Promos for the 6th season of House, including some ‘Snakes on a Cane’ teaser spots. The logo was designed by Hugh Laurie as a gift to the cast and crew, but the producers realised they could use it for marketing.
I have seen every single episode of House and don’t remember any of the medical story lines. I get my kicks out of watching Laurie play a smart prick every week and out of the interactions with the other regular cast members.
One of the many perks of running Whedonesque.com, is…
Hang on. There aren’t a lot of perks, really, other than the pleasure of being boss of a site that’s well respected and much quoted. Yeah, we got invited to the Serenity premiere in Los Angeles. But I live in Amsterdam. Which means I never get to go to premieres, conventions, screenings or other meetings. When the Paley Center in New York invited us for a panel discussion on television and online fandom, one of the USA based mods got to go, but I could not. And unlike many of our members, I’ve never met any of the actors, or Joss.
All of this is perfectly fine with me. Yeah, I run the site, but I also run U2log.com and a couple of other sites. I’m not the biggest fan, I don’t keep up with all the news, I don’t know episode titles by heart, I couldn’t tell you which of the writers wrote what. I like communities, but I don’t get too involved. (My pet theory is that people who like to run online communities are actually all mysanthropists deep down.) I consider this a good thing. A little distance from the subject matter is essential. It helps keep me objective. And possibly sane.
I do receive a fuckload of annoying PR in the Whedonesque inbox, all about stuff that means nothing to me, not being American, not living in America. And probably wouldn’t mean anything to me if I were American, living in America. But I digress.
Perks. I has one. A kind soul gave me access to the Dollhouse screener, which contained an unfinished version of ‘Ghost’, the first episode. In case you’ve been living in cave, Dollhouse is Joss Whedon’s new television series for Fox, starring Eliza Dushku and Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett. You can read a synopsis of the show on Wikipedia. It is set to premier on February 13.
I remember catching my first glimpse of Buffy on TV (it was the sixth episode of the series’ first season: ‘The Pack’) and feeling compelled to keep watching it, unable to flip to another channel. Like being drawn in by Bob Ross’s hypnotic voice.
Oh Friday Night Lights, I am going to miss you so much if you don’t return. The show was rescued from cancellation by a last minute deal between NBC and DirectTV to create a 3rd season, shown first on DirectTV, then on NBC. The final episode of season 3 was aired on DirectTV last night. Whether or not we get a 4th season remains to be seen, it will have to do really well when it returns to NBC, starting tomorrow.
I love Battlestar Galactica, which I’d probably say was my favourite tv series the last couple of years, but it’s tough viewing. Friday Night Lights is easy viewing, but still smart. It sits comfortably between adult drama and teen soap. It has been the most life affirming, heart warming, tear jerking – in a good way -, uplifting thing in my torrent list for the last three years. And I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters just yet.
It’s that time of the year again where we’d watch anything just to keep our minds off the cold even Celebrity Big Brother. How’s that for an excuse?
We’re only a day or two in and so far I’m not really favouriting anyone, but Terry Christian and Tina ’shag-hair’ Malone’s voices are getting on my nerves already and Ulrikakaka’s a cow – good on Terry for nominating her first. In fact, uncharacteristically I’m not warming to any of the Brits and find myself quite tolerant towards LaToya and Coolio. The rest of the crowd have been unremarkable so far. Go USA, I s’pose.
It’s a bit dull at the moment to be honest, hopefully there’ll be some action soon.
I really like my Who to be someone to 1. look up to and (alright, shallow) 2. fanciable. 3. Preferably 40+. I thought David Tennant was too young to float my boat, but he proved me wrong and kind of is my favourite Doctor now. But a 26-year-old? Can’t really look up to him. As for the second point? Well, I’ve always been into older guys. Also.. he’s not much of a looker, is he? Well, not my type anyway.
Mr Hg thinks it’s a brave choice. Hmm. I think it’s a cynical BBC plot to haul in the teeny boppers emo kids.
How many times is Donna going to say she’s a temp? What’s with the heartbeat? Oooh, the Tardis wants her.
Bastard Red!Dalek’s killed Jack!
OK. So the spoilers were kind of right. Two doctors, one half human.Gawd, that’s a whole lot of exposition. Shut up.
Back to Germany. What on earth is going on? Who is that German woman?
Hrmph. This isn’t half as good as last week. Talk talk talk. Shut up Davros
‘Is that a warp star?’ Captain Cheesecake’s over acting as usual.
The doctor and his children all gathered as witnesses.
Hmm. I’m feeling rather bored by this all.
Temp saves the world. Can never know about it. Rose up to her neck in fanfic. Doc alone again, naturally. Wilf ends being the best thing about the episode.
Strike that. The best bit was the Doctor being taken to task over his ‘weapons’ by Davros.
I have to say… Donna’s fate was Buffy-esque sized heartbreak.
Easter. Wanted to travel, but everywhere was too wet, too cold, too dear. And so I am rewatching Battlestar Galactica, Season 1, for the fourth or fifth time.
Starbuck: Now, if you were human, you’d be just about ready to start offering up some false information about the location of the nuke. Some tiny thing that might get you a reward and maybe spare you a few minutes of this. But then I keep forgetting, you’re not human. You’re a machine. Leoben: I am more than you could ever imagine. I am god.
Battlestar Galactica is a weird show for me. I stopped watching it back in 2003 when the first season was in progress, finding it too dark for my mood back then. I like darkness a lot, but at the time I wasn’t up for it. When my head was in a better place, I started re-watching everything and now think it’s fantastic. I can’t wait for more and I am sad it’s ending, but happy it will end before it starts to suck. I’m also pleased a spin off, Caprica, will be made.
Starbuck: Permission to speak off the record, sir? Tigh: Granted. Starbuck: You’re a bastard.
The strange thing is I don’t like anybody in the show. ‘Like’ on lots of levels. I am not a fan of any of the actors, I don’t find anyone particularly attractive, I don’t care much for them as individual characters… they’re all bastards. But I love the show, love the ensemble, love how they interact, love the way everything looks and I love how smart the show is and how it touches on various political and religious topics.
Romo Lampkin: There is no greater ally, no force more powerful,
no enemy more resolved, than a son who chooses to step from his
father’s shadow.
If I had to pick a favourite on the show, it would probably be Romo
Lampkin, who only appears in a handful of episodes in Season 3. Played
by the always charming British actor Mark Shepard
(Firefly, Medium) Romo’s presence managed to make me forget the utter
drudgery of the Starbuck/Anders relationship, if only because I kept
wondering why Shepard was putting on an Irish accent for the part.
Shepard himself is a fan of he series, he called it
‘the most political show on television’ in a Q&A session last year and practically begging Ron Moore, the show’s creator, for a part.
His love for the material shines through in his performance.
Baltar: Congratulations… You’re not Cylon. 100% human, and
very, very bright green as well… You couldn’t be more human if you
tried.
BSG in ways is like the West Wing, another show so dense I can watch it again and again and again and never get bored. What’s so good about Battlestar Galactica is that it’s not about the scifi, just like the West Wing wasn’t about the President. It’s about us. Which everybody who is watching the show already knows, but now you know too.
I’m sorry, but the first scene made me laugh so hard I couldn’t take the rest of the story seriously at all. Because Barrowman running in and shout-acting ‘Stop, nobody touches him until I get back, is that clear…’? That wasn’t television. That wasn’t a musical. That was the local elementary school’s 6th form’s first rehearsal of the drama teacher’s play.
Verdict: Really, really bad Buffy, without the making sense.
Aw Rhys. I like Rhys. He’s driving a car and gets a call from his secretary saying there’s an accident involving someone he knows and… meat. Rhys drives up to the accident spot.
‘Dense flesh,’ says Jack. Huh?
Torchwood have arrived on the scene of the accident and Rhys looks on unbelievingly as his odd-looking girlfriend Gwen strides in in sexaaay slomo.
I didn’t know Rhys was in the meat business. Mmm, meat. Although that alien slab doesn’t look too fit. Well, at least it’s not peepul…
Sorry. Gwen’s sporting a Nokia N95. Good girl.
The Welsh accent gives me problems sometimes. Can’t follow the bit between Rhys and his secretary. Can you imagine if Barrowman were using his Scottish accent? They’d never be able to sell the show on BBC America!
Awkward meeting between Gwen and Rhys, Gwen so obviously lying. This scene is dragging on a bit. He’s going to follow her, good man Rhys. It’s about time he knew what Gwen’s involved in. Oh no… he catches her just when Jack’s being flirty (when is he not?) with Gwen.
‘You have to do as I say.’ Oh yes, Captain Jack. Gwen’s a silly cow. Is this scene meant to be sexy, or not. Is he really pushing her up against the wall for that long or is that just awkward editing?
Why is the meat making whale sounds?
Ah, the big fight. Are you fucking him? No, but she did Owen, the little skank. Aliens? In Cardiff? Well, where else would they be?
This is all very Pobol y Cwm, isn’t it. They did say it was SciFi with soapy elements. You know, this argument is pretty realistic, full of stupid things people say when they’re angry.
And so she takes him down the invisible lift. Hello, Myfanwy!
ROTFLMAO. ‘We could feed the world.’ ‘We could release a single!’ Take that, Sir Bob.
Aha, now Rhys becomes part of the team. This is really well written. And funny! And so badly acted. There, I’ve unearthed the problem with this show. They managed to find a group of actors who have problems finding the chemistry four shows into the second series.
Poor Tosh. I hope they don’t go on and on and on with this stupid crush thing. It makes her look pathetic.
Owen thinks the blog is crying? This is the guy who didn’t think twice about drugging two human beings to have his way with them, but now winces at offing a smelly alien?
Talking about pathetic… Jack’s flirting with the secretary never feels natural.
‘Imprisoned, chained and drugged, welcome to Planet Earth,’ says Jack. And who was keeping a Weevil in a cell again? Hypocrite.
This episode feels very Star Trekky with that big blob of smelly, sentient meat making whale sounds. Captain Jack’s the 21st century’s omnisexual James Tiberius Kirk.
Can’t they keep their characters straight for one second? In the one episode Jack’s totally anti alien and wants to kill them now all, now he’s all boo hoo hoo the poor sad thing, what have they done to you?
The grand finale, a shoot out in a warehouse. The sound in this episode’s all over the place, between the music and the alien and the dialogue, it’s not good. I wish they’d spend more on production.
‘It came through a rift in time and space…’ Good title for a movie. OMG they shot Rhys. Noooo.
Owen’s making a cocktail for his pet.
Ianto! In his lovely dress coat. Wow, that was… Bond-worthy, the way he took down the evil brothers. Yes, definitely need more Ianto.
Lovely piece of Barrowman overacting. The big blob opens its eye one more time and dies. Jack… waves at it?
And the meat monster dies by Owen’s hand and suddenly he’s all emo, wtf?
Finally some peace and quiet. Gwen and Rhys are eating an ice cream while she ponders whether or not to remove his memories with the handy little pill we know from the very first episode of season one. Looks like the end of this epi… but, no….
Here comes Gwen running into Torchwood and she’s shouting again, for no reason at all and would somebody please explain why Jack is close to crying? His pining over Gwen makes no sense at all when he’s doing the office boy all the while. Here check it out:
What are we supposed to think is going on between them?
Oh, in case you missed it:
“Have you eaten Alien meat” “Yes” “How was it?” “He seemed to enjoy it.”
God almighty, the scene with the granny is edited. So. Slow. Ly.
Jack’s not here. It’s like the Scoobies without Buffy.
That Blowfish is straight out of the RSC. Is that a gun which I see before me?
Ah, Jack’s back. Ianto’s jealous of the Doctor, poor thing.
Oh. The Marsters. Not a fan. Not of the cheeks. Not of the acting. Sorry.
Hee, just when you’re thinking that’s so ‘help me Obi Wan Kenobi’… there it is.
Yeah, yeah, kiss already. Why not fall through the floor as well?
… campy banter, blah blah.
Intimate scene between Gwen and Jack. For a second there I thought he was going all Roy Batty on us. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate…
You know I’m really starting to doubt Barrowman’s ability to act a lead (drama) part. Perhaps if they did a musical episode?
Aw, Rhys proposed. He’s sweet.
See? Once a rapist, always… oh sorry, wrong ‘verse. Heh.
Talking about rapists… this verse has got its own. Oh hi, Owen. When’s he hooking up with Tosh then?
Run, Ianto, run.
Has Marsters had some work done? The eyes look weird.
Oh noes, he’s killed Jack. Good old… immortal Jack.
How fast did the Scoobies drive to get back to Jack so quickly?
Ooooh, there’s the stopwatch. Get it?
Huh, what, rift? W’happen?
Hey, he can’t go out in the sunlight, he’ll go woosh!
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