What I Watched: (Week of January 4th-January 10th)
This is just a little something I thought I would try. I'm not sure if I'll do it this way every week - or even if I'll do it every week. However, it is something I'll try and keep up. I'm going to be very busy for the next four months, but I'm going to try and use this place more.
A little warning: I tried not to put spoilers in my thoughts on the shows/episodes, but there may be some. If you are scared, please skip the show.
January 4th: (Sunday)
The Musketeers - The second season/series premier started fast and furious. Character death (no he didn’t regenerate), a birth of a prince (who may or may not actually be a prince), and a few new characters to stir the pot.
Constance moved to the palace, thanks to Queen Anne. I want Constance and D'Artagnan back together. However, I get her point: she cannot divorce her husband, because she would be D’Artagnan’s whore and their children bastards. If anything happened to him before her husband died (and she and D’Artagnan were legally wed) she would have no family or friends to turn to. Nor would she have any way to earn a living. Grow up, D’Artagnan. Aramis brooded about Queen Anne and the baby. (Also about all the women he loves dying.) I have a feeling this year will see a lot of Aramis angst. Meanwhile, King Louis is over the moon about the birth of his son. He’s also being loving/husbandly toward Queen Anne. (Though, that started in 1x09. Honestly, I kind of think he sees her as a mother-figure. I wouldn’t say he is in love with her, but I think he loves and needs her.) This should be interesting, because new guy Comte de Rochefort, is Queen Anne’s old tutor - and he seems pretty eager to become a new favorite at court and drive a gap between the royals. Also, Captain Treville is hiding a secret from Porthos. Oh, and Athos was sassy.
Galavant - The first two episodes of this “limited” series. It’s really such a fun series with lots of catchy songs. I am loving the cast; especially Timothy Omundson as King Richard and Joshua Sasse as Galavant.
Something I’m really enjoying is that it takes all the fairy tale clichés and sort of turns them on their head. Yes, Madalena is kidnapped by King Richard - but she rebuffs Galavant’s attempted rescue. Because she wants the money and the fame of being a queen. And, as it turns out - she’s not the pure flower that Galavant thinks she is. She’s more of the villain than a hero. But, she’s fun. I also really like Galavant’s right hand man, Sid. Princess Isabella is also great; she’s working for King Richard in order to save her parents and kingdom. She’s bringing Galavant to her kingdom, because he thinks he’s going to save Madalena. Should be fun to see all of that play out. I also enjoyed the cameo of John Stamos as Sir Jean Hamm - so weird and yet so fun. Much like this show.
The Librarians - This was episode six, though it was filmed to be episode four. So, all the character and relationship development was way off.
A town becomes full of fairy tales and the Lits and their Guardian turn into fairy tale archetypes. It was a fun episode, but due to airing out of order everything felt off and weird.
January 5th: (Monday)
Gotham - Back from the mid-season break to find Jim Gordon working at Arkham Asylum as a guard. It was a bit of a set up episode, introducing a few new characters and some new mysteries. Some things were solved within the hour, while others will most likely play out for the rest of the season.
Jim meets and befriends Dr. Leslie Thompkins at Arkham. I don’t care if it is not canon to the comics - I’m shipping it like FedEx. The Arkham Asylum mystery was a bit predictable. However, it introduced Leslie; also new versions of Batman villains The Electrocutioner and Amygdala. The mob story continues, though I confess to not being terribly interested in it. Fish is a character I like okay, and I also enjoy Butch and what they are doing with Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot. But, I feel like a lot of it won’t matter in two or three seasons. Also, I have to say it - I hate what they are doing to both Barbara and Renee. I hated how they had Renee be very clingy and almost stalkery toward Barbara during the first half of the season. But, I’m very happy Renee saw how toxic it all was and left. Meanwhile, Barbara is just a hot mess of a character and has been since the start.
January 6st: (Tuesday)
Agent Carter - A two episode premier. Yes! It is a nine episode “limited” series that follows Peggy Carter after World War 2. It will focus on how she helped form S.H.I.E.L.D. and maybe give back story to certain item and events that have happened/will happen in the Marvel films and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series.
I have to say that I really love Peggy and Jarvis and Howard Stark and all the others. Just a really interesting cast of characters. I’m just so happy that they are focusing on Peggy as a person, rather than a “super hero”. I think they’ll more or less do that with everyone: these are people, not superheroes. And they are trying to do what is best for the world they live in. Even if it may not always be right or even if it leads to things that aren’t so great. It’s fun and witty and a little cheeky and I’m just really enjoying it.
January 7th: (Wednesday)
Pride and Prejudice - A Korean law/human drama that is nearing its run. It’s a twenty episode drama. Tonight I watched episodes eighteen and nineteen.
I don’t usually go in for law dramas, but I’m so glad I gave this one a shot. I adore the main leads. I love trying to figure out the mystery. It’s just a really solid drama all around, and I’m so excited/nervous to see how it ends.
January 8th: (Thursday)
Birth of a Beauty - Another Korean drama that is nearing its run. It was scheduled for twenty episodes, will apparently get twenty-one. I watched episodes eighteen and nineteen.
What started as a really fun, witty, dramatic revenge and new love story has become a bit of a melodrama. At least for the last three episodes. Second female lead is a horrible person. Heroine is playing the “noble idiot” card. Hero still thinks manipulative second female lead is an okay person - even though he knows she witnessed heroine’s “death” and did nothing; oh, and she had an affair with heroine’s husband in order to get his money, which is actually heroine’s. But, you know . . . whatever. People are dumb when it comes to their childhood loves. People are just dumb when it comes to love, see Heroine.
January 9th: (Friday)
The Musketeers - Episode two of season/series two. After episode one’s set up, it’s time to bring the drama; sort of. Characters return and other characters hatch plots.
I had thought King Louis had matured after the death of his favorite and the birth of his son. But, nope. He’s still rather dense and easily manipulated. He believes Milady is an “angel” who saved him from the goodness of her heart. Ha! They even kissed! I smell an affair coming; which will just be really bad for everyone. I’m in love with the Queen Anne and Constance friendship. Yay to ladies being there for ladies. Rochefort continues to plot and be snarky/rude to nearly everyone but Queen Anne. He also takes people out for King Louis. Man is really playing the long con. I kind of think he might actually have feelings for Queen Anne? That could get interesting. Especially with Aramis brooding and getting cozy with the prince’s nanny - all in order to see the baby he believes his is. Next week looks even better, so I cannot wait.
January 10th: (Saturday)
Read:
Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow - It’s an alternative universe retelling of Snow White.
While the atmosphere was dark and eerie, the actual world building was awful. You can’t just throw a bunch of terms at me and call it world building. You can’t just say: People have Potential and sometimes it makes them go Twisted or they become a jack and expect me to know what they hell you are on about. Nico and some of the minor characters (really just Ellie) were interesting, and I would have liked to have known more about them. Cami - our Snow White - was a rather passive and even dull main character. I liked Nico and Cami’s early interactions, but overall their relationship was a bit of a letdown. The whole love story/love triangle bit of the novel was a bit blah; it didn’t really feel like it was a major part of the story, at least not the way it should have been.
Overall, it was a book I wouldn’t really recommend. I understand it is a trilogy connected by the three friends (Cami aka Snow White, Ellie aka Cinderella, and Ruby aka Little Red Riding Hood). I may read the other two novels, because I do like Ellie and would like to know more about Ruby. However, I’m in no rush to get to the other two novels.
A little warning: I tried not to put spoilers in my thoughts on the shows/episodes, but there may be some. If you are scared, please skip the show.
January 4th: (Sunday)
The Musketeers - The second season/series premier started fast and furious. Character death (no he didn’t regenerate), a birth of a prince (who may or may not actually be a prince), and a few new characters to stir the pot.
Constance moved to the palace, thanks to Queen Anne. I want Constance and D'Artagnan back together. However, I get her point: she cannot divorce her husband, because she would be D’Artagnan’s whore and their children bastards. If anything happened to him before her husband died (and she and D’Artagnan were legally wed) she would have no family or friends to turn to. Nor would she have any way to earn a living. Grow up, D’Artagnan. Aramis brooded about Queen Anne and the baby. (Also about all the women he loves dying.) I have a feeling this year will see a lot of Aramis angst. Meanwhile, King Louis is over the moon about the birth of his son. He’s also being loving/husbandly toward Queen Anne. (Though, that started in 1x09. Honestly, I kind of think he sees her as a mother-figure. I wouldn’t say he is in love with her, but I think he loves and needs her.) This should be interesting, because new guy Comte de Rochefort, is Queen Anne’s old tutor - and he seems pretty eager to become a new favorite at court and drive a gap between the royals. Also, Captain Treville is hiding a secret from Porthos. Oh, and Athos was sassy.
Galavant - The first two episodes of this “limited” series. It’s really such a fun series with lots of catchy songs. I am loving the cast; especially Timothy Omundson as King Richard and Joshua Sasse as Galavant.
Something I’m really enjoying is that it takes all the fairy tale clichés and sort of turns them on their head. Yes, Madalena is kidnapped by King Richard - but she rebuffs Galavant’s attempted rescue. Because she wants the money and the fame of being a queen. And, as it turns out - she’s not the pure flower that Galavant thinks she is. She’s more of the villain than a hero. But, she’s fun. I also really like Galavant’s right hand man, Sid. Princess Isabella is also great; she’s working for King Richard in order to save her parents and kingdom. She’s bringing Galavant to her kingdom, because he thinks he’s going to save Madalena. Should be fun to see all of that play out. I also enjoyed the cameo of John Stamos as Sir Jean Hamm - so weird and yet so fun. Much like this show.
The Librarians - This was episode six, though it was filmed to be episode four. So, all the character and relationship development was way off.
A town becomes full of fairy tales and the Lits and their Guardian turn into fairy tale archetypes. It was a fun episode, but due to airing out of order everything felt off and weird.
January 5th: (Monday)
Gotham - Back from the mid-season break to find Jim Gordon working at Arkham Asylum as a guard. It was a bit of a set up episode, introducing a few new characters and some new mysteries. Some things were solved within the hour, while others will most likely play out for the rest of the season.
Jim meets and befriends Dr. Leslie Thompkins at Arkham. I don’t care if it is not canon to the comics - I’m shipping it like FedEx. The Arkham Asylum mystery was a bit predictable. However, it introduced Leslie; also new versions of Batman villains The Electrocutioner and Amygdala. The mob story continues, though I confess to not being terribly interested in it. Fish is a character I like okay, and I also enjoy Butch and what they are doing with Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot. But, I feel like a lot of it won’t matter in two or three seasons. Also, I have to say it - I hate what they are doing to both Barbara and Renee. I hated how they had Renee be very clingy and almost stalkery toward Barbara during the first half of the season. But, I’m very happy Renee saw how toxic it all was and left. Meanwhile, Barbara is just a hot mess of a character and has been since the start.
January 6st: (Tuesday)
Agent Carter - A two episode premier. Yes! It is a nine episode “limited” series that follows Peggy Carter after World War 2. It will focus on how she helped form S.H.I.E.L.D. and maybe give back story to certain item and events that have happened/will happen in the Marvel films and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series.
I have to say that I really love Peggy and Jarvis and Howard Stark and all the others. Just a really interesting cast of characters. I’m just so happy that they are focusing on Peggy as a person, rather than a “super hero”. I think they’ll more or less do that with everyone: these are people, not superheroes. And they are trying to do what is best for the world they live in. Even if it may not always be right or even if it leads to things that aren’t so great. It’s fun and witty and a little cheeky and I’m just really enjoying it.
January 7th: (Wednesday)
Pride and Prejudice - A Korean law/human drama that is nearing its run. It’s a twenty episode drama. Tonight I watched episodes eighteen and nineteen.
I don’t usually go in for law dramas, but I’m so glad I gave this one a shot. I adore the main leads. I love trying to figure out the mystery. It’s just a really solid drama all around, and I’m so excited/nervous to see how it ends.
January 8th: (Thursday)
Birth of a Beauty - Another Korean drama that is nearing its run. It was scheduled for twenty episodes, will apparently get twenty-one. I watched episodes eighteen and nineteen.
What started as a really fun, witty, dramatic revenge and new love story has become a bit of a melodrama. At least for the last three episodes. Second female lead is a horrible person. Heroine is playing the “noble idiot” card. Hero still thinks manipulative second female lead is an okay person - even though he knows she witnessed heroine’s “death” and did nothing; oh, and she had an affair with heroine’s husband in order to get his money, which is actually heroine’s. But, you know . . . whatever. People are dumb when it comes to their childhood loves. People are just dumb when it comes to love, see Heroine.
January 9th: (Friday)
The Musketeers - Episode two of season/series two. After episode one’s set up, it’s time to bring the drama; sort of. Characters return and other characters hatch plots.
I had thought King Louis had matured after the death of his favorite and the birth of his son. But, nope. He’s still rather dense and easily manipulated. He believes Milady is an “angel” who saved him from the goodness of her heart. Ha! They even kissed! I smell an affair coming; which will just be really bad for everyone. I’m in love with the Queen Anne and Constance friendship. Yay to ladies being there for ladies. Rochefort continues to plot and be snarky/rude to nearly everyone but Queen Anne. He also takes people out for King Louis. Man is really playing the long con. I kind of think he might actually have feelings for Queen Anne? That could get interesting. Especially with Aramis brooding and getting cozy with the prince’s nanny - all in order to see the baby he believes his is. Next week looks even better, so I cannot wait.
January 10th: (Saturday)
Read:
Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow - It’s an alternative universe retelling of Snow White.
While the atmosphere was dark and eerie, the actual world building was awful. You can’t just throw a bunch of terms at me and call it world building. You can’t just say: People have Potential and sometimes it makes them go Twisted or they become a jack and expect me to know what they hell you are on about. Nico and some of the minor characters (really just Ellie) were interesting, and I would have liked to have known more about them. Cami - our Snow White - was a rather passive and even dull main character. I liked Nico and Cami’s early interactions, but overall their relationship was a bit of a letdown. The whole love story/love triangle bit of the novel was a bit blah; it didn’t really feel like it was a major part of the story, at least not the way it should have been.
Overall, it was a book I wouldn’t really recommend. I understand it is a trilogy connected by the three friends (Cami aka Snow White, Ellie aka Cinderella, and Ruby aka Little Red Riding Hood). I may read the other two novels, because I do like Ellie and would like to know more about Ruby. However, I’m in no rush to get to the other two novels.