Category: Television

Science fiction and fantasy television from a fan’s perspective.

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Television

Isn’t It Odd How We Come to Watch Certain Shows?

I had never heard of Sleepy Hollow, mainly because my life has been full of other things this last year and I haven’t had time to keep looking for new shows to take up my valuable—but in short supply—time, when I came across a reference to it somewhere online. I don’t even remember where, but I was intrigued enough to do a Google search and discover the show was a new series that had only aired 2 episodes at the time.

Sleepy Hollow

Woo hoo, I thought. Something shiny and pretty … then I watched the trailer and wow, I loved it. I bought the 1st episode on the spot. Then I remembered that some channels like to put their episodes online early enough to make it worth watching right on the website, so I took a look and found that FOX is one of those channels. Both episodes were already available.

At FOX: http://www.fox.com/sleepy-hollow/full-episodes

I tried watching episode 2, Blood Moon, at FOX, just to see if it would be acceptable quality and it was okay. Or maybe “meh” is a better term for it, but it was good enough. But when I went to watch the 3rd episode a week later, something was wrong with the site. I waited a day, because I wasn’t in a hurry, but even though it came back up and the video played, I decided I liked the show enough to pick it up at Amazon. :)

It’s a lovely show. Creepy and exciting, and the cast and characters are a talented bunch.

There’s even a little website for the secret map: http://welcometosleepyhollow.com/.

Here’s what the show is about, in as few words as possible. (Quotes from FOX.)

…mystery-adventure drama…

In this modern-day twist on Washington Irving’s classic…

Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time…

…Lt. Abbie Mills … the two embark on a mission to stop the evil that has awoken along with Ichabod and that now is seeping into this once-sleepy town.

…Lives are in the balance, including that of Ichabod’s late wife, Katrina, who is trapped in a mysterious netherworld…

Shorter is better, sometimes. :)

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Books Television

The Grimm Books Are Now a Series

The upcoming Grimm books…

On November 5th, the first of the Grimm books will be available. I have no idea how these stories will fall in with the canon of the series, but it should be a lot of fun to find out.

Grimm: The Icy Touch Grimm: The Chopping Block

So yeah, as I suspected, but not as I’d hoped, the cover image of The Icy Touch hasn’t changed much. They managed to get the title on there now, but I had to post a largish image just so it could be seen.

But, while grabbing  the image, I noticed there’s a second book on the way.

Like the former cover for The Icy Touch, the cover image for The Chopping Block seems to be a place holder. I guess when it’s finally published, they’ll add the title in the spot where “Book 2” now resides.

The Icy Touch (Grimm, Book #1)

Back in the 19th century a Wesen and a Grimm fight to the death. The Grimm wins, but the Wesen’s son escapes and vows revenge. In the present day, Captain Renard sends Nick and Hank to investigate an international crime cartel named Le Touche Givre (The Icy Touch). They discover this deadly gang is run by Wesen, and is involved in various illegal activities, including forced prostitution and drug pushing. As they close in on the gang, Nick begins to realize that their charismatic and dangerous leader is just as intent on tracking him down…

From the publisher: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/226806/grimm-the-icy-touch-by-john-shirley/

The Chopping Block (Grimm, Book #2)

A cache of bones is found in a shallow grave in local woods… Meanwhile missing persons cases in Portland seem to be on the increase. As more bones are discovered, Portland homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt and his partner Hank Griffin investigate – but there seems to be no connection between the victims… A brand-new original story set in the Grimm universe.

From the publisher: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/226807/grimm-the-chopping-block-by-john-passarella/

Categories
Television

Grimm is Back for Another Season

And boy am I happy to see it. I love this show entirely too much. But really, who doesn’t love a fun show like Grimm? (If you hate it, I’m definitely not talking to you. Don’t rain on my parade, please.)

Grimm

Amazon’s got the show all ready to go and that’s where I picked up the season 3 premiere (The Ungrateful Dead) last night. I know, I know, I shouldn’t have been able to wait so long to watch it, but the truth is I was using it as a reward to get something done and I couldn’t seem to get done. It took me days to finish, when I’d planned to be done Saturday afternoon so I could watch Grimm ASAP.

I suggest you go ahead and buy the season pass. It’s cheaper and you know you’ll want to watch all the episodes. However, if you want them real cheap, just go to the NBC website and you can watch them there. I’ve watched shows at the NBC site before and it’s not bad. Might try out the new Dracula tomorrow night over there before I commit to buying a season of it. :)

Watch at:

NBC’s website: http://www.nbc.com/grimm/video/

Categories
Books Television

A List of the Stargate Atlantis Legacy Series Books; Because It’s Finally Over

Stargate Atlantis: The Legacy Series: Inheritors
It’s done. The end. The Legacy series is over.* And I’m a few months late with this post. Oops. Here’s all the books in the series, for those who might be interested.

  1. Homecoming by Jo Graham & Melissa Scott
  2. The Lost by Jo Graham & Amy Griswold
  3. Allegiance  by Melissa Scott & Amy Griswold
  4. The Furies by Jo Graham
  5. Secrets by Melissa Scott & Jo Graham
  6. Inheritors by Melissa Scott, Jo Graham, & Amy Griswold

One reviewer wasn’t that pleased with the way the series turned out. I wouldn’t know. I gave up reading after Homecoming because I don’t like reading series in progress. The series came back to mind recently though, after I received a notice from Fandemonium that some out of print books in the Stargate Atlantis series were now available—books I meant to pick up but just hadn’t gotten around to it. Anyway, back to the unhappy reviewer.

…while it’s not the unedited dreck which I usually give one star, it was a colossal disappointment. Especially considering the strong start in Homecoming. Since I’ve already detailed much of how, in my opinion, the series went off the rails in my reviews for The Furies and Secrets, I’ll try not to reiterate too much. It’s somewhat difficult, however, because many of the faults in this final volume originated elsewhere.

It made me want to go back and dig up the other reviews mentioned, but then I came to my senses. If I pick the rest of these books up now, I don’t want to be aware of any glaring issues before I read them. I’d rather not ask for trouble if I can help it.

*Apparently, it’s not really over after all. But I’ll save that for another post.

Categories
Television

Teen Wolf: Time to Rewatch the First Half of Season 3

Teen Wolf

Just an observation, now that the first half of Teen Wolf’s third season is over: the tone of the show wasn’t only darker but lacked a lot of the themes that ran through the first two seasons. Of course, talking about the murder of children (even though they’re teens, they’re still kids) every single episode made it tough to have much fun with it.

I still enjoyed the show, although I’d love to see a few lighter episodes once the season resumes in like … five … months, but it was impossible not to notice that the series has really changed. Allison was barely there. Issac, whom I do adore, had more scenes but less to do. Boyd, poor fellow, was hardly there at all, and of course we all know what happened to poor Erica. The villains annoyed me. Kali, I hated. She was probably the best villain just because every time she came on screen I kept hoping she would finally die and that was even before I found out just how big a role she played in certain key deaths/maimings.

I enjoyed Cora though but I still don’t feel like I know how she didn’t die in the Hale house fire, so I feel like I either missed something the first time through–not impossible–or it wasn’t explained very well. And one scene I remember that makes me long for her to come back for at least a couple short episodes was the Issac & Derrick scene where Issac shows a bit of romantic interest in Cora. That would be lovely to see followed up. Not likely to happen, I know, especially with all the Allison and Issac vibes going on–which I’m not much of a fan of, TBH, because it makes no sense that Allison wouldn’t want to be with Scott if she’s reconciled herself with her anti-werewolf sentiment from season 2. If not, why in the world would she be interested in Issac? Just doesn’t make any sense to me.

It’s time to rewatch the season though to make sure I didn’t miss anything or that I’m not looking at the half-season as a whole and not remembering the lighter moments. Plus, it’s always fun to rewatch the good shows. :)

Categories
Television

Ah ha! Teen Wolf’s Season Three Love Interest for Derrick

Teen Wolf

So, is it just me or does it appear that [SPOILER ALERT for Fireflies!] Scott’s and Stiles’ new teacher could end up being Derrick’s new love interest? Although rumors have abounded about him getting his werewolf-y self a girlfriend this season, I hadn’t seen any mention of the new teacher.

At the end of the latest episode, things looked like it could definitely go that way in the future. The rescue and then her trusting reach for him at the end… if I were a gambler, I know where I’d put my money.

This is pure speculation, I’m afraid, but I’m a fan and I sure do enjoy speculating on these things.

Fireflies is also available as streaming video on the MTV website if you prefer. I tried it, and it sucked so I bought a season pass at Amazon. I love the show too much to settle for crappy commercial-filled playback. Every time a commercial came on, it knocked the video out of full screen mode. Since I was streaming to my TV it was very unpleasant to have to get up and reset the full screen mode every time the show came back on, because there were a LOT of ads.

If you stream from the MTV website, has this happened to you? Were you able to fix it?

Links:

https://www.mtv.com/shows/teen-wolf

Categories
Television

Why I Bailed on The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead

I watched The Walking Dead very shortly after it appeared on Netflix the first time, and I developed a real interest in the series. The finale of Season one piqued my curiosity, and I had some hopes that a bigger mystery surrounding the cause of the outbreak would develop or at least we’d discover whatever it was what’s-his-name whispered into Rick’s ear.

When I finally realized the show isn’t about that, and never will be, I gave up.

What The Walking Dead is about is the constant struggle of survival. Nothing more, nothing less.

There’s insight into the human psyche to be had, if that’s one’s interest, and there’s gore aplenty.

I’m not a fan of the gore, but the human relationships were fascinating. The action and adventure aspects, when played out, was entertaining. But I had bigger questions, and the implicit promise, with the trip to the CDC and the passing on of some whispered secret, was that I might get answers.

Then there was just more killing.

That wasn’t enough to sustain my interest.

So, yeah. I finally bailed. I haven’t watched any episodes of season 3 and it’s unlikely I ever will.

Categories
Television

As Season 2 Nears its End, Grimm is still my favorite show. But…

Hank Griffin

Hank GriffinI’m worried about Hank. His role feels incomplete, extraneous. Not integral to the show any longer. The thing is, I don’t want to lose Hank, but if they don’t find a way to make him truly part of the series, he has no place on the show.

That’s after watching this week’s episode on NBC.com, The Waking Dead, which aired on 5/14/13. (Aside: the video starts right off, so if you hate that don’t follow the link.) With the season finale coming up, Hank Griffin seems like a character worth worrying over. Maybe if he weren’t so supportive of Nick, there could be some animosity develop between them related to the Wesen world. Or he could side more clearly with Captain Renard in a situation where Nick has to go against them both.

I don’t know … there are thousands of possibilities that would bring Hank back into a significant role within Grimm. As it is, he’s not even the sidekick, or at best, a sidekick half the time when no one else is around. I don’t want Hank to do something foolish, but I don’t think that would be necessary. Nick has already had run-ins with Wesen that have made him make questionable decisions. Hank obviously believes in the law, or he couldn’t be where he’s at, so the idea that there could come a time when Nick makes a decision that could put a major rift between him and Hank is very real. That would make for some excellent story too.

But the show’s writers seem determined to keep Hank in a marginalized role.

So I’m going to worry about Hank and his fate until after the season finale airs on 5/21/13, or until season 3 starts. Maybe both.

Categories
Television

On June 3rd, Teen Wolf Season 3 Starts Airing on MTV

Teen Wolf

Four months after the events that nearly ended Jackson’s life and resurrected Peter Hale’s, teen wolf Scott McCall and his friends begin their junior year of high school unaware that a new threat has arrived in Beacon Hills: A pack of Alpha werewolves intent on bringing Derek into their fold, while destroying his young pack.

Link to the Teen Wolf site on MTV.com.

June 3rd isn’t going to be here fast enough. I’ve been waiting for this series to return since I watched the credits roll at the end of the season 2 finale. Yes, I am a bit of a fan. ;)

The nice thing about MTV.com is that not only do they have a few of the most recent episodes available for streaming, they have the entire complement of season 1 and season 2 episodes. Netflix also has the episodes for streaming at the moment, if you’re so inclined. (I am, regularly.)

The MTV.com Teen Wolf site also has a decent collection of interesting videos and stills about the upcoming season. Check them out if you’re the kind of fan who enjoys extras.

Of course, if you’re a more devoted fan, you might want the dvds or blu-ray disks anyway. Can’t say I blame you. Teen Wolf is one of those shows where the episodes are worth watching more than once, especially some of the more pivotal scenes. I love more than a few of the episodes from the backside of season 2.

Links:

https://www.mtv.com/shows/teen-wolf

Categories
Fantasy Reviews Television

Hemlock Grove, a Netflix Original Series Let-down

Hemlock Grove

The Monster Is Within

In the shadows of a rusted Pennsylvania steel town, the mangled body of a teenage girl is discovered. As they hunt for a monster among them, rumors mount and many of the eccentric residents become suspects, from the newly arrived gypsy family to the wealthy Godfrey clan. In the twisted world of Hemlock Grove, everyone hides a dark secret. From director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) comes a chilling supernatural series based on Brian McGreevy’s novel.

Series is at Netflix.

Although I watched every last episode of the season 1 available on Netflix, I had mixed feelings about the series, not the least of which involved some serious reservations about the ending.

The moment went kind of like this: you mean I watched all that for all this?

I gave the series three stars because even though I didn’t love it, if a season 2 makes it to Netflix, I’ll watch at least the first couple of episodes to see where they’re going next.

Still, by the end, I felt like I was watching horror moreso than paranormal or fantasy, which was more what I expected when I started watching.

I wonder what the book was like? I saw a movie tie-in edition with a new cover on Amazon tonight.

At once a riveting mystery and a fascinating revelation of the grotesque and the darkness in us all, Hemlock Grove has the architecture and energy to become a classic in its own right—and Brian McGreevy the talent and ambition to enthrall us for years to come.

But does Hemlock Grove have “the architecture and energy to become a classic in its own right?” I wouldn’t say that…. Not if the book doesn’t add something that an almost 10 hour series didn’t have.

Not at all.

Disagreement welcome if you have comments about the book or series. :)