Kate and Beyond

I need Twilight icons!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:39:52 GMT

This seriously makes me so happy:

Kristen and Robert: totally doing it.

I particularly love her in the Versace and the Alexander Wang, but mostly I love how they're gleefully playing up to the speculation that they're a couple. Such a fun, sexy shoot. Man they look awesome together.

Slings and Arrows, FNL, White Collar, Mad Men, Smallville and The Vampire Diaries

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:31:41 GMT

I feel sad that I will never see another new episode of Slings and Arrows. The last episode made me cry like a baby, and I don't understand why they couldn't have kept on going for years - there are so many Shakespeare plays left to do! (If I had one complaint about season 3 it is that the absolute contempt and loathing for musical theatre on display was just a tad unsubtle.)

Friday Night Lights, 4.02: After the Fall

I'm so happy this show is back and that it's as brilliant as ever. This year they're obviously planning to deliver us a true underdog story -- always irresistible -- and I can't wait to watch Coach turn his ragtag group of no-hopers into football heroes. It's marvellous how fresh they've kept this show, now in its fourth season, because they haven't been afraid to go in a completely different direction, to introduce lots of new characters, and to let beloved characters move on from the show because to have them stay would compromise the integrity of the realistic universe they've established. This is still absolutely the best drama on TV.

White Collar

I'm here for Matthew Bomer and his spectacular wardrobe, and that's about it.

Mad Men, 3.13: Shut the Door, Have a Seat

What a superb season finale. Betty and Don are finally getting a divorce, and although I'm not sold on Betty's new beau, anyone has to be better than Don. I find Don a fascinating character but he's a fucking asshole who's often very hard to like: case in point, the abusive way he treated Betty after he found out about her and Henry. That scene scared the shit out of me because I honestly thought he was going to hit her.

Then he goes and apologises to Peggy and begs her to help him, which doesn't make up for anything really, but it did please me; it did make me think, for a moment, that he's not all bad.

I'm delighted that Joan is back in the picture, and I can only hope they bring back Sal next season.

Smallville, 9.07: Kandor

Yawnsville. I didn't care for this episode and have nothing to say about it, other than: bring back Lois. LOVE the latest casting spoiler though.

The Vampire Diaries, 1.08: 162 Candles

Predictably, I'm fully on Team Damon now. Love him to bits: he's funny, scary, cool, and totally hot. Stefan can also come here to me.

V, Charlie, Smallville and a poll about vampires.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:39:35 GMT

Had a few drinks last night, went home, and watched "V", which was (mood spoiler alert) the absolute worst. Just terrible. Awful in every way. Not even a little bit promising. A piece of epic television fail.

~

It's reading week this week and I haven't done any (of the) reading (I should be doing).

~

My cat has become a very affectionate adult. He was a bit of a snooty loner when he was going through adolescence but now he likes to sit on my lap even when I'm in bed. Early this morning he climbed on top of me, sat with his front paws on my chest and stared at me, I believe in an attempt to make me get up and feed him.

~

And now for a vampire-themed poll:

View Poll: #1481136

~

cloiser_trish wanted to know what I thought of Smallville. I had forgotten that I didn't post about it. My reactions were as follows:

- SQUEE TIMES A BILLION.
- I hope this was the first of many Clark/Lois kisses, because it was hot, sexy, romantic and perfect.
- I love Lois. I love how kind she was to Ollie when she knocked him back, and how honest she was with him about her feelings for Clark. I love that she admitted to being in love with Clark without actually saying it - it was somehow more powerful that way.
- I love that both she and Clark knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out their issues and got together. When Ollie turned up Clark's confusion and alarm really got to me. When he said, "What's going on, Lois?", in an acknowledgement to Lois that they're in this together, that they have an understanding, and that she clearly should not be being chased by anyone else, my heart went out to him. Yeah, Clark generally sucks at being assertive in the romance department, but it had never occurred to him until that moment that someone else might get there first! Especially since he'd recently been, in his very adorable roundabout way, angling for another date. Oh Clark. And then to offer to stand aside? COULD HE BE MORE AMAZING? I THINK NOT! Also, shutting Lois up with a kiss was the best thing ever.
- Is Stuart Chloe's new love interest? I think they would be cute together, but he clearly cannot be trusted.
- I will never find Callum Blue's Zod even a little bit menacing so that storyline didn't work for me, although I like how hard-as-nails Tess is.
- Ollie saving a hooker was mildly diverting, but I really don't care about him.

The Vampire Diaries, first 6 eps (sorry I don't have an icon for the show so this will have to do)

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:29:53 GMT

First essay submitted!

As it turns out, writing essays is nothing like writing porn.

Vampire Diaries, 1.01-1.06

I’m hooked but not because it’s good.

I’m not particularly enamoured with any of the characters, although I think Paul Wesley is pretty hot (and this is from a woman who did not find Lucas Luthor even a little bit attractive), and Ian Somerhalder, while far too old for the part, is quite entertaining. Sadly Elena doesn’t work for me – she’s pretty, sure, but she’s also bland and unoriginal. I prefer my heroines to be impressive in some way (and no, being a diarist is not impressive), and I especially like it when they’re funny: see Buffy, Veronica, Sydney (who, okay, wasn’t a laugh riot, but at least Jennifer Garner had the ability to do comedy, which cannot be said for Nina Dobrev). Failing that, they at least need to be interesting (I like Bella because Kristen Stewart just has –something- about her). Bonnie is cool though.

My second problem is the central romance, which I will never be invested in, because the star crossed lovers trope only hooks me in if the actors have a lot of chemistry with each other, and Dobrev and Wesley have zilch. The idea of it bores me so the acting and the writing needs to sell it, and VD (haha, this is what I will call the show from now on) falls short in that department. On the other hand, Elena/Damon pushes a lot of my buttons. I doubt I will ever tire of the good girl/bad boy trope – they start out hating each other but the sex part always gets in the way! Swoon!

What I do like is the atmosphere, the cliffhangers, and how surprisingly scary it can be.

The Good Wife (a short rant)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:15:16 GMT

Ugh, I am hungover and I have to go to a compulsory lecture on plagiarism tonight, when I would much rather go home, eat fried food and watch television.

Not The Good Wife though, which I'm sorry to say I find absolutely terrible. (I've watched the first two episodes.) Overblown, overacted, badly scripted melodrama that takes itself too seriously - it already feels embarrassingly dated to me, and I'm disappointed that this is not a more realistic, audacious portrayal of a woman who has spent her adult life being defined by her role as a politician's wife, because that would actually be interesting. Another lawyer procedural, on the other hand, is not. The "girl power!" vibe feels cheesy and empty to me, because I personally believe that drama featuring strong women characters tends to have more (feminist) value if it's honest rather than fantastical. The reason Mad Men is powerful is because it doesn't shy away from human nastiness and yet it rarely feels gratuitous, whereas everything in The Good Wife is over the top, hard to relate to, and difficult to believe. No points.

I like White Collar though, I'm sure you'll all be pleased to hear.

Also, I may drop Dollhouse. It hasn't been all that engaging this season, and after the last episode I have lost all faith that the show is going in a direction I can get on board with.

This is unacceptable.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:40:46 GMT

http://twitter.com/mskatej

The X Factor results

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:30:52 GMT

Un. Fucking. Believable. I hate how this show is more of a popularity contest than a talent contest, because I'm here for the talent. :|

On a more embarrassing note, I find Michael Buble really, really sexy. Not so much when he sings (his performance on the show tonight was pretty awful actually) but when he talks, because he's very intelligent, well spoken and charming.

The X Factor, Live Show 3

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:57:33 GMT

I voted for Miss Frank, who were sensational this week, but I also loved Olly and Danyl. Jamie was disappointing, John and Edward were hilarious (I can't lie, they make me laugh my ass off every time), and I really don't care about Lucie. It bugs me that the Xtra Factor panel were all "she's got the best voice in the competition" just because it's big. I actually think Graziella has a better -- and far more interesting -- singing voice, and omg she is an awesome rapper.

Lloyd was awful, Joe has absolutely no sex appeal, Rachel was better this week (although i can't see myself ever voting for her because there will always be people I prefer), and Stacey continues to disappoint me. I think she's safe for now because she has the personality, but if she doesn't step up her game soon she'll be in trouble.

LOLOL Olly walking around in his pants on the Xtra Factor. ♥

Smallville, 9.05: Roulette

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:06:00 GMT

I found this episode exceptionally odd. The pacing was off, some of the dialogue was nonsensical, and the interaction between Lois and Clark was unsatisfying. Surely Clois movie night should have been more fun and sexy than that, but Clark just seemed miserable the entire time, and there wasn't even any flirting. I know he wanted to be out saving people, but it would have been nice if he'd taken a little pleasure in Lois's company, and it would have been nicer if the writers had remembered that these two are supposed to be falling in love. Plus, what was with the whole laundry slash shark movie weirdness? That is some wacky characterisation right there, and it didn't work for me at all.

Then there was the scene where Lois watched Ollie's suicide video and then flipped out at Clark, which was one of the most contrived things I've ever seen, although kudos to Erica for acting the shit out of such bogus material.

The highlight for me was Steph Song's Roulette, who was smoking hot and super cool.

Ollie finding himself again was marginally more interesting than I thought it would be, but I'm apathetic about his reawakened interest in Lois. I can't imagine Lois going back to him (and if she does I'll be pissed) so what, Ollie is just going to pine after her? How pathetically dull. I like an Ollie who shags around unrepentantly, and if his "recovery" means he'll stop the womanising I might write a letter of complaint.

Glee, 1.08: Mash-up

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:43:07 GMT

Holy crap! I said to someone ages ago that I thought Rachel/Puck would be an awesome ship, and it just became canon! Am I clairvoyant? I think I am!

Puck is the best male singer on the show and he should sing more, and he should kiss Rachel more, and she should absolutely without a doubt let him touch her boobs. The whole world has been over Rachel/Finn for ages, because this show has absolutely no idea how to sustain romantic tension in a pleasurable way. For God sake, they've made Emma unsympathetic. Emma. Who should be very lovable, but how can we feel anything but contempt for her? It's not even as if she *likes* Ken very much. She appears to detest the man! Ugh, what an unbearable storyline. And Rachel and Finn are being kept apart for awful reasons too. I have no interest in seeing Puck and Quinn get together, because I prefer odd couples; I go for unlikely but sizzling. Football players paired up with cheerleader? YAWN. Quinn needs to find herself a nerd.

An Update.

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:51:15 GMT

Been busy, been kinda sick, spent the weekend watching films and TV and doing research on pseudonyms. Some highlights:

- Tom Welling's face and body.

- Fred Armison's guest spot on Parks and Recreation. Homg I haven't laughed that ridiculously much in such a long time.

- SEE YOU LATER RIKKI. You should have been Ethan and if you had been you wouldn't have been voted off. Olly got my vote this week because of his magnificent crotch work. Danyl didn't do it for me at all, but I thought Jamie was amazing. The twins were hilariously bad (and I'm kind of pleased they're coming back because they suck but they're entertaining).

- Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Role Models. I can't stand how cute he is!

- Abed and Troy's friendship on Community. ♥ Also, Joel McHale.

- Bored to Death, which I have picked up, and amazingly I really like all three of the leads, despite finding Ted Danson quite gross and having never cared for Jason Schwartzman. There's just something quite genius about him in this though, and Zach Galifianakis is sublime. This show doesn't tend to make me laugh out loud but I am into it enough to watch the first season.

- Jack and Liz!!!!!!

- The first episode of season 2 of Slings and Arrows. Hello lovely Geoffrey!

- The Shadow of the Wind. I plan to finish this tonight because it is totally excellent.

- Catherine Breillat's latest film which is part of the London Film Festival and I am seeing tonight. I am certain this will be a highlight.

- And on a non-fannish note, my Humanities seminar teacher, who is so gorgeous it is hard to concentrate on what he's saying.

Lowlights:

Cougar Town. Oh God, yes okay, I'm sorry, but I have watched the first four episodes and now I want to kill myself because according to this show all I have to look forward to is being unhealthily obsessed with my appearance. Why am I not watching The Good Wife? What is wrong with me?

The X Factor: First live show!

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:20:19 GMT

Rachel

Train wreck.

Kandy Rain

I actually thought they did well: their vocals were way better than I was expecting, and they looked sexy as hell. Louis is probably right that the female population won't like them much but I think the coolest thing about them as how overtly sexy they are.

Olly

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. He is amazing and sexy, and he can *dance*, and of course Robbie wants to be friends with him.

Ricky

Ugh, I want to punch him. He's not a bad singer but he has absolutely no charisma. Simon was totally right when he described him as wet and lacking star quality. I'm so pissed he got through ahead of Ethan.

Stacey

It's impossible not to love this girl! She's adorable, and a good singer. I'd love to hear her do some country at some point - I think it's a style that would showcase her vocals well.

Miss Frank

Awesome!

Jamie

Hrm. I'm on the fence about Jamie.

Lloyd

The only boy I can actually stand, although that's not saying much. He'll never get a vote of mine but he doesn't offend me.

Lucie

Dullsville. I cannot muster up any interest in this girl, although she did look stunning.

John and Edward

LOL. If they survive this week I will be shocked.

Joe

Possibly my least favourite contestant. I hate his voice and I hate that he's this year's "one to watch" and I hate that the public are going to think he's great because of that hideous, over-the-top vibrato. Blech.

Danyl

Fact is, he is leagues ahead of everyone else in this competition. A remarkable performer, a great singer, and he nailed the song. He deserves to go all the way and I voted for him tonight because it's my rule to vote for my favourite performance each week, not necessarily my favourite contestant (which is Ollie). That said, Louis isn't wrong when he says that Danyl has the talent but not the likability: he's not as charming as he needs to be. I think he probably is a nice bloke but there's something a bit irritating about his personality. Still, he's the kind of performer I want to see on this show. Ultimately I don't give a shit about the kind of person you are as long as you can get on stage and blow my mind, which Danyl did tonight.

ETA. Also Danni - WHAT THE FUCK. Why did you make that comment about Danyl's sexuality? That was so bizarrely inappropriate.

Noisettes! Flash Foward and Glee.

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:48:01 GMT

There are not enough adjectives in the world to describe the wonder of Noisettes. If you haven't heard or seen them yet check out Never Forget You, a perfect, gorgeous and charming pop song, sung by a stunningly beautiful, uniquely gifted singer. ♥

Flash Forward, 1.03: 137 Sekunden

I hate the writing on this show. It actively bothers me that high profile television like this is so badly scripted, and so cliched. The premise is captivating, but the drama is insultingly unoriginal: I've seen every character, every relationship, every interaction, in a million other shows, I've heard every line before, and what's most frustrating is that these characters are going through something *different*; the scenario could be a rich source of psychological drama, a unique way to examine and write about humanity, a *fun* opportunity to play with characterisation and melodrama.

So why are the characters' reactions to this experience so trite?

A mysterious woman tells Demetri he's going to be murdered on such and such date and he responds with, "What the hell are you talking about?"

... Huh? He *knows* what she's talking about! He has already expressed fears about dying in the near future, with valid reasons for these fears, and yet instead of responding in a believable way we get this hackneyed, unimaginative dialogue. I can't help myself but imagine how cool this material would be in the hands of the Mad Men creative team.

The drama is empty. Conflict isn't built up to, it's thrust at us; we're expected to care about characters' problems (for example, Mark's sponsor, his ex wife and their dead or maybe not daughter), yet no effort is made to get us to care about the characters. None of the characters have *personality*; everything they say relates to and drives forward the plot (which I predict will be more convoluted than satisfying), and this might be okay if the *dialogue were better* or if the characters' responses to the events were plausible. When Mark is baffled by all the crows dying -- an intriguing event to say the least - why is Janis all, "Who cares?"? Is she supposed to be echoing the feelings of the audience? That kind of thing only works if the audience IS feeling apathetic! But the crow thing? Kind of interesting! Kind of something any sane person would be freaked out by!

Glee, 1.06: Vitamin D

I try not to be bothered that every character on this show is a stereotype, because often they're funny (Jane Lynch, you slay me), and because I assume the writers do it deliberately, are aware of what they're doing, and are trying to make a point.

Except that so far they haven't made a point. The blonde female characters are all shallow and amoral, the red head is angelic, the white male hero is a good man but a victim of society's ills, the football players are varying degrees of stupid, the black girl is sassy, the gay guy is flaming, the Jewish girl is a spoiled princess.

And it's fun! But it's also boggling my mind that there's like, no other layers to it. That the show is not subverting these stereotypes but reinforcing them. I love the musical numbers and the acerbic wit. But I don't love the relentlessly shallow characterisation -- which is often uncomfortably sexist -- and I don't love the dramatic storylines. All the major conflict and intrigue seems to revolve around women deceiving men, or women sabotaging men, or women agreeing to marry men they *can't stand* because it's better to be with someone than to be alone. This regressive storytelling, without even a hint of an ironic wink, is particularly bothersome because Glee is one of the most pleasurable shows on television right now.

I just, I want to love Glee unreservedly, but the show is making it hard right now. Let's move away from women faking pregnancy, or using pregnancy to trap poor, reluctant men into staying in unhappy relationships! With beautiful evil blondes! Come on people, hating on pretty girls isn't feminism.

Mad Men, 3.08: Souvenir (warning: this post may be triggery)

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:16:32 GMT

Dear anyone who might be confused,

Pete raped that woman and it was not "ambiguous".

It was no more ambiguous than when Greg raped Joan.

The following article explains this in more depth, in case you are sitting on the fence about that particular story point:

Pete Campbell Is A Rapist

Why is it even a question? She very obviously didn't want to have sex with him! I don't care how much you like Pete (and I like him!) he's not getting let off the hook here. Let's call a spade a spade and a rape a rape. Let's admit that ordinary men rape women all the time. Every day. If you haven't been raped by one, you likely know someone who has. It doesn't mean that men suck or that men can't change, but when we start talking about ambiguity in pretty clear cut cases of rape (I'm looking at you, Hollywood), we're not putting the responsibility where it needs to be: on the shoulders of men who distinguish between rape and "coercion".

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:38:09 GMT

What the fuck, Cheryl?

You booted Ethan and kept fucking RIKKI? I am absolutely disgusted.

If you pick Joe over Duane I'll never forgive you.

ETA. Our relationship is officially over, Cheryl. You suck.

Simon do the right thing! You want Olly, Danyl and Treyc!

Also, Louis, you're an idiot too.

ETA 2. I still love you Simon! Jamie was my original 3rd choice and he's a good one.

Best categories: The overs and the girls (nice work Danni)

Community, Smallville, Flashforward, The X Factor, Glee and Mad Men

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:08:00 GMT

Why is Community the best new show this fall?

Community, 1.03: Introduction to Film

1. It's side splittingly funny: Abed is my favourite comic creation of the last year, maybe two. Timing is crucial for any actor, but for the comic actor it's everything, and Danny Pudi has created someone who is both absurd and real. Which is the key, I think, in comedy: to marry those two things seamlessly. Too absurd and you'll alienate your audience, too real and you won't be funny.

2. It's sexy as hell. No it is, really. If you saw this episode you'll know what I'm talking about. Fucking hell Joel McHale is going on my list, and also, he is a very very good screen kisser. So is Gillian Jacobs. (NEW SHIP)

3. It has a diverse cast of ridiculous, fascinating characters, who you care about. And therefore, it is moving. I spent this episode crying with laughter, and then just crying. At episode 3 that's quite a feat: of acting and of writing.

4. Yes, this show is extremely well written, and wickedly intelligent. My favourite kind of social commentary is that which doesn't feel preachy; it just taps into the truth of the matter, in a way that amuses, shocks or moves. See Mad Men, 30 Rock, Modern Family. And please, please see Community.

Smallville, 9.02: Metallo

That's not the end of BAG right? I'm assuming he will come back and he'll be badder than ever! (feel free to spoil me)

Clark is back at the DP! And did you guys see that hug? And more importantly, his SMILE when she started telling him about the Blur? Jeepers people, I don't have a lot of time these days but I may just have to get my porn back on because holy crap. Romance/hotness overload! I just love how happy she makes him. I love that what they have is (mostly) angst free, adult, funny, cute, joyous, and sexy. No ship quite gets me the way they do. It just amazes me that they can be so compelling even though we know they'll get their blissfully happy ending. <3

FlashForward, 1.02: White to Play

Pile of pants. I can't stand the bad dialogue or Joseph Fiennes. I may watch one more episode but if not I doubt I'll be missing very much.

Parks and Recreation, 2.03: Beauty Pageant

Lesley becomes more adorable by the episode. Also, Andy kills me. HE THOUGHT THE NIGHT WENT WELL. ♥

The X Factor, Judges Houses

I don't care about anything as long as Olly gets through. Oh, and Miss Frank, although I'm not so worried about their chances (because they're the only decent group. What happened to the trio of women who sang Toxic in their first audition? How the fuck did they not survive?)

Glee, 1.05: The Rhodes Not Taken

Kristin Chenoweth (and Lea Michele) singing "Maybe This Time" gave me shivers. Fucking awesome.

Mad Men

Joan's not really gone right? Please spoil me if you know either way. (not about plot points, just about whether she's coming back.)

Nothing much else to say right now, in current state of mildly drunken tiredness, other than wow. Show good. Kate in awe.

Oh I'm also loving HIMYM this season!

The X Factor!!!

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:36:24 GMT

Oh America, you lucky, lucky people; soon you shall have the X Factor too!

We're down to 24 and I'm psyched about Simon getting the over 25s because they're my favourite category, except that I am really into four of them which means that at least one cannot make it into the final 12.

The Over 25s: Jamie ‘Afro’ Archer, Danyl Johnson, Olly Murs, Daniel Pearce, Nicole Lawrence, Treyc Cohen

Danyl's second audition was disappointing but I'll blame that on poor song choice - he's got great things ahead of him and I can't see him not making the final 12.

Olly is one of my favourites because he's gorgeous and charming and he makes me smile and he's the only contestant I have a bit of a crush on. I'll be devastated if he doesn't get through.

I also really like both Jamie and Daniel, and I'd be sad to see either go. They're both strong singers, and good performers. I'm not a fan of Nicole, who has a tendency to bellow rather than sing, and I can't remember Treyc at all, so don't have an opinion on her. Basically I'm all about the guys in this category.

The Groups: Kandy Rain, Project A, DE-TOUR, Miss Frank, John & Edward, Trucolorz

I LOATHE John & Edward. They are obnoxious little shits who can't sing, and it bothers me that Louis has the groups because he seems to like them, and may well put them through. In which case I can only hope the public hates them as much as I do.

Miss Frank are my favourite in this category. Not sure what her name is but I love the singer who also rapped in their last audition. She's got something about her (and in fact I'm slightly disappointed she's not a soloist, but I guess turning them into a group meant they could keep three good singers rather than one, or even none of them).

The Girls: Stacey Soloman, Despina Pilavakis, Nicole Jackson, Lucie Jones, Rachel Adedeji, Stacey McClean

I didn't like Rachel's first audition but I very much liked her boot camp performance. Not sure what to expect from this category, although I think some of them could end up winning me over.

The Boys: Joseph McElderry, Rikki Loney, Lloyd Daniels, Ethan Boroian, Daniel Fox, Duane Lamonte

Can't stand Joseph, I kind of want to punch Rikki in the face, Lloyd is adorable but not very interesting, Daniel is ugh and just so wrong for this competition, Duane is excellent and I absolutely adore Ethan, who is a gorgeous, sweet, talented honey.

Did any of you watch? Come tell me what you think!

ETA! omg "Modern Family" is genius btw. It made me laugh hysterically.

Smallville, 9.01; Dollhouse, 2.01; Flash Forward, 1.01

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:49:56 GMT

Smallville is back!!! In case you were worried rest assured I will definitely not be dropping this silly show.

Smallville, 9.01: Savior

Things I loved...

- Uh, John Corben anyone? Brian Austin Green is absolutely the hottest thing to happen to Smallville since I don't know when, and I love that he seemed to be having so much fun with the role, and that he and Erica totally sizzle together, and that he's actually a really good actor, and that he's in something I watch now that TSCC is over (suck it, One Tree Hill!).

- Lois, for being in love with the Blur, and for being in love with Clark, and for being so hopeful and happy and beautiful and kickass, and such a warm, wonderful presence. ♥

- Clois! Clark couldn't say goodbye to her, because he can't live without her, and he loves confiding in her, and it's just oh so blissfully romantic. OMG WHAT DID HE TELL HER????????????????? The suspense may in fact kill me.

- And of course, Clark, our extremely attractive hero.

Things I didn't love...

- Chloe. :|

- Zod for the most part, although I liked his chemistry with Tess, so I wouldn't be opposed to them fucking.

Dollhouse, 2.01: Vows

I found the Saunders/Topher storyline both compelling and thought-provoking. That Saunders doesn't want to go back to being who she was because she doesn't want to die addresses yet another sticky issue: should each identity taken on by an active have the right to life? The show occasionally attempts to examine the rape aspect of the Dollhouse (even if they're coy about using the word), but what about murder? Are they murdering someone every time they wipe an active? Obviously we're all agreed that the Dollhouse is fundamentally unethical, but it seems that the more layers you peel the more rotten it becomes.

What a pleasure it was to see Jamie Bamber in something other than BSG. Loved him.

The Echo/Ballard relationship interests me because it's really quite skeevy and the show isn't pretending otherwise. Ballard's devotion to Echo is not remotely pure, and Adelle is exploiting his sexual attraction to her, manipulating him with ease, comfortable that he's too honorable to cross the line that Sierra's handler did. Of course, I don't have much confidence that Paul would be able to resist Echo if she (or one of her alters) made the first move.

Flash Forward, 1.01: No More Good Days

Despite the crappy dialogue, the bad American accents, and the rather uninteresting characters, this intriguing show has me gagging for more.

I just wish Oivia wasn't played by Sonya Walger, who seems to pop up in every TV show ever, and who I just dislike as an actress for no reason I can fathom.

LOVE John Cho.

I love Zac Efron

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:23:14 GMT

What is it about him?!

I nearly died of happiness when he turned up way too briefly on Entourage from two weeks ago (which I watched last night). It's not his looks I love so much as his vibe. He has wonderful timing, he's totally at ease with being good looking but he doesn't take himself too seriously, and he has incredible presence. He just makes me feel good in the way that a real, pure movie star should. In a way that no one else in Entourage makes me feel, but that's neither here nor there (it's easy tv and I enjoy it but it's pretty obnoxiously bad a lot of the time, and Kevin Dillon is truly not as funny as he or the show seems to think he is).

I know I'm not alone but I also know that a lot of you find Zac totally ick (I used to be one of you! Then 17 Again happened to me and I'll never not love him again).

View Poll: #1461014

And now for something completely different. What are your thoughts on the following statement made by Fay Weldon:

View Poll: #1461015

Kate's fannish news! A long post.

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:01:35 GMT

I now feel that I can post again, because I've replied to comments, and the worst (and by worst I mean busiest) few weeks of work I've ever had are finally over.

~

Obviously I need to drop some shows, because A) I don't have the same kind of time I used to, B) I am watching a few things that blow and C) I will, as always, pick up a number of new shows this fall, because I'm going to university I'm not having a personality transplant.

So! The first show to go is Gossip Girl, which I've spoken about previously - I haven't watched the first episode and I don't intend to, lest I get sucked in to that stylish black hole of inanity once more. I'm feeling good about this decision.

Next in the crapper is Merlin. Yes I watched the first episode. No I can't believe I made it through the first series. It's so bad it makes Gossip Girl look like The Wire.

~

On the bright side, The X Factor is very exciting this year - I like a lot of singers from the auditions, although I'd say that overall the boys are more interesting than the girls. There are at least five guys I'm psyched about (no girl has made much of an impression on me), although Danyl, my original favourite from episode 1, is still the one I want to win.

~

I have fallen hard for Community and recommend you all watch the pilot. It's funny, smart and very, very cool.

~

The Emmys contain no real surprises so I'm not even going to comment on them except to say Jon Cryer's win is an absolute embarrassment, and the academy should be ashamed of themselves.

~

Stephanie Zacharek hated Jennifer's Body quite a lot, and she dislikes Megan Fox quite a lot, and I don't really know what to do about that except say that I am still going to see it dagnabit and I hope this will be one of those rare occasions where I disagree with her.

I enjoyed 500 Days of Summer because of the wondrous Joseph Gordon Levitt, who is so charming he makes everyone around him less charming than they otherwise might be. If they ever put him in a film with James McAvoy my head will explode. My main problem with the film was actually that, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't bring myself to like Summer, who I found pretty deeply unappealing from the outset, and who never won me over. Minka Kelly, in her small scene at the end, was an infinitely more likeable presence IMO.

~

The True Blood finale was boring, but while Eric is in it I will continue to watch.

Greetings earthlings!

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:47:02 GMT

Thanks everyone for the birthday messages and your kind encouragement with regards to all the changes I'm making in my life - I am very aware that I'm behind on comments and emails and I'm sorry about that, but I'll get there I promise. A special thanks to patrese1, tyrical and norwich36 for the adorable virtual gifts. And just really, love to you all. ♥

I have excellent news! I am writing this post in bed. ON MY SHINY NEW MACBOOK. Which I might just love more than I've ever loved any man.

I am also really enjoying Glee.

If you didn't all see it coming that the evil wife would lie about not actually being pregnant you clearly don't watch as much television as I do. I don't like her at all, and not because she's evil. Evil characters are great, if the actor playing them is funny (see Jane Lynch omg) and/or charming, but Jessalyn Gilsig is neither (holy crap! She played Tami's sister in Friday Night Lights - I KNEW I recognised her) and I hate her scenes because of that. What I want is for Will to leave her so he can be with his one true love. That's Emma in case you're confused.

I pretty much cannot get enough of watching Rachel perform. She's astoundingly good. Of all the fantastically great numbers I think "Push It" is my very favourite (so far) because it made me cry with laughter AND it was absurd and cute and sexy (in a totally sweet and wholesome way).

The show is an appropriately joyful experience, but it also has an edge that really works for me: for instance, Emma's mild response to Rachel's confession that she doesn't have a gag reflex was, "That'll be useful when you're older," which naturally wins for best line of the episode. Did I mention that Emma is the bees knees?

It's official.

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:57:21 GMT

I start university in one month. I have enrolled, I have even paid the fees for the first term, so there is NO TURNING BACK. I will be working full time, studying part time for the next four years, and most likely doing volunteer work once a week for Victim Support. It's possible I may be overextending myself, in which case the voluntary work will have to, sadly, be put on the back-burner.

OH MY GOD.

Goodbye forever, fandom. /kidding (hopefully)

God only knows what I'd be without you...

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:52:24 GMT

Ack I'm so busy at the moment I have no time for much of anything, so let it be known, fandom, that I'm terribly sorry for neglecting you. I love Alexander Skarsgård a lot and it's nice actually being into the new It dude in fandom because normally not so much (die Jensen die) and please keep on posting about him, flist. With pictures. I appreciate it.

One thing I've been watching is this amazing documentary called "Walk On By: The Story of Popular Song" and I just finished the 60s episode. Here are two interesting things I learned:

DID YOU KNOW that the most played song of the twentieth century is "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers?

I know right! That song rules and all but I would not have guessed that in a gazillion years.

Secondly, Paul McCartney's favourite ever song is "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson claims that Paul once said it was the prettiest song ever written. And actually, it might well be.

View Poll: #1452827

True Blood, 2.09: I Will Rise Up; 2.10: New World In My View

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:34:41 GMT

I'm catching up slowly on my television. I have lots to say about Weeds but no one cares about that, so I'll talk about True Blood instead.

True Blood, 2.09 and 2.10

Unlike a few people on my flist I am ecstatic about the Eric/Sookie development, because a) Sookie/Bill are boring and b) the way it happened has tapped into one of my pretty damn near bulletproof kinks: reluctant lust. Even better, it's forbidden, because Sookie is in a relationship and Eric is basically evil while Sookie is the hero. I love that Sookie hates Eric but because she sucked on his bloody wounds (LOL. Girl, you must have wanted to do that just a teensy bit. You barely protested!), she will now be - against her will, which is awesome - sexually attracted to him. Add a dash of obsession, a pinch of betrayal, a vat of naked Eric, and I'll be in my bunk. Oh my Lord that *dream*. The second dream was also quite good (but not as good) and I find it interesting that in Sookie's head Eric is much nicer than he is in reality.

Speaking of Eric, I love him best and wish to see many more sex scenes starring him. He has the perfect physique: tall, broad, muscular and lean, and he's easily the best looking blond man I've ever seen. Gimme. ASkars has amazing chemistry with everyone, and especially gay chemistry with Godric: when he sobbed tears of blood and begged Godric not to top himself I cried a wee bit, but I'm not too sorry to see Godric go because I couldn't take much more of the terrible acting. And besides, toothless, suicidal vamps are not particularly interesting. I think if the writers had let the character be a lot more badass I would have been able to forgive the weird accent. I felt that it would have been appropriate for Godric to kiss Eric goodbye.

I am still enjoying Maryann, who does evil the way it should be done: angst free and full of joy with the occasional burst of pure, controlled rage.

Lafayette has been wasted this season; a crying shame because he's amazing. Sam I'm enjoying much more now than I ever have. I kind of hope Jessica *does* kill Hoyt's mom, simply because Hoyt's mom has no redeeming features as far as I can tell.

THE X FACTOR IS BACK!!!!

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:46:56 GMT

WHOOO. I just watched episode one and I'm officially psyched out of my mind because I have a favourite already. Danyl's audition is one of the best, if not THE best, I've ever seen and you all must watch it right now. He is gorgeous and a great singer, but more than that, he is a staggeringly good performer. I'm smitten!

ENJOY.