tl;dr
I've kind of had a bad few weeks, hence the lack of updates and lack of keeping up with my flist, so, sorry about that. Hopefully it's going to start looking up. :) Anyway, I realised today that I hadn't posted my episode reactions for the last little while, so here we go -
90210 - Winter Wonderland
For me, this really was the perfect close for the first half of the season. They tied up a lot of loose ends, but they also left a few pretty big question marks which is always fun. The big ones of course being Dixon’s biological mum and the revelation that Jasper knows Annie was the hit and run driver that killed his uncle.
Anyway, I’m really growing to like Ivy’s character. I think she’s the most well-developed of the new characters, and she’s had emotional growth despite being a secondary character. I like that she’s a tomboy, but she’s still a girl, and she’s going to get flustered and happy when Liam asks her to the dance, and she’s going to act like a guy, but that doesn’t mean she wants guys to treat her like one. I also like that she sacrificed her own liking of Liam for him and Naomi, but that’s because they’re my otp of this show.
Speaking of Liam/Naomi, omg, the kisssss. I’m so, so happy that these two are back on. The lack of throwing each other up against cars has been a big upset in my life, but it was nice to have a tender moment between the two since, other than the dance at the end of the first season, they really haven’t had any moments of significant emotional connection. This felt like one of those moments, and to be honest, it was really needed. They had such a rough and sex-based relationship in the first season, and I think, as a viewer, that I’m ready for them to progress to something more. I’m so, so excited to see where they take it in the next half of the season.
Navid and Adrianna have such a great dynamic on the show too. It’s hard for me to describe it, but I love the transition their relationship took in this episode. Navid has always been Adrianna’s saviour. He’s the one that paid for her to go to rehab, helped her through her pregnancy, and this was finally a time for her to pay him back. She was able to come forward to ensure that Jasper got charged. It was her who was the brave one this time, and I love that sort of growth, even on a teen soap.
Also, I actually almost liked Annie in this episode, which freaked me out a bit. Shenae Grimes’ acting has come such a long way since the first series. She’s hardly an Oscar-winner now, but she’s so much better than she was. It was nice to see the revelations finally as well with both the hit-and-run and the drug-dealings.
Dixon and Silver was nice, but a bit of a mind-fuck, and I’m not sure how I feel about Teddy/Silver yet, but I’ll wait and see how it pans out in the next half of the season.
Also, the ballerinas at the start of the ep kind of made me laugh forever.
Glee - Sectionals
I actually haven’t posted my reactions to the last few episodes of ‘Glee’, so I’m going to talk about where the characters are at as we know them at the moment. If that makes sense.
Will/Terri totally broke my heart. I mean shattered. The revelation in the Mattress episode was awful in a way that was both entirely inevitable and deserving, and desperately sad. The acting of both of them was incredible in a way it isn’t always on the show. They were both such heartfelt portrayals, and most importantly, you could really feel for both of them. I loved it, but it kind of massively broke my heart.
I kind of liked the Emma/Will scene at her almost-wedding as well, which is odd, because I think I’m like, one of three people who doesn’t like them together. Then again, I didn’t like their kiss at all, although I did feel it was needed. I’m not sure why I don’t like them together, since I like them both separately. I generally don’t like couples where one half idolises the other, and Emma really, really idolises Will. It was a similar reasoning as to why I never took to Cameron/House. I feel like people need someone who balances them, who can snark and be mean when necessary, and Emma isn’t that person at all for Will. It’s one of the reasons why I liked Will/Terri. They were so incredibly wrong for each other, they had nothing in common and ultimately they were mean to each other, but they loved one another so wholly and totally. That’s probably why I’m so heartbroken over their split.
On a completely separate note, I’m glad Finn found out, but I hate that Rachel told him. I really wanted it to be either Quinn or Puck. Oh well. His reaction was perfect, and really, so was Quinn’s. Quinn and Rachel’s interaction afterwards was wonderfully played out, and I love that Quinn wasn’t angry at Rachel, and I liked that she didn’t want Puck. She just wanted to be alone. The show hasn’t really explained where she’s staying now though. For some reason, I like to think she’s shacked up with either Brittany or Santana, because at the end of the day, they joined Glee to support Quinn anyway, so there’s got to be a real friendship in there somewhere, and I wish the show would portray that. The way Santana got all up in Quinn’s face over babysitting with Puck made it sound like the girls had never spoken before. I mean, what?
Kurt broke my heart too, in both ‘Defying Gravity’ and his dad as well as his interactions with Finn. And Artie continues to be the best male vocalist on the show. Plus, Mercedes. Omg, I love her. I also enjoyed Rachel in the finale. It was nice to see her not at the centre of all the stories for a change, and I think her character shines a lot more when she’s not the focal point. Also, the Mercedes/Rachel hug was lovely, and I loved that they felt like real friends for the first time in the finale. Rachel gave up the solo, and then Mercedes did.
Lastly, Brittany/Santana. IT’S CANON. I can’t even describe how happy I am about that. Seriously. I doubt the show will pursue it, but I really, really hope they do. I would love a mainstream show without a token gay character, and I feel like having Brittany and Santana, even as bisexuals, would lessen the token gay vibe I get from Kurt. TV dramas seem so afraid of having more than one main gay character, unless it’s a specific ‘gay drama’. Sexuality! Experiment with it!
Gossip Girl - The Debarted
This was easily the best episode of this run and actually renewed my faith in the show. I can’t say I would have still tuned in for the next half of the season if we hadn’t have had the last two episodes. I mean, sure, the wolves were fucking weird, but everything else was awesome. I loved the fact that we got to revisit Chuck’s dad, because I felt like the second he died, it was kind of the end of it. Plus, I’ve always loved Lily and Chuck’s interactions with one another, and the fact that we got to see some more of it in this episode. I like that they’re relationship isn’t about love or obligation or anything but a mutual caring that kind of surprised both of them.
I also felt that this was the Blair I know and love as well. The show’s kind of been fucking with her character a little too much for my liking, but this episode had her back as both incredibly strong and incredibly vulnerable, and her and Chuck and her and Serena were wondrous. I mean, going to the hospital in her bathrobe? So much love. The scenes she shared with Chuck were also brilliant, and really reminded me why I loved this pairing in the first place.
On that note, I’ve never thought Ed Westwick was an incredible actor, but he was really, really good in the last episode, and I’m starting to wonder if his lack of ability in previous episodes was more to do with the quality of the writing than his acting chops. He was so vulnerable and uneasy in ‘The Debarted’ and he was so tender and believable. It was a very good performance on his part.
Also? Nate and Serena continue to be incredibly precious. I’m excited to see where the show takes them and am exceptionally glad to see the end of Trip/Serena because, for me at least, they felt forced and kind of annoying, and Trip’s wife is a serious hobag.
I’m choosing not to discuss Dan/Vanessa or Jenny’s storyline because they’re really not the focal point of the show for me. Although I did like that Dan went to pick up Blair when he found out.
Also, Community and The Big Bang Theory continue to be some of the funniest shit on television, and I honestly can't wait for them to come back. Especially Community, omg, that show's hilarious.
And! Just finally! I'm sending Christmas cards today. It's kind of ridiculously late, but oh well. I can only do what I can do. Expect them though. :)
90210 - Winter Wonderland
For me, this really was the perfect close for the first half of the season. They tied up a lot of loose ends, but they also left a few pretty big question marks which is always fun. The big ones of course being Dixon’s biological mum and the revelation that Jasper knows Annie was the hit and run driver that killed his uncle.
Anyway, I’m really growing to like Ivy’s character. I think she’s the most well-developed of the new characters, and she’s had emotional growth despite being a secondary character. I like that she’s a tomboy, but she’s still a girl, and she’s going to get flustered and happy when Liam asks her to the dance, and she’s going to act like a guy, but that doesn’t mean she wants guys to treat her like one. I also like that she sacrificed her own liking of Liam for him and Naomi, but that’s because they’re my otp of this show.
Speaking of Liam/Naomi, omg, the kisssss. I’m so, so happy that these two are back on. The lack of throwing each other up against cars has been a big upset in my life, but it was nice to have a tender moment between the two since, other than the dance at the end of the first season, they really haven’t had any moments of significant emotional connection. This felt like one of those moments, and to be honest, it was really needed. They had such a rough and sex-based relationship in the first season, and I think, as a viewer, that I’m ready for them to progress to something more. I’m so, so excited to see where they take it in the next half of the season.
Navid and Adrianna have such a great dynamic on the show too. It’s hard for me to describe it, but I love the transition their relationship took in this episode. Navid has always been Adrianna’s saviour. He’s the one that paid for her to go to rehab, helped her through her pregnancy, and this was finally a time for her to pay him back. She was able to come forward to ensure that Jasper got charged. It was her who was the brave one this time, and I love that sort of growth, even on a teen soap.
Also, I actually almost liked Annie in this episode, which freaked me out a bit. Shenae Grimes’ acting has come such a long way since the first series. She’s hardly an Oscar-winner now, but she’s so much better than she was. It was nice to see the revelations finally as well with both the hit-and-run and the drug-dealings.
Dixon and Silver was nice, but a bit of a mind-fuck, and I’m not sure how I feel about Teddy/Silver yet, but I’ll wait and see how it pans out in the next half of the season.
Also, the ballerinas at the start of the ep kind of made me laugh forever.
Glee - Sectionals
I actually haven’t posted my reactions to the last few episodes of ‘Glee’, so I’m going to talk about where the characters are at as we know them at the moment. If that makes sense.
Will/Terri totally broke my heart. I mean shattered. The revelation in the Mattress episode was awful in a way that was both entirely inevitable and deserving, and desperately sad. The acting of both of them was incredible in a way it isn’t always on the show. They were both such heartfelt portrayals, and most importantly, you could really feel for both of them. I loved it, but it kind of massively broke my heart.
I kind of liked the Emma/Will scene at her almost-wedding as well, which is odd, because I think I’m like, one of three people who doesn’t like them together. Then again, I didn’t like their kiss at all, although I did feel it was needed. I’m not sure why I don’t like them together, since I like them both separately. I generally don’t like couples where one half idolises the other, and Emma really, really idolises Will. It was a similar reasoning as to why I never took to Cameron/House. I feel like people need someone who balances them, who can snark and be mean when necessary, and Emma isn’t that person at all for Will. It’s one of the reasons why I liked Will/Terri. They were so incredibly wrong for each other, they had nothing in common and ultimately they were mean to each other, but they loved one another so wholly and totally. That’s probably why I’m so heartbroken over their split.
On a completely separate note, I’m glad Finn found out, but I hate that Rachel told him. I really wanted it to be either Quinn or Puck. Oh well. His reaction was perfect, and really, so was Quinn’s. Quinn and Rachel’s interaction afterwards was wonderfully played out, and I love that Quinn wasn’t angry at Rachel, and I liked that she didn’t want Puck. She just wanted to be alone. The show hasn’t really explained where she’s staying now though. For some reason, I like to think she’s shacked up with either Brittany or Santana, because at the end of the day, they joined Glee to support Quinn anyway, so there’s got to be a real friendship in there somewhere, and I wish the show would portray that. The way Santana got all up in Quinn’s face over babysitting with Puck made it sound like the girls had never spoken before. I mean, what?
Kurt broke my heart too, in both ‘Defying Gravity’ and his dad as well as his interactions with Finn. And Artie continues to be the best male vocalist on the show. Plus, Mercedes. Omg, I love her. I also enjoyed Rachel in the finale. It was nice to see her not at the centre of all the stories for a change, and I think her character shines a lot more when she’s not the focal point. Also, the Mercedes/Rachel hug was lovely, and I loved that they felt like real friends for the first time in the finale. Rachel gave up the solo, and then Mercedes did.
Lastly, Brittany/Santana. IT’S CANON. I can’t even describe how happy I am about that. Seriously. I doubt the show will pursue it, but I really, really hope they do. I would love a mainstream show without a token gay character, and I feel like having Brittany and Santana, even as bisexuals, would lessen the token gay vibe I get from Kurt. TV dramas seem so afraid of having more than one main gay character, unless it’s a specific ‘gay drama’. Sexuality! Experiment with it!
Gossip Girl - The Debarted
This was easily the best episode of this run and actually renewed my faith in the show. I can’t say I would have still tuned in for the next half of the season if we hadn’t have had the last two episodes. I mean, sure, the wolves were fucking weird, but everything else was awesome. I loved the fact that we got to revisit Chuck’s dad, because I felt like the second he died, it was kind of the end of it. Plus, I’ve always loved Lily and Chuck’s interactions with one another, and the fact that we got to see some more of it in this episode. I like that they’re relationship isn’t about love or obligation or anything but a mutual caring that kind of surprised both of them.
I also felt that this was the Blair I know and love as well. The show’s kind of been fucking with her character a little too much for my liking, but this episode had her back as both incredibly strong and incredibly vulnerable, and her and Chuck and her and Serena were wondrous. I mean, going to the hospital in her bathrobe? So much love. The scenes she shared with Chuck were also brilliant, and really reminded me why I loved this pairing in the first place.
On that note, I’ve never thought Ed Westwick was an incredible actor, but he was really, really good in the last episode, and I’m starting to wonder if his lack of ability in previous episodes was more to do with the quality of the writing than his acting chops. He was so vulnerable and uneasy in ‘The Debarted’ and he was so tender and believable. It was a very good performance on his part.
Also? Nate and Serena continue to be incredibly precious. I’m excited to see where the show takes them and am exceptionally glad to see the end of Trip/Serena because, for me at least, they felt forced and kind of annoying, and Trip’s wife is a serious hobag.
I’m choosing not to discuss Dan/Vanessa or Jenny’s storyline because they’re really not the focal point of the show for me. Although I did like that Dan went to pick up Blair when he found out.
Also, Community and The Big Bang Theory continue to be some of the funniest shit on television, and I honestly can't wait for them to come back. Especially Community, omg, that show's hilarious.
And! Just finally! I'm sending Christmas cards today. It's kind of ridiculously late, but oh well. I can only do what I can do. Expect them though. :)