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 ( spoiler! )

~

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 ( spoilers!! )

~

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

( All done using emoticons! Amazing! )

Any questions?

"Party Down" got renewed for a second season!!!!! *AIR PUNCH*

Not sure if Jane Lynch will still be in it (woe), because she is also now in the completely awesome new show, "Glee", which you MUST WATCH. The pilot was really promising; it's kind of like a High School Musical for adults, except that it doesn't suck and instead of original shitty music, it's got decent, well performed arrangements of contemporary pop music. With quirky, interesting, lovably pathetic characters, tons of humour and a feel good vibe, if you're not grinning like an idiot by the end of the first episode you are a freak.

~

Smallville was boring.

~

I feel like the only person in fandom who hasn't seen Star Trek. You've all gone Star Trek mad. So I guess I should see it then even though I hate Quinto. (Maybe I don't hate Quinto actually. Maybe it's just Sylar I hate.)

~

A Gossip Girl spinoff? LOLOLOLOL. No.

~

And now a Who Do You Want To Bone The Most poll. It does not include Tom Welling or Jensen Ackles because you all vote for them and it's boring. I also left Jason Dohring off the list to make it more difficult for myself. Pictures behind the cut to help you decide!

( Poll dancing. )

radioreverie made me this icon because apparently I am a crazy cat lady. :)

~

My insomnia is so bad at the moment I have hardly slept in five nights. If you've never had insomnia you won't know what it's like but I'll try to explain how it feels to me.

It's like you're trapped in the land of awake, being in bed at night is uncomfortable and it makes you miserable, but you have no energy to be anywhere else so you just lie there with your eyes closed, tossing and turning, and you try to stop being afraid of not getting enough sleep because you know that's what's stopping you from falling asleep, and you do all the tricks you've learned over the years but nothing works and then suddenly your alarm goes off and you figure out that you must have finally passed out at about 4am. In the day you walk around like you're not even in your body, your eyes are sore, your muscles ache, your skin tingles unpleasantly, you feel disconnected from everything and everyone, and it takes a few seconds longer than normal to understand things. Sometimes you feel giddy, almost high, but not in fun way, and even though you've never felt so tired in your life you're pretty sure that if you lay down right now you wouldn't be able to sleep.

No wonder I self medicate!

~

Gossip Girl is awful. Some notes:

( Gossip Girl, 2.21: Seder Anything )

~

I love the way Logan dresses. I'm currently very fond of him in this jacket:

( guuuuuh. )
Sexy.

( Smallville, 8.17: Hex )

~

( Gossip Girl, 2.19: The Grandfather )

~

Dollhouse, 1.07: Echoes

HOW GOOD IS THIS SHOW NOW, OMG. That's all I have to say.

~

( 30 Rock, 3.16: Apollo, Apollo )

Some quick non-spoilery opinions on all the shows I'm watching at the moment:

30 Rock

It's only the best comedy on television! Possibly ever! Not only is the cast uniformly funny and gorgeous, the show continues to tackle actual real life issues (falling in love! Doubting the path you've taken in life! Living in a beauty bubble! Being a woman in a man's world! Being a black man in a white man's world!) with such marvellous wit, affection and self deprecation, if you're not watching your life is not complete.

Bones

When it's not trying too hard to be funny, this show IS pretty funny and enjoyable. The unique, appealing characters generally make up for some of the more dubious plot turns (although not always). It is very sad that I no longer care whether Booth and Brennan get together though.

Damages

Rose Byrne, Glenn Close and Marcia Gay Harden playing powerful, brilliant, complex, fabulous women, who make the male characters on the show look really quite pathetic? HELL YES. I love it *so* hard.

Dollhouse

After the most recent episode, my new favourite? I'm not kidding! I encourage everyone who understandably abandoned this early on to give it a second chance, because if it stays as good as "Man on the Street" it's going to be a truly great, challenging, entertaining TV show.

Flight of the Conchords

The songs might not be quite as good this season but the boys are as fantastically funny as ever. Did I mention that I met Jemaine once? Also I am friends with some people who know someone who used to shag Bret. New Zealand: where we are all one degree of separation away from each other.

Gossip Girl

I think Vanessa is the most gorgeous girl ever, and Nate is an adorable thicky, and everyone else can go to hell.

House

Remains one of the funnest hours of television, even after all these years. I have the most enormous crush on Kutner. When we watched it on Sunday I was all, "I would have sex with him," to the room, because he's such a sexy dork.

How I Met Your Mother



Lie To Me

VERY VERY GOOD AND GETTING BETTER BY THE WEEK. I just love how interesting and educational it is and how unspeakably cute Brendan Hines is.

Lost

I'm a slave to this show - it's ridiculous yet awesome, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Smallville

The last episode didn't suck! ( spoilers )

The United States of Tara

Superb. Actually makes me weepy about once an episode and I mean that in the best possible way.

I've been sick for the past few days so my apologies if I owe you a comment or a sexy dance or something. My brain, it is fuzzy.

Smallville Season 9

If I had a nickel for the number of times I've claimed to be over Smallville only to rave about how awesome it is a week later I would be moderately wealthy by now. I could tell you I'm not going to watch it next season unless A, B or C happens, but you all know I'm talking out my ass. It's the show that slaps me around then makes it up to me by fucking me really well against the wall and promising to treat me better in future. Never does of course, but the promise of all that hot sex keeps me coming back for more. So while I would really rather see Tom Welling do something other than Smallville, if I don't have a choice then I will just keep on doing what I've been doing for the past year: hoping and praying for Clark to fall madly in love with Lois.

Gossip Girl and Privileged

I'm genuinely sad that Privileged has not been renewed because it's actually a gazillion times better than Gossip Girl, which sucks so hard now I currently have absolutely no intention of watching it next season. See, the thing about Privileged is that, beneath the cheesy, soap opera exterior, there's some intelligent writing and decent storytelling going on. It's a real pleasure to watch a show that gives us conflict between characters that's actually believable and human, and that doesn't use sloppy tricks to move the plot forward. My most hated being: characters who don't communicate because if they actually talked to each other there would be no drama. UGH THAT MEANS THE STORY SUCKS. Don't get me wrong, Privileged isn't Friday Night Lights, but not once have I found myself thinking, "People don't act like that!" In fact, I am regularly pleasantly surprised by how engaging and smart the show is - something I can no longer say about Gossip Girl.

Moonlight

For my Jason Dohring fix while I'm on a break between Veronica Mars seasons, I have watched the first four episodes, but sadly this show is not very good, and compared to Logan, Josef is a dull character who doesn't appear to be on any kind of journey. They're all a bit dull and flat on this show - there's nothing here to fall in love with, nothing to be particularly impressed by.

That said, it's weirdly compelling and I plan to watch all of it. Make of that what you will.

The United States of Tara

Holy crap I love it. LOVE IT. I wish an actress of Toni Collette's calibre were playing Echo because my God. She plays a woman who has dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalties) and when she's playing one of the alters (like Buck, for instance, who's *very* male) she IS that person and you don't doubt it for a second. But not only is Collette stunningly good, the show itself is witty, warm and moving.

Go! Watch! You won't regret it!

The very talented lizardspots made art inspired by my Merlin fic, No Magic Necessary. It is extremely pornographic so, you know, don't look at this at work unless your work really likes porn. I'm so happy! She captures the scene perfectly, and the title is genius:



( Bones, 4.14: The Hero in the Hold; plus a short rant about Gossip Girl )

~

Thanks to a conversation I had in butterfly's LJ I decided to download and watch the very last episode of Dawson's Creek. I was never a big fan of the show although I watched off and on throughout its run, and I totes shipped Joey/Pacey, so I was definitely curious to see how it ended.

( Read more... )

~

Is it just me or is season 2 of "How I Met Your Mother" much better than s1? It is killing me with its awesomeness. I even love Ted this season! He's funny! I guess his character just suits being in a relationship or something. I think "Slap Bet" might be the most genius episode I've seen yet. Homg. Porn - wait for it - OGRAPHY. (I need that on an icon.)

~

"Smallville" may suck at the moment, but "30 Rock" was so hysterically funny I nearly injured myself laughing. Oh Alec. ♥ ♥ ♥ I also found John Hamm extremely attractive, which is interesting because he doesn't do it for me (sexually) in "Mad Men". I am starting to wonder if it has something to do with Tina Fey? Because she has such amazing chemistry with all the men she plays opposite - I've enjoyed her relationships with Floyd, Peter Dinklage, John Hamm, and of course, Jack Donaghy. Go Tina!

~

duskwillow! This is the picture:

( No matter how much the show abuses these two they remain the most beautiful and sexy couple ever. )

~

Right! I owe a million comments so I should get on to that right now.

( Veronica Mars (AKA Kate's Fannish Heaven), 1.18: Weapons of Class Destruction and 1.19: Hot Dogs )

~

( Gossip Girl, 2.16: You've Got Yale )

~

( Lie To Me, 1.01: Pilot )

It saddens me to say this but I think I might be over Gossip Girl. I'll give it till the end of this season then I'm pretty sure I will drop it from my viewing list.

( Cut for ranting and spoilers for the last episode, 2.15: Gone with the Will )

I keep meaning to tell you all about Gabe from Videogum's Gossip Girl recaps because they are the funniest thing on the internet. He makes me cry with laughter every time and for some reason I find his utter contempt for the show and the characters totally wonderful instead of a bummer, probably because he is always right:

First things first: Aaron Rose is gone! Wait, isn't he Blair's stepbrother now? Shhhh! Don't spoil the Christmas Miracle with all of your pertinent questions. Gone. Serena broke up with him on the plane to Buenos Aires, which is classic Serena. Aaron was probably keeping her from shining the way God intended, like by suggesting that everyone had the same set of airplane safety instructions. "But where is my golden flotation device and my diamond signal flare?"

LOL. I want to marry him.

My own quick thoughts on the episode:( Gossip Girl, 2.14: In The Realm of the Basses )

That was a lot better than the godawful Thanksgiving episode, although on closer inspection, about as nonsensical. Let's review!

( Gossip Girl, 2.12: It's A Wonderful Lie )

The best thing about Entourage this week was Turtle. ♥ I adored his line: "I've been told I lift the spirits of everyone around me, since I was yay big," because it's both a great line and completely true - he's such a likeable, warm character; the kind of person you just want to spend time with because everything is better when he's around.

~

I have the most enormous crush on Kal Penn (and have done since I saw the first Harold and Kumar film). He might be my favourite thing about House at the moment.

( Yummy. )

~

( Gossip Girl, 2.11: The Magnificent Archibalds )

Okay I admit it, I was hammered when I watched this but I'm pretty sure the wine was not to blame for how little this episode made sense. Prepare yourself for a fair amount of confused ranting.

( Gossip Girl, 2.10: Bonfire of the Vanity )

Queer as Folk (USA)

I've been meaning to mention this for weeks and I keep forgetting but it's important. QAF has the single worst theme tune in the history of television. I cannot listen to it and I have to fast forward through it every time, and I'm someone who never fast forwards through the opening credit sequence! Because it gets me in the mood for the episode! But QAF's theme music is actualfax offensive to my ears and it annoys me that a person exists who thought it would be an acceptable choice.


( Gossip Girl, 2.05: The Serena Also Rises )

( Mad Men, 2.09: Six Month Leave )

( House, 5.03: Adverse Events )

I am going to Dubai for work on Saturday, and I think I'm coming down with something. FUCK.

At least television is going well right now!

( Weeds, 4.13: If You Work for a Living, Why Do You Kill Yourself Working?  )

( Entourage, 5.02: Unlike A Virgin  )


( Gossip Girl, 2.03: The Dark Night )


( Mad Men, 2.08: A Night to Remember  )


( House, 5.01: Dying Changes Everything  )

I watched the original Stepford Wives for the first time on the weekend and it really freaked me out. The message: men are scum-sucking, shallow, evil fuckheads! Oh, and women are awesome but no matter what, they will be oppressed. GOOD TIMES.

~

Anyway! Tell me about your TV plans for the next season. Are you giving anything up? Picking up something new?

My plans are as follows:

30 Rock: CAN'T WAIT FOR S3. WILL NEVER GIVE UP. (Although if Alec leaves the show I may stop loving it as hard as I currently do.)

Battlestar Galactica: I just don't really care about this show anymore. I still have two episodes to watch and the thought of doing so feels more like a chore than fun, which is not ideal. The other day I made my flatmate Kirsty watch the pilot and it was weird to see how fucking GOOD BSG was in its first year. Just so human and chilling and clever, and now it's pretty much nonsense with a side of mumbo-jumbo. I really miss the plan. Was there ever a plan? If so, what exactly was it?

Bones: Even though this is a Pretty Good but not Brilliant procedural, I'm too enamoured with all the characters to give up Bones any time soon, and I'm actually quite excited about who they will replace Zach with. They haven't failed me yet with their casting so I'm expecting it to be someone totally awesome.

Entourage: I'm finally caught up! Last season was a bit hit and miss for me (too much horribly annoying director dude for my liking) but I love Ari so much I want to take him home with me and lock him in my closet. Then there is Vince, who is almost too attractive to be real.

Friday Night Lights: I'm nervous, to say the least, but this is probably the show I'm most invested in after 30 Rock, so I've got my fingers crossed that they will match the quality of season one.

Gossip Girl: Pretty, dumb and funner than Disney Land. Let's hope it doesn't go down the same road of shite the OC did.

House: I'm kind of over it, but I love House, Cuddy and Wilson enough to keep watching.

The L Word: Last season!! :*( This is a show I'm going to miss a whole lot when it's over. I hope the gods of television replace it with another female-centric show because we'll need it.

Mad Men: GUH. Fucking amazing, amazing, mind-blowing, spectacularly different and freaky and important and just. YES. Am very much looking forward to the next season of this show, because S1 was one of the most remarkable things to happen to TV last year.

Smallville: Ah, the big question. Will I watch the last season? (It is the last season right?! If they do more after S8 I shall be very put out.) As I said to Boppy the other day, I will probably give it a go if certain of you tell me it's really good, but otherwise I can't see myself bothering. So. Verdict unknown!

Weeds: Absolutely will keep watching, although I don't really know where they're going to go with it now. I love it but I also have a funny feeling it's on its last legs.

~

I usually add new things to my viewing list each year but I won't know what until they've started. Probably won't pick Prison Break up again, even though Sara is back in the fold; I was tired of the formula by the end of season 2 and haven't the energy to start watching again. But if anyone else is and Sara and Michael actually get together (and by together I mean they DO IT) then please let me know so I can download at least that one episode.

I will, of course, be watching Dollhouse when it starts in January. God I hope it doesn't suck.

The last panel of yesterday's dinosaur comic killed me.

Spiderman vs Alfred vs T-Rex!

<3

~

I accidentally spoiled myself for the last episode of House yesterday. I'm about five or six episodes behind (I gave up on it for a while but then when people started talking about it again I felt left out so now I'm back baby) and anyway, I watched Bones last night and then I saw this post on my flist and the title of the cut-tag was "spoilers for bones and house" and my brain apparently ignored the bit about house and then BAM. Totally spoiled and it's all my fault.

( Bones, 3.15: The Pain in the Heart )

~

( Gossip Girl, 1.18: Much 'I Do' About Nothing )

I’m not quite the SV fangirl I once was although I’m still watching (and often enjoying) and I still think Tom Welling is unspeakably hot and I still think Clex is the greatest pairing fandom has ever seen, but my focus is sort of on other, smaller things at the moment, which I will now list:

Kate’s Current Top 5 Fan Related Obsessions:

1. 30 Rock. This show is perfect. There is not one single thing about it that I don’t love with all my heart.


2. Jack/Liz. My favourite thing about 30 Rock (and that’s saying a LOT) are these two characters both separately and as a super awesome, funny and sexy OTP. The gods of television really came through for me with these two, and I have actually surprised myself with the rather intense attraction I now have for Alec Baldwin, who is old enough to be my dad but I don’t even care – he’s fabulously attractive and possibly the funniest person on the planet.


3. James McAvoy. My love/lust for this dude is bordering on embarrassing. I don’t normally get so fannish about an actor that I’ll watch anything they’re in (I’m normally more fannish about characters than actors) but McAvoy is the exception (I really enjoy calling him by his last name for some reason). I rented State of Play simply because of him and I watched the first episode the other day and was *actively annoyed* that he wasn’t in it. But then it was all okay because he was in the second episode that I watched last night and sexy as ever. It was shameful: every time he was onscreen I said something like, “HE’S SO GORGEOUS,” or “I LOVE HIM SO MUCH,” which made Kirsty laugh, but she was of course, forced to agree with me wholeheartedly after he kept smiling at us.


4. Bones/Booth OTP. Separately they are both very hot, together they are SCORCHING.


5. Hmm. Well I’m pretty freaking excited about the new Gossip Girl which I will be watching tonight. Lily! Rufus! Lily/Rufus! Chuck! Blair! The others. It’s going to be a pure pleasure injection and I cannae wait.

What are yours?

Hello everyone!

Lovely, talented slodwick is doing an advent calendar where she posts art (that has been requested by friends) every day this month. Go check out all the beautiful entries, but in particular, admire the ONE SHE MADE FOR ME. *beams*

~

I am organised and punctual and my undermistletoe fic is with Boppy as we speak, getting all beta'd up so I can post on Friday. *BOWS*

~

sadface is making me happy with her "The Wire" love.

~

And now for a hard poll.

Who is the sexiest dad?

( Some pictures to help you decide. )

Poll #1104289
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 83

Spank me, Daddy.

This news about an event in Final Crisis is seriously, seriously freaking me out.

Please someone tell me that it's total bullshit. I'm near tears!

( Kate panics )

~

sadface! The package arrived. Thank you my love! You =

~

As seen in kantayra's journal.

Name your top six TV shows right now before reading the questions.

1. The Wire
2. Smallville
3. Friday Night Lights
4. The L Word
5. House
6. Gossip Girl

( My fascinating answers )

This bullshit is working my last nerve.

What the fuck is her problem with women? Is she not one herself? Jesus fucking Christ, do you know what I'M sick of? Misogynist cunts like that ruining my fandom experience.

AHEM.

Today Sharan told me that when I'm not at work (I was off yesterday) Florence becomes a lot more animated. She talked so much yesterday Sharan wanted to kill her. Sharan hates it when I'm off. So I tell Caroline (our boss) that I scare Florence, and Caroline looks at me meaningfully and says:

"I think you're a lot scarier than you think you are."

You know what that means right? I scare her too!

*wins at life*

Poll #1070098
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 49

Are you scared of me?

~

TV: Brief non-spoilery comments

( Gossip Girl, Reaper and Pushing Daisies... )

I can't find a working "House" download anywhere so still haven't seen the latest ep. How is it that a show that popular is so hard to get hold of? *frownyface*

~

I am so entering this clex comics contest, that plnunn is running. I've even already started writing my story!

I am such a fan of unlikely friendships/romances. Jennifer Anniston and Orlando Bloom? Awesome! Bradley Cooper and Cameron Diaz? FTW!

I'm in a terribly good mood today. I've taken tomorrow off work so I can sleep in, then lounge about watching "Smallville" and "Reaper" and reading more of literaryll's truly awesome comics collection (more on this later) (ILU Ashley!). Also, Matty is coming back! He is my flatmate Nina's brother and he left a few days ago to stay with other people so he wouldn't be at our place for three weeks, but he's miserable there and he misses us so he's coming back on Saturday. And I couldn't be happier about it! Normally I'm the kind of person who wants guests to fuck off after the proverbial three days, but he's just so LOVELY and everything is better with him around; the atmosphere in the house is so warm and friendly and happyful and he likes to do the same kinds of things as me, i.e. watching tv in pajamas and talking about Batman.

~

( Gossip Girl, 1.03: Poison Ivy )

~

( House, 4.02: The Right Stuff )

~

( Bruce Wayne: Murderer? )

I AM BORED.

I now have Smallville on my flash disc, ready to be watched as soon as I get home from work. Work, however, is dragging. No one is online to chat to. My flist is full of SV posts that I can't read. And THEN, I started a scrabble game with Bly (who is MIA) and got no vowels. What the fuck.

SIGH.

I watched episode 2 of Gossip Girl last night, and while I still find it enjoyable, the main storyline left me in a flithy mood.

( Gossip Girl, 1.02: The Wild Brunch )

GIP. I made myself a Bruce/Dick OTP icon. *laughs and laughs forever*

The original panel it comes from has to be seen to be believed and adored. Every time I think about it I laugh and feel pleased with the world. LOOK HOW HAPPY BRUCE IS:

( cut for size )

I've seen quite a few things recently, but I'll try to keep my comments on them brief:

1. Conspiracy

Most chilling drama ever. Highly recommended.

2. Batman Begins

( Y HALO THAR BB )

3. Gossip Girl

LOVED IT. Pure unadulterated entertainment. It's visually stunning, the cast is *exceptionally* hot, it's fun and daft and exciting and I am madly in love with Rufus already (he's the hot rockstar dad). Favourite pilot this year by far.

4. Last Tango In Paris

I've been meaning to see this for decades and it was on sale at HMV for £3 (which is cheaper than renting a movie) so I bought it. It is not very good.