Revenge
Grumble. Just found myself typing AND THE )^)&^*(*(&(&&&^# DRILLS WON'T STOP SO THE DRAGON ATE THEM AND SQUASHED THEM! in a story that has absolutely nothing to do with dragons or drills, which I am taking as just one of many signs that this is not going to be the best of days for creative activity. So, let's chat about a television show instead.
Though before I start, two quick notes: James Owen is offering his book Drawing Out the Dragons for free for another few hours, and Jim Hines is starting up an Ask a Goblin advice column.
#
And now, blogging, where I admit, fully and publicly, that yes, I may just be a tiny bit addicted to Revenge.
Yes, I'm kinda ashamed.
If you've missed Revenge, it's the revenge drama from ABC that merrily shows the ultra wealthy and some people hanging out in considerably less wealthy bars happily murdering, betraying, lying and revenging one another in the Hamptons with some fabulous houses. Also, clothes. Even correctly assuming that these are the sorts of people who use spare bedrooms for closets I have no idea where they're keeping their outfits (the two lead women go through approximately 50 new designer outfits per episode, cause, you know, great spaghetti monster forbid anyone in the Hamptons see you in the same clothes twice per day, and, plus, who wants to wear the same dress to commit arson AND have high tea. So it's understandable.) Also very cute and improbably young looking dog. And not one but TWO complex bisexual characters, one of whom tells Star Wars jokes. Also, a cheerful writing decision to ignore practical things like, say, tides. On a show set on the beach. I AM HOOKED.
The show did slow down a bit in the middle of its first half season - I guess they figured they could only toss so many cast members off buildings - but came back with a roar a couple of episodes ago and especially last night.
Speaking of last night's episode:
1. Ok, like others, I figured the body on the beach would be Tyler, given the show's unexpected popularity and thus its resistance to killing off a lead character in its love quadrangle, but I was hoping against hope that it would do the brave thing and kill off Daniel. Alas, no such thing. However, having Daniel find out that Emanda [to use Television Without Pity's way to distinguish Amanda and Emily] might just be lying to him, and having Daniel covered with blood, and dragging back the Japanese sensei to kidnap Amily and take her away, worked well, and at least Tyler is now off my screen. (Hated the character, not to mention the itchy feeling I got when his mental illness was mentioned, which was like, oh, noes, let's be scared of the mentally ill guy and question his morals and not, say, the various people financing terrorists, committing arson and kidnapping, and murdering people by hitting them on the back of the head. Given that this show has exactly one more or less moral character who is now happily beginning a drug addiction (sniffle) I felt this was a Bit Much.
2. Seriously, Jack, you bring your dog over for Emanda to take care of, but you don't bring his little doggie food bowl or any doggie food? I realize Emanda is ultra rich and can afford some Puppy Chow but seriously. While I'm at it, Jack, you're disappointing those Haitian kids AGAIN just so you can drag bodies up and down a beach? WORK ON YOUR PRIORITIES, JACK.
(On a related note, what is it with men on ABC dramas named Jack?)
3. As if I couldn't love Nolan more for all the snarkiness, not only does he say screw this dress code, but he tells Emanda to run off to Haiti with Jack. Which is awesome not only for pointing out just how much Emanda needs to work on her priorities, but also, awesome way to punish Emanda for everything she's done, by forcing her to spend time with Jack. Yay!
(And on a related note, if I'm shipping anyone on this show, it's Nolan and Emanda - Daniel is only in love with a persona, and I'm just not feeling an Eternal and Meaningful Love between Jack and Emanda, despite the show's attempts to give me that feeling, but Nolan seems to genuinely care for her, get her, and get her best interests. I greatly doubt this - or any happy romantic ending for Emanda - is going to be happening any time soon, but that's what I'm rooting for.)
4. Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. If Emanda flies off to Paris, who will take care of that poor dog? Your mother? Your drug-addicted sister? Clearly not Declan. And here I thought you were almost one of the more moral people on this show. Not that that's a high bar or anything.
5. Does the Hamptons not have tides or beach erosion? Admittedly I have to admit that given my involvement with trying to keep things buried on a beach (things=sea turtle eggs) my main thought is that burying anything there is pointless and that's before we're worrying about the small matter that the police are about to comb the beach For Clues. Although, again - tides, beach erosion. Exactly how many clues do people expect to find?
6. This is irrelevant but the actress playing Emanda has great legs and probably should be strapping guns to her leg more often. Just for, um, dramatic purposes.
7. This is more for previous episodes, but man, when Emanda burned down that writer's house, I got a horrible chill. Not that he didn't deserve it, but as a writer, I went OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, freaked out, and then proceeded to back up everything on my external drive again and send completed stuff to an email account I've set up for this sort of thing so that if a fire breaks out I'm mostly safe.
8. Loved the way they revealed to Amily that even though Emanda has been playing her and lying to her the entire time, she also was trying to protect Amily from a murder rap. A murder done to protect Emanda, admittedly, but still.
Though before I start, two quick notes: James Owen is offering his book Drawing Out the Dragons for free for another few hours, and Jim Hines is starting up an Ask a Goblin advice column.
#
And now, blogging, where I admit, fully and publicly, that yes, I may just be a tiny bit addicted to Revenge.
Yes, I'm kinda ashamed.
If you've missed Revenge, it's the revenge drama from ABC that merrily shows the ultra wealthy and some people hanging out in considerably less wealthy bars happily murdering, betraying, lying and revenging one another in the Hamptons with some fabulous houses. Also, clothes. Even correctly assuming that these are the sorts of people who use spare bedrooms for closets I have no idea where they're keeping their outfits (the two lead women go through approximately 50 new designer outfits per episode, cause, you know, great spaghetti monster forbid anyone in the Hamptons see you in the same clothes twice per day, and, plus, who wants to wear the same dress to commit arson AND have high tea. So it's understandable.) Also very cute and improbably young looking dog. And not one but TWO complex bisexual characters, one of whom tells Star Wars jokes. Also, a cheerful writing decision to ignore practical things like, say, tides. On a show set on the beach. I AM HOOKED.
The show did slow down a bit in the middle of its first half season - I guess they figured they could only toss so many cast members off buildings - but came back with a roar a couple of episodes ago and especially last night.
Speaking of last night's episode:
1. Ok, like others, I figured the body on the beach would be Tyler, given the show's unexpected popularity and thus its resistance to killing off a lead character in its love quadrangle, but I was hoping against hope that it would do the brave thing and kill off Daniel. Alas, no such thing. However, having Daniel find out that Emanda [to use Television Without Pity's way to distinguish Amanda and Emily] might just be lying to him, and having Daniel covered with blood, and dragging back the Japanese sensei to kidnap Amily and take her away, worked well, and at least Tyler is now off my screen. (Hated the character, not to mention the itchy feeling I got when his mental illness was mentioned, which was like, oh, noes, let's be scared of the mentally ill guy and question his morals and not, say, the various people financing terrorists, committing arson and kidnapping, and murdering people by hitting them on the back of the head. Given that this show has exactly one more or less moral character who is now happily beginning a drug addiction (sniffle) I felt this was a Bit Much.
2. Seriously, Jack, you bring your dog over for Emanda to take care of, but you don't bring his little doggie food bowl or any doggie food? I realize Emanda is ultra rich and can afford some Puppy Chow but seriously. While I'm at it, Jack, you're disappointing those Haitian kids AGAIN just so you can drag bodies up and down a beach? WORK ON YOUR PRIORITIES, JACK.
(On a related note, what is it with men on ABC dramas named Jack?)
3. As if I couldn't love Nolan more for all the snarkiness, not only does he say screw this dress code, but he tells Emanda to run off to Haiti with Jack. Which is awesome not only for pointing out just how much Emanda needs to work on her priorities, but also, awesome way to punish Emanda for everything she's done, by forcing her to spend time with Jack. Yay!
(And on a related note, if I'm shipping anyone on this show, it's Nolan and Emanda - Daniel is only in love with a persona, and I'm just not feeling an Eternal and Meaningful Love between Jack and Emanda, despite the show's attempts to give me that feeling, but Nolan seems to genuinely care for her, get her, and get her best interests. I greatly doubt this - or any happy romantic ending for Emanda - is going to be happening any time soon, but that's what I'm rooting for.)
4. Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. If Emanda flies off to Paris, who will take care of that poor dog? Your mother? Your drug-addicted sister? Clearly not Declan. And here I thought you were almost one of the more moral people on this show. Not that that's a high bar or anything.
5. Does the Hamptons not have tides or beach erosion? Admittedly I have to admit that given my involvement with trying to keep things buried on a beach (things=sea turtle eggs) my main thought is that burying anything there is pointless and that's before we're worrying about the small matter that the police are about to comb the beach For Clues. Although, again - tides, beach erosion. Exactly how many clues do people expect to find?
6. This is irrelevant but the actress playing Emanda has great legs and probably should be strapping guns to her leg more often. Just for, um, dramatic purposes.
7. This is more for previous episodes, but man, when Emanda burned down that writer's house, I got a horrible chill. Not that he didn't deserve it, but as a writer, I went OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, freaked out, and then proceeded to back up everything on my external drive again and send completed stuff to an email account I've set up for this sort of thing so that if a fire breaks out I'm mostly safe.
8. Loved the way they revealed to Amily that even though Emanda has been playing her and lying to her the entire time, she also was trying to protect Amily from a murder rap. A murder done to protect Emanda, admittedly, but still.