SEASON FINALE REVIEWS of Scandal, Grey’s, Castle, How I Met Your Mother, and Elementary Coming Soon

Heading out for the weekend so I will recap these shows Sunday and Monday.   Lots to talk about!   Here’s a quick preview:

Castle: Rick proposed to Kate!!!!   Rick proposed to Kate!!!!  But what does this mean for them going forward and is this really a good thing?  I’ll discuss.

Grey’s: Callie and Arizona had quite the blow up.   Who’s side am I on?   Come back to find out.   Plus, Richard better not be dead!!

Scandal: Enough already.  Ok enough!   Either keep Olivia and Fitz together or break them up but ENOUGH with Olivia running around saying “we can’t do this.”  I’m so done with that.   Did you know David was wearing the white hat all along?   Did I?  And what about Quinn becoming baby Huck and Huck’s reaction to it.

How I Met Your Mother: FINALLY!!!   We got to meet her.   Now we just need Ted to meet her.   But when Carter Bays says this will be the longest wedding in the history of TV, does her really mean that next season will cover the span of only 56 hours?  I don’t know how I feel about that…or maybe I do!

Elementary: haven’t watched it yet but I will by Sunday, so don’t spoil me!

Have a good weekend peeps!

 

SEASON FINALE REVIEW: Arrow “Sacrifice” S1 E22

Well, I thought a Merlyn was going to die, but I thought it would be Malcolm and not Tommy.   It wasn’t until Tommy rushed into the building to save Laurel that I knew Tommy would be a goner.  While I’m a little disappointed because I was hoping they would go down the road of Oliver killing Malcolm and Tommy taking over his father’s cause and therefore putting the once BFF’s as mortal enemies, it also makes sense that they did it this way.   Tommy became a pretty disposable character later in the season.    There were times it seemed he was on-screen just because the writers felt like they had to.  Not to pull out the whole crossroads speech but the character of Tommy did come to a crossroad (especially once he found out about Oliver being the Hood.)   He could align with Oliver and fight the “bad guys” of Starling City or align with his father and fight the revenge fight with his dad and become one of the “bad guys.”   Neither one of these were going to happen. Oliver already has his band of trusted side kicks in Diggle and Felicity so he really doesn’t need someone else at this point.  And Tommy always struggled with his feelings about his father only recently being on good terms with him.  It really wouldn’t have made sense if all of a sudden Tommy was taking up his father’s cause..especially after we saw his reaction to his father’s plan.   So even though you could argue Tommy’s death was a “shock” due to Colin Donnell being a series regular, when you look at the progression (or lack there of) of his character over the course of the season, it wasn’t a shock at all.

Overall, I loved this first season of Arrow.  I like how the superhero element was absolutely present but not in a way that was unbelievable.   Oliver being able to do what he does was well explained over the season.   Are there still questions, sure.   But at least, for my edification, I’m convinced Oliver is the “superhero” we have come to know and love!   And the writers did a very good job with this.  I know some of my friends who watch the show always got bored when the island story line was on-screen but not me.   I wanted to see the transformation of Oliver from spoiled playboy to focused vigilante.  In my opinion, I thought the timing and transition was perfectly handled.  Oliver didn’t transition overnight, but certain things would happen on the island that would force him to jump into a different side of himself I think was there all along but wasn’t awakened until it had to…fight or flight as they say.   And while I still want to know how he gets off and why he is there for 5 years if it appears the main person keeping him there is now dead, I at least am comfortable with the explanation of how Oliver gets to this point, so far.

In addition to Tommy dying, a lot of big things happened.   We learn that Roy Harper wants to meet the Hood so badly not because he wants to thank him for saving his life, but because he wants him to train him to do what he does.   To be Robin to Oliver’s Batman.   But what about Thea?   I don’t think the scene of Roy getting attacked and Thea saving him by throwing that bottle and Roy commenting on her aim was for nothing.  I think it was a mention of things to come with Thea but I’m not sure what.  But I love these two together.

I’m still trying to figure out if I feel bad for Moira or not.  All signs indicate she didn’t have a choice in this because she felt her family was threatened but this is coming from her so we have to take her word on it.  I don’t remember seeing Malcolm actually threaten her family.   If I missed that, please let me know but I don’t remember that.   So I don’t know if I can 100% believe Moira.   Do I believe she loves her family and would do anything to protect them?   Yes I do.   But has she crossed a line she might never recover from?   Absolutely. Has she shown herself to be duplicitous and cagey?   Most definitely.  So I really don’t know how to feel towards her.  But Walter sure made his feeling known.  In the end we see Walter has left her, again, and she was taken in handcuffs to jail.  Not looking good for the matriarch of the Queen family.

Let’s talk about the Lance family.   At first, I hated Quentin.   He was an ass.   But as the season evolved, my views on him softened.   This is a man with a ton of loss in his life and really all he has left is Laurel.  So I can understand him being irrational when it comes to her because he just wants to protect her.  I think his character started to go a bit off course when they had him set Laurel up as a trap to get the Hood.   But he was course corrected and now he’s just a cop, who loves his daughter very much, trying to do the right thing.  I can deal with that.  Watching his opinion of the Hood change over the arc of the season has been interesting to watch.  Here was a cop who was so black and white about the Hood…civilians don’t take matters of law into their own hands.   So in his mind, the Hood was just as bad as the criminals he was trying to catch.   But then, that opinion slowly started to go away as the Hood started giving him tips on criminal activity and would let the police handle it (to some degree.)   Quentin was able to notice that while he doesn’t agree with how the Hood handles his business, he does see he has the people of Starling City’s best interest at heart.   He is trying to do right…even thought it’s a way Quentin doesn’t really approve of.   And I think because the Hood has taken a special interest in protecting Laurel, that has helped soften Quentin a little bit.   So I’m curious to see where his character goes next season in relation to the Hood.

As for Laurel herself, I love Katie Cassidy, but I need more.  Laurel has been a slightly boring character this season.   There are times you see a toughness in her and other layers start to shine through but these moments are fleeting.  Too many times we’re seeing Laurel being the woman two men are fighting over and she has no idea what to do.  And that’s it.  I want to see more from her.  I want to see her fight and be strong, and kick ass in her own right without someone having to do it for her.  With Tommy’s death and her finally choosing to try again with Oliver, at least that is over.   But when we come back next season, I want to see Laurel dust herself off and pick herself back up without someone having to do it for her.  And let’s give her a story where she doesn’t have to be saved or rescued or watched over.   It’s fine to have that every once in a while, but not all the time and for me, it was too many times too often for my liking.

What did you think of Arrow’s freshman season and the finale?   I loved both and I’m already excited for next season!

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Parenthood “Because You’re My Sister” S4 E15

I hate that it’s Jan 25th and Parenthood is over for the season.  But I’ve said it before, I’d rather have a 15 episode season of Parenthood, than no season at all.  So if 15 is all I get and it keeps Parenthood on the air, so be it.  But I’d still rather have the full 22…it has to be said!

Adam and Kristina

It’s been a pretty emotional season.  Kristina’s cancer storyline has really dominated the tear factor, with a handful of other stories vying for their Kleenex moment, so you knew there was going to be a decision at the end of the season…was Kristina going to be in remission or was she going to die?   I’m not going to lie.  I was worried Katims was going to kill Kristina off.  Because the storytelling that would happen in the build up to her death and in the preceding episodes dealing with her passing would be so incredibly powerful and interesting, I thought Katims might go that route.  At this point, luckily, he has decided not to go in that direction.  Although I fear seeing her friend Gwen might have been a foreshadowing of things to come.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I am by no means wishing for this to happen.  NO.  WAY.  I’m just putting on my forecasting hat and, as usual, reading too much into everything.

Kristina had one more scan to make sure that the cancer hadn’t spread because something looked off in her test.  But the doctor was just being cautious thinking it was probably just her body reacting to all the treatment.  Turns out that exactly what it was!    Yeah!!!  Now he did warn her that she can’t use the “C” word (cured) for 5 years but at this point, she is cancer free!!!

I’m so happy for her and for Adam.  This whole storyline was told so beautifully.  It showed how scary and lonely it can be for a cancer patient.  But it also showed how difficult it is on the spouse.  And it showed that both sides can be flawed in their actions.  There were times Adam was trying to be supportive but in his quest to support (like with bought Kristina the trip to Hawaii to celebrate her clean health), it pushed negative buttons in Kristina.  Likewise, when Adam was doing his best to be supportive (like when he bought Kristina the wig) Kristina really overreacted to what her husband’s intentions were.  Showing the side of the cancer patient in a supportive light is a dangerous and tricky storyline to go down.  You never want to show a patient unfavorably because of what they are going through but if you are going to show this as real as possible, then you have to cross that line.  But Katims did it so well that it was never disrespectful or insensitive.   But it was a perfect ending to a very well told story from start to finish.

Joel and Julia

Speaking of a well told story, this story had some mixed emotions over the course of the season.  I didn’t have as much of a problem as some people did…until the last two episodes.   Now I am going to chalk up the fast turn around to only have 15 episodes to work with and wanting to wrap this story up on a happy note this season and not drag it out into the next one.  But is that the fastest turn around you have ever seen in a kid?  He went from being really nasty and mean to Julia and Sydney to now begging Julia to adopt him and asking Sydney to show up at his adoption ceremony because she’s his sister.  This from the kid that just 2/3 weeks earlier was saying Julia wasn’t his real mother.  It didn’t make sense to me.  And there seemed to be no explanation as to what caused him to have this major change of heart.  That’s the only part that really disappointed me.  But my assumption is that Katims really wanted the adoption to happen in the finale and there was only so much time between certain episodes to make that happen.

Other than that, the adoption was wonderful and classic Braverman.  Of course the ENTIRE family would be there to support J&J.   And I LOVED how each one of them stepped up to say how they now related to Victor and how there certain areas in life where he should reach out to them for advise.  (Oh and really Sarah, YOU’RE going to suggest relationships for your area of expertise.   Ugh.)   But the best part was at the end of the scene when they were running out and Victor said to Julia “Mom can we get ice cream?”   The look on her face when he called her mom was priceless.  I love it.

Crosby & Jasmine

I still don’t agree with Jasmine on how her mom should have been handled.  Are there some sensitivities to the situation that should be respected because of who Renee is and what she has been to Jabbar?  Absolutely.  Does that give her the right to tell Crosby and Jasmine how to parent their son?  No.  And Crosby had every right to be upset with Renee interfering with their way of raising Jabbar.  Renee wasn’t happy with their routine (Crosby getting in late and having dinner as a family when he got home.)  so she just changed it.  That isn’t right and Jasmine should have put her foot down more.  She was just as much to blame in this for putting Crosby in the position of having to be the heavy and that’s why it became worse than it needed to be…because she didn’t have his back, even though she agreed with him.  Ironically, I think Renee was right that Jabbar shouldn’t be eating dinner at 8:00pm during the week.  That should be closer to a bedtime than mealtime.  But you know what, it doesn’t matter what I think or she thinks.  The only thing that matters is what his parents think because it’s their decision.  And quite frankly, I think it’s nice that they try to do what they can to have dinner as a family, no matter what time it is.   But because Jasmine didn’t have the guts to have an honest, but respectful conversation with her mother, the situation and the tension built up and exploded when it didn’t need to and Renee’s feelings were hurt.  And somehow Crosby had to apologize, which was wrong.  If anything, Jasmine should be apologizing to Crosby and her mother, because this whole thing is her fault.

I forgave Jasmine very quickly though because I LOVE the way she told Crosby she was pregnant.  Even more, I love the fact that they went to see Renee and let her be the first one they told.  And the way Crosby told her was so sweet and adorable, it just melted my heart.  So it looks like all if forgiven and another happy ending for another Braverman sibling.

Sarah/Hank/Mark

Thankfully, this storyline is over.  Sarah finally made up her mind and decided to give it a go with Hank only to have her heart-broken by him when he told her he was closing the shop and moving to Minnesota to be with his daughter.  I have to say, I can’t blame him.  But he did tell Sarah that he loved her and wants her to move with him to snowy, icy, Minneapolis.  I say, go.  I’ve said this before, I love Lauren Graham, I don’t like her character.  Sarah isn’t bringing a whole lot to the table and her stories, quite frankly, haven’t been that interesting.  So I wouldn’t mind seeing her haul off and follow Hank to Minnesota.  But that won’t happen because LG isn’t going anywhere.  I also had a MAJOR problem with how she told Mark.  Are you kidding me? You walk into his classroom and stiffer than a board, tell him you’re going to make a go of it with Hank and good-bye.  Could she have been more cold?  For God sake he was her fiance.  Didn’t he deserve a little more warmth and respect than what she gave him?   Take him for coffee, take him for a beer.  But don’t do it at work and don’t be so cold and unfeeling that we’re wondering how you two were ever together in the first place.  I assume  she was trying to play it as awkward, which I’m sure it was.  But it came off as bitter and rude, than awkward.

Amber/Drew

A quick note on these two.  I’m glad Drew got to wrap up his story with Amy and we got to see her one more time and they were able to resolve their break up in a satisfying way.  What they went through was so hard and difficult for teenagers.  For anyone really but especially teenagers.   I’m also thrilled to see his moment of joy learning he got into Berkley, after all the sadness he’s had the last few weeks.  The only thing that was disappointing is that there is still no fallout from his moment with Sarah when he fell into her arms crying after it happened.  Does she know?  Did he tell her?   We still don’t know.  My assumption is that he did because when she was congratulating him on getting into Berkley, she told him “I told you everything would be ok.”  Now was that the gentle nod to let us know that she knew?  I’m still not 100% sure.   Either way, I’m happy for Drew and I’m very excited for him.   I’m going to say something cooky, crazy now.   Is it possible Amy didn’t go through with it and is still pregnant and that we’ll see her two seasons from now where Drew bumps into her with a kid in a stroller?   I’m just, throwing it out there.  My guess is no, but you know how my mind works!

Amber and Ryan are back together…yeah!!  As they should be.  I love this relationship and it’s so nice to see how far Amber has come from when we first met her and how mature she is being.  She is getting her life together and she is being very responsible and respectful to herself and Ryan in regards to making this relationship work the right way.  The chemistry between Whitman and Lauria is incredible so I hope Ryan will be a permanent fixture on the show moving forward.

So that’s season 4 of Parenthood.  Did you love this season?  Are you sad it’s over so soon?  I hope NBC does the right thing and brings it back.  I think they will.

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Homeland “The Choice” S2 E12

The Choice.  What a perfect title for the finale.  So many choices had to be made in this episode.   Do you do the right thing or the wrong?  Do you follow your head or your heart?   Do you stay or do you go?  Do you kill or be killed?   All of these conundrums were up for grabs in the season finale of Homeland.

Let’s start with an easy one…Brody and Jess.  The writing has been on the wall for a while with these two.  You could argue ever since Brody came back they were doomed to fail.  But I give them both credit for trying.  After betrayals on both sides and two annoying kids, Brody and Jess gave it the best they could, but it wasn’t enough.  They weren’t enough for each other any more.  So they officially ended their relationship and decided to part ways.  Jess gave Brody her blessing to be with Carrie, and Brody did the same for her and Mike.  Brody even went as far as to go have a beer with Mike and tell him to go be with Jess and the kids.  I thought it was fascinating to see, and I thought the show did a very good job of showing how hard it is for soldiers when they come back from war, to go back to their old lives.  On the flip side, you also see how hard it is on the family they are coming home to.  And even though what happened was no one’s fault and they did still love one another, it just wasn’t the same.  That has to be what makes it even harder.  They didn’t hate one another or become intentionally disrespectful towards one another.  They just couldn’t take a tragic situation, that changes everyone to the point they couldn’t go back, and make it work.  It’s really sad to see and I’m sure happens more often than it doesn’t.

Then you have David Estes.  He made a deal with Quinn to have him kill Brody as soon as Brody was finished helping them get Abu Nazir.  So once Nazir was gone, Quinn had to assassinate Brody.  He followed Brody and Carrie to her family’s cabin and watched and waited for his opportunity.  When it finally came, he couldn’t pull the trigger.  Later he shows up at Estes house, in his room, with a gun.  He tells Estes that his job his to kill bad guys and in his estimation, Brody isn’t a bad guy.  Quinn confronts Estes telling him that the real reason he wants Brody dead is because Brody knows Estes was linked to the Drone attack and therefore only wants Brody dead to protect himself.  I’m not so sure that’s true otherwise Brody would also be going after Estes as well as Walden but I could be wrong.  Now that I think about it, I’m sure he didn’t know but that’s probably why Estes wants him gone.  If he does find out, he’ll go after him.   But Quinn tells him again, he only kills bad guys and if Brody ends up dead, he’ll be back in Estes room.  Wow has Quinn made a 180.  I hated him at first and now, I wouldn’t hate it if he were back next season.   As a result of this conversation, Estes releases Saul from custody and tells him the hit on Brody is off and Saul can go back to work.   I wonder if Saul will ever learn the reasoning behind his release.

Next we have Brody and Carrie and Saul and Carrie but before we jump into their choices, we have to discuss what happened to alter original decisions and what changed their courses significantly from the middle of the episode to the end.

Everyone gathers for the VP’s memorial.  I did find it odd that Jess and the kids weren’t there considering how close their families had become but whatever.  These are also the same people who had Nazir and Brody skyping without tracking so I can overlook the Brody family not being in attendance.  Estes is at the podium paying his respects to Walden and his time not only as the VP but as the head of the CIA.  Brody and Carrie can’t take their eyes off each other and Carrie motions to Brody to leave the room.   They go to another wing of the CIA offices and She announces to him that she’s decided to leave the CIA and start a life with him.  They are about to get down and dirty in someone’s office to celebrate when Brody notices his car in front of the room where the memorial is taking place and mentioning to Carrie that he never parked his car there.  She drops the F bomb and the next thing you know an enormous bomb explodes taking everyone in the memorial with it, including Estes, the VP’s wife and son and many ranking members of the CIA.

Again I know I have to suspend my disbelief but really?   You are having a memorial for the Vice President of the United States at the offices of the Central Intelligence Agency where not only the head of the CIA but many high-ranking members of the agency are in attendance…and there’s no security outside?  No one notices a car parked in a no parking zone, completely out-of-place, right next to the room where the memorial for the VPOTUS is being held?  Seriously?  That’s another tough one to swallow.

I think one thing the writers of Homeland have always done a fantastic job with is making you doubt Brody…is he a good guy or a bad guy?   I was watching the finale waiting for the bomb to drop.  Not literally of course the way that it did, but because of the false security that I and Carrie had been led into thinking Brody was a good guy under the manipulation of a horrible terrorist, only to find out that Brody was on the dark side the whole time.  I was so waiting for that to happen and then the bomb went off.   For a split second, like Carrie, I thought “damn it, he is a bad egg after all!”   But, again like Carrie, I realized that wasn’t the case.  I think the show, while playing with our emotions towards Brody during the first season, made a decision that Brody was going to be a good guy and stuck with that through the end of this season.  Ever since Brody had that vest on and decided not to blow up a bunch of innocent people, the show really did make it clear which side Brody was on.  And we saw all throughout this season with his conversations with Roya, Carrie, Quinn, Nazir, and others, that he wasn’t on the terrorists’ side.  Did he want Walden dead?  Absolutely.  But did he want to destroy the lives of innocent Americans?  Absolutely not.   Brody wanted a normal life.  And he wanted it with the woman he loved.  And Carrie, who was very torn on what to do, made the decision to leave her job at the CIA and live a peaceful life with Brody.  And then the bomb went off.

As to be expected, all breaks loose.  Saul comes rushing back (he was on a naval ship overseeing the burial of Abu Nazir at sea) only to find out he is now the highest ranking CIA agent.   He’s trying to find out of Carrie is alive and since they hadn’t found her body, she was presumed dead…as was Nicholas Brody.  Once Saul heard Brody was also unaccounted for, he knew she was alive.  Well, his gut was telling him she was alive but he couldn’t be 100% sure.  Brody and Carrie are on the run and she gets him a new passport, ID, money and tells him of a contingency plan she had set up for her in case she ever needed it and now he is going to use it.  While this is all happening, the national news releases a very interesting video.  It was the video Brody made when he was planning to blow up the VP last season.  Somehow, someone got their hands on it and released it to the press and now Brody looks like the terrorist he was feared to be and he is being set up.  Only problem is, his family is seeing this video and in order to protect himself and them, he can’t contact them to let them know that he’s being set up.   So Brody is on the run.  Of course he wants Carrie to go with him but she can’t.  She needs to stay behind and not only find out who’s responsible but to clear his name.  He understands completely and they have a heartwarming and tearful “see you later” instead of good-bye and we watch Brody take off into the darkness to his new life without Carrie.   I’m glad it ended that way instead of having Brody killed (which I would have bet my right arm was going to happen.)  Now we can have Brody return to the fold, if it makes sense, or he can stay off the canvas and in his new world.   Smart choice by the writers.  Carrie goes back to the scene of the crime and sees Saul praying over the victims.  She calls his name and he tearfully turns to her with a smile on his face as we fade to black.

So early when I brought up the choices for Brody and Carrie and Saul and Carrie, there really weren’t choices at all for the men….just Carrie.  Brody was clear he wanted to give their relationship a chance and Saul was clear she was a lunatic if she decided to leave a job she loves and is good at to go make babies with a known terrorist.  “He’s a man who put on a suicide vest Carrie.  That’s who he is, that’s who he’ll always be”  warns Saul to Carrie.  He also states one of the greatest lines I’ve ever heard in the history of TV “You are the smartest and the dumbest fucking person I’ve ever known.”   No truer words have ever been said about Carrie Matheson.  In Saul’s mind, there is not choice.  He knows Carrie so well that he knows she can never be with a man like Brody.   But you know how women can be!  Sometime it takes a national disaster to change our minds.  And that’s what happened for Carrie.  She was ready to leave her CIA world behind.  But then two things happened, a new threat emerged and her man was being framed for it.   She’s not going anywhere!  In fact, she probably prime for a huge promotion since half of the CIA was wiped out.

I like the fact that we have wrapped up the Abu Nazir/Brody storyline and are moving on to another phase of the show.  The tough part about a show like Homeland (similar to 24) is that it can get very stale very quickly.  But keeping it fresh with new faces and stories, while still maintaining a strong core, should be the key to longer term success.  I still don’t see Homeland as a 10 season show…more like 5 or 6…but since I’m always wrong, it will probably run longer than Law & Order!

What did you think of the Homeland finale and of Season 2 as a whole?  Are you on board for next season or are you out?  Let me know what you think!

 

Recaps Coming Soon….Season Finale of Homeland and Winter Finale of Scandal

Sorry guys but I have been beyond busy with work and on the road for the last two weeks!  I swear I need some down time!

I have seen the season and winter finales of Homeland and Scandal and I promise I will post my thoughts this week.   Just make sure you check back.

I should have Homeland up tomorrow and Scandal soon after that.  In the meantime, post your thoughts in the comments sections or read up on some of my posts leading up to those finales!

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Dexter “Surprise, Mother Fucker” S7 E12

WOW!!!  There were many scenarios I pictured in my head about how this season finale of Dexter would play out.  I can guarantee you with 100% certainty that how it actually played out last night was no where NEAR what I thought.  There were many things building to a head this season.  Some things I thought would build little quicker and some things I thought would build a little slower.  But I never in a million years saw THAT coming.  And it really begs the question, where the hell does the show go from here?

If you’ve ever read any of my Dexter posts in the past, you know there is one character I absolutely love and is my favorite of all time and with every passing episode, his absence pains me more and more.  That would be one Sgt. James Doakes.  I’ve been refusing to believe for the past 4 seasons that Doakes is really dead.  I had it in my twisted little head that he somehow escaped that explosion (General Hospital style) and he is alive and well trying to remember who he is only to resurface when we least (or most) expect.   When I saw the title of the finale (sorry Mom for the language!) I thought to myself….HE’S BACK!!!  HE’S ALIVE!!!  I KNEW IT!!!!   Especially since there has been so much Doakes talk lately, I thought that he was absolutely coming back.  And I was right!!!   Well…..sort of.  He’s back but only in a flashback.  A recreated flashback I should say.  And even though it was not the reunion with Doakes I was hoping for, it was ok.  I was so happy to see my main man Erik King back that even though it was only for a short time, I’ll take it just to get my Doakes fill again!

So with my James Doakes/Erik King love out-of-the-way, let’s get into the meat of the episode.   What does what we witnessed last night mean and where does Season 8 go from here?  First I want to talk about Hannah. I know there were many people not too fond of Hannah McKay.  I didn’t hate her character the way some other people have.  I thought she was important for a few reasons.  First, it showed that Dexter could truly love again.  Second, it gave Dexter the chance to fully and completely be himself with someone.  We’ve never really seen that before.  The closest we got was with Lumen but he was very careful with her because he knew deep down that Lumen wasn’t a killer.  She was a victim seeking revenge for her crimes and that once he mission was complete, her “Dark Passenger” would be gone…and it was.   But Hannah was different.  Hannah’s a killer…just like Dexter.   So he didn’t need to lie or hide.  He could be himself with her in way he never could with anyone else, even Deb.  And finally, she brought some inner feelings inside Dexter out I’m not sure he knew were there.  I’m talking about the “Dark Passenger.”  One of the reasons we’ve always been able to buy into Dexter as a “lovable serial killer” is because he always had his code (always kill guilty people…never anyone innocent) and because we thought there was no other choice for him.  This is who he is.  He had a darkness in him that he can’t run from and therefore he needed to find a way to channel it.  But Hannah made him rethink that position.  Is it possible there is no “DP” at all and that Dexter is just a killer who likes to kill.  It puts Dexter in a completely new light.  It’s one thing when he’s doing it because he has no choice and the people he kills are bad.  It’s a completely different scenario if it’s simply for pleasure and because it’s a lifestyle he has chosen vs. one that was fated.  He becomes a much scarier individual because the code is now off the table, if that’s the case.   And if that’s the case, how does our perspective on Dexter change?  How does Dexter’s perspective about himself change?  We saw it with Hannah’s father.  While he was a complete scumbag, he wasn’t worth killing.  He didn’t fit the code.  But he’s not walking amongst the living anymore is he?   Dexter willingly broke his code to kill her father.  Or you could argue, he adjusted his code to justify killing her father.  That’s not the Dexter we’ve grown to care about.  So without his relationship with Hannah, these feelings inside Dexter and this turmoil about who he really is, wouldn’t have come to light.  It also bring an entirely new layer to Dexter’s character which is quite compelling.    The big question is, will Hannah be back?   She’s out and on the run and Dexter will be very well aware of that fact when he returns home.  How will this make him feel?   Because they were very clear with one another that while they both love each other very much and feel only they can understand one another, they also realize that because of who they are, neither one are ever really safe with the other.  I hope Hannah returns next season because I think those crazy kids can find a way to work their issues out!

I think the bigger analysis, is how did Quinn survive?  I thought for sure he was a goner!    No, I’m just kidding!!!  Obviously the bigger question is, Debra.  She had quite a finale didn’t she?  Her character has had such a transformation over the last seven seasons.  Where she once started as an innocent cop who just wanted to do a good job and make her dad and brother proud (and Jennifer Carpenter was not a very good actress) she is now a seasoned lieutenant who is very well aware of what is happening around her (and Jennifer Carpenter has become a very good actress.)   Poor Deb has had pretty much an insane ride on this show.  From falling in love with a serial killer (who happened to be Dexter’s bio brother) to falling in love with a FBI agent who is murdered right in front of her to falling in love with her adopted brother to finding out said brother is a serial killer to becoming a killer herself.   Just when you want to say you’ve had a rough life, take a look at the life of one Debra Morgan!

It’s still hard to comprehend what went down last night because I still can’t believe it was Deb that pulled the trigger….literally.  I was pretty sure LaGuerta was going to die (check out my Dexter Death poll in my earlier post).  Why I wasn’t 100% sure?   Because she didn’t fit Dexter’s code so I didn’t think he was going to kill her. I was right…on both fronts.  She died and Dexter didn’t kill her…DEB DID!!!   I still can’t believe it.  Deb killed LaGuerta.  But did Dexter have a hand in it?  I think he did.

It’s obvious what was going to go down.  Dexter was going to shoot both Estrada and LaGuerta and make it appear as if they shot each other.  Enter Deb who spent most of the time trying to convince Dex not to kill Maria.  Unfortunately, while Dexter was begging Debra to leave and Debra was begging Dexter not to do this, Maria woke up.  I’m glad this happened because, like Doakes, she had her suspicions about Dexter and before she met her maker, her suspicions were confirmed.  But when Maria woke up she begged Debra to shoot Dexter.  I found this reaction from Maria interesting.  Instead of Maria telling Deb to call for back up or turn him in, she yelled at her to shoot him.  Hmmm.  Meanwhile, Dexter is telling Deb that it’s ok and that she needs to do what she thinks is right.  And with a tearful and pained look on her face, with the gun aimed at Dexter….BANG.    The shot goes off but instead she shoots LaGuerta.  In what I read this morning was an off the script scene, Deb runs screaming to LaGuerta and hugs her and tells her NO while Dexter watches in disbelief at what Debra just did for him.   It was such a powerful moment made even more powerful once learning that was all ad libbed by Jennifer Carpenter.

Deb and Maria had always had a difficult relationship.  At first, Maria didn’t like Deb because she was threatened by her.  She was the darling up and comer with a huge backing in Captain Matthews.  And as a result, she made Deb’s life very difficult resulting in Deb not trusting and hating her lieutenant.  Eventually, she made Deb detective…which is something she always wanted.  Their working relationship improved slightly but there were still moments of tension and distrust.  Eventually, Maria got promoted to Captain and in turn promoted Deb to lieutenant.   And as of late, they worked well together.  Their relationship came full circle last night.  It started with Maria holding Deb’s future in the palm of her hands and ended with Deb holding Maria’s future in the palm of her hands.  While Deb and Maria had their moments of angst, there is a part of me that always thought they did want the best for the other.  As the only other woman in the department, I think if anyone was going to succeed, Maria wanted it to be Deb and in turn, there were many times Deb viewed Maria as an asset and mentor.  That’s why it hurt Deb so much to do what she did.  Not only because she just killed someone, but because it was Maria.

I read an interview with one of the show runners who alluded to the idea that Dexter was very much in control of the situation with Deb and manipulated her into doing his dirty work.  It’s hard to argue with one of the men behind the show, but I’m going to anyway.  I don’t buy that.  I think Dexter was very distraught over the idea of putting Deb in this position and he was really giving her the ok to shoot him if she felt she had to do it.  He was trying to make it easier for her.  I don’t think he was trying to manipulate her into shooting Maria.  I really don’t. I think he was shocked when she did it because all things Maria said were true…Deb’s a good person, she’s not like Dexter, she’s not a killer.   But I guess that didn’t stop Maria from shouting at Deb to kill her own brother!  I guess she’s a killer if she’s saving Dexter but not Maria.  Anyhoo, Maria was right about Deb.  So I don’t think it ever entered Dexter’s mind that she would shoot Maria.   He was just as stunned as the rest of us!

So now what?   What does this do to Deb?  How does this impact her relationship with Dexter moving forward? How do they get out this?  I certainly think hearing of Maria’s death will bring Angel back from retirement and this will be his last case before he really does step away.   I guess a lot will depend on whether or not Season 8 is really Dexter’s last season.  Right now the show runners are planning as if it is.  But they did say if Showtime wants more, they can spin it and go longer.  As much as I would like to see more Dexter (if the quality holds up) I almost think you’re at a point of no return.  I think next season has to be the last because as many people as Dexter has been involved in killing, he can’t run forever.  At some point, it has to catch up and I think next season it will.   Otherwise, it gets ridiculous and there is no way we can trust any of these cops who would be so blind to what is happening right in front of them.

So what did you think of the season finale and season 7 as a whole?   And do you want next season to be the final season?   I can’t wait to hear what you think!!!

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Pretty Little Liars “The Lady Killers” S3 E12

I’ll tell you what, the networks, writers, and casts have really brought it with summer season finales.  Another awesome finale last night although I must admit nothing was surprising.   But I don’t care, because I still enjoyed it immensely!

We start the episode seeing Aria and Spencer comforting Hanna as she is bawling her eyes out while seeing a body on a gurney and Emily is covered in blood looking glazed as she’s talking to the cop about knowing the deceased.  I had seen the promo picture of that shot all over the web so my initial thoughts were that something happens to either Caleb or her mom.  After the opening sequence it was pretty clear that something happens to Caleb.   I was hoping it wasn’t that he was killed but we’d have to wait to find out for sure.

The episodes leading up to last night’s finale and all last night, the girls (especially Spencer) felt that Paige was a member of the “A” clique.  I’ve talked about this before and I’m going to say this again…why do the girls always listen to what Spencer says about who’s guilty?  I know she’s the smartest girl in the group but she’s been completely off every time she thinks she knows who “A” is.  First it was Toby, then it was Jenna, then it was Garrett, then it was Jason, now it’s Paige.   Each time she was proven wrong.  So how many times does Spencer have to be wrong before one of the girls steps up and says “Hey Spence, maybe you should take a backseat this time on the detective front because you’ve been wrong every time!”  Seriously, for someone so smart, she’s been very gullible throughout this whole thing.  Did it NEVER cross her mind (since “A” always seems to be 5 steps ahead of the girls) that “A” knew they were onto Paige and that “A” possibly planted that earring in Paige’s purse?  Really?  Not one person thought to bring that up?   Spencer sees evidence and BOOM they’re guilty.  She’d make a lousy detective or prosecutor.

I like the character of Paige but I don’t like her with Emily.  Actually I don’t like anyone with Emily because Shay Mitchell isn’t doing a good enough job (in my opinion) convincing me she’s into girls.  Not to mention, Emily is my least favorite character so that probably has something to do with it as well.  About three episodes ago, the spin of the story was setting Paige up to be part of the “A” team…which is always an indication to me that it’s a red herring designed to turn attention away from the true culprit.  As it turns out, not only did Paige have nothing to do with “A” but she became a victim herself, just not one of “A”‘s victims.

The other person we all knew was up to no good was Nate.  Since he came to town, I never believed anything he was saying and he never rubbed me the right way.  I wasn’t quite sure how he was connected to “A” but that’s where I was completely wrong…and I’m glad.  Not every story line has to do with “A” and I’m happy the writers made this separate from that.  Nate was actually named Linden and wasn’t Maya’s cousin….he was her stalker.  He didn’t like Emily and Maya together and he ended up being her killer.  He came after Emily because he felt Emily took Maya away from him.  So now he was going to take someone away from her.  He opens up his closet and we see Paige bound and gaged and looking completely frightened.  Nate/Linden brings Paige out of the closet (pardon the pun) and puts her on the couch next to Emily where he keeps threatening to kill her, just like a James Bond movie.  When he goes to get her, Emily snags a phone.  But as this is playing out, the writers pull a Silence of the Lambs moment.  We see Hanna, Aria, and Spencer walking up to the steps of a cabin and as they walk on the porch, it creaks.  Flash to inside where Nate/Linden hears a noise and goes to check it out.  A door bursts open but the girls are at a different cabin and Emily has run out with the phone (leaving Paige bound and gaged still behind.)  I know Emily got a lot of grief about leaving Paige behind. But I think what she was trying to do was get to a spot where she can get a cell signal and place a call to 911. I think she also assumed that Nate/linden would follow her so Paige was probably safe.  I ripped her more for running to the top of a lighthouse where she has no escape and nowhere to go.  I know she was looking for a signal but you don’t necessarily need high ground for a signal and putting yourself at the top of a lighthouse, puts you in a much more dangerous position!  But whatever.  Nate/Linden tracks Emily to the top of the lighthouse and as she dials 911 and gets an operator, Nate/Linden attacks her.  A major struggle ensues and Emily ends up stabbing Nate/Linden to death.  Meanwhile, Caleb comes charging up the lighthouse with his gun.  To back up, when the girls and Caleb decide to go after Emily, they aren’t 100% sure where she is at.  They have a name of a cabin but there are two locations with the same name.  The girls go to the one location (the wrong one) and Caleb goes to the other (the right one) which is why he was there.  As Emily hugs Caleb the camera flashes to the outside of the lighthouse and we hear a gun shot.

Now we have come full circle to the beginning of the episode where we see Hanna crying her eyes out and we see Caleb coming out on a gurney with a gun shot wound.  The second gurney comes out with Nate/Linden’s body. Emily and Paige are both talking to the police about what happened.  Now, the way Caleb was shot is bothering me.  I’m probably nit-picking but I thought it was weak.  We knew something was going to happen with Caleb the minute we see the gun in Hanna’s room (and tie that into the opening scene, you knew Caleb was getting shot.)  Hanna was freaking out about the gun and the danger of guns, so it was bound to happen that Caleb gets shot.   We are all to assume it was Nate/Linden that shot him right?  I mean Emily was hugging him and why the hell would she shoot him so it only made sense that it was Nate/Linden.  Again, as soon as Caleb put the gun down…he was getting shot.  So it didn’t have the impact it could have because it was so obvious this was going to happen.  Plus, Nate/Linden looked pretty dead.  I guess he woke up, tried to shoot Emily, shot Caleb instead and then really died.  I guess I can go with that.   Hopefully Caleb will be alright because I love that character and I love him with Hanna….best couple on the show!  I have a feeling he’ll be just fine.

But enough with all that, let’s get to the part of the show that had everyone on Twitter freaking out (and that’s putting it mildly.)  For the last month, PLL has been pumping it’s season finale at the BetrAyal.  Meaning someone we have grown to love and trust (so have the girls) is going to be revealed as part of the “A” team.  Not to toot my own horn (but I’m going to) I totally called it!!!  If you listen to my podcast from last week, I said my guess was either Melissa or Toby.  I eliminated Melissa because no one likes her and it wouldn’t be that big of a reveal.  So I went with Toby.  Toby made the most sense because of many reasons.  First, the girls were leery of him early in series but proved himself to be innocent and a loyal friend.  He and Spencer fell in love and he was able to gain her trust and as a result, all of the Liars’ trust.  He and Emily had always been good friends so she always stood by him.  Plus, Toby would be gone for long stretches of time where no one knew where he was or what he was doing.  Yeah he told Spencer he was “working” in Bucks County, but we didn’t know that for sure.  There were many signs pointing to Toby for a while.  Even going back to last season.  And that would be more of a tug on the heart-strings because of all the Toby/Spencer shippers out there and because he had become such a likable character.   So it was no surprise that Toby was on the “A” team but it still made the reveal brutal for many people.

The big question is, is he really part of the “A” team or is it all a rouse?  Is he posing as part of the “A” team to take them down from the inside or has he really been against the girls from the very beginning?   Having Toby revealed to us but not the girls brings a very interesting layer to future storytelling that quite frankly, the show needed.  It was starting to get a bit stale and now with this reveal, a burst of life has just been interjected into the series and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!

I have to say, even though Spencer drives me crazy, I am absolutely heartbroken for her.  I have really come to like her character and her feistiness.  When she finds this out Toby is part of the “A” team, she seriously may spontaneously combust!   And if I’m not mistaken, she’s the first Liar to lose her virginity correct?  If I’m wrong, please let me know.  But Em’s a virgin, Hanna’s a virgin.  I’m pretty sure Aria still is.  How apropos that the first Liar to lose her virginity, loses it to an “A” member.  Yikes!

I’ve already got October 23rd on my calendar for the Halloween episode and then we have to wait until January for the back 12.   I hate having to wait that long but I think I can suffer through it.

Other Thoughts From the Episode:

• Garrett completely creeped me out when he left the jail.  The smirk he gave the girls when he was released because Nate/Linden was found out to be Maya’s killer, was chilling.  Is Garrett just a creep or is he involved somehow?
• Maggie and Aria go toe to toe over telling Ezra about his son.  I love Aria.  But she has a lot of guts to give Maggie grief about lying to Ezra.  I mean of ALL the Liars, Aria should NEVER call anyone out for lying.  As Maggie told her, there is more to this story and she has no right to blow the whistle on this situation without knowing why she is doing what she is doing.  And she can easily get out of being in trouble with Ezra for not telling him.  By explaining to him that it’s not her news to tell.   Tell him the situation and if he doesn’t understand, then that’s his problem.  Plus, she’s a teenager.  Can you really hold her accountable for adult actions when she’s just a kid?   Maybe Ezra should date someone his own age if he wants a situation handled differently.    But you all know how I feel about that!
• Where was the creepy pastor?  I know that guy is up to no good.  I don’t know how he connects or why, I just know he’s bad news.  Ashley better be very careful.  I guess we’ll revisit that in the second half of Season 3.

What did you think of the finale?  Were you devastated it was Toby as the reveal?  Did you call it too?  Did you not care?   Sound off below!

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP AND REVIEW: True Blood “Save Yourself” S5 E12

Now that’s a season finale!  After a pretty lousy season, to be quite honest, True Blood kicked it into gear the last two episodes leading up to last night’s finale and WOW what a finale it was.  Talk about one jaw dropper after another!!

One of my big problems with True Blood this season (and all other seasons where I haven’t like it) is that there are too many stories running throughout the season.  Here’s a quick run down of the stories and characters we had at some point this season:

• Sookie and Lafayette helping Tara’s transformation
• Tara and Jessica getting into it over Hoyt
• Hoyt inadvertently joining a mini KKK
• Hoyt’s relationship with Jessica and Jason
• Jessica turning into sex crazed party girl with Bill gone
• Bill, Eric, and Nora fighting together against the Authority
• Roman’s leadership of the Authority vs the Sanguinista movement
• Salome bringing Russell back and Russell killing Bill
• Salome turning Nora and wanting her to help lead the new Authority (which involves another 4 people)
• The Authority wanting to destroy the idea of peaceful living with human
• Russell and Rev. Newlin forming a bond
• Luna and Sam being hunted and Emma being kidnapped
• Emma’s grandmother being very protective of her while Emma stays with her to keep her safe
• Luna, Sam, Andy, and Jason all learning that the former Bon Temps Sheriff is part of the mini KKK and is led by a female dragon that he was sleeping with
• Alcide and Sookie finally hook up only to take time off after he finds out she killed Debbie
• Alcide fighting over who should be pack leader
• Alcide sleeping with one of the members of the pack who backs him
• The wolf pack being high on V
• Alcide going to see his dad and his dad being a douchebag
• Andy gets a Fairy knocked up and could possibly hurt his relationship with Holly
• Terry going off the deep end with Patrick and going after their old Army crew
• Terry having to kill Patrick to have the curse lifted
• Tara dealing with her new life and new relationship with Pam
• Pam on the hunt for Eric
• Eric trying to keep Bill from becoming a psycho on Lilith V
• Lilith going after everyone in the Authority saying they are the chosen ones

See what I mean?   We only have 12 episodes a season and to me, that is WAAAAY too many characters and stories going on….and I didn’t touch on everything.

The two guest stars I was most excited about this season that ending up failing miserably were Scott Foley and Christopher Meloni.   Christopher Meloni was awesome when he was on, but he was only on for 3 episodes before he was killed.  What a waste!  It was better for the story but the way his appearance was pumped up, I thought we would see him for more than 3 episodes!!  As for Scott Foley’s character, he was a victim of a boring storyline.  Because there were so many other things going on, and since Terry has always been a background character, I could have cared less about what was happening with them.  Plus, their storyline always felt like filler to me.  The best part about it was that it brought Arlene into the fold more, and I love her character, but I FF every time Terry and Patrick were on the screen because their story did nothing for me.

Because we had a lot going on this season, I was glad the writers chose to wrap up the Terry/Patrick storyline and the Hoyt/Jessica/Jason storyline 2 episodes early.  Very smart on their part.  That way you aren’t clouding the finale with these side stories, and Hoyt got the proper send off he deserved vs. being an after thought.  I’m sad Hoyt is gone because I always liked the character and the actor but his character has run his course and True Blood really does need to thin out the crew.

There were three main storylines happening last night: the Authority (which I’ll get to last), Sookie and Jason’s investigation into their parents’ death, and Sam and Luna being hunted and getting Emma back.  Let’s start with the latter.

I’m not a big Luna fan.  She’s always annoyed me since she came on-screen.   I can’t really put my finger on why, but she does.  And while I’ve always liked Sam, his storylines have always bored me.  This season was probably the most interested I was in his SL.  We find out that the guys in the Obama masks were mini KKK members wanting to rid society of anything that wasn’t human.  So it wasn’t a personal attack against Sam and Luna specifically, it was any shifter, vamp, wolf, etc was fair game to these people.  But with the help of Andy and Jason, they are able to track down these idiots and either kick their ass or kill them.  In the meantime, the hunt to get Emma back is on.  They find out she’s with Rev. Newlin and go to the Authority (as mice in his briefcase) to get her back.  It was great.

At some point, Luna was able to shift into Rev. Newlin (she had already shifted into Sam inadvertently in the episode prior to the finale) and therefore was able to grab Emma.   She was just about to escape but not before Rosalyn grabs “Newlin” and forces “him” to do an interview condemning the acts for which they are being accused of starting.  Rosalyn is holding Emma while “Newlin” does the interview.   Everyone can see he is really struggling and then all of a sudden starts convulsing and starts shifting back into Luna.  Luna then tells everyone what is really happening at the Authority when Rosalyn kicks over the camera.  She is about to attack a very weak Luna when Sam flies in (as a fly) into her mouth and then shifts back into himself inside Rosalyn causing her to explode.  It was the nastiest death yet but also the coolest at the same time!

The only thing I really want to say about Sookie and Jason searching for who killed their parents is that we learned that they were killed by a vampire who was promised the first fairy baby from the Stackhouse family.  Which ends up being Sookie.  And that vampire is named Warlow.  Who is he?  Why does he appear in ghost form?  I am curious about this.   I’m also interested in seeing how this is impacting Jason, who has turned into Jason the Vampire Slayer before our eyes.  Between finding out your parents will killed by a vamp, your sister’s heart was broken by one, and you have a major head injury causing you to see visions of you parents, no wonder Jason is going full board into destruction mode.  But I’m anxious to see that storyline continue next season….just not with 10 others!

Leading into last night, the storyline I was most interested in was the idea of the Authority no longer being the Authority as we know it and becoming a sanguinista society in which human and vampires do not live peacefully and the only relevance humans have for vampires is sustenance.  This was most interesting to me because this show started on the foundation that vampires wanted to live peacefully with humans and have the same rights they do.  So a little product called True Blood was created so vampires wouldn’t have to feed on humans.  Now with Lilith’s blood rushing through all of them, this is no longer the society they want and they try to come up with a plan on how to best create this war of vamps vs. humans.  Bill suggests destroying all the True Blood factories so it can’t be produced and vampires have no choice but to feed on humans.  It’s actually a great idea on his part and much easier than what the rest of them were coming up with.  The funny thing is, even though this is what they want, they are still spinning it to the public that this was a terrorist attack and they are still behind the idea of living among the human race without chaos….such politicians!  On top of it, their own people have no idea what’s going on!  Pam was telling Tara all about the Authority but she was telling her about the OLD Authority not the new crazy Authority that’s actually taking form.   But I also have to remember this whole season is taking place over the course of one week (not several months.)

I have to say, I’m glad this storyline wasn’t wrapped up this season but I am glad certain parts of it were. I wasn’t crazy about the whole Lilith angle.  The Authority was something we have come to respect as a viewing audience as the government arm of the vampires that keeps them in check.  Now that’s all gone.  Why?  Because some power hungry members of the Authority got high on Lilith blood and now the Authority as we know it is gone and a crazy cult has formed in it’s place.   I’m curious what you all thought about what/who Lilith actually was.  Because for the entire season, up until the last scene, I thought she was a hallucination.  Now I’m not sure because of what happened at the end of the episode.   Holy crap how about that!!!!!

To set it up, Eric and Nora breakout of the complex so they can warn everyone to what’s going on and they can build a little army to stop it.  Which by the way, Nora turned back to the good side a little too easily for my liking, but I digress.  Eric and Nora bring back Sookie, Jason, and Tara to take down the vamps and they do in classic Dirty Harry fashion.  It was awesome.  Jessica and Pam were in their prison cells so Sookie and Tara break them out.  To celebrate, Pam and Tara play tonsil hockey in a scene we all knew was coming, I just didn’t think I would see it until next year.  The Authority is destroyed and everyone is leaving but Eric and Sookie want to go get Bill.  You see, Lilith came to Bill to tell him over and over again that he is the Chosen One.  The problem is, she also came to about 3 other people and told them the same thing.  So Bill is one by one killing all those other people, including Salome, so there is no one left but him and a vile of Lilith blood.

Eric and Sookie rush to see him and Bill is not the Bill we have come to know.  Actually I like this Bill much better because he is SOOOOO much more interesting than polite, boring Bill.  Bill is going on and on about how humans are nothing but food for vamps and that he is the Chosen One to lead this new regime of the Authority in Lilith’s name.  Eric and Sookie are trying to get to the old Bill inside and convince him he is coo coo for Cocoa Puffs but Bill won’t listen.  Sookie gives him a tearful “if you ever loved me at all” speech and it didn’t work a lick.  He blows her off and proceeds to chug the remaining Lilith blood in the vile.

The next thing you know he is vomiting blood and blood is pouring out of every crevice in his body and then…..BOOM, Bill explodes into the pile of vamp goo all vampires explode into when they meet the true death!!!  Holy shit did I just watch Bill Compton die on my TV screen? I didn’t see that coming at all!!!  I have to say, when that happened, Twitter completely exploded in its own right last night!   But then, slowly, we start to see the blood pull together and here comes Bill (just as Lilith looked) emerging from his “remains” covered in blood and looking quite frightening.  Eric yells at Sookie to RUN and Bill flashes his fangs….cut to black and the music.

So this leads back to my question about Lilith.  I thought she was a hallucination all season.  But after seeing that, I think it’s fair to say that she wasn’t.  So now what the hell is Bill and is Lilith now gone or is he just working with her?  Is Bill dead again or not?   What the hell is he????  It’s been a long time since my jaw completely hit the floor watching a show where I didn’t see it coming and have no idea what’s about to happen next.  I was ready to leave True Blood after this season but there is NO WAY that’s happening now.

Other Standout Scenes from the Finale:

• Pam and Tara hooking up.   Remember, this season happened over the course of one week in Bon Temps time.  While I saw Pam and Tara giving google eyes to each other all season, I didn’t think they would hook up until next season.  It seemed a bit fast for me, considering their history.   But it was still awesome to see these former foes start to fall for one other over the course of the season!
• The Fairy Giving Birth.   That had to be one of the funniest scenes I have ever watched on True Blood.  Lafayette, Arlene, and the other lady siting there drinking Cajun margaritas as Holly is helping Andy’s mistress give birth to four fairies while apparently orgasmic at the same time, was priceless.  It was like they were watching a football game together.  That’s where Arlene at Lafayette are at their best…their witty and snarky one liners are the best on the show!
• Russell’s Death.  I was really hoping the show wasn’t going to bring Russell back only to kill him in the finale….but they did.  I always loved his character so I’m a bit sad he’s gone for good.  I will say though, I didn’t see it coming in the first 2 minutes of the episode.  There were many jaw droppers last night and that was the first of many!

What did you guys think of the season finale and the season as a whole?  Sound off in the comments section below!

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Game of Thrones “Valar Morghulis” S2 E10

Holy Crap!!!!   What a finale.  I was worried going into last night’s finale because there was A LOT that needed to be wrapped up or at least formed into a plan for next season.   GoT delivers yet again with another jaw dropping final scene.   Maybe not quite as jaw dropping as last year’s but still enough to say “what the frick was that??!!”

The Stark Family

Robb got married, Bran is still aimlessly being carried about to nowhere, Jon has the upper hand, Arya has a new direction possibly, and Sansa is screwed.  That’s it…thank you and good night!   Just kidding.

Did anyone else care that Robb Stark got married to what’s her face?  I didn’t think so.  It’s nice that Robb is following his heart but I think it’s awfully sudden.  He’s basically talked to this girl 3 times and boom, love of his life and married.  Now I’m no cynic and a huge romantic at heart, but I’m not buying this for many reasons.  Number One, the Starks are people of honor.  I find it hard to believe that Robb would be promised to someone else (and agree to it) only to give that agreement the middle finger.  His mother even reminded him of that fact. I think it would have been more interesting to see Robb struggle with that a bit more, but he didn’t.  Number Two, his main focus right now is taking out the Lanisters.  Is this really the best time for a new bride when you are avenging your father’s death and trying to over throw one of the most powerful families in the kingdom?   Number Three, he barely knows Talisa.  He’s known her for what, a minute?  What if she’s a plant from a rival family?   What if she smokes in bed?   These are all important things to figure out before marrying someone you barely know, while destroying your honor in the process.

Is Winterfell gone at this point?  That’s what my husband and I were trying to figure out.  The huge clouds of smoke and debris should be clue enough but since Winterfell is so important a land (Robb is king of Winterfell, I don’t care what Theon says) I was slightly surprised that it was destroyed.  For now, I’ll believe that it’s gone and Bran and crew are on the move…again.  Seriously is Hodor expected to carry Bran all the way to the Wall?  Yikes.  Theon is surrounded by hundreds of Stark men looking to kill him and take back Winterfell.  Theon gives us his best Knute Rockne impersonation but is eventually plunked over the head. Instead of his men shouting “win one for the Gipper” it was “let’s go home.”  Way to go guys.  This bugged me because I was really hoping to see a brutal death for Theon…one he truly deserved.  Instead I see him dragged out of Winterfell and back to the Iron Islands.   So the men surrounding Winterfell ready to destroy Theon and his posse did nothing but destroy Winterfell itself since Theon and his men were long gone.

While Bran and crew are off to the wall to be with Jon, Jon is busy being dragged around by Wildlings.  His cohort, realizing the end is near for him, wants to use it as an advantage for Jon to get the Wildlings to trust him.  Not sure if it completely worked but Jon does seem to have their respect.  So much so, that they are taking him to meet the King Beyond the Wall.  Who the hell could that be and does every land have a king?  Is it like every city having a mayor because King sounds a lot more powerful than Mayor.

Arya manages to escape and ends up meeting up with Jaqen once more before he heads back home.  She wants to come him to train to fight but he tells her to stay her course.  He gives her a coin and tells her that if she ever needs him, to give that coin to someone (I forget who) and they will send for him.  He tells her goodbye but not before he transforms into….someone else.   WTF?   What the hell is Jaqen?  Is he some sort of shapeshifter?  I know True Blood doesn’t start until next week but what else could he be?  I already want the old Jaqen back.

I was talking to someone today who said they were disappointed Arya and Tywin didn’t wrap up their storyline better from this season.  That didn’t bother me because I don’t think their story is wrapped up yet.  I think now that Tywin is Hand of the King and Arya is off to learn how to fight, their paths will cross again.  And it will be more interesting when that happens because I have a feeling it will come down to one or the other or both having to make a life or death decision regarding the person they have come to respect.

If I were Sansa, I would find a way to get the hell out of King’s Landing as fast as I could.  Now that Joffrey has tossed her aside for Margaery (more on that in the Lanister section) she has no protection left in KL.  At first she was thrilled to hear she was no longer betrothed to the little asshole.  But her happiness quickly subsided when Baelish reminded her that Joffrey will still torture and possibly rape her even though he will be marrying another.  So her best bet is to get out of KL, with his help, and back to her family.  I think at this point I believe Baelish is trying to help her.  I’m not a fan of his character and certainly don’t trust him.  But because of his feelings for Catelyn, I don’t think he would do anything to harm Sansa.  Plus this would put him back in Catelyn’s good graces.

The Lanister Family

Why do I have a bad feeling that little shit Joffrey will never die?  Is that horrible of me?  Not only did grandpa win the battle for him…a battle he cowardly ran away from to hide with Mommie Dearest…but he is taking all the credit, as well as a new bride.

After defeating Stannis’ army and keeping the iron throne, Joffrey has a few people stand in front of him to reward for their efforts.  First up is Pop-Pop Tywin, who is now dubbed Hand of the King.  Then some other dude got lots of land for his family.  Finally, since the Tyrell family was instrumental in helping to defeat Stannis, they received lots of goodies as well.  To take it a step further, Ann Boleyn, was offered as Joffrey’s bride since she never consummated her marriage to her first husband and is still pure and innocent.  (Hmm, just ask King Henry VIII how pure she is.)  At first Joffrey, stunningly, shows more honor than Robb Stark by wanting to continue with his agreement to wed Lady Stark.  But that crafty Cersei, she points out that since Sansa is the daughter of a traitor and the sister to a man who is coming after them to destroy their kingdom, he can be relieved of his commitment to Sansa and marry Margaery.  Joffrey, quickly accepts.  That Natalie Dormer sure will marry anyone to be Queen won’t she?  I love her.

Tyrion is recovering from his brutal injuries from battle (which we later learn was all Cersei’s doing.)  I guess, why take away someone he loves when she can just take him away..permentantly.  That Cersei certainly has been busy.  First by playing mind games with Sansa, then by trying to kill her youngest son, finally by trying to have her brother killed.  All while being completely snockered on Chianti.  She is quite the multi-tasker.

For all of his brave efforts, we see Tyrion has been relegated to what looks like servant quarters since he has been removed as the Hand of the King and replace by his father.  All his loyal subjects are gone, except for 3.  One nobleman, whose name I am blanking on, made a point to tell Tyrion that he realizes, as do many others, that they would have been defeated well before Tywin made his arrival, had it not been for him.  As a thank you, he brings Shay to see him.  She wants him to run away from his insane family (who can blame the girl) but he explains that he can’t.  He needs to keep them in check.  So she agrees to stay by his side.  It was a sweet moment.  Why do I have a bad feeling it’s only a matter of when, not if, this girl gets killed.

And then there’s Jamie.  Brienne is still carting Jamie and his smart mouth to King’s Landing.  While I don’t like Jamie Lanister, I love the scenes he is in with Brienne because his sharp wit is hilarious.  Still hate him though.    When questioning whether or not Brienne’s loyalties are to the Starks, Brienne quickly corrects him…she doesn’t serve the Starks, she serves Lady Catelyn (isn’t that pretty much the same thing?)  As this is happening, three Stark men appear and immediately start in on Brienne when they realize she’s a woman.   That has to get really old for her after a while.  But you know who has the last laugh?   Wonder woman herself! Not only does she take out the three Stark men in record time, she also scares the living daylights out of Jamie who has a new-found fear for Brienne.   That’s right King Slayer, this chick will kick your ass!!!!

Dani and Crew

As much as I like Dani as a character and I adore her portrayer Emilia Clarke, her storyline has been boring to me this year.  Basically she has been on her way “to her people” (do they know they’re her people) with no army, no ships, no money, no water, no food, no Lady Speed Stick.  It’s been frustrating to watch because I so want this girl to succeed but I have no idea how she’s going to do it!   But last night, we received a great payoff!!!

Dani goes to the house of the undying to get her babies back.  The palatial resort is playing mind games with her to try to throw her off track.   It even strikes below the belt by bringing Khal Drago and her baby boy back into the fold.  It was a great moment to see them back together but Dani knew it was all a lie.  She was strong enough to walk away and emerges in the area where the dragons are being chained.  The creepy undead dude shows up and surrounds her, taunting her, and eventually chaining her as well.  But her being reunited with her babies gave them their mojo back and baby dragon #1 proceed to scream fire at the undead dude until he is, well, no longer undead.  The chains are broken and the family is once again back together.

After all this happens, they head back to the main house in Qarth where Xaro is sleeping with Dani’s handmaid.  She realizes she has been betrayed by her and lied to by him.  She steals the emblem around his neck and both are escorted down the tomb area.  Remember this is the tomb where Xaro told Dani that all the wealth in Qarth is kept.  How funny was it that when she opened it, it was empty.  Actually that wasn’t the funny part.  The funny part was being so pissed at them that she locked them in the tomb with nothing.  If you haven’t learned this yet, learn it now….don’t piss off Khaleesi!!!!!!   In the end, she and Mormont begin collecting all the gold and jewels because that will be enough to buy a ship.   I hate to break up their happy party, but they’re going to need more than a ship.

The final thing I want to mention is the last scene.  When the 3 night watchers heard the 3 horns sounded and started to run, I had no idea what they were running from.  When I saw all the snow, I thought it was the start of Winter that we have been hearing so much about.  But it’s slightly impossible to outrun the start of a new season so it probably wasn’t that.   Then I saw the shadowy figures.  I was starting to get about as freaked out as Sam because I had no idea what or who that was.   Then we see the horse and the…person?…on top of him  look as if he came straight out of a Night of the Living Dead Part 25: The Ice Age, movie.   They were fricking creepy!!  And then more and more and more of them came.  I turned to my husband and said “what the hell are those things?”   He thought they were Wildlings but then we both remembered that they must be the White Walkers.   Right?   I still have to ask though, “what the hell are White Walkers?”  If I’m not mistaken, that’s what the night watch protect everyone from.  Not the Wildlings but those White Walkers.  Well, maybe a little of both but I have to imaging it’s more the White Walkers.  But how do they live with the Wildlings?   I can’t wait to see more of this come next season!!

Overall, it was a great season of GoT and I already can’t wait until Season 3.  I can’t believe Season 2 is over already.   Should we start the campaign now to beg TPTB at GoT to make it at least a 12 episode season?  I think we deserve that.   What did you think of the season finale?   And are you curious to read the books now because I am.   I need more detail!

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy “Flight” S8 E24

Another finale, another catastrophic event.  I think Cristina’s line about wanting to get the hell out of Seattle because how many bad things can continue to happen to them was possible a wink and nod to the fans because we are all thinking the same thing.   There was the bomb inside the patient, the ferry crash, the hospital shooting, and now a plane crash.  I’m sure there were more but I can’t remember them all.

So how eerie was it how much the opening was like Lost?  Meredith laying on the ground and the first thing we see are her eyes open and what she hears (screaming, chaos) and she moves not really sure of what just happened.  For a minute I thought it was cool but then I thought, really Shonda Rhimes?   You had to steal from Lost to get an impactful opening?  Whatever.

Ellen Pompeo was simply phenomenal in this episode.  She really brought it.  She had to deal with so much going on around her and the emotional roller coaster she went on was incredible to watch.  The first thing she had to deal with was the fact that her husband was missing.  Everyone has been accounted for except for him. So she is on a massive, panicked hunt to find him.   Eventually she does (actually he finds her) and her excitement is tempered because she sees that his hand is in really bad shape.  Basically he’ll lose it if she doesn’t perform surgery on it in the jungle with no anesthetic.  Can you say painful?   The whole time she is begging for him to pass out so he won’t feel the pain.

But what was the most excruciating part to watch was when she went back to help Lexie.  Lexie was found with the tail of the plane on top of her.  Her legs and pelvis were crushed and according to her, she couldn’t feel her left arm and thought it wasn’t even there anymore.  Lexie was in bad shape.  Mark and Cristina are there and they try to move the tail off her but can’t.  Mark screams at Cristina to get help and water.  She bends down to Lexie and they both look at each other and they both know.  The water and aid won’t help.   Lexie is dying.  But Cristina leaves and that opens the door for a Lexie/Mark reunion the fans have been clamouring for since they broke up 2 seasons ago.  They both declare their love for each other a Lexie slowly slips away.  When Meredith returns, she sees that her sister has died and just completely loses it.  It was a bit surprising because even thought Meredith had come to accept Lexie as her sister and grow to have a bond with her, I still never got the impression they were that close.  Because Meredith isn’t that type of person.  She’s not touchie/feelie except with Cristina.  But I couldn’t stop crying.  I was also surprised that Lexie died so early in the show.  It made feel like someone else was going to drop.  And towards the end, I thought it was going to be Mark.   There are a lot of people who think Mark or Arizona are going to be dead or die when we return.  While I don’t think it’s likely, I wouldn’t put it past Rhimes to make us think all these characters are safe and then to kill someone off in the Season 9 premiere.

In the end, our gang (minus Lexie) is in the woods still waiting for rescue and Owen is just now learning that his team didn’t make it to Boise for the surgery.   Oh, and Owen fired Teddy so she can take this amazing job opportunity that she was refusing to take so she could stay around and help him.

Ok, let’s start with Lexie.  Why kill her?   She turned into one of the most popular characters on the show and she still had some great stories to tell.  I understand cutting Teddy.  She was done.  I have a problem with how she went out but I’ll get to that in a minute.  I just don’t understand Lexie.  Maybe because Rhimes wanted to really rip everyone’s guts out (in addition to Lexie’s guts) since she was a relatively main character and extremely likable.   But that’s why I have issues with Rhimes’ storytelling at times.  She tends to do things for shock value instead of story value and I hate that.  April should have been the one to go because I think her storyline really is finished and no one likes her anyway.  I don’t dislike her character the way some people do but she’s certainly one of my least favorite.  And where do you go with a resident who failed her boards and has no job?

As I mentioned above, Teddy is gone.  She’s another one I didn’t hate the way some people did but I have no problem with her leaving either.   What I had an issue with was the inconsistency with character leading up to her departure.  She basically wrote off Owen as a friend after the whole Henry situation.  And he reminded her of that when she came to him 2 episodes before yelling at him to make sure he does anything to make her stay.  He very pointedly reminds her that they are no longer friends (per her insistence) and that he is her Chief of Surgery.  If she wants Cristina to stay, she needs to figure it out.  It was the first time I think I ever liked Owen.  But now all of a sudden 2 episodes later after seeing him struggle with Cristina and the Chief job, she wants to throw away an amazing career opportunity to stay and help her friend?  What?  When did you become friends again?   I always had a problem with her severing her friendship with Owen but I chalked it up to grief and that when it subsided, she and he would come around.  But that takes time.  They were still on opposite sides not too long ago.  But it’s the season finale so wham, friends again.  I hate that.

So how are we going to get all our Seattle Gracers to stay in Seattle?   If Derek has hand problems and needs rehab and recovery and loses his offer in Boston, I can see the McDreamy’s staying.  I can sort of see Cristina staying after having another life and death experience and not wanting to leave Owen and trying to make it work with him.   Plus with Teddy gone, she can run the cardio show.  I still think it would be slightly out of character for her, but I could deal with it.   But what’s Alex’s excuse.  What POSSIBLE fraud of a reason would he have for giving up Johns Hopkins for Seattle Grace?  I know Rhimes had to do it this way because of the contract situation and not knowing people’s status before writing and shooting the finale, but come on.  Honestly, I would have let Justin Chambers go.  Not because he isn’t a good actor.  He’s awesome actually and I love him!   But his character sucks.  Alex is the same pain in the ass curmudgeon he was when he started.  He hasn’t grown much as a character over the years and quite honestly, I’m tired of him.   He should go to Hopkins and have a great career off-screen.

As for all the talk out there about either Mark or Arizona dying in the season premiere, I don’t know.  My guess would be neither is going anywhere.  If I had to pick one, it would be Mark only because I think his story has run its course, he hasn’t had a real storyline or much to do recently, and it would be fitting to have him join Lexie.  The only reason I think Arizona has a chance is because in the finale, all Callie kept talking about was how great life is right now and all the happiness and joy she has in her life….I’m waiting for the bomb to drop.  But Calzona is pretty popular and if another popular character gets axed, I don’t know how the show lasts after next season.

Speaking of which, I think Grey’s is done.  It’s going into its ninth year, it’s tired, there isn’t a whole lot more I need to see from any of these characters.  I think the 9th season should be the last for GA.  It’s a shell of its former glory.  It was great, then it wasn’t so great, then it was horrible, now it’s tolerable.  Unfortunately, the big four signed for another two years so I think we have to suffer through Grey’s for at least two more years.  And since I’ve watched it this long, I’ll hang in there