often in this show if one person knows it (well, if the audience knows it), then every character knows it. That is not realistic).

Ruby (to David): I know you'll never give up until you do.
(Side note: If you take this sentence all by it self it sounds like she's saying "you'll never give up until you give up." That is all.)

Ruby: You helped me regain control. I want to do something I haven't done in a very long time.
David: What's that?
Ruby: Run.

Stage Review: The Addams Family

I recently saw the touring production of The Addams Family. The talent on stage was very good, but the book was excruciatingly bad, but perhaps that’s supposed to be a compliment for the family called Addams.

The plot is a little like “You Can’t Take it With You.” A grownup Wednesday has met a nice, normal boy, Lucas, and they want to get married. Wednesday has invited Lucas and his parents to the Addams home for dinner. She begs everyone in her family to try to act “normal.” One of the best lines in the show was from Grandma, who says, “Define normal.”

Judging from the opening number, “When You’re an Addams,” which included the entire family (except Cousin It and Thing, although they did have small cameos in the show), and a handful of Addams ancestors, I thought that the musical would be a fun, nostalgic romp into the world of the Addams family. I was wrong. The song introduced the family well and the choreography was good, but the book just didn't live up to the opening number.

I liked Wednesday’s first number, “Pulled,” as she sings how Lucas is pulling her in a “new a direction,” and she likes it. She suddenly has a sunny disposition, and bunny rabbits make her want to cry. She's even thinking of going to DisneyWorld - twice, and listening to Liberace's greatest hits. This definitely is not the Wednesday we all know. Although, she sings the songs as she tortures her little brother, Pugsley, who of course, enjoys it.

Each actor fit their character well. The only character who didn't look exactly as they were in TV series was Wednesday. She is now eighteen and no longer has her hair in braids, but a short bob.

Gomez was played by Douglas Sills, a Broadway performer whom I was first introduced to through the original cast album of The Scarlet Pimpernel. He was the perfect Percy/Pimpernel, and I fell in love with his voice. Sills was great as Gomez, and I’m glad we saw him, and not Nathan Lane, who originated the role in the Broadway musical. Doug’s voice was much better, and he’s much more attractive than Nathan Lane. He is a light in a musical that isn't very bright. It was also nice to see the sweet relationship between Gomez and Wednesday.

Blake Hammond was great as Uncle Fester. However, his solo, “The Moon and Me,” was puzzling to me. It felt like the song was just thrown in there to give him a solo number in the show. The staging was very strange, and made absolutely no sense.

Pugsley’s (Patrick D. Kennedy) singing voice was very good. His solo “What If” was very impressive for a kid. His acting was so-so, but that’s not surprising for younger actors.

One of the highlights of the show was Tom Corbeil as Lurch. He was perfect in the role. I don’t know how tall he actually was, but he was heads above everyone else. He didn't do much talking (that you could understand anyway), and he didn't sing until the end, but when he finally did sing, you could understand why, according to his bio, he’s been in many operas.

The ensemble was great. They played the Addams ancestors, so even though their costumes were from different eras and cultures, they were all white. It was a great look, especially when they were all dancing together.

The costumes were spot-on. The only complaint I had was that Morticia’s dress was cut so low that it left nothing to the imagination. I don’t remember Carolyn Jones’s dress looking anything like that in the TV series. I’m sure Angelica Huston’s dress wasn't even that low in the film (I've never seen it). The dress was more Elvira-like than Moriticia.

When Morticia requests that after dinner the family and guests play “the game,” and Wednesday protests because she just wants a “normal” dinner, I expected something scary or gruesome. After all, this is the Addams family. Well, the “game” was a quite a disappointment. It was as far from “Addamsy” as you can get.

The set was wonderful. The way in which the curtain was used was very clever. Sometimes it would be lifted on just one side of the stage for a scene, and it made the scenes feel a little more intimate. The rest of the sets were simple, but were great visually, from the graveyard to the inside of the Addams home.

The final number was disappointing, especially when the opening number was so fun. I wanted the end of the show to be upbeat and fun too, but it wasn't  The show is supposed to be funny, and the final number was so serious.

Sometimes the book of a musical is rewritten for touring productions if the show didn't receive great reviews on Broadway. I believe the book for The Addams Family was reworked prior to the tour, but I think it needs more rewriting; it could really be a fun show. Oh, and they could also make a costume change for Morticia.

Stage Review: Forbidden Broadway

In a past post I wrote about Forbidden Broadway coming back to Off-Broadway after being away for a few years. I was excited about it returning because I saw the show in 2005 in New York City. I was looking forward to going to New York to see the latest incarnation, spoofing the current shows on Broadway. Well, I didn't have to go to New York to see Forbidden Broadway again. I just had to go to Park City, Utah.

I was hoping to see the latest version of the show, but instead it was a "best of" version. I was okay with that, because it was still hilarious, but I was a bit disappointed not to be able to see how they would spoof Spider Man: Turn off the Dark, Newsies, and Ghost. Well, I guess I'll have to go to New York after all. Darn. *wink*

Some of the shows they did spoof were: Chicago, Annie, Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys, Mary Poppins, The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Mamma Mia, and Wicked.

• Chicago
• Give 'em the old spread your fingers. Wear a bowler hat.
• Annie
• "I'm 40 years old Tomorrow and I haven't worked since I played Annie, when I was 10." 
• Jersey Boys
• "Walk like a man, sing like a girl" 
• Mary Poppins
• "Supercalifictionalnonsensicalverbosis"
• Beauty and the Beast
• "Show as old as time. Worn as it can be. Oversized and grand then someone is canned unexpectedly. Juts a little change says the Disney beast. Profits growing thin, downsizing is in. Beauty's been decreased."
• Les Miserables
• "At the end of the play we're another year older, and we're often exhausted from playing the poor." 
• The Lion King
• "Theme park shows, they keep gaining ground in the circle of mice. Disney's all around, and you'll pay the price and you'll be spellbound. Puppet shows replace what we once called content, in the circle of mice" 
• "Can you feel the pain tonight? The strain the headdress bring. The cracking bones, the tearing cartilage can kill all living things. And if you feel the pain tonight let me carry you to be wed at my chiropractor who works for Disney too" 
• Mamma Mia
• "There's a show in New York with a literate book. Complex musical look and a classical look. On the West End it looked ridiculous. Here in New York it's meticulous, deep and smart, and equivalent to high art. Mamma Mia, next to current trash seems as Kiss Me Kate was.
• "Shows of rap and rock don't last long. Everyone loves an Abba song. One's as good as another. Anyone will do. Get in your Bee Gees stance. Disco queen. We're high art if you're seventeen." 

They also spoofed Broadway actors such as Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Sarah Brightman, and Robert Goulet. The actor who did the imitation of Mandy Patinkin was so spot-on. He sang "Somewhat Overindulgent" to the tune of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and I couldn't stop laughing throughout the entire song.

Forbidden Broadway is a great way to spend an evening if you love musical theatre. And even if you don't, you're sure to find something in it to smile about.

Grimm: To Protect and Serve Man

I liked how this episode showed that because of his new found knowledge of the Wesen world, Hank is able to bring new evidence to light on a case he worked on seven years ago. Hank helped put Craig Ferrin on death row seven years ago, and he's about to be executed. Hank wants to find out if Ferrin was telling the truth that the men he shot were really "monsters."

Observations:

I liked Hank's facial hair from seven years ago better than his facial hair today. I think you need to go retro, Hank.

Why does Hank wear his badge around his neck, but Nick doesn't?

Renard is falling apart and Juliette is getting more and more confused. I'm so glad that this plot is moving forward, because I want it to be resolved. I'm getting a bit weary of it. Tell us who Juliette is going to end up with already.

It's lucky that Craig knew how to draw and drew pictures of the monsters.

The Grimms documented the worst traits of the Wesen species. Not all are still practicing the "traditions" of their fathers. Case in point: Monroe. So, Nick needs to be careful that he doesn't think each individual is exactly the same as in the books.

How did Nick's ancestors know the names of all these Wesen? Did they stop to ask them the name of their species before they tried to kill them?

It's interesting to see how many Wesen there are in the prison.

I wonder what the officer who is in the room with Hank and Nick in the prison when they talk to Ferrin is thinking when the three start talking about Wendigos.

It's a good sign that Juliette doesn't want to see Renard anymore even though she is attracted to him. It means she does want things to work with Nick.

Ew, he's cooking a foot! And he has classical music playing in the background. He's a cultured cannibal. *wink*

I love Monroe's answer to Renard, "I'll do my very best to get you deobsessified." He makes up words just like I do.

Why do people think that just by wearing sunglasses you will be unrecognizable?

Wouldn't they have had to dig a foundation for the store that was built where the brothers' old house was? Wouldn't they have found the bodies then?

This was a very suspenseful episode toward the end. Hank searching for the Wendigo, and Ferrin on his way to be executed. Well done.

And... Monroe now knows about Juliette and Renard. So, we know Juliette has to tell Nick what's going on. And the plot thickens, so they say.

Quotes:

Juliette: Don't get me wrong, I like Nick a lot.
Elisha: But... you don't love him.
Juliette: I don't know if I love him. It just feels like I just met him.
Elisha: Well, what's wrong with that! I wish I could remeet my husband again.

Hank: This could just be a wild goose chase. Nick: Not a goose, wild or otherwise. A Wendigo.

Hank (to Ferrin): This is my partner, Nick Burkhardt. He specializes in... unusual cases.

Renard (on the phone with Juliette): Look, I don't know how this is for you, but for me it's just getting a lot worse. So I've been thinking about possible solutions.
Juliette: No, the solution is simple. We never see each other ever again.
Renard: Yea, I'm not so sure that's going to work.
Juliette: Yea, me neither.

Hank: I'm sorry I dragged you into this.
Nick: You didn't, my family did.
Hank: Well, as long as you got someone else to blame, let's do this.

Hank: So, what aren't we doing?
Nick: Sleeping.

Juliette: How does one specific part of your memory just vanish?

Renard: How long is this going to take?
Monroe: Well, um, I have to asses the situation and I'm guessing half an hour for that. And then, based on what I find out, and also based on my consultation with my, you know, professional colleagues, I'll hopefully formulate some kind of a treatment.

Monroe: These compulsive, romantic entanglements can be highly combustible, bordering on, like, the nuclear.

Arrow: Damaged

In the present, Oliver has been arrested as a suspect in the Hood's vigilante killings, but he has a plan. And in a flashback on the island, Oliver gets caught by other island dwellers who aren't as nice as the man in the hood. And we find out where Oliver got those scars. Oh, and there's also a big party. Good times.

Observations:

In the flashback Oliver gets his first archery lesson. He's not good. And he has to fetch his arrows. That will give him the motivation to get better. Especially when he gets caught and tortured by bad men on the island.

I love how Laurel tells the judge that Oliver is willing to submit to home confinement and electronic monitoring with asking Oliver. She wants him to know that if she takes him on as a client that she will be in charge. Go Laurel.

I didn't know that Laurel's first name was Dinah. It's interesting to have a female character who goes by her middle name instead of her first. That happens often in real life, but not done so much in TV or movies.

I'm still waiting for an episode where no one mentions Sarah's death.

I like Detective Lance. He's trying to do what's right, and deal with his daughter's death, his other daughter's betrayal (in his eyes), and with his wife's abandonment. I'd like to see something good happen to him for once.

So, now we know that Oliver wanted to get arrested as part of a plan to throw suspicion off of him. Get that out of the way early in the season and you don't have to worry about it so much in future episodes.

I love it when Dig gets a load of Oliver's "toys." He's like a kid in a candy shop (excuse the overused expression).

That yacht is awfully big for it to be moved unnoticed. I guess Moira had it moved to that warehouse in the dead of the night.

Katie Cassidy's (Laurel) acting at the police station with Detective Lance, the prosecuting attorney, and Oliver was a little strange. I wonder if it was because of her own acting choices or the direction.

I think that Stephen Amell does a good job distinguishing the present Oliver and the island Oliver, however, I do think his acting is better in the scenes on the island. When he's playing Oliver in the present, he has a tendency to stilt his speech, and think too long before he speaks. Again, I don't know if it's an acting choice or the direction, but most people don't stop and think before they speak, they just speak. A director of a play I was in once said, "I don't want to watch you thinking. You're thinking when you're talking." That is so true.

I liked the scene between Oliver and Thea in this episode. She's worried about Oliver, and not being such a brat. I like seeing this Thea. I hope we see more.

Oliver gave himself the best alibi by having hundreds of drunk twenty-somethings at his house for a party. *wink*

I wonder if the number on Oliver's shirt that he wears to the party has any significance.

It's interesting that Oliver had never asked Laurel anything about her mother since he's gotten back. If he didn't know her mother left, then he would have thought she was still around, and would probably ask how she was doing. Strange that the fact she left her and Detective Lance five years ago never came up until now.

Go Dig! And he didn't he have to shoot any arrows. Or, perhaps the Hood's reputation precedes him.

It's interesting that Moira tells Detective Lance to get out of her house like that after he saved Oliver's life. It's similar to the time Oliver saved Laurel's life and Detective Lance told Oliver to stay away from his daughter. There are just no grateful parents - only angry ones. At least Oliver thanked Detective Lance.

Why is Moira so protective of her family now, when she allowed her son and husband to go down with the yacht she had sabotaged? I understand that she may have wanted her husband dead, but Oliver? Is it possible she didn't know that Oliver and Sarah would be on the yacht?

I don't know how smart it was of Moira to threaten the well-dressed man (the wonderful John Barrowman!). He could just have her killed. Then the threat is useless. Unless Moira has more power than the well-dressed man. Hmm.

Dig does a good job telling Oliver how he feels, so hopefully there will be fewer voice-overs. And Oliver can tell Dig everything he was telling us in voice-overs. That would be good.

What happened to Tommy in this episode? He was there for one scene. I like Tommy. I want to see more of him.

Quotes:

Oliver (in another annoying voice-over): The police think they know who I am. They think I'm the vigilante, the man in the hood, terrorizing the city's criminals. They also think they have me trapped, that I have no way out. They're only half right.
Side note: I think they're 90% right. *wink*

Oliver: This is a mistake.
Detective Lance: I'll be asking you a few questions, status and stuff for the report. Have you been arrested before? It's okay, I know the answer to that one - plenty of times.

Laurel: There's no way that you're this vigilante.
Oliver: I agree.
Laurel: Because he's actually trying to make a difference. We both know that's really not your style.

Oliver: I want you to know that I'm not worried about any of this.
Moira: Well, that makes one of us.

Detective Lance: He only asked you to be his lawyer to get at me.
Laurel: No, he asked me to to be is lawyer to get through to you.

Diggle: How am I supposed to track him?
Oliver: Well, you know us billionaire vigilantes, we do love our toys.

Oliver: I'm not crazy.
Detective Lance: Finally, something we agree on. He's not a nut, he's a killing machine.

Oliver (to Thea): I'm sorta happy I didn't buy you the shot glass with the panda on it, 'cause then you'd be worried I was Panda Man.

Diggle: You may have gotten used to lying to everyone else in your life, but I'm the one guy you don't lie to.

Laurel: Do you think you can tear yourself away from this inappropriately themed rave for a couple of minutes?

Moira (to the well-dressed man): I've been the good soldier. I've done everything you asked. But if any member of family so much as gets a paper cut, I will burn your entire world to ashes.

Oliver: Leo Mueller. You have failed this city.
Side note: Please let that be the last time we hear that phrase. *wink*

Firefly: Things You May Not Know about the Series

Prior to the Firefly 10th Anniversary panel at Comic-Con in July 2012, five members of the cast, Nathan Fillion (Captain Mal Reynolds), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Sean Maher (Simon), and Summer Glau (River) met "behind closed doors" to discuss the TV series along with executive producer/writer, Tim Minear, and writer, Jose Molina.

The event was broadcast on the Science channel on Sunday. There were also interviews with Morena Baccarin (Inara), Gina Torres (Zoe), and Jewel Staite (Kaylee). It was great to listen to insider stories of the making of the series, how each of them felt about hearing the show was canceled, the filming of the movie, and where the characters would have gone had the series lived on for more than one season.

Interesting Facts:

Nathan and Summer auditioned the same day. Summer asked Nathan how his audition went, and he said, "It went really well, but don't worry, I don't think we're going up for the role."

Joss Whedon, the creator of Firefly, originally pictured Captain Malcolm Reynolds older than Nathan Fillion was at the time - older and more worn. Regarding that fact, Tim Minear said to Nathan that Joss imagined someone, "maybe a little younger than you are now." But Nathan "nailed" the audition.

The pilot was meant to introduce the 'verse (what the Firefly universe is lovingly called), set up the premise of all the complicated character arcs, and ease the audience into the show.

While developing Firefly, the creators/writers wanted to do everything from John Ford to spaghetti westerns, anything that encompassed the genre.

Adam Baldwin decided to go over the top with the character of Jayne and just see where it went. Nathan asked him, "are you going to do it that way?" and Joss said, "that's pretty cool."

One of Jewel Staite's favorite scenes in the whole show was in the pilot when Kaylee is being operated on and Jayne's watching from the window.

On one of Alan Tudyk's first days on set he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and Joss was wearing the exact same shirt. Alan thought, "that's my character right there."

Joss hand picked every cast member. It was Morena Baccarin's first TV series, and she thought that every series was like that.

They made that great two hour pilot introducing the 'verse and the characters, and Fox didn't think it was exciting enough. They thought it was too dark. They wanted it lighter and funnier, with more action and adventure. So, the writers wrote the second episode over a weekend. That was the first episode that aired, "The Train Job."

One of Alan's favorite scenes was in "Out of Gas." He and Nathan were given the script an hour before shooting and it had a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo. The frustration spilled over into their performances, and where they would have spoken calmly to each other, they ended up yelling their lines.

Wash (yelling): Well, maybe I should do that then.

Mal: (yelling): Maybe you should.

Jose Molina (one of the writers) enjoyed trying to figure out what River (Summer Glau) was suffering from. Summer didn't know much of her back story, so she had to make it up in her head in order to give the performances she needed to.

Joss made sure to let everyone know that the show wasn't named after any one character, and that everyone was expendable. So, Adam knew that he had to make Jayne "lovable quick."

Jose's favorite scenes were between Kaylee and Mal.

Later episodes reflected the fact that the show was at "death's door." "Out of Gas" especially reflected the fact. As they were preparing to write the episode, Joss and Tim were at dinner and Joss said, "can we start it with Mal shot?" And then they asked how did it happen? That's how that episode came about.

After Joss announced that the show was canceled, Nathan thought that going back to work the next day would be the worst, that everyone would be down and sluggish. But it was the complete opposite. Everyone was going to make the most of it. "It was joyous."

The scene where everyone is sitting around the table telling stories about the dead man and laughing in "The Message," was shot the day after they had been canceled. They were having an "Irish wake," mourning the loss of the show. Not only was the composer writing the music for the funeral scene in the episode, he was writing music that reflected how everyone felt about the cancelation of the show itself.

They noticed the fans early on, but the fans ("Browncoats," as the called themselves) kept growing after the show was off the air.

Joss wanted to get the show back on.

Alan gave the button from "Out of Gas" to Joss and said, "When your miracle gets here, we'll all come."

Universal supported the film because they saw the support of the fans.

Alan went to a convention in London after the movie came out. He gave his head shot to a fan and wrote, "I am a leaf on the wind," and the girl started sobbing and asked, "How could you write this on my picture!" She was very upset.

The writers had mapped out where each character would go. However, the actors didn't know where their characters would go. Although, Joss did tell Morena Baccarin Inara's secret. They revealed  Inara's secret on this show. I won't spoil it for you here, so if you want to find out what it is, watch the show (it airs again on the Science Channel tonight, Nov 14, and Friday, Nov 16, early morning) or you can give me your email address and I'll email it to you.

Adam gave his idea of where Jayne would go. He said that he would get his own ship, compete with Mal, fail miserably, and have to return - humbled.

Summer said that River was "gunning for Wash's job."

Alan said that Zoe and Wash were going to have a baby and Wash wouldn't let Zoe go out on any more jobs.

Sean said that Simon and Kaylee would have a kid too and that there would be a Firefly daycare.

Nathan said that Mal would become more crotchety and bitter.

Quotes from the Private Gathering:

Jeff Jensen (moderator): It's been 10 years since the birth of Firefly.
Tim Minear: And death.

Jeff: The show should have gone away, but somehow it didn't.

Sean Maher: I always say, it was sort of the chemistry between all of us. Well, not Nathan.

Summer Glau: I thought Nathan was so handsome when I first met him.
Nathan Fillion: It's true. He is.
Adam Baldwin: That's just what she thought.
Alan Tudyk: That's when she first met him. What's happened since then?
Nathan: I wear on people.

Adam: I could dive in and chew as much furniture as I could.

Nathan: What can be a very stressful situation [the low ratings], it actually ended up being a unifying force.

Adam: We all knew that, ah shoot we're on the chopping block from the get-go... so we really need to make the best show we can because we don't know how long we're going to be around.

Jewel Staite: What I love the most is Kaylee's faith in Mal, and her trust in him. She will do anything for that guy.

Nathan: The reason that Captain Malcolm keeps these people so close is because they all are an aspect of himself that he's lost.

Morena Baccarin: It's kind of a genius concept that, you know, you have people that want to be isolated, and they're in space where you couldn't possibly get more isolated, and they find a family with each other.

Adam: Merry Christmas. You're canceled.

Jewel: I've been in lots of shows that have been canceled, and that's it, you know, you're done. And Joss was like, "nope, nope, nope. I'm going to find a place for us. And even if we're doing puppet theater in Sherman Oaks, that's what we're going to do."

Gina Torres: I thought, no... that's never been done. It's never been done. Nobody makes a feature film out of a failed television show. That's just not done.

Jewel: I was shocked when we found out about the movie, and it was just such a weird, giddy vibe in the room to hear the characters come back.

Nathan: I couldn't believe we got it back... It was two weeks into filming when I realized we're gonna do this.

Gina: If I were a betting woman, I would have lost serious money. See, never bet against Joss. Just note to self, never bet against Joss Whedon.

Gina: There's nothing like a sci-fi fan. Like warm honey... poured all over you.

Tim: Do you know what it means? It means we weren't wrong. The fans are the proof of it.

Gina: I like to believe that there's a wiry-haired redhead boy with freckles and that Jayne babysits and that he and I have arguments about who's going to teach him about guns.

Jeff: What are the chances there might be more Firefly?... Television, movies? Is that something that could happen?
Tim: I say never say never.

Nathan: My first Comic-Con was because of Firefly 10 years ago... and here we are, 10 years later and it's not dead. It's not dying.

Quotes from the Comic-Con Panel:

Joss Whedon: We always knew from the very beginning that everything we were doing we were doing for the right reasons, in the right way, with the right people. That we were making something that was more than the sum of its parts. That we had the best cast I will ever work with. The best writing team... I just wanted to make something real that felt like a piece of history. I wanted to buck the system that all science fiction is lit with purple lights. I wanted to tell an American immigrant story. I wanted to tell a western story. But I need spaceships or I get cranky.

Nathan: If I can get through this without crying it will look much cooler.

Nathan: No one would give me a chance to be anything other than #5 guy, the lead girl's ex, the other dude who doesn't come in until later and then he leave pretty early. No one would give me a chance, and Joss Whedon was the guy who gave me the best character I've ever played. The best words that have ever come out of my mouth.

Joss: There was no reality where I would not get these people back together.

Nathan: The worst thing that could have happened is if it had stayed dead. That it died is okay. That you guys are here...

Joss (to the fans): The way in which you guys have inhabited this world, this universe, has made you part of it, part of the story. You are living in Firefly. When I see you guys, I don't think the show is off the air. I don't think there's a show. I think that's what the world is like. I think there's spaceships. I think there's horses. I think it's going on in all of us. The story is alive.

Castle: The Final Frontier

I don't usually write posts on Castle, even though I watch it every week. However, "The Final Frontier" was such a great episode, that I just had to talk about my favorite parts.This was a wonderfully fun tribute to classic Sci Fi TV series. There is a murder at SuperNovaCon, a Sci Fi convention, which makes Castle giddy. I love watching Rick when he gets excited about geeky things like Sci Fi. And this time, we see a geeky side to Kate too. Classic.

I loved how the episode highlights the fact that there are so many shows that are cheesy, melodramatic, poorly written, and poorly acted, and still people like them. Everyone has their guilty pleasure. People may make fun of those fans for liking the shows, but there are reasons we like some bad shows and movies, and we can't help what we like.

Observations:

The opening of the episode is great with a Nebula-9 fan experience at the Sci Fi convention. It's so cheesy and geeky and so Sci Fi-ish. (I just made up a new word, and I like it.)

I love that the Captain of the ship in the Nebula-9 TV series was named Renard. Max Renard. There's another Captain Renard in another series I love. Hmm what show could that be? *wink*

Rick thinks that the SuperNovaCon is a genius place to commit a murder because you can "don a costume, strike down your intended victim, and melt away into the crowd, unseen."

I love it when Kate and Rick are with the coroner, Perlmutter, and Kate asks, "So, what caused the wound?" There is music that says, "wait for it, this answer is crazy," there is a pause, and the coroner says, "No clue." Such a great example of good writing and good directing.

I loved how they make fun of bad actors who think they're so great. Actors who think they're actually the character they play, and are so dramatic in real life. It's like the life of the character is so much better than their own life, so they live the life that is more exciting.

Great moment when Winters talks about Nebula-9 being canceled unjustly and he looks at Kate, and she blushes. And then it's so great when she realizes that he's just a crazy actor - nothing like the Captain he played on the show. Or, that he's actually crazy because he's acting like he is Captain Renard.

I loved the scenes of Ryan and Esposito interviewing SuperNovaCon attendees. Sci Fi fans are so geeky. Note: Yes, I like some Sci Fi shows. And no, I've never attended a Sci Fi convention.

The episode was directed by Jonathan Frakes! Okay, time for Star Trek, The Next Generation fans to geek out.

I loved watching Kate's embarrassment when the Stephanie Frye (by the way, the last name of the character Kaylee on Firefly is Frye), the actress who played Lt. Chloe, Kate's heroine on Nebula-9, says she is embarrassed she was ever on Nebula-9 because now she's finally being "taken serious" as an actress. It's true that some actors never can move past an iconic role they play. Nathan Fillion is one of the lucky actors. Fans of Firefly (like me) will always love him as Mal Reynolds, but it's great that he's found a new fan base from the different role he plays in Castle. 

A young, handsome Nathan Fillion as Mal Reynolds

It's funny to watch Winters looking at himself and preening in the two-way mirror. Ah, actors. Gotta love 'em.

Actor who plays Benjamin Donnelly, the man who made the laser blaster is none other than... wait for it... Armin Shimerman! Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Principal Snyder from Buffy the Vampire Slayer! It's great just to hear his voice. It's so - well, Quark. He is a "purveyor of Sci Fi hardware for the discriminating enthusiast." And his t-shirt says, "Han Shot First." So many geeky surprises!

John Bobek, who plays Davis, reminded me of Alan Tudyk, who played Wash on Firefly. I wonder if that's why he was cast in this episode. And he's not a bad actor, that probably helped too. *wink* Watching this episode made me want to watch Firefly again. Watch for possible future posts on Firefly episodes, with lots of quotes. *wink*

I loved that there was a scene like an Agatha Christie novel where they plan to reveal the murderer. And it's on the replica of the bridge of Nebula-9. Cool.

The last scene is hilarious. And then the final shot - great!

All-in-all, I think this is one of my favorite Castle episodes. It was just fun to watch from start to finish.

Quotes:

Crew member of Nebula-9: If we don't warp in time, all humanity will be lost.
Captain Max Renard: If we don't wait for Lieutenant Chloe, our humanity will be lost.

Older Male Fan (after Castle signs his book): Thanks, I'm your #1 fan.
Rick: Thanks for coming. (fan leaves) How far they fall.

Kate: Cap your pen, Castle. There's been a murder here.
Rick: Here at SuperNovaCon?
Kate: Mm hm.
Rick: Shiny!
Side note: Another great reference to Firefly.

Rick: So, who is our victim? Did Doc Ock finally catch up to Spider Man?

Rick: I'm a fan of good Sci Fi. Star Trek, Battlestar, that Joss Whedon show.

Rick: Okay, this is a cool ship. The show's still lame, but this is a cool ship.

Ryan: (re: Gabriel Walters) I tried to talk to him, but he said he needed a minute to muse upon the fragile nature of human life.
Kate: Well, his minute is up.

Winters: I'm devastated. Ravaged by sorrow. I'm reminded of when 1st Office Tate was sucked into that worm hole in episode 6.
Rick: Except in this case, someone actually died.
Winters: Yea.

Winters: Last time I saw Annabel she was alone on the bridge, and may fortune guide her journey.

Rick: I think if you like Nebula-9, you're crazy enough to kill.

Kate: Perlmutter.
Perlmutter: Detective Beckett.
Rick: Permutter.
Permutter: And non-Detective Castle.

Rick: A real Sci Fi murder at a Sci Fi convention. This keeps getting better.

Rick: Let's go back to the emails of the crazed fans, and when I say "crazed fans," I'm not referring to you. You are a mega-fan.
Kate: That's fine coming from the guy with a life-sized Boba Fett in his bathroom.
Rick: Point taken.

Ryan (to fan dressed in a "wookie-like" costume): Did you see her or not?
Other Fan (dressed in a crustacean-like costume): He only speaks Mercitonian.
Ryan: Maybe you could translate or me.
Fan: I'm not really that fluent.
Ryan: Next.

Ryan: Let me begin by asking if you speak English or not.
Fan: Obvi.

Rick: Zap, said the lady. You are so busted.

Kate: Have tech look at the gun. Find out where it came from.
Esposito: As you wish.

Kate: Goes to show, some people aren't who they appear to be.

Kate: Here's what I think. Annabel got tired of your drunk carousing, and fired you from the only job that you had. So you killed her.
Winters: None of that is true. Except maybe the carousing part.

Winters: I am the face of Nebula-9. I'm the reason all those lunatics line up for days outside the convention.
Rick: Yes, well perhaps now they'll line up in front of Sing Sing.

Rick: Perhaps we should have heeded that very wise sign.

Donnelly: Raise your hands. Prepare to die.

Donnelly: So, what can I interest you in? A Klingon bat'leth, perhaps? Cylon laser pistol? Double-bladed light saber?
Rick: You have a double-bladed light saber?

Donnelly: Thorean blasters don't kill. People do.

Rick: Yes, that is an amazing piece of weaponry. (Kate looks at him) That I never want to fire again.

Kate: You were right, Castle. That costume allowed our killer to strike unseen.

Winters: Overacting much?
Stephanie: Shut up, Gabriel.

Winters: Am I the only person who find this eerily familiar?

Rick: May I? "And may fortune guide your journey."

Rick: Such is the power of fantasy.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 2, ep. 4, Quippy Quotes

"Inca Mummy Girl" was inspired by a real mummy discovered in Peru in 1995. I love that a show about the supernatural had episodes inspired by true events. I also love how the show uses typical High School events and bases supernatural plots around them. The main characters are High School students, and they go to school. They have normal teenage problems and feelings, but they also have this added layer where they are fighting the supernatural.

Xander has such bad luck with girls, and he's unfortunate to fall for an Inca mummy. At least this time the feeling was mutual, and it wasn't her intention to kill him.

This episode introduced two characters that we will see much more of in coming episodes and seasons: Oz and Jonathan.

Quotes:

Buffy: Have you ever done an exchange program?
Xander: My dad tried to sell me to some Armenians once. Does that count?

Xander: That's Rodney Munson. He's God's gift to the bell curve. What he lacks in smarts he makes up for in lack of smarts.
Willow: You just don't like him 'cause of that time he beat you up every day for five years.
Xander: Yea, I'm irrational that way.

Buffy: I don't always use violence, do I?
Xander: The important thing is... you believe that.

Xander: Typical museum trick. Promise human sacrifice, deliver old pots and pans.

Tour Guide: Five hundred years ago, the Incan people chose a beautiful teenage girl to become their princess.
Willow: I hope this story ends with "happily ever after."
Xander: No, I think it end with "and she became a scary, discolored, shriveled mummy."

Buffy (re: going to a dance): So, can I go?
Giles: I think not.
Buffy: How come?
Giles: Because you are the Chosen One.
Buffy: Just this one I'd like to be the Overlooked One.

Giles: You have responsibilities.
Buffy: Oh, I know this one. "Slaying entails certain sacrifices, blah, blah, bitty blah. I'm so stuffy, give me a scone."
Giles: It's as if you know me.

Buffy: One day, I'm going to live in a town where evil curses are just ruled out without even saying.

Willow: Giles, were the Incas very advanced?
Giles: Yes. Yes, very.
Willow: Did they have orthodontists?

Xander: Buffy, where are your priorities? Tracking down a mummy killer or making time with some Latin lover whose stock and trade is the breakage of hearts?

Buffy: Maybe he could translate the seal?
Xander: Oh yea. Fall for the old "let me translate that ancient seal for ya" come-on. Do you know how many times I've used that?

Xander: So, do we have to speak Spanish when we see him? 'Cause I don't know anything much besides "doritos" and "chihuahua."

Ampata: I am Ampata.
Xander: Ay caramba! I can also say that.

Willow: So, Ampata. You're a girl!
Ampata: Yes, for many years now.

Buffy: So, have you ever been to American before?
Ampata: Uh, I have toured.

Xander: Your English is very bueno.
Ampata: I listen much.
Xander: That works out well because I talk much.

Buffy: So, what's it like back home?
Ampata: Cramped and very dead.
Buffy: Well, you'll feel right at home in Sunnydale.

Cordelia: This whole student exchange thing has been a horrible nightmare. They don't even speak American.

Oz: I'm not picky. You're just impressed by any girl that can walk and talk.
Devon: She doesn't have to talk.

Willow: It's a celebration of cultures. There are lots of dress-up alternatives.
Xander: And a corresponding equal number of mocking alternatives, all aimed at me.
Willow: Bavarians are cool.
Xander: Okay, no shirts with ruffles, no hats with feathers, and definitely no lederhosen. They make my calves look fat.

Xander: And this (takes out a twinkie) is called a snack food.
Ampata: Snack food?
Xander: Yea, it's a delicious spongy, golden cake, stuffy with a delightful, creamy white substance of goodness. And here's how you eat it.
[Xander stuffs the whole twinkie in his mouth]
Ampata: Oh, but now I cannot try it.
Xander: That's why you bring two.
Ampata: Here goes.
[She takes a huge bite]
Xander: Good, huh? And the exciting part is they have no ingredients that a human can pronounce, so it doesn't leave you with a heavy "food feeling" in your stomach.

Ampata: You are strange.
Xander: Girls always tell me that... before they run away.
Ampata: I like it.
Xander: I like that you like it. Do not learn from my English.

Willow: Well, you know, I have a choice. I can spend my life waiting for Xander to go out with every other girl in the world until he notices me, or I can just get on with my life.
Buffy: Good for you.
Willow: Well, I didn't choose yet.

Ampata: You are not telling me everything.
Xander: You're right, Ampata. And it's time we do. We're not an archaeology club. We're in... (Giles coughs) we're in the crime club, which is like the chess club, only with crime and um... no chess.

Buffy: Hey! Look at us! We came up with a plan.
Giles: We'll meet there tonight after it closes.
Buffy: No! Bad plan. I have other plans. Dance plans. [pause] Cancel plans.

Ampata: Can I tell you a secret? I like you too.
Xander: Really?
Ampata: Really.
Xander: That's great. Really?
Ampata: Really.
Xander: That's great! You're not a preying mantis, are you? Sorry, someone else.

Xander: I have come for the dance.
Buffy: And what culture are you?
Xander: I am from the country of Leone. It's in Italy, pretending to be Montana. Where are you from, the country of white trash?
Buffy: Mm, new lineup.

Ampata: Hello, Xander.
Xander: (babbles)
Buffy: I can translate American salivating boy-talk. He says you're beautiful.
Xander: (babbles)
Buffy: You're welcome.

Cordelia (to Willow, who is dressed like an Eskimo): Ooh! Near faux pas. I almost wore the same thing.

Ampata: I love your costume. It's very authentic.
Willow: Thanks.
Xander: Yea, you look, um... snug.
Willow: That's what I was going for.

Buffy: What kind of girl travels with a mummified corpse, and doesn't even pack lipstick?

Buffy (in the car with Giles): Come on! Can't you put your foot down?
Giles: It is down.
Buffy: One of these days you're gonna have to get a grownup car.

Buffy: I'll get Xander before he gets smoochy with mummy dearest.

Xander: Have you seen Ampata?
[Willow shrugs]
Xander: What was that?
Willow: I shrugged.
Xander: Next time you should probably say, "shrug."
[Xander leaves]
Willow: Sigh.

Sven (to Cordelia's friend): I thought this exchange would be a great deal. But look what I got stuck with! "Momento." "Punchy fruity drink." Is Cordelia even from this country?"

Xander: Why did you leave?
Ampata: I do not deserve you.
Xander: What? You think you don't deserve me? (laughs) Man, I love you!

Xander: Hey, I know why you can't tell me. It's a secret, right? And if you told me, you'd have to kill me. (Ampata cries) Oh, that was a bad joke. And the delivery was off too. I'm sorry.

Buffy: I'll say one thing for you Incan mummies - you don't kiss and tell.

Ampata: You're not a normal girl.
Buffy: And you are?

Xander: I just, present company excluded, I have the worst taste in women of anyone in the world. Ever.