Saturday, May 12, 2012

Fringe: Season 4 Episode 22 - Brave New World Part 2


Welcome, Fringe Fandom, to the final recap of the season!  We were treated to quite an awesome hour of television.  One that the producers thought could have sufficed as a series finale if it had to be.  Now having seen it, I can see what they mean.  But, obviously, there were plenty of loose ends from episode 19 as well as a few tidbits in this one to have us salivating for the next step!  But, they went all out in this one and it was AWESOME!   I'm going to share a few links here that contain interviews with the producers on where things may be going.  I may be referring to them in my commentary below.  Basically, it sounds like they are very excited to bring us a 13 episode "no filler" season that brings great conclusion to their 5 year story.  I figured as much, but it's great to hear it from them.  Here are the links:
TV GUIDE
TV LINE
Give Me My Remote

Okay, homework done?  The show definitely ended on a quieter, happier note this season than the last 3 (of course it didn't seem so at one point!).  But, it is just the calm before the coming storm.   We were treated to a preview of that storm in episode 19.  And we'll speculate at the end on how we think season 5 will be laid out.  But for now, we need to bring this season to a close!  Let's do it!  Oh right, and of course the episode earned a well deserved "WOW!!!"

Fringe Case of the Week
It was revealed in last week's first part of the finale that William Bell is behind the season-long arc of collapsing both universes and starting anew.  In this rebooted timeline, he remains alive and David Robert Jones was working for him.  The 2.0 Shifters, the creatures from the Fringe Lagoon, the universe meddling were all Mr. Bell's doing.  Astrid was shot by Bell's men, Walter was face to face with his old Frenemy, Olivia and Peter were debating starting a family with their crazy jobs.  Olivia also has conjured up some crazy freaky cortexiphanic abilities.  She was turning off power and disengaging nanites, and of course she took over Peter's body and beat the crap out of David Robert Jones before he fried from nanite exposure.  We continue soon after. 

Of course, our first vision in the episode looks like the battle was already lost and we are at the dawn of a new creation.  William Bell and Walter observe a beautiful new world populated by some ridiculously crazy creatures.  The vibe from the whole thing was very Star Trek 2 - Wrath of Kahn with the Genesis Device.  And also a little bit of Star Trek - The Next Generation since it turns out they were in a holographic chamber (surprised Tupac wasn't there too.  Is that joke getting old yet?).  Bell thinks there is some kind of cosmic fate that brought Walter and Bell together to witness this creation they had discussed all those years ago.  Bell visions himself AS God as he has cracked the code on creating his own universe. 




Of course, what we ultimately find out is that it was actually Walter's idea that planted the seed to begin with.  We learned exactly how powerful Walter had become before the removal of certain pieces of his brain.  In this version of time, Walter was devastated at the loss of 2 Peters.  He couldn't imagine how God could be so cruel and cause so much suffering. Walter wanted to create a universe that operated by his own rule.  But Walter feared these ideas and asked for the pieces of his brain to be removed.  I would like to imagine that these ideas were in Walter's head in the original timeline as well just so there is no confusion!   Anyway, Bell developed cancer and started taking cortexiphan injections to slow down the process.  It wouldn't slow it down forever though.  And he wanted to live just long enough to see his vision through to completion.  


Meanwhile, Peter and Olivia return to the lab and find no Walter and no Astrid.  They discuss briefly Olivia's "Jedi Mind Trick" and Peter expresses his concern for her.  They don't have time to talk long (but do find the opportunity to make some coffee yet again, as we know FRINGE loves talking about coffee!).  Jessica (Rebecca Mader again), calls Olivia and tells her that she thinks she's being followed.   We see a shot of September stuck on top of some crazy technology we've never seen.  





Peter and Olivia arrive to Jessica's house to find her purse with all her belongings and an octagonal shape missing from the floor where September stood.  They get a call from Broyles and find out that Astrid has been shot.  Of course, knowing the future already, we figured Astrid would be okay and she was.  But she was able to get Olivia and Peter up to speed on Walter's whereabouts. 



Peter and Olivia head to the dock and we see September trapped on top of a wooden octagon.  He admits he's not there by his own admission.  And guess what?  Jessica is working for William Bell!  It was all a setup!  She has Peter, Olivia and September at gunpoint.  Jessica seems to have a lot of knowledge of how the observers work.  She speaks of how him catching her bullets seems to be magic but it's really just advanced tech.  He operates on hypertenuated (good luck spelling that one!) time.  She pulled out one of William Bell's gun inventions, and shoots September in the chest.   Everyone wondering how September got shot all those episodes ago?  We have our answer.  






Jessica tried to shoot Olivia too but Olivia stopped the bullets with her ability and sent them right back into Jessica. WHAAAT!!?!  That was pretty crazy.   September was very surprised that Jessica knew of the technology to shoot him, to hold him captive.  My first thought was that she was from the future, and maybe she is.   But maybe Bell and his people know something about the Observer invasion?  No idea.  


Everything that Olivia brought up to September about the opera house and that she's going to die, September had no knowledge of any of it.  It hadn't happened yet for him.  He said he needed to go to the future and figure out what he missed and hopes he can return to them in time.   At first, I thought this might be the first time September ever meets Peter and Olivia and then it sets the wheels in motion for the whole show, but I don't think that's the case.  

Of course, Peter acting just like his father wants to interrogate deceased Jessica's brain for information on William and Walter's whereabouts.  This has to be a callback from a season 1 episode.  Peter knew Massive Dynamic had the technology and Nina said she'd eventually want an explanation for how he knew.  (ahh gotta love Reboot land)    And what happened after was one of the freakiest scenes ever on Fringe, and we've seen some freaky stuff!  The visual effects on the eyes were ridiculous!   Jessica seemed to know she was dead and was scared.  She talks about bicycles and calls for her mommy.  But eventually she talks about how great a man William Bell is.  She starts singing a sailor's song or something.  Peter deciphers that they must be on a boat.  She talks about giving birth to a new world and how he needs an energy source.  And how we're all expendable in the wake of creation.   She speaks of the boat being a NOAH'S ARK of sorts.   Bell collected these new creatures to be the start of the new universe.  


Olivia wants to know what energy source is going to power the universal implosion.  Nina knows that even in this timeline Bell and Bishop knew that Olivia was the perfect candidate for their experimentations.  It was her incredible compassion and capacity for feeling that made her that perfect candidate.  So, what was it that they needed her for?   Why was William Bell unlocking her abilities?  No, the freighter wasn't going to THE ISLAND to get to "THE SOURCE".   OLIVIA is the source!  The electromagnetic energy she was giving off was off the charts, almost like Anakin's midichlorian count.  There was no way to stop her.  Or was there? 


Broyles, Nina, Olivia and Peter are at Fringe division trying to locate the epicenter.  The eye of the storm where William will witness his universe's creation.  They do identify a location 80 miles east of Boston.   Olivia is scared and has a talk with Peter.  She remembers being in the lab in Jaxonville and how nothing has changed.  She is still being used by William Bell.  Peter assures her that she's not alone this time and that is different.   The identify the exact location of the freighter, suit up and get in the choppers. 




Back on the freighter, Walter and William Bell look out the window as the storm arrives.  Bell marvels at its glory.  He tells Walter how remarkable Olivia is and that she is making this happen.   



The choppers arrive but do not see the freighter.  Peter does though as his frequency is tuned to the OTHER universe.  Nina says that Olivia's cortexiphan levels, due to the injections, are the same as the Olivia's in the ORIGINAL TIMELINE.  (I love that Nina called it the original timeline as if she has accepted that her whole life has been an altered timeline.  Which it has, but it just sounded funny.)  Anyway, the freighter seems to have crossed over to the other universe or the collapse had already started in this area or some other type of sciency mumby jumbo.  In any case, Olivia will have to use her abilities to cross her and Peter to the other side and land safely on the freighter.  They hold hands and take a leap of faith and bam, a nice hard landing on the ship.  






William is quoting Yeates:

"I will arise and go now, for always night and dayI hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,I hear it in the deep heart’s core."

As Walter eyes up a gun to do who knows what with.  Peter and Olivia show up which inspires William to alter his plan a bit.  He thought humans were a flawed creature and didn't plan on having any in his new world.  He and Walter would be there but they would die off.  But now, Peter and Olivia have persevered and they shall be Adam and Eve and repopulate the species.  Oh boy.  This version of Bell is psychotic!  Bell says that shooting him will do no good as Olivia is the "REDEEMER".   He said he would not be the first god to be martyred for creation (never heard it worded quite like that before).









And then, unpredictably, Walter says, "Forgive me" and shoots Olivia in the head killing her on the spot!  The storm instantly vanishes. WHAAAT!?!?!?!  Naturally, we're all wondering what the hell just happened.  And we think surely they didn't kill her off for good.  But, we also think back to episode 19 when Walter talked about what William Bell DID to her and then we have the briefest thought that this might be final.   Peter's reaction to the whole mess was tragic.  (Sidebar: how funny is it that Olivia has been shot in the head in 2 straight finales?  And ironically, both times by a Walter! hmmm wait a sec - nope we'll save it for the next section)



William realizes that his evil scheme has come to an end.  He realizes he has been bested by a very clever Walter Bishop.  "If that's what you consider learning from the past, you paid a steep price. We could have all been so happy together."   William tolls his "Soul Magnet" bell and vanishes much like he did at the end of season 2 when he helped the original timeline Walter, Peter and Fauxlivia return over here.  Plenty to speculate about what that signifies but we have a big problem on our hands right now that needs to be solved!




Um, Olivia is dead!  Peter is too upset to think rationally, but Walter asks when has death ever stopped him before from saving someone?  They needed to act quickly.  The cortexiphan in the brain has regeneration abilities so they just need to get the bullet out.  Walter has to dig a hole on the other side of Olivia's head so that he can push the bullet out.  When the bullet is removed we see that it is the very bullet that Henrietta wore around her neck in 2036.   So, yet again we think maybe she didn't survive. (but she had to to give birth! Duh)  But, as Peter keeps crying and making us think it's over, the wound heals up and Walter (crying) exclaims that it worked.   And we all breathe a sigh of relief (For now).









Broyles has a meeting in Washington with a senator.  The office appears to be the exact office that Senator Broyles worked in the season 3 FUTURE VISION.  We are told that the ark has been cryogenically quarantined.  The committee wants to recognize this secret Fringe division for all the work they have done to keep the world safe.  We find out that Fringe division is being upgraded.  Looks like the whole effort will be more public now as we have seen in several future visions.  Phillip is promoted to General Broyles.  Nice.  This new Fringe division will have a fully funded science division and he offers Nina Sharp the job.  (speaking of which, whatever happened to Meana?  I know she was held captive over there, but we never find out what she was and where she was from!)




At the hospital, Astrid and Olivia are fully recovered.  Walter speculates that Olivia's abilities will have subsided now due to the gunshot.  Peter goes in to see Olivia having found the perfect home for them.  He said that the observer was right. In every version of the future Olivia had to die, but he never wants to lose her again.   Olivia hesitates for a long time (based on the interviews with producers there is a hint here for next season), but we know eventually what she is going to tell Peter.  The doctor did give her other news.  She's pregnant!!  Peter is ecstatic as are Walter and Astrid who are by the door.  And of course, everyone at home holds back the tears of joy!








Maybe if this was a series finale, the show would have ended right there, but I doubt it.  The final scene has Walter whistling "rockabye baby" while making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  September showed up and says, "We have to warn the others.  They are coming."   Walter only responds with, "WHO?"    Oh Walter, we the audience already know!  Season 5 is officially set up!!





CRAZY CRAZY EPISODE FOLKS!  Loved it!  I know, I got into a lot more details above than I usually do.  But, I wanted to save the next section for some quick hits and season 5 speculation.  So let's get to it!

Observ'er'ations
Glyph Code - PURGE - The word has a big meaning in the LOST universe, but it was introduced to us in Fringe terms in episode 19's Observer-invaded future.  The purge, I believe happens in 2015 when the Observers come and take the past for themselves.  Excited for season 5?  I sure am!  Thanks Fringepedia for the screenshot! 


Observer Spotted - September was a key figure in this episode.  Something tells me they won't be as hidden in the final 13 episodes. 

Walterisms
  • On a less funny note, Walter taking control of the post Olivia death situation was insane.  He slapped Peter and said this was no time for emotions.  Peter said she's dead.  "You know very well that hasn't always stopped me!"  
  • To September, "I guess you're not here for a sandwich?"  
  • The Lemon Jello comment was great too but those last 2 are both food related! 

Food of the Week
  • Red licorice!  Astrid brings them to Walter at the end of the episode.  And he thanks her by her actual name.  Awwww. 

  • Of course, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

  • And, not exactly food but a nurse walked by with urine samples and Walter asked if it was Lemon Jello?   (If it was Limoncello, it would have been hard to pass up!)


Mr. X
Believe it or not, I believe the Mr. X situation has been resolved. We must thank commenter Curt Sminkey last week for pointing out a large clue that I missed.  The X on the nanite was the same type of X that was on Mr. X in William Bell's animated mind.  


  • In one of those interviews I posted, the question was brought up to the producers.  Basically, since Olivia saw this in William Bell's mind, she conjured up the vision of what this man looks like and portrayed that vision to anyone who ran into him (i.e. Peter).  The X on the nanite was a clue.  Oh why bother trying to restate this.  Here is the producer quote:

    "Basically, when Walter was going through the Nanites. From that episode when she was in William's head, she said, 'I know that's the man who's going to kill me.' She had a feeling that when she was in William Bell's head, that there was a man and it manifested itself as a character in William Bell's head in the comic that they're experiencing and it had that emblem on it.
    Then, ultimately, in this episode, you saw in the in the Nanites they had the emblem on it. When Walter recognized that that was William Bell's creation by that mark, because that was the mark that William used to mark things with. So really, in a sense, it was William Bell who killed Olivia. You could argue, saying when she came out of William Bell's head, she said, "That's the man who's going to kill me," it was actually William Bell."
  • So, William Bell is the X-Man?  Kinda.  But how about the fact that we have seen Olivia die in 2 timelines now and she was shot in the head by Walter Bishop in both timelines?  Sure, one of them was Walternate.  But, what if that animated X-Man, was a young Walter Bishop?   Probably over thinking this one, but it certainly is interesting.  In any case, I think the whole Mr. X case is essentially closed. 
  • That being said, the producers did warn that this doesn't make Olivia entirely safe now.  Of course, we know that she wasn't in that future vision, so there could be something else that William Bell will do to her besides use her as an electro-magnetic universe destroyer/creator! 
Season 5 Speculation
So, where does everything go?  We pretty much know that season 5 is FRINGIES vs. The Observers.  Most people automatically assume that it's all going to take place in 2036.  I highly doubt that.  The producers do not want to spoil but they say that 2036 is a LARGE part of the season 5 story.  But that could mean that they're trying to prevent it from happening.  But, surely we will revisit it again as we did see an incomplete story as that train headed off out of NYC.  So here are some thoughts of mine on how things will fold out. 
  • The producers are being very coy when answering questions.  One of the interviews asked about how Olivia will deal with being pregnant and tackling Fringe cases.  They really didn't want to answer it as they fear it would spoil things but they said it wouldn't be an issue.  Here's my prediction.  Season 4 ends on a fairly happy note.  A bit disaster has been averted, Olivia and Peter are moving in together and she's pregnant.  Fringe Division got upgraded.   My guess is, when we rejoin our crew, Henrietta will already be born.  We have 13 episodes folks, no time to watch the long pregnancy of Olivia Dunham!  In fact, I have a feeling that time may move pretty aggressively to meet the needs of the story.  The producers mentioned no filler episodes.  That sounds like we are going hardcore mythology in season 5 and not many "Fringe Cases of the Week".   Of course, we know usually their cases service the overall story.  So there could be cases that just advance the plot.   There's a chance that this OBSERVER warning to Walter (final scene of ep) is also happening 9 months or so later.  The clue could be that Walter was whistling "Rockabye Baby".  Sure, he could be just excited that Olivia is pregnant, but he could also be babysitting or who knows what?  You know what?  It could already be 2015 and the Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich is for Henrietta! 
  • My guess is that September's "They are coming" warning is when he will explain who the Observers are.  Walter says in 2036 that September told him all about the future where they've exhausted all of the world's resources so they came back to reclaim the past as their own.   Hmm, I wonder if William Bell is already aware of this future (based on the technology they had, he might be) and that's why he wanted to rid his new world of humans all together.  
  • The producers say that just as important as 2036 is to their story, everything that has happened in seasons 1-4 are important too.  So, I still expect some closure with this whole rebooted timeline scenario.  I love the fact that they're going to tie all this stuff together, at least that's the hope.  But, as we've always said, this is one show where it seems a plausible reality that it could happen.  And of course, this would make a re-watch of the show be pretty awesome.  (and no, this is no slight against LOST.  I still plan to re-watch it and enjoy the hell out of it in the process!) 
  • Will we ever see "OVER THERE" again?  I sure hope so.  The producers say anything is possible on Fringe, so we'll see!  But it would seem that for a majority of the final episodes, we will be following our original cast to the conclusion.  Maybe we'll get some cameos from Lincoln Lee, Fauxlivia, Charlie, Walternate and what not.  But, we're closing up shop just as we started.  
  • William Bell - he certainly will factor in.  And, I'm sure they worked out a deal to get Nimoy to reprise his role one more time (ensuring that he will have been in every season in one way, shape or form!).  The dude just dematerialized.  Where did he go?  I still wonder if Bell had knowledge of the original timeline or not.  I'm sure there will be answers.  Did I mention that the producers said they plan to answer EVERY question?  That's a pretty bold statement!  Statements like that can retrospectively get people in trouble.  So, why can't I help but believe them?  
I could sit here and speculate forever, but I think it would be more fun if we did it together in the comments.  I find it truly amazing that this show became what it has become and that it will have a chance to complete its vision.  I believe the show will live on in infamy as one of the best Sci-Fi shows of all time and an example of how to tell a great story from start to finish.  These statements may be premature, but I feel I'll be saying this exact thing when the series finale rolls credits a year from now or a half year from now (we still don't know when the 13 episodes will premiere.  September or Mid-Season).  I look forward to hearing from everyone.  

Obviously, this is me signing off from blogging duties for the 2011-2012 Television season.  If we're lucky, I may find some motivation to make some commentary on the final season of Breaking Bad.  But, I usually like to take summers off.  So, until I'm inspired to post something else, feel free to use this Fringe blog's comment section as a place to talk any and all TV.  Just clearly label what show you're referring to so we don't accidentally spoil any shows for anyone who hasn't watched or for people who just aren't interested in that show! 

It's been a fun season of TV blogging!  I'll certainly be back for The Walking Dead and Fringe next season.  And the jury is out for anything else.  Hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you next year! 


  End Credits
  • This season I recapped Terra NovaThe Walking DeadAlcatraz and Fringe.  Stay tuned for updates on what I'll recap next season.  
  • Other shows that are being discussed in comments recently:  How I Met Your Mother, The River, Once Upon a Time, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Awake. Previously discussed: Dexter, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, Breaking Bad etc...  Feel free to join in!
  • As always, there are other shows that I watch as well and would be happy to discuss with all of you in the comments of any of these blog posts!

108 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW!! is right Mike.

I think you might be right about Season 5 starting at a point after Olivia has delivered Etta. That would make most sense given the fact that we have to cover 2012 to 2036 in one season. I expect either an accelerated passage of time or a lot of flash-forward then flash back techniques (similar to going back and forth between the two universes).

I did not make the connection that the bullet Walter fished out of Olivia was the bullet Etta had on a chain around her neck. Good catch (or bad job of observing on my part). I also noticed that it was the second time that she was shot in the head by Walter/Walternate.

I find it hard to believe that there was enough cortexiphan in her system to heal her brain but that it will disipate and go back to normal. I for one hopes she keeps some of her special powers (maybe not being able to stop bullets but at least some enhanced abilities).

BTW, Neana revealing that "she had the power to cross universes all along" reminded me so much of the Good Witch in the Wizard of OZ telling Dorothy she's always had the power to return home that I had to LOL.

Also, last week's catch by Curt turned out to be both correct and important.

I agree that it's hard to know what William Bell knows about the future, the observers, etc.. At least we know he was "the bad guy" from the writer's interview. Since it seems he has gone quite mad (in a Dr Frankenstein way) and the timeline didn't change we can assume he will continue to be a bad guy next year.

I look forward to season 15. I hope it starts in Sept because I don't want to have to wait until January. This summer I will do a rewatch of all 4 seasons (assuming Season 4 is released at least a few weeks before Season 5 begins).

Man, what a show.

Thanks for all your reviews this season and the forum to discuss. I am sure I will be making another comment or two but either way, enjoy your summer.

Bill B

Mike V. said...

Thanks Bill! And you're welcome. Thank YOU for your insightful comments every wek. Agreed on accelerated timeframe and flashback/flashforwards.

Yeah...the whole cortexiphan logic is sketchy but so is a lot of science on their show, so I always just go with it. Of course, I do wonder why future Olivia that was shot couldn't be saved in a similar way since she was shot in the hand and had some super cortexabilities. lol Then again, Walter wasn't on hand to drill the bullet out that time. And it was a timely procedure.

Nice on Nina and the Wizard of Oz comparison. lol

Agreed on Curt's find. It was a good one! (btw..i fixed that quote. The formatting made it impossible to read before)

Well Bell was the bad guy in THIS timeline. I don't know if we was in the original timeline. But did he not get cancer in the original timeline? That certainly would be strange. Definitely need some clarification on all the timelines and Bell's involvement in everything. But, I think that's vague intentionally.

Season 15 eh?? lol I wish!! (or maybe not...the show could be awful by then lol) ....but yeah I'm excited about season 5 too. Yeah, I just don't know about a september premiere. They did tease it in episode 19....but there is the MLB playoffs on FOX to deal with if they wanted to go straight through. A January to May timeframe would be smoother. But, I'm cool with whenever they want to air it! Enjoy the rewatch...I did it last year and it was awesome. I look forward to doing it again when it's all over!

Talk to you later! And thanks again for your comments!

MJ said...

LOL on the 'creatures from the Fringe lagoon" !! And I enjoyed the Next Gen reference by the show, and the Tupac joke . Loved the Jedi Mond trick - and I have to say it since I'm such a fan but September bing stuck by that symbol is straight out of Supernatual and how they trap demons ! So I'm taking that as a call out to my other fave friday night show.

I for one was NOT expecting Jessica to be a double-crosser ! They got me on that one. And man - I thought it was cool when Sept went all Matrix and caught those bullets - but when Olivia did it !!! Holy crap. Just awesome. And then tossing them back at our back stabber !!! Cool! But i really blew my mind when Sept did not know about the opera house and telling I'm what he did. WHAT ? As you know from the lost years - the time travel always messes with my head. I'm guessing that will be dealt with next yet - hoping any way.

Mader did a fab job with those eyes ! Ew - that was creepy as hell. And when she started doing that whole thing about her bicycle it truly reminded me when she was dying on Lost ! That was one hell of a 'leap of faith' - I couldn't do it. And Peter with is one arm ! But I about fell off my couch when Walter just killed Olivia - mob style ! WTH!! I knew they would not kill her character off - but I never dreamt how they'd bring her back. But yes - I did also remember what Walter said about what Belle did to her. Belle's - 'you paid a steep price' was very ominous and I'm left wondering if that is the coming Observageddon ??

Man ! I totally missed that the bullet is the one Etta had ! Damn.

The husband was eternally grateful when Olivia finally said she is preggers cause in every conversation the whole ep she had with Peter I kept saying 'and I'm pregnant' - just waiting for it to happen. LOL Good one on the Limoncello !

I haven't read the links yet so I'm going to hold off reading the specualation at this time.

Oh - me not getting the webshots def work blocking them ! I have them in all their glory here at home. ;-(

SO - WOW WOW WOW. Wht a great finale. I would have been happy if this was a series finale, but soooooo glad it is not.

Speaking of which - heard Ringer, Awake, Missing and River were all cancelled. For the most part - it's Awake I shall miss. I've been livng that show.

MJ said...

Bill - swear to god I also thought of Wizard of Oz when Nina said that !

Alot of the science is sketchy - but I love it anyway. I mean - just guessing where the opposite of that bullet hole is, cutting open her haed and then pushing the billet through with a metal stick ! That was uber creepy - but geat drama and fun.

MJ said...

TVD - what a fab episode. Elena so better be a vamp next year - no loop holes to get out of it. My biggest quibble - is that Evil Rick is all like we have to kill all vamps but has several times he could have gotten Damon before he even tried. Not that I want Damon dead - but really ! LOL Oh - but to find out, after Elena says maybe if I'd seen you first - that she did. And that Damon compelled her to think she should have adventure, romance and a little danger. So - would she have gotten so involved in all this had Damon not compelled her to want to have all that ?? Killing Jeremy so they could kill Klaus ! Yikes. And I watched this the day after Fringe - so it was like what is it with these shows just killing eachother just because they will come back !?!

Awake - finally caught up to that and boy were you right ! What a great ep. I will continue to watch even though it's cancelled already. The only hope is someone picking this up - which is slim. WOuld be perfect on SyFY ! Him not being able to get back to the son version was so intense. And to use the nerdy guy from Alias ! My husband said right away that he was the one that caused the accident. Loved the whole thing with Bohemian Rhapsody - and the words were so chilling with all that has been happening. Such a great show - really come into it's own as each week has continued.

Can't wait for GofT and Once tonight. I'll def be back tomorrow for more discussion on all of our shows.

Curt Sminkey said...

Wow, a personal shout-out in the recap! You guys are too kind, just trying to contribute.

Well done as always, my friend. Can't wait for season 5!!

Mike V. said...

Okay, quick ones first.

Everyone, check out the trailer for the JJ Abrams/Eric Kripke (supernatural) collaboration effort "REVOLUTION". Looks decent! Of course, it's NBC so we'll just have to hold our breath. Pilot is directed by Jon Favreau (Swingers, Iron Man, Elf lol).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwfCRAtkYEI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

@Curt - I give credit where credit is due! I'm not in this for the fame or money!! (or else I'd be failing miserably. lol) Thanks for the props!

@MJ - Wow, guess you had a free moment this wknd! Glad you got to read the blog in full technicolor with pictures! And here we go!

FRINGE - Glad my jokes don't fall flat on everyone!! Didn't know about the Supernatural "trap" comparison, but nice call-out. I'm sure it was probably an homage to it if it was so clearly a rip-off. lol

Yeah, I really didn't expect Jessica to be a double crosser either. I figured she'd have a pretty meaty role, but never thought by the way she was introduced that it was a setup. Crazy! Yeah, September we've seen go "MATRIX" before last season I think. But yeah...Olivia going nuts was really cool. Yeah, September always seemed to know what was going on every time we saw him. But he also exists in every time. So, when he talks to Olivia and Peter here...he is shot. Then he goes to investigate the future. He probably observes Olivia dying and then goes back in time to the past to warn her or something...then he shows up to walter and peter where Peter goes into his head and gets the brain dump. Those were all of the "gunshot" appearances of September. Couldn't tell if he was completely healed in that final scene or not. But yeah, maybe we'll get more info next season!

Mader and the eyes - I think I read on twitter that JH Wyman (one of the producers) said it was all computer effects. lol But she still did a great job! Jensen made a callout to Charlotte dying on LOST and making those weird "chocolate before dinner comments"...she dies very well and even POST-dies well. lol (ah i just saw that you mentioned the same thing! lol)

The whole freighter scene - yeah it was all one crazy shocker after another. The "steep price" is a good point to focus on. he definitely could have been referencing observergeddon. Or maybe he was just referring to losing Olivia. But, I'd like to think William Bell has a lot more intel than he leads on. And it could be why he wanted to create a different world anyway, as he saw what would happen if he didn't. (Observers ruin the planet)

Glad I could help out with the bullet! lol

Funny about your husband. I kept doing it too during the episode with the "and I'm pregnant" thing. lol Good times. At one point I really did think Walter said Limoncello!! lol

Yeah...I saw all of the cancellation notices too. Sucks. But, not unexpected. I will miss Awake too but I'm still way behind on it. I heard that last ep was really good, but I didn't watch it. So I'll be skipping your thoughts on it for now! :-)

Mike V. said...

TVD - The episode was CRAZY!! I really don't think there are loopholes. There is a ridiculously long interview with the showrunner on ew.com somewhere. Apparently, Elena turned into a vamp very early in the book series. But they wanted to wait a few seasons. So, it was always in the plan for her. They said PART 1 of their story is over and now we're into part 2. (not sure how many parts there are lol) There's a lot of info in that interview about how things will shape up for next season. They were very open about it. crazy! Maybe Evil Rick still had some conflicting feelings when it came to the Salvatore boys...I dunno! lol But, probably just convenient writing! I think that damon seeing Elena first was very convenient writing too, but it worked I guess. lol In that interview they mentioned that when people turn into Vampires, their memories slowly return. So we may find out what else was compelled out of her. Apparently, this isn't a spoiler as we've seen it before. I just never remember from one ep to the next! lol

Yeah...how many more times are they going to kill Jeremy and bring him back!? he's the weak link so each time there's a small part of me hoping he doesn't get revived! LOL

ONCE/GoT - I watched them both and thrilled to talk to about them both but I have to take a break for a few minutes. Didn't get to Mad Men last night. It was Mother's day afterall. Busy day!! lol

MJ said...

TVD - oh yeah - Damon seeing Elena first def worked ! Talk about romantic - though tragic too. For her to say that, then we see it happened. UGH. This is how a romantic story should go - not like some guy who is supposed to be so charming but lies to both women in his life cause he can't admit he does't know what to do. LOL - just saying.

The fact that he compelled her was seen before ? i don't remember that.

Oh my bad ! I forgot you were behind on Awake. I remembered you telling me what a great ep so then I discussed it. Sorry.

Fringe - I haven't gotten to Jensens recap yet, but not surprised the Charlotte comparison came up.

Once
So touching the book made Emma suddenly realize it was all true? Um - pretty sure that she had touched this book several times before. 8:15 was funny though.
And was there anyone out there that didn't know NOT to give Gold the potion to hold while you get yourself out of the elevator shaft ?

I was confused by Gold double-crossing Emma and the Queen before he even knew about Belle. And I was sure he's be using that well for finding Bae somehow.

All the characters waking up was cool though. And Regina's little smile at the end when the curse in released was excellent ! I'm probably in the minority but I do believe that Regina really does love Henry (though in her own way as she does not really understand love) and that her horror that he took the poison was genuine.

Have to say - guess I've been watching too many dark shows - cause when MM and David run into the street to kiss as Snow and Charming - I was waiting for the bus or truck that was literally going to hit them.

Mike V. said...

TVD - Are you referring to Prince Charming there? lol Whatever, he was totally redeemed in this last episode! lol But yeah, the whole Damon/Elena saga is a good time. But no, we hadn't seen Elena compelled before. We must have seen people in transition to a vampire before where their old memories come back. i.e. Elena should remember her conversation with Damon when she is transitioning to a vampire. And if she had ever been compelled other times to forget anything, she'll remember that too.

AWAKE - Not a problem! I don't mind people discussing any shows on here. I just won't be able to comment until I'm caught up! Which shouldn't be a problem, since I'm not posting anything else any time soon. lol

ONCE - I coudn't tell you if Emma ever touched the book before...but maybe she had to have a hint of believing before she did?? lol Yeah, the clock was stuck on 8:15 in the series premiere and it turned 8:15 yet again at the end. Nice mirroring and obviously nice LOST homage! (there was yet another apollo bar in the episode too. lol) I think we all knew not to trust Gold with that potion! lol Of course, I though he may have already had a run in with Belle before he came to Emma. So I guess we were kinda both thinking the same thing there. Where was his motivation. I guess he just wanted his magic back. And that was one big long con from back when he first captured the "true love" potion. Good stuff!

I don't think you're in a minority on Regina. They definitely turned her into a sympathetic villain by the end of the season. Of course, with Magic back in play in the real world...she's going to be back to her mischievous ways.

Nice on Snow and Charming getting hit by a bus....well remember when Jin and Sun were reunited in season 6 and they ran through the pylons?? We thought they were all going to fry there too! lol

So, we were right in thinking Emma would BELIEVE by the end of the season, but having everyone else wake up was nuts. I really didn't expect that. But what a great twist at the end to bring magic into OUR world. Should be interesting to see where things go! Hopefully, everyone waking up didn't happen "TOO SOON" in the show. But, I'm sure they have a decent plan!

MJ said...

Revolution: Wow - that looks like a great new show. Abrams and Kripke will be interesting. You know how I love my Supernatural so with kripke attached - I'm there !

ONCE: I think I remember Emma looking at it with Henry in the early days. And even handing it to him. Isn't she the one who found it in the road in the puddle ? Agree - I didn't expect all to be awoken - but thought it was great. So if everyone is staying and all the magic will be back - our reality will be the fairy world really ! I guess any way.

G of T: Oh my - Egret (sp) is really getting the good lines now. And Jon's face when he realized he had his hand on her boob - priceless. I guess they decided to hold off on the nudity and sex scenes so instead we will get graphic talk ? LOL

So - the wildings are the original inhabitants of the area ? I don't know if this is true or just her peoples perspective. I'm just really puzzled why the other watch men did not go back for Jon when he wasn't like 10 mins behind them ? They know he's 100% inexperienced.

Why does Tywin think someone is trying to kill him ? Is it cause the guy who Arya had taken out died on his doorstep ? Guess that makes some kind of sense.
Speaking of Arya - she better be more careful. It seems that you can be well born and still working - the medic who told Catelyn her full name but not Robb comes to mind, but she really shouldn't have revealed she is well educated I'm thinking.

Wow - Theon is totally out of control by reacting to just seem like he's all in charge. Though it was funny with the ' half wit and cripple' got away. I'm guessing that the comment about Winterfel bein able to hold up against much larger numbers will come into play soon. LOL

So Hodor is the only one in the area that eats walnuts ? Cause that seemed to be what Theon used to determine the boys had been there. part of me is quite sure that those two bodies were not Bran and his brother. But if that is true that Theon is even more stupid than I thought. You don't pretend you killed these 2 boys to show how tough you are knowing that it will obviously be disproved eventually.

And this warlock guy and the black guy just killed the entire counsel in quarth and took over ?? What did that really have to do with the dragons ? Were the dragons just an excuse ?

I was wondering when they'd finally do something with Jamie Lanister - but didn't think it would be this. Guess he has a deathwish since he was taunting the one person keeping him alive with her husbands infidelidy.

Overall a good show - but it felt like a lot of pieces were just being put into place. Lots of conversation and thoughts. how many more eps do we have ??

HIMYM - 2 eps tonight for our season finale. Seems like no time at all to put a wedding together.

Leslie said...

ONCE – I'm pretty sure Emma touched the book before, too, but it sure seemed like a quick change for her either way, but having Henry in peril may have helped her go there. I agree that Regina really loves Henry, and because they showed us some of her vulnerable side, she has had some sympathetic moments just like Gold has. So sad to see August turn into all wood, but I know he said breaking the curse would fix him, so I’m hoping he’s okay. Really cool how they were switching between Charming and Emma both fighting with the dragon. Gold is clearly the master manipulator! Funny when Gold said he saved some of the potion for a rainy day, and Emma said, “Well, it’s storming like a b**ch.” Nice that the smoke monster is a pretty shade of purple here! lol MJ, funny about thinking that a bus was gonna hit Snow and Charming in the street. :)

Mike, let me know when you watch Mad Men.

Anonymous said...

Bell rang the bell, I think he went to the other universe.

Depending on the view taken re predestination and time traveling paradoxes, what Bell was doing may have been a better deal for this world??? On the current path this world can't support human existence anyway. Hence the observers coming back in time.

Maybe Bell and Walter can figure a way to fix the world and save the future, in cooperation with Observers.

Richard

Mike V. said...

@MJ

Revolution: Obviously, I'll be checking it out. Seems like an obvious one to try recapping next season but it's gonna be a Monday at 10pm show. That migth be too late to turn something around before going to bed! lol

ONCE: Yeah....you're probably right. Emma did find the book and give it back to him so she probably did touch it. Well, at least Storybrooke will be a fairy world! lol Maybe once you reach the city limits it's back to normal world rules. And I'm sure they're still going to be trying to get back to the Fairy Tale land. But who knows?!

GoT: Ygritte is getting some fantastic stuff on the show. One thing that probably didn't stand out to you is when she said "YOU KNOW NOTHING JON SNOW" all of the book readers were laughing, swooning or whatever. lol She uses that line a lot in the book, so it was pretty much a given that the writers would throw it in there at least once. I don't want to give anything away about where that storyline is going...but I will say that they didn't remove any "nudity" from this part of the book story. lol In fact, this whole part of the book story didn't even exist (as I mentioned last week, that chase scene never happened either)...to say any more would be spoiling, but they definitely have gone in a different direction than the books, but I see ways that they can reconcile the two before the end of the season. So, I'll speak retroactively of what was different vs. what they did! (I'm enjoying the changes though!)

James Hibberd (EW Recapper) compared the wildlings to the Native Americans....and I guess the Westerosians as the Eurpoean invaders from across the Narrow Sea (i.e. where Dany is hanging out right now). I don't know if I ever made that connection in the book..but it's pretty interesting. Why Quorin didn't go after Jon....well that's part of what I'm not sure about either. Like I said...they totally changed this part of the story. One theory could be that Quorin is already captured by the wildlings. That didn't happen in the books, but it may have to happen in the show. That's all I'll say!

This whole Tywin/Arya thing is definitely expanded from the books too and it's fantastic! They must have known they struck gold and kept going with it. Tywin fearing for his life is definitely not in the books either. But yeah...it kind of makes sense since the guy was dead at his doorstep. Yeah...the whole discussion about high born vs. low born was fantastic. I still think that Medic hasn't revealed what her name really is...but we'll see there!

Theon - Yeah...he has totally lost it. You might be onto something with the Winterfell comment! I really do not want to comment further on the Theon storyline...the manhunt was slightly changed/shortened from the books. But the result was similar. I will say this....it wasn't 2 burned bodies in the book. It was 2 heads on spikes on the high walls of Winterfell. Ugh...I want to talk about it but it's not fair to you if I do! lol I can wait a few weeks to talk about the season in hindsight!

Mike V. said...

Yeah...and this Qarth thing is still diverging from the book storyline so I have no idea. The 9 of the 11 were never killed in the books. But the whole House of the Undying is a big plot point in the books. So, I just assumed that the bald guy stole the dragons last week and took him there as the catalyst to make Dany go there. It looks like she will go there next week..but who knows? I was pretty shocked that they killed off those Qarthians...but then again...the characters may not be relevant to future books so they could swing it. The whole problem with Dany's story is...she had so few chapters in book 2, so they had to expand her storyline a bit to keep the character that people are interested in busy.

Jaime is another problem with book 2. He is held captive by Robb Stark and we never see Robb Stark in the books. Actually, they leave him at Riverrun in the books. (Catelyn's childhood home) His escape attempt is discussed in the show and people do die in the process but it's a little different I think. Catelyn does go with Brienne to talk to Jaime at one point. And actually, part of the original discussion (in the books) happened in season 1 of the show when catelyn went to ask Jaime about throwing Bran out the window. But that discussion did end with Catelyn asking for a sword. The rest of Jaime's story didn't commence until book 3...so I'm guessing we will start seeing some of his book 3 story next. And of course, you know I don't think Eddard Stark was ever unfaithful...but that line had to hurt Catelyn!

Yeah...I'm not sure how much I'd be enjoying the show if I haven't been reading the books. It just seems to add so much to the appreciation of what's going on. The problem is...the whole book 2 is all about getting pieces in place. It was pretty boring actually...so the show has done a great job making it more exciting. Book 3 is non-stop awesome from start to finish (well almost finish..I'm 82% through lol)....so I expect the next couple seasons to be pretty awesome. There are 3 episodes left. And episode 9 is sure to be a pretty darn awesome episode if they they were able to do the big budget episode that they said they were able to do!

BTW - If I'm being too annoying talking about the books all the time, just let me know. I just find it interesting to see what's different and what isn't. I try by best to avoid spoiling! lol

HIMYM - Oh come on...you know that if they show the wedding (obviously they're going to) it's going to be a flash forward once again. They're going to be dealing with the birth of Marshall and Lily's child in the present day. And then at the wedding we'll probably find out who the bride is. and then next season we'll have to see how that Barney gets to that point. We know Ted doesn't meet the mother until that wedding. The big question is if he'll meet her tonight....I doubt it. I don't think it will happen until the final season. And we still don't know if that's next season or not. My guess is if they do renew it it will only be for one more season and they would say it's the final season.

@Leslie - I saw you commented, gonna check it now!

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

ONCE - Yeah it's probably similar to seen August for what he was. She had to believe for the book to wake her up or whatever. I still think there will be an August/Emma love story! Oh yeah..we didn't even talk about the dragon fight. While the green screen stuff still looked so fake for the backgrounds, the Dragon looked really good! lol Crazy what they can pull off on television these days. Nice on the Purple Smoke monster too! lol

Mad Men - I'll try my best to get to it tonight!

@Richard

FRINGE: Interesting on Bell. I guess he might have. Who knows? He could have time traveled, he could have been using soul magnets and vanishing to rematerialize somewhere else (not that that's how soul magnets worked) or yeah, he could have went to the other universe. No idea!!

This show obviously has taken the stance on time travel that timelines can be changed. It factors into the whole Alternate Universe idea of the show. But yeah...that's kind of what we were discussing with Bell too. He may have seen the future and what is in store for this timeline. And he thinks starting over with his rules is the best answer.

Bell and Walter and the Fringe team working together to fix the future would be the ideal way to end the show. The show always takes an optimistic approach to solving problems, so that would be the hope. Interesting that you included the observers there. History would indicate that that indeed would be the case, that they'd all work together harmoniously to save the world/humanity. But I hadn't thought about it. At the very least, we know September is on their side. We'll see!

MJ said...

Leslie - thanks for confirming that Emma seems to have touched this book already. Loved the purple smokey too.

You're right the 'you know nothing' did not stand out. But how great for the book fans to give them that payout.

Huh - comparing the Wilding to the Indians - very interesting. When the white/euros came here they felt the natives were savage. I guess what I was wondering is if it is true that they were technically there first and wondered if it had some bearing in the future stories.

Ah - so yo think she lied to Catelyn (the medic)? Interesting.

And damn on not talking about the dead bodies vs the book's heads ! But i think you for not spoiling it too. LOL

yes - I do know you think Ned didn't sire Jon. But Catelyn does. LOL

I do NOT find it boring to hear you talk about the books at all. You've been excellent at helping me understand some of it - all the while not spoiling it for me. So please don't stop.

HIMYM - agreed - the wedding will be in the future. And also agree that we probably have one more year of the show.

Mike V. said...

@MJ

GoT: Yeah, I know what you were wondering, but I really am not sure! lol I guess I could go look up Wildlings on one of those sites or on the blu-ray to see what they say about them! But it definitely makes sense. There's something about the "Children of the Forrest" that predate men too or something like that. Wow, it's tough to remember this stuff! lol Okay, so I looked something up about the original settling of Westeros...maybe this will help...but definitely watch those Blu-ray special features!

"The people of Westeros are generally divided between several distinct ethnic groups. Intermarriage over many thousands of years diluted their differences in many regions.
The First Men were the original human settlers of Westeros. They came over the Narrow Sea more than 12,000 years ago with weapons of bronze and fire. The First Men warred with the Children of the Forest, the semi-mythical, indigenous inhabitants. The First Men's blood remains strongest in the North.
The Andals from the eastern continent followed approximately 6,000 years later, bringing weapons of iron and the Faith of the Seven. Over several centuries they eventually conquered the lands south of the Neck along with the Iron Islands.
The Rhoynar were displaced from their homelands along the River Rhoyne in Essos by the advance of the armies of Valyria. They landed in Dorne more than a thousand years ago.
The wildlings are a mix of all three ethnic groups, as well as people from across the Narrow Sea such as the Ibbenese and indigenous peoples such as the inhabitants of Thenn (who claim to be the last pure-blood race of First Men on the continent). Towering giants are known to live in the mountains of the uttermost north.
The fate of the Children of the Forest remains unknown, although many in Westeros today hold them to have either always been a fable, or a real people now extinct. They have not been seen in Westeros for more than 6,000 years. According to some reckonings the disappeared around the time the Andals arrived.
Another fable concerns the Others, demonic creatures of ice who were said to have invaded Westeros from the uttermost north and unleashed the Long Night before they were defeated in the War for the Dawn. The Wall was raised to prevent their return. The Others have not been seen for 8,000 years, but the wildlings claim that the Others are returning to fight for dominance"

Catelyn/Medic/Robb - Yeah, I just think (as most people think) that this girl is a certain character from the books, but they are elaborating the story more in the show. So, I think she's working as a medic under an alias. But, we'll see! lol They may not ever even introduce the other character and the story might work fine anyway. (really tough to explain this one!)

Sorry! I'll talk about it if you want to (heads vs. bodies) but I really don't want to give anything away! It's annoying too because I really want to give my opinion on how the scene was handled. lol

Pretty much all of westeros and most of the TV show watchers think Ned is Jon's father. lol And there's a good chance a lot of book readers who don't pick up on certain clues think it too! You really have to work on it to even come up with a theory! And I could be absolutely wrong...but it just seems fitting that Ned would be vindicated for his "honorable actions" in the end. Since he is the most honorable man of Westeros.

Okay, I appreciate that you appreciate my efforts. I feel like I come on too strongly sometimes with "well this is how it happened in the books"....but I know I'd be curious if I wasn't reading!!

HIMYM - So you agree we have one more year in addition to next year? lol I think we will...the ratings are still decent so CBS would be stupid to cancel it especially if the writers feel they can keep going. We'll see!

Mike V. said...

GoT:
BTW, that excerpt was from a Song of Ice and Fire wiki page on WESTEROS. Here's the link if you wanted to read more.

http://iceandfire.wikia.com/wiki/Westeros

Mike V. said...

Watched Mad Men, HIMYM and Smash (and grimm from last friday btw). Ready to discuss all! And I would right now, but I have a few things to do first. So, feel free to get started and I'll join in when I get back!

MJ said...

HIMYM - OMG!! I totally said ages ago that Robin was the bride !!! But even I was shocked last night. I remember you got hung up on the fact that she does not have kids or something, but I felt that they'd be together. Unless they are messing with us. LOL

Link below is a little spoilerish for next season. Just a little though http://www.tvguide.com/News/HIMYM-Finale-Barney-Bride-Craig-Thomas-1047516.aspx


Grimm - Hmm - I am blank ! I know I watched it but for the life of me I can't remember the ep. Remind me and we can discuss.

MJ said...

G of T - wow - thanks for that. Had to chuckle at 'others'.


HIMYM - I def hope for 2 years. Now that we know what we know from last night I don't want that story rushed. I don't want to say more until I know you read the link I put in though.

Mike V. said...

HIMYM - Funny, I wasn't shocked at all! lol My wife and I predicted the whole episode. She knew that Victoria would show up in a wedding dress. And once I saw the magic box in Barney's luggage, I said. "He is so proposing to Quinn, but as a twist, Robin is going to be the bride and next season will be about how we get there!" lol I think i've just watched too many sitcoms!! lol Granted, they may not actually get married, but it just seemed a logical place for the show to go after the past few seasons (and upon rewatching the show and seeing how everything was building up to it). Yeah, I flip flop a lot so at one point I may have said I didn't see it happening. lol Maybe I thought it was the too obvious way to go....which is probably why I totally predicted it! lol

But...you gotta love Waitforit as a middle name...and that birth had me in tears...probably because I just went through it too. Great stuff! Obviously Ted and Victoria won't be a finality, but I guess he needs to get closure there too. It makes sense to bring her back for a serious arc since she was a popular female interest back in the day. I read the interview on EW with the producers but I'll check that one out too!

Grimm - Ugh..I totally forget too. Hank did see the Desperate Housewives Pharmacist as a creature and turn back human though. lol So that could lead to some interesting places. And it looks like Nick will let his gf in on stuff in the finale. I didn't see that coming. I thought for sure he'd tell Hank first. But, maybe I'm deceived! lol

Mike V. said...

Oh yeah...the White Walkers are often referred to as OTHERS in the book. It's hysterical. And Damon Lindelof hadn't read Game of Thrones until last year! Just a happy coincidence. lol

HIMYM - I haven't read the interview yet...and I have a 10-11 meeting, but feel free to discuss! I'm sure it's similar to the one I read. And I'll read it when I get a chance.!

Mike V. said...

in case you missed the link in the show last night:

http://lilysinlabor.com

hysterical.

Mike V. said...

HIMYM - Read the interview. Pretty cool stuff. Since they had the 2 years to map stuff out, they definitely were very strategic about unveiling this wedding stuff. I caught onto that too, hence figuring out Robin was the bride before the episode was over. lol

But, I agree, I think 2 seasons wouldn't be a stretch. They clearly have an idea of where they want to go with the show. I'm sure CBS will renew it since it's a successful show too. Just reading the comments on the sites people are fed up with the show. I still think it's just as funny as it used to be. It has always been about the journey and should be. We know he'll meet the mother in the end, but I see no rush to get there..except for the time table they set with the daughter being born.

BTW...Baby in the bar as first outing? Hysterical!!

And I'm still upset that I didn't think of WaitForIt for my son's middle name. We struggled with the middle name forever! lol

MJ said...

HIMYM - loved the middle name bit. And agreed with showrunners comment that the obvious thing would have been for Lily to be like - no way! So it was cool. Liked that they kinda made fun of Marvin too. And yes - I missed that link. Agree that most had to know that Barney would propose.

At some point during the time that it was stated with certainty that Robin has no kids is when you got off the Robin/Barney train. You were convinced that Barney did have kids is why. But I still thought they'd be together and even said maybe after Barney has kids with someone else - or some such thing.

Loved Marshall trying to get up those 2 steps. I welled up when the seniors all started faking heart attacks - and during the birth of course. And for once Lily's dad did not annoy me.

So yeah - I hope for two seasons due to what they said after the finale - that Barney and Quinn will have a relationship and that Robin will have one too. If they have to close it out this year that would make all that just to rushed. Also - laughed at what they said the premier next season will be - very typical Ted. I like the circle of Ted helping Victoria who just abandoned her groom after Ted was left at the altar.

I do love Victoria and in some ways wish she was the mom - but I don't think she is.

Grimm - oh yeah ! The vet/girlfirend was called out to a farm for an attack. And the partner guy actually sees one change - or his face be different. Very cool. It's not like i don't like the show - just been such exciting things going on on all shows that i couldn't remember.

MJ said...

HIMYM - oops - forgot to comment on their faces when they realize the fist outing is the bar ! So funny. And that the pic Robin finally gets is exhausted mom and dad sleeping with Marvin. You must appreciate that one !

Mike V. said...

HIMYM - Ahh right...I thought Barney wanted to have kids, not that he had kids. So, I thought that might be a deal breaker for him. But, on the flip side of the coin, he really does love Robin and he's never felt that way about anyone. (maybe outside of Quinn) So, maybe he'll be okay with that.

Oh yeah..drunk Marshall was hysterical! And of course their 8 or higher bro....and then he compared his issue to Marvin's "soft 2". lol Good stuff. Yep, the senior citizens faking heart attacks was a good time too!

Yeah that was crazy...they basically just gave us the story of the season premiere. It's funny how secretive they are about certain things but then how open they are about others. lol I guess since they finally could talk about Barney/Robin, they were in a giving mood. lol

Yeah...back in season 1 before we really knew how long this show would go on, I thought Victoria could be the mother. Obviously, after time, when the show caught steam and was going to be on for awhile, we knew the meeting of the mother would be down the road a bit. And now, it's pretty impossible for Victoria to be the mother. Besides the fact that the producers confirmed it, we already know Ted meets his future wife and mother of his children and Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin's wedding. He has already met Victoria! lol I do like the "coming full circle" bit of it all though. The first story he told was how he met Aunt Robin, which actually is a big part of the story of how he met their mother, because it was at her wedding. Good times! And of course, we know that Ted agreed to be Robin's best man too....and we knew Ted was "best man" at this wedding. So, he might not be Barney's best man at all. (just rambling as I'm thinking of stuff!)

GRIMM - Oh yeah...there's not really much to talk about with Grimm. It's an entertaining show and I like it, but yeah..that's about it for now! lol

Mike V. said...

And definitely appreciate the picture of Marshall, Lily and Marvin sleeping. It was so cute, and definitely what we're going through these days! lol

That kid of mine has been consistently waking up at 5:00/5:30all smiles and wanting to talk to us!! It's hysterical but very difficult to wake up at that hour! lol (of course, I wake up at 6 but that's besides the point!)

MJ said...

Grimm: I'm clearer now on the ep - the devices in the neck. The Wesen support group was very funny. Oh - and Hank saw Monroe as a wolf only and the shrink change from animal to man ! LOL by the way on the DH pharmacist remark. Will be very interesting if they let the girlfriend and Hank in on it.

Mike V. said...

GRIMM: Seriously. Hank has to be suspicious. He sees Monroe (as Monroe) at a lot of crime scenes. Surely, he'll catch on at some point. But Nick playing dumb on the face change thing. That was crazy. You'd think he'd be relieved to finally tell someone!

DH Pharmacist (Roger Bart). The crazy thing is, I've actually seen that guy in a lead role of the Producers on broadway. And I recognized him THEN as the Psycho Pharmacist guy. Plus it was in the Playbill. lol

Mike V. said...

HIMIYM - Yep, producers are definitely in a very giving mood. Lots more season 8 info. lol

http://tvline.com/2012/05/15/how-i-met-your-mother-season-7-finale-season-8-scoop/

MJ said...

Fringe: So I finally read jensen's recap. Actually didn't hate it. LOL He has an interesting point on Bell's hand in amber. I think he's right about some disappointment in not really closing out the reboot thing too. I had wanted something on that but did not expect to get it so wasn't disappointed. Still akes me a little sad for some of the characters though.

Thanks for the HIMYM link - will go check it out

MJ said...

HIMYM - that link pretty much had every thing that I read from TV Guide (my earlier ink) but thanks anyway.

Mike V. said...

FRINGE: Agreed on reboot closure. That might be my only disappointment with the show so far, but it's a minimal one. For the most part, the characters are behaving now as they always had. But it's weird to think that they have no original memories of Peter. It was crucial to have Olivia remember though in order for their relationship to still work. I dunno...I still will hold out hope for more on it next season, but I wouldn't be surprised if we have seen all we're going to see on it.

Mike V. said...

HIMYM: I read your TVG link, but the thing that stood out for me was that they pretty much were implying that meeting the mother may come way before the series finale. I didn't catch that in the TV link. Probably just missed it. And I know they had discussed it as a possibility before, but this time they phrased it differently...like "there are some people that thing that wedding is the end of the show. Ted meets the mother and that's it." That pretty much implies that that's NOT it. lol

Leslie said...

Wow! - I'm a week behind on HIMYM, but I couldn't help reading your comments! AT least I understand those...You guys seem to be talking a different language on GofT! :)

Mad Men – I guess Don is gonna get back into work now since Megan is gone. There was some of the old Don back in action like in the pitch meeting with Ginsberg and putting him in his place at the end, and then with Pete when he told him not to wake him up on Sunday with his failures. But, Pete had a surprise visitor that sure made him happy. Sweet Rory Gilmore!

Then, we have Betty who is not a happy camper (what a surprise!), and her lack of food is making her mean! I loved that her plan to tell Sally about Anna, thinking that Megan didn’t know, totally backfired. And, Sally has quite a mouth on her! Sounds more like her mother every day.

And, good ole Roger! He is so politically incorrect….”wine for normal people”! Of course, they hadn’t heard of the PC concept in the 60s! Loved his line about needing to start carrying less cash, especially if he has to buy Jane ANOTHER new apartment since he ruined that one.

Mike V. said...

Leslie on my mobile device so I'll respond later. Lol

Wanted to share this link with everyone to some of abc's new fall shows. Obviously I'll be checking out 666 park ave with John locke himself! Lol
http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/15/abc-fall-trailers-nashville-mistresses-more/

Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone posted this link to an interview on CNN regarding Nimoy's involvement on Fringe. Anyway, here it is...

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/11/what-lured-leonard-nimoy-back-to-fringe/


Bill B

Mike V. said...

Thanks for the link, Bill! Great interview with the legendary Nimoy!

@Leslie

Mad Men - I saw the Don/Ginsberg thing a little differently. This whole season has shown how Don has slowly been losing his touch. It was bound to happen has we progressed further into the 60s. He is becoming outdated losing his "fastball" so to speak. He had to work long hours on the weekend (forgetting to get Sally her colored pencils and essentially telling Bobby he would be back before they had to leave) just to keep up with Ginsberg ideas. He pulled an all nighter to come up with his great idea, but Ginsberg's idea was better and he came up with it on the spot. So, then he had to use his authority to make ginsberg's idea go away. And then he lied to Ginsberg when he said "i don't think of you at all." I would expect more of this rivalry to happen.

You did mention "Not waking up" but you know the Pete/rory Gilmore scene was a dream, right? lol Hysterical dream though, especially seeing him smiling on his couch when he did wake up. Or maybe it was a daydream...I forget. lol

Ugh..the whole Betty Weight Watchers stuff was almost unbearable. But still funny to watch her be all miserable and still try to push Don's buttons. Loved her pushing stuff of the table in frustration at the end. Nice job keeping Don calm, Megan!

And totally agree...Roger's comedy never gets old. The cash thing with Ginsberg was great too. And yeah...totally saw where the Roger/Jane thing was going, but still was pretty crazy.

Decent episode, but hopefully there will continue to be less Betty in future eps!

MJ said...

Oh Leslie ! I feel awful that we spoiled the HIMYM finale for you. So sorry ! But I get what you are saying about G of T - i watch it and sometimes I can't understand what is said. LOL

Smash: finally watched it. I wasn't unhappy that they went with Karen, I like that Karma paid Ivy a visit. But it was unrealistic IMO only because Ivy really did know it much better, despite Dereks visions or whatever. Not surprised she had the ring and told Karen either. Was surprised by the attempted suicide though. My first cynical thought was that she purposely did it at the end so she'd be found and saved. But artistically she could have been doing it the same time Marilyn was dying in the show.

So what is season 2 then ? Being actually on Broadway ? Don't see where this show can keep going, but I know nothing about putting on a stage show so ...

Mike V. said...

@MJ

I think Leslie just decided to read the HIMYM stuff anyway even though she knew she'd be spoiled! lol We clearly label things around these parts. :-) As for GoT...just finished book 3 and all I'll say is...."WOW"...we have a pretty crazy 2 seasons coming our way the next couple of years. I'm dreading book 4 as I've heard things slow down quite a bit, but I'm still going to catch up on these crazy books! lol

SMASH - Yeah, the finale was decent. My favorite part was obviously Ellis getting fired. Don't know if that means he's gone from the show though! Yeah, I'm fine with Karen getting the part even if Ivy theoretically deserved it. And of course, the off-stage drama had to unfold because of it and that was fine too. As for the suicide - I don't know if she actually attempted it or not. Didn't the screen cut away from her before she actually took the pills? I could be wrong with that. But yeah...you may be on to something with her artistically trying to imitate Marilyn.

We won't know anything about season 2 until Mid-Season...they're doing a full season but uninterrupted like 24. (because those shows are the same. lol) But yeah...they probably will be taking it to broadway. I would think that this show could definitely go in many directions. If Marilyn is successful, there is always the follow-up shows. Writing a new show, new opportunities for the cast that found success in Marilyn. Of course, if the cast spreads out into different shows...then it could get tough to follow them all. There's a chance the Marilyn show could require tweaks so we could get more show songs out of that. But, I would have to assume that the show will be a hit and the writers will be a hot commodity again and people will be begging for a new show.

Leslie said...

Mad Men - I agree with all that you said about the Don/Ginsberg thing. My statement about seeing the old Don was just that he was motivated again at work instead of being in his love bubble with Megan as a distraction. And, I'm actually embarrassed to say I didn't get that Pete's deal was a dream when I watched it. I thought the smile on the couch afterwards was an afterglow kind of thing. :)

MJ, no worries on the HIMYM thing! I'm usually behind on that show and always read your comments. I love the back and forth with you and Mike! With it being a comedy, I don't feel too concerned about the spoilery stuff. And, we haven't mentioned Revenge in a few weeks. It's been crazy and only 2 episodes left. I heard it's moving to Sundays next season which will be difficult with the other Sunday shows I watch.

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

Mad men - Ahh gotcha on Don/Meg/Ginsberg stuff. Hmm...maybe I was the one that was wrong on Pete, but it certainly seemed like a daydream. lol But, I could see how you could think it was an afterglow! lol

Glad you enjoy the HIMYM banter! lol I'm actually concerned about catching up on Revenge because my Sundays are also jammed packed with cable shows and ONCE. Doesn't help that this Terry O'Quinn show (that I linked to the ABC trailers above) will be on at 10:00 on Sundays too. Oh boy. lol I already sense a lot of DVR catchup in my future!

MJ said...

Walking Dead : How cool is this ?!? http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/16/walking-dead-100th-obstacle-course/

Smash - oh yeah ! I forgot to mention my fave part - Ellis getting fired.

Revenge: You are right - we have not talked in awhile. I think 2 weels ago is when Daniel had the opportunity to make himself different than his family - and chose not to. Will this make Emily/Amanda less willing to try to protect him ? I also enjoyed this last one, seeing the past few years through younger Amanda's eyes and deciding to start this revenge. I only wish they'd shown us how she hooked up with Tosagi (or whatever his name is) for her training.

Mike V. said...

So funny, I looked at that TWD link earlier and never actually read what it was. Pretty cool! One of these years I'm gonna have to get out to Comic-Con!! I only wish I did it when Lost was still on the air. lol

Leslie said...

Revenge - Yeah, I was expecting to learn about Takeda in last week's episode, too, but I guess there are still 10 years to fill in from that episode to now. What has Emily been doing with herself? There weren't really any big reveals in that episode. I'm also still curious about Emily's mother. David Clarke said something cryptic like "she's no longer with us", but there's got to be a story there.

Mike V. said...

Looks like Supernatural is moving to Wednesdays in the fall. Good news for Fringe...of course, bad news that they already announced a final season. lol Plus, it could mean more viewers for Grimm on Friday too.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/17/the-cw-fall-schedule-2/

MJ said...

New York has a much smaller con - have never been though

Revenge: so funny - you got just the smallest tidbit more about Emily's mom. LOL

OMG ! I never thought Revenge would make me cry. Poor Jack and RealAmanda - I'll miss Sammy too.

What a great ep for Emily Van Camp - getting all emotional over Sammy with Jack, and then looking so very chilling when she was watching Daniel and his dad on tape. Daniel has changed like 100% in 2 eps - which is a little lame to me since it was so fast. But now he's so cold and calculating - just like daddy.

I knew the guy with the white hair did not buy Nolan as a cable guy, but I did not expect him to figure out where Nolan lived and show up. And as a rich guy - where is your security ? But I totally bought it when Emily was outside his aunts house - I thought she was at the white haired guy's house ! LOL I almost wish we had gotten a scene with Emily and the man who literally killed her dad though.

Guess 'the Initiative' will be next season's big mystery.

I have tried to avoid anything about next week's finale - but i did see a picture with Emily with blood on her face. Yikes.

MJ said...

Oh - meant to say that I saw that Supernatural will be Wed next year - but thanks. Might be a good pairing with Arrow. Depends on whether Arrow will be a teeny-bopper type show or be a little darker. But it is the CW afterall.

MJ said...

Oops - anyone watch Modern Family ?

The whole part with not using the word 'no' and the disposal was hysterical. And god that sandwich sounds awful.

Guess no one here watches NCIS - too procedural for most of you. But I'm a sucker for Mark Harmon so I watch it and enjoy it.

Mike V. said...

I know about the New york Con, but I have no interest! lol I want to go to the big one!

Arrow - Yeah, I'm guessing this is the Smallville replacement. Don't really have an interest, but we'll see if that changes before fall. lol

MF - Haven't watched yet. The Mrs. and Son fell asleep early last night so I had to wait for tonight. But hey, 3 new eps of Community and Modern Family make for a pretty great night. (and an Idol results show. ugh)

Definitely don't watch NCIS. I'm sure it's a good show, but you're right...the pure procedurals just don't do it for me! lol

Leslie said...

Revenge – MJ, I know what you mean! They had me crying with the whole Sammy thing! Even though I knew it wouldn’t happen, I just wanted Emily to tell Jack she was really Amanda, and they would live happily ever after! Sammy knew all along. Now what’s gonna happen because Ashley saw Jack and Emily kiss??? Agree with what you’re saying about Daniel. All of a sudden he’s just not real likable! But, with his parents, I guess it’s an uphill battle. I’m also with you on Nolan as the cable guy. You could tell the white-haired guy was suspicious, but I didn’t expect him to get to Nolan in the end! It should be a great finale!

Modern Family – Yes, I watched and laughed as always! Claire & Cam were hysterical! And, Phil doing his stress blinking! Jay and Gloria cracked me up too, and Gloria being jealous of Maxine. Yeah, I won’t be having that sandwich either! Then, the whole scene when they were doing the living art. LOL!

NCIS – I like this show (and Mark Harmon), but only watch it as it comes out on DVD.

MJ said...

Revenge - I read a comment somewhere and they compared Ashley to Ellis from Smash. LOL Always in the wrong place at the right time.

MF - loved the stress blinking. And Hayley trying to sneak in the house and Dad not even realizing it, til Cam threw her under the bus that is.

Well - this is my friday here at work so I'll check back in on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone.

Oh - and NCIS - once you catch up to the end of this season your jaw will drop ! Not as shocking as when they killed Kate a few years back, but wow.

Mike V. said...

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sons-Anarchy-Harold-Perrineau-1047781.aspx

Harold Perrimeau (lost's Michael) joins sons of anarchy

Mike V. said...

I'm ready to talk GoT, Mad Men and Grimm (woa what a finale!)

I have plenty to say on GoT since they really have started changing up book stuff. Stuff happened much sooner than I thought it would and some order of things were rearranged so I can say some things that I didn't think I could until after the finale. lol

BTW...here's a link for next week's big penultimate GoT episode. It's not really spoilery as the whole season has been building to it. More of a behind the scenes on how they made it happen. Pretty awesome. lol

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/20/game-of-thrones-blackwater/

MJ said...

G of T : Maybe Arya should have asked for Jaquen to get her to where she is going too. I just knew that Bran and his little bro weren't dead ! But with this show you just never know. And why would Arya want that fat one ? He doesn't even seem to like her.

I had started to get so excited that Cersei seem to get some mojo back - til she brought in the wrong girl !! And they are actually starting to make me fell sorry for Theon now !

So now that there's some more story on the medic - is she who you thought Mike ? I know you've said you think she's lying about her name. And who was the guy also captured by the wildings that got Jon ? He said that all of them were killed - but then we see them all talking about where Jon is ?? I got confused on that one. And I can't remember why they are called crows ?

I don't know how Brienne did not shove a rag in Jamie's mouth !

Perrineau on SOA ! Wow. And he's one of the bad guys ! I didn't know about the 6th season renewal ! Whoo Hoo !

Gotta run - be back for more GofT - and Grimm !!!!

MJ said...

Grimm: I was so surprised they brought the death of Nick's parents into the finale. I was positive that the woman who turns out to be his mother was in fact another Grimm, but did not see it coming that she was his mother. Totally great !

I literally laughed when the PI basicly got himself killed by making himself of no use any more. Nick was like a kid at show and tell when he was explaining it all to Juliet - so cute, and from her perspective totally bonkers. But Monroe thinking he caused her to pass out by changing was funny.

Did that cat's tongue actually turn yellow, did I see that right ? I can't believe Juliet is now going to become a cat - or whatever the species will be called? that's one thing I can't retain - the actual names (other than blutebat) they all are.

That poor asian guy in uniform - first he had to deal with what turns out to be Nick's mom, then Kimura. But Hank was freaking me out sitting there with the shot gun - just waiting. He's really losing it now. What a cool fight scene with Nick and Kimura.

This show has gotten better each week. It reminds me of early fringe in that I was not necessarily retaining stuff cause I thought the eps were not a running thing. I might just rewatch the repeats this summer.

Leslie said...

Mad Men – Lane sure was sneaky getting the money he needed, but I’m sure that will come back to bite him. Interesting that we got confirmation that Roger knows the baby is his, and Joan won’t accept his financial help. And, we usually don’t see Joan lose control like she did going off on the receptionist. That was pretty funny! But, then Don stepped in and was really nice to her, but he sure made a mistake not calling Megan! She doesn’t let him get away with stuff like Betty used to. Loved it that Don admitted to Joan that he never hit on her because she scared him. lol And, then Don sent Joan flowers the next day. That was really sweet! They have always shown a mutual respect for each other.

I don’t know about you, but that whole storyline with Paul as the Hare Krishna seemed like it didn’t fit in with anything. Not sure what the point of all that was. As for Pete, another piece of his dissatisfaction when no one reacted the way he thought they should with him landing a meeting with Jaguar.

Mike V. said...

@MJ

G of T: I'll do this by Character/location lol

Arya - Yeah, this whole thing was changed a little bit from the books. The 3rd death had to do with someone replacing Tywin Lannister to hold Harrenhal. (not The Mountain - Gregor Clegane who is shown in this episode) Arya's whole plan is to cause a revolt and change the hands that hold Harrenhal. She plots the escape herself and brings Gendry and Hot Pie with her. Hot Pie is definitely a bigger part in the books. And I'd assume in these later episodes he'll play a bigger role. Also a big part of Arya's revolt involved WEASEL SOUP. It as a good time in the books. lol But this works too I guess!


Cersei - Yep, once again they have expanded Winterfel Ros's story to be Tyrion's Fake Whore! lol (Ros is a totally made up character for the TV show but they insist on making her part of every episode lol)

Theon/Bran/Rickon etc... - Ugh...I can't believe what they changed here. They totally toned down the intensity of this storyline from the books. We had to read like a 3rd of the book before we realized that Bran and Rickon were still alive for sure. (and that wasn't until the final chapter of the book) And also, the entire continent of Westeros received word that they were dead. So Catelyn's decision to free Jaime took on a whole additional emotion. Those girls are all she has left besides Robb. She wants them back. Robb was not in the book but he talks about it in book 3....his whole reason for bedding the woman (not Talisa...another woman..which I still am not sure she isn't her) was out of grief of finding out his brothers were dead. Sure...their motivations were still due to family...I guess. But I don't know why they would change that. It's such a key part of the books. And I guess it might still happen! But the whole big thing in the books is that "there are no cell phones in westeros"...so Bran couldn't call up Mom and be like "don't worry, I'm okay!" or even Arya could say she has escaped the evil clutches of King's Landing and the Lannisters. I guess they wanted to limit that confusion on a television show. I dunno. We'll see what happens in the next few eps! There are still other downstream impacts to the world believing bran and rickon were dead, so maybe word will still get out. But then why would they go out of their way to have Theon kill the damn ravens!?!? lol And yeah...go ahead and feel bad for Theon...he's still an idiot!! lol

Robb/Talisa - Already mentioned this a bit. Still don't know if she is who I thought. They're in the right area of Westeros for it to be her, but I don't know if they're ever going to reveal it.

North of the Wall - Quron Halfhand (sp) is who was captured. There were like 5 or 6 of them who split up from the main group. Those other people with the small crew are dead. This again...is a change from the books with Quron being captured....but the fact that he and Jon are in the same place and what he is trying to get Jon to do...that will right the ship!

The Jaime/Brienne stuff - this is the start of a book 3 storyline, but chronologically it takes place during this season 2 timeframe. Book 2 ended with Catelyn asking Brienne for her sword (last episode)....We'll only scratch the surface this season...but their chemistry in the books is awesome. From what I've seen so far on the show, it looks like it's going to be television gold! Can't wait for more.

Mike V. said...

SOA - Yep, good times! I don't know why but I feel like this isn't the first time you were surprised to find out it got a 2 season renewal. lol

GRIMM - So Nick's Mom comes into the equation! Good times. Was it me or was that Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio (totally butchered that last name)?....you know Maid Marianne from Robin Hood: prince of thieves. lol I guess she hasn't been too busy with movies lately.

Oh yeah...Nick explaining to Juliet was hysterical..agreed. I have a feeling when she wakes up from her Cat coma...she won't remember their conversation or will think it was a dream. lol

Wait a minute...what? Juliet is going to become a cat??? I miss so much when I'm on that stupid treadmill! lol (so obviously i didn't see any yellow tongue either!)

Yeah the fight scenes on this show are actually pretty darn good. Loved the Nick/Kimura fight too. Hank definitely looks crazy. I think Nick is gonna have to come clean and tell him. We'll see!

Let me know if you catch anything in repeats. I totally agree the show has gotten better each week. And I know there was a running mythology going on but it was mainly procedural (a la Fringe). I've heard more comparisons to Buffy, but I never watched so I wouldn't know! Looking forward to season 2 though!

Leslie - I'm checking out your comment now!

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

MAD MEN - Oh definitely. Lane forging the signature was crazy. I know you don't watch Fringe but at one point I thought he was signing DAVID ROBERT JONES (his character on fringe) lol. That will certainly come back to get him.

And yes, Roger did confirm that he knows its his baby. Pretty crazy. And he wants to find the kid through college. Poor Roger..all he wants is to be with Joan! Joan's breakdown was crazy!

Wait a minute...Don sent Joan flowers? I thought it was a random guy she met at the bar? I know it said "your mother did a good job"...but what was the name signed under it? Was that an inside joke from their conversation? (Great scene between those 2 btw).

Man, Don definitely messed up not calling Megan, but that girl is psycho!! lol throwing plates and what not. This isn't the first time she's flipped out like that.

I think the Paul/Hare Krishna thing was just showing a sign of the times type thing. And giving us an update on where Paul was in his life. But it was definitely odd!

They definitely are setting up something for Pete with all of this dissatisfaction at work and in life. We'll see what happens!

@EVERYONE

BREAKING BAD - Season 5 premiere date announced. July 15th!! http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/21/breaking-bad-5-date/

Leslie said...

Mad Men - Yes, Joan made a comment to Don about something her mother taught her when they were at the bar, and she had also said to Don that before when she was needed to sign for something in reception it was always flowers. I don't remember now what the signature was, but they definitely were from Don.

Yes, Megan's reaction was over the top for sure, but what was funny was that Don really hadn't done anything wrong except not call her to say he'd be late unlike what he used to be doing when he came home late and drunk when married to Betty.

Mike V. said...

@Leslie
MAD MEN - Gotcha. I totally missed that. But it was late last night when I was watching. Makes sense! True...Don hadn't done anything wrong. Of course, having drinks with a pretty lady from work and then sending her flowers the next day kinda SEEMS wrong. lol But Megan didn't seem to mind besides the fact that she was furious! lol

Also..Don seemed to get back into his groove at work too with his big motivational speech. Crazy that everyone cheered him even when he said they would be working on Christmas. lol

MJ said...

G of T: Hot Pie and Weasel Soup ? LOL Sounds like the actress who plays Ros knows the right people ! I'm guessign that having to condense it to 13 eps (is it 13 even?) has controlled some of these decisions. From what I read we actually have a battle next week.

SOA - you might just be right about that ! LOL

Grimm: Don't watch Robin Hoods - but yes that was Mary Eliz Mastiantonio (sp too !) Well - I don't know that she WILL be a cat but it was a cat that scratched her and her eyes turned black in the hospital. I'm sure it's not a cat - but a pussenfrausen. ;-D
It was the actual cat that scratched her that had a yellow tongue. Both EW and tvline have interviews with the show runners for Grimm for next season.


Breaking Bad. Whoo Hoo !

Mike V. said...

Before I respond:

LOST: http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/21/3033481/on-the-verge-episode-006-damon-lindelof-masi-oka-and-marco-arment

Damon Lindelof reflects on the show. Can't believe tomorrow will be 2 years! Don't expect any post from me on the LOST blog though. I don't have anything extra to say just yet. lol

Mike V. said...

@MJ

G of T: Yep Hot Pie is the fat kid and Weasel Soup was some kind of poison soup I think. (tough to remember and was hoping the show would cover it!!) But it was a fun scene in the books. lol Yeah....I don't understand the whole Ros thing but we've seen her journey from Winterfell to King's Landing now. She bedded Tyrion in the pilot episode and I think she got that Lannister Gold watch or necklace from him. Then she bedded Theon in the first season before she shipped off to King's Landing where she started working for Littlefinger...she cried when Robert's bastard baby was slain. And then Joffrey made her beat up that other "lady of the night".....she's definitely been around! lol

And no, it's not 13 eps. Only 10 per season...it's all the budget and time constraints will allow for. But next week's episode definitely got a bigger budget!! I'm sure the 10 episode limits definitely controls some of the decisions. And Westeros might still find out that Bran/Rickon are dead which can still fuel some good drama. Not just A battle next week. THE battle!! lol Did you not see the link I posted above? There's a whole behind the scenes at what went into making the Battle of Blackwater a reality. And it went back to that "fake battle" we got last year where Tyrion got knocked out by friendly fire. That was a way to save money. They wanted to actually shoot that battle (it was in the books). But this battle was so important that it needed to happen.

GRIMM - Ahhhh right...I did see the black eyes. lol Touche' I just thought they would follow up on that within the finale and not have it be a cliffhanger for next season. So that makes sense that her story will evolve now. nice on pussenfrausen lol Ahh..i'll have to look for those interviews. I get so obsessed with GoT, that I lose track of every other article! lol

Mike V. said...

BTW...this is the specific video pertaining to LOST...other stuff is related to prometheus.

Really good interview. Damon actually lets us behind the curtain a little bit on why they went with the ending they did. Makes total sense to me. (of course, I always liked the ending anyway.)

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/21/3030913/damon-lindelof-on-lost-on-the-verge

MJ said...

GofT: I saved the link for the behind the scenes - I don't want to see parts of the battle until I've seen the ep. I did see the part where they had to get more $$$ to film the battle though.

I'll check out the lost stuff - thanks. As you know, I didn't hate the end but was very disappointed in what was left either unexplained or wound up meaning nothing. I know, I know - I understood that not all could be answered, but I wasn't in agreement with them on what should be left out is the best way to put it. I'm hoping to feel different after my rewatch since my expectations are now different

Leslie said...

Mike - Great interview on LOST! Thanks for posting that. I love that he said that today Hurley and Ben, with the help of Walt, are running the island now! His bottom line about the story he wanted to tell that they all found each other and then were able to forgive themselves for their past sins is the biggest thing I got from that show. All the mysteries and mythology were interesting and fun to talk about, but in the end, it was a story about people and their struggles in life and their relationships. And, his best point was that 2 years after the fact, there are still people talking about LOST and their strong feelings about the finale whether good or bad. That was part of the genius of that show. People needed to talk about it every week. And, yes, I've said it before, but finding your blog just made the journey that much more enjoyable!

Mike V. said...

@MJ

GofT - Ahh gotcha. Yeah, there aren't really any spoilers in there just an interview of how they made it possible. But totally understand not wanting to read!

LOST - Yeah definitely watch Damon's interview before rewatching. They basically wanted to close the loop on what they felt was the central theme of the show. It's what I thought the central theme of the show had been too. REDEMPTION. So, the mythology fell by the wayside. But, as he mentioned, for anyone reading interviews, listening to podcasts, etc....they were level-setting expectations the whole way through. That's probably what helped me enjoy the ride and not get too concerned about the big questions out there. Of course, with a few of my non-recap posts, obviously I fixated on the big mysteries out there too. Most of it, I felt was answered well enough. But there are a few loose ends I wish would have been handled differently.

@LESLIE

LOST - No problem! Yeah, I always wonder what Hurley, Ben and Walt are up to these days ever since they picked up Walt in the "Straight to DVD" epilogue. lol Can only imagine the comedy that would ensue.

Totally agree on your comments on his bottom line as I mentioned above too. And it is true..people are still talking about it. I love when he brings up that Architect scene from Matrix Reloaded. It was so bad! Though, I do know people that loved that scene. Just depends what kind of person you are. I feel like Damon Linfelof is just a more successful version of myself sometimes. lol

And I appreciate once again the props on the fantastic LOST blog. When the blog got found by so many people (through my shameless promotion on other sites and then just word of mouth and google from there I guess)....it became a much more enjoyable experience for me too! We had some great conversations along the way and a nice LOSTian community. I'm glad some of that has carried on....and of course, I'm glad the 100 comments a day thing was only temporary...as fun as it was!! lol

Mike V. said...

http://tvline.com/2012/05/22/fringe-seth-gabel-leaving/

Fringe: Seth gabel (Lincoln) not returning as series regular. I think we kinda figured that. Still could appear though.

MJ said...

Smash S2 casting news ! And it's good news. I was nervous that the new showrunner would be the guy from Gossip Girl as I don't like those teeny angst shows - but this is a great start. Except I kinda liked Dev.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Smash-Dev-Ellis-Exit-Season2-1047881.aspx

Lost - Agree that it was all about Redemption, and that some things could have been tied up better. LOL

Leslie - Revenge finale tonight ! I just can't wait.

Mike V. said...

I saw the SMASH news too! Very exciting. I didn't mind Dev either. Not sure if you saw but Michael and Debra Messing's husband aren't coming back either. Works for me too! Make it more focused on the broadway aspect...I'm cool with that.

LOST - I think we can both agree that some loose ends could've been tied up better. lol Definitely not the perfect show...but still one of the best!

Anonymous said...

I still think LOST was a great show but I am still disappointed that sooo many questions didn't get answered.
As I've said before there were two audiences for LOST - soap opera/drama fans and sci-fi fans. I think the ending was great for the soap opera fans, I think it was lacking for the sci-fi fans. Being part of the latter, I wanted more answers to the nuts-and-bolts aspect of the island itself. Where it came from, the energy force that eminated from the island, explanations for the origins of the devices that were shown (lighthouse, the wheel, etc.) and the science behind it.

Like I said, it still was a great show though.

Bill B

Mike V. said...

First of all...HAPPY 2 YEARS SINCE LOST ENDED!! lol

@Bill

LOST: I think Soap Opera is a little harsh of a term to use with LOST's awesome drama. Lost's 1st season was very little sci-fi and still pretty awesome. It was the mystery and the backstories of each character that really got us into the show. The real sci-fi-ish stuff came later with the electro-magnetic hatch, the moving the island, the time travel. I loved all of it. But, I think the finale still had sci-fi written all over it. It was just explained in different terms.

I agree with Lindelof that a nuts and bolts explanation of the Island wouldn't have made for very exciting television. We got the "nuts and bolts" of the island in bits and pieces throughout the series. We got answers to most of the questions when we didn't even realize it. They just weren't detailed enough to satisfy everyone. And of course, those answers would always lead to more questions (something they stated on the show too. lol) i.e. the answer to the Island was that it had mystical properties due to this crazy energy force. But as you stated below, you wanted to know where that energy force came from. The questions never stop!

I totally hear you on wanting that stuff. At one point, I wanted it to and thought we were going to get it at one point. But prior to the final season, my expectations were level set and I understood the predicament they were in based on what they were saying. So, I decided to just enjoy the ride.

I don't really think LOST was ever an ALL-OUT Sci-Fi show. It had science fiction elements. And the problem with the fandom was that they latched onto that stuff and discussed it for hours on end on sites (such as lost addicts blog lol) and started to expect a big answer to all of it. But, there was so much more to the show....the nuts and bolts of the show were in the character stories that grew throughout the 6 seasons and interconnected with other character arcs. It's these stories that made us care about the Island's origins in the first place.

Don't get me wrong, I would love if we got more LOST stories that dissected where everything came from and the origin of the Island. Maybe if there's ever a reboot/relaunch of LOST with new producers they will dive into that story that Damon and Carlton never wanted to tell. I'd be all for it. But, I was happy that we followed the character arcs from start to closure and brought closure to the overall redemption theme of the show. For the show that LOST was, I believe that was essential in accomplishing more than tying all of the loose ends together in a neat bow.

And as we've stated several times, I'm glad that Fringe has found a way to keep character stories compelling while telling a closely knit sci-fi story which seems like it will all tie together in the end. I'm a fan of both approaches! lol

MJ said...

Lost: I kinda agree with both of you Bill and Mike. There were def two camps, and some of us (me included) had a foot in both camps. I loved the drama and character stories. And yes - so me if it could be considered bordering on soapy LOL, but I was ok with that. I also loved the scifi aspects of the show. And because I liked both I did have some disappointments when it was all over. I just wanted a little more sense from some of the mysteries - they made me care enough to spend hours trying to figure it out - so then close it out for us ! I wanted most, but not all, of it to make sense in the end. But I did not hate the ending either.

But it was a great show, and an even greater experience. I've never been so invested in a show before, never.

Modern Family: OMG - Gloria's pregnant ! LOL Jay is gonna freak I think. Don't think Manny will be too happy either. The real life telenova at the hospital was hysterical.

Were Revenge and Mod Fam our last two shows to have finales? Not counting our various cable offerings of course. I'm still watching The Killing.

Revenge: What did you think Leslie? Not quite as good as I'd hoped - but not bad either. I thought it would be more exciting - but it almost felt like it was just setting up season 2.

Emily totally should have killed that guy with the white hair ! But I guess since they had the proof she decided not to - can't have the heroin be too bad I guess. And he def winked at her thru the picture fram camera when he was in Grayson's office.

There is no way Victoria is dead. She knows Conrad and he said 'if you get on that plane it's the last thing you will do' and totally got what that meant. But did she let Lydia die ? I think so. And we all knew that the evidence would not be gone - good job Nolan.

I knew that Real Amanda would not be able to be back with Jack this soon, but really, a pregnant faux-Manda ? Yuck!

Mike V. said...

@MJ

Yep last night was the end of May Sweeps, so SUMMER TV officially begins now! (and of course the Idol finale was last night too. lol) I think I may post a "SUMMER TV DISCUSSION" post so this Fringe recap doesn't get weighed down more with comments. But we can keep talking here until I do that. lol

MF - Totally didn't see Gloria being preggers...that was nuts. I totally loved the Spanish Soap Opera in the hospital especially since they were just talking about it in the car right before. Sure, it was kinda fake but still hysterical! Mitch and Cam stuff was heartbreaking. Phil and Claire and Luke did some pretty awesome parenting on Haley. lol Phil teaching Alex to dance...classic. Great finale!

LOST: I think any fan of the show (by the end) had to have a foot in both camps. I obviously appreciated both sides of the show. (I still do not like the word SOAPY for the drama side of things...even some of the action/adventure part of the show wasn't sci-fi and certainly wasn't a soap opera....and every drama has to have a love story)

You hit the nail on the head though...the EXPERIENCE was where it was at with LOST. I don't think even JJ Abrams and Lindelof could have forseen the "FANdemonium" that spawned out of LOST when the spontaneously created the show at gunpoint. The show took on a life of its own and it would be difficult for any mortal human to come up with an ending that would have satisfied anyone. That's why I cut the guys some slack. I would have loved to have the show tied up in a neat little bow...but I still loved the ending. I think we all have the same feelings towards the show we just say it a little differently! :-)

REVENGE: I did the math and figured out which episodes i'm missing off my TiVo. There are 5. I think we're going to use some iTunes credit to get them and then we'll be on our way! Got Justified in my netflix queue. I know the MRS wants a bit of a TV break but we have all summer and watching this stuff is less demanding than 5 seasons of The Wire and 3 seasons of Sons of Anarchy (last summer) lol So, we'll get there!

Leslie said...

Modern Family – Loved it! So sad with Mitch and Cam, but Gloria translating and the hospital scene was too funny! Jay dancing at the recital with Lily was great too! Gloria being pregnant was definitely a surprise! A couple of the subtle one liners that cracked me up……Manny asking Jay, “How’s that giant fence working out for you?” And, Alex talking about being the beard for her gay prom date….”well, pre-beard, stubble”. Then we have Luke hiding all the mail. Great writers on this show!

Revenge – MJ, agree with all of your comments. Emily really kicked some butt, but I kinda figured she wasn’t really going to kill that guy. Too much more story to tell since he's part of the bigger conspiracy. I sure didn’t expect a pregnant faux-Manda to show up, but you’re right, it was too easy to think Emily and Jack could get together right now. I don’t think Victoria’s dead either, but I bet Lydia is. And, yes, I noticed that wink, too. I guess the next thing is for Daniel and Ashley to get together. I didn’t realize until this episode that Victoria didn’t know that Conrad had David Clarke murdered. I thought she was in on all that, but in the end, there’s still more to the story about Emily’s mother. I knew there had to be something more there.

MJ said...

Mod Fam - oh yeah great lines - agree Leslie. The fence one actually took me a minute when I watched it. LOL And Jay dancing with Lily was just darling, and Alex trying to learn from Phil hysterical.

Revenge - Mike - have fun watching this one. It's been great.

Revenge - Leslie - OMG with her mom being alive. I feel like we should have seen something coming with this (but i didn't) since just 2 eps ago they showed some random comment with Emily stating that all she remembered about her mom was that she was sick all the time and then gone. Boy - Daniel is like mini Conrad and now Victorias daughter is just like her - except she doesn't have Victoria's self-preservaton yet. I doubt the daughter is dead either.

interesting though - cause by not killing the guy with the white hair Emily now has someone out there (besides he peeps of real Emily, Nolan, Takeda) that knows her secret identity !

MJ said...

Oh - been meaning to say for days - Grimm had a really good uptick in numbers for the finale. Guess with Supernatural and Fringe both done there was less DVRing. ;-D

Leslie said...

Revenge - MJ - Yeah, I don't think Charlotte is dead either, and you're right, those kids are following in their parents' footsteps. I hadn't thought about the white-haired guy now knowing who Emily really is, but surely that won't go well for her. And, we ended with seeing faux-Manda, but with no explanation about the fact that the last time we saw her she was being taken away by Takeda. Is Jack REALLY the father????

Mike V. said...

@MJ

Thanks! looking forward to Revenge.

Grimm - I saw that too and made the same assumption. Good stuff! Might mean that after Fringe is done that Grimm will keep climbing in the ratings and ensure a nice healthy life on Friday. I'd be cool with that. It's a fun show!

MJ said...

Amer Horror Story S2 info !

http://blastr.com/2012/05/american-horror-story-s2-1.php


LOST: Finally got to see the whole Verge interview. Very interesting, and a great watch. I laughed that both of them reference Bob Newhart's ending - I'm showing my age when I say it's one of the best endings ever. But Lindelof is right that it was a sitcom and not a drama. As usual - left with a 'they are both right' feeling about it.

Leslie said...

MJ - Thanks for the AHS link. It'll be interesting to see how the second season goes using some of the same actors, but the setup being in the 60's and all sounds good. Have you ever watched Mad Men?

And, I'm with you on the Newhart ending! At that time, it was so unexpected, and there weren't all these potential spoilers out there like there are now.

Mike V. said...

Crazy on AHS! I'm sure I'll get sucked in again. lol Thanks for the link!

LOST: Yeah the interview was a good time. I could watch an interview with Lindelof talking about paint drying. The dude just cracks me up. lol I love how the interviewer totally interpreted the ending wrong...that made things very easy for Damon to turn the tides of the conversation. That still shocks me that there are still people out there that hated the ending because they misinterpreted it. Ugh..lol

Yeah, even I know about the Newhart ending. And, surely you saw Kimmel after the LOST finale where Damon and Carlton made up some "fake endings" for the show? There was a Newhart ending on that. It was pretty hysterical. lol (and sopranos, survivor endings too)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyKyjeRodd4

Mike V. said...

AWAKE: Looks like it airs earlier in Canada and some people have already seen it. They are saying that even though the show ends with questions there is some closure...so at least that'll be good!

Leslie said...

LOST - I had seen the alternate endings, but not in 2 years! That was fun to watch again! I needed a laugh this afternoon. Thanks Mike! :)

Mike V. said...

No problem Leslie!

AWAKE: Anyone watch? I did this morning! It was pretty nuts. I'll wait to say anything else. The showrunner, Kyle Killen, is doing an interview with EW this afternoon. Maybe he'll answer any questions since the show is over!

MJ said...

I did not get the chance to watch Awake last night - dang it !

I did try Mad Men when it first came out but only the first 2 or so. It was ok - but I had sooo many things that I watched at the time that unfortunately I did not stay with it.

I had forgotten those alternate endings on Kimmel. Thanks. Very funny indeed. And yes - i was laughing when the guy doing the interview had the whole thing all wrong.

AHS - it will be weird seeing 'Constance and Tate' when they won't be Constance and Tate.

I'm outta here early today - everyone have a great holiday weekend.

Mike V. said...

Happy Memorial Day wknd to everyone from me too!

@MJ - you should definitely give Mad Men another shot. Season one has a slow start but it gets really good. Definitely a slower show than most anyway, but once you get used to the pace it's like drinking a fine wine. Just sip and enjoy! lol

Leslie said...

Ditto from me to everyone on having a great holiday weekend, and to MJ, I second Mike's recommendation to watch Mad Men. It's on Netflix streaming.

Mike V. said...

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/26/awake-finale-kyle-killen-burning-questions/

Awake - looks like nothing was intended to be definitive with that finale. I didn't think so when I saw it either. And it looks like killen had never decided which world was real by design. Didn't want to pigeonhole himself. Cited breaking bad season 2 as a good example. Reading stuff like this is what helps me sympathize with the LOST team all the more and the monumental task they had to close up that show. Lol

Mike V. said...

Alright, maybe one more round of TV comments in this FRINGE post, then I'll post a new thread for Summer TV. lol

I'm caught up on Game of Thrones (WOW!) and Mad Men (WOW!) and ready to talk!

BTW, I'm actually going to be out of town starting Friday till next Thursday...so I'm going to miss out on immediate Game of Thrones finale dissection! lol Of course, I will have my iDevices with me, so if I get a good connection maybe I can contribute some brief comments as long as I was able to watch!

Leslie said...

Mad Men – Wow is right! Pete has sure turned into the master manipulator…..first Joan and then the partners. I’m surprised Joan went for it, and I’m proud of Don for standing up for her, even if his last attempt to intervene was too late. Roger, on the other hand, really stepped in it by not stepping up in her defense, but Pete told the partners she was amenable. And, all the while, Lane trying to keep his stolen bonus covered up while pretending his was acting in Joan’s best interest. As Roger said, “this is some very dirty business.” No kidding! Even Don said he wanted to win on the merit of the campaign, and his look of disappointment once he realized Joan went through with it was so sad, as was Joan’s expression. Great acting on both of their parts!

Good for Peggy for sticking up for herself! Crazy when Don threw that money in her face, and while she was saving the day in the other room, all the men on Jaguar were being treated to lobster. That last scene with Peggy and Don was gut wrenching...Once Don realized this wasn’t just a ploy to get a raise, but he was really going to lose her. And, him kissing Peggy’s hand and not wanting to let go...wow! Great episode!

Mike V. said...

MAD MEN - Whew...I'll admit it...I was all welled up by the end of that episode. This is where the slow burn that Mad Men has mastered truly pays off. All of this time spent this season and all series with Peggy and Joan and their relationships with Don and the rest of the office built up into a masterful episode. And Pete...yeah....what a crazy manipulation! I had a feeling Don was too late the first time we saw that scene. And his look at Joan at the end said everything that needed to be said. He doesn't look at her the same way. The campaign was pretty great too and may have won all on its own. Whew...so many layers to dissect there...it was just great television!

And then Peggy....she's been dealing with Don's crap for years even though he knows how important she is. He has taken her for granted one too many times. Crazy to see everything that was happening from her perspective and Don not even realizing it all adding up. Yeah...that final scene with those 2 was crazy. Just that silent moment together made you think of all of their moments together and especially that crazy suitcase episode last season. They had a very real bond. And this is one character I can't see them writing off of the show just because she has left SDCP. Surely, they're going to keep her involved somehow!

Great great television. The thing that annoyed me most about the episode was that it was so good that it will probably earn a 5th straight Emmy win....even though Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad really deserve recognition for their outstanding seasons as well. Even Sons of Anarchy had a fabulous 4th season. Whew...we are blessed with some great television these days. The crazy thing is...how can I possibly still miss LOST when TV is still this good? (i do though...i soooo do. lol)

Leslie said...

Mad Men - No question this is great TV (and great acting) especially in those subtle moments. This show does have quite a different pace than other shows discussed here, but let's face it, some of that is the time in which the show is set. Things moved slower then. I think it plays into the reality they portray. (MJ needs to give it another chance.) I haven't heard anything about Elisabeth Moss leaving the show, so I'm gonna be interested to see how this all plays out. And, we didn't mention Megan's side story, and Don being supportive of her acting as long as it doesn't take her away from being his wife.

Aren't there just a couple more episodes left this season? It will be over too soon! I just hope we don't have to wait as long for the next season. :)

Mike V. said...

Mad Men - True...could be the time period on the pace of the show. I think it's more of the writers involved. A lot of similar pacing was done on The Sopranos. And Matthew Weiner is a disciple of David Chase's and he was on the Sopranos writing squad. He has fine tuned those skills and probably has tweaked them. I remember many episodes of The Sopranos going by where it seemed like nothing happened. (i.e. nobody died)....but that was never what chase was going for. He was more about exploring characters and character relationships. And of course, as we have learned most of the best shows out there have well developed characters. The slow pacing allows us to take a deeper dive into these characters and then when big events happen...they are that much more meaningful. I feel like a broken record when it comes to character development but it's very important to me! lol And agreed...MJ needs to give it another shot!

I haven't heard anything about Moss leaving the show either...but usually when people leave the company or Don's immediate family, their roles are diminished a bit. lol But some of these other characters were minor players (Sal, Paul, dude that had lunch with Peggy).... Betty was the biggest one. But Peggy is such a central character to Mad Men, I can't see them diminishing her role too much. Maybe we'll even follow her to the other company and see what's going on there.

Megan's story is pretty crazy too. Yeah once Don found out she'd be in Boston for 3 months, his attitude totally shifted. He seems so desperate to keep Megan in his life though...he'd probably come around. But the 3 women in Don's life threw him for a loop in this ep. Joan and Peggy both disappointed him.....and we see him begging for Megan to never leave him. This man does not like change!

There are 2 eps left this season, yup! (which means Breaking Bad is on the horizon!! July 15th i think!) It definitely won't take as long for the show to come back. Matthew Weiner got his 3 year deal when he renegotiated last time...that's what took so long. We have 2 more seasons and then that's it!

MJ said...

G of T - WOW! And holy crap. I too have been off and I don't even know what to say. So many thinks left up in the air for our finale this week.

I know that Hound is frightened of fire - but to run out on the battle ! I'm sure Tyrion is ok - but ya just never know with this show. Hopefully Tywin will somehow remove his grandson from that throne, and recognize how great Tyrion was. Stannis has his issues with his witchy religion and Melisarus but he probably would have made a good king.

In reading stuff since the finale - which I shall have to watch again - I did not pick up on the fact that Tywin rode in with Loras and house Tyrell ?? Don't know what I could have missed but Tyrell is the family of Renly's bride right ?

Sure you've already seen but the cast of new chars for S3 is out - means nothing to me of course. But I can see that some family trees are being highlighted. that's all I'll say at this point. http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/29/game-of-throne-season-3-cast/

Mike V. said...

@MJ

G o T: Blackwater was an amazing episode, wasn't it!? That wildfire explosion is one for the ages...and definitely worth the additional money spent. Obviously, the book's battle was much larger but still mostly from Tyrion and Sansa's perspective. I didn't feel short-changed at all. Tyrion does lose a nose in his encounter with Joffrey's guard (in the book)...but i figured we'd just be getting a nice slice on the face instead. lol (Since you're unsure on Tyrion's fate...I'll leave it at that for now lol) Love that the entire episode focused on King's landing which allowed for many nice character moments that are sometimes taken out for the sake of keeping all of the stories moving forward. (i'm hoping by splitting book 3 into 2 seasons...we're going to get more great moments from book 3...it's so good!!)

Funny...I just read a chapter in book 4 talking about "broken men" and how they usually lose it in battle...they finally come to their senses and see no reason to be doing what they're doing. I just kept picturing the Hound in the episode as I read the chapter. (of course..the chapter was indirectly referring to the Hound too but I'm way too far ahead to comment further on it lol) .....his brother Gregor Clegane (The Mountain) threw him in a fire as a child....which causes his fear for fire.... I loved the Hound stuff in the ep and the hound/sansa stuff...but I could see how a non-reader might be a bit confused since they didn't build up to it as much as I wish they could have (but understand why they couldn't). The whole thing about Sansa....there's a whole other subplot going on in the book which they briefly alluded to in the show...but not sure if they're going to follow through on. though...i really think they need to follow through on it. It affects her decision on if she's going to go with the hound or not (which seemed pretty open ended in this episode so I don't want to say any more).

I wouldn't necessarily count out Stannis just yet...but he did lose the Battle of Blackwater. That much is certain. And I'm unclear if it looked like he was captured at the end of the episode or if it was his men taking him away. I don't want to say either way because I know what happens in the next book. lol

Yep, Loras was in Renly's armor and he came in with Tywin. In the books Loras couldn't fit in the armor so his brother had to don the armor. There's a whole plot about the "Ghost of Renly" being at the battle and winning it. Since we see Loras take off the helmet and reveal himself...I'm guessing that subplot isn't going to be as drawn out on the show. But yes...Margarery (sp) Tyrell is Loras's sister and was married to Renly. But as we have seen Littlefinger wheeling in dealing he talked to both Margarery and Tywin (that scene where we were so focused on Arya not getting caught) looking to forge an alliance.....Marge said "I want to be THE queen"....take from that what you will. Those scenes didn't happen in the book....but they definitely pay off to events that DO happen in the book...(in many more layers than initially seen....so again...I'll leave it at that. lol)

Of course I've seen the season 3 list...and my "Mike V." comments are all over that thing...and Hibberd's recap. I just can't resist! LOL I'm so excited about season 3 knowing what's coming. (and season 4 for that matter...the 2nd half of book 3) So much good material to draw from. But we still need to close out season 2 and there's plenty of fun stuff to make the finale a great ep too! (if done right...we'll see!)

Definitely a fantastic episode this week!

MJ said...

Funny thing about the wildfire thing - everyone is talking like it was Tyrions plan but didn't Tyrion find out that Joeffry was the one having it made and then he told the old coot he'd be making it for him soon ? I did read in the book about the chain and how they really just tossed it from the walls.

Ew! Lost a nose ! LOL Gross. Yeah - I'm pretty sure Tyrion is here to stay. Just not positive.

You are right about Stannis - who was taking him was unclear. I do recall you telling me that Sansa and the Hound having more of a relationship/friendship. And I can see why Loras would want to help Stannis to lose since Stannis is responsible for Renly's death.

Can't believe that this wasn't even the finale. How are they gonna top that this week ?!?

Awake: Don't think we discussed that finale yet. I saw your comment about the showrunners comparing it to BB S2 finale? Didn't read that. But I liked the ending. I got it - in reading apparently some did not - that he splintered his reality further. Though - when the shrink froze I thought it was my DVR at first. LOL

I started my Supernatural marathon this past weeeknd. Remembering why I fell in love with this show. Strangely I always remembered it as the mythology not getting so heavy until S2 - but I was wrong !! It's like a much more scarier and cooler Grimm. Fringe will be next. I'll be netflixing that so I want to be sure other stuff I'm watching is done (G of T, Killing, etc)

I know you have felt that True Blood isn't what it used to be but from what I am seeing for this coming season - looks great.

S1 of Boardwalk Emp is NOT on demand on HBO. So mad ! I have a 50in tv and refuse to watch my shows on some small laptop or phone damnit. I'll have to netflix S1 then on-demand S2 I guess.

Mike V. said...

@MJ

Game of Thrones:

Wildfire - Yeah, Cersei was having it made but Tyrion ordered more of it. Much more. It's tough...because most of A Clash of Kings (book 2) was showing how ingenius Tyrion was in strategy and planning out that battle. A lot of his brilliant strokes were cut out....but I think it still served his purpose. Yeah...the Chain was tyrion's idea in the books too...in the beginning he had all of the masons in town working on it but no one knew why...then in the battle it was unleashed....and Stannis's ships were trapped in blackwater bay even though they sailed against the current....so after the wildfire explosions..all of the ships were floating back to the chain and were trapped for a massacre

I will remain mum on Tyrion's fate! lol

Yup...Loras avenging Renly's death is probably part of all of that. Of course...most people think Brienne or Catelyn killed Renly...they don't know about the shadow. There could be other political motivations at play for getting House Tyrell's help. ("I want to be THE queen")

I think Game of Thrones (and a lot of shows these days) have a reputation for having their climactic moments happen in the penultimate episode of the season. (I'm already salivating at season 3's 9th episode...which I'm guessing is where a certain event will happen) The finale is more of a fallout and setting up the subsequent season. That said...there are still plenty of interesting things left to happen to close out book 2!

Before I move on...not sure if you saw me mention above..I'll be out of town after today until next Thursday. I'm still planning on watching GoT's finale....but commenting on it (at least in large chunks) could be difficult. I'll have my iPad though but I'll need wifi to use it! lol

AWAKE: The showrunner Kyle Killen actually compared running the entire show to all of season 2 of BB. You know..how they forshadowed that crap in the pool and then had to come up with some ridiculous plane crash scenario at the end of season 2. They pigeon-holed themselves to paying off that moment. Kyle was pretty much saying that he hadn't made up his mind which reality was the "REAL ONE" but that one is and the accident actually happened. But yeah...i came away with the same interpretation you did. The episode was called "turtles all the way down" and the shrink brought it up when he said he might still be dreaming within a dream. lol Seemed pretty obvious to me! But still...in a weird way it provided a bit of closure to the story while still being unfinished! I liked it. (funny on the DVR. lol)

Mike V. said...

REWATCHES: I'm actually rewatching GoT season 2 right now....always fun to go back and watch after i've read more and after a lot of the season has played out. But...maybe I'll check out Supernatural on Netflix. Though...i was starting to get kinda excited about getting to my LOST rewatch! lol As for the KILLING....i'm thinking i might bail on it. I heard it's probably not getting renewed. I've been keeping most of season 1 and all of season 2 on my DVR like I'm actually going to get to them...and I just don't feel like it! lol

TRUE BLOOD: As much as the show drives me nuts, I always look forward to the summer guilty pleasure! The previews do look good this year. Plus Russell's back! He's awesome. lol

Boardwalk Empire: Yeah...HBO GO is awesome, but until it gets to more TV devices, it's still limited. I'm jealous for anyone with an XBOX 360...but I'm guessing that means it's coming soon to a PS3. I have an Apple TV too and I'm really annoyed that I can't use "airplay" to beam it from my iPad or iPhone. lol (or that there isn't a native app on the apple tv) I refuse to get a Roku box or an XBOX when I have all of this other crap just for HBO GO! lol I have BE Season 2 still tivo'd but I don't know if I'm ever going to get to it. The show is kinda slow and not in a "Mad Men" good way. lol

MJ said...

Oh - I thought you were away until this thursday (today) LOL Well - good luck with watching the finale then.

Killing - yeah - in some ways it's great, in others, eh.

BE - I watched a few eps of S1 and dumped it. But I heard it got better. Whatever. If I can netflix S1 then on demand S2 I'll do it, but not a big deal I guess. Just annoying that HBO can't keep 2 seasons with like 12 eps each on demand ! it's not like I'm asking they keep all eps of Sex and the City avail at all times - but your new shows ? yes they should. LOL

Mike V. said...

FRINGE: http://tvline.com/2012/05/31/anna-torv-fringe-eye-on-emmy/ Nice interview with Anna Torv.



@MJ - Nope...i've been around all of this week! lol And Thanks! I'll need it!

BE - yeah...s1 definitely got better. It's just never been a high priority of mine to watch. I usually enjoy it when I do though. As for On Demand...i dunno...i never use the On Demand features because TiVo doesn't have access to it..but I don't think they ever keep more than a season's worth (even that) for any show. It's probably a space thing. But with HBO GO...it's pretty darn cool that they give access to their whole catalog. And eventually that will be accessible through many devices where you can watch on your TV. It's just a matter of patience! lol

MJ said...

Patiencce ? LOL The husband keeps swearing he's finding a store that sells some and he's buying me lots. ;-D

Thanks for the link !

MJ said...

Fringe : http://blastr.com/2012/05/if-you-liked-fringes-futu.php