Woman in Gold

I want to see this movie.

Pic of the Week: Music is Divine

'Tis the Season

I Could Watch Clark Gregg Dance All Day

This is one of the best "behind the scenes" videos I've seen in a long time. I love Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," but I love Clark Gregg even more as "Clark Gregg, the dancer."

TV Review: 2014 Fall Season

It’s time to talk TV.

The new fall season is in full swing, and I have been pretty happy with most of the season premieres of my favorite shows so far. There's also one new show I really like, and another I'm not quite sure if I'll keep watching.

***Possible Spoilers***

Returning Favorites

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

The first four episodes of this series have been so good. So far, each episode has been better than the last. Agents had a really rocky first season, and I’m glad that it is getting a second season, because it’s becoming the show I’m sure Josh Whedon and his brother envisioned it could be. The show really needed S.H.I.E.L.D. to break up the way it did in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so the characters could go in new directions. It needed the shake-up. When the first season ended we didn't know what was going to happen to a few important characters. We didn't know the fate of Fitz. Was he going to live or die? We got the answer, and I’m so glad they didn't make it simple. Fitz and Simmons were mostly in the background last season, and what they've done to Fitz’s character is heartbreaking. And actor Iain De Caestecker has given his character such depth. The scene between him and Ward in the second episode was amazing. I'm also glad they're giving Simmons more of a major part in the agency.

I like the new characters who have joined 'the agency formally known as S.H.I.E.L.D.' I especially like Lance Hunter. I also like the fact that there are characters who didn't know Fitz before Ward tried to kill him and Simmons, and they aren't trying to coddle him. I feel that is helping Fitz recover quicker.

I'm curious to see what happens with Ward. Will he help his former associates, or will he stay true to Hydra now that Garrett is gone? Does he really love Skye, or is it just an act? Hmmm.

My verdict: Loving it

Arrow

I love Arrow. For someone who was never (and probably never will be) into comic books, I certainly love many TV series and movies adapted from comic books. Arrow is one of my favorite television series based on a comic book character. I was a bit put-off by Stephen Amell’s acting in the first season, but I now attribute that to Stephen showing how uncomfortable Oliver was when he came home after five years on a remote island (well, he wasn’t on the island the whole time, we’ve recently learned, so I guess I should say 'the five years away from his family and friends'). I don’t really notice Stephen’s acting now, which is a good thing. It means he’s settled into his character. There are so many characters I like in the show, and I like the direction they’re taking them. Except for Sara. I just have to say, why? I liked her so much, and they had to do that? I understand the purpose is to help further Laurel’s transition into the Black Canary, but I have to say it again, why?

I'm excited to see Thea again and find out what's going to happen with her story. I'm not quite sure why Malcolm Merlyn is still a villain now that he completed his goal of destroying The Glades. What does he want now? That's what I want to know.

My verdict: Loving it

The Big Bang Theory

I’m so on the fence with The Big Bang Theory. I think it can be very funny, but then it will throw in crude bits that really turn me off. I remember when I first started watching it, I thought that Sheldon was one of the best fully developed, quirky characters I had ever seen on television. I loved watching him to see how he would respond in different situations because his socially skills were so underdeveloped, and Jim Parsons portrays him so well. Now, after a full seven seasons, going into its eighth, it’s a bit annoying how little he’s changed. Yes, he has a girlfriend, but he doesn't have any idea of how a normal  relationship should be (although you could argue that there isn't really a "normal" relationship). I don’t feel he’s learned anything about how to treat people or how to associate normally in social situations after these many years, now I’m just annoyed by him.

I think it’s funny that Howard was the character who was hard to like before he married Bernadette, and now Bernadette is the one who’s hard to like. She can be so mean to people if things aren't going her way. Amy is another character who was funny to begin with, and now I find her absolutely annoying. I sometimes wonder if Mayim Bailik ever reads some of her lines and thinks, “I am a highly educated women with a Ph.D. just like Amy, so why are they portraying Amy this way?”

Verdict: It’s okay. I’ll keep watching if they continue to have scenes with geeky grammar discussions.

Castle

I have to confess that I watch Castle mainly because I like Nathan Fillion. The show is entertaining and I enjoy watching it, but to me it’s really Nathan, as Rick Castle, that makes this show so watchable. I enjoy the episodes most that show how geeky Rick is. I love that they could actually have an episode with an invisible man. That’s what makes it entertaining – that and Nathan Fillion.

Verdict: I’ll keep watching

Doctor Who

We’re more than half way through season 8, and so far I’ve liked most of the episodes. In fact I’ve been happier with the majority of this season’s episodes than I was with all of episodes during Matt Smith’s tenure. Although Matt Smith really grew on me, I didn't really like Stephen Moffat’s heavy-handed timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly stories, or his big mysterious story arcs.

I have liked the story lines of most of the episodes, although “Kill the Moon” got a little bit too “out there” for me. When the Doctor said that the moon was actually an egg I even groaned out loud.

I love Peter Capaldi as the Doctor; however, I really don’t like the personality the writers have given him. He’s supposed to be a more cantankerous Doctor, but I don’t like how they've made him mean, hard-hearted, and almost unfeeling toward everyone around him. I know it’s strange to like the character but not his personality, but a lot of it has to do with Peter’s wonderful acting.

This season still has a mysterious story arc threading through it, but we haven’t been hit over the head with it, and I’m actually excited to find out the answer to this one, instead of groaning every time a new question comes up and no answer is given.

I like Clara much better this season. She has more to do, and her character is being developed more, especially since they’ve added a boyfriend to the mix. There’s also another small mystery involving her and Danny that I’m looking forward to discovering the answer to. I guess another mystery is if Jenna Coleman, who plays Clara, will even be back for season nine.

Verdict: Happy with most of the episodes, happy with Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor, hope that the Doctor grows more likeable

Nashville

And the “soap opry” continues. I’m not sure if there’s one happy character on this show. Even Rayna and Luke, who are newly engaged, are not completely happy. There are so many plot lines in this show, and we see each character in each episode get more and more miserable. I know there’s a joke that there “ain’t nobody happy in a country song,” but I’m sure that isn't actually true about every person living in Nashville, specifically those who sing or write country music. Come on Nashville – let someone be happy about something! You may ask why I keep watching if that’s the way I feel about the show, and I’ll tell you – it’s all about the music. There have been a lot of good songs written specifically for Nashville, and I like good songs. That’s also how it was for me with Glee. That show has become ridiculous, but I kept watching through the second and third seasons because I liked the music. That’s not the case anymore with Glee. I just check out the music on iTunes now and buy what I like without watching the show. However, there are a few characters I really like on Nashville, and I will probably keep watching because of them. It would be nice if the writers gave some of them a little bit of happiness. Or maybe a lot of happiness. There’s only so much of watching miserable people that I can take.

Verdict: Watching because of the music, hoping for some joy to come into someone’s life

Once Upon a Time

I really was not looking forward to having the characters from Frozen on Once Upon a Time, especially since the writers said that they weren't going to make major changes to the characters like they have with every other fictional character that has shown up in Storybrooke, because they don’t want to offend or anger Frozen fans. It’s funny how the writers feel they can’t mess too much with these brand new beloved characters because they feel the audience won’t like it, but they feel they can mess completely with other beloved characters that have been around for more than 100 years (I’m specifically thinking about how they made Peter Pan a villain – hated that).

I want so much to like this series as much as I did the first season, but I think that ever since their original concept was resolved at the end of that first season they've been grasping at straws trying to keep the show going. I feel they must have been worried about what to do with the show when they decided to bring in characters from Frozen so they could get that fan base to watch it. One problem with having brought in these brand new characters is not everyone has seen Frozen (yes, shocking, I know *wink*), and there are some fans of Once Upon a Time who don't what he deal is with Christoph's relationship with Sven (the reindeer), or why the heck there are rock trolls. You can't just figure these things out from Once Upon a Time, you have to have some background from the movie.

The first few episodes have had sparks of light where I like where it's going, such as the romance between Emma and Hook (although I am one of the few who actually liked Neil and was not happy with his fate), but those sparks are few and far between. I do have to say though, I was afraid that they were going to make Regina evil again after what happened in the season finale in the spring, and I’m glad that they didn't go that route. I like Regina and I liked that she was changing. It would have been sad to see her regress.

The plot line of Regina wanting to find the author of the book so she can ask for a happy ending is an interesting idea, but it annoys me that they’re making these characters’ fates depend on some outside force. They should be responsible for their own actions and their own happiness. And I don’t think they've ever indicated that someone was writing the book to make them do what they do. I assumed that the book was written about what they’ve already done - a history of the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest. However, I could be wrong about that. I do recall August putting in new pages, but it’s been so long ago that I don’t even remember the specifics about it. I just hate that Regina is basically blaming someone else for her unhappiness instead of taking full responsibility for her own actions and accepting that not everyone gets what they want.

Verdict: The addition of the actual Snow Queen has made the Frozen plot line more interesting, so I’ll keep watching. I’m also curious to see who the next big bad will be in the second half of the season.

Reign

I don’t know how much longer I’ll be watching this series. I’ve been sticking with it primarily because it’s based on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots (oh, so very loosely based), and I love British history (well, in this case it’s Scottish history, Scotland wasn’t part of Great Britain then). But deep down it’s still just a CW series. They did actually put a bit of real history in one of the last episodes of the first season when they killed off Henry. King Henry II of France actually did die from injuries suffered in a jousting accident. But other than that, there is very little else in the series that is based on actual historical events. And, even though I'm glad that they got something historically correct, I'm sad that Henry's gone, because he was actually one of the most interesting characters, and now the stories have become quite bland. I have fast-forwarded through to the end of the last two episodes, which tells me I'm no longer really interested in the show. I was looking forward to the coronation of Francis, but even was boring. Not enough pomp and circumstance for me. 

Verdict: Up in the air about this one

Sleepy Hollow

I am loving this new season. Tom Mison is even more endearing than he was last season. I do wish he would change his clothes, but I understand that it really is part of his character. Clothes really do make the man. He wouldn't be Ichabod Crane running around in jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket (well, maybe the leather jacket would be good - *wink*). I like that every episode has a “villain of the week,” and that the threat of that villain is resolved by the end of the episode, but that the series still has the over-arcing theme involving the threat of the apocalypse hanging over their head.

All of the characters are interesting and well developed, and I loved that they even gave the headless horseman a character, as well as a face (in a fashion). I hope that this series continues for a long time. It’s so Buffy meets National Treasure meets Grimm. Definitely my kind of show.

Verdict: Loving it

Grimm

I’m still waiting for the season premiere of Grimm. This is one of my favorite TV series, and it’s hard to wait so long for the first episode of its fourth season. I’m looking forward to a great season.

New Series – Sticking with For Now

I started with a longer list of new shows to watch than I have in many years, but so far I've only remained interested in two.

The Flash

It shows a good actor when you see them in a series (or movie) and you really despise their character, and then you see them in something new and you adore them. Grant Gustin played a despicable snob in Glee, and did a good job making you dislike him. When I first saw him in Arrow last season, I just loved his character.

The pilot of The Flash was very fun. Most screen adaptation of comic books are dark and the superhero is brooding, but this series is more upbeat and lighthearted. I like that. I am very interested in the mystery that surrounds Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanaugh). I have my theory about him, but I won't reveal it here. I will tell you if I was right. I look forward to seeing Barry grow into his 'superheroness,' and hope that the season doesn't have a slump in the middle like Arrow did in its first season.

Verdict: Like it so far

Forever
Here’s the main reason I started watching this series:

Yes, that’s me with Ioan Gruffudd at a Fan Experience convention. You think that he’s good looking on screen? He is 10 times more handsome in person, he's incredibly nice, and he has a beautiful smile.

Now, about the series itself. Did I say that Ioan Gruffudd is good-looking? Sorry. I’ll get back to Forever. Ioan Gruffudd. *sigh* I just can’t seem to stay on topic. 

Okay, I will now get to my actual review of Forever. The show has an interesting premise, but at its heart it is really just another procedural drama, of which I'm not really a fan  (except, of course, in the case of Castle, Grimm, and Sleepy Hollow). Procedural dramas need to have a unique slant to them in order to hold my interest. (You know, “famous mystery writer works with a New York cop to solve real mysteries,” or “Portland cop just so happens to be a ‘Grimm’ and can see the true nature of fairytale-like creatures," or "Revolutionary war hero wakes from the dead over 200 years later, along with the Hessian soldier he beheaded, and he is one of the witness spoken of in the Bible who will stop the apocalypse."). So, unless the cases are really interesting, I’m not sure if the immortality concept (and Ioan Gruffudd) will be enough to keep me watching.

Oh, and there is one more thing I like about this series: Judd Hirsch. I just like him. That's all.

Verdict: On the fence

New Series – No Go:

I watched the pilot episodes of a few other new shows, but wasn’t impressed enough to continue with them. I’ve already posted how I feel about Selfie, and here is a summary of how I feel about the new series of which I've only watched one episode and have little desire of seeing more.

Gotham 

I've never been a fan of Batman. I liked Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, but I didn't care much for his two sequels of the reboot of the Batman franchise. And I never got into the Batman franchise that started years ago with Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. So, I’m not that interested in the origin story of how James Gordon became Commissioner Gordon. I’m sure there are many Batman fans who are so excited to see familiar characters from the comics (many when they had only their real names and not a moniker that started with “the”), such as Detective Gordon, The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler, etc. However, I quit watching the series after the pilot episode because I found that I really didn't care about any of the characters, nor in finding out how they became who they are when Bruce Wayne eventually takes on the moniker “Batman.”

Verdict: Not interested in Batman enough to find out how these villains became villains (or why they already are)

How to Get Away With Murder

Oh, what to say about this one. I can understand how many people may like this series. Viola Davis is a great actress, the supporting actors are good, it’s an interesting premise, and the pilot was well-written. It's also unique to have flash-forwards instead of flashbacks as many other series have. I just couldn't get past how unethical everyone is – just to get a “not guilty” verdict for a client. If this is the way our judicial system is really run, then I have little hope for the integrity of the lawyers in this country. Yes, I know it’s fiction. Yes, I know that a drama series needs drama, and the writers have to keep it interesting and keep the audience coming back for more, but I’m more interested in watching an episode of Snapped on the Oxygen channel and hearing about real murder cases than watching this show. I may give it another try, but then again, why?

Verdict: I’ll stick with Snapped

The Mysteries of Laura

A bit of a warning: this review is long and has a few tangents that are quite random (because I am nothing if not random). First of all I have to say that the only reason I was interested in checking out this series is because I like Josh Lucas, who plays the titular character, Laura’s (played by Debra Messing), ex-husband. I really like Josh Lucas.

I’m going to go off on my first tangent to tell you where I first saw Josh Lucas. Josh was in an Australian series called Snowy River: The MacGregor Saga in the 90s. The series was based on the popular Australian film, The Man from Snowy River, and Josh played Luke MacGregor, the American nephew of Matthew MacGregor, who is the “man from Snowy River” (even though his name is not Jim Craig as it was in the movie). Luke comes to Australia to make his fortune in gold, and has many an adventure in the Australia outback. (Tangent inside of my tangent: Josh’s cousin was played by a young Guy Pearce (Memento, Ironman 3), and Hugh Jackman was also in the series for one season). I loved the first season of the series. Loved it. Mainly because of Guy Pearce and Josh Lucas.

Snowy River: The MacGregor Saga

From right: Guy Pearce, Andrew Clarke, Josh Lucas

End of first (and second) tangent.

So, back to The Mysteries of Laura. As I indicated earlier, I’m really not into “cops who solve a mystery every week” type of series unless they have a unique slant. However, nothing particularly singular has jumped out at me in The Mysteries of Laura yet, and the characters haven’t grabbed me. I wonder why Laura can't be a competent mother and a competent cop. When her twin boys need her to be home with them, she complains about having to leave work to be with them. I want to see a woman who loves her job and still wants to be with her kids. And I certainly don’t want to see a mother who can’t keep her sons from urinating in public in Central Park. I don’t think it’s funny. What I do want to see is Josh Lucas. So, if I do decide to watch more episodes – it will be because of him. However, I don’t know if that’s enough for me.

Third and final tangent: Debra Messing is an interesting actress. She is very likeable, and can be very funny. Many loved her in Will & Grace, and I’m sure the networks feel having her star in a series is a good way to guarantee a hit (I just wish she could have helped Smash get a third season, but that’s another tangent we won’t make in this post). I liked Will & Grace for the most part, however, it’s really hard for me to watch Debra’s acting in Will & Grace because she always seems to smirk whenever she or the actor she’s playing opposite says anything funny. I have performed in many comedies on stage, and you just can’t smirk when something funny happens. You have to stay in character. I know it can be hard sometimes not to laugh at something funny when you’re acting (and it must have been hard not to laugh acting against Megan Mullaly and Sean Hayes), but you can actually see Debra trying not laugh. If you've never noticed it before, just go back and watch an episode of Will & Grace, and watch her mouth when she delivers a funny line, or when she’s reacting to Will, or Karen, or Jack deliver a funny line. The corners of her mouth go up like she’s trying not to laugh. So, as I watch in this show, I just wait for her to smirk. I'm not watching a character, I'm watching an actor act to catch her being a bad actress. It's very distracting.

Verdict: Nope (And what's with the title? In the first two episodes I saw I didn't notice anything particularly mysterious about Laura.)

New Series - I Couldn’t Even Watch the Entire Pilot

Selfie – I already posted about this show. It’s very annoying, and wastes the talents of Karen Gillan and John Cho. I don’t know if it will last long. However, you never know what America will watch.

Red Band Society – I thought I’d give this series a try, and couldn’t get past that it was all about teenage drama in a hospital. My definition of *yawn.*

Are you happy with your favorites still? Are there any of the above shows I decided to stop watching that you think I should give a second chance? Any shows you think I should give a look?

The Big Bang Theory Discusses Verb Tense

I love it when characters discuss grammar in television and movies. It doesn't happen often, but it can be very funny when it does.



You can stop watching around the 2:30 mark, because even though The Big Bang Theory can be very funny, it can also be very crude - and I hate that.

I Forgot How Much I Like James Marsden

This...

TV Review: Selfie

***Possible Spoilers Ahead (if you consider what happens in the first five minutes of this show spoilers)***

I am always excited when the new fall TV season rolls around. I look forward to new episodes of my favorite series, and I look forward to viewing the new series that have caught my interest.

One of the new series that I wanted to check out was Selfie. I didn’t want to check out Selfie because of its premise, but because it stars Karen Gillan, who played Amy on Doctor Who. And we all know how I love me my Doctor. Though I was not a big fan of Amy’s character on Doctor Who, nor too fond of Karen’s acting at first, I grew to like her at the end. So, I was curious to see how the ginger-haired Scot would fare doing comedy, and an American accent. I was also curious to see what the show would have to say about social media. I have very mixed feelings about social media, and I wanted to see how a modern sit-com would deal with the quite ubiquitous phenomenon still very much in its infancy.

When I found out that the pilot for Selfie was available to view online prior to its premiere on network television, I thought I’d take that sneak peak. I watched about the first five minutes of the episode and I’m ready to write it off already. When I have to watch the main character throw up twice into two barf bags on board an airplane and then walk down the aisle of the airplane carrying said barf bags and then watch as the bottom of the bags break, spilling the vomit all over the said main character, then I am done. That, to me, is not comedy. It’s just gross. So far I don’t like Karen’s character, which is where I was with Amy – but she was on a series that I already liked, so I kept watching. So far, for me, Selfie has nothing to recommend it. 

I have not finished watching the episode, and I’m not sure I will. I like my comedy to be clever, non-childish, non-vomiting, and entertaining. 

To sum up - I have no idea what Selfie says about social media - I just couldn't get past a girl walking through an airplane, covered in her own vomit, while everyone laughs at her. What does that say about our society? Nothing I'd like to acknowledge or watch in a television show.

Unless I hear that the show has gotten rave reviews by critics and audiences alike, Selfie is off my viewing list.

I am Now a Tweeter

When I started my other blog, What People are Saying (whatpeoplearesaying.wordpress.com), my friend told me that Twitter would be another perfect place to post quotes (what with the 140 character limit and all). Well, it's taken me a few years, but I finally did it. I am now tweeting. If you'd like to follow me, you can find me at sukillama. I tweet more than just quotes, but doesn't everyone? ;-)

So You Think You Can Dance: The Group Routines Have It

The top 20 dancers have been whittled down to the top 10, and there have been some good routines, but so far my two favorite have been two group routines. The first was choreographed by Travis Wall. He was impressive as a contestant in the second season, but he has proven himself to be one of the best choreographers the show has ever had.

I love the song, "My Immortal" by Evanescence, and this group routine with the top 7 girls was choreographed so beautifully by Stacey Tookey.

My favorite dancers so far are Ricky and Jessica. I feel pretty confident that Ricky will win. He is an incredible dancer, and he's very likeable. If they select both a male and a female winner this season again, I hope the girl will be Jessica. I've been really impressed by her. However, I think it will probably be Tanisha. She's also a very good dancer.

I'm looking forward to having the top 10 dance with the all-stars. I love seeing dancers from past seasons coming back.

Into the Woods Trailer

Here's a first look the film version of Into the Woods coming out in December. It looks gorgeous; I just hope the actual movie is as good as the cinematography.

Of course we didn't get to see Johnny Depp as the wolf in the trailer. I'll bet we won't see him in any trailer at all. It will be held as a surprise for those who see the film.

The Face of Jane Austen

A waxwork likeness of Jane Austen was unveiled at the Jane Austen Centre on Wednesday in Bath, England.

A former FBI forensic artist, Melissa Dring, used the Cassandra Austen's sketch of her famous sister as the starting point for the waxwork. She also used diaries, letters and other contemporary accounts of Austen's appearance. Mark Richards, a sculptor, took Dring's final findings and created the waxwork itself.

It's a very nice life-like waxwork, and I, along with many Jane Austen fans, find it interesting to see what these artists think Jane may have looked like.

Anna Chancellor, who played Caroline Bingley in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice is actually a direct descendant of Jane Austen's brother, Edward. Do you think there's any "family resemblance"?

There's a waxwork of Jane outside the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, and it's very different from the new waxwork that is supposed to be the closest "anyone has come to the real Jane in 200 years" (according to a spokesman for the Centre). I took the picture below during my first trip to Bath in 2010.

On the Town: On the Streets of New York, New York

The video below is the opening number from the Broadway revival of the musical, On the Town. The musical is returning to Broadway in September, and they filmed the opening number, "New York, New York," to promote the show. I love that they actually filmed the number throughout New York City. You'll have to watch the 1949 film to see how closely they recreated the opening number from that movie.

I have pictures from my recent trip to New York of the many of the places where they filmed this number.

Central Park

Bethesda Fountain - Central Park

Little Italy

One World Trade Center - from a yacht

Steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Radio City Music Hall

Musician in Central Park

Atlas - Rockefeller Center

Empire State Building

On the Town will be playing at the Foxwoods Theatre. When I was in New York in June, the marquee for Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark was still up, even though the show closed in January.

Times Square

I will most certainly be posting more photos from my New York trip soon.

The 12th Doctor is Coming!

We now have a date for the return of Doctor Who, and the Doctor will have a new face. Season 8 will premiere on August 23rd on BBC America. I can't contain my excitement!!

It's always hard to let go of a Doctor you've grown to like. I remember when I first saw the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) regenerate into the 10th Doctor (David Tennant). I was not prepared at all. I didn't know that Christopher Eccleston would not return for a second season, and I wasn't ready for a new Doctor. I had never seen David Tennant before, and I was so disappointed that "my Doctor" was gone. Of course I grew to like David Tennant as the Doctor, and by the time I knew that Matt Smith would take over the part from Tennant, I had prepared myself for the change, though I was sad to see David Tennant leave. Even though Matt's Doctor was very different from Eccleston's and Tennant's Doctors, I grew to enjoy his take on the Time Lord, and it was hard when it came time to say goodbye to him.

However, I am extremely excited to meet the 12th Doctor. I'm curious to see what Peter Capaldi will bring to the role, and I'm hoping for some great episodes. Even though I am a huge fan of the actors who played the 9th, 10th, and 11th Doctors, I am an even bigger fan of Doctor Who itself. I'm glad that the creators of Doctor Who decided in the 1960s that one of the characteristics of a Time Lord was the ability to regenerate, so that even if the actor playing the titular character decides he would like to move on professionally that the series will still go on.

Season Finales: The Good and Bad

I like season finales that give me a sense of closure, and a glimpse into where the next season may go. I don't like season finales that don't tie up most of the loose ends or don't answer the questions that have been raised the entire season, or that have a huge cliffhanger. I believe if you tell great stories and develop great characters, whether they're likable or they're a villain, viewers will come back the next season to see what great stories you have in store for those characters. You don't have to have a "who killed J.R.?" cliffhanger to bring back the viewers if the show is good.

So, given those facts, here are some of my observations about the finales of my favorite shows:

***Many spoilers ahead***

Once Upon a Time

After the first half of this season I was ready to call it quits on Once Upon a Time, but I stuck with it to the end of the season. Although I think the Zelena plot line really fizzled at the end, and that the writers missed a great opportunity to actually have her go back in time (I think that could have been very interesting), the Wicked Witch of the West plot line was more entertaining to me than the Peter Pan plot line.

I liked the two-part finale for the most part. I really enjoyed having Emma and Hook go back in time in the Enchanted Forest. It was touching to see Emma witness her parents meet for the first time. She really needed that to give her a real sense of home. I enjoyed looking back again at Snow and Charming's story of falling in love, and I liked seeing it from a different perspective when Emma messed the first meeting up. And I loved the moment when Hook actually punches himself out.

It was great to see Red/Ruby again. I'm sad for the actress that her new show was canceled, but I'm sure many fans, like me, were happy to see her return to OUAT.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about Elsa coming to Storybrooke. I really prefer Once Upon a Time to base their characters on the real fairy tales, and not on the Disney version of fairy tales. So, I would be okay with the character actually being the Snow Queen from Hans Christian Anderson's story, and not Elsa from Frozen. However, this is ABC, who is owned by Disney, and Frozen is so popular, so chances are it will be Elsa, and we'll probably get Anna eventually too. I just really don't want to see a talking snowman on the show - or even a character named Olaf.

Castle

Oh, Castle, Castle, Castle! The season six finale was full of humor and surprises, and one big surprise at the end. I loved the unexpected twist of having Beckett still married to an old boyfriend and having to get him sign divorce papers before she and Rick could get married. Castle does comedy well, and I liked that the comedy revolved around Kate this time instead of Rick.

And then we get to those last few scenes. We were left hanging not only in shock, and with many questions, but with the sense that it may take another season for Castle and Beckett to get married, and if there's even a Castle for Beckett to marry. However, since the show is called Castle, and what TV execs in their right mind would tell Nathan Fillion they're gong to kill him off his titular series just because they wanted to shock the fans? No. There's a bigger mystery to that black SUV and Rick's burning car. I think it's funny that most TV writers think they can't have their main love interests on a show get married. Castle is more about the cases that Beckett and Castle try to solve than it is about "will they or won't they." They could just be the next Hart to Hart. *wink*

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This show really started off with guns blazing, and then sputtered for a bit, but it certainly made up for it in its race to the finale. It really needed the shake up of S.H.I.E.L.D. that began in the latest Captain America film to solidify it as a great television series. If you started watching it and gave up on it in the middle, you really should go back and watch it - starting from episode 17 to the finale.

There were so many things I was hoping for in the finale, and one main one did not happen. Just like Fitz, I sooo wanted Ward to turn to the good side. It was a big shock when we found out where his allegiance lay, and it was really gutsy of them not to have him turn good at the last minute of the finale. Although, I really liked it when May actually had her chance to have a go at Ward. And when she nailed his foot to the floor with the electric nail gun, I almost cheered for her.

It was great to see Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury, and even though it was totally unrealistic that he knew exactly where Fitz and Simmons were in order to save them, it was a great moment when we saw him holding his hand out to Gemma from the helicopter.

I really like this finale, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go next season and how they tie the episodes in with other Avenger movies.

Arrow

This season of Arrow was really good. I liked that Slade ended up being the "big bad," even though I really liked him as Oliver's ally on the island.

I was so happy to see the return of John Barrowman - even though he's a bad guy, I really like the actor. I wonder how far to the bad side Thea is going to go. I also wonder what her and Oliver's confrontation will be like if she does go "dark," and she does a lot of horrible things like "failing" Starling City. *wink*

I'm not quite sure how I feel about what Oliver did to Felicity so that they could defeat Slade. I like Felicity so much and we know how she feels about Oliver. I was kind of hopeful during their scene in the Queen mansion, and then when we found out (along with her) that it was all a ruse, I was a bit disappointed. I like Laurel sometimes - but I really like Felicity.

I am sad that Sara left. I really like her. I hope she's not gone for good.

Nashville

I am not a big fan of prime time soap operas (or daytime soap operas for that matter - although there was a time that I never missed an episode of Days of Our Lives, but that was many, many, maaaany years ago). Nashville is the only show I watch that could be considered a soap opera. Okay, who am I fooling? Nashville IS a soap opera (or should I say "soap opry"?), and I have to admit that I have become very invested in these characters. Although, there are a couple of the characters (Layla and Jeff) I think should just be written out of the show (though they don't necessarily need to go the way of Peggy).

This was a decent finale, and what I hope for the next season is... Juliette and Avery stay together, Deacon and Rayna get together, Scarlet finds a nice guy who helps her with her confidence and she writes more songs with Gunnar. However, this is a soap opera, and nothing will be that easy. *wink*

Reign

This was one of the new series that I was a bit wary of originally. I love history of the British monarchs, and I didn't want the CW to mess up the history of Mary Stuart. The historical aspect of the Queen of Scots has basically been laid to the side to tell their own story of romance and political intrigue, with a touch of the supernatural. And I discovered that I'm really okay with that. I like Adelaide Kane as Mary. I adore watching Megan Follows vacillating as the villain and an ally. I like the addition of King Henry's illegitimate son, Bash. In fact, at times I liked him better than Francis.

The season finale wrapped up many things, and set the scene for an interesting second season. Francis found out that Lola's baby was in fact his. And he's off to help her during her labor - even though he knows the plague is running rampant. Bash discovered what the "Darkness" was. And the writers decided to add a historically correct fact. King Henry really did die from after being stabbed in the head with a lance fragment while jousting. They just got the identity of the man who was the cause of his death in the joust incorrect. But then, who can really tell who's inside that armor. Maybe historians have it all wrong and the CW got it right. *wink* When I saw a joust in the preview to this episode, I wondered if the writers were really going to kill Henry. They did. And now Francis is the King of France. If you know the history of King Francis II, you know what happen to him not too long after his father died. We'll see how Reign handles that (if the show lasts long enough).

I'm interested to see how they handle all of this, and if we'll ever get to the time in Mary's life when she actually returns to Scotland. I guess it depends on how quickly time will go by in the series and how long the series lasts.

Grimm

I love Grimm. Let me just say that one more time. I Love Grimm! I've really enjoyed the addition of Trubel. It was a great idea to add another Grimm, and an inexperienced one at that.  It's also good to have her on their side because of what happened at the end of the finale. It was quite the cliff-hanger, but one I didn't mind, because it should give the show a great place to go in the 4th season.

I liked the fact that they made Adalind sympathetic for a while, and I also like that they've given her a real motivation for what she did to Nick. They should have realized that you don't mess with a mother when it comes to her child.

I'm glad that Monroe and Rosalie were able to actual get through the wedding ceremony before all of the craziness started. They are such a great couple.

I'm interested in finding out what they do with Sargeant Woo next season, now that he's seen a few pages from one of the Grimm's books. Will they add him to the list of non-Wesen (I don't know the official name they've given them) who knows about Wesen and Nick's job as a Grimm, or will Nick and Hank try to explain it away as they did before?

And then there's Sean Renard! Will he or won't he? I'm sure he won't. I think if they were going to let him die they would have done it in the finale and not wait until the next season. But... you never know anymore.

What were your favorite season finales? What didn't you like about the finales of your favorite series? What series are you most looking forward to in the fall?

2014 TV Fall Season: Preview

The 2014 TV fall season has been announced, and I'm excited to see what the networks have in store for us this season.

Last year there were nine new series I was interested in seeing (Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Reign, Crazy Ones, Ironside, About a Boy, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, The Tomorrow People and Star-Crossed). Three of the nine I never ended up watching (Crazy Ones, Ironside, and About a Boy). Two of the series I started watching and then quit (The Tomorrow People and Star-Crossed).  I watched every episode of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, but I almost stopped watching it in the middle of the season when the story didn't seem to move quickly enough for me. I did enjoy the few final episodes, however. Three out of the nine series have been renewed, and those are the three that I actually watched every episode (Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Reign). I plan on continuing to watch all three of them next season.

This year there are six new series that have caught my interest. There aren't any that I'm really enthusiastic about (there doesn't seem to be a Sleepy Hollow in the bunch), but some look promising.

The one new series I was really excited about, Galavant (as you may have read in my post of two days ago) isn't even on the fall schedule. I suppose it's meant to be a mid-season replacement.

ABC

Selfie
Description: After being the subject of an embarrassing viral video, a self-involved 20-something enlists the help of a marketing expert to revamp her image in the real world.
My thoughts: This series is being touted as "loosely based on My Fair Lady." I think the two main characters names certainly give that away. Karen Gillan plays Eliza Dooley, and John Cho plays Henry Higgins. I don't know how George Bernard Shaw would feel about his characters thrown into the world of modern social media. *wink* It's interesting to me that Scottish actress Karen Gillan is committing to an American TV series. She has made a few movies since she ended her era as Amy Pond ended on Doctor Who, and I guess she decided American television would be a good next step in her career. I'm not into the world of "selfies," Instagram, or Twitter, so I'm not in the demographic that this series would appeal to, however, I'm interested to see Karen in a comedy. Who knows, I may like it. It's interesting to note that another Doctor Who actor, David Tennant (who actually was the Doctor), is also tackling American television in Gracepoint (a remake of the British miniseries, Broadchurch, which also starred David Tennant).

Forever
Description: A 200 year-old man works in the New York City morgue trying to find a key to unlock the curse of his immortality.
My thoughts: Two words - Ioan Gruffudd (I met him at Comic Con a few months ago, and that is one beautiful man). I just hope that his curse of immortality has nothing to do with drinking blood. *wink*

How to Get Away With Murder
Description: A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor (Viola Davis) become entangled in a murder plot that will shake the entire university and change the course (great pun *wink*) of their lives.
My thoughts: The premise to this series reminds me of a TV movie from 1991 that starred Pierce Brosnan called Murder 101. In the TV movie, Brosnan is an author who teaches a writing class to college students on how to write a novel that involves the perfect murder. Brosnan is framed for killing a colleague, and the mystery begins. I don't know how similar this series will be to the TV movie, but I'm interested to see where the show goes.

NBC

Constantine
Description: A man struggling with his faith is haunted by the sins of his past but is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness.
My thoughts: I'm on the fence about this one (mainly because I can't quite grasp what it's really about), but I like Lucy Griffiths, who played Marian in BBC's series, Robin Hood. Another series based on a comic book.

Fox

Gotham
Description: The origin story behind Commissioner James Gordon's rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman's arrival.
My thoughts: I have enjoyed many series and movies based on comic books, and I'm willing to give this one a try.

CW

The Flash
Description: Barry Allen suffers a freak accident that turns him into a superhero with the power of incredible speed.
My thoughts: Arrow is one of my favorite series - especially after its second season, which exceeded my expectations - and I liked Barry Allen's character when he was introduced at the beginning of this season of Arrow. Given those two facts, I'm looking forward to this series. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

As you can see, there aren't any series on CBS's new schedule that I want to check out. It would be interesting if one of those CBS shows is a big hit and I just happen to give it a chance and love it. I doubt it, but it would be interesting.

What shows are you looking forward to in the 2014 Fall season?

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Loch Ness, Scotland

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!"
Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Like most Americans, my ancestry is very diverse. On my mother's side, I am Norwegian, English, and Swiss. On my father's side I am Scottish, Swedish, Danish, English, French, Welsh and Irish (and traces of many others nationalities).

Eventually, I would like to visit all of the countries my ancestors came from (prior to this year I have been to England, Switzerland and France), but because my last name is Scottish, there's a special place in my heart for Scotland and all things Scottish, and I've wanted to go there for as long as I can remember.

I can now say that I've visited the "land of my father." I just returned home from a wonderful trip to England and Scotland. There wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to see or go everywhere I wanted to go in Scotland and England, but I was just so happy to be there and enjoy the beauty of the two countries and bask in their rich histories.

I hope you enjoy my photo travel blog.

England

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

Westminster Abbey, London

Houses of Parliament (and Big Ben), London

The Tower of London, London

The Tower Bridge, London

Traitor's Gate, Tower of London, London

Shakespeare's Globe, London

Windsor Castle, Windsor

Durham Cathedral, Durham

Scotland

River Ness, Inverness

Loch Ness, Inverness

Cawdor Castle, near Nairn

Roman Vindolanda excavation, near Hadrian's Wall

Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven

One of the many amazing views from Dunnottar Castle

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

View from Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

I loved everything about Scotland and every site that we visited. I loved the beauty of the Highlands as well as the Lowlands. However, one of the highlights of the trip for me was visiting the town where my ancestors came from - Kirriemuir, Scotland. As well as being famous for being the town where my ancestors came from (*wink*), Kirriemuir just happens to be the birthplace of James M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan.

Kirriemuir

Peter Pan statue, Kirriemuir