Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Revolution Cliffhanger

When it was announced that Revolution was cancelled, I was upset. It was a good sci-fi show that took place after the apocalypse (aka when the lights went out) and had interesting twists and turns. I wanted it to continue but I didn't think I'd be so heartbroken when the last scene of the series aired.

What kind of heartbroken? The "Dammit! Now I'll never know how this cliffhanger is resolved" kind of heartbroken.

I figured that with the show being cancelled the whole Patriots plot would be resolved in some manner. Maybe there'd be another plot introduced but it wouldn't be major.

Boy was I wrong about that.

Throughout the Second Season of the show there was a little nanobot sub-plot. Weird things happened and the nanos turned from friend to foe during the course of the Season. I figured that with the show being canceled that the nano sub-plot would be resolved simply. Such as Aaron's wife being fine and they realize that the nanos won't be able to enact their plan of world domination. Maybe a final shot hinting that the nanos have another plan but nothing as big as the final shot of the series.

It turns out that the nanobots are now taking over other people, since Aaron and his wife wouldn't accept being controlled, and making them all live in the town Bradbury. Bradbury, for those unfamiliar with the sci-fi genre, most likely comes from the famous author Ray Bradbury. That reference alone made me giddy.

Then there is the sign that lights up in the final scene.
This reminds me of the Stephen King book It where the villain is a clown. Well...the villain takes on the form of a clown for the most part. Also the town itself might be a King reference. In The Stand there is a town with the good guys and there is another town with the bad guys. That might just be me, though.

The series finale left me, and other viewers, with the plot of robots taking over the world. That is a cliffhanger that hurts! Now it is only through fanfiction that the fans will have a continuation of the series as it appears unlikely that it will be picked up by another network.

All The Cassie Hate

I talk about how people seem to loathe this Animorph.

Hannibal (Season 2)



Show: Hannibal

Season: 2

Episodes: 13

Created By: Bryan Fuller

Based on the Books By: Thomas Harris

Released: 2014

Rating: 6/6

Basic Plot: Explores the early relationship between the renowned psychiatrist and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
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Canon Characters Can Die
In this season it's shown that canon characters (aka characters from the Thomas Harris books) can die before they're supposed to. I think that is one of the most evil genius things a person can do. It makes it so that you can't say that this character or that character will be safe until a certain time. It makes you really worried from week to week. This is, by far, one of the best things about this season. I just love it when you don't know who is going to die.

Will Takes the Upper Hand
All of last Season Will was reacting and trying to figure out who the killer was. This Season he knows and does his best to get Hannibal arrested. Of course things aren't simple, but they never are in these kinds of shows. It is refreshing and interesting to see a different Will that appears to go dark. I like how this Season didn't just give us the same Will from the first Season.

Jack Crawford's Intelligence
Throughout the majority of this Season, Jack appears to be dimwitted. I admit that his actions at the end of last Season made me hate him this Season even more. There were so many times during this Season where I wanted to smack some sense into him. When he arrests a vegetarian I was facepalming so hard. By the end of this Season I at least had respect for him.

Final Thoughts
The love and respect I have for this show is too much to put into words. I admire the people behind and in front of the camera (and some of the people's behinds that are in front of the camera). This show could've easily been another cliche killer show with only the name 'Hannibal' tying it in to Thomas Harris' book. This Season continues to amaze me with the cinematography, acting, and music among everything else. We get to see some characters we thought we would never see again and an amazing Season Finale. There are around two scenes that I consider the most gut wrenching of the series so far. I'll let you discover those on your own. This is not a show for everyone and if you get nauseous easily I wouldn't recommend this show to you.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Jash Talks: X-Men Days of Future Past Fiesta (Parts 1 & 2)

Avexle and myself talk about the X-Men movies and talk about medical issues among other things.

If you would like to send questions/topics for the next live show just comment below and they will be answered!

Also go to my twitter (@jashykins) to look for updates about the next live show!

Shipping Confessions: Cassie/Rachel (Animorphs)

And yet again we find ourselves back in the Animorphs series. I must admit that I should've given myself a little more time before talking about this ship. While I remember some good parts, there is the fact that it isn't as fresh in my mind as it should be. Especially since both characters grow and change throughout the series.

This is a ship where opposites attract. Hell, before the series started they were both good friends already.

The ship is Cassie and Rachel.
Cassie is one of those characters that is hated by the majority of the fandom and I don't understand why. She is the moral center of the group and commits some heinous acts, but that makes her realistically flawed and not someone that shouldn't be in the series.

Cassie is the one to discover the Yeerk Peace Movement (YPM) and helps the YPM Leader (Aftran) escape from being killed. She is the one to ask the others about their actions and so makes it so that the surviving Animorphs aren't so badly scarred at the end of the war. It's really only herself, Marco, and Ax that fare the best despite her best efforts.

Cassie is the one to help provide morphs and information on animals to the group. Without her it wouldn't be as easy to get morphs or figure out what morphs they should use. Yes, she did make mistakes like the ant morph, but she usually helps the group very well.

Cassie is a very plain looking girl and doesn't think too highly about her appearance. She is also a POC (specifically African American) and the books that she narrates clearly show her skin color on the covers.
Rachel is the opposite of Cassie. She turns into the weapon that the other Animorphs use as she will do what is necessary to win. This makes her a very bloody character and people often only see that side of her.

Throughout the series she questions how she is changing. She thinks about how she loves the war. So it isn't like she is a ruthless fighter without a conscience. She knows that she's a violent character and even reflects on how the others use her.

Rachel is the one to die and it actually makes sense. She is the one that lived for the war so her not living seems to be the better option. Of course her death affects Tobias so much that he ends up living in the wilderness after the war.

Rachel is always described as a model and so that helps to hide the fact that she is very vicious.
Rachel and Cassie were friends prior to them entering into the war. While they are opposites they very much fit one another.

Even though they have their fights during the series, including Rachel pointing out the fact that Cassie is afraid to become like her, they are always there for each other. No matter how far they get from each other, emotionally, they will always care about each other.

Cassie and Rachel are the opposite of each other and yet they care for each other deeply. From risking their lives for each other to simple things like recording shows.
It's always funny to see Rachel and Cassie talk about clothing. Rachel is one of those people that is very sophisticated when it comes to shopping while Cassie doesn't really know or care about fashion. So it's good that Cassie has a friend like Rachel who can help her with the more mundane things like dressing herself.

If Rachel had survived the war, Cassie could help her emotionally. Cassie could be there to remind her that she is a good person and that she'll always be there for her. I don't think Rachel would ever fully recover, but with a person like Cassie she could at least have a chance at enjoying life.

What will I talk about next Shipping Confessions? One ship that is so canon that it should be canon. A cannibal and an empathetic man from the tv series Hannibal.
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Shipping Confessions Table of Contents

Elementary (Season 2)



Show: Elementary

Season: 2

Episodes: 24

Executive Producer: Carl Beverly

Released: 2013-2014

Rating: 3/6

Basic Plot: A modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, with the detective now living in New York City.
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Irene/Moriarty Gets More Development
An episode or two is dedicated to Irene and I am glad for that. Last Season Finale had the reveal that Irene is actually Moriarty and seeing how Sherlock reacts is good to see. It's good to see how Sherlock Holmes loves and that he still harbors feelings for her. Irene is shown to have a daughter which ends up showing she's both a mother and that she's dedicated to her profession.

Mycroft
I liked seeing this character returning to the show. It is fun to watch the two brothers interact with each other. Mycroft and Joan Watson end up in a little relationship for a short time. I don't mind the relationship as it does open up character development for Mycroft as well as showing some secrets that I won't spoil here. Again, I love seeing him interacting with Sherlock and seeing their relationship explored.

Sherlock and Watson's Relationship
Now it's a well known fact that Sherlock and Watson are supposed to remain just friends. From an artistic standpoint I know that's the best decision. Here is a man and woman who can be together without falling in love with each other. It's a rarity in fiction, especially today when romance seems to enter places it isn't needed. However, I can't help but look at their actions as lovers rather than friends. This is one of those times I'm glad I'm not in charge of the show as I probably wouldn't be able to help myself.

Final Thoughts
This show is better if you watch a Season in a marathon watching style. This is because episodes can be meh generally, but the overarching plots are worth it. Plus Jonny Lee Miller excels at playing Sherlock Holmes giving the character new life. Lucy Liu continues to do well as Joan Watson. I am shipping Watson/Moriarty harder this season. With the ending of this Season I am worrying about Sherlock's stability and what will happen to the other characters.