Almost Human "Simon Says" Review

I am doing this episode review as a written review since, at the moment, filming a vlog would be a little difficult.

Hiatuses are always a little difficult to deal with. Especially when they're for a show you love or that the hiatuses just come out of nowhere. The Almost Human hiatus wasn't that bad as there wasn't a cliffhanger unlike Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hannibal.

Nevertheless, I couldn't wait until the next episode of Almost Human finally came on.

This episode, more than any other, made me cringe. It made me afraid of what would happen to the characters. Even when John Kennex had a collar put around his neck and I knew he'd survive, I was still afraid. I think that particular scene was tense because during the entire episode Dorian didn't have enough of a charge and so he was weaker, among other things.

This episode title comes from the game 'Simon Says' where a person tells others what to do. If you don't follow the instructions exactly, you lose. In this episode, though, you lose your life.

The episode reminded me highly of the movie Untraceable starring Diane Lane and released in 2008. In the episode, like in the movie, the killer shows the deaths online. In both you see how disgusting and terrifying people can be. How badly people want to see others die.

It turns out the killer in the episode is killing people who have wronged him in some way shape or form. He kills someone that worked at a bank because the man denied him a loan. He then goes after a woman who didn't return his affections. Finally he goes after John Kennex who embarrassed him to his online followers.

Karl Urban does a wonderful job as John Kennex. He gives his character wit when faced with death. Urban played Judge Dredd in the remake of the film (which I still have to see and don't know why I haven't seen it since it also stars Lena Headey) and so I was saying "I am the law!" during at least once during the episode.

Michael Ealy does a good job as the neurotic Dorian. It turns out that there is a problem with how much energy can be spared to charge robots. This seems to be more of a "we wants this, but can't really explain why it happened".

All in all this was another good episode and I can't wait for next episode.

Fringe: The Zodiac Paradox (Christa Faust)

Title: The Zodiac Paradox

Series: Fringe

Author: Christa Faust

Released: 2013

Rating: 3.5/6

Basic Plot: During an experiment William Bell and Walter Bishop accidentally bring the Zodiac Killer into our world. Now they must stop him.
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After Fringe
I loved the show Fringe. Hell, I still do. My favorite character, hands down, was Walter Bishop. The hottest character for me was Peter Bishop. The one of the Fringe team that always seemed to be ignored was Astro...I mean Astrid Farnsworth. I am so thankful that the fan support was able to keep Fringe on-air for five seasons. So when I heard that there were going to be Fringe books I was excited. I was hoping they'd explore Walter after he went to the future with Michael, but we didn't get that. However, I don't hold that against them.

The Zodiac Killer
I like the real life references. The killer is called Alan and Graysmith is mentioned a few times. I like seeing the Fringe take on the Zodiac Killer. Adding him having radioactive powers and also being from the redverse just drew me in. I admit I'm a b-horror movie fan and a premise like this stimulated that love more than anything. However, I didn't like that a full resolution of the character wasn't given. Why was he radioactive? What mental problems did he have that made him kill people since it seemed he had to appease something?

Walter Bishop
Walter is my favorite character so I was glad to see him returning for this prequel series. Like in the tv series he's a funny character but with a good heart. However, I was expecting more of the Walter seen in the flashback episodes who was a little more heartless than the Walter we see in the majority of the tv series. This didn't bother me enough to hate the Walter in this novel.

Final Thoughts
I judged this book by trying to remove my expectations. I tried searching this on Fringepedia (the Fringe Wiki) to hopefully get a better idea of this book. However, it's not on there. I know on the Terminator Wiki some books aren't on the site as well as there not being enough info on other books. So if there are contradictions between what this book says and the Fringe tv show please tell me. While we don't get a great idea of who Alan actually is, we do get a reason for Walter and Bell to invent cortexiphan and start the cortexiphan trials.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Title: The Desolation of Smaug

Series: The Hobbit

Based on novel by J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Richard Armitage

Rated: PG-13

Released: 2013

Personal Rating: 4/6

Oscars: N/A

Plot: The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.
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Unneeded Love Triangle
Now in a lot of stories nowadays there are love triangles. While sometimes they can work (my own love triangle in S and N is to show how Naz evolves during the series), a lot of times they're pointless like in the Twilight series in which you know Bela will end up with Edward. Never mind the fact that there are so many love triangles that people have grown sick of them. Enter Tauriel who is an original creation for this movie. She had the chance to be a kickass woman that needed no man or was in a relationship with someone. However, the studio made it so that there was a useless love triangle involving Tauriel, Legolas, and Kili. Don't they understand that the movie didn't need a love triangle, or any romance, for it to work?

Smaug
I am a dragon fangirl. I just love all the different types of dragons so a dragon being in this one was a big draw for me. And they did Smaug very well. The people who designed the dragon did an excellent job, but without Benedict Cumberbatch doing the voice and motion-capture it would mean nothing. How Smaug moves and talks is so creepy and yet enticing at the same time. I'm actually going to be sad to not see anymore Smaug after the next movie.

The Ending
I, and everyone else, knew that there was going to be a third movie. So I knew there was going to be a cliffhanger. However, this movie's ending felt more like it was taking place in the middle of a scene. I don't mind cliffhangers (well I have a love/hate relationship with them) and this one just didn't really do it for me.

Final Thoughts
I disagree completely with The Hobbit being made into three movies. The book is shorter than any one of the Lord of the Rings books. Three movies makes it clear that this is a cash grab. That being said...I will still see the final one. Visually these movies are just beautiful and there are enough good things to hold my interest. And I'm highly biased for this movie since there is a dragon and he's shown as something not easy to defeat. I'm hoping that the love triangle goes nowhere next movie as I'd prefer Tauriel to be on her own as to not dignify the love triangle with a 'satisfying' ending.

Unboxing (Part 8)

I finally finish unboxing!



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All of Unboxing

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Cato Neimoidia Part 2)

I'm just sitting down after finish the Cato Neimoidia part. I feel good. A much different feeling than last night when I got lost for all eternity.

So here is what I thought of the last part of Cato Neimoidia...

I started off where I left off: at the jumping into madness part. The video I watched last night showed to jump to one place and then jump then dash to the ledge/entrance. I decided to not do that exactly, but I did jump and then dash. It took me two tries and I made it!

Oh, yeah!

The next few sections involved just the normal fighting. I don't know what one enemy is called but they are awesome and I'm glad I get to fight them without quick time events (except one that I can't figure out what the hell it's supposed to be doing). They're large and have a shield and then they explode when they die. Yeah, they're robots.

At the end of the level you get a look at the new enemies and...they're going to be both a pain in the ass and awesome to fight. At least that's what it looks like.

Back to the level itself: the big bad of the level is a Gorog. The entrance of the creature is just plain awesome. You're in the arena and Baron Sexyvoice says to release the Gorog. Then, in the arena, a rancor is released.

Now rancors are fearsome, but I know that they aren't Gorogs. Then a huge hand reaches at the rancor and the Gorog reveals itself. And holy shit is it big!

You have to harm each hand enough so that you can put a chain on each wrist. However, the wrists will heal and then you'll have to cause enough damage to try to put the chain on it again.

This would be very simple if not for the fact that the Gorog will attack you with its arms and, after the first wrist is restrained, other enemies will appear to attack you while you're trying to focus just on the Gorog.

After that is done you're not done with the Gorog as you  have to rush through hallways full of Stormtroopers while the Gorog will attack you if you linger too long. You also seem to have to defeat each wave of troopers before you are allowed to continue down the hallway.

The final bit of the level has you throw your lightsabers to bring down some supports. I admit I don't use this ability that often (if at all) and so I had to look up how to do the move. Luckily the game will allow you to pause and see how to do certain moves.

You do get to use the Force Sight ability again to solve a puzzle. You have to defeat the enemies before you do since getting shot instantly turns off Force Sight.

There is a yellow crystal in the fire place and I would've missed it if I didn't love fire.

So what happens in the plot?

Starkiller finally gets to Kota and works to escape with him. The wisecracks between these two is just awesome.

During their escape the Baron gets eaten by the Gorog. Aw!

When Starkiller and Kota get back to the ship it's revealed that Juno's fate is unknown.

Kota wants Starkiller and himself to help the Rebellion. Starkiller, on the other hand, wants to go somewhere to find himself and search for Juno. Starkiller tells Kota that he's a clone and needs to figure things out while Kota is convinced Starkiller is the original and not a clone.

Kota's reaction to Starkiller's wants is strange as I'd think a Jedi would want a calm mind. Since having an unstable mind would mean you'd be closer to the Dark Side.

Starkiller drops Kota off on a space station (per the Jedi's request) and goes to Dagobah.
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Inbetween: The Incredible Burp 8

I had taken up jogging as it helped me control my emotions. It helped me calm down when I was stressed and it made all sense of loneliness go away. And I needed to pretend that I wasn't lonely and that I wasn't guilty of not helping to stop the Yeerks invading Earth.

But what could I really do? I still had Hereth illint after weeks of useless waiting. I couldn't morph and therefore couldn't fight. The Yeerk that had controlled me wasn't a high ranking one so I couldn't offer the Animorphs good intel.

I was jogging through the woods this morning before the sun had fully risen since not a lot of people chose to be out now. The fear of the killer of the week was high on people's minds. I kept track of the latest updates, but I would take death over this endless pain.

I thought of Cassie's caring words, Rachel's ego that was somehow reassuring, Marco's care that was somewhat hidden behind endless jokes, Jake's leadership that made me wonder who else could possibly lead the group like him, Tobias' curse of being in a hawk body and yet he still was a strong supporter of fighting against the Yeerks, and Ax...Ax was hard to describe. I didn't know which trait I would pick for him. Maybe the fact that he, among all the Animorphs, had been trained to fight before the group had formed.

I missed them but I couldn't go back. I'd be a danger to them. But wasn't I a danger to them without protection for myself? What if the Controller had been successful and captured me for infestation.

Wouldn't a group that knew how to handle my problem be better to stick with than no help at all? It wasn't like I could help myself.

I had avoided thinking about why I had abandoned the group. But now was past time to examine the reason. Was it because I was afraid? Had the Controller been right in saying I was just the 'usual trash' that was infested through the Sharing? Could that really be true?

As I continued to jog I thought about being afraid. Being away from the group was partly done out of fear, I admit. I feared for their safety from me. But was that really fair? What could my morphs really do if they decided to either flee or attack them?

I could spend most of my time in Tobias' meadow or at Ax's scoop and not be in any danger of exposing the group.

Logic was failing me when using the excuse of protecting the group being my reason for running away.

Then it came to me: I had run away because I was ashamed.

I was ashamed because I was now useless. I couldn't fight the Yeerks. Hell, some mornings I found myself morphing getting a glass of milk. I was disfigured, in a way. It would've been better if I had died with the Yeerk that had infested me.

Being rescued had just prolonged my suffering. I was now just as useless as I had been with a Yeerk inside my head.

Did I have a reason to fight like the others did? No. I had escaped and that was good enough for me. If Earth was fully invaded by the Yeerks I would be used to what happened next.

Either I would be infested or killed. Both options worked for me.

I knew why I hadn't told Ax the truth of where I was now: it was because I didn't want him to pity me. And I had seen him pity me last time we had talked. I didn't need that again until this was over. If it ever ended.

Seeing a bench I sat down to catch my breath. Jogging wasn't distracting me, it was making all my emotions so much worse. If I could have some beer maybe that would calm me down, but drinking alcohol would mean I couldn't fully keep my emotions in check. The last thing I needed was to be captured because I got too drunk in a bar and started morphing.

I tried to find my calm, but it was hard. I was never much into meditation before I had been captured. However, I was finding it easier than I thought to control my own emotions.

As the minutes passed by I found myself growing calmer and calmer. It was almost like I felt nothing and yet that was okay. It wasn't a depressing kind of nothing, but one where everything felt right.

I opened my eyes as I heard another jogger. Jumping off the bench I hid behind a bush and watched as the jogger went by. He didn't see me and I remained still for a few minutes calming myself again.

Even if he was a Controller he wouldn't have seen me and I wouldn't be infested. Everything was going to be okay.
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All of Inbetween: The Incredible Burp
Inbetween tumblr

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Cato Neimoidia Part 1)

I am not a big gamer but I usually don't get so pissed off at a game that I have to quit and look up what to do. Sure I'll get confused and worry that I'll never beat it, but I never usually get to the point of thinking I have found Hell on Earth.

But I am getting ahead of myself...

Cato Neimoidia is broken down into a few parts. I am glad to say that the saving mechanism in this game is much better than the first. I was able to stop the game and then restart where I had left off.

Starkiller goes to Cato Neimoidia to get Master Kota (his ally/friend from the last game). Of course the one holding Kota captive, Baron "OMG Your Voice Is Amazing" Tarko, doesn't want to let the Jedi Master go. This is why you have to fight in this level.

Most of the enemies you fight are run of the mill Stormtroopers that are just fun to take down. My personal favorite thing to do is use Force Lightning until my Force energy runs out and then I slice the survivors with my lightsaber.

There are other harder to kill troopers that I use Force Push on and then attack with my sabers. I find that makes them easier to take down. If you fight them with your sabers it's a little hard to do with them fighting back.

There are, again, those damn troopers that can fly. Luckily you do have long range attacks that can deal with them. I, of course, favor Force Lightning.

Finally, the little small people (like the ones that were taking C-3PO apart in The Empire Strikes Back) aren't anything to worry about. Force Lightning takes care of them easily and attacking them with your sabers you can do if you want to be mean (as there's nothing exactly badass about killing them).

There are puzzles in this game that you get a new power to complete. I believe it's called Force Vision. With it you are able to solve pretty simple puzzles using another Force power (Force Grab or Force Pull). The puzzles are interesting if only for the new Force Power you get.

There are a few sections where you have to use Force Dash so you don't get blasted by turrets. I had a few times during the first of these sections where I didn't realize which button you had to press and died. Then another time I seemed like I was on drugs and fell off the edge all by myself. Another time during this section it was pure chance that I ran into a crystal.

Finally, there are jumping sections. I don't remember jumping sections being a big part of the last game and not this complicated. For me, simple jumping provides a good challenge. But in this game they decided to make jumping as complicated as possible.

There are a few instances, in this part, that you get some simple jumping. But more often than not there are moving platforms.

One of these you have to use a Force Power to pull the platforms to you but if you wait too long they'll be so far away that you can't jump to them anymore. This ended up being a nice challenge and interesting.

The final bit of jumping I did...well, it was interesting. It involved moving platforms and so you had to time things just right without being able to turn the camera angle so you could clearly see your target. It is hard to do at first but it becomes easy as time goes on.

The reason I couldn't complete Cato Neimoidia, at least tonight, is because I got so lost during this final jumping section. I got all the way up and I didn't know where to go. I tried a bunch of different things that didn't seem to work.

So I kept having to jump all the way back to the top over and over again.

By the end I was just ranting at the tv. It was like I was both high and drunk. I had to stop the game there for the night to look how to continue and cool down.

I did find a nice little video that seems to show how to continue. I admit it looks rather simple to do. But I will cover that next time.
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