Tag Archives: television

Rizzoli and Isles – A new crime drama to enjoy

Rizzoli and Isles

photo via TNT.com

My lack of cable and network television often means that I miss out on cool shows until I visit my mom in OH and she introduces me to them. NCIS, CSI, Bones are just a few of the ones that I’d never heard of till I was hanging with her and she made me watch a few episodes. Well, there’s a new crime drama (and if you hadn’t guessed, I LOVE crime dramas) that she got me hooked on and I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for Netflix to break out the series on DVD.

Rizzoli & Isles.

Betrayal of my fandom – I might actually like “Smallville”

Smallville Season 1

Smallville Season 1

I’m a Batman fan to the core.

I watched the movies. I own various seasons of the animated series. I dress as characters. I write fanfiction. I own toys, pez dispensers, plates, and so on. All in the name of my love for Batman and the Rogues Gallery.

I’ve always thought Batman was definitely the better superhero when compared to Superman. I mean, he’s a dude without a single superpower who also isn’t afraid to break a thug’s legs to get the information he needs. If Superman even bruises someone I swear it looks like he might be the one to cry. I’m all in favor of a little tough love. Plus Batman has the coolest nemesis: The Joker. How can you top that?

With all my Batman love I now have to admit that I feel like a traitor.

“Mrs Hudson took my skull.” – Enjoying BBC’s “Sherlock”

I’ve had several folks pipe up lately and ask for new television show recommendations and normally I can only suggest either ones they’ve seen or some that are older and not as well known (like Due South). Now I can suggest a new show that I think many folks will enjoy.

 Sherlock

Sherlock is a BBC series that takes the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and brings them to life in a modern setting. No, this isn’t anything like the Robert Downey Jr. movie so don’t panic. Instead, it brings in some amazing actors such as Martin Freeman as Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch (who I’d never heard of) as Sherlock Holmes to bring to life characters that many of us have loved since we were kids.

I admit that I was hesitant to watch the first episode of this show. Perhaps it was the hype. Perhaps it was the length (an hour and a half per episode is definitely not for casual watching). In any case, I finally finished watching the first full episode this week and I have to admit, I’m now hooked and want to watch the other two episodes that are currently out. The first episode “A Study in Pink” is loosely based on the first Sherlock Holmes novel “A Study in Scarlet”. The first time we encounter Sherlock Holmes is through text messages and it sets the tone for his character and the show.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

They take the character of Holmes and don’t even try to make him warm and fuzzy at all. Instead he maintains that curious detachment and connection from other people’s emotions while still displaying bursts of his own emotions at socially inappropriate times. Even Holmes remarks that he’s not a psychopath. He’s a highly functioning sociopath. Watson has been updated to modern times as well but still keeps the basic nature of the character: a doctor, recently wounded in a war, and sometimes completely thrown by Sherlock’s actions. The actors in the series, Cumberbatch and Freeman, are completely and utterly convincing as Holmes and Watson and I find myself now picturing them when I think of the characters from the novels.

The effects in the series are very few with only the wording of text messages overlaid on the screen or the discoveries brought up in text as Holmes brings out his powers of deduction. Even with the text reminding you that it’s very much a television show, it’s still easy to simply look past that and get lost in the mystery itself. By the end of the episode I was dying to know which was the right pill (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you watch it) and I actually gasped at Sherlock’s ruthlessness to get an answer from a particular man. And don’t think there’s only seriousness in this show, there’s plenty of moments where I couldn’t stop laughing. The dialogue and interactions between all of the characters is so well done that they can go from hilarious statement to serious pronouncement and you don’t mind at all!

If you were ever a fan of the original novels, if you enjoy an excellent murder mystery, or if you’re just looking for a new show to try out, I suggest you try “Sherlock”. Luckily the first season (all three episodes) was just released in the US on dvd. So put it on your queue and let me know what you think!

“We’re like the world’s gayest ninjas.” – Getting hooked on “Being Human”

Being Human Every week I meet up with a group of friends for a Stitch n Bitch and we knit, sew and otherwise craft while watching various movies and tv shows. About a month ago Amanda introduced us to a BBC show called “Being Human”. The basic plot of the show is about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost who all live together in the same house and try to find a way to “be human” and fit in with normal people.

I was hooked from the first episode watching a rather hilarious moment involving George, the werewolf, having problems trying to find a spot in the woods to “Change”. After laughing hysterically at that bit I found that I wanted to see the rest of the series. Within a week I had it at the top of my Netflix queue and was happily watching Series One. Like many BBC series, each season is short (this one was only 6 episodes!) but I was captivated by every moment.

Let’s just say I’d much rather watch 6 amazing episodes of a series and feel like I was part of the story than watch the third season of True Blood drag on like it did.

The lore of the supernatural is a little different in this series than often portrayed in other media. For example, Mitchell, the vampire, can go out in the sunlight though he prefers to wear sunglasses to shield his eyes. Vampires also have a very low body temperature that they are all too aware of. You often see Mitchell wearing coats and fingerless gloves to keep warm. Religious symbols and speech do affect them as well as the infamous stake through the heart.

The way that Mitchell describes the change from human to werewolf is captivating. I’d always thought that the change must be painful. After all, your bones are changing shape along with your organs. All of that combined never seemed to be a happy process to me. In the series it’s described as a combination of a heart attack, massive organ failure, tearing and reforming. George’s screams of pain during the change only accent that every time it happens on screen. In the series, the virus (for lack of a better term) can be spread through scratches from a werewolf.

Ghost are very similar to regular lore. They usually appear in the clothes that they died in and are here for a purpose, either to complete something that was unfinished in their lives or to experience something they hadn’t before dying. They can be seen by other supernatural creatures but not by most regular humans. Annie “haunts” the house that she and her fiancé, Owen, rented before her death and she is extremely happy when both George and Mitchell move in and can see her.

I just finished watching Series One last night and I’m going to have to rewatch the last episode to catch a few things that I missed. I already have Series Two ready on my queue (all three discs in a row!) and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Mitchell, George and Annie.

On a somewhat more girly note, Russell Tovey who plays George is so adorable that I find myself alternately face palming and wanting to hug him. Aidan Turner plays Mitchell and I have to admit, though my most recent vampire crush was tall, pale, blond and Swedish I can easily add the darker and rougher Mitchell to my list of “drool worthy” vampires.

The series has an extremely good mix of humor, drama, action and character development that keeps your attention no matter which character is on screen. While British humor may not be to everyone’s taste I think that this series might be worth trying even if you aren’t normally a fan. Let me know what you think of it after watching an episode or two!

True Blood Season 2: The Score

True Blood Score

Last week I got all excited when I was browsing Amazon and drinking some coffee before work and found the score to season 2 of True Blood available for download. While I’m usually a very good girl about avoiding impulse buying first thing in the morning (before I’ve finished the first cup of coffee) I didn’t even think twice about purchasing the mp3 album and starting the download while I finished getting ready for work. I’d enjoyed the score to the first season so much that I’ve been wishing and hoping they’d release more music soon.

After listening to the full album twice through now I can say that while I love certain tracks on it, I think the music from the first season might still be my favorite. Even so, Nathan Barr is an amazing composer and the music he’s written for the show is beautiful. The themes that he’s able to set for each character and then alter enough to make them fit the situations are well written and recognizable.

Probably one of my favorite musical themes through the show is what I call the “Loss” or “Grief” theme. It’s probably best associated with Sookie’s Grandmother but it’s often played when a character, usually Sookie, is hit with a loss in her life. You can hear it played through the first season, most noticeably after the events with Gran. It’s while Sookie is eating that pecan pie alone at her table that you hear that there are words to it, making it a sad and sweet Southern-sounding hymn. (I admit, I cried during that scene and the music was at least partly to blame). Much to my delight Nathan Barr continues to use this theme through the music in the second season, particularly on a track called “Packing Gran”.

One of my other favorite themes is the love theme between Bill & Sookie. While I may not care for Bill at all, the music set for them is a lovely piece that builds in intensity and occasionally leaves you hanging without a musical resolution.

There isn’t much on this particular album that involves Maryann even though she was a huge part of the second season. For that I’m a little grateful. The track “House Party” manages to wrap up her and her influence in one single musical track. You also catch a glimpse of her madness in the early track “Ride & Slash”. We are introduced to some more music involving Eric on this album and the track “Eric’s Grief/ The Bleeds” had me sitting in my car for a few extra minutes, entranced by the new themes and music that I now associate with my favorite blond vampire.

All in all, it was worth the download. I now have more music to fuel my fantasies about being swept away by a tall blond Swedish man. *happy sigh*

Anyone else have a similar reaction to the album? Anyone going to run and nab one of the score albums just to hear what I’m describing? Let me know what you think of them!

NCIS: A Geek Girl’s Love

NCIS
 
I don’t have cable or network at home. I live, instead, on DVDs and praise the gods for Netflix. The biggest downside of this particular living arrangement is that I miss many new shows and have to wait for someone to make me watch them. For that reason I’m forever grateful to my mother. A few years ago she started telling me about a tv crime show that she had started watching and she swore up and down that they must have based one of the characters on me. She was eccentric, love goth/industrial clothing styles and music, loved to hug on her friends, was a geek, worked in forensics and didn’t care what others thought of her strange style.
 
Yep, that’s a pretty good description of me except for the working in forensics. (I’ve actually got my criminal justice degree and plan to continue on with my forensic science degree as soon as I have funds.) One day I even happened to wear my hair in pigtails to work and one of my coworkers called me Abby. I mentioned that my mother had done the same thing. So naturally I was curious about this character and the show. I caught an episode or two when I would visit my mother on holidays but I really fell in love when I got the first season through Netflix.
 
I freely admit that I’m absolutely addicted to NCIS. The storylines are always able to catch my attention and while I can sometimes guess the outcome before the end, there are many times I’m surprised and I LOVE that! The relationships between the characters and how they change from season to season keep me coming back, always curious to see what will happen next. I’ve been known to call people “Probie”. I want a farting hippo stuffed animal.
 
And the smacks upside the head that I’ve done to folks (affectionately, of course) for years I now call “Gibbs-slaps”.
 
Do I even need to mention that Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs is one sexy man and NCIS agent?
 
It’s true that I might be biased toward crime dramas. I love Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Dexter and so on. Still, NCIS blends the drama, action and comedy so well that I can find myself laughing and crying all in the same episode. There aren’t many shows that can make me do that (I can think of maybe 3 off the top of my head) so I tend to become attached to those that can.
 
I know the newest season just started on television and I’m sad that I can’t watch it as it happens. Instead I’ll finish off this recent season on DVD and then wait and bite my nails until this new one is finished and released.
 
And I’ll continue to wish that CBS would produce a licensed NCIS farting hippo. Though if any of you want to make one based on the show and send it to me as a gift, I’ll totally accept that too!

True Blood Season 3: Cliffhanger or Letdown?

Tru Blood

Ever since my friend Amanda made me watch many episodes of season one of True Blood in a row I’ve been hooked. At the time she only had seasons 1 & 2 which I devoured happily. From the start I knew my preference lay with Sam and Team Eric as Bill was too broody and emo for me (which may explain why I’ve never really liked Angel). It wasn’t long after that I managed to get my hands on every Southern Vampire Mystery book and read each one in less than a day. Needless to say when season three of the television series started I was ready and eager to see how closely it would follow the books. 

Well, from the start I can say that I had no idea what was going to happen as they branched away from the third book so much. Not that I didn’t enjoy the season. On the contrary, I enjoyed it quite a bit (the Eric, Sam and Lafayette parts more than the Bill parts of course) and I found ways to watch each episode as soon as I could. So when we got to the last episode I was expecting…well…not what the book had laid out but something pretty epic.

Strangely I found that after the episode was over I was left with a feeling of “meh”. I won’t give away any real spoilers but I know that Amanda, who watched that episode with me, expressed a similar opinion. Unlike the ending of seasons 1 & 2 I found that I wasn’t immediately demanding a new episode RIGHT THEN. Yes, I do anticipate season 4, especially if it has certain elements of the fourth book (if that’s the case, I might need a bucket each Sunday to catch the drool) but I’m not craving. Unlike the last episode of season 2.0 of Battlestar Galactica I’m not screaming at the top of my lungs to the ceiling that I can’t wait to know what happens (you know the episode: “I’m getting my men!”)…and that makes me a little sad.

True, I love seeing a good storyline wrapped up nice and neat with just a teaser left dangling but in my favorite shows I love to be left craving the next season. It makes the wait between seasons that much more difficult and the first episode of the new season that much sweeter.

I really hope that season 4 brings back that feeling.

Anyone else (besides Amanda and I) have that experience with the last episode of season 3? Anyone care to debate me on the merits of Bill rather than Eric? Drop a comment below!