The Master is In

Veronica Mars - A Retrospective

mastermia — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 00:31:52 GMT

An actual fandom post for the first time in forever. Blame Rob Thomas. I can't remember how to do cuts - read at your peril there are some slight spoilers for the VM movie -

A long time age we used to be friends. Trite, I know, but true. I watched the Veronica Mars movie and remembered all of the friends I associated with the show. Because VM was more than just a show to me, it was always a social event. It was my first foray into online fandom and fanfic. I started with the LoVe board where I worked on recaps of the show and finally discovered a whole VM community on Live Journal. After I finished the movie I logged into LJ for the first time in years and realized it had been so long that didn’t even know who played there anymore, which made me sad. The movie brought back so many memories. Not just the time spent online (which used to be a significant portion of my life) but also all the social gatherings I associate with VM - Group dinners at Comic Con, Austin for the screening of Donut Run, the cast signing the soundtrack at the release party they had here in town, and the Season 2 premiere party held at one of the extra’s house.

Thinking about the show and remembering all the friends I used to know also brought back so many memories of a specific time in my life. I was married when the show aired and going through a nasty divorce by the time it was over and fandom filled in the spaces in my life and in many ways got me through a really rough time in my life. All these people who were so important in my life just drifted away as the show ended and the last few weeks have been really reflective for me as I realized how much my life has changed in the last 10 years.

When the first kickstarter video came out I had a sense of nostalgia seeing Veronica, Logan, Dick and Papa Mars together again and shelled out my money like so many other fans not sure anything would come out of it. Then they blew past their goal and kept promising a better and better movie, but it didn’t really seem real until I saw the first stills from the set of Logan and Veronica together. And by that time it was also known that Piz would be in the movie forming a triangle. It is funny, I never for a moment thought that Veronica and Piz would end up together so that part seemed ham-handed, but it was handled well. I totally forgot about the sex tape, but I remembered every nuance and emotional beat of Logan and Veronica’s first kiss. I guess that puts me firmly in the team Logan camp. I guess I have a thing for obligatory psychotic jackasses.

It wasn’t until I saw the first few minute recap intro to the movie that I realized how little of the end of the series I actually remembered. Season 1 was so awesome. I was totally obsessed and remember the hours I spent online guessing who killed Lily. But I found my interest slacking in middle of Season 2 when the quality just wasn’t as good and by season 3 the wheels just came off for me. I think the show would make a great case study in the perils of trying to do a 22 episode season and how tough it is to keep momentum and quality over that period.

A couple of months ago I wasn’t even sure I would see the movie right away. I was worried it would be more season 3 than season 1 and I realized how disappointing that would be. But then the reviews started to come out and they were good and I realized I couldn’t not watch. So opening day I plunked my money down and enjoyed my first VOD experience in the comfort of my own home and it was kind of wonderful. Even as I watched alone there were the ghosts of so many people watching with me. Alexis (a_h_c) was beside me eating popcorn agreeing that Logan should only wear dress whites. Lynn (random00b) was there too, enjoying Mac’s great haircut and cheering her victory lap. rindee gave me a high five 30 minutes in, when Cliff showed up, because she remembered me plotting a few fanfics we wrote together just to make him a main character. Meg was there mourning Sherriff Lamb because she knew the actor back in the day and Grace (truemyth) and Erin (mutinousmuse) were there planning fan fic and videos they were going to work on as soon as we were done watching.

Was it a great movie? No, not really, but it was smart and proficient. The mystery was a little thin when you take a step back and I figured it out almost immediately. But as a fan I loved the whole thing. It had everything I wanted – LoVe angst, wisecracks, Mac being awesome, Cliff and of course Rico saying, ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ It was wonderful to see everyone together again and it made me very, very happy.

It seems unbearably sad that almost immediately on the heels of the movie coming out was the news that Television Without Pity is being shut down. I discovered the website through VM and read Couch Baron’s recaps religiously. But the true height for me were Jacob’s Battlestar Galactica recaps which were magnificent. I remember completely fangirling out when I met him in Austin, more so than when I met the cast. At a time when I am already nostalgic this news came as a blow even though I have not liked the direction the site had taken in the last 5 years or so as they went to weecaps and what they did write seemed to lose a lot of their charm and snark, but it was part of my life at the same time VM was and it going away feels like I am losing a piece of my history, especially since they are not going to keep an archive of the posts. That might be the most tragic thing, so many brilliant, insightful, and downright funny reviews are just going to be gone forever.

I read that Rob Thomas is allowing people to sell their fanfic on Amazon now. I wonder how many of the writers I used to read so avidly back in the day are going to upload their stories? Of course they won’t allow pornography so that rules out 80% of the writers I knew. I mean everyone had some sex in their stories! But maybe I will stumble across some familiar names, which would be nice. I was even a part of some group fics and I wonder if they will find their way into the light of day again.

I also read that Rob wants to do another movie if this one deemed successful by the studio. I am sure the cast would be all for it and as long as the quality is there the fans would be ecstatic. This one really brought back a lot of memories. I doubt that I will have the emotional response I had to this movie with another, but as a fan I do hope to see these characters again. After all, we used to be friends and it is nice to catch up with old friends.

So to all of the people I used to be friends with (and a few that are still in my life) thanks for the fun, the laughs, the support and most importantly making me feel like I belonged to a great group who all loved the same thing. It was great fun while it lasted and I wanted you to know that you have been on my mind. Take care.

I don’t take direction

mastermia — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:22:07 GMT

Glee!! Oh my friend, I will miss you.

I thought Joss did a good job. Especially the intercut of the "live" with the "video footage" in the mall. Cut for comments on the show that might spoil someone who has not seen it yet from Tuesday...

NPH was hysterical, but I did find it hard to believe that he would not get a role in Les Miz. Dream On was fabulous. I loved the dance scene in the mall, and the fact that Idina and Lea got a duet. I did not see that coming, even though I should have. Charlie walked in while they were singing and asked why they looked so much alike. Oops, that was an easy one and I missed it entirely. When did Idina deliver? She was standing so awkwardly that the only thing I can assume is she hadn’t lost the baby weight yet.

Speaking of babies, Nicholas gets sung Piano Man every night before he goes to sleep. He was playing, ignoring the TV and when they got to the second time of the song he whirled his head around and stared rapt until they were done. Aww, they were singing to him!

Oh, and why did Fox bring back Lie to Me early just to show repeats? That sucks.

WTF?!

mastermia — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:00:30 GMT

TV Guide is reporting that Hilarie Burton just had Jeffrey Dean Morgan's child.

How did that happen? I mean other than the obvious way.

Isn't she married? Wasn't he dating the woman from Weeds? Is that why she left OTH? And have they been together long enough for 10 months have passed?

I knew I was behind in what was going on outside my life, but this is ridiculous. What else am I missing?

Damn you Fox!

mastermia — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:18:55 GMT

Dollhouse got renewed?! WTF? I love Joss. I own the “Joss Whedon is my master now” t-shirt. I stalked him at two consecutive Comic-Con’s to get his autograph, but I don’t get it. Elisha Dusku is not that good an actress to carry off this show. She does fine as the ass kicking, bad girl, but ask her to get vulnerable and it all goes to crap. When you add Topher being a douche, erratic writing, Helo not being naked nearly enough and the fact that they have kind of worked themselves into a corner, why renew it now? Firefly was 100 times the show that this one is. Why Fox, why? The only way to redeem yourselves at this time is to give Amy Acker more screen time, have Helo be naked ALWAYS and bring back Wash, because he was a hoot.

They what does Fox do as an encore? They cancel Sarah Conner. Bastards! I loved that show. As much as I was meh about Dollhouse I raved about Terminator. Sure John was a wimpy sap, and the girlfriend plot dragged on way too long (RIP Ripley, I won’t miss you), but the performance that BAG turned in every week knocked my socks off, and there were some tightly written scripts. (We will have to forgive them for the Sarah goes to the sleep clinic episode, because my God, did that suck, but overall it had much better quality than the Dolls week to week.)

I guess I can take some consolation from Better off Ted getting a pick up, because I found the show charming. I’m thrilled about Chuck (even though it is only for 13 episodes). Adam Baldwin looks like he is having a great time and it is so nice to have him on my TV regularly. Plus, I love the show and always found it smart, involving TV.

I also am happy about Castle’s pick up. The first episode I didn’t think Nathan and the girl had much chemistry, but they worked that out (I mean, who couldn’t spark with Nathan? It’s not even possible) and I love his relationship with his daughter. The cast is uniformly good and even though the mysteries are paper thin, Nathan is wonderful fun to watch chew up the scenery. And rounding out the Joss alumni who had a good day, congrats to David B for a two season pick up of Bones. Wee!! Just think of the fun they will have dragging out Angela and Jack and finding ways to torment the revolving assistants. I, for one, can’t wait. However, there had better be mea culpa’s for yet another weak season finale. Christ, what a cop out.

So anyway, mostly I am happy about the new slates. I wish Terminator at least had gotten a 6 hour movie wrap up, that we could trade in Dollhouse for another season of Firefly and that my Without a Trace hangs in there. What? A girl can dream.

RIP

mastermia — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:21:08 GMT

I was so sad to read today about Andy Hallett’s passing at 33 of heart failure. I loved him on Angel and he was so young, and so talented. RIP Lorne, you were the best sidekick a vampire with a soul ever had. I hope you are bellying up to a bar somewhere and dispensing sage advice while dressing snappily.

The sad news was tempered by reading about Aly Hannigan delivering a healthy baby girl. Congrats to Willow and Wesley. (I also love how absolutely doting he has looked in every picture with a hand on her belly. Awwww.) However, Satyana – really? What the hell ever happened to Elizabeth or Sue?

Not connected to the Whedonverse, also in the happy column was the two season pick up for FNL. YAY!!! The show had a creative resurgence this season, reminding me why I used to love it. Going to DirectTV and having the ability to let stories unfold slowly without worrying about imminent cancellation did wonders for them and I am very happy to see what happens now that they have two more years to do so. Too bad my Terminator can’t swing a deal like that. It has been awesome for the last several weeks, but each day I expect to read about its cancellation. Ditto for Chuck, sigh.

Actually this makes me think about how some shows with Whedonverse players are so entertaining and some are so meh. But I guess that is another post for another day. (Watch out Dollhouse, I’m coming for you!)

Not Totally Gone

mastermia — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:28:33 GMT

My Veronica Mars knowledge, that is.

I just totally pegged Professor Landry from the teaser for next week’s Life episode – from only his voice! He had full Kiss style makeup on and I still knew him.

And last week while flipping by Waterworld I recognized Mac as the young girl even though she had to be 12 or so.

I guess some of the characters were just more memorable than others.

I feel better now. But where is my beloved Cliff? Why can’t someone case him as the sleazy neighbor or the funny boss. He would be awesome doing anything. As long as it was sleazy, of course.

When Hollywood Crushes Go Bad

mastermia — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:37:15 GMT

I have always liked Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I liked him on Weeds and I always thought he was rather kick ass on Supernatural. I was happy for him when he got cast in Watchman, because if the film is a hit he should be catapulted into stardom. As much as I have liked him in other things, I loved him as Denny on Grey’s Anatomy. The season finale where he died shattered me. I was completely devastated because I had become totally attached to his character.

When he came back this season, I was disappointed in his story line, but was happy to see him. In fact, last week when his character finally had a purpose I was thrilled. When he kept saying “I’m here for you”
I cried my eyes out because he was so damn good in his scenes. And then I saw him on Craig Ferguson and all that love just died. Maybe he was drunk or high, but he had this terribly annoying laugh and he was coming off as a dick. A not very likeable dick at that. I was shocked because I always imagined he’d be cool and kinda fun. Where do I go from here? How do I reconcile this knowledge with the love I felt? I tell you it’s a conundrum.

I had a similar problem with Kenneth Branagh (Who is directing a comic book movie next year names Thor – what is that all about? Does Thor quote Shakespeare?) I loved Dead Again, adored Henry V and was secretly entertained by Much Ado and Keanu Reeves’ inability to do a line read without sounding like a moron. He and Emma seemed so happy and then he dumped her for Helena Bonham Carter and her one eyebrow and I could never get past it. You would think he had left me! I was that upset. Why must my actors spoil my fantasies for me? At least Colin Farrell and George Clooney still make me love them when they are just being themselves. For that I am grateful.

I know, I really need to get a life.

The Globes Part 2

mastermia — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:11:19 GMT

Part two. I managed to not spoil myself, but I did look at the best and worst dressed pictures on a few of the sites. And I have to repeat after seeing it on two worst dressed lists, I liked Jenna's dress. She wore it very well.

Mmmm, Pierce Brosnan is yummy. But he still can't sing. Amanda Sigfried looked amazing. I saw her dress online today and she was so pretty.

Kate Beckensale is so pretty, why does she keep dressing so severely?

Why is David Duchovny going to go home to his son and Tea when they are separated? And why even talk about her at this point? I hope he isn't trying to worm his way back in, he looks awesome, but really somethings are just too much.

Tina Fey is hysterical. HFP action figures, indeed.

Gina Torres is still with her husband, and she looked so pretty. There was a brief flash of her kissing someone and even in silhouette I said, "Hey, that's Zoe."

Having Marty Scorsese give you an award and call you a visionary is one thing, but where is George Lucas? Weren't they tighter? In my mind they are always associated with each other, it is jarring to have him not even mentioned in the intro. Spielberg mentioned him in passing, but it still seems weird to me.

Danny Boyle wins best director. Does that make this movie unstoppable at the Oscars or what? I thought Howard had a pretty good chance. Or Fincher, but Benjamin Button is losing all steam and there are still 6 long weeks to go.

Sandra Bullock looks great. She has had some rough clothing choices, but seems to be doing better. I am so glad I managed not to spoil myself - COLIN WON!!!!!! Oh baby! And he looks positively clean. It just makes me want to do dirty things to him. And he has the soul of a poet as well. Ah, love. You can come over and whisper to me about love anytime you want.

Sasha Baron Cohen, or whatever your name is, how does it feel to bomb at the Globes? That was not a well received riff. Javiar Bardam looks like Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the Vicki, Christina clip. Hmm.

It does kill me a little to say this, but Tom Cruise looks really, really good. You know, for a gay little midget.

Do Cameron Diaz and Marky Mark even know each other? That was forced. Kate Winslet wins again and again hugs Leo before her husband. And then she made him cry by telling him how much she loves him. At least she threw in a mention of her husband.

Blake Lively's dress is horrible. And Christina Hendricks is putting the voom in Va Va Voom. Oh, January's is quite pretty as well. I am so glad Mad Men won again. Very deserving.

Mickey Rourke, can't say I am really surprised, but what the hell is he wearing? Boy, that is an excited audience.That was a heck of a cut in his speech, OK, two. What is he saying that they had to bleep so profoundly? Oh, now they discover they have music to play people off. Why didn't they figure that out 2 hours ago when Kate W wouldn't shut up?

Slumdog. That should seal their Oscar momentum.

I hope the Oscars take a few hints from this telecast and lay off the endless montages. Let people get up and have their say and don't show us scenes from every movie Paul Newman ever did. Really, I miss him too, but have some restraint.

The Globes Through 9:30...

mastermia — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:38:59 GMT

When I it was my bedtime...

Please forgive typos and screwed up names, I was typing as I was watching.

Boo to E's preshow. Why did they need to cut to Cameron when they were interviewing Chase?

I liked Jenna's dress, Grace needed to brush her hair, Eva Longoria certainly isn't pregnant, there was no where to hide a baby bump in that dress. Kristin Scott Thomas, could you have looked dowdier? Why can't Rumer Willis stand up straight? Could someone please force feed Anne Hathaway some carbs, the girl is disappearing in front of our eyes.

The Show -

Yea to Kate Winslet, nice dress too, but boy she did go on.And J.Lo wasn't wearing her wedding ring again - tongues will wag. Oh and Momma talking? Spare me. Plus, wasn't the dress a little too on the nose?

I LOVED Colin's (who by the way was HAWT) reaction shot to Sting's introduction because yes, he did look like shit.

Did Robert Downey Jr lose his brush? But boy, everyone is talking up a storm when the presenters are up, aren't they?

I wanted them to stay with NPH when he didn't win, he looked like he was doing something funny.

Renee Z, did you take an oath to constantly look like crap? If so, you are doing well. How did Melissa George get nominated for anything? Blech.Aww, but Laura Dern looks wonderful. And a shout out to Danny Strong, gotta love that!

Don Chedle - you make bald look good. Drew Barrymore, did you lose a fight with a can of aquanet?

Gabriel Byrne, I love you, but Michael C Hall and John Hamm were robbed. However, congrats to Michael who eloped with his TV sister, Jennifer Carpenter, last week. I hope you are very happy together.

Anna Paquin over Sally Field?! Over January? There is some good crack there tonight. OMG and awesome? Really, that is your acceptance speech? Oh, Anna.

Did Ricky G need to bring a beer with him on stage? However, he would make a hysterical awards show host, even though the show would run hours over.

Is Emma Thompson still with her super hot baby daddy? They didn't show who was sitting next to her. Sally Hawkins seems genuinely overwhelmed. That is always sweet to see. I might have been tempted to fondle Johnny a little while I was up there, boy is looking good.

How do Jessica Lange and Drew know each other? And why does Jessica look better than the girl 20 years her junior?

I think Demi's dress is strangling her. However, I am very glad she told Rumer to stand up. That girl is a serial stooper. A standing O for Heath. That's nice. Not a surprise, but nice.

Oh, Colin, you are so pretty. And funny. Glad you quit the nose candy and even gladder you can joke about it.

God, Susan Sarandon still looks awesome. I loved Laura L's hair and makeup, but the dress didn't do that much for me.

Gerard Butler is funny looking. Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks together, God who remembers Zach and Miri? Plus her dress is not that flattering. Slumdog getts script? The Oscar buzz is growing.

Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock wasn't a surprise, but at least he didn't give in to the bad facial hair trend. Tony and Steve, what's the deal?

Renee, please get someone to help you dress, because you are not doing well on your own.

Megan Fox looks like a bitch. Paul Giammani seems like a hoot. But he also can't stand up straight.

What did Kate Blanchet do to Tracy Jordan and was he drunk?

Happy 2009!

mastermia — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:12:27 GMT

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and anything else I missed.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. My Christmas was extremely quiet. Charlie and I spent the morning together and then went to his sister-in-law's house. I had never met any of his family (after two years of dating!) so that was interesting in itself. However, things went smoothly. His sister's family was very warm and welcoming and his mother was also very nice. Later, Charlie said they were happy to have proof he wasn't gay. I guess when you are almost 50 and haven't brought anyone home in almost 10 years, people will wonder.

I got Charlie an iPod, it was time for him to join the 21st century, and he got me a necklace that we will be returning for something a little less...shiny. It is the thought that counts, though.

We had a few people over for New Years and otherwise we just hung out. However, the good thing to come from spending 3-4 days not leaving the house? I finally cleared both my TiVo's and actually attacked a few of the shows I had converted over to DVD. I am totally up to date on about 85% of the shows I am watching regularly. Hey, that's real progress!

So not that much to report, but I wanted to check in and wish everyone prosperity, peace and joy in the new year.

RIP Majel Roddenberry

mastermia — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:24:28 GMT

I was saddened to day to hear of Majel Barrett Roddenberry's passing. Slowly but surely we are losing the old Star Trek cast. Scotty, Bones, now Nurse Chapel. It is sad to see what was truly my first fandom pass away, literally. I am glad she did her lines for the JJ Abrams reboot before she died. The computer just won’t be the same with a different voice.

Growing up in Southern California I used to go to Creation conventions on the weekends to see the old cast when it used to be 200 people and some folding tables. I was probably 17 when I went to one convention with a friend. This was before Next Gen, before the movies were successful and before we knew that the show would live on in several other versions. We were in front of a table with some 8x10 promotional pictures on it. One was of Nurse Chapel. I stopped and pointed to the picture and nudged my friend. “That’s what’s-her-name,” I said, “I wonder what ever happened to her.” The woman behind the table cleared her throat, smiled and then replied in a smoky tone I knew right away, “She married the producer and is doing just fine.” I was mortified, but she just laughed and gave me the picture saying she was happy I had remembered her. I saw her several more times over the years at conventions, she was always gracious and warm, once chatting with my mother for 5 minutes as we waited for an elevator.

She may never have had the big career, but she was always the first lady of Star Trek fandom. I hope she and Gene are somewhere in the stars smiling down on us.

My VM knowledge is Gone!

mastermia — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:53:47 GMT

Tessa Thompson was on Life this week and other than a nagging, "Who the hell is that?" I had nothing. Granted I never liked Jackie, but I can't believe I totally forgot where I knew her from. I did recognize Beaver and Hannah (who was only in 4 episodes for heaven's sake!), but apparently also missed Butters and Leo. I tell you after living and dying for that show for two years, that is a very sad commentary.

On a quasi related note, Rob Thomas's new show was sounding interesting to me, until I got to the cast. Vinnie?! And that chick I HATED from True Blood? Blech. I don't get Starz anyway, I guess it is no great loss.

NBC Just Giving Up Now?

mastermia — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:02:47 GMT

What is the deal NBC? Cutting 5 hours of primetime real estate for a Leno talk show? Sure you had to find someplace for him to go, or risk losing $40 mil, but come on!

The parents organizations will flip out over SVU at 9 pm, and you are going to cave and tone the show down, assuming you can get the starts to renew their contracts. So that means no risky adult fare will be possible on NBC any longer, and my Chuck just got the boot, didn't it? Because 5 less hours means you want proven winners and my little Chuck isn't flashy enough is it?

I think you are lazy. And chickenshit. And short sighted. And, blah. Whatev.

First you cancel Pushing Daisies, then this crap.

Go help Leno count his money, it's not like you need to spend your time finding new and exciting shows to promote anymore.

Christian Kane Update

mastermia — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:01:38 GMT

He has a show! If you missed Lindsey and his "evil hand" then give Leverage a try on TNT premiering Friday night, December 7 at 10 pm.

Hey, they had me at Christian Kane. I even watched that dopey lawyer show because he was in it for a few seconds each week. Maybe he will get more screen time. However, I do think his hair needs some shaping. It was looking a little...wild man in the picture I saw.

In unrelated news I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my family. I hope everyone else did as well. Maybe 2009 is my year for catching up with LJ. 2008 has kind of sucked in that regard. I hope everyone is well and happy.

Misc.

mastermia — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:33:55 GMT

On the series premiere of Eli Stone, Victor Garber is trapped in a bank – named Credit Dauphine. Heh. God, some days I miss Alias A LOT! However, on those days I never miss Melissa George and now her stay on Grey’s is “open ended.” Well, shit.

Also, Kristin from E is reporting that Sophia Bush and James Lafferty are dating after apparently none other than CMM spilled the beans. It seems a little passive aggressive, but maybe they are one big happy family. Maybe.

The Ex List has been pulled from the Friday night schedule. Halleluiah. And, don’t think about coming back to Grey’s.

Good luck to Life on its move to Wednesdays. Let’s hope more eyeballs mean a full season pick up.

Gina Torres as Emerson’s ex-wife on Pushing Daisies?! Excellent!

I love Annabeth Gish, don’t get me wrong, but did she have to name her new child Enzo? Yikes. Poor Kid.

Happy Snoopy Dance

mastermia — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:39:43 GMT

Congrats to Alyson Hannigan and Alexis on their baby making skills. Who knew Wesley had it in him? Ok, maybe Lilah. Ah, Wolfram and Hart I miss you.

Anyway, after I got over my "Didn't they already do that?" (Congrats again to Amy Acker, I don't know why I continue to confuse them in my head) I was very happy for them. They seem like a really nice couple and I am glad good things are happening for them. Let's just hope they don't name the kid Conner.

I do kind of hope they don't write the pregnancy into the show, because that would seriously reduce the drinking time at McClaren's. However, it is the next step for them, so I guess I will just see where it goes.

It's quite a baby boom in Hollywood these days, isn't it?

Bits and Pieces

mastermia — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:14:21 GMT

Other things I wanted to talk about...

Renewal Front –

Thank God, Sarah Conner Chronicles got a full season pick up. I think the Live +7 ratings must have helped because they got a 15% bump, which is pretty impressive.
I seriously heart that show and each week they knock me out with a line or a character decision. The last episode I watched the moment was Reese saying they all die for John. I’m telling you it killed me! And now I get to look forward to tiny deaths for rest of the season. Yay!

Burn Notice will be back and not one, but two seasons of Dexter. Yipee. I think Dexter might be the best show on TV. I am also jazzed about a third season of Mad Men, even though it is hardly a surprise. The creator and exec producer still negotiating his contract is a bit scary, but I am sure AMC will step up to the plate.

I am also enjoying Mentalist and am happy it won’t be going away anytime soon. However, with all that said, Knight Rider. Really? A full season pick up before Life, Daisies and a slew of other deserving shows? Boo to you NBC. Boo!

Shows I have already given up on –

Valentine had 718,000 viewers on Friday. Why is it still on? I watched the pilot and it was ridiculously silly. I give it another week, maybe two before it is canceled, but I won’t watch again. Sorry Taylor Townsend, you will need to find another way to be on my screen because I can’t watch that drek, not even for you.

11Th Hour was so damn dour that I can’t imagine wanting to spend another hour with anyone on the show. The ratings are being categorized as “disappointing,” so apparently I am not the only one thinking that. Sorry Rufus, you are done for me.

Life On Mars plunged 26% from the pilot episode. Oops. Maybe they felt like I did that there was nowhere to go now. I get it, Miranda is a wonderful thing, and women cops had an uphill road to get taken seriously. The main guy is good, but the rest bored me. No more for me.

Other things I found interesting –

Last night’s Chuck was up 12%, thank God. It was a great episode, and they are already guaranteed for the year, but I would like to see them get the ratings they deserve.

Life had me worried, last week they were down to 4.92 M and I was expecting the big hook to come out (which is a shame because I really enjoy the show). However, their last episode was up 16% to 6 million. Maybe NBC will give them a chance to perform and I will get to keep watching. Hey, they picked up Knight Rider. Anything is possible!

My Own Worst Enemy started with so-so ratings and dropped 21% last night from there. I think I will wait a week or so to even watch the pilot. There may not be a reason. Did anyone see it? Is it worth it for something that seems doomed?

The Ex-List which I couldn’t bring myself to watch because I just hate the main girl so very, very much seems to have a similar problem with other viewers. Their second episode dropped 17% from a pretty mediocre premier. I know it is evil but I want her off my TV, because the ads with her bitchy little face just piss me off. Boy, apparently splitting up Izzy and Alex will get you eternally blacklisted in my world.

What were they thinking?

V is getting a new season of TV?! Really? The miniseries was 80’s camp at its best, but come on! The TV show sucked and blew which is pretty hard to pull off at the same time. Yikes! Hollywood is officially out of ideas.

Fond Farewells

My Daily Show won’t be the same. First Samantha Bee and Jason Jones got a pilot (damn them! I like Sam and will miss her). But now Rob Riggle is also jumping ship for his own show. Rob, buddy, semper fi. It just won’t be the same without you. And if you take my Aasif Mandvi with you I will hurt you.

TV Thoughts

mastermia — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:10:40 GMT

Heroes Rant (October 13th episode) –

Peter’s ability is how he can absorb other heroes’ powers – RIGHT? And he absorbed several over the course of the show. He paints like Isaac, he flies like Nathan, and he can read minds like Matt. And he absorbed Claire’s at some point. So how the hell did he die when future Claire shot him? WHY WAS HE DEAD?

Oh show. I have hung in there through a lot of crap. Maya alone should have been enough to make me stop watching, but I hung in there. And now you can’t even be bothered to keep some sort of internal logic? I don’t even know what to say to that.

Show, we need to take a break. I need to think about what we have meant to each other and where I want us to go from here. It’s not me, it’s you. You’ve changed. You’ve become dull and lack that spark that made me love you in the beginning. Give me a call if you get Matt back from the friggin’ desert, if Sylar and HRG man continue to be awesome together as partners or if Mohinder and Maya die a fiery death. Until then don’t call me, I’ll call you.

Grey’s (10/16 episode)

I love George again. I am so happy. Even Iz isn’t on my last nerve, even though I was very happy that Derek verbally smacked her around a little. Bailey continues to be awesome (her Africa analogy cracked me up) and the little boy wanting to see the man without a face again had me chuckling for the rest of the night. Thank you for not sucking this season. I am very grateful. Now bring back Major Hottie and you just might become must-see TV again for me.

Bones (10/6 episode)

Jack is my hero. I love his character and I am so happy they are getting him and Angela to a place where they can interact again. I am still pissed they aren’t together, but as long as they continue to have cute scenes, I’m good. She was way too much car for that kid. Vroom, indeed! And Jack looked so proud!! Plus I liked how they pulled Angela into the case and Booth’s interrogation. I hope this is a sign that they will be utilizing her more.

NCIS (10/14 episode)

I have always enjoyed this show. The camaraderie and chemistry between the characters is so great that I love spending time with them. I have to say, however, that this episode had me bawling. First we get Gibbs senior then as a cherry on top we get more about Shannon. I was a very happy girl and that was a great episode from a show that very rarely every disappoints.

How I Met Your Mother (Through 10/13 episode)

Is it just me, or are they having a really uneven season? One episode will be good, then the next so-so. I really liked the packing episode with the interventions. But the Hamburger episode left me completely cold. I hope that they find their footing again and give us more Barney/Robin!! That will improve things. I do wonder if Robin comes back from Japan and moves into the old apartment. Or does Ted not move after all? And of course they teased us by having Robin and Barney sitting next to each other. It looked like there was a diamond on Robin’s finger, but it would have been her right hand because that was the one facing the camera. So basically we know nothing, except they need to get back to being consistently funny.

TV I liked. And some I didn't...

mastermia — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:25:49 GMT

Wee, Fall TV is back. Yay!!

Heroes Premiere

Yawn. No, really YAWN. Apparently I am over this show. As soon as Matt got sent to Africa and Mohinder started playing Spiderman, I was out. Why is Maya still here? When she was the voice of reason to Mo, I knew we were in trouble. Speaking of trouble? Future, troubled Peter does nothing for me. Either Milo isn’t a good enough actor to pull off the character or the writing is shoddy. Either way I am vastly annoyed by his existence. However, Weevil as Peter has some pretty great potential. I will give them that. And, also ironically, even though Ali Larter’s character has always been one of my least favorite (two of my least favorite?) I do like her as The Ice Queen. I also hope Bruce B gets more airtime. I’ve loved him long time.

Let’s see what else annoyed me? Claire’s whining, the Ando/Hiro bromance hitting the rocks and Nathan’s religious conversion. Spare me. Thank God he’s pretty. I do like The Trickster, Sylar is still chewing the scenery which is always fun and Horn Rimmed Glasses man makes me happy with just his presence. Sigh. I will stick it out to see what HRG does and Matt, but Mohinder prepared to be FF’s through because there is not enough time in the world to put up with your crap. Oh, and let’s get Nathan naked pronto. That will help as well.

Ugly Betty Premiere

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. Why do they have her do these incredibly stupid things and then expect us to find her a heroine worth rooting for? Taking an apartment sight unseen is so dumb I don’t know where to start. More Mark, More Amanda, More Wili and less of everyone else please.

Bones (to date)

So far this season I am really enjoying the B/B relationship. That said, I am still pissed about breaking up Jack and Angela. Can we take a moment to admire the perfection that is T.J Thyne? I don’t know what he is doing but last episode he was scorchin’ hot. Yowza. How can Angela ignore that? Sweets has no reason to be there and is a little whiny to boot. I loved him telling Jack he was good even when he hated everyone, but otherwise he has served his purpose and should leave. I liked the last intern and hope he comes back. And speaking of pretty, kudos to whoever lit and shot the scene where Bones “came onto” him. Emily looked gorgeous. I loved having Zack back, even though it was absurd. I miss him and loved the Jack interaction. Still escapist fun, and oh the pretty, pretty men.

Sarah Conner Chronicles (to date)

God, I love this show. When Sarah told the wife that she thought it would be easier because she thought she would be dead? Chills!! Absolute chills. I loved that moment! I love the character of Sarah and even though the young John is annoying, I love everyone else. BAG is hot (shocking, I know), I love the ex-fiancé and the new Terminator Executive has a really interesting plot going on that is keeping me involved. I was bummed to hear they probably won’t get a pick up past their first 13 (and this being Fox, they may not get that far is the rating really don’t improve), but I will certainly enjoy all the episodes that they do air.

Grey’s Premiere

I was reminded of the Godfather line: You think you’re out and they pull you back in. I was a little apathetic about the premiere and thought that last season had killed my affection for the show. It appears not. I LOVED Hunt (or Major Hottie as I guess we are calling him now.) I loved him despite the unfortunate facial hair and accent. Plus, Sandra Oh did some great work in her scenes with him. It is nice to see someone give her something to work against. Does anyone know if he is coming back? I need him to be in the show as a regular. Need, I tell you! Sloan continued to crack me up, Callica was cute, Lexie didn’t annoy, Meredith got told to shut up, Rose is gone and I like Izzie again. It’s a miracle!

However, I do think they cheated. I was not really emotionally invested again until the scene with Denny, when I burst into tears. That is totally not fair – reminding us of the wonderful, dead past. (But, Iz’s dress and hair looked…off. I know it was the same dress, but has the actress lost weight because it wasn’t hanging right. And the wig? Bad. Really, bad.) God, I loved Denny and that finale killed me. I cried for hours when he died. Ok, show. You want to make me care again? Fine, you got me. Just don’t suck. I am warning you.

The Office Premiere

Finally we get the proposal we wanted. Finally! I loved when Jim said he was going to get to know the new receptionist, become friends and fall in love with her. Ha. Holly (? - the new HR girl) is a great addition and I love her interactions with Michael. I adored Angela’s sneaking around with Dwight and actually felt a little sorry for poor Andy. An enjoyable hour, that didn’t stretch the plot so thin that it was painful as they had done last season with the long episodes. Welcome back my Office friends. I have missed you.

Supernatural (To date)

Sammy! Dean! Sammy! Dean! Hey, the boys are back. Dean is still bowlegged, but apparently a hot Angel saved him and now he has to stop the apocalypse. (He should totally talk to the Petrelli brothers or Hiro, because they have stopped, what? Like 3 so far!) Sammy has allied with Ruby in a hot (and even more nubile body) and now seems to be playing fast and loose with the rules. I am sure that won’t cause any kind of clash with his brother and his mission for God. Just as I am sure they won’t have Sam sleep with Ruby. (If they were going to bring her back, why not the same actress? What is the deal there?) Two very enjoyable shows and a really interesting season long premise. Besides, who doesn’t love a wrathful ghost pissed you didn’t save him? Or in this case Meg. She worked our boys over. Hee. Oh, and Bobby totally rocks, just in case anyone forgot!

Home to see Dexter and Chuck!!

Emmy Thoughts

mastermia — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:18:55 GMT

Here is my live as it happens blog of the Emmy's. What a dull, uneven, horribly conceived and executed show. The reality guys sucked and went on and on and some very entertaining stuff looks like it got cut. Blah.

What is up with Oprah? She seemed so stilted and forced and orange. Plus, did she have work done? Yikes!

Tina Fey - you look awesome, now lose the bulky seam at your waist. See, how much better that would be?

Neil Patrick Harris you were robbed, and I love the Piv, so you know that is hard for me to say. Wait, The Piv didn't bring his mother. What's up with that?

Bummer, I wanted Kristin C to win for supporting comedy actress, but I do love Jean Smart.

Aren't we over the Housewives yet? Dana Delaney looks better every year, but what did Felicity do to her hair? And what is Eva wearing?

Ricky Gervais is freakin' hysterical. Now I need to go rent Extras.

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins are still together. Oh, so are Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. That makes me happy.

Who attached Jennifer Love Hewitt's hair? And what the hell is she wearing? Colbert won for writing!!! YEA!!! So deserved. The man has been on fire for the last year, but Dr. Phil was pretty funny.

Steve Martin is finally starting to look his age. It's funny for years he didn't change at all.

I like Josh Grobin so much more now that he doesn't take himself so seriously. And that was not as painful as it could have been.

So glad Jon won for variety show. He is really pretty awesome. 27 nominations to date. Wow!

God, David Boreanez can wear a tux!

Hey, Toby directs on The Office!

Pie-lette won!!!!!!!!! AWWWW, Pie Man and Kristen are so cute.

West Wing spotlight. Look, it's Leo. Rest in Peace John Spencer, and may angels speed your way.

Christina Applegate looks awesome. So does Christian Slater, but boy is he short. I am very excited about his new show. Hmm, I guess I need to rent Recount.

William Peterson and Laurence Fishburn. Oh, they forgot to bring the torch but could they have picked a more public place to hand over the reins? Maybe they used the torch up burning William's button down shirt. What the hell are they wearing?

Jon and Steven chatting on the way to the mic, I am glad they are still friends. Okay, funniest moment of the night. Stephen is talking about how we need a prune right now and a woman behind Ricky G's head actually turned to the guy next to her asking what they are talking about. Oh, God, it's the seamstress from Ugly Betty. God, what is her name? Still embarrassing for her.

Danny Strong got an Emmy nomination. "We are as Gods," indeed. Aww, the nerds make good. Joss must be so proud. What's the deal with cutting off the John Adams writer in mid sentence. They would not have done that to on screen talent. Ricky G is right. They could have shut up the stupid hosts and had plenty of time.

Patrick Dempsy is awfully pretty.

Is that Kathy Griffin's real hair? Get up indeed. Don Rickles still has it.

How can Amazing Race win 6 Emmy's in a row and not have the host nominated? Phil is so good, and has to be better than Howie Mandel.

Tom Hanks is also aging. He is aging well, but he is looking old. What is the deal with his hair? Aww, Tom and Sally interplay. Funny, I went to Punchline before I remembered Forrest Gump. Oh, My God, they are playing Tom Hanks off!!

"Thanks to Howie Mendel's praddling, our bit has been cut!" He shoots, he scores. God bless you Neil Patrick Harris. Kristin C looks amazing. Of course, so does NPH. Don Rickles beat Stephen Colbert, with Stephen be carrying on like he does about Rain? And Barry Manilow? Because that is going to be funny. Some judgment was used somewhere. They didn;t play Don off, and he got the best laugh of the night with the crack about his wife signaling ships with her jewelery.

Dayum Addy, you look great girl. Now can we please work on Private Practice not sucking next year?

I didn't realize that Battlestar got an Emmy nod for writing. That's great. But Mad Men totally deserve it.

Paul Giamatti, I am very happy you won. Now stand up straight. "Not really my wife, but my fake wife" - and with that they show his real wife going WTF.

Aww, Candice I love you. You can do anything you damn well want. I am really bummed Lee Pace didn't win, but Alec did deserve it. Hey, where has that scar on Tina Fey's face been hiding?

I am sure Glenn Close is good in Damages, but Holly Hunter totally should have won lead actress in a Drama.

Charlton Heston died? Did I know that? Deborah Kerr I remembered. Aww, Sydney Pollack. We lost some good ones this year.

Micheal C Hall - you were robbed. I cannot believe you have never won an award for Dexter. The other nominees seemed really surprised as well by the winner.

Craig Ferguson cracks me up. And yay for Tina again. And best speech of the night. Well, maybe second best, Rickles was pretty good.

Jimmy Kimmel was pretty funny in the beginning. But what's with the eyes? Ryan, you can slay with a quirked eyebrow. Maybe next year Tiger. So, we don't have time for NPH and Kristen, but there is time for this crap? How long can they take to give out an award? Why aren't they playing Jeff off?

Does Mary Tyler Moore eat? Her arms look like she just got out of Auschwitz. Tina plugging a show that just won the second time in a row cracks me up. But listen to the pretty woman and watch 30 Rock.

Mad Men - yay! Why did Don's wife forget to put her dress on over her corset? And Joan - wear more green. It makes your hair pop. And the rack is pretty phenomenal also. However, little Zoey is all grown up and in a killer dress. Peggy, you done good.

I will have to check online tomorrow because except for Eva and Jennifer Love most of the dresses were boringly generic. Oh, except for Heidi Klum. What on earth was she wearing half the time? I am sure there must have been some really awful ones to mock. And after all, that is what is most important about the Emmy's.

Pleasant Surprises -

mastermia — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:34:41 GMT

Summer usually brings low expectations from my entertainment, but I have found a few things this summer that I really liked:

The Middleman - I LOVE this show! I saw the creator at a panel at Comic Con and recorded the last four episodes because I was curious. I finally got around to seeing one and was smitten from the first ten minutes. Natalie Morales is going to be a star, plus as a bonus the show is witty and so full of pop culture references that the only word I can use to describe it is Whedonesque. During a Vampire episode the perky sidekick girl picks up a stake and actually says she is 'going to get her Buffy on.' I am considering buying the episodes I missed on iTunes, or does anyone know if a DVD set is imminent? I vaguely remember reading on Kristin or Ausiello's blog that the show didn't do well in the ratings (which is a shame!), so I am not holding out hope, but I do want to at least see the episodes I missed.

Privileged - I really like the CW premiering shows early because it gives me a chance to watch them before the onslaught of Fall TV starts. Because nothing else was on I watched the first two episodes last week and was charmed. I had it down as a ‘maybe watch’ before but now it is a must see. The main actress, Joanna Garcia, is wonderfully accessible and relate-able. The girls she is teaching are interesting characters and I love the gay chef. The sister has a high possibility to become very annoying, but she will make for some drama, which every soap needs.

Ghost Town - I thought this was going to be a bad Topper retread. Instead it was a very funny and entertaining Rom-Com that should make a huge star out of Tea Leoni and win over a more mainstream audience for Ricky Gervais. Plus anything with Aasif Mandvi gets bonus points in my book.

The Blackbird Sister Mysteries by Nancy Martin - My enjoying these books should not have been a surprise since they were recommended by the very reliable a_h_c, but I didn’t expect to like them quite as much as I did. I have sailed through the first 5 in the last month and have found them very entertaining. The writing is sharp and the sexual tension is palatable. (The main characters are Mick and Nora and Martin is obviously trying to bring up echoes of The Thin Man) The last two had pretty easy mysteries to solve, but I enjoyed the ride getting to the end. One of the sisters can be a bit much, but usually even bit characters are well drawn so she doesn’t take over too much. I would read them in order (The first is How to Murder a Millionaire) and enjoy!

Plus, yay for Saving Grace getting a third season pick up (I do love me some Hamm) and Mad Men’s and 30 Rock’s Emmy wins. I think both are richly deserved. But, I do wish that Dexter had gotten some love. Oh well.

Well That Was Quick

mastermia — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:45:35 GMT

Chuck got a full season pickup today for Season 2. Woo-hoo. Originally they were only guaranteed 13 episodes, but NBC upped the order after seeing the 6 episodes filmed. Yay!!! I do love me some Chuck. While on the subject – kudos on the casting of the Awesome’s. Scarecrow and Morgan Fairchild?! Brilliant!! When does the new season start?

I’m also really excited that Nathan Fillion’s new show Castle got a pick up. My world is a happier place with him on my TV screen regularly. Also, ABC picked up Cupid as a mid-season replacement. I’ll miss The Piv, but I am really curious to see where they go with the re-imagining.

David Duchovny – I am so sad to hear that the rumors are true, but hopefully you getting help is a good sign.

And the Gloves Come Off...

mastermia — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:13:43 GMT

Good speech Obama, did Aaron Sorkin write it for you? I swear the whole "John McCain, just doesn't get it," was very American President-like. But whoever wrote it did a great job. I love the dream of a united American, where we respect each other and are not Democrats or Republicans, but Americans. And the hopeful part of me thinks we may have actually found a John F Kennedy for our generation. A man who can actually make his dream a reality and could unite this country.

Of course the cynic in me just thinks he wants to reach across party lines and bolster his base. It thinks his main goal is to woo Independents and pick up enough Republicans to secure not only his election but also the House and Senate.

But the one thing all of me can agree on is thank god he was raised by a strong woman, married one and has daughters because he is a man who respects women. I also think if John McCain stayed up past his bedtime, he knows that a gauntlet was thrown down.

I thought I was burned out on politics, but I have my second wind. Bring on November!

And those 80,000 screaming admirers are ready to buy some Amway...

You Have Got to be Kidding Me

mastermia — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:02:15 GMT

Breaking Dawn has been read. I wish I could say it was enjoyed.

I am so glad I didn’t wait a long time for this book to come out. I can only expect that anticipation would have made it even worse. As it is, it read like bad fanfic. She gets knocked up?! Really? He’s a vampire, he’s dead, he has no hear beat, he can’t cry, but he has sperm that are alive? I don’t know what to say about that. Other than, you have got to be kidding me. (I think I actually read this story as a fanfic for Moonlight. I didn’t buy it then either.) I totally feel manipulated with the Jacob/Nessie imprinting, even thought I did not see it coming, and Charlie not having an issue with Bella’s changes is ridiculous. Yes, it makes everything tidy at the end, but that is part of my issue.

Stephanie Myers has created a world that she totally abandoned for convenience. Bella not being a traditional newborn after spending an entire book building up their reputation is a huge cop out. So is the Italian vampires turning tail and running away without any blood spilt. Everyone is terrified, and then not one single main character dies? No real stakes then, huh? (Pardon the pun.)

There were parts I liked. I still like the relationship between Jacob and Edward, especially when we get to see the world through Jacob’s eyes for a while. I thought that Leah and Seth got some nice moments, and I loved the reaction when Bella found out that Jacob had imprinted on Nessie.

I just… *shakes head*

I wasn’t expecting much, but this book was just silly. And not in a good way. Yikes. And after the disappointment of Full Moon I thought she had her shit together when Eclipse was better. Apparently not. I enjoyed this one less than #2!

Oh well. Now at least I have read them and can move on to something else to angst over. Hey, Fall TV spoilers are starting to leak, Daniel Craig has a new Bond movie to promote and Gossip Girl will start in less than a month. I won’t be bored…

Vampires and Stuff

mastermia — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:17:01 GMT

I finally did it. I read the three Stephanie Meyer books, pretty much in the last two weeks. And that is pretty good considering I spent 5 of those days at Comic Con. After seeing the posts pop up over the last few years I was curious, but wasn’t sure they would appeal to me. I was wrong. While not great literature by any means, they are surprisingly engaging. So thanks everyone who talked about them for making me curious enough to pick them up. I am glad I did.

Spoilers under the cut for Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse.

Twilight

A friend had the books and after reading the EW article I finally asked to borrow them. I finished Twilight in three days. Even though the book is little more than a Harlequin Romance – Junior Gothic edition, I ended up swooning. The book was written for teens but I did not feel condescended to, or that the story was dumbed down. However, I do feel sorry for a generation of impressionable teen girls who will read this book, fall in love with Edward, and then be disappointed that no man in the world measures up. I have never found a man who actually articulates his feelings and wants to know everything I am thinking and feeling and here is book where the heroine gets that plus someone who wants nothing more than to make her happy. Of course he does tend to stalk her, but who is perfect after all. I am not sure that the all encompassing passion that Edward and Bella share is healthy, but as written I cannot deny that it does seem to have some appeal even as it sort of screamed “Buffy and Angel” at me.

The writing is not spectacular, (however, it is serviceable) but the characters are very well drawn. A first person narrative is difficult if you don’t like the character, but I found Bella very likeable and was very happy to spend some time looking at the world through her eyes. The plot is compelling and Meyer set up enough tension that it kept me turning pages fast and furious. I think the James/Victoria/Laurent plot was good in that it gave the story focus and peril while also illuminating the world of the Vampires. Impressive as a first novel and rewarding to the reader. Good job Stephanie!

New Moon

I did not like this book nearly as much as Twilight. The plot was not as compelling to me and I feel the author made a huge tactical mistake by separating Edward and Bella for such a huge portion of the story. Then when they do get together I found the jaunt to Italy more than a little annoying. There are four books, like Edward isn’t coming back or is going to get killed. Come on! I felt that the Romeo and Juliet analogy caused the plot to get strained to conform and it caused the book to drag a little. The other problem is that as a reader I figured out a plot point 250 pages before the narrator did, and I was actually getting to the point of thinking Bella was downright stupid. How could she not know Jacob was a werewolf? Come on, that was obvious about 100 pages in, if not sooner. I wanted to like Jake, but the petulantness got a bit much. Plus how many times did Bella have to be supported, carried or otherwise shown to be the helpless female in a sea of powerful men? I get it, she is fragile, really! I do wish that some of the secondary characters got more opportunities to fully develop and become more than stock. The kids in the high school are still practically interchangeable to me, but I do like that a lot of the Indian characters got more attention. The world feels real and lived in to me. I plowed through pretty quickly, but it didn’t have the impact to me that the first one did.

Eclipse

I liked this one much more than New Moon, but not as much as Twilight. I was happy to see Jasper and Rosalie get a little more time and development, and Alice is quickly becoming a favorite character. However, it seems to have been at the expense of Emmett and Esme who are practically invisible. Also, the non mystical characters are practically forgotten. So long teens of Forks, I hardly knew ya. The plotting is again strong and even though I was pretty sure where it was going there were a few twist and turns that kept me on edge. Victoria makes for a compelling antagonist, but I figured out pretty quickly she was making more newbies to distract our valiant vampire crew. The love triangle is well established and obviously the heart of the story. I feel the author is doing a pretty good job of balancing the men in Bella’s life, and making both of them viable companions, not an easy trick considering how Edward seems to be the perfect man. I found Jake much more likeable here, even though I did want to slap him silly several times. I like that she finally realized she loved them both, but made a choice that was consistent with her character (Yes, Stephanie Plum, I am looking at you). I am also fascinated at how Meyer developed the relationship between Edward and Jacob and made it believable. I expected them to learn to coexist, but she made it plausible and I enjoyed watching the rapport develop.

I am eager to read the fourth to see what happens to Bella’s humanity as well as where the rest of the characters end up. Is it Saturday yet?