random bunch of things + tv, tv, tv
1. Exam two on five is done! Now if I can just keep up the average that I managed to get this round I'll be a happy person. Other than that, it has snowed for the first time in years! Like, seriously snowed with the snow lasting for three days. And obviously since our mayor is an idiot, the city is half-paralyzed and today they closed everything even if it has snowed on Friday. And obviously public transport isn't working either. *facepalm*
2. And since this weekend I stayed holed up to finish an exchange fic that ended up being 28k and I didn't manage to do reaction posts, have some TV blathering under the cuts. SPN, vampire porn, Luck and some Ringer headdesking.
a) Ringer 1x10/11(getting the crappy stuff out of the way first): okay, this isn't gonna need spoiler cuts because I can't even take it seriously enough, but I can't wait for Misha to do that episode so I can quit watching it. The last two episodes were... the epitome of abysmal. I mean, my most basic reaction is is everyone in this show completely dumb?, and the fact that the only person who showed some smarts lately is the bff's husband says all. Also I can't possibly be the only one who's totally squicked out by the fact that Bridget is SLEEPING with her sister's husband WHEN HE THINKS SHE'S ANOTHER PERSON, right? Idk the few reactions I read don't mention it at all and I guess I'm supposed to root for them, but what the - seriously? Not to mention that if I cared about this I'd have a million issues with how they're dealing with the Juliet-and-her-teacher storyline, but this show's point has never been being sensible I guess. Sigh. the only good thing about this still remain Nestor Carbonell's eyelashes.
b) Luck: no spoiler cuts since this is just general impression, but is anyone else watching this? Horse races/betting isn't really my thing but since a) it's David Milch's idea, b) Dustin Hoffmann is in it c) Michael Mann directed the pilot I figured I'd give it a try. I thought it was pretty good even if it's not at the awesome level that Deadwood was (at least at the pilot level) and in the only episode I watched it was all about characters, but the second looked more fast-paced and the acting is actually excellent, so I guess I'll stick around and give it a chance. Heck, I still haven't quit Ringer and that one is just bad, this one actually has good premises...
c) SPN 7x13 Okay so, the best thing about this was Dean having sex with Aunt Jenna who somehow came back from the dead and who also was pretty in charge... ;) nah seriously apart from the OMG INVOLUNTARY CROSSOVER BE RIGHT BACK LAUGHING factor and apart from FINALLY DEAN IS TAKING HIS SHIRT OFF FACTOR it was a lot better than I had thought by reading the synopsis. (Seriously, CW, hire someone else because your summaries are crap.) Random observations:
+ So apparently Bobby stuck around? Even if they salted and burned the body? This is going to end bad, I know, but... the idea that Bobby went as far as becoming a ghost just to keep an eye on those two idiots makes me want to shed the odd tear.
+ Dean needs to find an AA place now. Really. At least Sam is driving the car.
+ Sam was rightfully pissed also - even if in Dean's half-defense, the kid still hadn't killed anyone. Still, this isn't Dean's year - first everyone he gives a shit about except Sam dies and then that? And that said I'm glad the amazons made it - I wasn't looking forward to another bloodbath formed of mostly women. *cough* Even if these ones were totally creepy, ew.
+ Dean didn't deny that Cas dying fucked him up. Thanks Sam for pointing that out. (yes, I'm not quitting with the Cas thing until he's back - deal with it.)
+ The Sam/Dean interaction was very good tho. And the pacing was as well, and the subject was dealt a lot better than I thought so this one passes the exam. Now if only next week's didn't have the worst title they could have come up with...
+ That said, thanks PTB for giving us some shirtless Dean. Really.
+ ... who had sex with Aunt Jenna. PPFFFF. Someone just write VD/SPN crossovers where Dean hooks up with the REAL Aunt Jenna plz, that woman would have appreciated a lot methinks. ;)
d) Vampire porn 3x13 ... I give up, this is the show I'm enjoying most right now. Shoot me. When you think 'why couldn't show X just do like the vampire porn' there might be a problem, but.
+ ELIJAH! :DDDD HE'S BACK! AND HE'S NOT AN IDIOT! AND HE TEAMED UP WITH DAMON!
+ people. ORIGINALS. AND ELOISE FROM LOST KLAUS'S MOM WAS IN THE COFFIN. AND NOW THEY'RE ALL TOGETHER AGAIN OMGGGG. Can I just hope the mom takes charge? Bc if she can keep Klaus under a leash I'm all for it and the others, lolol. Elijah stay forever. And Rebekah stay forever around to bitchslap your brother. Also the other two guys in the coffins looked plenty nice to look at.
+ Dear show, can you stop killing Alaric and give me a heart attacks, not to mention to give Elena stuff to talk about when she finally talks to a shrink? Seriously that part killed me. Someone just tell Damon to stick around to give Ric his blood or whatever, REALLY. Also who the fuck is behind this entire thing? Ah well, if I know them we'll learn next week and not in the finale...
+ Stefan is still in love with Elena. HI, SHIP, STAY VALIDATED.
+ Bonnie & her mom are awesome.
+ .... Caroline's dad dying was a bummer, but I couldn't see THAT guy becoming a vampire anytime soon. And oh god Caroline STOP MAKING ME WANT TO CRY.
+ Am I wrong or Matt and Elena are.. mmh, well, rekindling old flames? Not that since it's Klaus's plan it'd bring anything good, but honestly Matt would be the safest choice atm...
+ And that said, Damon Salvatore please stay awesome forever. His faces during the dinner party. AND WHEN HE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH STEFAN. Ugh Damon/Stefan you have a relationship that is a thing of very twisted beauty.
+ In conclusion, this show isn't disappointing me anytime soon. Thank you, show. Stay awesome forever and just keep on being the lovely vampire porn that you are, thanks, me.
3) Also, in the midst of all the Plato I had to read I managed to finish this non-ASOIAF novel by GRRM which I think deserves a bit of a rec if only because it's.. well, an interesting read at least. Or well, I bought it mostly because when you tell me that it's a novel about a former rock journalist turned writer who lives wondering where his generation went wrong in the seventies and ends up investigating a murder that is related to some cursed rock band named NAZGUL and which could be the trigger for the apocalypse... well, color me intrigued.
Aaand... it was actually good. I mean, from the plot it could have been either a total wreck or it might WORK in spite of it, and it did. The plot was actually really well done, the pacing was excellent and it had characters that really popped off the page, not to mention that most of my favorite groups/songs/albums ended up being mentioned in conversations all the goddamn time. And I'll give it to GRRM - he's good. The Nazgul were obviously fictional, but from the way he incorporated them in the story I was almost tempted to google them to see if I could buy their record. I mean, when he went describing concerts/songs/music that didn't exist you really got into it. And the whole supernatural/apocalyptic element isn't... well, overdone. You have to buy it, obviously, but if you do the entire thing is actually pretty damn awesome.
The best part of it though is.. well, while the protagonist is around searching for info about the murder triggering the whole thing he ends up visiting all his college friends, who all were thinking they could change the world along with him in the sixties and ended up doing entirely different things in the seventies, and there's a bunch of reflecting about 60s/70s counterculture, and what rock music meant for it, and all the reasons why and how that generation failed at what they thought they could do which was so very well done and it was seriously moving at most times. And while said friends do fill your usual cliches for the genre (like, there's the guy who used to be into politics, one who ran to Canada instead of going to Vietnam, one that becomes a college professor that no one hires for long, the one who ended up in a hippie commune etc etc.) they're all so very intriguing and well-written. Tldr, GRRM totally surprised me positively.
Also, for the ASOIAF people who might have a laugh out of it: I can't help thinking that when he started doing ASOIAF he remembered this one, since the protagonist is named Sander (at least half of his face isn't burned) but personality-wise he's kind of like ASOS Jaime (or well I think that if Jaime was a burned-out rock journalist he'd kind of be like him), and his first girlfriend during college is a girl with blonde hair, kind of tall, with a nose that seems broken and plump lips (reminds you of anyone). Also the family of the friend who didn't go to Vietnam is basically the Greyjoys (and the guy's storyline is.. well, he and Theon share a couple of things). I'm half-sure that if I thought harder about everyone else I'd have probably recognized some other similarities but after the last one I tried not to think too much about it. Anyway, I totally had a crack out of it.
4. Also, I managed to see J. Edgar obviously months after the rest of the world saw it and apart from some questionable choices in make-up department... Clint Eastwood, just never stop making movies okay. Clearly it got Oscar-snubbed too (seriously, poor Leo deserved a nomination at least), but whatever, I loved it. ♥
5. Random music rec for Bob Dylan fans (and well, look at the list and see if there's someone you like): Amnesty International has produced this OMG SO MANY SONGS compilation thing named Chimes of Freedom where.. well, a bunch of people cover Bob Dylan songs and that you can buy on their site for a total convenient price (20 dollars for all 78 songs, 25 dollars for the cd or you can buy individual mp3s). Apart from being for a good cause.. well, while there's something in there that is questionable at best (I still don't know how I feel aboutMiley Cyrus or about Kesha covering Don't Think Twice, It's All Right...) there are some damn awesome covers (IE: Patti Smith doing Drifter's Escape, Gaslight Anthem doing Changing of the Guards, Mark Knopfler doing Restless Farewell, Flogging Molly doing The Times, They're a Changin' & Pete Seeger doing Forever Young, and there are also the likes of Jackson Browne, Nils Lofgren AND Paul Rodgers [which sent me into heaven], Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson and Steve Earle; also I think there are a couple new groups I want to check out just based on how they did Hattie Carroll) and it really is a bargain, so I figured I'd leave the link here. Also all the money goes for a good cause, so..
6. Okay, I'll now go deleting all the spam comments that LJ has seen fit to send my way lately (if they want me to be frustrated with them, they're doing it right...) and amusing myself with the porn battle prompts for this round that I have eyed today. There's been some awesome stuff posted already. :D *goes eyeing prompts*
2. And since this weekend I stayed holed up to finish an exchange fic that ended up being 28k and I didn't manage to do reaction posts, have some TV blathering under the cuts. SPN, vampire porn, Luck and some Ringer headdesking.
a) Ringer 1x10/11(getting the crappy stuff out of the way first): okay, this isn't gonna need spoiler cuts because I can't even take it seriously enough, but I can't wait for Misha to do that episode so I can quit watching it. The last two episodes were... the epitome of abysmal. I mean, my most basic reaction is is everyone in this show completely dumb?, and the fact that the only person who showed some smarts lately is the bff's husband says all. Also I can't possibly be the only one who's totally squicked out by the fact that Bridget is SLEEPING with her sister's husband WHEN HE THINKS SHE'S ANOTHER PERSON, right? Idk the few reactions I read don't mention it at all and I guess I'm supposed to root for them, but what the - seriously? Not to mention that if I cared about this I'd have a million issues with how they're dealing with the Juliet-and-her-teacher storyline, but this show's point has never been being sensible I guess. Sigh. the only good thing about this still remain Nestor Carbonell's eyelashes.
b) Luck: no spoiler cuts since this is just general impression, but is anyone else watching this? Horse races/betting isn't really my thing but since a) it's David Milch's idea, b) Dustin Hoffmann is in it c) Michael Mann directed the pilot I figured I'd give it a try. I thought it was pretty good even if it's not at the awesome level that Deadwood was (at least at the pilot level) and in the only episode I watched it was all about characters, but the second looked more fast-paced and the acting is actually excellent, so I guess I'll stick around and give it a chance. Heck, I still haven't quit Ringer and that one is just bad, this one actually has good premises...
c) SPN 7x13 Okay so, the best thing about this was Dean having sex with Aunt Jenna who somehow came back from the dead and who also was pretty in charge... ;) nah seriously apart from the OMG INVOLUNTARY CROSSOVER BE RIGHT BACK LAUGHING factor and apart from FINALLY DEAN IS TAKING HIS SHIRT OFF FACTOR it was a lot better than I had thought by reading the synopsis. (Seriously, CW, hire someone else because your summaries are crap.) Random observations:
+ So apparently Bobby stuck around? Even if they salted and burned the body? This is going to end bad, I know, but... the idea that Bobby went as far as becoming a ghost just to keep an eye on those two idiots makes me want to shed the odd tear.
+ Dean needs to find an AA place now. Really. At least Sam is driving the car.
+ Sam was rightfully pissed also - even if in Dean's half-defense, the kid still hadn't killed anyone. Still, this isn't Dean's year - first everyone he gives a shit about except Sam dies and then that? And that said I'm glad the amazons made it - I wasn't looking forward to another bloodbath formed of mostly women. *cough* Even if these ones were totally creepy, ew.
+ Dean didn't deny that Cas dying fucked him up. Thanks Sam for pointing that out. (yes, I'm not quitting with the Cas thing until he's back - deal with it.)
+ The Sam/Dean interaction was very good tho. And the pacing was as well, and the subject was dealt a lot better than I thought so this one passes the exam. Now if only next week's didn't have the worst title they could have come up with...
+ That said, thanks PTB for giving us some shirtless Dean. Really.
+ ... who had sex with Aunt Jenna. PPFFFF. Someone just write VD/SPN crossovers where Dean hooks up with the REAL Aunt Jenna plz, that woman would have appreciated a lot methinks. ;)
d) Vampire porn 3x13 ... I give up, this is the show I'm enjoying most right now. Shoot me. When you think 'why couldn't show X just do like the vampire porn' there might be a problem, but.
+ ELIJAH! :DDDD HE'S BACK! AND HE'S NOT AN IDIOT! AND HE TEAMED UP WITH DAMON!
+ people. ORIGINALS. AND ELOISE FROM LOST KLAUS'S MOM WAS IN THE COFFIN. AND NOW THEY'RE ALL TOGETHER AGAIN OMGGGG. Can I just hope the mom takes charge? Bc if she can keep Klaus under a leash I'm all for it and the others, lolol. Elijah stay forever. And Rebekah stay forever around to bitchslap your brother. Also the other two guys in the coffins looked plenty nice to look at.
+ Dear show, can you stop killing Alaric and give me a heart attacks, not to mention to give Elena stuff to talk about when she finally talks to a shrink? Seriously that part killed me. Someone just tell Damon to stick around to give Ric his blood or whatever, REALLY. Also who the fuck is behind this entire thing? Ah well, if I know them we'll learn next week and not in the finale...
+ Stefan is still in love with Elena. HI, SHIP, STAY VALIDATED.
+ Bonnie & her mom are awesome.
+ .... Caroline's dad dying was a bummer, but I couldn't see THAT guy becoming a vampire anytime soon. And oh god Caroline STOP MAKING ME WANT TO CRY.
+ Am I wrong or Matt and Elena are.. mmh, well, rekindling old flames? Not that since it's Klaus's plan it'd bring anything good, but honestly Matt would be the safest choice atm...
+ And that said, Damon Salvatore please stay awesome forever. His faces during the dinner party. AND WHEN HE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH STEFAN. Ugh Damon/Stefan you have a relationship that is a thing of very twisted beauty.
+ In conclusion, this show isn't disappointing me anytime soon. Thank you, show. Stay awesome forever and just keep on being the lovely vampire porn that you are, thanks, me.
3) Also, in the midst of all the Plato I had to read I managed to finish this non-ASOIAF novel by GRRM which I think deserves a bit of a rec if only because it's.. well, an interesting read at least. Or well, I bought it mostly because when you tell me that it's a novel about a former rock journalist turned writer who lives wondering where his generation went wrong in the seventies and ends up investigating a murder that is related to some cursed rock band named NAZGUL and which could be the trigger for the apocalypse... well, color me intrigued.
Aaand... it was actually good. I mean, from the plot it could have been either a total wreck or it might WORK in spite of it, and it did. The plot was actually really well done, the pacing was excellent and it had characters that really popped off the page, not to mention that most of my favorite groups/songs/albums ended up being mentioned in conversations all the goddamn time. And I'll give it to GRRM - he's good. The Nazgul were obviously fictional, but from the way he incorporated them in the story I was almost tempted to google them to see if I could buy their record. I mean, when he went describing concerts/songs/music that didn't exist you really got into it. And the whole supernatural/apocalyptic element isn't... well, overdone. You have to buy it, obviously, but if you do the entire thing is actually pretty damn awesome.
The best part of it though is.. well, while the protagonist is around searching for info about the murder triggering the whole thing he ends up visiting all his college friends, who all were thinking they could change the world along with him in the sixties and ended up doing entirely different things in the seventies, and there's a bunch of reflecting about 60s/70s counterculture, and what rock music meant for it, and all the reasons why and how that generation failed at what they thought they could do which was so very well done and it was seriously moving at most times. And while said friends do fill your usual cliches for the genre (like, there's the guy who used to be into politics, one who ran to Canada instead of going to Vietnam, one that becomes a college professor that no one hires for long, the one who ended up in a hippie commune etc etc.) they're all so very intriguing and well-written. Tldr, GRRM totally surprised me positively.
Also, for the ASOIAF people who might have a laugh out of it: I can't help thinking that when he started doing ASOIAF he remembered this one, since the protagonist is named Sander (at least half of his face isn't burned) but personality-wise he's kind of like ASOS Jaime (or well I think that if Jaime was a burned-out rock journalist he'd kind of be like him), and his first girlfriend during college is a girl with blonde hair, kind of tall, with a nose that seems broken and plump lips (reminds you of anyone). Also the family of the friend who didn't go to Vietnam is basically the Greyjoys (and the guy's storyline is.. well, he and Theon share a couple of things). I'm half-sure that if I thought harder about everyone else I'd have probably recognized some other similarities but after the last one I tried not to think too much about it. Anyway, I totally had a crack out of it.
4. Also, I managed to see J. Edgar obviously months after the rest of the world saw it and apart from some questionable choices in make-up department... Clint Eastwood, just never stop making movies okay. Clearly it got Oscar-snubbed too (seriously, poor Leo deserved a nomination at least), but whatever, I loved it. ♥
5. Random music rec for Bob Dylan fans (and well, look at the list and see if there's someone you like): Amnesty International has produced this OMG SO MANY SONGS compilation thing named Chimes of Freedom where.. well, a bunch of people cover Bob Dylan songs and that you can buy on their site for a total convenient price (20 dollars for all 78 songs, 25 dollars for the cd or you can buy individual mp3s). Apart from being for a good cause.. well, while there's something in there that is questionable at best (I still don't know how I feel aboutMiley Cyrus or about Kesha covering Don't Think Twice, It's All Right...) there are some damn awesome covers (IE: Patti Smith doing Drifter's Escape, Gaslight Anthem doing Changing of the Guards, Mark Knopfler doing Restless Farewell, Flogging Molly doing The Times, They're a Changin' & Pete Seeger doing Forever Young, and there are also the likes of Jackson Browne, Nils Lofgren AND Paul Rodgers [which sent me into heaven], Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson and Steve Earle; also I think there are a couple new groups I want to check out just based on how they did Hattie Carroll) and it really is a bargain, so I figured I'd leave the link here. Also all the money goes for a good cause, so..
6. Okay, I'll now go deleting all the spam comments that LJ has seen fit to send my way lately (if they want me to be frustrated with them, they're doing it right...) and amusing myself with the porn battle prompts for this round that I have eyed today. There's been some awesome stuff posted already. :D *goes eyeing prompts*