this is a post

A post where I post things. It's been since January since I last made a post of my own. So here's some of the things I've missed posting about or just have on my mind:

True Blood Season 5

• Yes, this is still a thing that I watch. 
• Yes, it's still as trashy and ridiculous and as not good as ever.
• Yes, I still kind of enjoy it for its trashy ridiculousness and cheesy badness.
• I think this season was better than season 4? Most of the seasons kind of run together for me at this point, but the main storyline with the Authority was pretty interesting and I even kind of liked the faerie stuff for once.
• I've come to the realization that Jason Stackhouse is the only character on this show that is always enjoyable and wonderful even if his storyline is horrible. Not that Jason's storyline was horrible this season (I can't even really tell you what his storyline was, tbh. Something about visions of his dead parents), but there are some characters who crumble under the weight of shitty writing (Tara and Sam come to mind). But not Jason. If he was just in every scene ever that would be fine with me. Seriously, gosh I love Jason.
• Speaking of Jason, the resolution of the Hoyt/Jessica/Jason storyline was the absolute best part of the season and one of the very few times I can remember True Blood ever making me cry! I've been really pissed at this show for what it did to Hoyt and Hoyt/Jessica, but the resolution was so beautiful and heartbreaking and if Hoyt/Jessica wasn't going to be endgame, than this is the perfect way to end it. Way to surprise me, True Blood!
• This is the most I think I've ever liked Sookie. Mostly because she didn't have a lot to do. Except get drunk and complain about her life. Which was kind of hilarious.
• Vampire!Tara was better than I expected, but Pam is starting to annoy me.
• THAT ENDING WAS SO RIDICULOUS WTF BEEL?! W T F.

The Legend of Korra

• Why do I do everything out of order all of the time?!
• I still haven't finished watching Avatar, but I watched this show because I was bored one Saturday morning.
• I liked it a lot! The animation style is gorgeous and the characters were really fun! Also, the action scenes were kind of incredible.
• I can't compare it to Avatar too much since I've only seen the 1st season of that show, but I liked how the characters in Korra are more grown-up. As such, the storylines seemed more sophisticated, especially with all of the politics revolving around the benders vs. non-benders.
• The look and feel of Republic City reminded me a lot of Fullmetal Alchemist.
• I have to say though, the finale was kind of disappointing. Hated how easily things got resolved for Korra.
• Bolin is definitely the best character.

 Game of Thrones Season 2

• Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
• I can't believe I didn't post about this season at all this year! Besides Breaking Bad, it was probably my favorite tv thing I experienced.
• I'm not going to say this season was better than season 1.  I think season 1 had the benefit of a more linear story to tell, so the episodes fit and ~flowed better than this season. But at the same time, I think season 2 was a lot more confident in its storytelling and was able to delve into the characters in more interesting ways.
• Season 2 definitely had more divergence from the book than season 1, but it was still quite faithful. There are a few changes here and there where I was wondering what they were thinking, but for the most part, I think they did a good job at the adaptation.
• And Clash of Kings is kind of a transition book anyways, so if some of the storylines were boring or didn't go anywhere, well...they were probably boring and didn't go anywhere in the book too (See: Daenerys Targaryen).
• Fucking hell, but I hated Theon so much in the book when I read it, but good lord, did they do a fantastic job on his storyline this season. You understood him so much more in the show and I genuinely felt badly for him on numerous occasions. Kudos to Alfie Allen and the writing for giving Theon so many more layers than I ever thought. Just thinking about his conversation with Maester Luwin in the last episode makes me want to cry.
• Speaking of Maester Luwin, his death and Ser Rodrik's probably affected me more than any death on the show thus far. Why are these minor characters making me love them so much?! I pretty much openly wept at Rodrik's execution (I'll never forget you Beard Burns!) and forlornly shouted 'noooooooooo' at the screen while Luwin was dying. Although maybe I was so affected because I can't handle seeing my little Bran-Flakes and Rickon-King upset (holy crap y'all, Rickon has lines! And that little actor is actually acting! And doing a really good job! Future King of Westeros!).
• All of the new actors were phenomenal. How amazing were Davos, Melisandre, and Stannis?! Every time Davos was onscreen, I think I screamed from joy.
• Every time Jorah has said 'Khaleesi' on the show.
• No lie, ever since the show was first announced, the thing I've most been looking forward to seeing onscreen is Jaime's storyline with Brienne from Book 3. And it's here! It's already here!!! And it's so perfect I could cry! In fact, I believe I did cry whilst watching the first scene they had together. He was being so mean to her!! It was so beautiful! :')
• LOOK AT ALL THIS BEAUTIFUL SEASON 3 CASTING! The Reeds, you guys! THE MOTHERFUCKIN REEDS! And Blackfish!!!!!!!

Mad Men Season 5

• I'm gonna be honest, I don't really remember a lot of individual things about this season.
• I do remember being kind of disappointed by it though?
• Maybe disappointed isn't the right word. I think I might just be losing my interest in it a bit.
• Because most critics are calling this the Best. Season. Ever. And I don't see it? 
• It was very good, don't get me wrong. Still one of the best things on tv, but eh...I think I miss Betty too much. And there was just too much Megan!
• I miss not feeling guilty about loving Pete. 
• I was reading through some of my old Mad Men posts and I was struck by just how much joy Pete brought to me. Even when he was acting slimy, I still found everything about him so utterly enjoyable. 
• It was HARD being a Pete fan this year. I still love him, but man, I was pretty disappointed with all of his choices.
• I realize that this is a very specific issue that probably only I have.
• The best (and probably worst) thing to come out of this season of Mad Men:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXoILGnHnvM.
• Actually, years from now I'm pretty sure that's the only thing I'm going to remember about this season of Mad Men.

Downton Abbey

• Here's a preview for season 3
• Season 2 of Downton Abbey was.....ridiculous!
• Sometimes in a good way, often times in a bad way.
• Mary/Matthew was still wonderful though.

Breaking Bad Season 5.1

• Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
• 'Whee' is probably not the right reaction to this show, but ahh I can't help it, I love it so much!
• This was the first season of the show I got to watch 'live' and it was awesome yet painful having to wait weeks between episodes.
• I loved the first half of Season 5. Absolutely loved it.
• I do think it started off a bit slow. But I think that's par for the course with this show.
• I think those early episodes work though because they felt like they were all leading up to that moment where Todd shoots that poor kid. Everything seemed to fall apart after that happened.
• And what a moment that was! I was so preoccupied with the train heist (which was awesome, btw) that I had completely forgotten about the kid on the motorbike from the opening scene. And then...
• The last 3 episodes of the season were amazeballs. It was kind of similar to season 4 for me, where the first part of the season was good, but kind of slow, but as soon as we got to the last 5 or so episodes it became truly amazing.
• This season further cemented my hatred of Walter White. I've hated him for a while, but seeing him in full Heisenberg mode made me loathe him. He's still a fascinating character and I love watching him on the show, but I really know that I can never root for him again (even though I pretty much knew that since the end of season 2).
• And a lot of that had to do with him killing Mike. Who was a character I always really enjoyed. Mostly because he was always so grumpy! But I felt like we got a lot of good Mike stuff this season and I really liked the relationship he had been building up with Jesse since season 4. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen, but I was still shocked at the reactionary way Walt killed him. Mike did end up getting a great last line though.
• If there's one thing I do think this season was missing was more Jesse-focus. Of course I'm always going to want more Jesse since he's my favorite. But I feel like in every season we are right there in Jesse's head along with Walt's and this time, we didn't get that as much. Or maybe I didn't like the direction Jesse was going in - obediently following all of Walt's plans to further the business. I think that's why I really loved the last 3 episodes because we got a little more from Jesse and what he was going through. We saw the toll the murder of the little boy was taking on him, and his ultimate decision to quit the business made me so proud of him! All of his scenes with Walt in the last 3 episodes were brilliant (and occasionally hilarious like that scene with the Whites at dinner), especially their fight in "Say My Name". Jesse is the one character I most want to be happy at the end of this crazy mess, but his life has been just one big tragedy and I'm afraid it's going to end that way.
• I love the notion that Hank is really the hero of the show, so the last scene of the mid-season finale was awesome! I think I was expecting Hank to find out in a "bigger" way, but that's why it was so great. It was very unexpected. I can't wait to see what will come of it!
• To end I'll start at the beginning. With a Walt with hair celebrating his 52nd birthday and buying a gun to do, well, we don't know exactly! But I love this glimpse into the future and I love that Breaking Bad is still taking risks in its 5th season. 
• Basically I just really love this show!

Mark Those Calendars, You Anglophiles!

Because Downton Abbey (sometimes affectionately referred to as "DownTOWN" Abbey on this here blog) returns January 8, 2012!

Is it just me, or are there 90 people in this cast? It must be all the strategic dovetailing.

Highclere Castle, servants, and Granthams/Crawleys, oh, how I have missed thee.

PBS finally gave a release date for series 2! And I don't know about you, but I huzzah'd pretty loudly. There may have even been a fist-pump involved.

Story-wise, series 2 will bring us smack dab in the middle of WWI. Not sure if we'll get to see any intense battle-scenes, but there definitely will be fancy red suits!

As with most shows, there's some cast turnover. Gwen, the ambitious housemaid, will not be returning, unfortunately (based on her character development last series, I'd like to think she's off being a young professional turned secretary at the war department).

  

Filling Gwen's empty spot as housemaid is Ethel, played by Amy Nuttall.

She looks innocent enough, doesn't she? Keep your hooks out of her, O'Brien! 

Iain Glen as Sir Richard Carlisle is another addition.

Trading in the scruff and the Dothraki sea for a 3-piece suit across the pond*. 

 An extremely dapper one, I might add. Some of you might know him as Ser Jorah Mormont on a little show called Game of Thrones. He was also in the season 5 episode of Doctor Who entitled "The Time of Angels." If you haven't seen him, let it be known that he's a splendid actor, and, more importantly, his. accent. is. delicious. I already know I will be counting the times he and Dame Maggie Smith steal scenes (from others and, hopefully, each other).

 Of course, it'll be nice to see the characters I love to watch (and sometimes, love to hate--I'm looking at you, Thomas!) come back. I'm also interested to see how WWI is dealt with both upstairs and downstairs.

O hai, Carson and William!!

The HBIC and the bitch-tastic Edith.

But mainly, I just want to see if the Dowager Countess will pick up a firearm due to Britian's involvement in the war. If she encounters some new-fangled technology, that'd be great, too! She's already proven she can master swivel chairs. Make it happen, Masterpiece! I'm sure I'll enjoy her story-arcs and the series regardless. (But seriously, make it happen.)

Ahem. Anyways, Downton Abbey returns in January. We at the blog will do our best to keep you posted as we get closer to the premiere!

To get more of your Downton Abbey fix, go here  and gaze to your heart's content.


  *This picture is for you, Lea ;)

 [photo credit: itv.com]

Uptown Downstairs Abbey Parts 1 & 2: You Read It Right!

 Yes, the second season is currently filming in the UK (huzzah!). However, as is custom with some BBC shows, it still might take eons for it to get here (boo). In the meantime, here's a little something for those in need of a Downton Abbey fix (courtesy of the BBC's Comic Relief Night 2011):






Some Highlights:
-The Narrator? Hogwart's greatest headmaster, of course!
-Yes, that is Kim Cattrall from SATC. Really.
-Daisy as a teddy bear in a maid's outfit
-'Dame Maggie Smith's' myraid grimacing expressions
-Staircase continuity seems hard on the knees
-Thomas: "Why are you so mean? I love it, but why?"
-O'Brien's hair "knitting" itself
-and many, many others.

Downton Abbey Episode 1 Recap: If You Read This Whole Post, I'll Give You A Fancy British Lady Hat

Like Lea said, we at the blog have promised to post more for 2011, so...

...hold on to your hats, because this post is a small Russian novel. The upcoming ones will be shorter, I promise! 

Let's get to it, shall we?

Seeing as I’d only watched PBS’ Emma and Sherlock Holmes last year, I’m kind of a novice when it comes the Masterpiece Series. Both shows were well-cast, had great performances, and were overall extremely enjoyable. When I saw a new series, Downton Abbey, was premiering last Sunday, I decided to DVR it just to try it out. The components—another glimpse of British society, an interesting and expansive cast with some heavy hitters (hello, Dame Maggie Smith!)—looked promising. My verdict so far after episode 1? Downton Abbey delivers in many ways.

The Rundown: Since this show has a fleet of a cast, I'm going to play the lazy card and direct you to the PBS Masterpiece site, which gives a much more thorough and clear synopsis and character rundown than I ever could. 

BUT! Here are the basics if YOU want to play the lazy card and not click on the link: Basically, the story begins in 1912, right when news breaks about the Titanic sinking. The Crawleys find out that 2 of their male relatives, one of whom was supposed to take over their countryside estate, Downton Abbey, were passengers on the liner and did not make it. Mary, the Crawleys' eldest daughter was to marry Patrick, her father's nephew, and produce an heir to the family fortune. Since Patrick died, Mary either has to find another suitor or lose the family fortune to the only eligible male relative left, Lord Grantham's 3rd cousin once removed, Matthew Crawley. There are also servants. Also, Maggie Smith plays the HBIC, the Dowager Countess, Violet Crawley. *Gasp* There. That was a mouthful. 

On to the commentary!!!! One aspect I find interesting about this show so far is that it looks at both the lives of the Crawley family as well as the servants. It gives us a glimpse of life both upstairs and downstairs. In true Masterpiece fashion, both glimpses are nuanced in their own right. Like the Crawleys, the servants' stories so far are given real character depth; within their group, they have their own inner hierarchy, their own hidden or not so hidden ambitions, regrets, desires, etc. No one in this show is easy to characterize, which I love. 

With any good show, it only takes one episode to find a few great characters that are stellar at chewing up scenery, and DA does not disappoint. I give you...

My Favorite Characters So Far,  In No Particular Order:   

HBIC. Scene stealer.

1) The Dowager Countess herself, Violet Crawley

Maggie Smith, correction Dame Maggie Smith, is brilliantly cast as the matriarch bent on saving the Crawley estate; she manages to steal every scene she's in, naturally. That usually happens when you've been a national treasure on stage and screen for multiple decades. Violet Crawley loves her family, but she's not your typical warm and fuzzy grandmother. Smith plays her as a woman who knows she's pulling the strings but with good intentions. 

I also can't help but think of McGonagall when she comes on screen, but that's not a detriment in any way, shape or form. 

2) Mr. Bates, Lord Grantham's Dignified Beyond Belief Valet

Perhaps the most sympathetic character in the show. And it's not just because he's a valet with a limp. Every expression that comes across John Coyle's face is tinged with just a hint of sadness, but not so much that it's overdone. He's stoic enough that he conveys this quietly wounded quality that makes me root for his life to get better. His interactions with possible love interest, Anna, were very sweet and a bit heartbreaking. I wonder why he didn't say anything to stop her from leaving his doorstep? It could've been he was just acting like the gentleman he is, but is there something else? This is Masterpiece Classic, after all. Secrets and secret lives are the lifeblood to a show like this. 

Speaking of....can we talk. 

Other Characters I Don't Necessarily Like, but Like to Watch:

Not your typical footman.

1) Thomas

Though he may not warm the cockles of my heart, Thomas, one of the footmen, is certainly a character to watch. He exudes arrogance and an ambition that seems ruthless and mean at times. However, we also get a glimpse of his vulnerability when he shows his affection for the Duke of Crowborough. He briefly lets down his guard for his secret love interest, only to be rejected and dismissed as a summer dalliance. To add insult to injury, the Duke throws all traces of their relationship (a stack of letters) into the fireplace, and their history literally goes up in smoke. It's interesting to see that even Thomas can get hurt; that scene made me sympathetic towards him, despite his usual abrasive qualities. 

Matthew; Lady Mary Crawley, trying to keep a tightfisted hold of her fortune since 1912.

2) Lady Mary Crawley

There's no mistaking she's a bit of an ice queen, but she has shades of gray as well. Like Thomas, Mary's definitely got a secret or two underneath her cool exterior. What I want to know is what is her relationship to the author of the letter she keeps tucked in her book? It was signed 'Sincerely, Evelyn'. Who could that be??? 

Other thoughts: She and cousin Matthew didn't exactly have the friendliest of introductions, but I have a feeling they're supposed to end up married to each other. They seem to be thrown together as part of your typical adversarial relationship turned romantic, or rather, 'girl-thinks-guy-can-barely-hold-a-knife-like-a gentleman, guy-refuses-to-become-haughty-aristocrat-like-girl, they meet in the middle somehow, hate turns to love sort of deal'. (Unless, the 'Evelyn' in that mysterious letter makes an appearance (which could throw an interesting wrench in the plot)). From the previews for ep. 2, it looks like Mary's going to have a dalliance or two of her own. We'll have to wait and see.

Other Stuff I Just Thought Was Cool:

Bells. Shiny. Oh, hey, Mr. Carson!

1) The bell system the servants answer to. 

It is wayyy more awesome-looking than a boring modern day intercom. DO WANT.

2) The Pre-WWI Bromance between Lord Grantham and Mr. Bates. 

When LG ran after the carriage to stop his old war buddy from leaving, thus giving him a second chance at keeping his job, my heart melted a little. 

3) The Dowager Countess' hats. 

In addition to making good period dramas, the British really know how to make and wear hats. I almost want one for myself, but I'm pretty sure I could only pull it off if I had a matching country side estate complete with a fleet of servants, both of which would be riddled with intrigue. Oh, well. A girl can dream. 

Every matriarch worth her salt needs a good hat that says, 'I run this bizzle.'

Episode 2 airs tomorrow night on PBS at 9 p.m.! 

[Image credits: fanpop.com, pbs.org]