It is after viewing the trailer no less than 20 times that I realize that we aren’t even to the Smaug parts yet! The components of the trailer that really stand out the most to me are: The epic score by Howard Shore, Martin Freeman as Bilbo is my wildest dream come true (I am not disappointed, and I had really high expectations), seeing Galadriel (TWICE!), Kili (of course), Gandalf as playful and mysterious as he was (not to mention powerful!), the beauty of The Shire, and The Misty Mountain song (as sung by the Dwarf Company).

Though it’s still nearly a year away, I imagine I will be re-watching this trailer throughout the year and getting the same chills each time I do.

Mood: Anxious

Not only because I’m a Dean Girl, but because it is now universally accepted as awesome, I end with the quote of the night.

Dean, to Death on why he should kill the “enemy”:

Because we said so, and we’re the boss of you…Respectfully.

Mood: Pleased

While I rarely have faith in awards shows, and the exclusion of Sean Bean as an Emmy nominee for Best Actor does little to reassure me of their significance, I will say that the nomination of my favorite Marshal makes up for it. My love for this show goes beyond my appreciation of Raylan (though that alone would be enough to carry me) due to performances of the entire cast. It’s refreshing to see people using Southern accents that aren’t so obviously affected that you want ear bleach. Take it from me, people in KY and WV sound EXACTLY like that. The sounds, sights, and stories are things right out of our backyards.

Too bad Raylan’s not.

Mood: Amused

Had I not read the books, I might have thought the movie was awesome and kickass and all the other words that one would use to describe an action flick. Harry Potter, however, is not an action movie. It’s a children’s story, albeit a very rich children’s story with more character development than most adult readings, but a children’s story nonetheless.

The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort was unrecognizable from the book. Harry’s victory was not in physical battle, it was in a simplicity that Voldemort could never grasp. With all the survivors looking on, Harry employed one simple spell that did little, but accomplished what even the killing curse could not. Not so in the overblown fight sequence in the movie. Chase scenes, flying off the castle, one-on-one duel with no one around, little explanation, etc. were added for “Oooh” effect and the story suffered as a result.

The movie wasn’t without its merits, and I’m sure that over time I’ll be able to think of a few more than just McGonagall, Neville, and, um, uh, yeah, that’s all I’ve got right now.

In the end, I’m not sorry I saw the films, but I’m glad they’re over. I look forward to never speaking of them again.

Mood: Disappointed

My first observation from the premiere is that Bill Pullman has become Robert De Niro in Cape Fear. I challenge you to disagree. I had to do a couple of second takes (what’s that make, 4 takes?) to make sure it really was Pullman. Though we didn’t get to see that much of him, his backstory alone makes him a vile, vile creature. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

You can already see the hard choice that will have to be made at some point, and though I guess we can figure out what it will be, the results will be worth sticking around for.

For new fans of the show, I think the premiere sets up just enough Torchwood lore to educate and entertain. Sure I would have liked more reminiscing, but that would have destroyed the pace of the episode. My only complaint is that all the scenes with pretty blond Esther nearly did that. I’m not invested in her, at all, at this point. Maybe she’ll get in on the action a bit in the next episode. I certainly hope so, because otherwise? Snore.

Overall, I give Torchwood: Miracle Day a strong A. Can’t wait to see the rest of it!

Mood: Jubilant

I struggled. Badly. I ended up skipping most of the first season, all but a couple of episodes from the second season, some of the third season, and then…BOOM. I got hooked. I got hooked before Castiel even showed up. Insanity. I’ve liked Jensen Ackles since his days as Eric on DOOL, and I don’t know if that biases me, but I’m definitely what they would call a “Dean Girl”. I can’t even type that without snerking, but it’s still true. I like the bits of mythology the show gives us, the humor, and I like the standalone eps (particularly the meta eps) as well as the arcs, but most of all, I like the relationships; the brothers who struggle to stay close, even though it’s questionable whether that’s a good idea or not, the fatherly relationship they have with Bobby, and of course, the whole Castiel thing. (Seriously, Google that relationship and tell me it’s not fandom meets canon and back again.)

I can’t say that I’m sad I waited this long to jump in, because honestly, I needed those remaining eps hanging over my head to make me keep watching. As it is, I’ve had to back up and watch all the ones I skipped while looping it continuously, and I haven’t minded that one bit

Mood: Satisfied

Mood: Thoughtful

In related musings, I have to admit that I was never a huge fan of Robb Stark until, well, let’s just say Book Three. The latest Game of Thrones episode, “Baelor”, really did a great job of showing the essence of the character, though. In one swift scene, I was able to “get” what I had missed when I read the books. Although I remain a Jon fan, I can certainly appreciate Robb more than ever before, and it’s things like this that make the production of the show truly fantastic. I’m looking forward to the final episode of the first season, but I’ll be anxiously awaiting the return of some of my favorite characters.

Mood: Impressed

Rarely has the film/television casting of a role been so convincing as to actually increase the admiration of a much-beloved book character. Kit Harington, a newcomer, gives the character the perfect balance of skill, modesty, and longing. Obviously, the ages of most characters in the television adaptation have been bumped up a bit, but this portrayal of Jon Snow captures his sadness at being shunned by society, and even more hurtfully by his step-mother, in a believable way. Whether he is a teen or a young man, those hurts still penetrate, and in his eyes, you feel his isolation. With the big events that will arise in the series, I can only say, “THANK YOU!” to HBO so many times for the excellent casting job they pulled off, particularly with Ned, Jon, Arya, Jaime, and Tyrion.

Mood: Enthralled

When Cuarón helmed the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, fans rejoiced. Most fans rejoiced. I did not. The tone of the entire series darkened, most strikingly, visually. Figurative darkening was a necessity, as the source material was becoming more dangerous and entangled, but visually, the movie felt as if it had been shot through fog and the world seemed dim as a result. The sets showed the darkness, too. Everything began to look dilapidated and uninviting, even Hogwarts, which had seemed magical and bright in the previous films. This hazy, dark look continued throughout the films and was the primary reason I stopped watching them.

Steven Moffat, similarly genius in his storytelling, appears to be doing the same to Doctor Who. His Series 3 episode “Blink” is universally considered one of the best episodes of the modern era. As a standalone ep, I agree, it’s striking in its difference. As the tone of a series, it’s depressing and dull. I allowed the thought that Series 5 was a bit less colorful because of the transition to our Eleventh Doctor. I, like all of fandom, was feeling him out along with the new sassy companion. I was pleased. As this season began, we were hit with too many cliches and teases in the first two episodes. Following the convoluted story of the opener, we were treated with two dark, dank episodes that did little to harken back to the glory days of FUN Doctor Who, and I fear we will not return.

My fear is that I am alone in my distaste for the new style. I was completely isolated in the HP fandom as someone who preferred that a children’s story (and regardless of what is said, Harry Potter is a children’s story) remain a bit fantastic and bright. The response to last night’s cheerless episode “The Doctor’s Wife” written by Neil Gaiman has been exceedingly positive. Having several scenes of suffering and misery seems to appease fandom, and on that count we differ. I accept and appreciate darkness in the right fandom (BSG, GoT) but this is still, at heart, a show for younger fans with a fifty year tradition that should be respected.

Mood: Pessimistic

Did I like the episode despite all of this? Yes. I’m a bit confused, though. Are we now to believe that the timeline of the show has been a flashback and it’s actually 2026 now? I almost hope that is the case, as I don’t want to see a ton of time travel on Fringe. I would guess, however, that we will not go forward again and will be in the 2011 current day for Season 4. Now that the teams from the two universes have been brought together, I’m not sure how everyone will get home.

I’m also no less confused by The Observers. I get the last scene, I really do, but what a messy way to achieve their means. There had to be a less complicated way to bridge the universes if the need was so great. OK, maybe I don’t fully get it; did they create Peter? Was he a Starbuckian avatar? I’ve read speculation close to that, and I guess it makes the most sense to me. Young Peter died in both universes, but Walter/Walternate still became entangled in the quantum entanglements that resulted from their work, leading to the same moment of decision in “The Day We Died.”

All I really know is that Fringe Season 4 needs to get here soon.

Mood: Confused

What’s wrong? I don’t know. There are a few things I’ve already identified, such as Dead!NotDead Doctor, the River Song mystery which has gone on far too long, baby mama drama, lack of fun, etc. However, I think the biggest problem I have right now is that I can’t even name the baddies (is it Silence or Silents?!?) and I can’t understand a damn thing they say. How can I be sucked into the drama if I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE SAYING?!? Give me back my Doctor Who, please!

Mood: Annoyed

What do I make of them? Well, they’re good. They’re well written and the style is actually easy to follow. It’s clearly a fantasy series, though it’s not really fantastical. Some of the twists, particularly in the first and third books blew my mind. I’m still waiting for a twist (which will never come) for events in the first book, and that third one actually knocked me off the sofa. I’ll give Martin one thing, he’s not afraid to jack up a character. HA!

I do have to admit, however, that it’s my literary mind that enjoys the series rather than my fangirl mind. There is no OTP here, unless you count Cersei and Jaime, but do you really want to do that?!? There are no heroes, either. While there is no shortage of villains, there is no character that can been seen as the one you want to cheer for. I can’t say too much without spoiling people, and with this series, it would be a travesty to not experience the bombshells just as I did, so I’ll have to wait for you guys to catch up so we can compare and contrast our amusements. So GO READ!

Mood: Impressed

As a fangirl (and a well-documented sheep), I expected to get swept up in Kara/Lee shippiness, to want to find wallpapers, fanvids, and icons. It never happened. As a matter of fact, I don’t even like Lee all that much, and Kara, well, let’s just say I prefer the first Kara (if you know what I mean). I do excitedly look forward to seeing Melissa’s work, though. I guess what I mean is that I don’t care enough to take the chance of sitting through vids I don’t like while trying to find a rare gem. I’ve done that enough with LOTS. Ha!

What I liked most about the series is pretty much found in the picture here. Helo, because it’s Helo, y’all. Who couldn’t love Helo and his weepy eyes, his devotion, his heart, and his body, of course. Heh. While I had my little crush on Helo, I have to say that the reason I kept watching, even when I wanted to give up was Tigh, my overall favorite character, and his bromance with Adama.

I had unavoidably read a few spoilers here and there over the years, but I was not prepared for the shocker my favorite character would face. There’s little point in going into detail in this post, as it is a few years late, but seeing how the friendship of Col. Tigh and Adm. Adama survived the war makes any downtime the series had seem worthwhile.

Colonel Saul Tigh: You know, it’s still not too late to flush ‘em all out the airlock
Admiral William Adama: It’d take too long. [ ]

Though I wouldn’t place BSG in my favorite shows listing, I will say that I’m glad I watched it, and except for the last very cheesy scene, it was pretty fantastic.

Mood: Satisfied

This has been excruciating. I have rarely been so bored in my life. I’m up to Season 1 Episode 11 and only once have I felt any investment in this show. It’s worse than watching paint dry; at least you know you’re going to get a result from the paint. This just drags on and on and on. There is one character, who happens to be a Cylon, who is so boring that any scene she appears in is poisoned. Boring on the ship; boring on Caprica; BORING!

Although Gaius is entertaining, the whole sexually-charged visions thing he has of his Cylon were played out in the first overextended scene of them getting it on, and frankly, I’m over it. Was this risqué when the show first aired? I don’t think it was 1957, so I’d say, “No.” What then, is the point of boring us with repeated “oooh” scenes? Just let it go, already! Sheesh!

I’m still watching because of some slight interest in the Kara/Lee ship. Um, gals, when does it actually begin? So far, they’ve had about 10 scenes together and I don’t see it. As a matter of fact, as of this episode, we haven’t even seen Lee in about 6 episodes, so what’s up?!?

I only wish I could watch at 3x speeds to get this over with. Oh the things we do in the name of fandom.

Mood: Discontent