Avatar (2009) Movie Review

I have to start off by saying that this movie was out of this world. I knew from the trailer it would have been a good one, but I didn't know how much I would love it. My idea of a good movie is the essence of something that has originality, insatiable acting and a whimsical storyline, something that I couldn't come up with myself. This movie really had me thinking of the possibility of another world like this one. James Cameron; the writer and director of this film found a way to create a mystical plot, beyond anyone's imagination unto the screen for us to enjoy and lament upon. Even the love story is unique and sensational, beyond words.

I immediately did research upon returning from the movies, because I really enjoyed this one. I learned about the techniques used to digitize each actor and actress into their 'Na'vi' form and the exceptionally attractive artwork. I further discovered that the writer behind this movie had it set for release in 1999, but held it off until now because the technology introduced would not be as open to us now. We have seen many movies that presented technology that literally left you flabbergasted at the endeavor to create something beyond belief, but 'Avatar' would take your breath away.

The names and the language within the movie would leave you wondering whether this language was 'the real deal'. I discovered that the language and culture of the 'Na'vi' was developed by Cameron himself. This creativity and professionalism was presented by Cameron in other films, but this one takes the cake.

Set way into the future the plot revolves around the Na'vi and their homeland Pandora. Pandora itself speaks of a box which holds the evils of mankind and once opened, all the evils would be revealed. The choice of Pandora reflects the actual lifestyle of the Na'vi after the humans invaded their homeland.

This type of inner depth which director James Cameron chose to develop was what impressed me most. I appreciated the relationship between Neytiri and Jake Sully. Sully himself was simple minded, but according to director Cameron; Sully would be 'a guy you'd want to have a beer with, and he ultimately becomes a leader who transforms the world'. Very few movies come along like this one often and I was hooked from beginning to end. I remember a particular scene while the humans reigned doom on the Na'vi's and took away their promised tree, I had grown attached to these people so much that their pain was shared and Neytiri's expression and passion for her culture was welcomed with open arms.

The Na'vi are essentially a huge family with deep ties among each other. It was amazing how open they were to teach others their traditions and were willing to merge 'an outsider' into their family. I can't grasp officially how the creation of this culture was done off screen, but I could truly believe and accept the possibility of there being a culture like the Na'vi out; a twelve feet tall race open to culture and nature. Their world actually seemed more functional and less complicated than the actual human lifestyle.

There were a few inconsistencies within the movie, at least there were a few that others pointed out, that I couldn't have really cared less about. Sometimes when you are so in to a movie you begin to lose any curiosity into plot developments and just 'go with the flow'. There were such few, but the ones pointed out detailed the inability of the Na'vi's arrows to penetrate the flying machines in the first war fight and in the fight with Sully as lead, they easily penetrated the windscreens. My theory in defense of them would be the positions they captured in the first fight; it was weak and unplanned and the distance barely gave any harm, especially since they had no clear view of the screens and aimed relentlessly. A second inconsistency pointed out dealt with the humans' inability to breathe without their masks and then we have them breathing without out their masks in the end. My theory to counter that would entail a bit of uncertainty, but on top of that Cameron did list the possibility of sequel movies and maybe all of those would be explained.

If it were me alone none of those mattered at all and the best parts of the movie, which is everything else, made me fall for it deeply beyond words. I would forever cherish one of the best couples created onscreen; Neytiri and Sully. I admired the way Neytiri referred to Sully as 'Her Jake', which reenacted their love for each other and made me ignore the possibility for them to be together given Sully's situation. What impressed me further would have been the scene where Sully began to suffocate for air and Neytiri hurried to save him. Despite the fact that she realized his true form, she still loved him; she didn't mind holding a small man in her arms. To her it wasn't a small man, but 'Her Jake', however mushy that sounded.

However soon the sequels arrive onscreen, I would be one of the many awaiting in hope that they are perceived just as well as the first. I actually began this review a week ago and bit by bit, it came along. I just needed to get the words right, make sure the movie sunk in enough and now I love it even more.

Lexa

___________

Five Stars

Grade A++
___________


Read Full Post

Lexabuti's Christmas Show List - Special

LEXA WISHES YOU A...



Christmas time is here and with most of our series taking a vacation with us; we often sit back on the shows gifted for us this year. Even the ones that met their end early, we still think of them. Here is my Christmas show list.

My Favorite Series' This Year.

20) Prison Break - Prison Break has been my favorite series from episode 1. I remember looking at this new prison drama on television and just staring at Wentworth Miller for the entire episode. Hence the reason I discovered his real name and background. Sarah Wayne Callies was also a familiar one for me. I remembered her from Tarzan, another reason to look at a shirtless guy, boy was I disappointed when it got canceled, just as disappointed when Prison Break got canceled. For the first few seasons I was eager to locate every episode on DVD and the commentaries was worth the DVD compilation. I remember asking the salesman when Season 3 was coming out and the season had not ended yet. As the years grew on this series, they also made a few mistakes by fabricating Sarah's death and the love connection between Sarah and Michael became washed down, not to mention Michael's relationship with his brother. Still this series made it into my top twenty, so that says something.



19) Cupid - Now Cupid the 'remake' in my opinion did not have a strong start. The series copied every detail, word for word from the previous version, but it picked up later on. Compared to all the other series around, I didn't mind having this one around. I kept hoping for a connection between him and Claire. Probably even a glimpse of his life as a god, or the revelation that his 'cupid' state was a temporary hallucination. Even though it ended soon, I appreciated his attempts to make love happen, along with his smarty remarks.



18) Samantha Who - Comedies can remedy a mellow day, and Samantha Who did the trick. This series was hilarious from the beginning. I remember Christina Applegate from The Sweetest Thing (2002) and I didn't really know how she would have handled a series, but she did successfully. Barry Watson from 7th Heaven also gave me initiative to love the show and appreciate the jokes. It did relate to real life and the mystery to staring over even if you had a horrible past. The only reason it did not make it to my top ten, is solely because it ended to soon and left too many unresolved issues behind.



17) The Unusuals - So what happened to the Unsusuals, it just disappeared without being given a decent chance or any sense of getting noticed. Amber Tamblyn from Joan of Arcadia pointed me in this series' direction, although I didn't ever peg her for a hard boil cop. I still liked the series.



16) Make It or Break It - Well the long break from this series has made it fall back into 'My Top 20' as opposed to being in 'My Top 10', but it still made it. The one thing I loved about this series is its unique appeal to telling a story. The difficulty in athletics could be improved, but the show made me love to really dislike some characters and also root for others that fall behind. Let's hope it keeps up the spirit after Christmas.



15) Robin Hood - There are few BBC shows I actually grow attached to and Robin Hood was one. I remember Googling 'Robin Hood' and discovering that this series existed all the way into the second season. So I borrowed the DVD from a friend and became instantly hooked. Not only did Jonas Armstrong have a strong main character appeal, but you literally could not take your eyes off of him for one second. I am certain he had the ladies falling for him on and off screen. Non-the-less I really admired this series and was saddened by it cancellation. There is no telling where the show would have gone without Armstrong.




14) The Listener - I can't remember how I started watching this one, but I knew I liked it. It was a different touch. I always like series that tell a different story, plus there must be the love chemistry dipped in between, but it still did the trick and I was happy to discover its renewal for a second season. I would love to know how the story is unraveled.




13) Kath and Kim - Now a lot of people that I knew didn't really take to this show. Some said that it couldn't compare to the Australian version, while others couldn't stand the idiotic acting placed by Selma Blair and Molly Shannon (in their opinion of course), but If you ignore all those facts, this show was really funny. I mean sure Kim was spoiled rotten, but the nonsense was easily eaten up and she actually reminded me of someone I knew, an exact replica.



12) Parks and Recreation - I actually learnt about this show recently by Sidereel's Kendra and Rachel. I especially thank Kendra for pointing me in this shows' direction. At first I thought it was following into 'The Office' footsteps and I said 'Oh no, you can't act like them and come off funny the same way. On the other hand, it turned out to be the opposite. This series is completely different from 'The Office' it is more for the outdoors and carries its own humor with it.



11) Burn Notice - USA usually brings out a certain type of series, I remember loving Walker Texas Ranger and now Burn Notice comes along. Burn Notice is not only clever, but the cast is incredible. I instantly became familiar with Sam, being a fan of Xena myself and that added an extra bonus to me loving this series and Michael's smile. Although I found this series became a bit repetitive with Michael's mother constantly making appearances, sometimes she comes out of nowhere without a valid storyline to back it up. Why would Michael risk being around his mother while danger follows him around like a magnet? Shouldn't he fake his death and try to get away from her? Anyway, his enemies already know his weakness, what would be the point. That does nothing to keep me from loving this series, especially since getting a taste Season 3.



10) The Office - Without saying, I love this series for its approach to telling a story. The fact that Michael is able to get away with half the things he says is evidence of a brilliant series. I did however think that last season the jokes were a bit edgy, but this season is picking up, hopefully next year it would be in 'My top 5'.








9) In Plain Sight - Brilliant season opener, brilliant season finally, I want more.




8) 10 Things I Hate About You - This series is so funny and that Patrick well, when he first spoke I was like 'what, that voice did not just come out from there', and that was where the magic started. I really do not compare the series to the actual movie, because the series alone it something that stands on its own.




7) 24 - Nonstop drama and action and Jack Bauer. I joined 24 in its Season 4 reign, before I used to think, what kind of show runs in a day via season, but surprisingly I got attached. I instantly began watching the seasons I missed before it and now I am up to par. I thought the Jack and the bio-weapon was a bit of a stretch. Especially since (spoiler) next season he is alive and well and apparently in good condition (end spoiler). Still I loving the excitement and I hope for more Jack and Renee.



6) Bones - I watch a lot of Bones and Booth videos and I just love the chemistry between them. Definitely glad it's in 'My Top 10'.






5) Castle - I didn't think I would like a crime drama so much, usually I just tune in and out, but Castle is just too funny to stay away from.




4) Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles - As you would see in my most missed series and possibly my previous posts; I really love Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TSCC). I mean every episode rocked, The one thing I admire most about this series is that it took time to tell the story. It also has a brilliant cast. Even though Lena Headey obviously shows her English accent in real life, she does a brilliant American one, really cool.







3) Private Practice - I instantly left Grey's Anatomy and became hooked on Private Practice (if you were wondering why Grey's wasn't mentioned here). Season 3 is far more developed and established than Season 1, but that doesn't mean I didn't love Season 1 the same.









2) The Mentalist - Every episode so far has been consistent. I admired Robin Tunney ever since she left Prison Break and she has joined yet another incredible series. Cleverly plotted and witty. I especially admire how they take the time to develop Van Pelt and Rigsby as opposed to rushing in their love story. Very few series bear this kind of quality.









1) Smallville - Last but not least 'Smallville'. For me Smallville claimed the number one position solely because my admiration for Lois and Clark and my Passion for what they represent, being a fan of all 'Superman' creations. I not only await the next episode, but anticipate the series' development.











Favorite New Series

Cougar Town - You can thank Courtney Cox for me loving this series because she is hilarious. I was on board whether or not it was going to be a hit, but I am glad it was a hit. The guy who played Noah in Private Practice is more attractive here than he was before, even though I might not completely adore his character. Still this is one to see if you haven't already.

Accidentally on Purpose - Come on really, I thought this was going to be horrible, and then I laughed my ass off for the first episode. At times, in between, there would be the lazy episode, but overall I wonder how far this one would go.

The Good Wife -Brilliant writing, acting, cleverly plotted and created, what else - a must see.

V - This one is popular, so I am sure there are many that loved it before the first episode aired, solely because it's something different and as of now, a story that hasn't been told before.

Community - A very dirty kind of comedy where you would find friendships in unexpected places and a kind heart in the most worthless person known. Most of all even the end of the series is entertaining.

White Collar - Okay I loved the first episode, but at times it kind of drifted so I am not sure about this one, but I just find the main character to be so attractive, so I am still interested.

Glee - If anyone got a hold of my previous discussion post with respect to Glee, I have my issues with the Terri - Will - Emma triangle, but putting that aside I love the talent portrayed on the show. Mercedes gave a wonderful impression for the finale as well as Rachel and I look forward to more of their performances.


Most Disappointed Canceled Series

Men In Trees - Oh It felt like just the other day I had an excuse to watch James Tupper in action. The finale did not give the series the justice it needed.

Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles - How could they! Completely unexpected.

Cupid - It was just all of a sudden, some didn't really see it coming, but it got the axe.

Robin Hood - Apparently this show it nothing without Jonas Armstrong. Anyway, I really didn't like his relationship with Kate, maybe it's for the best.

Kath and Kim - A person needs more laughter in their life, not sadness.

Xena The Warrior Princess - It’s been Years I know, but I still miss this one.


Most Disappointed Series This Year

NCIS Los Angeles - Really, the acting really sucks, I keep hoping for it to get better, but I stopped watching it weeks ago. Message me if it gets better.

Dollhouse - Well its being canceled, from the beginning I warned that Dollhouse needed to tie up some loose ends if it wanted to survive the push and pull of television and fans, they didn't want to listen.

Gossip Girl - Okay although I believe that there is a possibility for this show to claim another Season, I wouldn't be so surprised if it didn't. What are the writers doing here? I have read better fan fiction that this, come on Gossip Girl, your audience members are actually smart enough to know better, feed us what we want.

The New Adventures of Old Christine - Okay, I was going to put this one in my top twenty, but then I thought how much this season is beginning to disappoint me. It had a strong start and then it got lost somewhere.

Prison Break - I loved Season 1 and 2, surprisingly Season 3, but they sort of ruin Michael and Sarah for me. Season 4 went sour for me. It sad when a good series takes this plunge.


My Christmas Wish-list

The Renewal of Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles. There have been rumors, but I want an official word. The series was consistent from episode one and didn't deserve to be axed.

For Gossip Girl to either Move Up or Move out.

Most of all, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and thank those who came on board my blog, you are greatly appreciated. Also a Merry Christmas to those who commented and debated with me, I guess I wouldn't have anyone to share my online thoughts with if it weren't for you guys.

Lexa wishes Everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Read Full Post

Dollhouse: Season 2 'Stop Loss' and 'The Attic' Review

After this double dose of Dollhouse, I must admit that I would have appreciated the Series more if they went with this approach in Season One. I might not be a great fan of the series, but I loved the story type and I would not have minded another Season had the writers not really screw with the cherry of the story.

I felt as though they cheated time away from us, especially when it came to character development and suspense. The moment they received a possible thrilled idea, they would ruin the recipe by adding a cheesy-mess. Had the writers taken the approach to develop Echo, as opposed to crowding her with character development which frankly felt rushed for these last episodes, they could have held on to a few fans and a possible more seasons.

Sierra and Victor have the potential onscreen favorite couple, but the spark between them just isn't there for me. The writers held all the cards and the played all the wrong ones. Season one should have focused on the changes in Victor, giving us a brief introduction into his past, however small. Sierra herself could have revealed some Pria qualities.

Dewitt has now begun to annoy me to the point where I really couldn't tolerate any scene with her. The end scene in attic, where Echo sort of formed a truce with DeWitt, would have been more clever, if that was the sole purpose she brought Caroline in, as opposed to them making the pact before she sent her off to the attic.

I really tried, I mean there were points I literally zoned in and out and felt as though a fifteen minute snack break could have been accomplished even while the show was going on, but I blame it on the writers. Eliza Dushku showed some real talent as an actress, especially with what she had to work with. Had the storyline taken a different approach... oh well no use there.

The only scene I possibly found interest in was the return of that Dominic character from Season one, as we learnt he was sent to the attic then, and Summer Glau, but she was in the earlier double dose Fridays and hasn't returned since. Some things just go so far off to the point of no return, I really hoped Dollhouse would get back on track and renew a season or two. All weren't completely horrible, maybe Echo and Sierra should have had more scenes together in their doll states, and maybe some more animosity between Adelle and Topher. There is only so much that could be done now.

Lexa

____________

Three Stars

Grade C-
____________


Read Full Post

Gossip Girl: Season 3, Episode 12 'The Debarted' Review

Gossip Girl aspires to achieve a certain goal every time a new episode is aired. Here we had a self depressing Chuck, a misguided Serena, a sibling rivalry and thorn marriages. Now Gossip Girl has taken the road where the end would justify the means and all the other pieces before it could simply fall out of place, so long as everything ends in accordance with the script.

That is why we have characters poking in and out of episodes without any sort of development or back story as to how they claimed even a second of screen time. We also have characters falling in and out of love like a misused hobby and then there are the marriages that come out corrupt and worn down to the ground.

Tripp is a very weak character, he claimed to love Serena and protested to overcome whatever trials that came their way, yet he still ran crying to his wife like a little baby. He has shown no real valor of a congressman, nor has he represented himself as the man he claimed to be. Which makes me wonder why anyone would waste time fighting over him? Surprisingly, I liked Maureen over all the melodrama. The letter, which Maureen used as blackmail, claimed that Lily and Serena's father spent some time in a hotel room. That could only mean that nothing 'under the sheets' happened and Lily was not the 'cheating whore' Maureen made her out to be. Solely because Lily was to ready to tell Rufus the truth and she didn't fear the worst for their marriage.

I felt the feud between Jenny and Eric was short lived and a cheap shot on Eric's part. Did it really take two people to plan the big comeback? Maybe the writers have something else stored for the siblings and their truce revealed to be a bluff, who knows. I just don't know how to feel about Jenny's drug-dealer mentality. I am certain if she asked Lily nicely she could have gotten the extra bags, but her problems seem to go beyond that, and without any direction in her life, she would continue going off course. It's even worse since her very own father couldn't pay attention for two minutes, to notice that his little girl is slipping.

I am actually tired of the whole Blair-Chuck lovie dovieness. I remember how the Bart death was dealt with and couldn't recall Lily's visit to the hospital, so the closure bit was expressed well for Chuck's sake. I did feel that the whole Bart death was spontaneous last season and Chuck handled the covering of his father in the hospital with maturity. The possibility of him seeing his father had something to do with his lightheaded and drunken states, which led to a sense of delusion. Gearing into the Christmas mood, the ghost mental was a somewhat pun for fun.

Dan and Olivia did not get their essential closure they needed to officially end as a couple, and even though Dan is admitting his feelings for Vanessa to himself, I couldn't officially root for them. Every character on this show is in and out of relationships, either with each other or someone completely impromptu. The only 'single' characters are probably the youngest of the cast and their relationships with others can be warped and manipulative as well, so there isn't one real couple worth rooting for.

Since we are all preparing for the Holidays, some our loved series have already taken their mid season break and I could use a break from Gossip Girl for a while, as an early Christmas present. Some of the plots have taken an interesting spin, like Nate's development (hitting Tripp was solid) and Chuck's 'mother'(?), but it's not enough. They are all slight impressions and small twists. The rest of the nonsense (ouch), like Tripp's whining, Serena's naivety, Rufus' spontaneous 'affair' with a spontaneous character and Jenny's rebellion, could really take a hike, because it really drowns out all the plausible elements each episode.

I am not really expecting much now, there were some points in the episode where I sort of, couldn't really care anymore, but just had to watch it for the sake of just letting you all know how I felt about it, but nothing changes.

Does Serena really deserve Nate; I mean he stuck by her side throughout all the bull she gave him?

Lexa

____________

Three Stars

Grade C-
____________



Read Full Post

The Office: Season 6, Episode 12 'Scott's Tots' Review

Michael: "I've made some empty promises in my life, but hands down that was the most generous"

Michael has done and said many crazy things in his lifetime, promising to pay for an entire class' college tuition was one; and worst yet that they believed he would follow through his word without any written proof or contact over the years. it's clear that Erin isn't everyone's favorite person. Had the tables been reversed and Michael said the things to Pam as he did Erin, he would have surely gotten another punch in his mouth. Could Michael afford to sponsor even one child's college fees, I highly doubt it, so what gave these teenagers the hope that Michael would fulfill their dream, especially since he could barely afford to take care of himself.

I felt the students gave Michael too much credit, not to mention the teachers. I was surely doing my research before even trusting any word from Michael. The only good thing that came out of it was hope and faith that if they did do well in school, they would have made it to college, which is the exact point Erin made to Michael in the end. The funniest part was Michael believing, some computer batteries could mend the mess he had already created.

On the office side, Jim authority is threatened by Dwight again. I actually feared for Jim in a second, but I highly doubted that Wallace would axe Jim's title because of the Employee mishap. I would give Dwight one thing, if it was really 'Rainn Wilson' (Dwight) mimicking Stanley, Kevin and the others on the phone to Wallace, he did a brilliant job. I would have easily thought it was Kevin through the impression he delivered. Sadly, Dwight's vendetta got Ryan on board, I guess he couldn't stand his box for his office anymore.

Michael: "I can't pay for your college, but you don't have to go to class, to be in class. Online courses are a viable option, to a traditional college experience. The best way to access those courses is with your own personal laptop, which is rendered useless without the batteries and I have one for each of you"

Lexa

__________

For Stars

Grade B+
__________


Read Full Post

Is this the end of Will And Terri?

I really felt sorry for Terri, I mean I really felt sorry for her. All this time she felt that lying to her husband was the best way to keep their relationship strong.

We have all seen this type of relationship. The fact that Terri pointed out that Will was a better husband when he felt sorry for himself, was bad enough. What relationship you know survived after a lie, blown out of proportion, was revealed?

We knew the moment would come for Will to stumble upon Terri's lie, I mean really how long could she have kept it up. There could have been times where he could turn around and surprise her with her belly rub. Even though she became extremely alert in bed, there would be that time for the coin to drop and the two faces revealed, but I really did not expect it. While Will went scouting for his pocket square, I knew the moment had arrived for him to connect the dots. I seriously thought he was going to hit her there!

Even though everything she went through to cover it up, was manipulative and conceited, I still felt remorse. The fact she believed that a lie could help their marriage was beyond saddening. I mean really, I understand her. I don't think Will should have suffered through the false believe of being a father, but I also didn't appreciate his love affair with Emma when he believed he was going to be a father.

Even when Terri was believed to be pregnant, he held on to his misguided feelings for Emma, so imagine if Terri broke the news then, to go and ask Emma what was to be his next move. I mean a marriage is supposed to mean something, and even Emma told Terri to back off when she thought Terri was getting in the way. The irony.

The moment he realized the pregnancy was fake was the biggest moment for me. He said he loved her, but I really couldn't believe him, especially since he couldn't stand spending time with her at school as well as home because 'they would have nothing to talk about at home'. Their marriage was really 'messed up' from the start.

Terri: "Do you remember that appointment, do you remember what was said? That at that moment, no matter what happened, we loved each other"

After hearing those words and finding out she wasn't pregnant, in Terri's crazy state, I could imagine why she would feel the need to lie. It didn't all start out as a lie.

Their relationship was torn, the typical pregnancy to keep the marriage going has been misused and often times fell through the cracks. Things are often more successful when a baby is actually involved. She probably already lost him, so what exactly did she have to hold on to.

I hold my opinion, I do feel sorry for her, no one would ever want to be in that situation, especially when a simple human error was made and having a sister that condones it doesn't really help. I could tell she did care about him, but after he turned his back to her, I really do not know if there's any coming back from that.

Lexa



Read Full Post

Gossip Girl 'The Treasure of Serena Madre' Review

I figured I needed a one week break from Gossip Girl, because surprisingly I found 'The Treasure of Serena Madre' to be big refresher. I really didn't expect much out of this one, so anything that made sense to watch would have easily been a thumbs up in my book.

Even though I might not like the approach they are going with the show, it's good to have an episode that flowed. As for the storyline, I had given up on the Jenny-Eric war and initially I thought the writers decided to make Jenny and Eric friends, but I was happy with the suspense they gave us and I am intrigued into what 'strike' Eric referred to in his text. I found the Vanessa-Dan reconnection to be filled with suspense as well, although I didn't buy that Vanessa's heart was broken beyond repair, when she first expressed her feelings for Dan in Season One. She survived through it.

The only storyline I couldn't really take interest in was Serena's naivety towards Tripp. The whole 'he's married and leaving his wife-but not for me' is a really old cliche on television, but I think I understand where Gossip Girl stands right now so we'll have to make do. As for Lily I am actually curious as to what was in that letter and the secret she's keeping. I do know that Maureen would find some way to use it to get Tripp back.


Jenny and Eric

I was set on disliking the war between them and disputed the writers' approach to Jenny's amateur mean girl attitude. When the show opened with Jenny and Eric apparently on good terms, I figured they let bygones be bygones and I wasn't expecting much, but I liked the suspense they created with Eric and his hate for Jenny. Eric wants things back the way they were and Jenny has lost sight of the person she once was. It also looked like we would be seeing more of Kira, the girl Eric teamed up with in 'They Shoot Humphrey's, Don't They'. I am certainly interested in the strike the have for Jenny.


Dan, Vanessa and her Mother

I like Vanessa's mother and I understood the dispute between them. I knew they were going to lay down the Dan and Vanessa card, but I was happy that they didn't play it. I may have wanted them together in Season one, but now not so much. It was fun for Vanessa's mom to point out Dan being 'in love'. I remember Vanessa's surprise visit to Dan's window in Season One, but she couldn't really expect that Dan would have held a torch for long even if he proclaimed to love her. Their friendship didn't really suffer then, or maybe it was an underline fact. I found Dan's 'face' according to Vanessa, amusing, and Vanessa's innocence towards 'the face' was just to cute.


Tripp, Serena and Maureen

Serena takes up an entire chapter of her own, on how gullible a person she could be. It was laughable enough when Tripp believed a simple incident could mean the end of his marriage, as opposed to admitting to finding any excuse to sleep with Serena, but watching Serena dig her own pit of lies and the naivety that went with it was embarrassing. Looking at Tripp, he looked like an eighteen year old dressed up as someone older and I questioned his ability to run as congressman, let alone have a wife and lead an affair. Given the responsibility Maureen has as a wife, she should know better than to ruin her husband's career in front of his face and believe that things would work out. Her deceptive skills were just as amateur. I did feel sorry for her though, especially when Tripp left her for good and asked Serena to join him. I don't care whether or not he was willing to sink his life in, if he did care about Serena, he would have left well enough alone. At least it looked as though Maureen could use whatever was in that letter, as Blackmail.


Rufus, Lily, Cece and Serena

What a silly place to keep a letter if you are trying to hide it, especially if someone else knows the combination to the hiding place. Whatever Lily is hiding, it has something to do with Serena's father and it also measures up to all the shenanigans Serena committed in her lifetime. It must really be horrible, since Lily can't ever judge Serena again. What could be more obscene than running away with a married-almost divorced man? What happened with Lily's secret trip over the summer? Affairs seem to be popular on Gossip Girl's radar, I hope Lily didn't have one.

It was nice to have Cece be a part of Thanksgiving, but she was oddly over nice when compared to the deceitful character I knew her to be in Season One. Ah I am over it, but I really loved to hate her then and I am loving the suspense we are getting.


Blair, Eleanor and Dorota

This triangle was very entertaining, but the promos placed too much emphasis on the surprise pregnancy. I guess that's the advertisement ploy to through you off guard, so anything else was open to creativity. I almost forgot Dorota's love affair with Vanya, he was pretty excited to be a father. How is that going to work out though?


Everything Else

Blair and Chuck barely had any couple worthwhile moments and originally I shared Blair's resentment towards Serena's lapse in marital judgment. Blair actually showed a sense of maturity this time, she shines better when she's not plotting to take over a kingdom that doesn't exist. I on the other hand, did not support her choice to give Serena the 'go ahead' to run off with Tripp, who was still married. It would have been more Blair if she added a 'make sure he shows you the divorce papers' liner.

Nate and Dan are really cool buddies, it's funny how close they are. Dan is like the buddy that gives you a pat on the back when all fails and Chuck is the one to drown it all down with hard liquor. It's good to know Nate has options and even though he's not the most stable character in the cast, Nate manages to pull off an average okay in his scenes.

Extra

If Lily really wanted to keep her secret safe, she would have burnt that letter.

Did Vanessa really not notice Dan's 'faces', she probably didn't have someone really love her before.

Thumbs up to Vanessa's mom and that heart to heart speech with Dan about Vanessa.

Eric looks really mean when he's playing the 'bad boy'.


Quotes:

Blair: "Oh I didn't know the Empire had hourly rates!"
Serena: "Is Nate home, he's not answering his cell?"
Blair: "One Van Der Belt isn't good enough?"


Blair: "Mother, how could you? I mean, no offense to Cyrus, but do you really think the world needs another Aaron Rose?"
(Sweet, I have to agree with Blair on this one.)

Nate: "I told you it would end badly. Threesomes man, don't believe the hype"
(Talking from experience. You know he turned Dan down for Thanksgiving plans, but not Serena-go figure.)

Chuck: "A little Thanksgiving proclamation; you two ever play grab-ass in my elevator again, and Serena will be staying at an airport Marriott! Happy holidays!"
(Hahahmmm good one.)


I am almost certain the writers took the approach of giving fans back to back hilarity of episodes to convince us of decline in worthy plots, only to have this one pulled out of all the dust. I appreciate this approach and if they continue along this stretch, I would definitely not be disappointed-too much. I have already accepted the approach they are taking, it doesn't mean I like it very much either.
Here's for improvement!

Lexa

____________

Three Stars

Grade C+
____________


Read Full Post

The Office: Season 6, Episode 11 'Shareholders Meeting' Review

Re-cyclops and Polluticon and another day at The Office. I admired how the placed the correct Secretaries throughout the years, while Jim gave a run-through of Re-cyclops time of reign; they reformed Jim's position by Pam's desk, Ryan's clueless look as the then receptionist and the other receptionist who Michael tortured for not being like Pam, can't really remember her name though, and now Erin. Dunder Mifflin had a lot of receptionist in its lifetime. I still can't get over Pam's promotion to sale, but 'oh well'.

So, Michael is greeted with a limousine to be taken to a shareholders meeting to be hosted with David Wallace among many. I am almost certain they treated Michael with a hint of loyalty, so that he could endure the harsh remarks from the extremely dissatisfied patrons at the meeting. This reminded me of a meeting a friend hosted and she was placed in the spotlight when it came to clarifying expenses and fair-use of welfare savings. Michael is not one to be considered a failure, which is why he preferred being cheered, even if his claim was bogus.

Oscar always speaks intelligently and could easily stand up to Michael about the boards in the company and the diversification of money spent within, yet he could not stand up to Wallace and his clan. If he began rattling off about the 'Dunder Mifflin Stock Symbol' being 'DMI', which according to him stood for 'Dummies, Morons and Idiots' because 'that's what anyone would have to be to own it'. If Oscar stood strong and uttered those words to the members of the board, to their face, he would have certainly been out of a job.

As Michael's presence is absent from the office, Jim apparently takes charge, being co-manager and all. The irony is that no one respects him and he comes off as less of a boss than Michael. That could mean that they really have no respect for Jim, who was once a member of them or they have been without an idealistic leader for so long, that they have lost sight of how serious a boss can be. Even Pam couldn't really see Jim as the boss he claimed to be. Could Jim really fire someone? I am certain he could, but Michael would make it his priority to seek vengeance if he axed Ryan.

Ryan himself has been much more childish this season. I don't know if Michael spoiled him, but he's managed to treat Kelly like the teenage girl he 'hooks up' with, without defining his relationship with her, and he also doesn't respect Jim and his title. I was happy for Jim when he took a stand and placed Ryan in a lonely office, (box more like it) to teach him a lesson. That was one way to show who was in charge, by making an example of the person responsible for demeaning his authority.

The Office is catching on this season and as a message to Pam, you don't only support your husband because you have to, you also mean it.

Lexa

___________

Four Stars

Grade B-
___________


Read Full Post

Smallville: Season 9, Episode 9 'Pandora' Review

Usually when I get this excited for an episode, it always blows out of proportion and does a complete 180 on the quality I expect. Smallville has delivered some overwhelming Clois moments and the conflict among Clark, himself and Zod has been well established, but I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop and it kept on strong. The effects were widely attractive, like the action scenes and the consistency with Season 8 Lois.

'Pandora' dealt solely with Lois' missing three weeks of memory and her sudden divulge into the future. I kept channeling my thoughts to the season 8 finale, where Lois finished speaking to the 'Red, Blue Blur' back when he was still called that and her sudden altercation with Tess, and I actually tried to mesh my trend of thought with Lois' mindset. Basically she and Clark didn't kiss before, so when Clark embraced Lois as if they were lovers in the future I kept thinking 'maybe they had a connection', but then I reminded myself that it was the first time Clark saw Lois in months. The same reaction he had to seeing her in the train was close to the one he had when he gave up his watch to possibly save her life. (That explains how that ninja chick got the watch).

Clark has matured so much over these nine seasons and I am beginning to adore Season 9 Clark, really. Tom Welling has managed to turn the boy into the man and it suits him handsomely. I assume the shirtless Clark was for those Tom Welling fanatics and possibly Clois lovers, but I thought Clark was rather passionate and slightly forward for his love scene with Lois. Where did all those 'I did it for you' or even the 'Lois after you disappeared I couldn't be around Oliver or Chloe, they reminded me of you and that hurt to much' come from? I knew that Jimmy's death had the greatest impact on Kal El's decision to leave Clark behind and seeing Lois gave him a reason to bring Clark back, but I would not have guessed that Clark stayed away solely because of Lois' disappearance, I believe that Clark would have tried to find her if she did mean that much to him then.

Still they basically gave away that love scene through Lois' dreams and it came to a level of catch up as opposed to the greatest love moment between them. I wonder if that was the reason Clark worked up the nerve to make it official between him and Lois for real. Lois couldn't remember the future, but Clark still has to live with that over and over in his head. Clark's ability to admit to himself that the games between them were worthless if he did nothing about it, showed his maturity as a man with a destiny. The only thing I am concerned about is Lois' safety around him. The reason he tried to isolate himself from his emotions before was to protect the ones he loved, has that changed? I believed that Clark has reached a certain point where he knows that Lois is already in his heart and he would always find his way around her, so the only way he could protect her, was to be in her life.

While Lois and Clark bore the prominent scenes in Pandora, Tess and Zod also did a number when it came to impression. Future Tess is misguided and thwarted. She believes that forming an alliance with Zod would save humanity when it did the opposite. The only moment she realized she was wrong was when Chloe stuck a knife through her heart, in this case and arrow. I sympathized with Tess when she died in Oliver's arms. Tess was completely different from the one Lois left in the present. That Tess was actually willing to consider Zod a true enemy and wasn't willing to trust him completely. Yet I still have to consider that future Tess didn't have Lois in her past, because that Lois vanished months ago, enough time for Zod to take over the world.

Future Chloe shows a possibility of what present Chloe could become (phew). Now Chloe is manipulative and also admitted to keeping secrets from Clark, future Chloe was willing to kill without consequences. I hardly doubt Chloe could easily kill Tess now, but this is also a Chloe that was locked up in 'Watchtower' for a good couple of months without dealing with Jimmy's death. I believe that move made by Chloe before she was killed was reckless. Even though Alia (ninja chick) didn't give Chloe a fair fighting chance, Chloe seemed to have lost her track in life, without true cause.

Everyone's future looked bleak actually, even though Clark managed to get the better of Zod, he still surprised Clark with the Krptonite knife. I realized a lot of people were complaining about Alia's ability to super-speed even under the influence of the yellow sun. The theory is that the red sun is the Kadorian's main power source. Even if I were to somehow develop a theory that some of the clones bare certain abilities even under yellow sun, Alia should have an essence of her powers even now. I could go further and say that we were able to see Clark regain his powers, but Zod didn't appear to lose all of his. It could also be that Zod's abilities weakened when compared to Clark and Alia was surviving on the remnants of what she use to have.

That still doesn't explain how she had her abilities when she came to the present? Maybe they were still wearing off? At least I tried, I leave it in the hands of the writers to give us a full explanation. The fates of the present and future have not collided yet and some pieces are still left out of place.

It's strange, I actually thought Clark and Alia had some kind of relationship in the future. It didn't necessarily have to be an intimate one, but a friendship on the same. She came to the future to assassinate Clark in 'Savior' and when she looked up to Clark and apologized before she died, as though she owed it to him, I wondered.

Another questionable fact would be the duration of the three weeks Lois spent in the future, which more or so felt like two days and could possible stretch over to three. Did Oliver really think he could take on an army with one arrow? Why didn't he do something to save Chloe?

Don't get me wrong, I did love this episode, I could easily point out a load-some of scenes I replay over and over, (probably not the love scene ;)). One would definitely be the Lois and Clark holding hands in the elevator scene. It not only established a huge change for these characters but it actually made me love Lois even more and despise the anticipation for next years episode.

Smallville has been giving us back to back thriller of episodes this season, I would just have easily loved to replay the episode over from memory and not have a few question marks in my head. I must commend Cassidy Freeman for that dying scene, it really hit the heart. As for Pandora, the only evil that was let out was probably the knowledge of the future.

I am looking forward to:

**Lois and Clark of course. (Could the writers possibly top this union?)
**How Tess would deal with Chloe knowing how she dies in the future.
**How would Chloe adapt since she knows her fate as well (definitely do not listen to past Lois when she tells you to run).

Lexa
_______________________

Four and a Half Stars

Grade B+
_______________________


Read Full Post

Smallville Countdown Speculations

I don't think I've been more excited counting down the days until Smallville airs the next episode. I noticed a few changes in Smallville lately and not only have the writers succeeded in giving Lois and Clark their real love story, but everything else is equally mesmerizing.

I focus solely on Clois in my reviews and sometimes I hardly find the room to squeeze in some of the other story lines that have been exceptional this season.

Tess Clark and Zod

Tess has this commitment to saving the world, but she also comes off as a villain. The one thing that sets her aside from the villainess is her heart connections. Even though she secluded herself from Oliver, she still holds a piece of their relationship close to her and I believe if Oliver was in trouble she would spend one second out of her obsession to save to world to do it. She could easily sway over to the other side, but I'm glad she could still be trusted slightly. Her connection with Zod, I believe is to get inside his head, if she did form an alliance with him it would be to get the better hand.

I also fear that Tess would want to conquer the world if she does save it. She risks a lot having two things against her; her femininity and her human heart. I've noticed her ability to cling on to fighting skills as her armor and she sometimes uses her femininity to her advantage and she has managed to close her heart off to anyone that was once close to her. She shows compassion or desire towards Clark because of his superhero complex and she would not be any match for him if they got in a battle. In 'Kandor' Clark admitted to being the blur and he intimidated her into giving up his father's location. Clark is not afraid of Tess, she has been hinting it to him that she knew since last season, it only took a confession from Clark to remove any little doubt she had. Clark believes that Tess could be harmless for the moment, she has proven that she wanted to help him and if she wanted to reveal his identity she would have sabotaged him a long time ago.

Tess wants to prove to Zod that she is capable of being as strong as steel and she cannot be intimidated easily. I think the Kandorian Tess eliminated was a message to Zod to back off, and consider a partnership between them. Zod sees humans as peasants and working with Tess is like an insult to 'his kind', but Tess comes off to be more than human and I believe he is somewhat intrigued by her strength, but I don't think he trusts her, they both manipulate each other to get on top of things. The one thing I feared most in Kandor was Clark's identity being revealed by Zod, because now he has the upper hand, like he has an explosive in his hands he could let off at any time.

Chloe, Clark and Lois' Dreams

In all of the Superman, Lois and Clark themed shows I know, Chloe hasn't been sso popular with screen time. In Lois' Dreams I've noticed that Chloe lays flat on the ground, eyes opened and it presents the idea that she could die in the future, because Lois' dreams give flashes of what to come. Chloe has lost everything in her life, she no longer has any emotional connection. After Jimmy died and she begged Clark to bring him back and he chose not to, I believe Chloe still has a grudge. Even though she and Clark get along good, there are still issues between them. She no longer appreciates privacy and she occasionally showed some serious negative energy towards Clark and Lois bonding. I believe that although she hides it well, she misses Jimmy and she misses the times when Clark depended solely on her. Now Clark is steps closer to revealing his secret to Lois and that's probably bothering her a bit, that was the one thing she and Clark shared together.

Without her strong goal to figure things out and use her skills for the betterment of mankind, I really don't know what Chloe would have to do. She has now dedicated her life to protecting others and she could get killed doing it. I don't want Chloe to be knocked out this rounds, I really appreciate the contribution Allison Mack has made to the series especially since she was a cast from day one and still going. I don't think I would ever be okay with Chloe leaving, if the writers had that story line in mind, or Lois' dreams are some sort of trick to deceive us, I hope it is the latter. Chloe needs to find some grounding in her life.

What ever happened to the hacker she recruited? He hasn't been mentioned for two straight episodes, so I wonder what use Chloe could have for him since she's been solitary all this time, would she have room for someone else? I still can't believe that Chloe was the one to get Clark to fess up and tell Lois how he felt. Maybe she got tired of hearing him whine about her all the time. She notices the connection between them. Could it be in a selfish way that she knows Lois is one reason Clark pulled away from Kal El 100 and came back to earth and it's the only way Clark would communicate with her?

Lois' Dream and Everything Else Surrounding It

Lois was obviously not offended or turned off by the dream, which also means that she has probably had the image of them together flashed through her mind before, especially since their almost-kiss in Season 8. The three week lapse in Lois' memory suggests that what ever happened in the future took three weeks to unravel and she came back to somewhat prevent it from happening. Whatever 'it' is, it involves Zod, since his arrival and the ring came about the same time.

Lois' dream got more intense after Clark kissed her. Before she just had vague flashes and now after that 'Crossfire' WOW!, she had an entire intimate moment play out in her head. Which explains why the second kiss possibly placed her in a sleeping state. 'Pandora' according to the myth suggest that she opened a box containing the evils of mankind out of share curiosity. The next episode reflects something being opened that should have just stayed dormant. I believe Zod has a lot to do with that.

I watched 'Idol' clips over and I noticed Clark's cheek being bruised when he held Lois from behind. I was too busy fixating on their moment that I barely paid any attention to what the scar meant. Now Clark is invincible, any scar leaves within seconds. His 'I wish we had more time' before he held Lois symbolises a sort of escape for them to be together or the last time they would ever be together, since he probably lost his immortality.

In 'Crossfire' Tess put forward a solar system she was working on. I tried to figure out why Zod would be interested in becoming CEO of anything, especially since he despised the human race, so why would he want to work for them? Zod is trying to regain his powers. The main source of Clark's powers is the Yellow sun and when they focused on the orange-red sun in Lois's dream I figured that maybe that was responsible for his absence of powers. Zod wants Clark defenseless and he uses his hatred for Jar El to defeat Clark.

Finally...

This is my speculation of the series so far, it could go either way. I don't know about Oliver and his sidekick or even partner, but I believe that they would show them selves again probably even to help Clark when he's down. This just crossed my mind does Lois know about Clark's secret in the future? What do you think?
I absolutely loved the way these writers captured Lois and Clark, I mean really, well done. I just now count down the hours until it airs, is it Friday yet?

Lexa


Read Full Post

The Office: Season 6 Episode 10 'Murder' Review

A good way to take your mind off of losing your job, is to play a game centered around 'Murder'. At least that was another bright idea placed by Michael to take everyone's mind off of bankruptcy. Dunder Mifflin has faced many dilemmas throughout each Season. In Season One Michael was faced with letting someone go from the office; from then on there was the issue of branches closing, then the merging branches, followed by the scare of other job losses. A friend of mine once suffered through the possibility of their branch closing down and almost went crazy, especially since there was not any kind of game to ease the worry. Which is what makes 'The Office' so far fetched and somehow related to real life.

'Murder' was particularly placed as a front by Michael as a strategy to remove fear and replace it with fun. I am not even sure if Angela got the baby carrots Michael promised if she stayed to play the game. What surprised me was Jim describing his role with Michael as the parents of the office. Jim has had his issues with Michael's approach to running the office, ever since he was just 'the employee'. Now we find Jim being sucked into the very same strategy Michael takes on. Running the office is clearly not as easy as he rationed it would be when he took on the manager role. At least he was able to comfort Pam in a way Michael could not in the past, by being frank with her.

My favorite scenes would be with Andy and Erin. They are the most clumsiest character yet, and they cleverly found a way to twist 'the date' mix up. Although I thought it was strange for Nelly's brother to ask her out, if they did remain in character, but her name was 'Naughty Nelly' after all, so the title could have been misunderstood. I actually admire their relationship, they have this 'will they, won't they' thing going on, and I felt sorry for Andy when it turned out that Erin was interested in a date.

There is always something crazy in the office, be it Dwight or some crazy report from corporate, but Dunder Mifflin always pulls through. Let's hope they pull through for this one. Who would ever think that Pam would be sucked into a fake 'gun draw', it looks like she's forgiven Michael and it bears no hard feelings on Michael part that she slummed him in the face.

Lexa

____________

Four Stars

Grade B-
____________


Read Full Post

Gossip Girl 'The Last Days of Disco Stick' Review

I am going to be frank from the beginning, I really do not like the direction the writers of Gossip Girl are going with this show. This episode bears no exception. I mean I really tried to find some interest in the new Vanessa Dan storyline, Blair's crazy obsession with the play and Jenny's experimenting stage, but I couldn't. I have accepted that Gossip Girl has found its way into this type of political drama and lost sight of why fans loved the series in the beginning. Yet for the past few weeks now, washed down writing has become frequent and honestly I could do without it.

Vanessa-Dan-Olivia

The Threesome sequel to last week's 'They Shoot Humphrey's, Don't They?'.
Olivia and Dan's relationship became very plain to me, the threesome more hurt than helped their relationship. Dan is completely out of character, since when does Dan get off on being 'The Man'. This is certainly not the Dan Humphrey we knew in Season one. Ever since he and Serena broke up he's been like a wild horse, almost compared to what Chuck Bass used to be. Even now that he's dating a movie star his ego must be on a serious high. I was glad Nate was around to give him some perspective about sleeping with the girlfriend and the best-friend.

Dan has real feelings for Vanessa and even if the writers wanted to screen them together, the possibility is blurred by the threesome. I was hoping for the threesome to be some sort of dream sequence and where Vanessa pushed Olivia away to get her share could easily enlighten the hilarity of the dream.


Blair, The Play and her Lady Ga Ga Project.

*sigh* Blair is back to using petty stunts, blackmail and foul play into getting the job done, only this time it wasn't fun to watch. I really don't get it anymore. I don't get Blair's obsession to fit in, I don't get why this play was so important to her or even why she would work with Dan and Vanessa and I don't get those minions...

It's just tiring hoping for Blair to have a character change or instead of fitting into NYU, try blackmailing some other schools into an acceptance that suits her. The NYU domination theme is getting really old and boring. There was once a time I would anticipate Blair scenes, now I can't wait for them to end.

I understand using guest star appearances and performances to shape up ratings is what Gossip Girl has succumbed to lately, but does it really help? I may have enjoyed Lady GaGa's performance, but it's like the show is using these stars to define itself as opposed to shining on it's own.


Serena-Tripp and Nate

I was very disappointed in Serena here. She has been on the low many times, but I'm sure she not foolish enough to fall for the married man-marital issues ploy. Did Tripp really get upset about his wife's drowning gimmick to have an affair? I could understand it if he was a guy of morale principles who held the people in his life on a pedestal, but the writers didn't take the time to establish Tripp's character.

Nate is one to be on the sidelines lately. They either need to give him an official storyline or just kick him out of the show until they get one! When they flashed back to Serena and Nate from Season One, I thought they were going to put them back together and that really would be a huge mistake. They could barely make any guy in Serena's life interesting, who knows how they would recreate Serena and Nate without adding a bit of messy on the side.

Jenny-Damian and 'I'm Chuck Bass'

Damian: "What exactly does an Upper East Side Queen do? Wear designer clothes, boss people around?"
Jenny: "No, go to parties and openings and stuff."
Damian: "Where you wear designer clothes and boss people around? Sounds like kind of a yawn."

I feel really sad for Jenny, she hasn't only lost sight of who she used to be, but she's lost everyone she would consider a true friend. Her brother Dan is too busy with his threesome issues to notice and her dad is completely oblivious. This Ambassador's son might have been a drag, but he did define Jenny's Queen gig well - 'kind of a yawn'.

Jenny is just too young to have all this burden on her shoulder. She revealed to Chuck that she was more lonely and bored than when she was in Brooklyn. Blair always had someone to accept her ways non-the-less and Jenny has no one. I knew Chuck would have been the one to pull Jenny out, and I admire his brotherly ways towards her. I still don't buy how clueless Rufus is as a parent towards his daughter and how Lily keeps encouraging Jenny into to stuff she's not really ready for.

This was another one of the 'I'm Chuck Bass' lines, but it felt overused for some reason.

Finally...

Maybe I mentioned this before, but I am getting tired of the same old story lines and there doesn't even seem to be a silver lining. I keep hoping that the following week would surprise me, but it always turns out to be just the same old material as before. It looks like next weeks 'The Treasure of Serena Madre', Serena and Tripp have this affair thing going, Vanessa's mom is making another appearance. I actually liked Vanessa's mom and she might provide some - thing, but I'm not certain how I feel about that, probably the same ole quality.

Quote:

Nate: "Serena, I didn't tell you about Maureen because Tripp's a married man. If you go with him now you're going to cross the line."
Serena: "Thank you for everything, Nate really, but that line just got a little blurry."

Then Wear Glasses!

Lexa

______________

Just One Star

*sigh*
______________

Read Full Post

Smallville Season 9, Episode 8: 'Idol' Review

There would be those moments in classic television history where scenes get so steamy that your mouth waters at the sight of it. 'Idol' had its effects and the eye capturing moments between Lois and Clark would have any Clois fan drooling over the sight of skin and Tom Welling's err Clark's nipple hanging at bay, his chest caressed by Lois...
I guess I'm swaying away with it and anyone would. What sealed that opening scene was Lois falling helplessly into Clark's arms as he caressed her into a kiss.

No wonder Lois got lost in her daydream and even if that moment was happening in her head, it was still worth every second. I knew it had to be a dream of some sort, they wouldn't make Clark and Lois kiss and then skip a chapter, the strange orange light and dream-like scenario gave whiff to the daydream's being. Lois was just classic here, trying to cover up her emotions and the reason behind her sudden disappearance for two weeks. Clark really did a number on her and I couldn't understand how he was so calm in front of Lois. "We should talk about it" and "Are you turning red?", well 'go figure' stud, she's blushing, you don't just open a can of worms and expect them to stay in one place.

I suppose given Clark's isolation from human emotions, even what it means to have someone blush after haven kissed them two weeks ago means zip to him. I'm sure he thought Lois was tough enough to handle it, but in the end it boils down to emotions anyone couldn't ignore, no matter how tough they are.

This was definitely a Clois oriented episode, which explains why I am going into such detail trying to adjust to the range of emotions expressed between them. It is literally breathtaking.

'Idol' definitely had its moments in the spotlight, and Clark's identity came close to being revealed many times over. It's good that Smallville links the social world of Twitter, Facebook and Blogs so we could easily relate. It's not everyday one would find a superhero as their plus one friend and it was good that Clark wasn't the one behind his 'Brand \S/' collation. The Wonder Twins were wonderful indeed and proved to be the biggest fans of 'The Blur'. They were definitely a new additions to the cast and I really look forward to seeing them again, on top of that they did do Clark a huge favor by setting up blogs in his name, it is the modern way of communication these days and the best way to get a message across.

The one person that has been scaring me a bit lately is Chloe. She acts as though she has everything under control, but she's not exactly bulletproof and could easily get hurt. She also acts autonomously and lately, irrationally 'for the sake of all man kind'. I commend her for getting Clark out of the hot seat with Lois. I want Lois to find out about Clark's secret, but somehow it felt too soon for Lois to find out and I'm not sure who Chloe did it for exactly. The way Chloe is sounding these days, she would easily clunk you over the head ten times and then tell you she was doing for your well being and that a headache would have been inevitable.
I'm not sure how friendly or family oriented Chloe is, since her only focus is recruiting and protecting the world and even Clark from himself.

Everything keeps pointing it's way to Lois and the three week lapse in her memory. I admired that therapist a great deal, she is assertive in her depictions from Lois' dreams (which, may I add are WOW!) and involve clothes - coming off according to Lois. What I gathered from Lois' dream is the entire three weeks coming back to her. After all we do know she went to the future and brought the ninja girl back with her. I believe that she and Clark's relationship is intense and passionate in the future, but there was some sort of war going on between Zod and Kal El (referencing vague symbols symbolic of Zod's nature and Clark in some sort of cell), especially since Zod knows Clark's true identity and has even bothered to show his face since, which isn't good. The last time he did that he tried to have Tess killed.

Somehow Chloe gets caught in the crossfire, being human and strongly hero motivated it doesn't surpass her, but was that a Chloe unconscious?
What I don't get is why would the ninja chick try to kill Clark to save the future? My guess is his human side gets in the way of his objectivity; definitely something to do with Lois, which explains why the ninja chick knew Lois was the best way to get to Clark. This is all speculation though, but Lois' dreams have always been consistent with her being with Clark intimately (hopefully there would be no problems in that area).

I love the new direction Smallville has taken. I am officially hooked and can't get enough of it. I actually get excited for more each week and... attempt to reconstruct the way in which the writers would take the Lois and Clark angle, but they always surprise me and I don't believe I could think up something so intricate between them and connect the chemistry bubbles they have together. The glasses was a sweet angle and Clark should take Lois' advice about the contacts, maybe Clark really didn't know about contacts or the glasses thing was just a cover up from Lois almost revealing his secret. So how would CK cover his identity when he does reveal his secret?

I also commend Lois for taking charge back into her own hands you know! Let Clark whine and blush over her for a while. Kicking the box over with her stiletto heals was the first nudge, stepping on top of it was the second, but grabbing Clark's head in like that, even he was surprised and that kiss well it surely knocked heads out and blew the whistle. The cherry on top would be Clark's concern for Lois as she fell unconscious in his loving arms... (sigh) That was a real gem.

Lexa

___________

Five Stars

Grade A+
___________


Read Full Post

Private Practice 'The Hard Part' Review

I don't question why I fully committed to Private Practice being one of my favorite series of all time. There was a time where some episodes slipped through the cracks, but I always enjoyed being humored by Addison and got sucked into the constant chaos, yet 'The Hard Part' surpassed all my expectations. I knew Private Practice had it in them. I don't know whatever skill the writers caught on to during the season break, but it's working. After 'Strange Bedfellows', I didn't think it could get better and it did. A few moments later I am writing this review and I can't stop thinking about every detail and moment that would sink anyone's heart in.

Addison and Sam established a deep bond, being neighbors and single who would really blame them. Even on their break, they still had to work the hardest and Addison almost got killed doing the very same job she was passionate about. Private Practice has a knack for delivering heartfelt guest star appearances. Kara played by Ever Carradine was exceptional as the pregnant woman trapped in a wrecked car. Her panic and disarray was nerve wrecking and out of the middle of nowhere, their chances of survival was very slim. Jake and Kara's only hope was Sam and Addison, had they not been hiking together, they would not have found a straying Jake bruised and weak searching for any help for his wife and his child.

This entire scene was moving and it kept me glued to the screen hoping things would work for the better. Any series that has the ability to derive that grief which overcame me after Addison delivered Kara's baby girl and crashed upon being saved, is brilliant in deed. I couldn't help but shed that deep feeling of agony after Kara promised to name her child after Addison and died in her arms moments away from rescue. I soon became teary-eyed upon confirmation of her death. The support her husband gave her throughout the distress was warming and it would touch anyone's heart that they were still able to say they loved each other. Her death and Addison's reaction to her death and brief friendship was heartbreaking and I am certain a silence overcame the room as Addison struggled to escape the car to cope with her sadness.

Every week a character is highlighted and this time Kate Walsh shined through her delivery of Addison's grief, concern and warm heart such that moments were cherished and deeply felt.

Even though this heartbreaking plot out shined this episode, I am happy they were able to balance off the depressing and the enlightening. We were able to see what a weekend was like for Violet, Pete, Sheldon, Cooper and Charlotte.

Charlotte and Cooper spend a lot of time together and I have grown to admire the strength in their relationship. Charlotte bears her own burdens and they learn to lean on each other for support. It was interesting to see Charlotte's Sexology skills be put to use involving the Newly Wed couple and a husband's desire to over-perform on his wedding night. They made an interesting couple and added that humor this episode needed to mellow out the mushiness. The writers gave the couple their happy ending, but I could not have easily forgiven her for sleeping with someone else and getting pregnant. I don't care what Charlotte said about her wondering 'what if she did forgive him?', because of that mishap he would not only have to live with the affair, but father a child that is not his. The consequences of her actions would cause in dent in their relationship sometime, but they are young and in-love and she did take wrong advice from her sister (a person you can usually depend on).

Aside from the over-erected scenes, Pete's desire to 'get back on the wild horse' was explored and he winded up crossing parts with Sheldon, also willing to get back in the game. It was amusing the way Sheldon convinced Pete to leave his heart open for Violet; it actually meant that he had accepted the situation at hand. I know I really wouldn't want to have a friend like Sheldon who shrink-ed away every bit of conversation had with him. Even if Pete did get the girl, at the end of the day he realized that he was a father and Sheldon was the 'single dude' eligible to date, but I would have preferred if they didn't treat Dawn like some kind of trophy, even if she didn't mind it.

I wonder now how Violet is doing. Sure she may have Naomi (who was surprisingly omitted here), but she has to live with the distance from her son. How does she cope at home? Since she rather spend her time in the Practice as opposed to home, does that mean she is moving on from the Katie incident? Violet wraps herself in work most of the time and portrays the image of 'wellness' but does that mean she's fine? I would love to see more of Violet and her coping with this difficulty she has to overcome. I am really worried about Lucas and Pete; what if he stops holding out for her and moves on, could Violet bare that?

As much as I was impressed with this episode, I accept that Sam and Addison went through a difficult moment together and maybe the kiss was a way for them to cope with it, but I really wouldn't want it to turn into something more. I knew where the 'I had a crush on you first' talk was leading and if it wasn't for Naomi, Maya would not be in their lives. (Where is Maya these days, by the way?) I am sure Naomi would have some issues with their bondage, if not noticeably, then subconsciously. I would give them a break for now because they did go through something traumatic and Addison not only lost a patient, but a friend.

They did this one so beautifully and this series is beginning to live up to every fan's expectations. I really wonder if they would be able to top this one, because they were able to warm their way into our hearts. If only there were more like this!

Lexa

___________

Five Stars

Grade A++
___________


Read Full Post