Oliver returns to find that a lot has changed. Thea runs Verdent, his mom is in jail, Laurel has a new job, there are cheap Hood knockoffs, and his company is in trouble....
So after Tommy died, Oliver returned to the island to get some alone time. Understandable. Not the best idea in the world, but understandable. I am so glad that Felicity and Diggles returned to get him, because Starling City really needs him. His company is on the verge of being taken over, his mom is in jail and is being completely blamed for what happened, and there are groups of people "imitating" the Hood, More on that in a bit. Oh, and Laurel has decided to hunt him down since she blames the Hood for Tommy's death. Yeah, not good.
First off, let me say that I completely disagree with the idea that somehow the Hood was a killer. Did he kill? Yes, but he never killed capriciously. The Hood had a mission and did what it took to accomplish it. Was it all morally correct? No, but he always had a good reason and a purpose behind his actions. The new group seems to be taking the worst aspects of the Hood and using it as a justification for doing whatever they can. Pretty sad actually.
I also think that Oliver is being too hard on himself. I get why he blames himself for Tommy's death, but he did do everything he could to stop it. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that Malcolm had 2 devices, so he couldn't stop both. I also think that Laurel is being massively unfair in saying that Tommy's death was the result of the fight between the Hood and the Dark Archer. Malcolm was planning to destroy the Glades for years and that is why Tommy died. The Hood only affected the timing because he was working on taking out people on the list. If Tommy had be injured as a result of an actual fight or something that was directly caused by the Hood, she would have a point, but he didn't, so she doesn't.
Also, I am trying to figure out why people are saying that Queen Consolidated's R&D division invented the earthquake device. Malcolm was fairly specific that the devices were invented by another company which he bought. Nothing to do with Queen Consolidated. I get that maybe the ordinary citizens would be confused given Moira's confession, but the DA should not have been confused that way.
I do like that Oliver has definitely grown since he first returned. He has acknowledged that his revenge last season was not the right path and that he needs to turn from being an avenging angel to being a protector. Not that the avenging angel didn't do some protecting, but it was mostly incidental. So having it now be his primary mission is a good thing. I wonder if he'll assume the mantle of Green Arrow yet or if he will go by another name for a bit a la the Blur in Smallville.
I do feel sorry for now-Officer Lance. He did the right thing and is being punished because it was against the rules. I did not always appreciate his single-minded obsession with the Hood and Oliver, but he was never a bad person, just a misguided one. Hopefully he'll find a way to earn back his detective's badge.
I definitely like the improved lair. Felicity's tech touch is very prominent and now she'll be able to be even more helpful to Oliver. I definitely giggled at her crack about liking Oliver's exercise equipment. Sweetie, you're not the only one who appreciates his working out. Having a new bow fashioned for Oliver was also a very good thing. I wonder how she knew what to look for. Maybe Diggles helped?
Thea is running Verdent and she is still with Roy. It is also nice to see how she has grown. I was also very glad to see that she was able to forgive her mother and realize that what Moira did is not the unadulterated evil that she seemed to think it was. Now if Roy would only learn how to pace himself a bit. He seems to be doing a good job keeping some people safe, and now that Oliver is back, I so want to see the two of them work together. I also have to wonder how Oliver will manage to keep Thea clueless about his alternate identity since his lair is in the basement of her club.
I am intrigued by Isabel Rochev. I think it will be fun to watch Oliver take her on in the board room, particularly since she owns half of his company now. That will be a very different set of skills for Oliver to display and I am looking forward to seeing him develop in that area.
The Tomorrow People is next and then Vampire Diaries tomorrow.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
My Review of The Originals 1.02- House of the Rising Son
Klaus is a better planner than he appears to be, we learn how Klaus met Marcel, Rebekah arrives in New Orleans, and Klaus and Rebekah find out about Devinna(sp?)....
Well, I don't think I have ever seen Klaus plan something out so well before. Well, he did on Vampire Diaries, but he never explained it, so we got it as it unfolded. This time, we actually got to see him explain to Rebekah what his plan was and it is a good one. He knows that Marcel doesn't trust him, so he gave Marcel a daggered Elijah as a way to gain some trust. He also knew that Marcel has his vamps taking vervain to get around Klaus' mental powers, so Klaus compelled a newly created vampire to spy on Marcel for him. He also got a woman Marcel is interested in to spy for him. All in all, this is a good plan, if it works.
It was very interesting to see how Marcel and Klaus met. Marcel is the bastard son of the former governor of Louisiana (who knew about the Originals) and a slave. Klaus saw him getting beaten and saw that he was a survivor, so Klaus rescued him and took him in because Klaus saw in Marcel someone like himself: a young man who was detested by his father. We also found out that Marcel and Rebekah were almost an item, until Klaus daggered Rebekah and gave Marcel the choice of being turned or living out his human life with Rebekah. We know what Marcel chose. Sucks for Rebekah. Given that and the boyfriends Klaus has killed, it is no wonder the girl has issues with boys.
We also found out why the Originals left New Orleans. They left because MIkael found them. Unfortunately, they thought that Marcel was dead, so they went without him. From there, we get two different stories. Klaus thinks that Marcel should have sought them out and worked with them, whereas Marcel was upset that the Originals abandoned him. Two mutually exclusive views that are at the root of the problem between Marcel and Klaus. Klaus sees Marcel as a usurper and betrayer. Marcel sees Klaus and the Originals as people who abandoned him, so he just took what they left.
Hayley was right when she said that Rebekah and Klaus have a complicated and tempestuous relationship. There is a love there that is rooted in the fact that they are family. There is also a hatred that runs deep because of the number of times that Klaus has betrayed or caused pain to his siblings. I look at the Originals as a group who will tear each other apart viciously as a part of their infighting, but if you present them with a common enemy that threatens them, they will pull together to end the threat before being back at each others' throats again. And Marcel has presented Klaus and Rebekah with just such a threat.
And that threat is in the form of Devinna, the massively powerful witch we met last week. She is powerful enough to toss Rebekah around like a rag doll, knock her out, and then erase parts of her memory. Wonder what would happen if she came face-to-face with Bonnie. That would be interesting. Now Marcel wants Devinna to find a way to kill the Originals. I am pretty sure there is no way to do so without the ash stake and (unless my memory is bad) that was destroyed some time ago. I actually seem to remember it being mentioned that Klaus is invincible because he is a hybrid. The only possibility I can see is if Devinna can somehow undo the magic that made them immortal in the first place.
Until Arrow tomorrow!
Well, I don't think I have ever seen Klaus plan something out so well before. Well, he did on Vampire Diaries, but he never explained it, so we got it as it unfolded. This time, we actually got to see him explain to Rebekah what his plan was and it is a good one. He knows that Marcel doesn't trust him, so he gave Marcel a daggered Elijah as a way to gain some trust. He also knew that Marcel has his vamps taking vervain to get around Klaus' mental powers, so Klaus compelled a newly created vampire to spy on Marcel for him. He also got a woman Marcel is interested in to spy for him. All in all, this is a good plan, if it works.
It was very interesting to see how Marcel and Klaus met. Marcel is the bastard son of the former governor of Louisiana (who knew about the Originals) and a slave. Klaus saw him getting beaten and saw that he was a survivor, so Klaus rescued him and took him in because Klaus saw in Marcel someone like himself: a young man who was detested by his father. We also found out that Marcel and Rebekah were almost an item, until Klaus daggered Rebekah and gave Marcel the choice of being turned or living out his human life with Rebekah. We know what Marcel chose. Sucks for Rebekah. Given that and the boyfriends Klaus has killed, it is no wonder the girl has issues with boys.
We also found out why the Originals left New Orleans. They left because MIkael found them. Unfortunately, they thought that Marcel was dead, so they went without him. From there, we get two different stories. Klaus thinks that Marcel should have sought them out and worked with them, whereas Marcel was upset that the Originals abandoned him. Two mutually exclusive views that are at the root of the problem between Marcel and Klaus. Klaus sees Marcel as a usurper and betrayer. Marcel sees Klaus and the Originals as people who abandoned him, so he just took what they left.
Hayley was right when she said that Rebekah and Klaus have a complicated and tempestuous relationship. There is a love there that is rooted in the fact that they are family. There is also a hatred that runs deep because of the number of times that Klaus has betrayed or caused pain to his siblings. I look at the Originals as a group who will tear each other apart viciously as a part of their infighting, but if you present them with a common enemy that threatens them, they will pull together to end the threat before being back at each others' throats again. And Marcel has presented Klaus and Rebekah with just such a threat.
And that threat is in the form of Devinna, the massively powerful witch we met last week. She is powerful enough to toss Rebekah around like a rag doll, knock her out, and then erase parts of her memory. Wonder what would happen if she came face-to-face with Bonnie. That would be interesting. Now Marcel wants Devinna to find a way to kill the Originals. I am pretty sure there is no way to do so without the ash stake and (unless my memory is bad) that was destroyed some time ago. I actually seem to remember it being mentioned that Klaus is invincible because he is a hybrid. The only possibility I can see is if Devinna can somehow undo the magic that made them immortal in the first place.
Until Arrow tomorrow!
Friday, October 4, 2013
My Review of The Originals 1.01- Always and Forever
A retelling of the events of the backdoor pilot from Elijah's perspective with some new information. For my review of The Originals go to http://bab5guy-tvreviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-review-of-vampire-diaries-420.html. Because of this, this will be a shorter review than normal.
It was nice to see the events from Elijah's perspective, if only to allow any new viewers to get up to speed with what is going on. Also, Elijah has always been my favorite Original because he is the most human. His innate sense of honor and decency is a wonderful thing and an incredibly rare trait among vampires.
The introduction of the Originals to New Orleans was classic Vampire Diaries. Watch the clueless humans investigate and the get killed one by one. I think I will love that the flashbacks will allow us to see Kol again. Honestly, I don't care much about Finn, but I do like Kol. He's a bad guy to be sure, but he is lots of fun. Besides, I am a sucker for cute guys with an accent. :-)
It was nice to see Marcel's secret to controlling the witches. It's another witch, apparently a very powerful one. Given her (apparent) age, I am guessing that she was raised by Marcel to do exactly what he wants her to do. Maybe he told her that all witches are bad or something, so that is why he is having her track them. He also seems to think that he can use her against Klaus and Elijah. Would magic hurt either of them if they are not linked?
Watching Elijah clean up the messes that Klaus left behind gave me a definite appreciation for how his life must be, particularly if he has to do that all the time. I am surprised that he hasn't left Klaus before now. Well, I would be if he weren't so honorable and if he didn't believe so strongly in the importance of family. He also feels a certain amount of guilt because of how he helped Mikael bind Klaus' werewolf side.
I was very surprised that Klaus daggered Elijah. It makes sense from Klaus' perspective, but it was still surprising. You'd think that Klaus would want any ally he can get his hands on to take Marcel down, particularly since Elijah a) can take care of himself and b) cannot be killed except by the white ash stake. How many times will Elijah forgive Klaus for pulling that move?
Next Tuesday, The Originals moves to its normal night, so I will hopefully have a full length review for that episode. Until then!
It was nice to see the events from Elijah's perspective, if only to allow any new viewers to get up to speed with what is going on. Also, Elijah has always been my favorite Original because he is the most human. His innate sense of honor and decency is a wonderful thing and an incredibly rare trait among vampires.
The introduction of the Originals to New Orleans was classic Vampire Diaries. Watch the clueless humans investigate and the get killed one by one. I think I will love that the flashbacks will allow us to see Kol again. Honestly, I don't care much about Finn, but I do like Kol. He's a bad guy to be sure, but he is lots of fun. Besides, I am a sucker for cute guys with an accent. :-)
It was nice to see Marcel's secret to controlling the witches. It's another witch, apparently a very powerful one. Given her (apparent) age, I am guessing that she was raised by Marcel to do exactly what he wants her to do. Maybe he told her that all witches are bad or something, so that is why he is having her track them. He also seems to think that he can use her against Klaus and Elijah. Would magic hurt either of them if they are not linked?
Watching Elijah clean up the messes that Klaus left behind gave me a definite appreciation for how his life must be, particularly if he has to do that all the time. I am surprised that he hasn't left Klaus before now. Well, I would be if he weren't so honorable and if he didn't believe so strongly in the importance of family. He also feels a certain amount of guilt because of how he helped Mikael bind Klaus' werewolf side.
I was very surprised that Klaus daggered Elijah. It makes sense from Klaus' perspective, but it was still surprising. You'd think that Klaus would want any ally he can get his hands on to take Marcel down, particularly since Elijah a) can take care of himself and b) cannot be killed except by the white ash stake. How many times will Elijah forgive Klaus for pulling that move?
Next Tuesday, The Originals moves to its normal night, so I will hopefully have a full length review for that episode. Until then!
My Review of Vampire Diaries 5.01- I Know What You Did Last Summer
Elena and Caroline head off to college, Silas has fun, Stefan suffers, Damon is taking care of Jeremy, Katherine is freaked out, and Matt had an interesting summer....
That has to be a record for getting rid of a college roommate. I was honestly expecting her to stick around for a while, but instead they killed her off in the first episode. The interesting things are that a) she knew Elena's dad and b) she appears to have known about vampires. So are we going to get Elena and Caroline, vampire detectives? I have to say that sound like fun. If a vampire really killed her, I have to wonder why. And how exactly did she end up with Elena and Caroline in the first place? So many questions.
Watching Damon try and take care of Jeremy was funny and sort of sweet. Glamouring the principal to get her to turn the expulsion into a suspension was quite the Damon thing to do. I do have to ask why a fight was enough to get Jeremy expelled. Granted, he took the guys apart rather handily, but they did greatly provoke him. I suspect that part of the expulsion has to do with Jeremy's sudden reappearance, particularly if he said that burned the house down on purpose. I also have to wonder if Jeremy might have done something else given the fact that he was rather obviously less than pleased to be going back to school.
Watching Katherine complain about being human was very satisfying, if only because it was so karmically deserved. She has been a thorn in the side of many a person and vampire, so she really does deserve whatever she gets. Is she correct when she speculated that having taken the cure, she cannot become a vampire again? It is possible and she does love living, even if it is as a weak human and not a vampire.
Silas came back and made no secret about who he was. The interesting thing is that he insists that he is not a vampire. That would still make the Originals the original vampires. He does have to consume human blood, but I think that he lacks the fangs and weaknesses of the vampires, which is why he had to cut Sheriff Forbes' wrist to get blood. I do wonder how he healed her since he did not feed her any blood or anything. Is it that property of the blade? If so, there may be hope for Bonnie's dad if Silas used the same knife to slit his throat. Probably not, but you never know. And Silas' powers are astonishing. He managed to control the entire town square. Is that because he is Silas or is there another reason? And we thought the Originals were powerful. And what exactly does he want with Katherine? I wonder if being the only human doppleganger will allow him to use her to die and pass on or something like that.
Matt's trip with Rebekah was interesting. They had quite the carnal relationship including at least one threesome which came back to haunt Matt (more on that in a sec). I wonder how he is going to adjust to being back in Mystic Falls. I do think it would be a good idea for Jeremy to live with him, if only because it would give Matt someone to live with and put Jeremy in a vampire-free house. Nadia is rather obviously up to no good. She took the ring from Matt only to come back to "return" it and have a witch (presumably) put some sort of spell on Matt. Not a good thing.
Stefan is still stuck underwater. I can't blame him for wanting to turn off the humanity to avoid suffering, but I can totally see why he doesn't want to. Remember what happened the last time he turned it off? Yeah, that's what I thought. Not good....
Coming in a few, my review of The Originals pilot....
That has to be a record for getting rid of a college roommate. I was honestly expecting her to stick around for a while, but instead they killed her off in the first episode. The interesting things are that a) she knew Elena's dad and b) she appears to have known about vampires. So are we going to get Elena and Caroline, vampire detectives? I have to say that sound like fun. If a vampire really killed her, I have to wonder why. And how exactly did she end up with Elena and Caroline in the first place? So many questions.
Watching Damon try and take care of Jeremy was funny and sort of sweet. Glamouring the principal to get her to turn the expulsion into a suspension was quite the Damon thing to do. I do have to ask why a fight was enough to get Jeremy expelled. Granted, he took the guys apart rather handily, but they did greatly provoke him. I suspect that part of the expulsion has to do with Jeremy's sudden reappearance, particularly if he said that burned the house down on purpose. I also have to wonder if Jeremy might have done something else given the fact that he was rather obviously less than pleased to be going back to school.
Watching Katherine complain about being human was very satisfying, if only because it was so karmically deserved. She has been a thorn in the side of many a person and vampire, so she really does deserve whatever she gets. Is she correct when she speculated that having taken the cure, she cannot become a vampire again? It is possible and she does love living, even if it is as a weak human and not a vampire.
Silas came back and made no secret about who he was. The interesting thing is that he insists that he is not a vampire. That would still make the Originals the original vampires. He does have to consume human blood, but I think that he lacks the fangs and weaknesses of the vampires, which is why he had to cut Sheriff Forbes' wrist to get blood. I do wonder how he healed her since he did not feed her any blood or anything. Is it that property of the blade? If so, there may be hope for Bonnie's dad if Silas used the same knife to slit his throat. Probably not, but you never know. And Silas' powers are astonishing. He managed to control the entire town square. Is that because he is Silas or is there another reason? And we thought the Originals were powerful. And what exactly does he want with Katherine? I wonder if being the only human doppleganger will allow him to use her to die and pass on or something like that.
Matt's trip with Rebekah was interesting. They had quite the carnal relationship including at least one threesome which came back to haunt Matt (more on that in a sec). I wonder how he is going to adjust to being back in Mystic Falls. I do think it would be a good idea for Jeremy to live with him, if only because it would give Matt someone to live with and put Jeremy in a vampire-free house. Nadia is rather obviously up to no good. She took the ring from Matt only to come back to "return" it and have a witch (presumably) put some sort of spell on Matt. Not a good thing.
Stefan is still stuck underwater. I can't blame him for wanting to turn off the humanity to avoid suffering, but I can totally see why he doesn't want to. Remember what happened the last time he turned it off? Yeah, that's what I thought. Not good....
Coming in a few, my review of The Originals pilot....
Monday, September 16, 2013
My Review of Under the Dome Episode 13- Curtains
The Monarch is crowned, pink stars rise in lines, darkness and light both come, and we get a pseudo-answer about the dome....
Julia is the Monarch. I was honestly not expecting that. I was expecting it would be Barbie or one of kids or, in a weird twist, Junior. Julia never actually entered my mind as a contender. So what is her first decision as the Monarch? She drop the egg into the lake in order to protect it and make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. That actually makes sense. It could be found, but somehow I doubt it will be for some time.
I think Junior expected to be the Monarch given how badly he reacted to the news about Julia. The problem with Junior is that he so desperately wants dad's approval that he is willing to go along with whatever Big Jim wants. He knows the Big Jim has killed people, but now that Big Jim has told him that they have a destiny together, I don't think that Junior will ever go back. The truly scary thing is how quickly Junior turned on Angie and the rest. Attacking Barbie was no surprise, but turning on Angie was something I did not think he would do. Guess his "love" has limits after all.
Big Jim is becoming scarier and scarier by the week. I think he is as unbalanced as his son is. Barbie is right, Big Jim is a politician and has no issue switching sides if the need arises. The scary thing is that he seems to honestly believe that everything he is doing is for the greater good of Chester's Mill. I am not sure if this is his attempt at coping a justifying the horrific things he has done or if he is delusional enough to actually believe his own propaganda.
Linda's actions regarding the minidome make sense so long as you believe in what Big Jim says. If Big Jim were telling the truth about everything, then the minidome is vital to the survival of Chester's Mill. The problem is that Big Jim is a liar and Linda refuses to look at that basic truth. She doesn't see that everything she is doing is tightening his grip on Chester's Mill.
The dome was apparently sent by some entity to protect Chester's Mill from something that is coming. The nature of the threat has not been defined. All we know is that it is that the dome is protection for Chester's Mill. So, why this particular town? Why not a bigger city or another town? What is so special that Chester's Mill deserves this type of protection? And who exactly are these entities? Extraterrestrials? Some lifeform within the Earth itself? Or is this some massive hoax on the part of some human group? Or is it the truth from some human group?
So, going into next season we have those answers as well as the question of what happened to Barbie. Will what Julia did somehow save Barbie or will something else? Or, will he end up being hanged by Junior and Big Jim?
Until next summer!
Julia is the Monarch. I was honestly not expecting that. I was expecting it would be Barbie or one of kids or, in a weird twist, Junior. Julia never actually entered my mind as a contender. So what is her first decision as the Monarch? She drop the egg into the lake in order to protect it and make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. That actually makes sense. It could be found, but somehow I doubt it will be for some time.
I think Junior expected to be the Monarch given how badly he reacted to the news about Julia. The problem with Junior is that he so desperately wants dad's approval that he is willing to go along with whatever Big Jim wants. He knows the Big Jim has killed people, but now that Big Jim has told him that they have a destiny together, I don't think that Junior will ever go back. The truly scary thing is how quickly Junior turned on Angie and the rest. Attacking Barbie was no surprise, but turning on Angie was something I did not think he would do. Guess his "love" has limits after all.
Big Jim is becoming scarier and scarier by the week. I think he is as unbalanced as his son is. Barbie is right, Big Jim is a politician and has no issue switching sides if the need arises. The scary thing is that he seems to honestly believe that everything he is doing is for the greater good of Chester's Mill. I am not sure if this is his attempt at coping a justifying the horrific things he has done or if he is delusional enough to actually believe his own propaganda.
Linda's actions regarding the minidome make sense so long as you believe in what Big Jim says. If Big Jim were telling the truth about everything, then the minidome is vital to the survival of Chester's Mill. The problem is that Big Jim is a liar and Linda refuses to look at that basic truth. She doesn't see that everything she is doing is tightening his grip on Chester's Mill.
The dome was apparently sent by some entity to protect Chester's Mill from something that is coming. The nature of the threat has not been defined. All we know is that it is that the dome is protection for Chester's Mill. So, why this particular town? Why not a bigger city or another town? What is so special that Chester's Mill deserves this type of protection? And who exactly are these entities? Extraterrestrials? Some lifeform within the Earth itself? Or is this some massive hoax on the part of some human group? Or is it the truth from some human group?
So, going into next season we have those answers as well as the question of what happened to Barbie. Will what Julia did somehow save Barbie or will something else? Or, will he end up being hanged by Junior and Big Jim?
Until next summer!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
My Review of Under the Dome Episode 12- Exigent Circumstances
Chester's Mill come even more tightly under Big Jim's grip, the kids get in trouble, someone else dies, and Barbie makes an interesting choice...
Chester's Mill is now Big Jim's personal fiefdom. That man now has the town right where he wants them and he is milking it for all it is worth. Out of fear of the "murderer" Barbie, they gave him carte blanche in his methods. So not a good thing. This demagogic @$$hole is manipulating people left and right and killing people who get in his way. Wonderful leader, just the sort of person I would want to lead my town. I get that he is supposedly a known quantity and that the people trust him, but I am seriously surprised that no one has thought to question anything he has to say. Like I said last week, he has given them a story to swallow and they are interpreting *EVERYTHING* through that filter.
One of my big problems with Big Jim is that the man is a major league hypocrite. He spouts off about following the rule of law and what not, but in the fine tradition of demagogues everywhere, he proceeds to completely violate everything he said in the name of "protecting the people". What he actually means is protecting his power. I suspect that the person who so conveniently said that Big Jim should be able to search houses may very well have been planted by Big Jim in order to get the ball rolling. The problem for Big Jim is that the army knows what he did to the reverend and when Dodee overheard it, he killed her and torched the radio station in order to ensure that no one else would find out and he then pinned it on Barbie to an all-too-willing-to-listen-and-gullible Chester's Mill.
The other thing to hate about Big Jim is the fact that he is a major league bully. Arresting teenagers for protecting their parents, threatening them, and shoving them up against walls is not the mark of a good leader or a decent man. Big Jim also has to watch out for Junior. The guy is so confused by what is going on that he doesn't know which way is up. Big Jim is manipulating his desire for parental approval and Angie used him to help Barbie get Julia out of the clinic. It is really hard not to feel sorry for him. About the only thing that is preventing me from feeling sorry is what he did to Angie and the fact that he is at least somewhat of a loon.
Fortunately, there are some who are willing to stand up to him. Unfortunately, they can't do much because Big Jim is using the townspeople to enforce his will. As he said, he does not want the dome to come down (at least not yet) because it would threaten his power. So he is doing everything in his power to ensure that the dome stays up. He did not count on Joe, Norrie, and Angie standing up to him.
And it is a good thing that they did. Hiding the mini-dome and egg with Joe's friend was smart. I am also glad that Carolyn now knows about the mini-dome and that she accepted it without histrionics. I just want to know what was up with the high pitched sound and red lines at the end.
I continue to be severely disappointed in Linda. She knows that Barbie cares about Julia and that Julia's husband planned his own death, but she is still swallowing everything that Big Jim has to say. She seems to be an honest, decent person, but she is also seemingly incapable of independent thought. Not meaning to be harsh, but I haven't seen much on that front from her. She is acting like since Barbie was involved in Peter's death, he must be involved in the other deaths. That chain of logic is not flying at all, particularly where it comes to Julia. I really hope she gets her head screwed on straight soon.
I was glad that Barbie chose to break his "deal" with Big Jim and declare his innocence, particularly now that Julia is awake. Hopefully someone will take the time to look at the so-called case against him with a hint of rationality instead of this mob mentality that the town has adopted. As soon as someone does, they'll realize that the case against him boils down to what Big Jim says being true. If that can be undermined, the case falls apart.
Next week, the season finale....
Chester's Mill is now Big Jim's personal fiefdom. That man now has the town right where he wants them and he is milking it for all it is worth. Out of fear of the "murderer" Barbie, they gave him carte blanche in his methods. So not a good thing. This demagogic @$$hole is manipulating people left and right and killing people who get in his way. Wonderful leader, just the sort of person I would want to lead my town. I get that he is supposedly a known quantity and that the people trust him, but I am seriously surprised that no one has thought to question anything he has to say. Like I said last week, he has given them a story to swallow and they are interpreting *EVERYTHING* through that filter.
One of my big problems with Big Jim is that the man is a major league hypocrite. He spouts off about following the rule of law and what not, but in the fine tradition of demagogues everywhere, he proceeds to completely violate everything he said in the name of "protecting the people". What he actually means is protecting his power. I suspect that the person who so conveniently said that Big Jim should be able to search houses may very well have been planted by Big Jim in order to get the ball rolling. The problem for Big Jim is that the army knows what he did to the reverend and when Dodee overheard it, he killed her and torched the radio station in order to ensure that no one else would find out and he then pinned it on Barbie to an all-too-willing-to-listen-and-gullible Chester's Mill.
The other thing to hate about Big Jim is the fact that he is a major league bully. Arresting teenagers for protecting their parents, threatening them, and shoving them up against walls is not the mark of a good leader or a decent man. Big Jim also has to watch out for Junior. The guy is so confused by what is going on that he doesn't know which way is up. Big Jim is manipulating his desire for parental approval and Angie used him to help Barbie get Julia out of the clinic. It is really hard not to feel sorry for him. About the only thing that is preventing me from feeling sorry is what he did to Angie and the fact that he is at least somewhat of a loon.
Fortunately, there are some who are willing to stand up to him. Unfortunately, they can't do much because Big Jim is using the townspeople to enforce his will. As he said, he does not want the dome to come down (at least not yet) because it would threaten his power. So he is doing everything in his power to ensure that the dome stays up. He did not count on Joe, Norrie, and Angie standing up to him.
And it is a good thing that they did. Hiding the mini-dome and egg with Joe's friend was smart. I am also glad that Carolyn now knows about the mini-dome and that she accepted it without histrionics. I just want to know what was up with the high pitched sound and red lines at the end.
I continue to be severely disappointed in Linda. She knows that Barbie cares about Julia and that Julia's husband planned his own death, but she is still swallowing everything that Big Jim has to say. She seems to be an honest, decent person, but she is also seemingly incapable of independent thought. Not meaning to be harsh, but I haven't seen much on that front from her. She is acting like since Barbie was involved in Peter's death, he must be involved in the other deaths. That chain of logic is not flying at all, particularly where it comes to Julia. I really hope she gets her head screwed on straight soon.
I was glad that Barbie chose to break his "deal" with Big Jim and declare his innocence, particularly now that Julia is awake. Hopefully someone will take the time to look at the so-called case against him with a hint of rationality instead of this mob mentality that the town has adopted. As soon as someone does, they'll realize that the case against him boils down to what Big Jim says being true. If that can be undermined, the case falls apart.
Next week, the season finale....
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
My Review of Under the Dome Episode 11- Speak of the Devil
Very resonant title mainly due to Big Jim and Junior. The kids continue to investigate the dome, Julia meets Maxine with tragic results, and Big Jim shows why he is the king of Chester's Mill...
There's a couple of sayings that this episode brings to mind. First is, "If you sup with the devil, bring a long spoon." The second is, "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." Or those are approximately the sayings anyway. Both sayings are very apt where this episode is concerned and they both concern Big Jim and Maxine. Barbie and Big Jim both got into bed (Barbie literally) with Maxine and ended up paying a price. In Barbie's case, it shook his relationship with Julia and got her shot. In Big Jim's case, he is lying to people to protect himself, which is why the second saying is so very apt for him. The first saying also applies to Linda because she is starting to fall in with what Big Jim is saying about Barbie. More on that later. The second saying is particularly apt because Big Jim is managing to convince people that he truly wants what is best for them and not just what is best for him. The people are not seeing him for who he is, rather they are falling for the spin that he is putting out because it is safe and easy.
Part of Big Jim's problem is that he has managed to convince himself that what is best for him is also best for Chester's Mill. Therefore, any lying, killing, or other sins that he commits in the name of protecting himself is for the common good and therefore excusable. So, in his own way, he is as unbalanced as his son. Junior is more overtly dangerous, but Big Jim is also very, very dangerous. I won't deny that he may have every intention of protecting the town, but he is doing so in some horrendous ways. While executing Maxine and her "business partner" may have been incredibly pragmatic, and even good on some warped level, it was done with the intention of framing Barbie for what happened so that people would trust Big Jim.
While I cannot say that I am surprised that they town as a whole fell for what Big Jim was saying, I was surprised and disappointed that Linda appears to have done so. More than anyone else, she has seen Barbie in action and knows that he is not the horrible person Big Jim is saying he is. Is he dangerous? Sure, if you do something to get him riled up. But if you don't, he is a good man. Linda has seen how helpful Barbie has consistently been, but she still swallowed Big Jim's lie. The problem is that Big Jim mixed in a little truth with the lies and then spun the whole thing so that all of Barbie's actions would be viewed through the lens of someone who is a dangerous outsider and therefore suspicious. I was so hoping Linda wouldn't fall for it but, sadly, she did.
I do wonder why the military is looking for Barbie. Doody, like Linda, viewed what she found out through the lens that Big Jim set up and therefore leapt to the worst possible conclusion, that he was wanted for some bad reason. But, what if the military wants Barbie for some other reason? Maybe he could be used to investigate the dome from the inside. Maybe he is working for the government to figure out why there was lots of propane going to Chester's Mill. We just don't have enough information to figure it out yet.
The kids are coming dangerously close to going over a proverbial edge where the dome is concerned. They had two different responses to the same event, the storm. Joe thinks that the storm ended because Barbie saved Julia's life. Junior, on the other hand, is convinced that the storm ended because he chose to come back with the others. Is either correct? Dunno, but I am somehow doubting that either is correct. I am not familiar enough with meteorology to explain what happened, but it is possible that the limited atmosphere in the dome may have something to do with the storm breaking up. It is also possible that if there is an intelligence behind the dome that it ended the storm for its own reasons. The kids definitely need to bring someone else in on what they are thinking because they are now officially over their heads and are going to start sinking really soon. Going after Big Jim is going to cause them problems, to put it mildly.
Two more episode left in the season, then reviews will start back up in October when Arrow, the Vampire Diaries, and the Originals start.
There's a couple of sayings that this episode brings to mind. First is, "If you sup with the devil, bring a long spoon." The second is, "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." Or those are approximately the sayings anyway. Both sayings are very apt where this episode is concerned and they both concern Big Jim and Maxine. Barbie and Big Jim both got into bed (Barbie literally) with Maxine and ended up paying a price. In Barbie's case, it shook his relationship with Julia and got her shot. In Big Jim's case, he is lying to people to protect himself, which is why the second saying is so very apt for him. The first saying also applies to Linda because she is starting to fall in with what Big Jim is saying about Barbie. More on that later. The second saying is particularly apt because Big Jim is managing to convince people that he truly wants what is best for them and not just what is best for him. The people are not seeing him for who he is, rather they are falling for the spin that he is putting out because it is safe and easy.
Part of Big Jim's problem is that he has managed to convince himself that what is best for him is also best for Chester's Mill. Therefore, any lying, killing, or other sins that he commits in the name of protecting himself is for the common good and therefore excusable. So, in his own way, he is as unbalanced as his son. Junior is more overtly dangerous, but Big Jim is also very, very dangerous. I won't deny that he may have every intention of protecting the town, but he is doing so in some horrendous ways. While executing Maxine and her "business partner" may have been incredibly pragmatic, and even good on some warped level, it was done with the intention of framing Barbie for what happened so that people would trust Big Jim.
While I cannot say that I am surprised that they town as a whole fell for what Big Jim was saying, I was surprised and disappointed that Linda appears to have done so. More than anyone else, she has seen Barbie in action and knows that he is not the horrible person Big Jim is saying he is. Is he dangerous? Sure, if you do something to get him riled up. But if you don't, he is a good man. Linda has seen how helpful Barbie has consistently been, but she still swallowed Big Jim's lie. The problem is that Big Jim mixed in a little truth with the lies and then spun the whole thing so that all of Barbie's actions would be viewed through the lens of someone who is a dangerous outsider and therefore suspicious. I was so hoping Linda wouldn't fall for it but, sadly, she did.
I do wonder why the military is looking for Barbie. Doody, like Linda, viewed what she found out through the lens that Big Jim set up and therefore leapt to the worst possible conclusion, that he was wanted for some bad reason. But, what if the military wants Barbie for some other reason? Maybe he could be used to investigate the dome from the inside. Maybe he is working for the government to figure out why there was lots of propane going to Chester's Mill. We just don't have enough information to figure it out yet.
The kids are coming dangerously close to going over a proverbial edge where the dome is concerned. They had two different responses to the same event, the storm. Joe thinks that the storm ended because Barbie saved Julia's life. Junior, on the other hand, is convinced that the storm ended because he chose to come back with the others. Is either correct? Dunno, but I am somehow doubting that either is correct. I am not familiar enough with meteorology to explain what happened, but it is possible that the limited atmosphere in the dome may have something to do with the storm breaking up. It is also possible that if there is an intelligence behind the dome that it ended the storm for its own reasons. The kids definitely need to bring someone else in on what they are thinking because they are now officially over their heads and are going to start sinking really soon. Going after Big Jim is going to cause them problems, to put it mildly.
Two more episode left in the season, then reviews will start back up in October when Arrow, the Vampire Diaries, and the Originals start.
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