Fosters Review

I wasn't able to watch The Fosters when it was on and, for some reason, my DVR didn't tape it.  So I'll have to watch it later this week and will write the review when I do.  Sorry about this...

My Review of Teen Wolf 6.14- Face-to-Faceless and 6.15- Pressure Test

Sorry this took a while but I wasn't able to sit down and watch until tonight.  There is no Teen Wolf on Sunday, so my next Teen Wolf  review will be on September 3rd.

We finally got a name for the creature that escaped from the Wild Hunt: Anuk Ite.  It is a two-faced creature of dissension and discord that leaves chaos and destruction in it wake as people tear themselves and each other apart out of fear.  Not that there aren't some legitimate issues going on though.

Turns out Ms. Monroe was on a bus that Mason attacked when he was the Beast of Gevaudan.  because Scott didn't rescue her; since, you know, he was busy trying to save everyone else and what not; he obviously doesn't care about people and therefore all supernatural creatures should be wiped out.  She also said that she is mad that so many people died while he tried to deal with the various creatures that attacked Beacon Hills.  While I have to acknowledge that she may have a reason to be upset, what she is totally missing is that although Scott hates when individuals die, he had to save as many people as he could and that means not always being able to check for survivors when there may be none.  It's harsh, but absolutely true.  All that said, I have to wonder how much of her hatred is her own, how much has been fanned by Gerard, and how much is a result of the Anuk Ite.

Let's face it, Scott and his pack have lost more than their fair share of battles.  But when you consider that the entire show has taken place over 3 years, he's come a remarkable distance.  His enemies have had a lot longer to plan their strategies than he has had, so there were inevitably going to be some losses.  Not that it sucks any less, but there it is.  Also, Scott mourns every death that has happened whether or not they are from his pack.  He is the Guardian of Beacon Hills and he takes that responsibility very seriously.

I was impressed that Laim managed to control himself as well as he did under that assault.  I so want to hit that teacher who just stood by and let it happen.  Between that and her impotent threat to fail the whole class for the day, she wins the award for worst teacher.  Thank goodness Coach showed up, because someone needed to step in at that point.  While I would love to think that Mason was wrong about Liam's reasons for letting it happen, I suspect that he is right.  Liam is punishing himself because of what happened last week.

I am really glad that Scott and the pack decided to stay.  Not surprised, but still glad.  I am just wondering how much longer they are going to be able to stay hidden.  Gerard and Monroe have turned the whole town against them, so they need to be really careful.  They need to figure out who the two parts of the Anuk Ite are and fast.  Otherwise the town will tear itself apart.

Until the third!

My Review of The Fosters 5.07- Chasing Waterfalls

Callie and Aaron's relationship continues to deepen, Lena's parents come by for a visit, Jude is caught in the middle of Noah and Taylor, Brandon struggles with Cortney's new relationship, and Mariana's attempts at being closer to Logan backfires....

Even though it may not have started in the best way, Callie's relationship with Aaron is probably one of the best things she has going for her right now.  He is secure and mature enough to deal with her crises that have been problems for others and she feels safe enough with him to open up in ways that she hasn't with her other boyfriends.  And that is a very good thing.  She has had to grow up so fast that I think it's good for her to have someone who is older than her and can be a stabilizing force without being a parental figure.  Neither Brandon nor AJ were secure enough to be able to give her really good advice or to help her work through things she really needed to work through.

As for the whole thing about her self portrait, I thought her idea was brilliant.  By allowing others to capture her at random moments, she is showing the vulnerability that they were talking about.  Candid pictures have a way of exposing things in a way that a selfie or a prepared shot could never do.  A selfie or prepared shot can be staged to show what the artist wants you to see, but a candid shot shows what the camera and the camera operator see, which can be radically different.

You have to feel sorry for Jude.  Taylor has been a constant friend of his since he came to Anchor Beach, so it is understandable that she wants to spend time with him.  But Noah, as he pointed out, is Jude's boyfriend, so he should definitely have alone time with Jude.  I loved that Lena's mom came up with that "custody" arrangement for them.  It might have been a little embarrassing, but it was a brilliant idea.  I also feel sorry for Jude because that company wants to have him come on board and not Taylor.  I hope that he turns them down for the sake of his friendship with Taylor, but I am afraid that he might simply choose to go with them and tell her that nothing came of the discussion.  If that happens, there will be hell to pay when she finds out.

As for Mariana and Logan, I just don't know what to say.  Her idea to help him was not a bad idea in theory, but it was definitely not a good idea in practice.  She just needs to tread carefully.

Then there is Brandon.  Again, I just have no words.  His relationship with Grace is already on rocky ground, so he really needs to tread lightly where Cortney is concerned.

And for the kicker, we have Lena's parents.  Her father seems to have dementia or something similar because he is becoming forgetful.  I have to wonder if that has anything to do with the tax trouble that he got in.  Fortunately, he is no longer on the deed to the house, so that is no longer a concern.  I feel sorry for Lena because that has to suck.

Until next Tuesday!

Reviews This Week

I wasn't able to watch Teen Wolf tonight nor will I be able to watch The Fosters on Tuesday.  I hope to watch them Wednesday and Thursday, although it may be Thursday and Friday, so please be patient and keep an eye on the page for the reviews.  Thanks!

My Review of The Fosters 5.06- Welcome to the Jungler

First, I apologize that this is a day late, but I wasn't able to watch the episode last night.  The same thing will probably happen next week, so please bear with me.

Jesus makes a surprising decision, Callie comes to a realization, Mariana gets some help from an unexpected corner, Jude runs into something he wasn't expecting, and Stef tries to help someone.

If anyone needs further proof that Jesus needs help, this episode should give them that proof.  The turn arounds and changes he makes were enough to give me whiplash.  First, he wants to drop out of school and then he makes a sudden decision to ask Emma to marry him so they can be together forever.  Then, after she turns him down because he is planning on dropping out, he decides to stay in school.  While it is possible that he might have done something like this had he not suffered the TBI, I sort of doubt it.  His erratic behavior and sudden swings are worse than they were before he was injured.  Until he can pull himself together, I don't think that Emma should marry him.  I am not really in favor of high school kids marrying anyway but in this case, I am doubly sure.

Callie needs to be uber-careful with this protest.  While other people may be placing a lont on the line, I am not sure that Callie can afford to.  Given her record and everything, participating in a protest where the goal is to get arrested is not smart of her.  As for her and Aaron, I think it was nice to see the two of them try and come to a place of agreement even though they were both not saying things in the best possible way.  The fact that everyone is just seeing Aaron as a guy is a good thing for him, but Callie is right that his being able to be seen strictly as a white guy does give him a certain amount of privilege.  Does that mean that he should disclose that he is trans to everyone?  Of course not!  He was right when he was talking about the fact that by blocking a right-wing speaker, it might make it easier for a progressive speaker to be blocked the same way later.  The whole thing is very messy and there are very valid arguments on both sides of the issue, so it is a line that needs to be walked carefully and thoughtfully.

I was glad that Callie told her friend that Mariana had forged the signature because it gave her friend the opportunity to talk with Lena about how important roller derby is to Mariana and how it can help her.  And, like I said last week, I thought Callie had very good points about Mariana.  Mariana loves revealing other people's secrets, but hates being called out on her own.  It is not a very attractive quality.  I do hope that she gets to stay on the roller derby team because that could be really good for her.

I'm just not sure what to make of Jude anymore.  For the last couple of seasons, he is barely in episodes and when he is, he doesn't really have much of a storyline.  It was nice to see him and Taylor do that live broadcast, but if they want us to really invest in his new relationship, Jude needs to be in a whole lot more.

As for Brandon, he is in a very weird position.  His current girlfriend is very jealous of his ex, but she keeps doing things that push Brandon and Cortney together.  It is very weird.  I know she has her whole "do one thing a day that terrifies me" thing, but this is just a bad way to go about that.  The only thing I can think of is that she is trying to sabotage her relationship with Brandon or something, because otherwise it makes no sense.

I really hope that Stef can help Kyle, but it looks like it might not happen.  If she is just going to put him in danger, then I really hope that she backs off a bit.

Until next week!

My Review of Teen Wolf 6.13- After Images

Argent and Melissa share an odd discovery, Scott and the gang look for Brett, and Cory and Mason have a disturbing encounter....

Well, it appears that Gerard is doing everything he can to expose supernatural creatures and scare people so he can finally get his revenge on Scott and all other werewolves.  He is using people's fear of the unknown in order to get them scared so that they will go after the werewolves.  The problem is that it is entirely possible that the body count from that sort of war will be sky high because the wolves will defend themselves.

Gerard has already exposed Liam as a werewolf and Cory and Lydia have also been exposed as something nonhuman at the high school.  This is not a good thing because Scott and his pack have been the one thing standing between Beacon Hills and disaster on multiple occasions.  I have to wonder if the thing that escaped is somehow heightening people's fears in order to remove the guardians of Beacon Hills so it can have Beacon Hills to itself.

This would make sens given what Melissa and Argent discovered.  Something about the body they were getting a sample from was giving them the freaks.  Interestingly enough, the thing was also nothing, which makes no sense.  This also makes sense since some previews showed Ms. Blake coming back and since she is dead.  If anyone in the gang fears her enough and the whatever it is that was released preys on fears, her coming back makes sense.

Since Scott now knows that Gerard is behind what is going on, it would be a good idea for him to bring back as many allies as possible because Gerard is the one enemy who has consistently given Scott the most trouble.  Gerard is crafty, plays fast and loose with the truth, and is absolutely fanatical about taking out all werewolves.  All in all, a bad combination.

Until next week!

My Review of The Fosters 5.05- Telling

The kids go to a party where secrets are revealed, Lena is disturbed by Tess and upset by Stef who is obsessed with her latest case, Callie is challenged, and Brandon is put into a somewhat awkward position.

While I admire the fact that Callie wants to stand up for other people, I do think the braver thing for her personally to do would be to stay out of what is going on at the college campus.  It is so easy for her to get swept up in what is going on that for her to take a step back and watch for a bit is probably the best thing.  Given the way everyone was talking, I am worried that things will get out of hand and she will get herself in over her head again.  I just hope that she is smart about her activism now and sets limits for herself.

As for what she said about Mariana, I can't totally disagree with her.  While Mariana does have a certain activist streak, her activism tends more towards things that will help Mariana and less towards the more selfless (albeit reckless) activism that is Callie's stock in trade.  As for the whole party, I get that Mariana wanted to go, but allowing Jesus to come along without keeping a closer eye on him was not smart, particularly considering the fact that Jesus doesn't really seem to have his own best, long-term interests in mind.  I get that he wants to go out and have fun, but he really, REALLY needs to be a tone more careful.  Bouncing around and jumping up and down cannot be good for his brain right now.  He really needs to figure out a way to do things that aren't potentially going to get him hurt worse than he already is.  I am glad that Mariana decided to do the right thing a fess up to everything to Lena.  I do hope that Stef and Lena will let her continue to do roller derby, because she really does enjoy it.

Speaking of Lena, she seems to be near the end of her rope.  She is frustrated by everything going on with Jesus, upset at being his main caretaker, and then there was Tess' bit about her being impressed that Stef and Lena had embraced an "alternative lifestyle".  For the record, I hate that phrase when it is applied to someone's sexuality.  Living off the gird is an "alternative lifestyle".  Being married to the person that you love, whether or not they are the same sex as you, is not.  Period.  I was definitely a little surprised that she snapped at Stef, but I think they both needed that for Stef to realize how alone Lena is feeling right now.  Fortunately, Stef took the hint and seems to be working towards rectifying the situation.

Brandon has put himself in a somewhat awkward position.  While I get why he wants to help his ex and her son, not telling his current girlfriend was not the best idea.  I don't know if he considered how she might react, but it has the potential to be pretty bad.  She was definitely not happy to hear about i and Brandon needs to carefully consider his next steps.

Until next week!

My Review of Teen Wolf 6.12- Raw Talent

A few characters make a return and Scott gets an inkling as to what is going on.

Honestly, there was not a ton of stuff going on tonight.  The main thing we learned is that there are a variety of ordinary people who have twigged into the whole supernatural thing and aren't exactly happy about it.  The guidance counselor is one of those people and the doctor from Eichen House is another.  They seem to want to kill supernatural creature merely because they exist and they want them gone.

In other words, this seems like the Benefactor all over again.  When shows repeat major storylines in their final season, I always get worried because that generally indicates that they don't have another idea and don't know what to do.  And that generally leads to a not great ending because they are retreading old territory.  Add to that the fact that they are bringing Gerard back again to unite these people into some semblance of an army and we are repeating part of season 2.

I've seen this happen with other shows and I am not happy to see it happening again.  Falling Skies had this sort of problem, The Vampire Diaries had this sort of problem, as have other shows.  I really, really hope that the remaining episodes aren't just going over well trod ground again.  If so, I will stop writing reviews, even though I will continue watching.  Between this week and the lack of Stiles as a main character, this arc is *SO* not off to a good start.

Honestly, that is really all I have to say about the episode, which is not a good sign.  I am just hoping that the show goes back to being a whole lot better than it was in 6A.  I want this show to go out with a bang, not a whimper.

My Review of The Fosters 5.04- Too Fast, Too Furious

Tonight is all about romantic relationships as Callie and Aaron have something to consider, Mike and Ana come to a decision, Jesus confronts Emma, and Brandon is caught in a bit of a bind.  Meanwhile, Mariana hides something from the family.

It's a good thing Aaron is a patient man, because he seems to need it with Callie.  On the one hand, it is hard to blame her for going to Tom because he is a friend and is trans like Aaron.  On the other hand, going to someone who has (had?) a crush on you for romantic advice is not the best idea in the world.  At least she and Aaron are being open and honest with each other as they consider their relationship.  Callie trying to be verbal and make Aaron feel more masculine was sort of funny in a cringe-inducing sort of way.  The problem is that if you are going to do something like that, it needs to be natural and she was anything but.  I can't say I blame her for being nervous because dating a trans guy has to be different, at least when it comes to the physical.  And Callie has always had a problem being emotionally open (although she is getting better at it!), so not talking to Aaron right away was so something she would do.  But, it appears that the two of them are going to be open with their questions, so that is a good thing.

And then there is Brandon.  Babysitting your ex's kid is not a horrible idea, but he so should have let Grace know about the situation before she found out on her own.  And letting Courtney stay with them without talking to Grace about it is such a horrible idea.  Grace does not seem to be the most secure person in the world and I suspect that even that most secure person would have an issue with your ex staying at your parent's house.  It's nice of him to offer, but it was still a bad idea.  I have a horrible suspicion that it will come back to bite him on the ass, big time.

Mike and Ana are engaged. While I am happy for them, it is a weird situation.  Brandon's dad is going to be married to the twins' biological mom.  That is probably going to be somewhat uncomfortable for everyone involved.  Hey, I may be wrong, but I don't think that it was the best move without some thorough groundwork.  I know it is Mike and Ana's lives and everything, but by not at least preparing everyone ahead of time, it could lead to some serious awkwardness.

The main problem, I suspect, is going to be Jesus.  I know allowance have to be made for the TBI. but at some point, excuses have to stop being made for him.  He has been on Brandon over so many things, it is really hard to blame him for fighting back a little.  Jesus did destroy Brandon's room and is scaring people and he has to realize that, while he may not be able to control himself terribly well, that doesn't mean that his actions don't have consequences.  Emma is worried that Jesus might go off on her, and I can't say I blame her.  I don't think he would purposefully hurt her, but if he has fit of rage around her, he could hurt her anyway.  As for his going back to school, it is not the worst idea.  Working construction is a horrible idea, mainly because he could very easily hurt himself again and exacerbate his TBI.  I know he doesn't want to be different, but he is, and he needs to figure out how to deal with that.

Apparently, the only secrets Mariana can keep are her own.  Joining the derby team could be good for her, but when Stef and Lena figure out what she is up to, it is not going to end well.  It was nice to see her get better, but this is something she needs to tell them about.  They may be hesitant to let her join the team, but they might be persuaded to relent in time.  She, however, is not giving them that chance, and that is a problem.

Until next week!