Top 9 Things That Were Actually Okay In Supernatural Season 9

 Some time ago I ranted into the wee hours of the night about everything I thought was bad about season nine of Supernatural. But in the spirit of fairness (and because I try to be an optimist) I thought about what things that happened in season 9 that actually, well, worked in my opinion. So, here it is: the top nine things that were okay in season nine.

Second Verse, same as the first.

 

9. Cas understanding pop culture actually working

 Hold up, people who will no doubt call this blasphemy! I, too, was doubtful and annoyed when Meta Sue uploaded Cas's brain with every story ever so he'd get his references. (Seriously, even I try to not overdo it with references I know people won't get, or force them to get them.) But, the few times we've seen him use this new ability, it's worked. They haven't overdone or beaten us over the head with Cas getting story references now.

 Plus, it leads to this wonderful exchange where he and Gadreel are trying to sneak their way back to Heaven. Cas's suggestion? "Wookie!"

"Where did you find the handcuffs, Castiel?" "It's best not to ask questions, Gadreel..."

Gadreel's confusion at the reference just sells it. Cas gets to see what it was like for Dean when he didn't get his references.

 I know it's still soon to say they got this right (they still have season 10 to run the joke into the ground and ruin it), but for now, they got it pretty good. Gold star sticker! ...Bronze.

8. Richard Speight Jr/Gabriel's appearance and dialogue in "Meta Fiction"

 I know, I know. I put the Gabriel fakeout on my worst list, BUT. But. Before that horrible thing happened, it was really awesome to see Gabriel again. His dialogue was some of the best, helped out immensely by Richard Speight Jr.'s delivery. Seriously, he got some of the funniest lines of the season, some can be seen here and here.

 Seriously, they way he bounced off Castiel and just stole the entire episode was awesome. It made me miss the character even more, and hope he'll pop up next season or real, in all his trickster archangel glory. (And if he does, that he'll interact with Crowley. The sheer sass of that meeting would be glorious.)

7. Decent treatment of Charlie, Garth, The Trans, and Jodie

 Between fake-outs, destroying characters, and killing them, it's almost easy to forget that they treated some reoccurring characters pretty decently in their appearances, and didn't kill them off (well, in Charlie's case, not very long).

 Charlie, while having a fake-out death in her one episode of the season, "Slumber Party", still got some really decent treatment. Heck, in the end, after killing The Wicked Witch, she ends up going to Oz to have the adventure she always dreamed of with Dorothy. (And who knows, maybe they hooked up afterwards. It could happen.) Yeah, there's a good chance we may never see Charlie again, at least anytime soon (Felicia Day is starring her own TV series soon, so her availability may go down). But if we do end up never seeing her again, it's still a great send-off. And compared to Tessa's unceremonious departure, one of the better ones. Period.

 Garth was another one who was treated well in his episode, "Sharp Tooth". I was terrified when I saw the promos for that episode, with Garth admitting he was a werewolf now. If anything, reoccurring character on Supernatural + Becoming something supernatural seemed to spell death for the beloved guy who I swear is probably Supernatural's Jesus (I WILL STAND BY THIS HEADCANON UNTIL I DIE!). Then they revealed he had a wife and was generally really happy with his new life with werewolves. Naturally, I was already prepared to mourn and flip tables. But no, they let Garth live, and let him be happy. Which is really awesome.

 Now, it might be weird to include The Trans under "decent treatment", since, you know, Kevin died and Mama Tran, while not being dead like Crowley said, was still locked up in a storage unit for the better part of a year and most likely tortured, so... But, still, Mama Tran's not dead, so her awesomeness can still show up in the future. And Kevin's spirit got to go be with his mom until they figure out how to fix Heaven and such (or revive him? Maybe?), so they get to be reunited! And Kevin doesn't have to listen to another Winchester self-pity party. ;P

 And as for Jodie, not only does she not die (making her now among the quickly dwindling number of Kripke Era characters who've survived the Post-Kripke series, AND surviving reoccurring female characters for that matter), but she gets to be shown as a competent hunter. And in "Alex Annie Alexis Ann", she gets to bond with and possibly take in a young girl at the end. Plus, Jodie is just awesome. That is all.

6. Castiel Post-"Holy Terror"/"First Born"/Cas and Sam Actually Interacting One-On-One More

 This one, I decided to mesh the two things together, since they were in a similar vein.

 Castiel, after the tragic waste that was his human arc, was pretty awesome this season. Not only did he get a moment of awesome in "Holy Terror" when he stole another angel's grace to get some of his mojo back, but he stayed awesome after that. Like I said in the Bad Things List, while he didn't get to show him getting his development of "caring more for humans" and such, he does keep up said development. He even gets a lot of the angels to follow him simply because he doesn't want to fight anymore. He probably could've gotten it all done peacefully if it weren't for Meta Sue.

 And he does so many awesome things and moves along half the plot so much more than The Boys do, in my opinion. He's the one to kill Bartholomew and get most of the angels in-line. AND he's the one who ultimately stops Metatron in an admittedly satisfying (but sadly Meta Sue-gankingless) way. He breaks the angel tablet and hoists him by his own petard, ending the conflict without violence and getting Metatron locked up. (On a side note, I like to think of "Cas Vs. Meta-Sue" on a meta level being a well-written character triumphing over a poorly-written one.)

 But the other thing I liked with Cas was that he ACTUALLY INTERACTS WITH SAM ONE-ON-ONE THIS SEASON. One of the things I really wanted to see was Sam and Cas getting to interact more. They rarely ever seem to interact with each other by themselves: either Cas is having "profound bondtime" with Dean or when they do interact, Dean or some other character is there. The few times I do recall them talking one on one is in season 6, when he tells him "you can stay soulless if you do something terrible like kill Bobby", or when he pretty much tells him "hey, your soul was in The Cage with Lucifer for months while your soulless body ran around being terrible! Oops, I shouldn't have said that. K bye!" And he kinda had ulterior motives with those actions.

  But here, they do get to talk and interact one-on-one more, mainly in "First Born" and... "Stairway To Heaven"... *sighs* ... And it's great. I like seeing them interact more. Don't get me wrong, I love brotherly banter and hunter/angel bromance as much as the next fan, but its nice to see this, too. And given what the storyline's supposedly supposed to be next season, I'm sure we'll get more of it in the future.

5. Gavin MacLeod
 Speaking of future, here's a character who gets sent to the future! Well, the future for him, anyway. It's just present day for us... I am the best at transitions...

 Anyway, in "King Of The Damned", Abaddon decides to take advantage of Crowley's status as an Emotionally Compromised King Of Hell. She figures by taking his son (from his human life), Gavin, from his time period (1723) to theirs as leverage, the more emotional Crowley will decide to go along with her in killing The Winchesters.

 Oh my gosh, I love this character and all he presents.

 First, there's his whole "fish out of water" status in the present day. It's just hilarious.

Gavin: [upon realizing he's in a skyscraper] We're among the heavens! Oh, you must be angels!

 Crowley and Abaddon: Seriously?

And I love his interactions and banter with Crowley, as well. It's one of the highlights of the episode, seeing the two bond. Needless to say, they hate each other a bit less, now.

(Though I could've swore his ghost looked older in "Weekend At Bobby's".... Eh, I'll let it slide. Besides, it could just be timey-wimey stuff)

 Plus, there's hisstatus at the end of the episode. Crowley decides when all is said and done, and Abaddon dead (alas), to keep Gavin around rather than send him back in time to die. Hopefully this means he'll appear again. And maybe we'll see what happens to the timeline when Gavin's largely gone. Is that why Bobby was stuck in hell in "Taxi Driver"? Is Gavin being free what causes Dean's death or any of the boys' issues? Will he be Crowley's undoing? C'mon!

 So, yeah, I like Gavin. Though I must admit, Crowley should know better than to mess with the timeline, given certain things...

C'mon, Canton's like one of my favorite companions, I can't NOT make a reference.

4. The Mark of Cain Story Arc
  Let's face it, a lot of story arcs weren't handled well this season, and were generally lackluster. But I thought The Mark of Cain arc went well. And mostly, I like what it gave us. It presented a lot of world-building: it gave this universe's version of Cain and Abel (though, I admit, Cain's motivations here for killing Abel  made me roll my eyes a bit, and wonder if next Judas would be revealed to have taken the pieces of silver for an orphan puppy's operation.), more information on The Knights of Hell, and introduced, you guessed it, The Mark of Cain and what it does to its bearer.

 I liked it, most of the episodes in this arc were solid. And because at the end of the season, it left us with the awesome story possibility. At the end, The Mark turns Dean into a demon. The story potential here is awesome (if they don't end it unceremoniously soon like I hear they might). The only other downside is that Abaddon dies in this arc. I liked her as a villain and honestly wouldn't have been disappointed if she'd won (unless Crowley died to do so). (And yet Metatron's story "isn't done yet". *flips table*). But overall, it was solid, and the best arc of the season.

3. "Mother's Little Helper"
 Hey, here's an episode I adore for reasons you may not expect! Okay, so this was the episode Misha Collins (Castiel) directed. And while it was well-directed (but I'm admittedly not skilled enough to fully critique such things), that's not why I love this episode. Heck, despite the world-building through flashback and clever call backs, it's not those that sell this episode for me. No.

 It's that Sam gets to be awesome here.

 Yes, an episode featuring Crowley, and Sam's the one who steals the show. You see, half the episode is Sam going solo on a hunt, while he and the audience learn more about Henry Winchester and Abaddon's vessel, Josie. But boy, does he get to show off his great traits:

• He sticks up for and protects a woman in the diner from a soulless man
• He's freaking clever against a demon, using a pre-recorded exorcism on his phone to distract her
• He ultimately manages to hunt and kill the demon all on his own

 With the Post-Kripke Eras, it's pretty easy to forget that Sam is not only a capable hunter on his own, but a freakin' bad mutha-jumpa. It feels like he spends most of the recent seasons as the troubled ill-boy little brother Dean has to self-destructively protect. It's nice to see Sam be capable again. And I'm hoping season 10 keeps this up.


2. "Blade Runners"

 This is probably my favorite episode of the season. For multiple reasons. Much like I plan to review "I'm No Angel" and "Bloodlines", I want to review this on its own. It's funny, it builds on the world, it's enjoyable, it's Crowley-centric, it's Mooseley fuel, I just really like it, and I'll preobably review it someday... Along with recap the other seasons... And review Sherlock season 3... And the rest of the X-Men movies I have... :/

 And what I felt was the best thing about season 9, to the surprise of no one, is...

1. Crowley

 Gee, the character I wrote a whole post about liking the most is the best thing? Who'd have thunk? Well, it's true. Crowley was the best thing this season. His storylines were great. His lines were the best (convincing me the writers give most of the good dialogue to Crowley). He stole the show almost every episode he starred in. Whenever Crowley showed up this season, I felt joy. He even got the best monologue of the season, topping his "I deserve to be loved" one from season 8 (starts at about 0:36):

 

 Also, Mark Sheppard does some great acting this season, too, given Crowley's situation. Besides his perfect delivery of his one-liners, Sheppard gets to show Crowley as vulnerable. And he does it really well. I know a good chunk of the fans were clamoring for Jensen Ackles to get a Emmy nomination, but HOLY CRAP MARK DESERVES ONE, TOO! His character was the one I was rooting for. I mean, Cas was gone a lot, Sam was either possessed or ticked at Dean most of the season, and Dean made a lo of questionable decisions. Plus, his best line:

 It sums up everything. I'm glad his promoted to regular for season ten, and I hope this means he won't be dying anytime soon.

---

 Well, I've said my peace. What did you think of season 9, if you watched it. What did you like? Dislike? Do you agree with me or want to launch a war with me on our opinions? Let me know! Meanwhile, time to move on.

(...And yes I'll still watch season 10. I'm still going down with the ship, m'lads.)

*SQUEALS* OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH!

http://strawberrypatty.tumblr.com/post/77261986911/mildly-nerdy-ramblings-of-a-loveable-freak-loveable

EMCEE FOUND MY REVIEW OF "THE FULL HOUSE"! (The link also has a link to the review) I just! I can't! This is awesome!

…Now I wonder who else from stuff I reviewed has seen my reviews?

What Makes Hannibal So Great?

 Hey, long time no write! Sorry, had a lot of distractions.

 You know, with the second season of Hannibal going on, I've been reminded how much I love this show. It's on-par with Sherlock, if not better.

 I already sort of reviewed the show (after seeing two episodes) last year, but I want to talk about all the things this show does right. What makes this show so... erm... delicious!

 Oh, and their might be:

PRODUCTION & ATMOSPHERE

 This show has to have some of the most high-quality cinematography I've seen on network TV. It rivals Sherlock in terms of how it's shot. The people behind the show clearly put a lot of effort into making this show come to life. The show is loaded with symbolism, and it has lots of trippy imagery that really makes the show stand out from its competition.

 One notable trait of this show is the "death tableaus". Most of the time, when a murder's discovered, the body is always presented in a macabre sort of display. From totem poles made of bodies, to human cellos, to a body arranged into a saber-toothed tiger. They're are gruesome, but as you continue to watch, much like Will Graham, it gets easier to look. Plus, there's almost a twisted, dark beauty to the arrangements. They get away with a lot on the show. Really pushing the boundaries of network TV.

 That's another thing: the atmosphere. The show has this really fitting atmosphere. It's kind of this unsettling feeling, but it's not alienating. The world is dangerous, but inviting. A bit like the title character.

Oh, that reminds me:

ACTING AND CHARACTERS

 The show has a bunch of really good actors. The main focus here has to go to the two lead actors: Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelson.

 Dancy plays the tortured but gifted FBI consultant Will Graham. Will, as I mentioned in my brief review, is gifted with empathy. But as the show goes on, we learn how unstable he is. The first season is devoted to his downward spiral, due both to a medical condition and Hannibal's manipulations (which are further exposed through flashbacks in season 2). And Hugh Dancy plays it well. When he portrayed Will breaking down sobbing, begging Hannibal not to be lying, it honestly broke my heart. There's a reason one of the fandom's catchphrases is "somebody help Will Graham."

 And in season two, he does an equally good job playing the dark side of Will. You can believe he's been pushed to do the questionable things he does (manipulate, murder, lie) in order to expose Hannibal.

 Speaking of America's Favorite Psycho Psychiatrist, Mads Mikkelson plays him well, too. He makes the iconic role his own, and lives up to his well-known predecessor, Anthony Hopkins. He is able to be a despicable, intimidating human being, but at the same time cool, collected, and likeable. His Hannibal is like a Venus Flytrap: you're drawn in (like the characters), but he's deadly, and doesn't hesitate to remind us. But with how he portrays him, the audience is still able to come back to him, if that makes sense. Heck, the first time I think the fandom turned on him was after Will's aforementioned breakdown, and even then the fans eventually sort of got over it and accepted his being a terrible person.

  Some notable notable actors and their roles on the show include: Gillian Anderson as Hannibal's mysterious psychiatrist, Bedelia DuMaurier. Raul Esparza as Dr. Frederick Chilton (who plays him as both an absolute scumbag in season one, but also enjoyably pathetic in season two). Lara Jean Chorostecki as Freddie Lounds, the online reporter I personally love to hate. Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford. Hettienne Park as the beloved Beverly Katz, as well as the other two forensics guys Jimmy Price and Brian Zeller (played by Scott Thompson and Aarom Abrams. And finally, Michael Pitt as Mason Verger. Dear God, Michael Pitt as Mason Verger.

WRITING

 Finally, there's the writing. Bryan Fuller, the man in charge. Has a clear vision of what he wants to do (having planned 7 seasons of the show). The writing is superb. I can not think of a single episode that didn't entertain me in some way. The story flows at a good pace, not dragging on, but not rushing either. And there never seems to be a useless episode either. Some people have mentioned the story takes some deviations from the books (which I have never read at the time of this editorial thing), but I'm fine with it. From what I do know, he does pay several homages to the original, as well. And I don't see anything wrong with his own interpretation. They are very clear on that. It's not like he's taking the story as is and butchering it, like several adaptions tend to do.

 But the best part is that the show is very unpredictable. Just when you think you understand where it's going: BAM! Something happens that changes everything. A character you thought was safe gets killed, one you thought you could trust turns out to not be so trustworthy, and one you thought was dead was alive all along. And you can never be certain what's going on, who's manipulating who. The only certainty is that Hannibal is a cannibal and The Chesapeake Ripper. And I love it.

 The show has also drawn actual reaction from me, too. From pleading for a character to turn around and leave before they get caught, to gasping at a character getting suddenly shot. The show gets more of a direct reaction out of me than "I liked this/didn't like this/was outraged by the writers doing this" than most of the shows I watch.

 Plus, the show knows how to leave off on a cliffhanger better than other longer-running shows I watch. The first season ends with Will locked up in BSHCI after Hannibal frames him, and the second... GAH! I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL IT UNTIL I REVIEW SEASON 2! It's so good! It leave you begging for another helping just to figure out what's going to happen. I remember reading a joke saying that the reason they renew the show is that the higher-ups watch the finales and want to know what happens, too.

---

 So that's my two cents on why Hannibal is such a good show. It's one of my favorite shows on TV right now. I highly recommend it, though the squeamish should tread carefully. It's truly a modern masterpiece, deserving of all the awards.

Loveable Freak Reviews Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

  So, I've finally read this book I've been dying to read: Good Omens. And IT. IS. FANTASTIC!

 I'm going to avoid putting big spoilers for this 14 year old book...

 Anyway, the book is about the prophesized end of the world. However, as Heaven and Hell gather their forces, there's been a mistake as to who the Anti-Christ is. Meanwhile, a demon named Crowley (...I know...) and an angel named Aziraphale are opposed to this, as they have been on Earth since the beginning and have learned to love mankind and the world in general. So they are fighting to circumvent the end...

 ...And it's a comedy!

 Seriously, this book is hilarious! The tone of the narrator is so snarky. And it has hilarious footnotes (at least in my 'Murican copy). You may wonder how freaking ARMAGEDDON could be funny, well, this is how. I'd compare the writing style to that of the late Douglas Adam's A Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (another book that's worth reading). And all the characters are quirky and memorable.

 The two big ones I should mention are our essential leads: Crowley and Aziraphale, two unlikely friends.

 Crowley is a fast-talking demon that thinks outside the box when it comes to demonic work. He also sees tempting and condemning souls as more of a job that needs to be done (like tax collection), and is not that terrible a pers-erm, demon. Plus, he drives a freaking classic black Bentley, gardens, and listens to Queen! How can I not love him? Great, now two demons named Crowley are my favorite characters. Starting to sense a pattern... Or a type with me...

 Aziraphale is also loveable. He runs a bookstore, but refuses to sell his books because he's attached to them, and is hilariously fussy and adorkable (he does stage magician tricks without using angel magic, for pete's sake!). And, like Crowley, he's not exactly a goody-two shoes of an angel (but not to the degree of, say, 98% of the angels of Supernatural...)

 I feel I should also mention The Four Horsemen Horsepeople. There are some pretty unique concepts with them. War is a beautiful woman, for example. Famine writes diet books and makes food that purposely starve people. Instead of Pestilence, there's Pollution. And Death TALKS IN ALL CAPS WITH NO QUOTATION MARKS.

 The book is incredibly well-written. It's very easy to picture the scenes. Some of them would be great in a movie, such as when the Four Horsepeople meet up. It's co-written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Gaiman is a writer who at this point can do no wrong in my eyes no matter what he writes, and I wanna be like one day. As for Pratchett, I've yet to read his books, but I seriously want to try them now.

Final Thoughts:

• Too many favorite scenes and lines to list.
• I think Eric Kripke and at least some of the writers on Supernatural are fans of the book. Seriously! A demon named Crowley that's innovative, Anti-Apocalypse, and every so often isn't that bad of a guy (especially in light of the episode "Road Trip")? An episode with what can only be described as the reality-warping Anti-Antichrist? I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
• True story: when reading the scene where Crowley's racing to Tadfield as The Bentley bursts into flames, my iPod started playing the song "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. It worked so well. If they make a movie or something of this book, I swear, THAT SONG NEEDS TO PLAY DURING THAT SCENE.
• Speaking of movies: I might do a post sometime with a hypothetical casting for an adaptation...

 Overall, I really love this book and highly recommend it. Seriously. Read it. It... You won't regret it...

...

...Go read the thing...

Loveable Freak Comments On The Mid-Season Promo For Season 9 ofSupernatural

 *Mild Spoilers For Season 9 of Supernatural*

 ... When I wanted them to actually kill someone, I didn't want them to kill Kevin! *sigh* I know it's hypocritical, saying I wanted people to die then turning around and saying "bring Kevin back", but come on!

 *deep breath* It's Supernatural. Anybody can come back. Anybody can come back. Anybody can back... *repeats mantra*

  Ahem... Anyway...

  So, next week Supernatural returns! And oh boy, am I looking forward to the next one. Why? Because my favorite character, Crowley, gets to torture Gadreel (AKA "The Angel Formerly Known As Ezekiel") to make him leave Sam!

  Crowley has been best pony my favorite character this season. It's going to be cathartic to see him beat Gadreel out of Sam. I really dislike him, for multiple reasons (killing Kevin now added to the list).


 So, if I may say it in advance: Crowley....

 *ahem* Sorry...

  Anyway, let's check out the big mid-season promo:

 Let's see:


Oh hai, Mark... (Also, yes, I am experimenting with screenshots...)

   Yay, Crowley! I wanna give Mark Sheppard heaps of nice things for playing him!

Crowley: "Is... Is she pointing a gun at us, Squirrel?
This is the last time I accompany you on an adventure..." 

 ...Dean and Crowley apparently on a hunt or something? Is Crowley gonna stick around? Is he gonna make a heel face turn/have a redemption arc? Is he gonna join Team Free Will? Is he gonna flirt with Sam more? Hopefully!

DOUBLE TAP! DOUBLE TAP!

  IS THE COATOAN VIRUS BACK!? (I realize that I forgot to mention that in my season 2 recap... Oh well, it comes up in season 5, I'll explain it in that recap...)

ERMERGERD, ERV BERN GERNKERD!

  I think I see another wacky episode coming up... Or this is unintentional... (hopefully something to do with Gabriel?)

I'm going to pretend he's in the hospital for an incident involving playing with adorable puppies...

GARTH! :D Writers, don't you DARE touch a hair on his head! You took away my Kevin and my Charlie, already! Let me at least have this! (And the aforementioned Crowley thing...)

  Ech! Metatron... I blame you for this season (in-story)...

Go step on a angel blade LEGO doused in holy fire, you prophet-killing,
grace-stealing, angel-casting-out cowardly weasel! 

  Yay! Abaddon! I like her as a villain. Please don't kill her, either, writers. We have so little reoccurring female characters, now. With Meg gone, there's an opening for a female demon. And with Charlie gone, we have an opening for a redhead. Plus, if Crowley does go through a redemption, there's an opening for a main reoccurring villain/demonic monarch...

Hail to the queen...

  Abaddon vs. Crowley: The Rematch. I will like this.

I love Crowley's face, here. So much sass conveyed without a word...

  ...I have no analysis, this was just a hilarious side effect of pausing...



In this moment, Crowley regretted all his life choices...

  We have definitely got a deal, Crowley... Let the questionable methods begin!

Enjoy, you plague on the season! Crowley, kindly avoid the teeth and nose. It IS still Sam's body...

   I think it's Gadreel talking at this part. Can't entirely be sure. I... I just want him to go away... He's dead to me. I know Jared Padalecki likes getting to do this duel role this season, but I hate this character...





Shoo! We want our old Moose back...

  I love Castiel's face, here, though. He looks 100% done.

"Getting real tired of your crap, Gadreel..."

  Overall, I am excited about this. Hopefully this will fix some of the problems I've had with the season thus far. Plus, more Mark Sheppard as Crowley!

  That's always awesome!

  Yes you do, sir. Yes. You. Do.

Loveable Freak (Sort Of) Reviews (And Sort Of Analyzes) BBC Sherlock: "Many Happy Returns" Minisode

 

    SCREAMING! It's here! The minisode is here early!

 

 

 

  *ahem* Sorry. So, I'm going to do my best to review this beautiful little thing. You know the drill (thought the video is towards the end for those who haven't see it yet):

 

Oh, you don't know how good this feels to write a Sherlock review again...

 

  So, when we last left everyone, Sherlock was supposedly dead. This takes place an unspecified time after "The Reichenbach Fall" (we can assume it's before John grew Harold his magnificent moustache). Everyone seems to be trying to move on from Sherlock. Except, surprisingly, Anderson, who insists to Lestrade ol' Sherly's alive, solving crimes around the globe and working his way back to England. Lestrade tells the now ex-forensics specialist to let it go, and goes to deliver some things of Sherlock's he had to John. Including a DVD with an uncut birthday message for John. Feels, brilliance, and sheer amounts of excitement in the fandom ensue.

 

  Alright, let's start with the big thing here: ANDERSON STILL BELIEVES IN SHERLOCK. ANDERSON. "SYLVIA" (according to Gatiss) "SHERLOCK AND THE FANDOM'S PUNCHING BAG" ANDERSON STILL BELIEVES IN SHERLOCK HOLMES. Needless to say, at least on Twitter (yes I have a Twitter, no I won't tell you who I am), everyone's opinion has done a 180. It's sweet that, despite how cruel he and Sherlock were to each other, he still believes that he's out there. And it's impressive he's the one clever enough to notice the pattern. I kind of liked Anderson in a "lovingly make fun of him" way, but now I like him even more. Plus, we get a taste of Anderson and Lestrade's relationship. Lestrade seems genuinely concerned about Anderson's obsession with Sherlock (that cost Adnerson his job), and tells him about how they all want him back. And Anderson gets a few jabs at Lestrade.

 

  What's next? Will Donavan be portrayed as a decent person this season? Is Sherlock and Anderson's relationship going to change? Will this season be to the fandom with him what season 2 was for me with Lestrade? GAH! Excited.

 

  Also, everything to do with the DVD was pretty touching. And it was fantastic to see Martin Freeman's John and Cumberlock again. Oh, Cumberlock, I missed you. There was light humor with recording!Sherlock asking about what to do in the video, refusing to go to the birthday dinner because there's people, and insisting all John's friends hate him.

 

  Then comes the awesome part when John rhetorically tells the recording's Sherlock to come back. To which the recording says "Okay!" and says how he'll be back. Meanwhile Lestrade passes a well-dressed bystander with a newpaper, an article reading "The Game Is Back On", and smiles. This, two, rasises questions, in a good way. Is the bystander Sherlock? Or Mycroft? Is Lestrade in on the faked death now? Is it sort of like my favorite fanfic, "The Full House", in that case? GAH! I am so excited!

 

Okay, final thoughts:

• Now that we're all attached to Anderson, I'm afraid Moffat and Gatiss are going to kill him. I hope not, but if it happens, I called it...
• This is notably written by both Moffat AND Gatiss. *insert joke about it taking two writers to write a 7-minute short but one to write a 90-minute episode*
• I missed everything about this show...
• I can't pick a favorite thing, since this was only 7 minutes and it was brilliant throughout. So just watch it. In fact: here it is on YouTube:

 

                              

 

  Overall, it was a brilliant short/minisode. I loved this and it only fuels my excitement for the next season even more. I can't wait until the show officially returns on January 14th for the States (and January 1st for England...) Though I will hold off on reviewing the season until I get the DVD or Blu-Ray. I just prefer to review when I can pause it to jot down notes. That's something I disliked reviewing season 1 of Elementary the way I did 98% of the way. But I digress.

 

  Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas, readers and Sherlockians. And I wish you all many happy returns...

Couldn't find a gif of the minisode wink, so here's the original Cumberlock wink...

 

BBC's Christmas Gift For Sherlockians

  So, guess what? The BBC and Moffat will be somewhat merciful this Christmas! They will be premiering a "mini-episode" of Sherlock for Christmas! I don't know the full details of "Many Happy Returns", but it will be available online and I read it had to do with someone who does not believe Sherlock's dead...

 So despite Doctor Who having The Doctor regenerating in their Christmas Special, and Supernatural leaving us off with pain, tears, and a dead beloved character we're already in denial about (yeah, they're brimming with holiday spirit...), it's nice that Sherlock of all shows is giving its fans something to e happy about... ^_^

Loveable Freak Reviews Welcome To Night Vale

  The written word is up to interpretation. Art is subjective. Welcome to my Night Vale review...


  Hey, readers. I figured I'd review something a little different then my usual fare of TV shows the Internet has a fixation on and various movies, usually involving explosions. I decided to review a podcast that is gaining some well-deserved notability. It's titled Welcome To Night Vale, and I feel like maybe I should review it. Though, be warned, it is going to contain...

 Welcome To Night Vale is done in the format of a local radio show. The main character, Cecil, informs the listener about the goings-on in the strange desert town of Night Vale. From the dog park, where no living being is ever allowed to enter, the small subterranean kingdom found beneath lane five of the bowling alley, to the librarians (here horrible abominations) capturing children in the summer reading program. He also talks about the colorful characters who inhabit the town: a white man in a plastic feather headdress who claims to be an Apache tracker, who Cecil always reminds us is racist; Old Woman Josie, who is accompanied by angels (whom City Council insists do not exist); a man in a tan jacket and a suitcase of flies, who's face no one can remember; and of course, Carlos: the scientist newcomer to the community, whom Cecil falls for immediately.

 The podcast is quite surreal, to say the least. The humor comes from the strange eccentricness of the town, and the bizzare goings-on that to them, seem almost normal. But it is enjoyably so, and it does develop plots, both the ones in the latest installment and ongoing ones. It is so much fun to hear follow-ups to stories you may have forgotten about. It's even better as we hear it through our host, who of course delivers it in professional news radio fashion... Most of the time (for example, taking time to lament over Carlos getting a haircut, berating the local barber for betraying the community.). It is rather formulaic, given the format, but it is not a bad thing. You get used to it and enjoy when parts come up. Such as the strange words from the "sponsors", that rarely have anything to do with the company; the weather, which is just a random song by a different undiscovered artist each episode, and the proverbs after the credits.

 And now, one of the biggest elements...

 The best thing in this podcast has to be the relationship between Cecil and Carlos. As the show goes on, Cecil and Carlos get together. And they are adorable. I swear, they are the happiest, most stable couple in fiction right now, possibly ever. Cecil realizes the Carlos he's pined over isn't perfect, but he accepts that and still loves him regardless. They don't have any drama whatsoever, and that is perfectly fine. The writers let them be happy. We're so used to shows and movies adding drama for the sake of drama. Tearing couples apart or tossing in cheap "will they or won't they?" elements. It's nice to see writers allowing characters to have a little bliss for a change. I know a lot of shows that could learn from that. The best part has to be that they are a gay, presumably interracial (we're never told exactly if Cecil is white or not (a source of debate in the fandom), but we're all sure Carlos is latino), couple, and they are both adorable and more stable then most straight fictional couples. I'm just saying... The writers are doing something different from the norm, and I appreciate it. If only all writers can suck it up and "take risks".

 Overall, it is a fun podcast to listen to on a bi-monthly basis (they release new episodes on the first and fifteenth of every month). It's all free to download on iTunes, and I suggest if you like it to check out their website here, and possibly donate and support the show if you can. In fact, here's the first episode, uploaded by someone to YouTube (with fanart and pictures added). Consider it this review's "weather":

 Readers, there's not much more I can say about this podcast. It balances its elements well. The characters are memorable and likeable. The main relationship is one of the best I've ever encountered. and deserves the attention it's gotten, and if you haven't discovered this little gem, you should try it. I swear, when you listen, you, like Cecil, will fall in love instantly.

  Good night, Internet, good night.

***

Well, if I've been somewhat mimicking the show's style, I might as well end with today's proverb: we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Seriously, have you seen fear itself? It's terrifying and it's why I won't be able to sleep at night...

AMERICA US SHERLOCK SEASON 3 DATE CONFIRMED!

 Well, I at least have something to be happy about today, despite my displeasure with last night's Supernatural...

 THE US RELEASE DATE FOR SHERLOCK SEASON THREE IS CONFIRMED! JANUARY 14TH, 2014!

 I don't know when The UK gets it, but I know it's slightly before us (but luckily it's not obscenely early like last time. Maybe it'll be easier to avert spoilers...)

 ALL MY HAPPY GIFS, NOW!

 

...That is all...

Supernatural Season 1 Recap- Two Boys And An Impala

Uh Okay, so I've got an idea: you know how last year I reviewed every episode of season one of Elementary? And how I swore I wouldn't do the same for the second? Well, I got an idea for something to do instead. If/when I finish season 8 in time, I might review a show I know I actually like: I'm hoping to review season 9 of Supernatural!

  Of course, this'll be different than reviewing Elementary, especially since I wouldn't start reviewing from the beginning of show, but rather late in the game. So, I've decided I would kinda recap the seasons leading up to season 9. That way, people who follow the blog who might be interested in the reviews but not so much the show can understand. (And if all else fails, I can always review Agents of SHIELD...)

  Okay, so, season one! Needless to say:

 

If you want to watch it, be warned... (also, this whole thing's from memory, if I get something wrong/forget stuff, forgive me)

 

THE ONGOING STORY:
 

 Alright, I touched a bit on the backstory in my last Supernatural review thing. So I'll try to make this bit quick. When Sam was a baby and Dean was four, their mother was killed by a yellow-eyed demon and burnt on the ceiling, effectively burning the house, too. This sets their father, John Winchester, on his quest for vengeance. He becomes a demon hunter, and along the way raises the boys  to be hunters as well. But we're told Sam didn't want to be a hunter, so when he's of college age, he leaves his family and goes to school. When we see Sam again, things are pretty good for him. He's got an interview for a good law school and he's got a girlfriend he plans to marry: Jessica. So, of course, that all gets screwed up. Dean comes back into Sam's life, telling him he has to work a job but that their dad is gone. Sam reluctantly goes to help, so long as he's back in time for the interview. The boys defeat the monster of the week and Sam goes home. But of course, his beloved Jessica is killed the same way his mother was killed (thus proving early on that every woman Sam loves dies). So Sam goes along with Dean to find their dad and what killed their mom and Jessica.

 

  Most of season one is pretty much the boys hunting the monster of the week while trying to find their daddy. It's pretty simple and episodic compared to some of the later seasons. Along the way, it's revealed that Sam has been having psychic visions (including one he had before of Jessica's death), mostly to do with the yellow-eyed demon. Also, there are other people like Sam: a telekinetic young man that eventually kills himself and a baby girl who seems to read minds (that we NEVER hear about again, as far as I know). Also, we meet one of the longest reoccurring female characters(and probably the longest non-Winchester reoccurring character), Meg. She's the demon daughter of Yellow Eyes.

 

  Anyway, eventually the boys find Papa Winchester (again... Yeah, they found him once when they first found out Meg was a demon, but they had to split up). And they find the biggest (and one of the coolest) MacGuffins in the series: The Colt! The Colt, in a nutshell, can kill anything. (Yes, it is awesome...) Papa Winchester intends to use one of the four remaining bullets on Yellow Eyes. However, they split up: John to offer a fake Colt to Meg to stop her and the other demons from killing his acquaintances. Meanwhile, the boys try to stop Yellow Eyes from potentially killing the psychic baby's parents after Sam has a vision. Sam misses when he shoots and Papa Winchester gets captured when they call his bluff.

  So the boys go to an old family friend (who quickly becomes a regularly reoccurring character) named Bobby. They catch Meg in a Devil's Trap, get their father's location out of him, and exorcise the demon out of her host body (killing the real Meg, who was only being kept alive by the demon at that point). After they get Papa Winchester back (Dean blowing another bullet to save Sam from Yellow Eyes's son), it turns out Yellow Eyes has possessed their father. He tries to kill Dean, and Sam is conflicted to use The Colt (despite their dad's pleadings when he takes control a moment). If he shoots Yellow Eyes!Papa Winchester, he also kills their dad. So, Sam shoots Yellow Eyes in the leg, sending the demon out, but not killing him. As Sam rushes his family to the hospital, Papa Winchester is mad that there's one bullet left and Yellow Eyes is still out there.

  Then a truck driven by a demon hits the car. And that's how season one ends. Gee...

I

wonder

if

the boys

will

make

it...

  :/ The joys of starting late...

  Some Notable Episodes (To Me, in no particular order):

• "Pilot" - First episode, enough said...
• "Skin" - This one kind of kicks off a subplot of The Winchesters not being seen so keenly in the eyes of the law, thanks to a shapeshifter who takes Dean's form. Also, there's a scene where Shifter!Dean rips his own skin off to change form, and it's disgusting...
• "Home" -Establishes Sam's psychicness, and has two very creepy scenes for me: One where a guy's hands puréed by the garbage disposal, and another where a small child gets shut in the fridge. I'm not a mother, but it sparks my maternal/big sister instincts. I find myself BEGGING the mom to turn around look in the freaking fridge. (Also, we meet Missouri Mosely. She never appears again, and it's kinda a shame...)
• "Bugs"- It has no use in the plot, or anything story-wise. It's just plain awful... First of all, I found the reason for the deaths being "Sacred Indian Ground?" Seriously? In the 21st century? Cliché. And THEN there's the time blunder of the sun rising SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT! No time cut, the sun just mysteriously rises. I can tell you from experience the sun does NOT rise that early in Oklahoma. I've been there. Again, this is one of those episodes I hold as a bad standard for TV writing...
• "Nightmare"- Meet another special child. Makes be flitch at the gore every time.
• "Scarecrow" -Meet Meg, also the episode with the record for shortest "split up" of the Winchesters.
• "Something Wicked"- Baby Winchester flashbacks. That is all...
• "Dead Man's Blood"/"Salvation"/Devil's Trap" - The Colt's established and the "two-part" finale...

    Overall, it's a pretty decent start for the show. It's not the greatest season, but it sets up everything and is pretty uncomplicated and straightforward. Season Two's where stuff gets interesting, though...