Show: American Horror Story
Nickname/Common Name For Season: American Horror Story: Asylum
Season: 2
Episodes: 13
Created By: Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
Released: 2012-2013
Rating: 3.5/5
--------------------------------------------------
The Alien Subplot
By the end of this season I had a love/hate relationship for this particular subplot. At the beginning, though, I was firmly against it. American Horror Story should be about the supernatural horrors. Mind you, at the start of the season, I was still getting used to the fact that Season 1 has a completely different story and set of rules from Season 2. By the end I didn't hate the alien subplot, but I did find it unneeded. As someone pointed out: one of its purposes seemed to be bringing back dead characters. At the end of the season we aren't any closer to knowing who they are or what they want. Yes, the alien children are 'special' and do good things. But it still doesn't show the aliens' end game.
Lana Winters Goes Through Extreme Character Changes
Let me start off by saying I'm not against character development. It's good to see characters going through changes and being different at the end than they were at the beginning. HOWEVER, this doesn't mean all changes done to a character will be a good thing. Especially when there seems to be no reason to do so and the changes make no sense. I am referring to the change Lana goes through after she leaves Briarcliff. Sorry for the slight spoiler.
The Last Three Episodes
This season had its up and downs. But it did have a nice conclusion to all of it major plot lines and then there were two more episodes. To me the conflicts in the last two episodes were there to fill out two more episodes. Mind you I liked the outcome of what happened to the Son of Bloodyface, but some of the characters seemed to act out of character for the sake of conflict.
Final Thoughts
I think this season was much better put together than the first one. I especially like the fact that the finale actually felt like a finale. Not like that there were going to be more episodes. The highlight during this season was Lily Rabe's character of the possessed Sister Mary Eunice. I also like that a character I liked at the end I didn't see any way of liking during the beginning. The second season continued in the tradition of messed up stuff happening. So it is with that I warn those easily offended to not watch this. Oh, yeah, and I liked "The Name Game" music number which I can't see how people can't like it.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Fringe (Season 5/The Final Season)
Show: Fringe
Season: 5
Episodes: 13
Created By: J.J. Abrams
Released: 2012-2013
Rating: 4.5/5
-----------------------------------------
The Device They Spend All Season Building
Turns out to be unused by the end. Why am I not saying what the device does here? I like to keep my written reviews mostly spoiler free. MOSTLY being the key word. So in the beginning of the season Walter has forgotten his plan (due to Windmark torturing him at the start) and so must find the tapes hidden randomly in his old lab. So in nearly every episode Walter, Peter, Olivia, and Astrid find a tape and do what it says. For the majority of the season you are left in the dark as to what this device will end up doing. Luckily, during the last few episodes, you find out what it does. However, one part doesn't work so they have to go to Plan B.
It Ends Where It Begins
One of the best things about this season is that it starts and ends at the same point. While I would've wished to see where other characters (like Astrid and Broyles) ended up, I thought it was nice and sweet that it ended at the beginning. If you took the epilogue without the feelings of what happened previously, it was a happy ending which the two love birds (Peter and Olivia) more than deserved.
All the Information About the Observers
Throughout the first four seasons of Fringe the Observers are shown to be mysterious alien beings from the future! Here and there we were given bits and pieces of who (and what) they really were. By the end of this season the majority of questions about these beings were answered. Some of them (like why there are no women Observers and why the Observers wear the old time clothing) aren't answered. But enough are to leave you satisfied. And it's the Observers' past/future that becomes the whole basis of Walter's Plan.
Final Thoughts
This being the end of the Fringe saga (unless they continue it in other media forms, which I hope they do), made me sad as the Season went on. By the time the final few moments of Fringe came and went, I felt LOST. I felt completely heartbroken. Don't worry, it wrapped all the major plot lines up nicely. The season played out well, though there were a few slow moments. Like the psychic/anomaly that Olivia encounters when she goes to pick up the magnet. One character's death was very sad but I felt the character was killed off a little too quickly. However, there were some great moments such as the Monty Python Tribute (in the episode "Black Umbrella") or when Walter gets his redemption (in the episode "Enemy of Fate"). This was a fun season and I am going to miss not tuning into Fringe every Friday (well, I usually had to DVR it so actually every Saturday at the earliest). Thank you JJ Abrams for a great ride for 2 years (yes, Fringe was on the air 5 years but I've only kept up with the show for 2 of them).
Season: 5
Episodes: 13
Created By: J.J. Abrams
Released: 2012-2013
Rating: 4.5/5
-----------------------------------------
The Device They Spend All Season Building
Turns out to be unused by the end. Why am I not saying what the device does here? I like to keep my written reviews mostly spoiler free. MOSTLY being the key word. So in the beginning of the season Walter has forgotten his plan (due to Windmark torturing him at the start) and so must find the tapes hidden randomly in his old lab. So in nearly every episode Walter, Peter, Olivia, and Astrid find a tape and do what it says. For the majority of the season you are left in the dark as to what this device will end up doing. Luckily, during the last few episodes, you find out what it does. However, one part doesn't work so they have to go to Plan B.
It Ends Where It Begins
One of the best things about this season is that it starts and ends at the same point. While I would've wished to see where other characters (like Astrid and Broyles) ended up, I thought it was nice and sweet that it ended at the beginning. If you took the epilogue without the feelings of what happened previously, it was a happy ending which the two love birds (Peter and Olivia) more than deserved.
All the Information About the Observers
Throughout the first four seasons of Fringe the Observers are shown to be mysterious alien beings from the future! Here and there we were given bits and pieces of who (and what) they really were. By the end of this season the majority of questions about these beings were answered. Some of them (like why there are no women Observers and why the Observers wear the old time clothing) aren't answered. But enough are to leave you satisfied. And it's the Observers' past/future that becomes the whole basis of Walter's Plan.
Final Thoughts
This being the end of the Fringe saga (unless they continue it in other media forms, which I hope they do), made me sad as the Season went on. By the time the final few moments of Fringe came and went, I felt LOST. I felt completely heartbroken. Don't worry, it wrapped all the major plot lines up nicely. The season played out well, though there were a few slow moments. Like the psychic/anomaly that Olivia encounters when she goes to pick up the magnet. One character's death was very sad but I felt the character was killed off a little too quickly. However, there were some great moments such as the Monty Python Tribute (in the episode "Black Umbrella") or when Walter gets his redemption (in the episode "Enemy of Fate"). This was a fun season and I am going to miss not tuning into Fringe every Friday (well, I usually had to DVR it so actually every Saturday at the earliest). Thank you JJ Abrams for a great ride for 2 years (yes, Fringe was on the air 5 years but I've only kept up with the show for 2 of them).
Labels:
Fringe,
Season 5,
Season Review,
The Final Season
Friday, January 25, 2013
American Horror Story "Madness Ends" Review
This season ends for better or worse.
Supernatural "LARP and the Real Girl" Review
Charlie is back!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Pretty Little Liars "Misery Loves Company" Review
Meredith goes insane!
Labels:
Misery Loves Company,
Pretty Little Liars,
Season 3
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Following "Pilot" Review
Is this show worth watching or should you pass it up? And where was Liam Neeson when you needed him?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The Eternal Heart: New Recruit 1
"Skynet did manage to put some intelligence into their foot soldiers." My Resistance trainer for the day said. Unlike Barnes, he was white. But, like Barnes, he had the same loathing for me.
"Terminators would be useless if they couldn't think," I replied while trying to not think of myself as one of them. "If they couldn't think then they couldn't fight."
My trainer's face assumed a blank expression to not give me the pleasure of seeing him angry. It didn't matter to me what his expression was because I knew what he was feeling. Or at least I had a very good guess of what his emotions were at the moment.
"That will be all for today, Jash." He said. The only motion he made for me to go away was to turn his face from mine.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." I said as I walked away. I wasn't expecting a reply and was rewarded with silence.
My footsteps brought me closer to my new destination. Faster than a human's would. No, I was doing what was called speed walking. I just had an easier time at it than a pure human would. That way of realization wouldn't lead me anywhere useful and might cause problems in the future.
But I didn't care at the moment.
I opened a door into a very small room. Like the rest of the base, it seemed to be about to collapse at any given moment. However, there wasn't a high likelihood that it would. The base reflected the very human spirit of those living here. A spirit that I didn't really have. But that I wished I did.
The only furniture in the room was a chair. Its front faced the door and I went over to it. As I went to sit down a woman entered the room. Once I was comfortable, she had shut the door. The look on her face showed that she had been in a few battles, but nothing that had torn her apart yet.
The Resistance woman stood in front of me and remained quiet for a few minutes. I didn't know whether she was nervous or if she was holding back her anger. Finally she spoke, "Jash, why did you join the Resistance?"
"Because Skynet needs to die." I replied.
"But you are a Terminator."
"I am only a Terminator because Skynet desecrated my body. I was probably just a normal human girl before. Hanging out with friends and trying to hide my feelings for my newest crush. I don't know what I would've done. I just know that it would've been normal."
"So you want revenge?"
"I want the ability to be human again. Without having to worry about Skynet trying to stop me."
"And will you be willing to follow our leader John Connor?"
"I've been asked that more times than I can count. And, being a hybrid, you better believe I can count pretty damn high." I paused only to have her look confused with how to react to my words. "And my answer is still the same. The answer is still yes."
She then asked her final question, "Is there any reason you are willing to?"
I thought about my answer. The truth was that I loved John and would follow him to the end of the world. Well, beyond the end of the world. But I couldn't tell this woman that. If she told John, things could get awkward. And I didn't know how I could get my feelings across to him. Leaving that duty to someone I didn't know wouldn't be a smart thing to do.
When I formulated a good sounding answer I spoke, "I trust John Connor. I trust that he is the best way to defeating Skynet."
The woman nodded. "Our session is over for now."
With that she walked out. I waited a few minutes and then headed towards my room. My room wasn't the same as my holding cell, but only slightly better. I wasn't considered a part of the Resistance by most members, so I was lucky just to have a room.
Resistance fighters passed me as I headed to my room. To me they weren't important and only one caught my eye and turned his face from mine. I swore John Connor had been looking at me, but he had quickly turned his gaze to another soldier. After that there was a conversation between the two.
I continued to move towards my room, but the thought that John had been sneaking a look at me continued to grow. The only bright light in this war.
----------------------------------------------
The Eternal Heart Blog aka The Wars Against Skynet
The Eternal Trilogy Facebook
The Eternal Heart Tumblr
"Terminators would be useless if they couldn't think," I replied while trying to not think of myself as one of them. "If they couldn't think then they couldn't fight."
My trainer's face assumed a blank expression to not give me the pleasure of seeing him angry. It didn't matter to me what his expression was because I knew what he was feeling. Or at least I had a very good guess of what his emotions were at the moment.
"That will be all for today, Jash." He said. The only motion he made for me to go away was to turn his face from mine.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." I said as I walked away. I wasn't expecting a reply and was rewarded with silence.
My footsteps brought me closer to my new destination. Faster than a human's would. No, I was doing what was called speed walking. I just had an easier time at it than a pure human would. That way of realization wouldn't lead me anywhere useful and might cause problems in the future.
But I didn't care at the moment.
I opened a door into a very small room. Like the rest of the base, it seemed to be about to collapse at any given moment. However, there wasn't a high likelihood that it would. The base reflected the very human spirit of those living here. A spirit that I didn't really have. But that I wished I did.
The only furniture in the room was a chair. Its front faced the door and I went over to it. As I went to sit down a woman entered the room. Once I was comfortable, she had shut the door. The look on her face showed that she had been in a few battles, but nothing that had torn her apart yet.
The Resistance woman stood in front of me and remained quiet for a few minutes. I didn't know whether she was nervous or if she was holding back her anger. Finally she spoke, "Jash, why did you join the Resistance?"
"Because Skynet needs to die." I replied.
"But you are a Terminator."
"I am only a Terminator because Skynet desecrated my body. I was probably just a normal human girl before. Hanging out with friends and trying to hide my feelings for my newest crush. I don't know what I would've done. I just know that it would've been normal."
"So you want revenge?"
"I want the ability to be human again. Without having to worry about Skynet trying to stop me."
"And will you be willing to follow our leader John Connor?"
"I've been asked that more times than I can count. And, being a hybrid, you better believe I can count pretty damn high." I paused only to have her look confused with how to react to my words. "And my answer is still the same. The answer is still yes."
She then asked her final question, "Is there any reason you are willing to?"
I thought about my answer. The truth was that I loved John and would follow him to the end of the world. Well, beyond the end of the world. But I couldn't tell this woman that. If she told John, things could get awkward. And I didn't know how I could get my feelings across to him. Leaving that duty to someone I didn't know wouldn't be a smart thing to do.
When I formulated a good sounding answer I spoke, "I trust John Connor. I trust that he is the best way to defeating Skynet."
The woman nodded. "Our session is over for now."
With that she walked out. I waited a few minutes and then headed towards my room. My room wasn't the same as my holding cell, but only slightly better. I wasn't considered a part of the Resistance by most members, so I was lucky just to have a room.
Resistance fighters passed me as I headed to my room. To me they weren't important and only one caught my eye and turned his face from mine. I swore John Connor had been looking at me, but he had quickly turned his gaze to another soldier. After that there was a conversation between the two.
I continued to move towards my room, but the thought that John had been sneaking a look at me continued to grow. The only bright light in this war.
----------------------------------------------
The Eternal Heart Blog aka The Wars Against Skynet
The Eternal Trilogy Facebook
The Eternal Heart Tumblr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)