Loving Luther

Like so many others, I adore Idris Elba, but I've only just recently started watching what's probably some of his best work--Luther. For those who don't know, it's a BBC crime show about a damaged cop, but man, it is so much more than that. Elba is intense and riveting, but it's got an outstanding supporting cast as well. I've only just finished the first season--that was one advantage to being so sick the past week, I got to watch a lot of television--but I'm anxious for the rest.

Look at him. And you know who else is in season 1?

The hypnotic Ruth Wilson. I have a friend who has been desperately in love with her since watching The Affair, so I'm pressuring him to give Luther a go. I have no idea how much longer she'll be on, but whatever he can get, I'm sure he's going to love it.

But there's others worth noting. Paul McGann. Saskia Reeves. The adorable Warren Brown.

If you haven't checked this show out yet, you need to do it now. It's streaming on Netflix. Treat yourself.

Fun with analyzing TV

I suck at analyzing the TV I watch, in either humorous or smart ways, but I do loves me those people who do it with such panache. This morning, I'm pointing you in the direction of the three that churned my butter this week.

1. Outlander, episode 9 photo recap: Long but so hysterical.
2. Tom and Lorenzo's Mad Men recap of "Severance": These are my go to guys for Mad Men. They often notice things I missed. Plus, they do their fabulous...
3. Tom and Lorenzo's Mad Style: Severance: ...analysis of all the fashion and color theory behind the episodes. Seriously. If you don't read these guys, you really should.

Costuming on Outlander

I finally got around to watching the new episode of Outlander yesterday (being busy is the worst for getting stuff off the DVR, Mad Men is still taunting me but I want to watch it all in one sitting and finding 65 minutes of uninterrupted time is impossible right now). I deliberately didn't read the book before the show started, and it's been quite a few years since I read the first one, but honestly, I don't remember Claire being such a spitfire during the spanking scene. I mean, I knew she fought back. And the fact that the scene itself occurred is something that stands out from the hundreds of scenes I've read with Jamie and Claire over the course of the books. But this still felt more raw than I expected.

Not a bad thing at all. One of Claire's best qualities is her fearlessness and determination to stand up in a fight she's passionate about. Just... unexpected. I still really enjoyed the episode. Sam Heughan is really coming into his own as Jamie, and Catriona Balfe continues to be a marvel.

So color me excited to see an article on Outlander's costuming show up in my reader this morning. I follow a blog called Frock Flicks, which is all about period costumes in film. Today, she has a very long, very informative guest post on Outlander. I highly recommend it. There's some great facts in there, and she's a huge fan of Terry Dresbach, the show's costumer, in spite of some minor complaints. Every show can't be perfect, after all.

Black Sails

I will freely admit that I started watching Black Sails last year because of Tom Hopper. Because...well, look at him:

But this second season has been astonishing. I loved the reveal about Flint's past with Thomas Hamilton, I loved the new stuff we learned about Jack and Anne Bonny, and I loved how even more insidious Silver became. It's totally one big pirate soap opera, with fluid sexualities, dark pasts, and arms that look like Tom Hopper's.

How is that not a win?

Season three can't start soon enough. In the meantime, I've got Outlander coming back this weekend, and Call the Midwife finally hit US soil Sunday night. Apparently, TV is all about the period drama for me these days.

Fan Video for Outlander

It's been a busy week, and more than a little fun. How to Get Away with Murder is back. I got to see Tim Minchin last Sunday. The short story I'm working on is sexy and sweet.

And someone created this fan video of Outlander to the Queen song, "Bohemian Rhapsody." (There's wedding night footage in it, so not completely SFW.)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Kyle MacLachlan Confirmed

Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Kyle MacLachlan is definitely returning as Dale Cooper in the Twin Peaks relaunch/reboot/whatever it's going to be, coming in 2016. I can't even tell you how excited I am about this. I mean, I never really believed David Lynch would do it if he wasn't sure he could have MacLachlan on board. Dale Cooper really was the heart of the show, and without him, even twenty-five years later, there would've been a gap.

But now we don't have to assume. We have confirmation.

I actually rewatched the entire series in December after the first announcement was made. Though I've owned it on DVD for years, I haven't watched it since it first aired. So many surprises this time around. Like how much I actually remembered. And how differently I reacted to certain elements. And how much more meaning I found in so many different things.

I was a huge Dale/Audrey shipper back in the day, and with the beauty of hindsight, discovered why my favorite ship got derailed. Apparently, MacLachlan was dating Lara Flynn Boyle, and there was some discord over his scenes with Sherilyn Fenn and their popularity. So it got written out, and their amazing potential was never realized. Watching it the second time around wasn't quite as exciting, I'll admit. Since my daughter is just about fifteen, I spent the first couple episodes where Audrey is flirting with Cooper--and more importantly, he is letting her--wanting to shake Cooper and say, "She's in high school, you idiot. Stop thinking with your pants!" It cracked me up to hear how many times later on they stressed she was eighteen. I didn't notice that the first time around.

The next fifteen months are going to drive me crazy as news trickles in on who's attached to it. But for me, the most important actor already is. I'll be all right with any and all who come on board after this.

The rose of Sons of Anarchy

I've been a fan of Sons of Anarchy almost from the beginning, coaxing friends to watch then later begging them not to because it'd wreck them. For the first few seasons, I mainlined it. I let all the shows stack up on the DVR so I could watch them while the kids were in school the last week before Christmas break. I couldn't watch it while they were home, after all. They were too young to be exposed to just how violent the show is.

That changed in season 5. I got spoiled for a major character death on Twitter, by the actor himself, so from midway through, all the way through last night's episode, I've watched it as it aired.

I'm going to talk about last night's episode now. If you haven't watched it and don't want to be spoiled, turn back now.

Go ahead. I'll wait.

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Holy. Crap.

I knew Gemma would have to pay for her lies sooner or later. But I've been firmly in the Nero camp in the hopes that Jax wouldn't take that step. Nero's line to Unser, "It's about saving Jax," killed me, one of numerous moments that make last night's episode so fantastic. At this point, I'm waiting in dread for the series finale next week, because I'm so terrified it's all going to end so horribly tragic for Jax. It's going to totally break my heart.

But man, so many amazing moments. My top 3:

1. Unser's death. Unser was the one person I'd thought would walk away from all this intact, as a kind of irony that the guy with terminal cancer outlives them all. Shooting Unser was my biggest gasp of the night, even more so than Gemma, since I always knew Gemma's death was a distinct possibility.
2. After months (maybe years) of hating Gemma, the scene between her and her father at the home made me cry. Hal Holbrook was just one of many scene stealers of the night.
3. The dignity in Juice's last moments. Juice has been living on borrowed time for a couple of seasons now, but his devotion to the club to the end was heartwrenching.

The questions for next week are still huge. What's the deal with Jax's limp? Is that part of a scheme for the club to think there's a reason if he ends up driving J.T.'s bike to his death? Will Nero somehow save him? What the hell was Nero's big deal about looking in the garage if not to find a way to save Jax? What was the deal Jax made with the presidents (I think it's about being all-inclusive after he's gone)?

This is going to be one very long week.

Call the Midwife

Netflix suggested Call the Midwife to me last weekend, so I caved and watched the first episode. I then stopped and ran to my husband to tell him, "You have to watch this show. You are going to love it."

So Friday night, he sat down with me to try it out. One episode became three. Saturday night, we watched four. Yesterday, we watched another two. We only stopped because he had to pack for the business trip he's on today and tomorrow.

We're both in love.

I know we're late, since there are three seasons already, but better late than never, right? My husband tends to be a sucker for period BBC drama (he LOVES Downton Abbey), especially when they have such real characters in them. We are both in love with Chummy, and he keeps complaining he needs more Sister Monica Joan. The detail is stunning, too. I've had to have my  husband explain a couple terms to me (for those who don't know, he's English), so that helps fill in a couple of the gaps, but otherwise, I'm utterly enthralled by the drama of these people.

Anyone else watch it?

Broken Fitz

While I started watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. last year with high hopes, I'm one of those that pretty much lost interest by halfway through the season. Most of the characters bored me, as did most of the storytelling. It was so bad, I still could never remember which one was Fitz and which one was Simmons by the time the season ended. Because my husband still watched it religiously, though, I caught occasional episodes of the second half of season one, and it meant I was watching when he saw the season two premiere.

I've watched it religiously every week since.

I still don't care for a lot of the characters. Sky bores me to tears, and I don't really care about Coulson's troubles. May is hit or miss, and Ward was infinitely more interesting as a bad guy.

BUT.

Then there's Fitz.

I have to admit, I didn't pay that much attention to the way season one ended. I knew he'd told Simmons he loved her, but nothing much beyond that. So when this season started, and he was so *broken*, my heart broke with him. I've been watching this season because of him pretty much, because Iain De Caestecker is doing an amazing job. I even broke one of my own rules about spoilers to watch a tiny snippet of a scene with him and Simmons from tonight's episode, because I was so desperate to get anything on him.

To say I'm shipping Fitz and Simmons now is an understatement. I have no idea what they're going to do with it, but man, I am definitely on this ride for the time being.

The Return of Twin Peaks

Get used to the use of caps in this post. I'm a tad excited.

I was a HUGE fan of Twin Peaks when it first aired. HUGE. If there had been an online community and I'd known what fandoms were back then, I would've been all over it, writing fic, shipping characters, the works.

So when it was announced yesterday that Showtime is working with David Lynch and Mark Frost to do a 9-episode series set twenty-five years later that will come out in 2016? I might have squealed. A LOT.

This show introduced me to what storytelling could be like. It helped shows like Northern Exposure to make quirky more mainstream. You'd be hard-pressed to find modern shows that weren't either influenced by it or owe it a debt for opening up the awareness of what television could actually do. 

Then there's the music. I have owned the Angelo Badalementi score for over twenty years. The Julee Cruise-voiced "Falling" remains the haunting echo that permeates the show. It's absolutely stunning and if you haven't heard it, I highly recommend it.

And who didn't fall in love with Dale Cooper? Or have a crush on Audrey Horne? 

And the musical theater lover in me still chortles with glee when she's reminded it had both Russ Tamblyn and Richard Beymer in it.

Is it 2016 yet?!?

Fan Adventures in Buffy

In my post over at the Amber Pax blog, I shared pictures of men who were the same age as Jett and Trev in Flesh and Kisses. One of them was the scrumptious Alexis Denisof, who turns forty-eight this year. For those who don't know who he is, he played Wesley on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then on Angel. He's gone on to do Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, and he's currently in the TV series Finding Carter.

But finding that picture of Denisof put me in a Buffy mood, so color me tickled pink when I found this video yesterday:

It's a fan-made introduction created for an imaginary animated series for Buffy. Fans will recognize so many of the Easter eggs scattered throughout, but seriously, I smiled and laughed so hard. Enjoy!

Fall television

One of my favorite shows, Sons of Anarchy, premieres tonight, which has me all excited about television again. I'll be getting more of The Blacklist this month and tuning in to try Black-ish because I absolutely adore Laurence Fishburne.

I'll also be trying out Forever, though only because of Ioan Gruffudd, Gracepoint because my family will watch anything with David Tennant in it, and How to Get Away with Murder because Viola Davis is the bomb.

What are you going to be watching?

Outlander after two episodes

Two episodes in, and I'm hooked on Outlander. Am I in love? No, but there's serious like and I can see it deepening if it keeps taking the path it's going. It's a slow burn kind of show.

I liked the premiere but had reservations. First of all, Frank is boring and Tobias Menzies did nothing to change that for that. Half the episode was dedicated to him, since the audience needs to understand and believe in why Claire wants to get back to her own time (though why it's not enough to want to get away from all the narrow perspective on women, lack of modern amenities like medicines, and constant threat of war I never understood). Plus, she narrated too much. It got old. Fast. If that was going to be the way the whole series was going to go, I wasn't sure I could take it.

Thankfully, the second episode eased back on that, and since she's firmly back in time, there was much less of dull Frank. We get to start seeing the political machinations going on with everything and got a better introduction to Jamie, and it's off to strong start.

Highlights are plenty. First of all, it's gorgeous. Scotland is a stunning country, and this doesn't hold back on displaying it in all its glory. I've always said, as someone who loathes the cold, that Scotland is one of the very few places on this planet I would consider settling that doesn't really get warm. All those layers are necessary, both to protect from chills as well as the damp (I always loved that it never felt like rain, more like a constant mist). I'd watch this show for the scenery alone. There are moments when it feels like the camera dwells on the countryside a little too long, but that's necessary. Scotland is as much a character in this is as the people who populate it. Outside of Claire and Jamie's story, this is about Scotland's fights for freedom. Every second counts.

Then there's Catriona Balfe. This show was always going to win or lose based on the Claire casting. She is the anchor of the books, and her character can be very polarizing, as she can come across to some as smug, brittle, too modern, etc. I have plenty of friends who hate Claire but love Jamie and read for him alone. Others gave up entirely because they couldn't stand Claire's narrative voice. Balfe had a daunting task, but honestly, I think she's the best part of the show so far. While Claire still has some of that sharpness that's characteristic in the books, Balfe shows her intelligence, her fire, her caring heart, while at the same time making her likable.

The supporting cast hasn't had much chance to shine so far, though Graham McTavish as Dougal and Gary Lewis as Colum are pulling away from the pack. Mrs. Fitz is suitably adorable, and the girl who plays Geilis seems good, but they'll require more time for me to have a real opinion on.

But what about Jamie? After all, he's the romantic hero of the story. He didn't get very much screen time in the first episode, but that's because it's not about him. We got a lot more this second time around, glimpses into his protective, gallant nature - telling Claire she doesn't have to be scared as long as he's around, taking Laoghaire's punishment - as well as seeing the natural humor that draws people to him. It's easy to see how Claire could be drawn to him. He's a stubborn, good soul, and Sam Heughan is doing a very good job at showing that.

Plus, pretty. Oh so pretty. Which is just a bonus.

So I'm watching, and rewatching. And definitely enjoying.

Tons of Outlander goodness

I don't know about you, but I was hungry for the snippets that came out of ComicCon about Outlander. My sister keeps messaging me, sharing how excited she is about the show's premiere, which only makes me more excited. But how can I not be? The more I see of Sam Heughan, the more he seems like Jamie to me. Look at him!

So I was excited to see that they put the panel up on YouTube, too. I'm devouring every little tidbit of this show I can!

Petals on the Wind

All right, I'll confess.

I watched Petals on the Wind last night.

I'm not proud of it. In fact, I'm very embarrassed that I succumbed. I didn't watch Flowers in the Attic and I didn't even know that they were capitalizing on the high ratings by putting the other books into production until two days ago when I saw Petals on the TV guide. Then, I snorted in disbelief, rolled my eyes, and forgot about it.

Until at 9pm last night, I was flipping through channels looking for something mindless to watch.

The Dollanganger books were the thing to read when I was in junior high. The Twilight books of our generation. Instead of sparkly vampires and pining werewolves, they had gothic horror and incest. I devoured them, I must admit. I related to Cathy in a lot of ways. Living in fear of your domineering grandmother while having no choice but to reside in her house? Check. Absentee mother you craved time/affection from? Check. Being responsible for younger siblings? Check.

And Petals was my favorite, probably because it was the soapiest of them all. Confession: I grew up on soaps and still watch General Hospital every day. The medium entertains me. The soapy aspects only bother me when I try and explain it to people who don't watch soaps because I know 100% how silly and extreme they are.

Worst part was, it wasn't even that good. Too much happens in the book to make it easy to condense, which means huge jumps in the plot and slippery characterizations.

Am I the only one who got suckered?

Bauer's back

I am an unabashed Jack Bauer fan. I know the show is ridiculous and over the top, but I love Jack to pieces. One of my favorite tweets about the show last night was along the lines of, "Only Jack Bauer cannot say a word for the first half hour of a show and still be the center of attention." I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed it until the first tones of the countdown started and my pulse jumped. Plus, the London office looked exactly like CTU, and man, it was like coming home.

I think the best part about the show, though, is that you don't need all the backstory to have fun with it. It starts off with action and only goes up from there. Sure, the exchanges and reveals often mean more if you're familiar with all the characters, but it's not necessary. The show doesn't give you a chance to breathe. And just when you think you've got it figured out, it twists off in a new direction.

I know it has its detractors. It's seen as pro-torture. Which it is, in all fairness, but it's sooooooo over the top that I have never taken it seriously. It's popcorn action, really good popcorn action, and I don't have a problem separating that from any semblance of reality. People keep looking for meaning or emotional depth, but again, it's POPCORN ACTION. You don't go looking for too much emotional depth in most action movies when you go to the cinema, so I don't see how we're expected to do the same for 24 just because a) Kiefer's a better actor, and b) he's so damn serious all the time.

We had so much fun with the premiere last night. It was great to see Chloe as a Snowden-type character though Heller's Alzheimer's will be hard to watch. I was never a huge Audrey fan, but considering her husband is trying to mess with Jack, I'm interested in where that's going to go.

And Jack. Poor messed-up, lonely Jack. It's so good to have him back on my TV.

Did you watch?          

Notes from a Field Trip

I have too many thoughts about last night's Mad Men to be coherent. So I'm going listy with the top 6.

1. Attaboy, Roger. That's the Roger I know and love, the one who seems entirely too laid back, but strikes out at just the right moment. I loved him standing up for Don, for forcing the meeting that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't made Don wait, for lashing out at Cutler (who I hate almost as much as I hate Lou).

2. My love for Stan grows with each episode. This time, it was two tiny gestures that did me in. First, holding his hand out to Peggy to help her stand and go face Lou. Second, trying to save Don's feelings by referencing Lou's forgotten meeting. He has grown so much.

3. Don made long strides in this episode, though it doesn't look like it by acquiescing to such demeaning stipulations. But he deliberately takes the hard choice every single time - he doesn't ignore Megan's career but goes to help her, he doesn't take the offer but goes to Roger, he doesn't sleep with the blonde but instead stays straight in his marriage even if it feels like it's over. I loved that he accepted the stipulations with barely a glance at the paper and a soft-spoken "Okay." Because if there's one thing Don knows, it's how to start over. Whether this one sticks or not, however, remains to be seen.

4. Betty's childishness and bitchiness strike hard when she seems to be acting so differently throughout the whole episode, by being the mom Bobby wants her to be - talking to him about his obsessions, being the daring mom who is willing to try the milk - and then reverting to form when Bobby reminds her all too clearly that her children have an entirely different view on her than she does on herself. And that she doesn't like that version. Forcing Bobby to eat the candy feels like an awkward metaphor for her whole life - even if you don't like what you've traded for, you eat it and smile because that's what you do.

5. Poor Bobby. He seems like such a good kid, and Betty's messing him up. :(

6. Get your head out of your ass, Peggy, and start acting like a grown-up without taking it out on the people around you.

The return of Mad Men

Who watched Mad Men last night? Were you as excited as I was by its return?

Since I mainlined the first six seasons not too long ago, this will be my first foray into watching it as it airs. I wonder what my end reaction is going to be about the entire season (or first half anyway since it's getting divided in two) with having to wait a week in between episodes instead of drinking it all down in one gulp.

While the symbolism seems knock you over the head heavy once you're looking for it, I'm still so in love with how smart this show is. Everything ties into each other, nothing is left to chance, almost everything has some kind of meaning. The fun is trying to find what it is.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the as low as you can go feeling permeating most of the characters is equivalent to that moment before the climax of the story where it seems like all is lost, right before the big payoff happens. It's that juxtaposition of dragging the viewer as far away from release as possible and then slingshotting them up to the climax. It's called that for a reason, after all, and the best way to make that as effective as possible is to make the difference as marked as you can. I want to believe Don can find a way to be happy, though it certainly won't be with Megan. At some point, Peggy needs that too, because right now, they are both utterly alone. At least in the past, Peggy's had her work to help make up for her sucky personal life, but with Lou as her boss, she doesn't even have that anymore.

But everybody's alone. When Roger gets back after his disastrous brunch, he's got two people in his bed who curl up on their side and don't even touch him. Ken feels like he's on his own (which he most likely was before recruiting Joan's help). Joan does everything she can to survive, just like she's always done, but it's still her against the establishment and expectation. Megan's mostly alone in LA since Don is living bi-coastal. Even Pete's alone, but at least he's happy about it all.

The question becomes...who will figure out how to change enough with the world around them to survive? And how ironic is it that Pete is the first who seems to have done so?

Fave moment: Discovering it was Don's pitch, not Freddy's. It seems obvious in hindsight. The whole speech reeked of Don and the fact that Peggy was so surprised to hear it from him should've been a huge tip-off.

Least fave: Peggy's attitude with Stan when she calls him a hack for not caring. It's not out of character at all for either of them, and I'm glad he just walked out on her rather than engaging a pointless battle, but it still made my Peggy/Stan heart wish for better. Peggy needs to open her eyes and see what a find she has in her friend and stop treating him like crap. He came to her rescue when she couldn't be in the same space with Ted. She relies on him. Now she has to stop acting like Don and appreciate it.

What did you think?

Loves me some Hook

With my kids on spring break, we've been catching up on Once Upon a Time. We had ten episodes to watch on the DVR, and now we're down to the three from the past three weeks when it resumed, and holy crap, I'm reminded why I love Hook so much. I've also decided it's the character, not the actor, because when I see him in interviews, he seems sweet enough but he doesn't do anything for me like when he's playing Hook.

It could be the eyeliner.

But seriously, did I ever stand a chance? Bad guy, who started out as a good guy, who wants to go back to doing the right thing because of a woman? Whose only motivations in life are love and vengeance? Yeah, that doesn't sound like my type at all. /sarcasm

The Voice

I promise not to talk about musical reality programs all the time, but with The Voice starting up again, I couldn't resist just one more post. Because there's so much I love about this one:

1. The judges. These guys are the reason AI changed its format this year. The camaraderie, the joking, the support...they are a joy to watch.
2. Adam Levine. He makes me laugh so much. Plus pretty.
3. Usher. I'll admit, I didn't have much of an opinion about Usher before he judged the first time, but he completely won me over then. He is not afraid of the tough love and tells his singers what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.
4. The performances tend to be a lot more polished than what AI has been putting out the past few years. Already, there have been some real standouts.

Why on earth is everybody having so many problems staying in their seats this season? Adam and Shakira keep standing up in the middle of performances.

My favorite performance so far: