happy new year + picspam
[+] Hello, everyone! I hope you had a fantastic New Year's Eve and are off to a great start for this next year. I've spent mine mostly at home, taking down decorations and cleaning house. I had New Year's Eve off which was a miracle. It was the first time in a while that I got to spend two days off in a row.
I've also been working on a mega-picspam to end the year. Based on some of the memes that have been floating around, but also for the challenge at picspammy which was year end lists...
CHALLENGE 29 YEAR-END LIST
the best of 2011 - characters, ships & shows
general spoilers for this season of Merlin, The Good Wife, TVD, True Blood & Fringe
Top Ten Female Characters
1. Olivia Dunham - Olivia is tough, but she doesn't act tough all the time. She has faults, but she owns them. I don't think I've ever seen her make an excuse for them. She has trust issues, but she works well with partners and as part of a team. She is balanced and comfortable in her own skin. And I like that. A lot. It's rare not just for a female but for any gender character on TV.
2. Elena Gilbert - I like how much Elena has grown over the past year. How she's working at taking care of herself but able to admit she needs help along the way. I like how she still tries to have a normal life even though that seems impossible.
3. Britta Perry - I was never a fan of Britta. I mean...I liked her well enough but it always felt like something was missing. Lately, she's been growing on me. Enough that I think she deserves a spot on my list because she's pretty badass.
4. Guinevere - I love how she took everything in stride after Arthur banished her. She handled it with such grace and poise. She should have made Arthur fight a little harder for her when he finally did come to his senses, but that's another story.
5. Erica Kane - On this list for every soap fan who misses the shows that have gotten the ax. Erica Kane was a legend - not only for her multiple marriages but because she never actually needed any of those men to make her who she was. Erica deserved a better ending than chasing after a man. But even with that in mind, Erica Kane is still the bar all female soap characters should be compared to. Strong, loving, open, smart and powerful. There was nothing she couldn't do. And no one will ever come close to that.
6. Luna Lovegood - There's a quiet innocence to Luna that when combined with her vivid imagination and intelligence makes her the kind of character that completes a series like Harry Potter. She was everything that the war wasn't. And totally Harry's soulmate for that reason alone
7. Detective Carter - She kind of steals the show. Actually, forget that. She DOES steal the show. It wouldn't be worth watching without her.
8. Jane Timoney - I love her humor. The deadpan and the sarcasm. I will miss her. I will miss that hat too. As someone who works in a male-oriented setting, I could relate to her and her struggles more than I could most characters.
9. Santana Lopez - The only character on Glee that is still tolerable. The only person I can root for on that show.
10. The Evil Queen/Regina - She is the most developed character so far. It's hard to develop villains without making them not actual villains but just antiheros. In this case, you can't root for her. She's done too many horrible things by now. And yet, you kind of get the feeling that you know where she's coming from. It makes it hard to hate her, and it's still impossible to support her.
H.M. Meredith Grey
Top Ten Male Characters
1. Lincoln Lee - Our version of Lincoln is so much better than Over There's version...and Over There's version was pretty awesome to begin with. I think it might have to do with the glasses.
2. Harry Potter - I cried tears when the last movie ended because I do not know what my life will be like without Harry Potter in it. I'm aware how sad that is, and I still don't care.
3. Alaric Saltzman - I like him the most on a show that's filled with pretty awesome characters to begin with. He's very self aware and I like that.
4. Cary Agos - He's the kind of guy who succeeds no matter where he winds up and I love how he's adjusted to being a DA. I love how he's fair even when it means having to admit he's wrong. And above all I love his relationship with Kalinda which I get to talk about later.
5. Troy Barnes - He's hilarious and also the most well developed character on the show. He never lost his spark even when pretty much everyone else kind of faded here and there.
6. Damon Salvatore - I've always liked Damon a lot. Before it was because he was good looking and I'm shallow. Now it's because he's been so well developed. He's never lost his edge or forgotten his humanity. He walks a very fine line and does it well.
7. Eric Northman - Eric with amnesia was probably the only good thing to come out of this past season of True Blood.
8. Neal Caffrey - A charming conman with a heart of gold should get old, but...no, it hasn't.
9. Gwaine - He's pretty. Like ridiculously so. I mean his hair looks so soft that it probably should be used in Pantene commercials. And his smile is the most awesome thing I've ever seen. And I haven't even started talking about the tendency to walk around shirtless...So yes...he's pretty. And also he's very brave and noble even though he doesn't seem like the type who would be.
10. Dan Humphrey - Dan's love of Blair Waldorf is what actually made this list.
H.M. Charlie Francis
Top Ten Ships
1. Lincoln/Olivia - Never expected to like them. I wasn't a big fan of alt!Olivia/alt!Lincoln before, but it's weird. Now I see the chemistry in spades between this universe's characters. And I like the slow build. I just hope for more.
2. Damon/Elena - They have been written so well this season and I always adore the build-up to a ship more than the actual time a couple spends together. This first half of the season and the last half of last season was golden. I adore that the love both of them feel for Stefan isn't being thrown under the bus or forgotten. It feels real. As real as a relationship between a vampire and a doppelganger could ever feel.
3. Cary/Kalinda - No one gets Kalinda quite like Cary does. Of course, no one ever really knows what to expect from her, but it feels like he's the closest to understanding her and I think that scares both of them. And of course, it's fun to watch them play games with each other, using Dana as a ping pong ball to deflect themselves from their obvious UST.
4. Dan/Blair - He's the one person in her life that she'll always be able to count on. It sort of happened out of the blue, but now it's the truth and it's so very wonderful how he never lets her down and how she just doesn't see it. He's so in love with her and she has no clue. And he's exactly what she deserves: a guy who has her back no matter what and will love her for who she is.
5. Eric/Sookie - This year was magical for them. Of course it ended on a crappy note. But before that? They were awesome together.
6. Arthur/Eames - Fandom pretty much created this ship on very little actual text. But you know what? Fandom is better than canon.
7. Sherlock Holmes/John Watson - Both in the BBC series and the movie!verse, these two have off the charts chemistry. It's hard to pick which version works together better because they both do such a fantastic job of playing off one another. It's the ultimate slash ship. Actually, scratch that. It's the ultimate ship. Period.
8. Charles/Erik - I was shipping back when they were Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Now it's just a bonus because there are younger versions to look at.
9. Rachel/Quinn - The only good thing left in Glee. How is it they can write the non-canon slash/femslash better than the actual canon ships?
10. Annie/Auggie - They felt a little rushed towards the end of the season, but that's okay. Like most shows with one major ship, they'll probably dial it way back and start building again.
H.M. Mark/Eduardo, Jackson/Lexie
Top Ten TV Shows
1. The Vampire Diaries - The quick pacing combined with the good acting from a pretty young crew makes this show feel like it's head and shoulders above everything else I'm watching. The character arcs feel so natural even when everything is moving at twice the speed. The relationships and interactions never feel forced. It's such a gem and I never imagined myself saying that. This is probably the most addictive show on television.
2. Fringe - I didn't think I'd like the whole alternate timeline thing, but it's been better than I expected. I basically only watch this show for Olivia (and maybe Walter...depending) so I'm glad they're finally letting her interact with someone who isn't Peter, as that whole relationship bores me now. Her chemistry with Lincoln is phenomenal. Here's hoping for more scenes in the future.
3. Community - There are good episodes, and there are not so good episodes, but in 2011 I felt like the good occurred more often than the bad.
4. Once Upon A Time - Finally a show that I can enjoy Jennifer Morrison in. I like that it's a female drive cast and that so far the characters have been developed well. It turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I expected.
5. Prime Suspect - STILL. NOT. OVER. THE. CANCELLATION. Why can't Kirk Acevedo get a break damn it?!?!
6. The Good Wife - It feels like it's not as good as it could be, but anything having to do with Kalinda and Cary makes up for that. Plus, even if it's not as excellent as I want, it's still pretty damn good.
7. psych - Still the only show that makes me laugh on a consistent basis week to week.
8. White Collar - I was watching before, but then they added Hilarie Burton and I was sold. I cannot deny my OTH roots.
9. Merlin - I wish I knew how to quit this show, but every time I try Colin Morgan and his pretty cheekbones suck me back in.
10. Person of Interest - I still cannot see Michael Emerson as anything other than Ben from Lost, but I have been able to stop thinking of Jim Caviezel as Jesus. I thought the show would be too formulaic for me to watch more than a handful of episodes, but the acting's good enough and there are enough twists going that it makes up for the procedural feel.
H.M. Supernatural
I've also been working on a mega-picspam to end the year. Based on some of the memes that have been floating around, but also for the challenge at picspammy which was year end lists...
CHALLENGE 29 YEAR-END LIST
the best of 2011 - characters, ships & shows
general spoilers for this season of Merlin, The Good Wife, TVD, True Blood & Fringe
Top Ten Female Characters
1. Olivia Dunham - Olivia is tough, but she doesn't act tough all the time. She has faults, but she owns them. I don't think I've ever seen her make an excuse for them. She has trust issues, but she works well with partners and as part of a team. She is balanced and comfortable in her own skin. And I like that. A lot. It's rare not just for a female but for any gender character on TV.
2. Elena Gilbert - I like how much Elena has grown over the past year. How she's working at taking care of herself but able to admit she needs help along the way. I like how she still tries to have a normal life even though that seems impossible.
3. Britta Perry - I was never a fan of Britta. I mean...I liked her well enough but it always felt like something was missing. Lately, she's been growing on me. Enough that I think she deserves a spot on my list because she's pretty badass.
4. Guinevere - I love how she took everything in stride after Arthur banished her. She handled it with such grace and poise. She should have made Arthur fight a little harder for her when he finally did come to his senses, but that's another story.
5. Erica Kane - On this list for every soap fan who misses the shows that have gotten the ax. Erica Kane was a legend - not only for her multiple marriages but because she never actually needed any of those men to make her who she was. Erica deserved a better ending than chasing after a man. But even with that in mind, Erica Kane is still the bar all female soap characters should be compared to. Strong, loving, open, smart and powerful. There was nothing she couldn't do. And no one will ever come close to that.
6. Luna Lovegood - There's a quiet innocence to Luna that when combined with her vivid imagination and intelligence makes her the kind of character that completes a series like Harry Potter. She was everything that the war wasn't. And totally Harry's soulmate for that reason alone
7. Detective Carter - She kind of steals the show. Actually, forget that. She DOES steal the show. It wouldn't be worth watching without her.
8. Jane Timoney - I love her humor. The deadpan and the sarcasm. I will miss her. I will miss that hat too. As someone who works in a male-oriented setting, I could relate to her and her struggles more than I could most characters.
9. Santana Lopez - The only character on Glee that is still tolerable. The only person I can root for on that show.
10. The Evil Queen/Regina - She is the most developed character so far. It's hard to develop villains without making them not actual villains but just antiheros. In this case, you can't root for her. She's done too many horrible things by now. And yet, you kind of get the feeling that you know where she's coming from. It makes it hard to hate her, and it's still impossible to support her.
H.M. Meredith Grey
Top Ten Male Characters
1. Lincoln Lee - Our version of Lincoln is so much better than Over There's version...and Over There's version was pretty awesome to begin with. I think it might have to do with the glasses.
2. Harry Potter - I cried tears when the last movie ended because I do not know what my life will be like without Harry Potter in it. I'm aware how sad that is, and I still don't care.
3. Alaric Saltzman - I like him the most on a show that's filled with pretty awesome characters to begin with. He's very self aware and I like that.
4. Cary Agos - He's the kind of guy who succeeds no matter where he winds up and I love how he's adjusted to being a DA. I love how he's fair even when it means having to admit he's wrong. And above all I love his relationship with Kalinda which I get to talk about later.
5. Troy Barnes - He's hilarious and also the most well developed character on the show. He never lost his spark even when pretty much everyone else kind of faded here and there.
6. Damon Salvatore - I've always liked Damon a lot. Before it was because he was good looking and I'm shallow. Now it's because he's been so well developed. He's never lost his edge or forgotten his humanity. He walks a very fine line and does it well.
7. Eric Northman - Eric with amnesia was probably the only good thing to come out of this past season of True Blood.
8. Neal Caffrey - A charming conman with a heart of gold should get old, but...no, it hasn't.
9. Gwaine - He's pretty. Like ridiculously so. I mean his hair looks so soft that it probably should be used in Pantene commercials. And his smile is the most awesome thing I've ever seen. And I haven't even started talking about the tendency to walk around shirtless...So yes...he's pretty. And also he's very brave and noble even though he doesn't seem like the type who would be.
10. Dan Humphrey - Dan's love of Blair Waldorf is what actually made this list.
H.M. Charlie Francis
Top Ten Ships
1. Lincoln/Olivia - Never expected to like them. I wasn't a big fan of alt!Olivia/alt!Lincoln before, but it's weird. Now I see the chemistry in spades between this universe's characters. And I like the slow build. I just hope for more.
2. Damon/Elena - They have been written so well this season and I always adore the build-up to a ship more than the actual time a couple spends together. This first half of the season and the last half of last season was golden. I adore that the love both of them feel for Stefan isn't being thrown under the bus or forgotten. It feels real. As real as a relationship between a vampire and a doppelganger could ever feel.
3. Cary/Kalinda - No one gets Kalinda quite like Cary does. Of course, no one ever really knows what to expect from her, but it feels like he's the closest to understanding her and I think that scares both of them. And of course, it's fun to watch them play games with each other, using Dana as a ping pong ball to deflect themselves from their obvious UST.
4. Dan/Blair - He's the one person in her life that she'll always be able to count on. It sort of happened out of the blue, but now it's the truth and it's so very wonderful how he never lets her down and how she just doesn't see it. He's so in love with her and she has no clue. And he's exactly what she deserves: a guy who has her back no matter what and will love her for who she is.
5. Eric/Sookie - This year was magical for them. Of course it ended on a crappy note. But before that? They were awesome together.
6. Arthur/Eames - Fandom pretty much created this ship on very little actual text. But you know what? Fandom is better than canon.
7. Sherlock Holmes/John Watson - Both in the BBC series and the movie!verse, these two have off the charts chemistry. It's hard to pick which version works together better because they both do such a fantastic job of playing off one another. It's the ultimate slash ship. Actually, scratch that. It's the ultimate ship. Period.
8. Charles/Erik - I was shipping back when they were Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Now it's just a bonus because there are younger versions to look at.
9. Rachel/Quinn - The only good thing left in Glee. How is it they can write the non-canon slash/femslash better than the actual canon ships?
10. Annie/Auggie - They felt a little rushed towards the end of the season, but that's okay. Like most shows with one major ship, they'll probably dial it way back and start building again.
H.M. Mark/Eduardo, Jackson/Lexie
Top Ten TV Shows
1. The Vampire Diaries - The quick pacing combined with the good acting from a pretty young crew makes this show feel like it's head and shoulders above everything else I'm watching. The character arcs feel so natural even when everything is moving at twice the speed. The relationships and interactions never feel forced. It's such a gem and I never imagined myself saying that. This is probably the most addictive show on television.
2. Fringe - I didn't think I'd like the whole alternate timeline thing, but it's been better than I expected. I basically only watch this show for Olivia (and maybe Walter...depending) so I'm glad they're finally letting her interact with someone who isn't Peter, as that whole relationship bores me now. Her chemistry with Lincoln is phenomenal. Here's hoping for more scenes in the future.
3. Community - There are good episodes, and there are not so good episodes, but in 2011 I felt like the good occurred more often than the bad.
4. Once Upon A Time - Finally a show that I can enjoy Jennifer Morrison in. I like that it's a female drive cast and that so far the characters have been developed well. It turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I expected.
5. Prime Suspect - STILL. NOT. OVER. THE. CANCELLATION. Why can't Kirk Acevedo get a break damn it?!?!
6. The Good Wife - It feels like it's not as good as it could be, but anything having to do with Kalinda and Cary makes up for that. Plus, even if it's not as excellent as I want, it's still pretty damn good.
7. psych - Still the only show that makes me laugh on a consistent basis week to week.
8. White Collar - I was watching before, but then they added Hilarie Burton and I was sold. I cannot deny my OTH roots.
9. Merlin - I wish I knew how to quit this show, but every time I try Colin Morgan and his pretty cheekbones suck me back in.
10. Person of Interest - I still cannot see Michael Emerson as anything other than Ben from Lost, but I have been able to stop thinking of Jim Caviezel as Jesus. I thought the show would be too formulaic for me to watch more than a handful of episodes, but the acting's good enough and there are enough twists going that it makes up for the procedural feel.
H.M. Supernatural