The 2nd Mass finds out where all the Skitters came from, Tom finds out more about the alien he's been seeing, Ben and Maggie take drastic action against an Overlord, Anthony continues to deteriorate, and Pope's issues with Tom reach a new high.
That alien that Tom has been seeing in his head turns out to be a pre-Espheni Skitter. Tom used Ben as a sketch artist and then showed Cochise the result. Cochise was quite surprised and told Tom that they had been extinct for hundreds of years. So how exactly is Tom seeing them? Is it possible that some survived somehow and are looking to get back at the Espheni on Earth? Or could some of the rebel Skitters have survived and have some sort of racial memory that they didn't share with Ben in order to remain hidden? Lots of questions there.
Anthony is seriously going off the reservation. First, he freezes in the attack on the Skitter factory (not sure how else to phrase it). Then he lies to the other guard and attacks the Overlord. While the Overlord did have something glowing in its hand, Anthony was definitely there to kill it no matter what. Between this and his beating of the Skitter last week, he needs to be seriously reined in and needs some serious time off. He is dangerous to be around and that is never a good thing.
I have to give Ben and Maggie props for being willing to invade the Overlord's mind while Tom tortured it in order to get information. That was some serious guts. I am not sure if it was the number of spikes that was needed or if it was the presence of two determined minds that made the difference, but they managed to do something that Ben couldn't quite manage to do alone. And to do it while Tom was beating him wa impressive. They were obviously in pain but manged to power through it anyway. Kudos.
Hal needs to take a serious chill pill where Maggie is concerned. His constant (and incredibly obvious!) attempts to be around her as much as possible in order to get her to choose him is incredibly juvenile. She is being so much more patient with him that I would be under similar circumstances. I'd probably have smacked him over the head several times by now.
Did Tom do the right thing by going to the Skitter factory before getting Sara? I'd have to say yes because he was doing what was right for the entire group. That, obviously, won't be of any comfort to Pope who was finally getting his life back together. In fairness to Pope, his desperate desire to save Sara really was a good thing, but the whole timing was horrendously awful. If Tom had gone to rescue Sara, he would have risked the entire 2nd Mass being overrun. But, because he didn't, she died, and Pope obviously blames Tom for it. Given the preview for next week's episode, he is going to go completely off the rails.
I do feel compelled to point out that under similar circumstances in the first season, Tom did keep trying to rescue Ben from the Skitters. That being said, his circumstance have completely changed now. He is now a worldwide leader and has to look at the broader picture, something that Pope is constitutionally incapable of doing. This promises to be an explosive issue between the two of them.
So Tom is taking the 2nd Mass to Fayetteville and DC in order to figure out what the Espheni are hiding. This should be interesting....
Monday, July 13, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
My Review of Teen Wolf 5.03- Dreamcatchers
The Sheriff has a date, Malia continues to learn how to drive, Liam consults a frenemy, Kira puts on a display, and the gang discovers something freaky about Tracy...
Tracy is a kanima. Yup, that's right. When the Doctors did whatever it was that they did to her, it turned her into a kanima. The *REALLY* weird thing (and that is saying something in the world of Teen Wolf!) is that she was not held back by a barrier of mountain ash. I suspect that the reason for that is because she is not truly a supernatural creature. Remember, mountain ash is a substance which can be used to contain (or hold back) supernatural creatures. So far, the only beings we have ever seen break the mountain ash barrier was Scott in the Season 3A finale when he pushed through the barrier to stop Ms. Blake and the oni when they assaulted Scott's house. In both cases, it took some time and a lot of energy to break the barrier. But Tracy ran right past the barrier as if it wasn't there. Given what Deaton said last week, I suspect that whatever the Doctors are doing by creating supernatural creatures, they are breaking the supernatural laws and that the normal defenses won't work against their creations. That is horribly bad news.
Just a couple of more questions about Tracy. First, what was that silver stuff coming out of her mouth? Second, was anyone else simultaneously grossed out and also fascinated by that tail bursting out of her back? That was pretty cool, but also completely disturbing. Third, what was up with the exceedingly tough skin? I don't remember Jackson's skin being that tough, but I don't think we ever saw anyone try and cut him, so it is possible that it is a kanima thing. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be getting many more answers about her because the Doctors killed her after her fight with Malia.
I want to know what was up with Kira in the Sheriff's station. She was ringed by the fox like shape of what looked like fire that normally can only be seen when she takes a picture of herself. Is this her powers (whatever they are exactly) expanding or did she simply draw on them in a major way when she was fighting Tracy? Alternatively, it is possible that the fire was only seen by Lydia and then only because she was badly injured by Tracy. I think that is less likely, but it is a possibility. We know that Lydia is due for some power expansion, so it is possible that she can actually see things like this.
Did anyone besides me suspect that the Sheriff was dating Melissa when he told both Scott and Stiles that who he was going with was none of their business? That would have been truly hilarious. What I found really amusing is the fact that Susan Walters (who plays Lydia's mom) is Linden Ashby's (Sheriff Stilinski) wife in real life. Talk about art imitating life!
I love Mason, but he is just a tad bit too excited about everything that is going on. While it is definitely amusing, he needs to make sure that he learns caution too because this world is dangerous for a normal human. Stiles has mainly managed to survive because he has Scott with him and because he is smart enough to get by. Mason may have the same qualities, but I haven't seen them on display yet. When he found out that Brett was a werewolf, it really was funny. Brett and Liam have definitely settled into a what is very much a frenemy type relationship. Liam was definitely not happy about seeing Brett, but he knew he needed to, so he went. Brett, for his part, was good about the whole thing, if a little snarky on occasion. That could be a truly interesting relationship.
People need to stop putting Malia behind the wheel of a car because she is incredibly dangerous there. I must say that once she calmed down, she actually did a decent job, but it took a while to get her to that point. I was amused that she and Kira just followed Lydia's directions without a word of protest. It probably has to do with the fact that she was obviously following a feeling, which is what she does when she is using her banshee abilities.
Given their history thus far, I don't think Donovan is gong to have the brightest future with the Doctors/ So far, they've killed both of their creations that we've seen. Here's hoping you beat the odds buddy, although I don't think your chances are very good.
I am still not sure what to make of Theo. I can't shake the feeling that there is a whole lot going on there that we don't know about yet. He could obviously be a villain working with the Doctors, but I hope it is a little more complicated than that.
Until next week!
Tracy is a kanima. Yup, that's right. When the Doctors did whatever it was that they did to her, it turned her into a kanima. The *REALLY* weird thing (and that is saying something in the world of Teen Wolf!) is that she was not held back by a barrier of mountain ash. I suspect that the reason for that is because she is not truly a supernatural creature. Remember, mountain ash is a substance which can be used to contain (or hold back) supernatural creatures. So far, the only beings we have ever seen break the mountain ash barrier was Scott in the Season 3A finale when he pushed through the barrier to stop Ms. Blake and the oni when they assaulted Scott's house. In both cases, it took some time and a lot of energy to break the barrier. But Tracy ran right past the barrier as if it wasn't there. Given what Deaton said last week, I suspect that whatever the Doctors are doing by creating supernatural creatures, they are breaking the supernatural laws and that the normal defenses won't work against their creations. That is horribly bad news.
Just a couple of more questions about Tracy. First, what was that silver stuff coming out of her mouth? Second, was anyone else simultaneously grossed out and also fascinated by that tail bursting out of her back? That was pretty cool, but also completely disturbing. Third, what was up with the exceedingly tough skin? I don't remember Jackson's skin being that tough, but I don't think we ever saw anyone try and cut him, so it is possible that it is a kanima thing. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be getting many more answers about her because the Doctors killed her after her fight with Malia.
I want to know what was up with Kira in the Sheriff's station. She was ringed by the fox like shape of what looked like fire that normally can only be seen when she takes a picture of herself. Is this her powers (whatever they are exactly) expanding or did she simply draw on them in a major way when she was fighting Tracy? Alternatively, it is possible that the fire was only seen by Lydia and then only because she was badly injured by Tracy. I think that is less likely, but it is a possibility. We know that Lydia is due for some power expansion, so it is possible that she can actually see things like this.
Did anyone besides me suspect that the Sheriff was dating Melissa when he told both Scott and Stiles that who he was going with was none of their business? That would have been truly hilarious. What I found really amusing is the fact that Susan Walters (who plays Lydia's mom) is Linden Ashby's (Sheriff Stilinski) wife in real life. Talk about art imitating life!
I love Mason, but he is just a tad bit too excited about everything that is going on. While it is definitely amusing, he needs to make sure that he learns caution too because this world is dangerous for a normal human. Stiles has mainly managed to survive because he has Scott with him and because he is smart enough to get by. Mason may have the same qualities, but I haven't seen them on display yet. When he found out that Brett was a werewolf, it really was funny. Brett and Liam have definitely settled into a what is very much a frenemy type relationship. Liam was definitely not happy about seeing Brett, but he knew he needed to, so he went. Brett, for his part, was good about the whole thing, if a little snarky on occasion. That could be a truly interesting relationship.
People need to stop putting Malia behind the wheel of a car because she is incredibly dangerous there. I must say that once she calmed down, she actually did a decent job, but it took a while to get her to that point. I was amused that she and Kira just followed Lydia's directions without a word of protest. It probably has to do with the fact that she was obviously following a feeling, which is what she does when she is using her banshee abilities.
Given their history thus far, I don't think Donovan is gong to have the brightest future with the Doctors/ So far, they've killed both of their creations that we've seen. Here's hoping you beat the odds buddy, although I don't think your chances are very good.
I am still not sure what to make of Theo. I can't shake the feeling that there is a whole lot going on there that we don't know about yet. He could obviously be a villain working with the Doctors, but I hope it is a little more complicated than that.
Until next week!
Monday, July 6, 2015
My Review of Falling Skies 5.02- Hunger Pains
Under relentless Skitter attacks, the 2nd Mass loses their food supply leading to a desperate mission to get some food. Tom continues down the path he started on last week, Matt finds a new way to be useful, Maggie makes a false promise, and Tom and Anne make a horrifying discovery...
Am I the only one who was severely disturbed that Tom allowed Anthony and everyone else to torture that Skitter? I get the whole no-holds barred thing, but that was going way too far. The anger is understandable, but (as Weaver noted) there is the practical consideration that uncontrolled anger leads to bad decisions. Then there is also the moral dimension. Torture of any sort is never the right thing to do. Is it occasionally understandable or necessary? That is debatable. But the gang who were torturing that Skitter had no justification for what they did. The old Tom would have stopped them, but this new Tom, just stood there casually while they beat it. I found that profoundly disturbing and scary. At what point do they go too far and lose what makes them human? Is that really the legacy they want to leave for future generations? Once you start down that path, it becomes way too easy to stay on it because that sort of thing twists the psyche of everyone who participates in it.
It was nice that Anne gave Matt something useful to do while the girl was sick. While it was undoubtedly busy work, it also was something that she needed to examine the bug that injured Tom last week. That was a crude microscope, but it was a very good given what he had to work with.
Did Maggie do the right thing by lying to that girl about her brother? That is a harder call. The Skitterized brother was (is?) undoubtedly dangerous and the 2nd Mass really needed that food, so I would say that she had a decently good reason for the lie. The one thing I don't get is why Ben didn't use his enhanced abilities to disarm the girl. Actually, that is a major issue I have with the show. Ben and Maggie both have enhanced strength, reflexes, and abilities that never seem to be used. While I don't want them to be used as deus ex machina plot devices, it doesn't make sense to me that their abilities aren't used at all, particularly when the two of them were sent along specifically because they are enhanced.
Where exactly did all those Skitters that Tom and Anne saw at the end come from? I thought that the Skitters were humans or other aliens transformed by the Espheni. Did the Espheni really capture that many humans or have they come up with a new way to make Skitters? The other problem is that the Skitters don't seem to have an Espheni Overlord with them, which would explain why they attacked with the strategy of using their numbers to overrun the 2nd Mass.
Until next week!
Am I the only one who was severely disturbed that Tom allowed Anthony and everyone else to torture that Skitter? I get the whole no-holds barred thing, but that was going way too far. The anger is understandable, but (as Weaver noted) there is the practical consideration that uncontrolled anger leads to bad decisions. Then there is also the moral dimension. Torture of any sort is never the right thing to do. Is it occasionally understandable or necessary? That is debatable. But the gang who were torturing that Skitter had no justification for what they did. The old Tom would have stopped them, but this new Tom, just stood there casually while they beat it. I found that profoundly disturbing and scary. At what point do they go too far and lose what makes them human? Is that really the legacy they want to leave for future generations? Once you start down that path, it becomes way too easy to stay on it because that sort of thing twists the psyche of everyone who participates in it.
It was nice that Anne gave Matt something useful to do while the girl was sick. While it was undoubtedly busy work, it also was something that she needed to examine the bug that injured Tom last week. That was a crude microscope, but it was a very good given what he had to work with.
Did Maggie do the right thing by lying to that girl about her brother? That is a harder call. The Skitterized brother was (is?) undoubtedly dangerous and the 2nd Mass really needed that food, so I would say that she had a decently good reason for the lie. The one thing I don't get is why Ben didn't use his enhanced abilities to disarm the girl. Actually, that is a major issue I have with the show. Ben and Maggie both have enhanced strength, reflexes, and abilities that never seem to be used. While I don't want them to be used as deus ex machina plot devices, it doesn't make sense to me that their abilities aren't used at all, particularly when the two of them were sent along specifically because they are enhanced.
Where exactly did all those Skitters that Tom and Anne saw at the end come from? I thought that the Skitters were humans or other aliens transformed by the Espheni. Did the Espheni really capture that many humans or have they come up with a new way to make Skitters? The other problem is that the Skitters don't seem to have an Espheni Overlord with them, which would explain why they attacked with the strategy of using their numbers to overrun the 2nd Mass.
Until next week!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
My Review of Teen Wolf 5.02- Parasomnia
Stiles is suspicious of Theo which causes tension with Scott, Lydia and Parrish get their flirt on, a student suffers from night terrors, Liam hands Mason some news, and Malia is...Malia...
After last night's packed premiere, tonight's episode moved much slower without losing any of the intensity. The Doctors are apparently messing with supernatural creatures and changing the rules that the supernatural world is governed by such as giving werewolves talons from birds. Which leads me to my one serious issue with the episode. Last season, it was stated very clearly that a True Alpha's power could not be stolen. Yet tonight, Deaton said that a Beta of Scott's making could take his power. So which is it? If what Deaton said tonight is correct, then my original theory (which I had discarded last night) could very easily be correct. If Deaton misspoke tonight, then my original theory is wrong. If he did misspeak, then I suspect that he meant that a Alpha's power can only be stolen by a Beta that they create. The only problem with that idea is that Derek (who was born a werewolf) stole Peter's Alpha powers in Season 1 and Peter (also a born werewolf) stole them from Laura, which creates a rather massive issue with the mythology. They really need to sort this out with some sort of explanation.
I can't exactly blame Stiles for not trusting Theo, particularly after the past couple of years. Generally speaking, when someone new and mysterious enters the scene, they are up to no good. I am not fully convinced that Theo is bad yet, but that is very much up for debate. What we know for sure is that the people who are his "parents" aren't really his parents. Also, his story about how he was changed is complete hooey. Unless my memory is very bad, the ability to change into a wolf completely is a very rare ability and one that only certain born werewolves have. Unless he has been messed with by the Doctors somehow, that means that Theo was born a werewolf. If he was born a werewolf, then the fact that he can change into an actual wolf probably means that he is not a bad guy. We have only seen three people in the show who have been able to change that way and they were all Hales: Talia, Derek, and Laura. We don't know anything about Laura really, but both Derek and Talia were good people. Derek may have sucked as a leader, but he was a good person deep down. However, if Theo has been messed with by the Doctors, then all bets are off.
Scott, on the other hand, is continuing in his fine tradition of trusting someone until they prove him wrong. I was more than a little surprised to discover that he thought that Peter could still be saved. That is taking faith in people just a little too far IMNSHO. While it is nice that Scott wants to save people, that can also be a very dangerous trait. There does come a point when you need to write people off, particularly when it is someone like Peter who is a congenital liar and is always out for his own best interests, everyone else be damned. Based on interviews with Jeff, we know that Scott makes a major mistake, and I think this could be the first step down that path.
The fact that Scott is in AP Biology is quite interesting. I know that he has been pulling his grades up and has been focusing on school, but to taking an AP class is quite the step for him. If Kira is right and he wants to become a vet, then taking the class makes total sense. If he can apply himself the way he has been, then he should be fine, particularly with both Lydia and Kira in the class with him. I loved the non-verbal conversation that the two of them had before Kira talked with Scott. That was quite amusing.
Malia's listing of reasons why Stiles should be threatened by Theo was classic Malia. That girl totally lacks any sort of mental filter and it shows. The look that Stiles gave her was half annoyed and half expected. And Malia definitely needs to get some help about her car issues. I get why she was traumatized, but if she hopes to drive, she really needs to get someone to help her out.
Watching Parrish and Lydia flirt with each other was fun. I was surprised (well, sorta) to discover that Lydia is only in school to remain with her friends. We've known since Season 1 that she is a genius, but I hadn't realized that she had taken enough classes to graduate early. The only thing that the two of them need to keep in mind is that they need to keep a closer eye on the person they are watching because Tracy walked away from her house without Parrish noticing. He may be cut (okay, HOT!), but he is definitely not the brightest apple in the barrel.
As for Tracy, what is up with her? She appears to either be a werewolf being messed with by the Doctors or she was made a werewolf by them. Either way, it is not good. Messing with the natural order of things they way the Doctors are never ends well. For anyone.
Mason took the news that Liam is a werewolf quite well. I have to admit to being seriously surprised that Liam hadn't filled him in sooner. I understand that he didn't want to lose his best friend, but since (as Stiles pointed out) Mason had been inducted to the world of the supernatural by fire, it didn't make much sense to keep him in the dark. I also have to wonder why Theo forced Liam's hand. I also love that Liam casually teased Mason about wanting to watch the soccer team. And what the heck did Liam do to that one girl in 6th grade?
I have to wonder why the Sheriff chose now to take off his wedding ring. Has he met someone or did he decide that it has simply been long enough? Inquiring minds want to know.
Until next Monday!
After last night's packed premiere, tonight's episode moved much slower without losing any of the intensity. The Doctors are apparently messing with supernatural creatures and changing the rules that the supernatural world is governed by such as giving werewolves talons from birds. Which leads me to my one serious issue with the episode. Last season, it was stated very clearly that a True Alpha's power could not be stolen. Yet tonight, Deaton said that a Beta of Scott's making could take his power. So which is it? If what Deaton said tonight is correct, then my original theory (which I had discarded last night) could very easily be correct. If Deaton misspoke tonight, then my original theory is wrong. If he did misspeak, then I suspect that he meant that a Alpha's power can only be stolen by a Beta that they create. The only problem with that idea is that Derek (who was born a werewolf) stole Peter's Alpha powers in Season 1 and Peter (also a born werewolf) stole them from Laura, which creates a rather massive issue with the mythology. They really need to sort this out with some sort of explanation.
I can't exactly blame Stiles for not trusting Theo, particularly after the past couple of years. Generally speaking, when someone new and mysterious enters the scene, they are up to no good. I am not fully convinced that Theo is bad yet, but that is very much up for debate. What we know for sure is that the people who are his "parents" aren't really his parents. Also, his story about how he was changed is complete hooey. Unless my memory is very bad, the ability to change into a wolf completely is a very rare ability and one that only certain born werewolves have. Unless he has been messed with by the Doctors somehow, that means that Theo was born a werewolf. If he was born a werewolf, then the fact that he can change into an actual wolf probably means that he is not a bad guy. We have only seen three people in the show who have been able to change that way and they were all Hales: Talia, Derek, and Laura. We don't know anything about Laura really, but both Derek and Talia were good people. Derek may have sucked as a leader, but he was a good person deep down. However, if Theo has been messed with by the Doctors, then all bets are off.
Scott, on the other hand, is continuing in his fine tradition of trusting someone until they prove him wrong. I was more than a little surprised to discover that he thought that Peter could still be saved. That is taking faith in people just a little too far IMNSHO. While it is nice that Scott wants to save people, that can also be a very dangerous trait. There does come a point when you need to write people off, particularly when it is someone like Peter who is a congenital liar and is always out for his own best interests, everyone else be damned. Based on interviews with Jeff, we know that Scott makes a major mistake, and I think this could be the first step down that path.
The fact that Scott is in AP Biology is quite interesting. I know that he has been pulling his grades up and has been focusing on school, but to taking an AP class is quite the step for him. If Kira is right and he wants to become a vet, then taking the class makes total sense. If he can apply himself the way he has been, then he should be fine, particularly with both Lydia and Kira in the class with him. I loved the non-verbal conversation that the two of them had before Kira talked with Scott. That was quite amusing.
Malia's listing of reasons why Stiles should be threatened by Theo was classic Malia. That girl totally lacks any sort of mental filter and it shows. The look that Stiles gave her was half annoyed and half expected. And Malia definitely needs to get some help about her car issues. I get why she was traumatized, but if she hopes to drive, she really needs to get someone to help her out.
Watching Parrish and Lydia flirt with each other was fun. I was surprised (well, sorta) to discover that Lydia is only in school to remain with her friends. We've known since Season 1 that she is a genius, but I hadn't realized that she had taken enough classes to graduate early. The only thing that the two of them need to keep in mind is that they need to keep a closer eye on the person they are watching because Tracy walked away from her house without Parrish noticing. He may be cut (okay, HOT!), but he is definitely not the brightest apple in the barrel.
As for Tracy, what is up with her? She appears to either be a werewolf being messed with by the Doctors or she was made a werewolf by them. Either way, it is not good. Messing with the natural order of things they way the Doctors are never ends well. For anyone.
Mason took the news that Liam is a werewolf quite well. I have to admit to being seriously surprised that Liam hadn't filled him in sooner. I understand that he didn't want to lose his best friend, but since (as Stiles pointed out) Mason had been inducted to the world of the supernatural by fire, it didn't make much sense to keep him in the dark. I also have to wonder why Theo forced Liam's hand. I also love that Liam casually teased Mason about wanting to watch the soccer team. And what the heck did Liam do to that one girl in 6th grade?
I have to wonder why the Sheriff chose now to take off his wedding ring. Has he met someone or did he decide that it has simply been long enough? Inquiring minds want to know.
Until next Monday!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
My Review of Teen Wolf 5.01- Creatures of the Night
It's senior year and 6 months have passed since the events in Mexico. Lydia sees someone unexpected, a seriously creepy new enemy emerges, the pack gets back together, and everything looks like its about to go into freefall.
First, the credits. There hasn't been a whole lot of change. Tyler Hoechlin and his tattoo are gone and Dylan Sprayberry has taken his place (although he's at the end of the credits). In the place of the Scott/Allison kiss which disappeared after Crystal left, we have Scott/Kira kissing before Kira breaks out the sword and slices across the screen. We also have shots of the Doctors (I think that's what they're called) interspersed throughout the credits.
Second, I want to look at the way the episode is setup. It starts and ends at some point in the future (I think I read a week somewhere) with Lydia in Eichen House. And that girl has a) learned some serious moves and b) some incredibly nifty powers from her scream. She apparently can use the scream as a weapon to knock people away from her. And then there was that hurricarana type takedown she used on the one guard. Where did she learn these moves? I so want to know. Assuming that the memories we saw in the end were completely accurate, here is what we have to look forward to:
[1] Scott fighting someone. I think it was either Theo or Liam, but I couldn't quite see.
[2] Melissa slapping Sheriff Stiliniski.
[3] Malia huddling against a wall when she meets the Desert Wolf.
[4] Kira leaving Scott in a car.
[5] Stiles looking seriously injured or even dead in an overturned car.
[6] Parrish surrounded by fire. And yes, he's shirtless. <pause for the obligatory ogling>
Pleasant, yes?
Now onto the meat of the episode.
Scott is still shaping up to be a much better leader than Derek. He knows that Liam is still having trouble controlling himself on the full moon, but he give Liam some seriously encouraging words. I'm glad to see that Scott has learned the good aspects of Derek's teachings while not absorbing the bad as well. Given that he wrote Allison's initials on the shelf at the end, he still obviously misses her (as do Stiles and Lydia), but he has moved on with Kira. His talk with Stiles at the Jeep about making plans was very amusing, particularly when we saw Liam chained to the tree. And the look of consternation on his face when Stiles informed him that he gave Kira tacit permission to date other people was amusing. The two of them are in a really good place right now, which does not bode well for them. And his ability to come back against bad odds continues as we saw when he broke the attackers arm and deimpaled himself. His threat to break more bones was made amusing by Stiles total agreement.
Speaking of Stiles, he is definitely not ready to move on from everyone else. He wants to keep the whole gang together no matter what. Given the fact that this pack is really a family, I get where he is coming from. Unfortunately, most high school friendships don't last. Not to say that everything is doomed, but statistics aren't with them. Then again, this pack has beaten serious odds before, so never count them out. His look of joy when he found out that Malia was a senior was just great.
Speaking of Malia, how did she manage to become a senior? She is 8 years behind and is obviously not the best student. Lydia and Stiles must have been working overtime to help her get caught up to where she needed to be. I love that she is still blunt and says what is on her mind. That is completely adorable.
Liam is not doing a bad job holding everything together. I am a little confused because in the finale last year, he seemed to have finally gotten everything under control. Either he slipped back or that was a one time thing. And his explanation about why he was running around town naked was completely hilarious.
Kira spent the summer in New York and is obviously glad to be back. and she has a totally nifty new sword doubling as a belt. That was completely awesome. I am so not sure how she manages to wear a sword as a belt, so I hope they explain it at some point.
Theo is entirely too new to be trusted at this point. He was Scott and Stiles' friend (acquaintance?) in fourth grade and then moved away. He came back because he heard to Scott is a True Alpha and he wants to join Scott's pack. Here's hoping he can be trusted.
I must confess that I missed something last season that I noticed when I was rewatching the past seasons over the last week and was mentioned tonight. When Scott was first identified as a True Alpha, I stated that I assumed that he would be the start of a new line of Alphas. What I missed is that a True Alpha's power cannot be stolen, which would presumably mean that they can't be passed on except maybe if the True Alpha has a biological child. Which also means that my speculation about an Alpha's powers being watered down as it is passed on is, in all likelihood, also wrong. My bad.
The new enemy is seriously creepy. Their weird voices and willingness to kill the guy they sent to attack Scott is more than a little wigsome. Kudos to the writers on topping themselves in the creepy department. Why did ravens (well, black birds at any rate) fly out of his chest when he died? Also, is that doctor in the Eichen House one of the Doctors?
And what the flipping heck is Parrish? He has glowing eyes, is immune to fire, and can heal. He was identified as not a werewolf, which we had pretty much figured out already. I am sticking with phoenix until they actually say otherwise. And why is the Sheriff keeping him on desk duty? Parrish has sown that he can be trusted, so that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Tomorrow night, part 2!
First, the credits. There hasn't been a whole lot of change. Tyler Hoechlin and his tattoo are gone and Dylan Sprayberry has taken his place (although he's at the end of the credits). In the place of the Scott/Allison kiss which disappeared after Crystal left, we have Scott/Kira kissing before Kira breaks out the sword and slices across the screen. We also have shots of the Doctors (I think that's what they're called) interspersed throughout the credits.
Second, I want to look at the way the episode is setup. It starts and ends at some point in the future (I think I read a week somewhere) with Lydia in Eichen House. And that girl has a) learned some serious moves and b) some incredibly nifty powers from her scream. She apparently can use the scream as a weapon to knock people away from her. And then there was that hurricarana type takedown she used on the one guard. Where did she learn these moves? I so want to know. Assuming that the memories we saw in the end were completely accurate, here is what we have to look forward to:
[1] Scott fighting someone. I think it was either Theo or Liam, but I couldn't quite see.
[2] Melissa slapping Sheriff Stiliniski.
[3] Malia huddling against a wall when she meets the Desert Wolf.
[4] Kira leaving Scott in a car.
[5] Stiles looking seriously injured or even dead in an overturned car.
[6] Parrish surrounded by fire. And yes, he's shirtless. <pause for the obligatory ogling>
Pleasant, yes?
Now onto the meat of the episode.
Scott is still shaping up to be a much better leader than Derek. He knows that Liam is still having trouble controlling himself on the full moon, but he give Liam some seriously encouraging words. I'm glad to see that Scott has learned the good aspects of Derek's teachings while not absorbing the bad as well. Given that he wrote Allison's initials on the shelf at the end, he still obviously misses her (as do Stiles and Lydia), but he has moved on with Kira. His talk with Stiles at the Jeep about making plans was very amusing, particularly when we saw Liam chained to the tree. And the look of consternation on his face when Stiles informed him that he gave Kira tacit permission to date other people was amusing. The two of them are in a really good place right now, which does not bode well for them. And his ability to come back against bad odds continues as we saw when he broke the attackers arm and deimpaled himself. His threat to break more bones was made amusing by Stiles total agreement.
Speaking of Stiles, he is definitely not ready to move on from everyone else. He wants to keep the whole gang together no matter what. Given the fact that this pack is really a family, I get where he is coming from. Unfortunately, most high school friendships don't last. Not to say that everything is doomed, but statistics aren't with them. Then again, this pack has beaten serious odds before, so never count them out. His look of joy when he found out that Malia was a senior was just great.
Speaking of Malia, how did she manage to become a senior? She is 8 years behind and is obviously not the best student. Lydia and Stiles must have been working overtime to help her get caught up to where she needed to be. I love that she is still blunt and says what is on her mind. That is completely adorable.
Liam is not doing a bad job holding everything together. I am a little confused because in the finale last year, he seemed to have finally gotten everything under control. Either he slipped back or that was a one time thing. And his explanation about why he was running around town naked was completely hilarious.
Kira spent the summer in New York and is obviously glad to be back. and she has a totally nifty new sword doubling as a belt. That was completely awesome. I am so not sure how she manages to wear a sword as a belt, so I hope they explain it at some point.
Theo is entirely too new to be trusted at this point. He was Scott and Stiles' friend (acquaintance?) in fourth grade and then moved away. He came back because he heard to Scott is a True Alpha and he wants to join Scott's pack. Here's hoping he can be trusted.
I must confess that I missed something last season that I noticed when I was rewatching the past seasons over the last week and was mentioned tonight. When Scott was first identified as a True Alpha, I stated that I assumed that he would be the start of a new line of Alphas. What I missed is that a True Alpha's power cannot be stolen, which would presumably mean that they can't be passed on except maybe if the True Alpha has a biological child. Which also means that my speculation about an Alpha's powers being watered down as it is passed on is, in all likelihood, also wrong. My bad.
The new enemy is seriously creepy. Their weird voices and willingness to kill the guy they sent to attack Scott is more than a little wigsome. Kudos to the writers on topping themselves in the creepy department. Why did ravens (well, black birds at any rate) fly out of his chest when he died? Also, is that doctor in the Eichen House one of the Doctors?
And what the flipping heck is Parrish? He has glowing eyes, is immune to fire, and can heal. He was identified as not a werewolf, which we had pretty much figured out already. I am sticking with phoenix until they actually say otherwise. And why is the Sheriff keeping him on desk duty? Parrish has sown that he can be trusted, so that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Tomorrow night, part 2!
Monday, June 29, 2015
TV Viewing for the Fall 2015 and Teen Wolf
Ok, so my viewing schedule for the fall is going to look much different since several shows I watched have ended including The Following, Glee, and Revenge. I have also dropped Sleepy Hollow and Gotham from my viewing list.
Sunday
8 pm- Once Upon a Time (ABC), Madam Secretary (CBS)
9 pm- Blood & Oil (ABC)
10 pm- Quantico (ABC)
Monday
8 pm- Supergirl (CBS)
9 pm- Scorpion (CBS), Minority Report (Fox)
10 pm- Castle (ABC
Tuesday
8 pm- The Flash (CW)
9 pm- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC), Scream Queens (Fox), iZombie (CW)
10 pm- Limitless (CBS)
Wednesday
8 pm- Arrow (CW)
9 pm- Supernatural (CW)
Thursday
8 pm- Bones (Fox), Heroes Reborn (NBC), The Vampire Diaries (CW)
9 pm- Scandal (ABC), The Blacklist (NBC), The Originals (CW)
10 pm- How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Friday
9 pm- Grimm (NBC)
It is a lighter load than in years past and I have a ton of CBS shows now, which is a first for me. Until the last year or so, I only ever had 1 (maybe 2) CBS shows that I watched at any given time. Around mid-season, I will be adding Lucifer (Fox), American Crime (ABC), Agent Carter (NBC), Secrets and Lies (NBC), The 100 (CW), Containment (CW), and Legends of Tomorrow (CW).
Tonight marks the season 5 premiere of Teen Wolf. Last year, I speculated about how the 20 episode season would play out. Given this interview, I think that what will happen is a long 20 episode arc with the first half being told Revenge style (ie. start with the ending and work your way to it) and the second half continuing from there. That is going to be an interesting change from the normal 12 episode arc that Jeff does. I am seriously excited to see how it works out.
For some interesting viewing, see the new opening credits here or the first scene from tonight's episode here.
Until tonight!!!
Sunday
8 pm- Once Upon a Time (ABC), Madam Secretary (CBS)
9 pm- Blood & Oil (ABC)
10 pm- Quantico (ABC)
Monday
8 pm- Supergirl (CBS)
9 pm- Scorpion (CBS), Minority Report (Fox)
10 pm- Castle (ABC
Tuesday
8 pm- The Flash (CW)
9 pm- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC), Scream Queens (Fox), iZombie (CW)
10 pm- Limitless (CBS)
Wednesday
8 pm- Arrow (CW)
9 pm- Supernatural (CW)
Thursday
8 pm- Bones (Fox), Heroes Reborn (NBC), The Vampire Diaries (CW)
9 pm- Scandal (ABC), The Blacklist (NBC), The Originals (CW)
10 pm- How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Friday
9 pm- Grimm (NBC)
It is a lighter load than in years past and I have a ton of CBS shows now, which is a first for me. Until the last year or so, I only ever had 1 (maybe 2) CBS shows that I watched at any given time. Around mid-season, I will be adding Lucifer (Fox), American Crime (ABC), Agent Carter (NBC), Secrets and Lies (NBC), The 100 (CW), Containment (CW), and Legends of Tomorrow (CW).
Tonight marks the season 5 premiere of Teen Wolf. Last year, I speculated about how the 20 episode season would play out. Given this interview, I think that what will happen is a long 20 episode arc with the first half being told Revenge style (ie. start with the ending and work your way to it) and the second half continuing from there. That is going to be an interesting change from the normal 12 episode arc that Jeff does. I am seriously excited to see how it works out.
For some interesting viewing, see the new opening credits here or the first scene from tonight's episode here.
Until tonight!!!
My Review of Falling Skies 5.01- Find Your Warrior
The fifth and final season of Falling Skies starts off with a bang. Tom returns with a brand new (and much more hostile) attitude which has Anne and Matt worried; the love triangle of Ben, Maggie, and Hal continues; and we possibly have a new player (or two) at the table.
Given that this is the final season, I am surprised that show appears to be introducing a new player to the game. I am not sure who Tom was talking with when he was hallucinating, but I doubt that it was the Espheni or the Volm. If it was the Volm, I would have expected Cochise to know more about what was going on. While it could have been the Espheni playing with his mind, I don't see them telling him to become a tougher warrior and become much more aggressive, unless they think the by doing so, he will either alienate the other humans and Volm or he will galvanize the Espheni and Skitters to coalesce into a tougher unit in order to wipe the humans out. It is possible that there is a faction of the Espheni that is akin to the rebel faction of the Skitters from the second season. I think the most likely possibility is that there is either another race out there attempting to fight the Espheni or Tom came up with everything on his own.
Tom's new attitude is quite a drastic change from where he started. Granted, he has been through a seriously tough several years, which is enough to harden anyone, but his new viciousness is quite the startling change. He has really decided to go all out to give the Espheni a final defeat. From killing the winged Skitter to using Scotty's body in the explosion to casually shooting most of a clip into the head of the Overlord who was controlling Ben, Tom has most definitely turned a corner and I am not entirely sure that it is for the best. I will grant that it may be necessary for the final push, his new attitude is definitely worrying Anne and Matt. Ben seemed a little worried after the Overlord was killed, but I may be misinterpreting the look he shot Tom. Hal has barely reacted, so I assume that he is in agreement with Tom's more aggressive posture. Weaver remains a cipher, but the rest of the gang seems to be going along with what Tom wants.
Hal's completely transparent attempt to get Maggie to choose him over Ben was pathetic. Arranging for Maggie to stay with him while Ben went elsewhere was about the most obvious play he could have made. I'm glad that Maggie had sense enough to see through it. I think that if Hal continues to push, he is going to drive her right away. You also know that this little love triangle is going to surface at the absolute worst time for everyone.
Cochise's news that there are several hundred more militias around the world is a good thing. I am not so sure that having the Volm as the only conduit of information is a good thing. They have proven too willing to sacrifice the humans if their ends conflict with the Volms own goals. I just hope that the Volm will operate with the ultimate goal of defeating the Espheni in mind. Handing the Espheni a solid defeat on Earth may inspire a wave of other rebellions on other worlds. Maybe not, but it is always possible. The Volm just need to make sure that they work with the humans to defeat the Espheni.
There are 9 hours left in the show, so I hope that the show doesn't waste time and keeps the storyline moving as briskly as they did tonight. I also hope that they don't introduce any new players because they really won't have much time to get them integrated properly.
Until next week!
Given that this is the final season, I am surprised that show appears to be introducing a new player to the game. I am not sure who Tom was talking with when he was hallucinating, but I doubt that it was the Espheni or the Volm. If it was the Volm, I would have expected Cochise to know more about what was going on. While it could have been the Espheni playing with his mind, I don't see them telling him to become a tougher warrior and become much more aggressive, unless they think the by doing so, he will either alienate the other humans and Volm or he will galvanize the Espheni and Skitters to coalesce into a tougher unit in order to wipe the humans out. It is possible that there is a faction of the Espheni that is akin to the rebel faction of the Skitters from the second season. I think the most likely possibility is that there is either another race out there attempting to fight the Espheni or Tom came up with everything on his own.
Tom's new attitude is quite a drastic change from where he started. Granted, he has been through a seriously tough several years, which is enough to harden anyone, but his new viciousness is quite the startling change. He has really decided to go all out to give the Espheni a final defeat. From killing the winged Skitter to using Scotty's body in the explosion to casually shooting most of a clip into the head of the Overlord who was controlling Ben, Tom has most definitely turned a corner and I am not entirely sure that it is for the best. I will grant that it may be necessary for the final push, his new attitude is definitely worrying Anne and Matt. Ben seemed a little worried after the Overlord was killed, but I may be misinterpreting the look he shot Tom. Hal has barely reacted, so I assume that he is in agreement with Tom's more aggressive posture. Weaver remains a cipher, but the rest of the gang seems to be going along with what Tom wants.
Hal's completely transparent attempt to get Maggie to choose him over Ben was pathetic. Arranging for Maggie to stay with him while Ben went elsewhere was about the most obvious play he could have made. I'm glad that Maggie had sense enough to see through it. I think that if Hal continues to push, he is going to drive her right away. You also know that this little love triangle is going to surface at the absolute worst time for everyone.
Cochise's news that there are several hundred more militias around the world is a good thing. I am not so sure that having the Volm as the only conduit of information is a good thing. They have proven too willing to sacrifice the humans if their ends conflict with the Volms own goals. I just hope that the Volm will operate with the ultimate goal of defeating the Espheni in mind. Handing the Espheni a solid defeat on Earth may inspire a wave of other rebellions on other worlds. Maybe not, but it is always possible. The Volm just need to make sure that they work with the humans to defeat the Espheni.
There are 9 hours left in the show, so I hope that the show doesn't waste time and keeps the storyline moving as briskly as they did tonight. I also hope that they don't introduce any new players because they really won't have much time to get them integrated properly.
Until next week!
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