Last Week In Media Consumed

What did I consume?

Books and Television, of course!

First - You'll Never Believe What Happened To Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism, by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. So good. If you're not familiar with Amber Ruffin, you should check out her show on Peacock (and YouTube). She also writes for Seth Meyers and appears on that show. She is hilarious. I love her sense of humour and thoroughly enjoy her. Lacey is Amber's sister, who still lives in Omaha, where Amber and their siblings grew up. The things people say would never happen in New York (where Amber lives) or in the Toronto area (where I live). I've had people say stupid things to me before, but Lacey's stories are RIDICULOUS. (When I say "ridiculous" I mean it in the most sad, depressing sort of way, where things are awful, but you have to have a sense of humour about it, otherwise you'd go insane.)

Only Murders In The Building - At first, I was not interested. Then I saw a couple interviews with the cast and I heard good things from other people. So I watched. I'm all in now. It's so good. Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are such an odd combination, but I love it. Plus, Tina Fey. She's amazing whenever her character shows up. Nathan Lane is perfect. The story seems light, but dark. I supposed the same could be same for You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey. Only Murders In The Building is on Hulu in the States (apparently). It's on Disney+ in Canada. (We don't get Hulu.) Thank you to whoever made sure this show ended up where I could watch it. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

We're Halfway Through April, Aren't We?

It's been about a month. I've been consuming a lot of media. What else is there to do? I'm trying not to let my disappointment and frustration with the vaccine rollout in Canada keep me down. It's hard though.

I also wrote a piece for the Diversity and Inclusion group at my day job. I know that based on what the word count limits are for communications, it's going to get cut down. I also tried to temper the emotional aspects of the piece. However, I have my very own blog. I'm going to give it a little edit and post it here later this week, I think.

What have I consumed and enjoyed in the last month-ish?

I read...

Mexican Gothic. Yes. So good. Read it. I'm really feeling the gothic genre right now. Gothic in 1950 Mexico!

Luck of the Draw and I cried. A lot. It was so sad, though maybe I was releasing some other emotions too. Because it's a romance, I was happy at the end.

Artificial Condition, the second installment in the The Murderbot Diaries. I still love Murderbot. I want to know where their adventure is going to take them next!

Immortal In Death, the third In Death book. I definitely have heart eyes for Eve Dallas and Roarke I wonder if when JD Robb wrote about Eve's engagement, she imagined there would be 50 more books after. 

I watched...

WandaVision <3

Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I <3 Bucky.

Zack Snyder's Justice League. I think my heart fluttered a little when Barry saved Iris.

Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. I'd seen both already, but my daughter was in the mood, so we watched all of Korra again and a few favourite episodes of Avatar. I love those series.

History of Swear Words on Netflix. It's really good. Interesting in a way I didn't expect. 

Dota: Dragon's Blood. My friend recommended it. It's like a cross between The Dragon Prince and Castlevania. At least that's what I thought as I watched. She called it "The Dragon Prince for grownups." 

Star Trek: Lower Decks. I really needed that show.

I submitted a couple short stories. Got a rejection. Good times.

I ate some Popeye's and it was SO GOOD. I'm really appreciating Skip the Dishes lately. 

How has your spring been so far?

Let's Reflect

In my last post, I was reflecting on interracial romances where neither of the main characters are white. I totally forgot about Alyssa Cole's Can't Escape Love, part of her Reluctant Royals series. I haven't read it yet, but since finishing Take a Hint, Dani Brown, I think it might be my next romance. Luckily it's available at my local eLibrary.

I also read The Prince and the Dressmaker. It is sweet, interesting, loving and just tugged at my heartstrings. Frances and Sebastian are so cute. I highly recommend it. I want my children to read it too.

Egyptian Steampunk also might be my new favourite genre. At least one I need to explore more. I read the short story/novella A Dead Djinn in Cairo, and it was so good. I love, LOVE, Fatma el-Sha'arawi. I checked, and P. Djèli Clark has two more stories set in this world. It seems like the second one doesn't have Agent Fatma as the main character, but I'm fine with that. She's back by the third (yet to be published) story.

I watched some good TV/movies too. After seeing Regé-Jean Page on Saturday Night Live, I decided it was time to watch Bridgerton. Since it's so popular, I didn't expect it to be bad, but I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I will admit that I watched is all in one day. Also, I could listen to Julie Andrews' voice all day long.... wait, I practically did that. 

I also decided it was time to watch the things languishing in my Netflix queue. I scrolled with my eyes closed and watched what my finger landed on. The first was Warrior Nun. With a title like that, I knew I had to at least try it out. I thoroughly enjoyed Ada and Mary. I also really want to know what happens and if there will be another season.

Next, I landed on Howl's Moving Castle, an anime movie from 2004. I liked the idea of the girl turning into an old woman and getting to know Howl from that perspective. I don't know how I feel about her befriending the witch who cursed her though. I'm three episodes into Dragon's Dogma, an anime series. I think I'm liking the random choices on Netflix. I know there have been two animes in the last week, but the stories are very different. Howl's Moving Castle has a sweetness to it. Dragon's Dogma is messed up.

This post is definitely not as deep as the last one. Maybe it's less "thinking about books" and more "Netflix queue", but sometimes, that's what you need.

It's Been A While - Looking Back at 2020

At first, nothing really changed for me.

My day job is work from home gig. I was already home everyday. The biggest difference was having the children at home. Initially, I blogged (among other things), more than I had in a while. It felt good. I was sharing what I was doing/watching/reading. It was nice to share again.

I wrote a lot. I finished a draft of my work-in-progress and started editing. I discovered I might have a mild obsession with my characters' hair. I mention hair a lot.

Then I stopped blogging. I'm not sure why. I was still blogging for the WCYR and doing other work for them/us. I love my writing community. Many like-minded people coming together for the love of writing. We share our ideas, our quirks, unique habits. We're a support and a resource for each other. I'm glad I found them years ago and that I'm now a part of them.

Exhaustion gets me at inconvenient times.

I still did a lot. I attended online meetings/seminars. I read. I watched movies and television. I continued to work at my job. 

Months have passed in this new normal and I find I want to blog again.

Here I am.

I have used Goodreads to track my writing progress for many years. I really like how they put together my year in review. It's a nice way to look back on the books I've read, remembering favourites from January or February, seeing where my reading trends took me. I read by feelings, cravings, imaginings.... 

I read a lot of rom-coms/romances this year. I guess I needed some "Happily Ever Afters". Some favourites? Get A Life, Chloe Brown - I may have cried. The Friend Zone - Not what I expected. Wrapped Up In You - That's 2 for Talia Hibbert. Boy Toy - That title, plus a post-baby body. Meet Cute - The main characters needed so many hugs. 

I also read a lot of fantastic fantasy. Deceptions - Kelley Armstrong making me long for the characters. The Ghost King (The Legend of Drizzt) - Surprisingly sad. Six of Crows - For the win. Rebel - Giving me an amazing end to Day and June's story. Carry On - Surpassing expectations.

I also read All Systems Red - Science-fiction at its best, I think. I read some graphic novels (Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Lumberjanes, Avatar, Hawkeye). I read three more Stephanie Plum books. I just realized I didn't read any In Death books this year. How did that happen?

I watched Mulan and Wonder Woman (yes, I paid the premium price). I watched Lucifer. I was sad when Flash and Supergirl abruptly ended in the spring. I enjoyed My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (RDJ has llamas). Nostalgia had me watching War on Cybertron. The need for laughter had me watching Mr. Iglesias. I've been watching Star Trek: Discovery. I loved Star Trek: Picard. I watched the final seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Anne with an "E". 

Though 2020 could have been [a lot] better. It also could have been worse. I've come out of it with my health and the good health of my loved ones. I know that can't be said for everyone, so I'm more than grateful for that. 

Will the coming year see me back on my blog? I hope so. I'd like to think so. I've always enjoyed writing out some thoughts here. I know I'll have to tell someone when I read the next Murderbot book. 

Now, for the traditional picture of books.

What I Watched Last Week #3

For your viewing pleasure...

Have you been watching Patrick Stewart's sonnets? So good.

Alicia Keys has also been pretty awesome. She put her on spin on Flo Rida's "My House." 

Samuel L. Jackson also read from the book, Stay the F*ck at Home, and it was a treat. 

I just started a new anime series, InuYasha. Last week, I read Wasted Words and the InuYasha manga was mentioned. The books series is a television series on Netflix. I'm so bad at deciding what to watch next on streaming services, that my inspiration comes from the most random places.

I'm continuing to watch all my favourite late night hosts. Those guys make me happy. 

What I Watched Last Week #2

Let's start with Stephen Colbert fixing his bike. Remembering things you used to know how to do. So true.

Also, I quite enjoyed on Tuesday's show watching Jimmy Fallon interview Trevor Noah about doing shows from home.

Also, Seth Meyers talking about learning to make YouTube videos in the middle of A Closer Look is pretty funny.

This week on Netflix I watched The Letter for the King. An easy 10 episodes. It's got some really interesting and unexpected twists. The relationships between the characters were interesting. The ending, while a good conclusion, definitely left room for the series to grow.

I also rewatched a favourite episode of Lucifer because, ya. If you haven't watched Lucifer, it's so good.

My daughter discovered Carpool Karaoke. We watched Niall Horan, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran and Adele. All good. All fun. Though we did get into the discussion of the Carpool Karaoke "scandal" from earlier this year. It was funny. "So, he's really driving?"

What I Watched Last Week

I've been putting some time in on Netflix. Most of us have, no? At this point, I'm happy to have more than one streaming service and some cable. Though I really miss sports. 

I watched the latest season of Castlevania. I was waiting for my favourite trio to get back together... and if I say too much, it'll be a spoiler. I did, however, watch them all survive the horrors of a post-Dracula world. Like, wtf?

I decided to try a new anime too. Beastars had a big banner at the top of my Netflix page, so I watched. The show is weird. I can't say if it was good or bad. Just weird. But once I started watching, I had to finish. I needed to know how it all turned out.

Also, I may have finished YouTube.

I have been enjoying the late night hosts "at home" shows. I like Stephen Colbert's elements theme. Jimmy Fallon's house looks amazing and super fun. His daughters are incredibly adorable. Trevor Noah is basically doing his whole regular show, just from his couch. Unlike Colbert and Fallon, it looks like Trevor Noah's crew is still putting in time, just from home. There's even a "moment of zen" at the end of each episode.

I've been watching a lot of news too. CP24 sometimes in the morning. I have alerts for whenever CBC or CTV says the Prime Minister is talking. I've watched the WHO broadcasts too. I'm trying to keep informed, check my sources, but not become too overwhelmed. There's a lot of information out there.

Helpful links:

Canada Public Health Services - COVID-19: 

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

WHO - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic: 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Titans

I have watched five episodes of Titans on Netflix and I love it. I loved it from the first time I saw Detective Grayson, from the first time I saw Rachel and her mother. Dick Grayson is fantastic. I don't think I've ever loved him more (except for maybe Robin/Nightwing on Young Justice). Being a detective is just so fitting. He learned from the greatest detective in the world, even if others didn't know that from the start. It definitely ups his cool factor in Garfield's eyes.

Titans is very dark. These aren't the characters from Teen Titans Go! or Young Justice. Robin and Starfire/Koriand'r are very much adults. Raven and Beast Boy are teens. Bad stuff happens. There is a lot of blood. Heads explode. Also, Hawk and Dove are part the story, an interesting part so far. I wonder how they will factor into Rachel's story. As much as we're seeing Dick, Kory, and Garfield's stories, the plot so far has revolved around Raven/Rachel. She's a kid, a young teen, just trying to figure things out, missing her mother, with serious trust issues. 

Is it weird that I really like the title sequence?

A few episodes in and Titans is becoming one of my favourite series of the year. I'm so excited to see what happens next!

Lost In Space

I love the Robot. I really do. I almost wished they named him, or called him something other than "Robot". I'm hoping for more Robot in Season Two of Lost In Space. For those that don't know, Netflix's Lost in Space is a remake of Lost in Space from the 1960s. Which, incidentally, is a re-imagining of the novel, The Swiss Family Robinson. (The whole remake thing isn't new, it's just a lot more common than it used to be.)

I never watched the series from the 60s. It's before my time. Though I have watched shows from the 50s and 60s, this one just never hit my radar. I had, of course, heard of it. "Danger, Will Robinson" is part of our culture, isn't it? I knew there was a family named Robinson, a robot and a kid named Will. The Robinson children are the stars of the show. They're smart, unique and talented. They're brave and loyal. Will is surprising, Judy is intelligent, Penny is sassy. I really enjoyed all the changes they made to the original, though again, I never watched the original to really compare. I liked that the mother was a brilliant rocket scientist, and used it to solve their problems. I liked the relationship between Maureen and John. It's complex and real, something people can relate to. The whole Robinson family was really relatable, even if they were "lost in space."

I know I'm a bit behind the times, as this came out in the spring, but I really liked it. I'm wondering what's going to happen to the Robinsons, Don West and "Dr. Smith". With the way Season One ended, there are so many possibilities.

Blast From The Past #12 - Heroes

Ten years ago, I was watching Heroes. I can't believe that show is 10 years old. It makes me feel old. I loved that show when it first started. I loved Peter, Claire, Sylar, Hiro and all the rest. It was a fantastic show in that first season. Admittedly, the following seasons weren't as great and the show got weirder, but I still sort of liked it. I never got around to watching Heroes Reborn though. Was it a mini-series or a first season that didn't get renewed? It's disappointing though, because that show had so much potential.

I miss wondering which new show was going to be a new favourite or if they had the story power to make it more than a year. I've been wondering about other things lately...

Blast From The Past #6 - A Series Of Unfortunate Events

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I finished A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really loved those books. They were so quirky and unique. I'm just waiting for my children to be old enough so that I can read the series with them. The idea of reading them again makes me happy. I loved them then and I love them now. I am excited that 10 years later there's going to be a Netflix television series based on them, that these books are still popular and loved. Of course it's being released on a "Friday the 13th". I am sure they did that on purpose. It's such an "unfortunate" thing to happen.

I remember being excited for the movie too. I thought A Series of Unfortunate Events was fantastic. I loved the children, and Jim Carrey as Count Olaf was perfect. Meryl Streep was in it! Why did they stop at one? I don't really know. Money and scripts probably. You can only wait so long too, since they were child actors, once they age too much, it's not believable anymore.

Back to my past post... The post I wrote 10 years ago is part love of A Series of Unfortunate Events and part the last books I read in the series. Based on what I said in the post about the "extra stories" my hot/cold relationship with side stories is at least 10 years old. I remember being a bit disappointed about what was learned in The Beatrice Letters and The Unauthorized Autobiography. Some of it was good and they were good stories, but they didn't affect how I viewed the rest of the series or my reading of The End. I remember not wanting The End to be the end of the series. I wanted to know so much more about the Baudelaires. They're still children at the end of the series. What happened when they became adults? I've always wanted to know more. I also wonder if Lemony Snicket's most recent series, All The Wrong Questions eventually relates to A Series of Unfortunate Events. I should finish reading that series too.

So, 10 years ago, I finished reading a fun series. Now, I can look forward to watching (maybe binge-watching) a television show based on those books. 

Netflix series trailer:

Luke Cage: Episode #1

Maybe I couldn't wait. Maybe I've been so excited for Luke Cage that I had to watch it on my lunch break. (It's cool though. I didn't actually skip work.)

So I saw episode one and I'm hooked. Just like Jessica Jones, just like Daredevil. That first scene, it's so simple, yet says so much. He's starting over. He's hiding. He still misses his wife. There are so many looks, so many moments, that had me riveted to the screen. I'm going to keep the rest of this brief, as the show hasn't even been out for 24 hours yet.

- Cottonmouth reminded me of Fisk, so much.

- I love Alfrie Woodard.

- The jail! Backstory! Yay!

- The cop ;)

- I love Pops.

- That one kid was crazy.

I know Claire Temple is going to be in the series, but I wonder if we'll see anyone else from the Netflix shows. Also, Mike Coulter is amazing. His portrayal of Luke Cage since Jessica Jones has just been fantastic.

The trailor... you know, in case you haven't seen it already.

Shadowhunters

I’m not sure how I feel about Shadowhunters. I read all the Mortal Instruments books (and The Infernal Devices). I saw City of Bones (but heard it was disappointing, so waited until it was on TV). I was excited to hear about the television series. I enjoyed Cassandra Clare’s novels. They were exciting and fun. I thought they would be a fun series. I wanted to see what they would change, what they would keep from the books and how it would differ from the movie. It is definitely different from the movie, but I’m not sure how much I like the differences from the books.

I do have to mention though, that Shadowhunters only airs on Tuesday on a US network.  For those of us who don’t live in the States, Shadowhunters is only available on Netflix, with new episodes available the day after it airs in the States. That’s fine, I guess. I have Netflix, so I get to see the show the day after, but I stay away from Twitter while the show is airing the in US.

There have only been about six episodes so far, but here are the changes... The first one that really struck me was Hodge. He’s not some doddering old man, stuck up in the library. He is the weapons instructor, who spends time with his shirt off. The second, why are there so many people in the New York institute? It’s so high tech.  It’s also very sexual, more so than I expected for a show airing on Freeform (ABC Family).

Stuff I liked… the Silent Brothers. Yes. The whole look of the City of Bones was good.  I liked that Simon and Isabelle have had a moment together. He’s intimidated by her, but she seems to be fond of him. We’ve already addressed who Clary’s father is, so that’s going to be causing some good tension. Luke, I think he’s great. I miss the bookstore, but the police station makes a lot of sense.

I’m not opposed to changes, I just want them to fit the narrative and the feeling of the books. I also understand the need for some of them, to get an audience watching that isn’t just made up of people who read the books.

I do like that Magnus name-dropped Tessa. Everything about Magnus. He might be my favourite part of the show.

So, how do I feel about Shadowhunters? I don’t know yet. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I am invested though and I’ll be watching how everything unfolds this season.

Jessica Jones - Episode #1

I was so excited for Jessica Jones. I'd been looking forward to it since it was announced, since I finished watching Daredevil. I really enjoyed the first episode. I liked getting to know Jessica and the people around her. I found that the episode gave us a taste of everything, a taste of her friend, the man she's interested in, the woman she works for, and her powers. We get to see what her life has become after some bad things happened, after she was trying to be good.

I don't want to say too much more.  It's only the first day and there are 12 more episodes for me to watch.

One thing I was expecting though was a little more action. We got some "action", but not what I thought I'd be seeing. I wanted to see Jessica Jones kick someone's ass. She did shove someone through a window, but it wasn't a big fight scene or anything. I want to see her powers. The lack of powers, coupled with the intriguing story, made me want to hit play on the second episode. I didn't though. Other things to do. But I want to. So much. I enjoyed the first episode so much and I can't wait to watch the rest of the series.

Sleepy Hollow

I'm slightly obsessed with the new television show, Sleepy Hollow.  I never intended to watch it.  I thought a time travelling Ichabod Crane sounded ridiculous.  I was wrong.  I was flicking though the channels when John Cho caught my eye.  You might know him from Harold and Kumar and Star Trek.  I stopped to see what he was doing.  The answer: Sleepy Hollow.  He is not the star of the show.  His character, however, is quite interesting.  The stars are Tom Mison (Ichabod Crane) and Nicole Beharie (Abbie Mills); they are lovely.  It also starts Orlando Jones, who is simply fantastic in his role as Captain Frank Irving.

I've had to wait a month for a new episode.  Now I'm getting one tomorrow, but from what I hear, there are only three more episodes in the season, with the show ending this month.  Really?  Why isn't the show going until the spring?  These shows with short seasons drive me crazy.  One of the things I really like is the blend between "monster of the week" and an over-arching story for the season.  Every monsters gets us towards the final goal, but many of the episodes can stand alone.  Sleepy Hollow has good mystery, a cast that's not bad to look at and great stories.  I hope the next three episodes are as great as I expect them to be and next season comes along quickly.

Television I'm Looking Forward To This Fall

I'm excited about television this fall.  There are shows I've been waiting for what seems like ages to see.  I want to know what is going to happen.  (The list is in no particular order.)

Agents of SHIELD - Do I need to explain this?  I love Marvel.  I'm excited to watch SHIELD dealing with superhuman related problems. (Please be good...)

Dr. Who 50th Anniversary Special  (when does the new season start anyway?) - I don't think I should need to explain this.  It's Dr. Who!

The Legend of Korra - I think the first episode actually aired on the weekend and I missed it. Yikes!  I'm hoping YTV.com will still have the episodes to watch on their website, which is mostly where I watched last year.  It's a great show, the continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.  I just love Korra.

Once Upon A Time - I'm excited to see Neverland.  I'm hoping that it makes me enjoy the show they way I did during the first season.  

Grimm - To be honest, I didn't really watch the first season.  I watched the first episode and didn't really like it. Then I eventually gave the show another chance, watching a later episode from the first season and decided again the show wasn't for me.  Then last year, I caught an episode by accident and thought the show had gotten interesting.  I liked the Nick/Juliet conflict and loved Monroe with Rosalee.  The season finale was crazy!

The Walking Dead - Season three was not that good.  I got bored.  If my Hubby wasn't still watching the show, I might have stopped.  I'm looking forward to this show because of hope.  I have hope that the fourth season will be better.

Masterchef Junior - I really enjoy Masterchef.  Something about this show just gets me. (It's probably the food.) Then I see that they are actually making a kid version of this show for the fall. Well, I just have to watch.

There are other shows I like that I want to see, but I'm not searching them on the internet, trying to find out when they start.  I haven't been listening to news about those other shows all summer. So while I may watch other television, they aren't generating the kind of excitement or anticipation these ones are managing.

What are you looking forward to?

Continuum

Did anyone watch Continuum last year?  Or last night?  It is a science-fiction show about a "Protector" (cop) from the year 2077 who gets transported back to present day Vancouver. It is so good. I was addicted to the 10 episodes of season one last year.  I had been hoping and hoping that Continuum would be renewed for a second season and it was, this time with 13 episodes.  The second season premiered on Showcase on the 21st.  I think the first season is airing now on SyFy in the US.

Why do I like this show?  I don't know.  I think Rachel Nichols (who was in G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - Don't hold that against her -, Criminal Minds, Alex Cross, Alias) is awesome as lead character, Kiera Cameron.  I find Kiera's struggles with moral decisions, to let the future play out how it's supposed to because she wants to go home vs. not being able to standby and watch people die, really interesting.  She's also not a "pure" hero.  She makes mistakes and can be selfish, but in the end it is all so she can be reunited with her son.

I'm excited to see where Continuum goes this season.

Touch

Has anyone seen Touch?  It's a television series starring Kiefer Sutherland as the father of an autistic, but extremely gifted boy.  I have to say that I'm loving this show.  Hubby and I have been watching the show since February.  It sadly has short seasons of 13 episodes, but there is a lot put into those episodes   I think there are three left so we can see what else will happen to Martin and his son Jake (hopefully something good).

We have been watching this show, thinking it's awesome, an interesting blend of science and spirituality, and we didn't realize that this is actually the second season.  So much was happening, Martin found Lucy, decided to help her finder her daughter, it was so easy to be drawn in, that we didn't realize were were missing something.  I was on Netflix one day and I saw Touch.  What?  How are the episodes already on Netflix?   I had a quick look and who did I see?  Danny Glover!  Then I did a little Wikipedia search and I found that Danny Glover was on season one.  Where was I when season one was on?  I'm going to blame babies for that one; I wasn't watching a lot of television while my son was an infant.  I was more interested in sleeping.

I plan on watching the first season.  Apparently, Martin and Jake started in New York.  I'd like to know what brought them to Los Angeles.  Touch is an interesting, unpredictable show, I can't wait to see what happens next... and what happened before.

True Blood

I just finished watching the HBO series True Blood. It was fabulous! I was initially hesitant to watch it. I’m a fan of the Charlaine Harris books and didn’t want to be disappointed with their interpretation on television. However, a friend who had read the Sookie Stackhouse books at about the same time as me, recommended True Blood. She loves Eric. After watching the series, I can see why.

True Blood is based on the Harris books, but it’s not quite the same. The vampires seem a bit meaner. In the books, I’m rooting for Eric and Sookie, but on the show, Eric might be too “evil” for me. So, I’m for Bill on the show. Season one is the first book, season two is the second, and there are more differences than just the vampires’ behaviour. What happens to Jason and his reaction to these circumstances are a significant change. Amy and Jessica are new characters. Lafayette is still alive. The maenad went from a flash in the pan to a primary pain. These changes are fantastic and fun.

I wonder how True Blood interprets Club Dead in season three. Who are they going to cast as Alcide Herveaux? Are Sophie-Anne and Hadley going to make another appearance? How will Eric and Sookie get closer when she’s so disgusted with him now? With the end of season two, they’ve already changed the kidnapping. I’m eager for season three.

Dollhouse

Joss Whedon’s new series, Dollhouse premiered last night on FOX. You might remember Joss from, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and the short-lived, but fantastic Firefly. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was better than I expected. After the first episode, I think the show will really test the acting skills of the people living in the Dollhouse. There’s so much possibility with this show, I hope it’s allowed the chance to explore.
I also have to say that I’m a fan of Eliza Dushku (Echo) and Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard) and I look forward to seeing their new characters grow. I can’t wait until next week to see Echo and the rest of the Dollhouse.