I’m the type of person that has to get personally attached to a character in a TV show for it to hold my interest.  Don’t get me wrong the premise of the show has to be interesting also, but to me it’s more about the characters.  I don’t even necessarily have to like the main character of the show.  I mean, I made it through seven seasons of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and Buffy was my least favorite character on the show (Spike, Oz and Willow were the ones I liked).  Same goes for “Angel” (Doyle, Lindsey, Wesley, Fred, Lorne and Spike were the ones I watched for).

Sometimes my character love comes back to bite me in the @ss.  Take for example “Torchwood“.  I’m not going to go into my whole rant about “Children of Earth” again, but if you’re interested, here it is.  Suffice it to say that Ianto Jones and the wonderful acting of Gareth David Lloyd was why I watched the show.  Which is also why I will no longer be watching it.

Anyway, what does all this have to do with “Dante’s Cove”?  After “Torchwood” breaking my heart, I was looking for something that was just harmless fun that I didn’t have to take too seriously.  Which is when I stumbled across this show.  I would classify it as a “guilty pleasure” and I think most people involved with the production would say so as well.  Think of it as a cross between “Dark Shadows/Passions” and “Queer as Folk“.  Kinda hokey supernatural stuff, with ridiculously melodramatic scenes at times and lots of hot steamy sex (primarily male/male, but some lesbian and hetero).

I will say, right up front, the actors appear to be hired based on their looks and bodies.  It definitely wasn’t for their acting ability.  There are a few diamonds in the rough that have the potential to become quite good (such as Charlie David; he has moments where he shines) and others that are just awful.  However, that doesn’t necessarily hurt the show, in fact in some ways it makes it more fun.    

The first season is only 2 episodes long.  The first episode is around 1 hr 15 minutes long and the second is around 1 hour and 40 minutes.  While a lot of things happen during this season, they are really more of a setup for the upcoming seasons.  Giving us the back-story and ending on a big cliffhanger.

We start out in the town of Dante’s Cove, in 1840 and are introduced to the characters of Ambrosius (William Gregory Lee) and Grace (Tracy Scoggins).  They are engaged to be married.  We also discover that Grace is a very jealous woman, that she has supernatural powers and isn’t afraid to use them.  You really don’t want to get on her bad side; which Ambrosius and his butler, Raymond, manage to do.  You see, Grace ends up walking in on them having sex.  Needless to say she is really pissed off.

She quickly takes care of Raymond and then moves on to Ambrosius.  Next thing we see is Ambrosius chained up in the basement and at her mercy.  He is given the choice of reconciling with her or spending eternity there.  He choses eternity in the basement.  She tells him that the kiss of a young man is the only thing that will set him free.  Then proceeds to makes him look all old and creepy; which would certainly hurt his chances of that every happening.

Now we jump forward to current day.  The location is Laguna Beach, California.  Toby (Charlie David) is in a taxi on the way to pick up his boyfriend, Kevin (Gregory Michael).  It’s a long distance relationship, Kevin lives in Laguna Beach and Toby lives in Dante’s Cove.  They met two months ago and now Toby has come back for a visit.  The taxi scene is great.  Let’s just say they are up to an extracurricular activity in the back seat and the driver is definitely enjoying the show (love the taxi driver’s expressions).

Kevin’s home life is not good.  He lives with his mom and stepdad.  They seem to know that he is involved with a guy, but they think it is all Toby’s fault.  That he is a bad influence on Kevin.  It is a very oppressive and tension filled household.  This leads to some problems between Toby and Kevin.  I think Kevin is a bit jealous of the fact that Toby is living openly as a gay man and is not getting any grief over it.  Whereas, it’s such a struggle for him.

I should point out that the sex scenes between Toby and Kevin are extremely hot.  While they may not be the best actors in the business, Charlie and Gregory have incredible chemistry together and it really comes across in these scenes.  I also really like the way the scenes are filmed in a very artistic and moody manner.  Basically, when all is said and done, they have ended up with some incredibly erotic and sensual sex scenes.

Vacation is over and it’s time for Toby to head back to Dante’s Cove.  He tries to get Kevin to come with him, but he won’t go.  They have a very tearful farewell.  However, after another nasty encounter with his stepdad and mom, Kevin decides that he should take Toby up on his offer.

So now Toby and Kevin are living together in the Hotel Dante.  We get to meet the other residents of the hotel as Kevin is being given the tour.  Two of the more notable ones are Van and Adam.  Van is currently Toby’s best friend.  She is an artist and is also very interested in the history of the area, particularly in relation to the hotel itself.  Adam and Toby have known each other since they were in fifth grade.  Their friendship has had a lot of ups and downs over the years.  It also seems like Adam is a bit jealous of Kevin’s arrival.

It’s probably important to mention that the Hotel Dante just so happens to be the house that Ambrosius is chained up in (not that anyone is aware of that fact).  Obviously it won’t take long until we see their world collide with the world of the supernatural. 

Some of my favorite quotes:

Ambrosius -  “Grace, I can assure you that I have absolutely no interest in any other women.”

Toby – “You know, maybe you’re right.”

Van – “I’m always right.  You should know that by now.”

Toby – “Yeah, I can always count on you to make me smile.”

Toby – “It’s this place, it’s haunted.”

Kevin – “Great, you kind of left that part out when you convinced me to move in with you.”

Toby – “Hey, I’ve been dreaming about this moment.  Finally, you and me together. I couldn’t wait for you to get here.”

Kevin – “Me too.”

Toby – “Even if it is haunted?”

Kevin – “Shut up and just go to sleep.”

Van – “He’s easy.”

Toby – “I know, that’s why I keep him around.”

Toby – “Yeah, I know it’s probably pretty hard for you to imagine that, but I live in this little make believe world where two guys can actually really care about each other and be open about it.”

Adam – “Toby, if I could go back and make things different, I swear to god I’d … “

Toby – “Do know how many times we’ve been through this.  You apologize and then I forgive you and it’s the same song and dance.  The same crap all over again.  I’m just not ready to forgive and forget this time.”

Cory – “Why should we leave, we were here first.”

Toby – “Because I’ll kick your @ss if you don’t move it.”

Van – “Aw, kiss and get it over with.”

Van – “Ok boys, the makeup sex will have to wait; we have a curse to lift.”

Van – “Cool, let’s get the f*ck out of here.”

So in summary, this is just a fun, not to be taken too seriously show.  I was pleasantly surprised by the production values.  They did a great job with the filming and editing.  The sets and filming locations were terrific.  The overall atmosphere that was created was very good.

Even though this review is focused on Season One, I just wanted to mention that I think the show improves in the next seasons.  It’s probably due to the fact that the actors are getting more comfortable with their roles and each other.  Plus the storyline gets more complex and some interesting characters are added.

Random Thoughts:

Is the Dante’s Inferno book that Kevin has the exact same book we saw in 1840?

Whoever was responsible for the oiled down bodies with the sweaty look sure got carried away.

They definitely believe in scantily clad people and gratuitous nudity.

Jan

P.S.  Comments are welcomed.  Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”.  Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers.  If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

So, I was watching this show to get over the whole “Ianto” thing I was talking about early.  Guess what happens, in the final few minutes of the season my favorite character on the show, Toby, is hit over the head with a brick and thrown into the ocean to drown.  Luckily, I bought all the seasons together so I didn’t have to be kept in suspense over his fate for very long.  However, I don’t think I can take much more of this.

 So the reason I haven’t written anything new in the past week is that I have been extremely pissed off and rather depressed. You may wonder what caused me to feel this way; well it would be the fiasco that is “Torchwood – Children of Earth” (aka Torchwood – Season 3).

Before I go any further I should warn you that this post is going to contain spoilers for the show, there is no way to talk about it without them, so you have been warned. Don’t read any further if you don’t want to be spoiled.

I guess the best place to start would be to say how much I loved the first two seasons of this show. You can click the links to see my previous posts about Torchwood – Season One and Torchwood – Season Two. Although, I didn’t always like every episode or some of the characters, overall I loved the show. The concept was great. There was action, humor, emotion, and characters you could care about.

Season Two of Torchwood finished about fifteen months ago. Many of us were excitedly looking forward to the next season. When it was finally announced that a new season was commissioned, it was also announced that instead of the usual 13 episodes it was only going to be 5. This was disappointment number one. Next decision was, if we’re only going to have a small number of episodes, let’s make it one huge story that is shown over the course of one week. That idea in and of itself isn’t terrible, however, it only works if you have a very strong storyline (which is not the case).

I had been remaining pretty much spoiler free for Children of Earth, however, I had read some interviews with cast and production members. One of the things that was played up was how we were going to get a lot more back-story on the characters of Ianto and Jack. Also, how their love story was a critical part of the show. Now if you have read my previous posts you know that I absolutely adore the character of Ianto and am incredibly impressed by the acting talents of the man that plays him, Gareth David Lloyd. I loved Ianto and Jack as a couple; their relationship was complex and interesting. Plus it was refreshing to see a male/male relationship treated as a normal course of events, not make a big deal about it. That’s the way it should be in real life; who you love is who you love, it doesn’t matter what sex they are.

I was so excited that I couldn’t wait for the episodes to air in the U.S. so I ordered the Region 2 DVD set from the UK. They arrived last Wednesday and I sat down and watched the entire thing that day. While there were some good things about the show overall I was extremely disappointed. The whole thing felt more like a political thriller than Torchwood. They took away most of the things I loved about the show and just basically ramped up the action and bleakness factor.

The What the F*ck moments (or things I didn’t like):

If this is Torchwood, why does the team get so little screen time (especially Ianto and Jack)?

We do get more back-story on Ianto, but really not very much. Hell, he is the only character in Torchwood that we haven’t even seen where he lives, much less anything else. While I do like that he is a mystery, it would have been nice to learn a bit more about him.

The Ianto and Jack love story we were promised never materialized. There were a couple of touching moments but overall it was severely lacking.

What’s with the homophobia all of a sudden? I’m not talking about the scene with Ianto and his sister. That made sense and was well done. However, I don’t understand why all of a sudden various random characters are making comments about Ianto being gay or asking if he is. It was all very awkward, out of place and makes me very confused about where all this came from and what the point was.

Killing off Ianto in a ridiculous way. Ianto and Jack are not stupid enough to walk unprepared into an awaiting deathtrap. Although the death scene had me in tears it also pissed me off. Not just because my favorite character was offed, but because it was done purely as a plot device without any logic to it.

It is incredibly lame that the aliens were using the children to get high. I don’t know what else I can say about that.

The whole “Children of Earth” was full of plot holes and had the team doing things that just didn’t make sense to me. It really felt like they were trying to sanitize the show and turn it into a purely action show without any heart.

Things I liked:

Gareth David Lloyd continues to prove what an amazing actor he is. I just hope he got enough exposure from this show to get lots of work, because he really deserves it.

Ianto desperately trying to find a way to deactivate the bomb and not wanting to leave Jack behind. Then Jack frantically dragging Ianto to the lift to get him out of the hub before the explosion. The last minute, desperate farewell kiss.

Ianto telling Jack that he was wrong to let the aliens have the children back in 1965 and that he should have stood up to them. I like that although he loves Jack unconditionally, he let’s Jack know when he has screwed up.

Jack’s utter devastation over the death of Ianto. When he is begging him not to leave him.

Creepy children talking in unison is always good. Having the children of the world in danger makes for good drama, even though I thought the reason they were in danger was lame.

The way it was filmed was gorgeous. It had a very “movie” like feel to it.

To sum it up, I don’t know if I will be able to watch Children of Earth in its entirety ever again. I will probably just fast forward to the Ianto moments that I liked and skip the rest. As far as I’m concerned, Torchwood ended with Season 2. If they come back with a Season 4, I won’t be watching it. They killed off everything good about the show, so I am done. Now I am going to live in the land of denial and Fanfiction.

Ok, now that I am done with my rant, I want to take a moment to pimp Gareth’s band “Blue Gillespie“. They have a new acoustic EP, “Cave Country 2″ coming out 8/21/09 (I have already pre-ordered mine). I have their previous EP “Cave Country” and absolutely love it. Gareth has an incredible voice, which I can’t get enough of.

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

 This is a made for TV movie from 2006. The story is set in Augusta, Maine. Conrad Welling (James Brolin) is the Governor and is currently running for re-election. His daughter, Maggie (Bonnie Somerville) has just become engaged to her boyfriend (who also happens to be her father’s speechwriter), Ben (Eric Dane).

Since Ben’s brother is a party planner, Maggie thinks it would be a great idea to have him plan their wedding. Ben’s not overjoyed with the idea. Although, he and his brother Shel (John Stamos) were extremely close as kids; they no longer are. Turns out, Ben is having issues dealing with the fact that Shel is gay.

The wedding is going to be held at the Governor’s Mansion. Shel is doing a fabulous job of arranging the perfect wedding for the happy couple. So that means something needs to go wrong. Guess what ends up being the hot button issue in the election campaign. You got it, gay marriage.

Shel is upset when he finds out the Governor is against it, but that’s nothing to how he feels when he finds out his own brother is also. Which leads to him deciding to go out on strike. His boyfriend, Ted (Sean Maher), tries to convince him that joining a political group that supports gay rights would be more effective than picketing in front of the Governor’s Mansion on his own, but he won’t be swayed.

He finally gets a break when a reporter, who is there doing a story about the upcoming wedding, finds out about Shel’s strike. He interviews Shel on the air, but unfortunately it doesn’t go well. The reporter is very condescending and doesn’t take him seriously. However, it’s just that kind of attitude that set’s off the gays and lesbians in the area which results in them walking off the job.

Pretty soon the strike that Shel started is spreading throughout the state of Maine. As word gets around it starts spreading across the country. Goods and services people had previously taken for granted are no longer available to them. They begin to find out how much they had been relying on gays and lesbians without even knowing it.

We start to see that there is more at stake than just gay marriage. Problems surface between Ben and Maggie. She doesn’t understand how he could be against it even though his brother is gay. Which makes her start doubting what kind of a man he is. Shel accidentally outs Ted at work. Ted is a state prosecuting attorney and didn’t want people to know. He is afraid that if people know he is gay it could interfere with him doing his job. Plus, although Ted is in favor of gay marriage he’s not sure it is right for him, which Shel takes personally.

Made for TV movies don’t always turn out too well, however, I thought they did a good job on this one. It brought up very important issues, but in a light-hearted manner that is probably more acceptable to mainstream America. In addition to being entertaining, hopefully, it helped to change a few people’s minds. Or at the very least make them think about the issue instead of blatantly disregarding it.

I also think that the casting of John Stamos was a great idea. Here he is playing the type of character he is known for, the good looking, charming leading man. Only this time his love interest is a man. John does a terrific job and makes Shel a character that you can empathize with. Plus he and Sean made an adorable and very believable couple.

Some of my favorite scenes (without being too spoilery):

Shel and Ben are taste testing various champagnes so they can decide which should be served at the wedding, when the song “Ben” comes on the radio. They both start singing along. It is a sweet moment where you feel the brother’s are starting to re-bond with each other. Then the moment is ruined; when Shel hears that the Governor is coming out against gay marriage and his brother feels the same way. It instantly goes from heartwarming to heartbreaking.

The first night that Shel is picketing outside of the Governor’s Mansion, Ted sends a pizza delivery guy out to drop off a pizza and a six pack for him. Then later on he shows up (while Shel is sleeping) with a blanket, pillow and a change of clothes for him. It was so sweet the way he took care of Shel even though he didn’t agree with what he was doing. It shows how much he loves him.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Ben – “Over 60% of voters are against it.”

Shel – “Well, that doesn’t make it right.”

Shel – “So, it’s okay for me to plan your wedding, but it’s not okay for me to have one of my own?”

Shel – “Hey, that’s the finger of oppression, ma’am!”

Ted – “He’ll listen to reason. I think he just doesn’t want to listen to you.”

Ted – “But you hate camping! It’ll be cold, and there’ll be bugs, and Heath Ledger won’t be coming by to cuddle with you.”

Maggie – “You know you and your brother have a lot more in common than you think.”

Ben – “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

Maggie – “Neither one of you is gonna be having sex with a woman tonight.”

Strike Chant – “All we want is marriage access. We pay our bills, we pay our taxes.”

Ted – “No need to apologize, I was happy to be grilled by your mom about an impending wedding I know nothing about!”

Ted – “I didn’t do it for you, Ben, I did it for Shel. Frankly, I think you’re kind of an @ss.”

Claire – “Conrad, you know, just because people disagree with you on this doesn’t mean that they are immoral. Me, for instance.”

Conrad – “Well … you? You’re on their side?”

Claire – “It’s not them or us, dear, we’re all the same.”

Maggie – “You know, Shel didn’t let you down for being gay. You let him down by not accepting it.”

Fyi, you might recognize Sean Maher as Simon on the TV show Firefly and in the movie Serenity.

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

I was so irritated with the reporter for referring to gays as a fringe group. Then basically implying that the only jobs they do are floral arranging, hair styling and choreography.

It made me happy that Shel finally came out to his parents instead of allowing Ben to blackmail him. Even though they were surprised and confused by it, they still loved him and didn’t disown him (as some parents have been known to do).

Although it was sad that Shel wasn’t able to change the Governor’s mind about the issue, it was realistic. To me it’s a no brainer, I think gay marriage should be immediately legalized in all 50 states. However, realistically, I know that’s not going to happen. It’s going to take time, but I believe it will happen eventually.

Ok, since this is about season two I can’t promise that there won’t be spoilers for season one within this blog (just want to give fair warning). Also, it’s probably worth while to read my season one blog first since I’m going to focus on just season two without going into the show’s background info again.

The other thing to keep in mind is that it is impossible for me to talk about this season without spoiling a couple of things that happen in the first episode. So if you absolutely don’t want any spoilers, read no further.

This is another great season of Queer as Folk. It is all about change for pretty much all of the characters, some are forced into it, and others do it of their own free will. It’s time for them to make decisions about what they want from their lives and how best to go about getting it. While it can be pretty angsty at times, there are also a lot of wonderful, happy moments.

Season one ended with Justin (Randy Harrison) being bashed. We find that Justin survived the attack, although he still has a long way to go before his life is anywhere near normal (or at least as close to it as he can get). Although Brian (Gale Harold) won’t admit it to anyone, he feels like the attack was his fault. He thinks if he hadn’t shown up at the prom, it wouldn’t have happened. Which to Brian means, it doesn’t pay to do something nice for someone, because it will backfire.

The other thing that happened at the end of the previous season is Michael, aka Mikey, (Hal Sparks) moved to Portland, Oregon, with David. Some time has passed since then and we see him unexpectedly showing up back in Pittsburgh, alone. Eventually, he admits that he is back for good and that he and David have broken up. Good riddance, I never liked David anyway.

Things start out very strained between Mikey and Brian. They both are feeling sorry for themselves over the unfortunate events that have happened. At first it’s difficult for them to reconnect. Mikey is making an effort, but as you can imagine, Brian’s attitude is not helping in the least.

Luckily for Michael, Emmett (Peter Paige) never found a roommate to replace him, so he can move back in. He’s not as lucky when it comes to employment. His old job as manager at the Big Q has been filled. He is offered the position of assistant manager instead. However, that means his boss will be the guy that replaced him and he is a real @sshole. After first trying out another means of earning money (which he quickly decides is not for him) he caves in and goes back to the Big Q. His new boss seems to think it’s his purpose in life to make Michael’s life as miserable as possible.

Some of my favorite scenes (without being too spoilery):

When we get to see Michael and Emmett’s new job, particularly seeing them in their uniforms (if you can call them that). I love the completely opposite reactions the two of them have to the experience.

Michael – “It was awful, all those dirty minded old men staring at me and pinching my @ss.”

Emmett – “It was fabulous, all those dirty minded old men staring at me and pinching my @ss.”

Seeing Michael in drag (Hal makes a beautiful woman). Then him kissing a certain straight guy, without the guy realizing who he was.

Debbie – “Michael you look f*ckin’ gorgeous. Do you know that?”

Michael – “Don’t smudge my makeup.”

Brian helping Mikey with his auction. It shows what lengths he will go to for Mikey and how supportive he is of him (even if he doesn’t always show it very well).

Michael – “I’m auctioning something on Ebay.”

Brian – “Your mother? Don’t start the bidding too high.”

When Ben (Robert Gant) and Michael arrive at Babylon together, for the first time. It was nice to see Michael so happy and confident. Plus they make a hot couple (wow, Robert must spend a lot of time at the gym).

Michael’s photo shoot at Brian’s loft. First off, I like how they finally show Michael as the sexy guy that he is, not just the cute boy next door type (I think Ted might have been drooling a bit). Love how the whole gang is working together to help set up a website for him, which will help him hook up with hot guys.

Michael – “I’d date me.”

Ted – “So would I … theoretically speaking.”

Michael and Justin bonding over a joint project they are working on. I was happy that they finally found something in common and that their friendship seems to be blossoming.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Debbie – “I know you’re uncomfortable hanging out in gay bars with your mother, but look at it this way, if you meet somebody nice you won’t have to bring him home to meet me cause I’m already here.”

Brian – “Now if only your little pride and joy would march with you.”

Michael – “Order some pancakes and shut the f*ck up.”

Debbie – “What’s your excuse this time?”

Michael – “It’s easy for you to wave banners and march around. You’ve got nothing to lose. Hell, you’re not even gay!”

Michael – “Please, right after my mother told me I was gay, she gave me this big safe sex lecture. I knew how to put a condom on a cucumber before I knew how to drive.”

Brian – “His dick’s a star. He’s just the life support system.”

Michael – “I’m just the opposite. I can find chaos in serenity with my eyes closed.”

Ben – “Are you out of your mind?”

Michael – “You’ve met my mother, do you really need to ask that?”

Brian – “I can’t believe Deb dated a drag queen. How’d they tell each other apart?”

Brian – “I’m not an @sshole. I’m just drawn that way.”

Debbie – “Who me? What the f*ck do I know? I’m just a controlling b*tch who shoulda kept her big mouth shut.”

Ben – “You’re his mother, you love him, you’re trying to protect him.”

Debbie – “Well, I suppose there are two ways of thinkin’ about it. I prefer yours.”

Emmett – ” A straight kiss at Woodies, that’s gotta be a first.”

Michael – “Love you.”

Brian – “Me too, always have, always will.”

Michael is my favorite character this season. There isn’t as much, one on one, Brian and Mikey interaction this time around, which I missed. However, both characters were working through a lot of stuff in their lives and it made sense that it would turn out that way.

On Disc 6 there is a great “Easter Egg” extra. Select “The Folk”, then highlight the picture of Debbie and press enter. On the next screen move over to the black and white photo of Sharon Gless (Debbie), then press the up arrow once. Debbie’s name should now be highlighted, press enter. The extra shows numerous clips, all in a row, of Debbie slapping Michael. It’s pretty funny to see them back to back like that.

I love the jukebox extra for each episode. It lists the songs used in the episode (both the title and the band or singer). Plus if you select the song, it will take you directly to that part of the episode so you can hear it. It’s a wonderful idea, I wish it was available on more DVDs. There were some great songs this season, such as, “The Best Things” by Filter, “Unbelievable” by EMF, “Lovesong” by The Cure and my personal favorite “Without You I’m Nothing by Placebo (featuring David Bowie).

Speaking of Placebo, they are an awesome band. They just released a new CD earlier this month titled “Battle For the Sun”, it’s terrific. The singer, Brian Molko, has such a wonderful and distinctive voice.

Remember that this was a Showtime television program. Therefore, expect lots of nudity (including full frontal), sex, drugs and language. Many of the sex scenes are quite graphic and the majority of them are of the male/male variety (although some are female/female).

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

Although Michael and Ben’s relationship had a bit of a rocky start, it is so much healthier than the one he had with David. Ben seems to truly love Michael, where as, David treated him more like a possession. You see it in the way Ben handles Michael’s relationship with Brian. Also, when he gave up the opportunity to go to Tibet, because Michael is more important to him. Plus Hal and Robert have amazing chemistry, which was seriously lacking with the guy that played David.

I was so proud of Michael for standing up to his boss. Finally saying “f*ck you” and walking out. The kiss was a perfect way to top it off, I loved seeing the look of realization on his boss’s face. Yeah, Mikey for pursuing his dream of owning a comic book store. That took a lot of guts.

I can’t believe that Debbie lied to Michael about his father this whole time. Sometimes I find it really hard to understand her logic, or even like her for that matter. I know that she loves Michael, but she has an odd way of showing it. It’s great that she is so supportive of the fact that he is gay, however, the rest of their relationship is very dysfunctional.

It was fun to watch Michael and Justin work together on the “Rage” comic. It’s an exciting creative outlet for both of them and, as I stated above, a great bonding experience for them. Also, it gave Justin an opportunity to talk about and work through his traumatic bashing experience. Wow, talk about jealousy. Brian really went off the deep end when he found Michael and Justin sleeping together (no I’m not referring to sex and they were both fully clothed I might add).

I loved it when Brian dropped everything to be at Mikey’s side at the hospital after Ben’s collapse. He was at an important client meeting, plus he has a new boss at the ad agency that he needs to impress in order to keep his job; but as soon as Mikey called he blew it all off to be with him.

 Ok, since this is about season two I can’t promise that there won’t be spoilers for season one within this blog (just want to give fair warning). Also, it’s probably worth while to read my season one blog first since I’m going to focus on just season two without going into the shows background info again.

I must admit that my love for Ianto Jones (Gareth David Lloyd) has gotten even stronger with this season. It’s like they finally decided where to go with his character. He is better integrated into the team this time around, including being out in the field more. Also, we get to enjoy a lot more of his sense of humor. Gareth has such wonderful comic timing and really excels at Ianto’s dry/witty comments. So even though there still isn’t enough Ianto for my tastes, they are starting to make better use of the character.

It was a lot of fun to see James Marsters as a guest star in three of the episodes. He plays Captain John Hart, a rather “Spike” like character (without the being a vampire part) including having a British accent. Of course you can expect him to cause trouble and rile the Torchwood team up a bit. James did a great job with the role.

It’s hard to pick favorite episodes this season, so instead I will go with favorite scenes (without being too spoilery):

From “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”

The Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and Captain John Hart meet up in the bar scene is just wonderful. They play off each other so well. There is great banter, some hot kissing and some great fighting. Bonus points for using Blur’s “Song 2″ during the fight sequence, they couldn’t have picked a better song.

I love Jack and Ianto in the office scene. This is the first time they have been alone together since Jack’s return. He is trying to figure out whether Ianto has forgiven him for leaving and is also attempting to ask him out on a date. It is a lovely scene with an uncharacteristically nervous Jack and a very uncomfortable Ianto. Gareth and John are absolutely wonderful.

From “To the Last Man”

The Ianto and Jack kissing scene is totally squee worthy. Very romantic and very hot.

From “Meat”

I liked seeing Ianto and Owen teamed up together out in the field. It’s nice to have them less antagonistic towards each other. They actually worked well together.

This is the first episode where we really see what a great field agent Ianto can be. I have to agree with Jack’s statement on the Captain’s Blog (on the BBC site) “Ianto turned into a fighting, kicking, stun-gun machine, it was very exciting. I must get put in danger more often.” Yes, it was very exciting and I can only say … more “Action Ianto” please!

So this isn’t a favorite, it’s more of a rant. Sometimes I just want to smack Gwen upside the head. I hate it when she thinks the stuff in her life is more important than anything or anybody else. Especially when she endangers others on the team because of it.

Oh, there is a funny deleted scene for this episode. It involves Ianto pretending to be “Dirty Harry” and being caught by Jack. Then it becomes even more interesting.

From “From Out of the Rain”

Ianto was so cute when he was all excited about visiting “The Electro” theater, that his dad used to take him to when he was little. Of course, this being Torchwood, things don’t go exactly as planned. He and Jack made a great investigative team in this episode.

From “Adrift”

It goes without saying that my favorite scene in this one involves the greenhouse. Gwen walking in on Ianto and Jack in a very intimate moment and let’s just say that they are lacking some clothing.

From “Fragments”

It was great to learn how all the team members ended up at Torchwood Three (excluding Gwen, since we already knew that). Ianto’s story was terrific. Basically, it involved a bit of stalking, a weevil, some coffee, tenacity, a pterodactyl, and ended with him lying on top of Jack. After seeing this episode, you can’t tell me that the two of them weren’t shagging from day one. Chris Chibnall, the writer of this episode, said he wanted to write a romantic comedy between Jack and Ianto. I think he succeeded.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Gwen – “Excuse me. Have you seen a blowfish driving a sports car?”

Ianto – “Are you going back to him?”

Jack – “I came back for you.”

Ianto – “Oh, right. Their heads must explode all the time.”

Ianto – “They know more about this place than I do. Nobody knows more than I do!”

Ianto – “Mobiles, landlines, tin cans with bits of string. Everything. Absolutely everything. No phones. Phones all broken. Hello? Anyone there? No, because the phones aren’t working.”

Owen – “Let’s all have sex.”

Ianto – “And I thought the end of the world couldn’t get any worse.”

Rhys – “You lot can hide in the back of the van.”

Gwen – “What is this Scooby Doo?”

Tosh – “Clever, huh?”

Ianto – “Oh, you are warped on the inside. How do you think of these things?”

Ianto – “I was brought up never to speak ill of the dead. Even if they still do most of the talking for themselves.”

Jack – “Yeah, and the Lone Ranger didn’t have a thing for Tonto.”

Ianto – “That’s what I love about Torchwood. By day, you’re chasing the scum of the universe. Come midnight, you’re the wedding fairy.”

Jack – “Ianto with me. I need your local knowledge.”

Gwen – “Oh, is that what you’re calling it these days?”

Jack – “We could have used you an hour ago for naked hide-and-seek.”

Ianto – “He cheats. He always cheats.”

Ianto – “So you’re not going to help me catch this pterodactyl then?”

Ianto – “Put Jack on right now!”

John – “Eye-candy! That was so masterful, so bossy, so basically powerless.”

Overall, I though this was a great season. I can’t wait for season three. BBC America has announced it will air in July. It’s going to be shorter than the previous seasons with only five episodes. However, they are all supposed to be shown over the course of one week and it will be one big story arc. I’m trying to remain as unspoiled as possible, but from what I have heard it sounds like it will be very action packed and exciting.

Side note: Both John and Gareth made “The 2009 AfterElton Hot 100″ list on AfterElton.com. John was #2 and Gareth #14. Yeah for the guys!

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

I have to say that while I agree that Rhys shouldn’t be retconned, I hate that Gwen got her way by throwing a tantrum. She can be so annoying.

When Owen was shot and killed I was so stunned. It’s interesting to note that Ianto was the one originally slated to die but Russell T. Davies thought that was the wrong way to go. He felt it made more sense story wise to kill off Owen instead. The fact that he saved Ianto made me love Russell even more.

Absolutely shocking to have two main characters die in the season finale. Owen’s death was a little easier to deal with since he was already undead. I didn’t see how they could carry on with him like that for too much longer. On the other hand Tosh’s was so traumatic. It was such a brutal ending with her struggling to hang on as long as possible while trying to save Owen. All the while not wanting him to know that she was dying. Her message that popped up at the end when Ianto was logging her out of the system was just heartbreaking.

 I discovered this show a couple of years after it had been cancelled. I happened to catch a couple of repeats and found that I liked it. I don’t remember what episode I saw first, however, I do remember what hooked me. It was the character of Chris Stevens (John Corbett). I will talk about him a little later, but first a bit about the show.

Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) was given money for his education by the state of Alaska. In return, he must provide his services to the state for four years. He is expecting to fulfil his end of the bargain working in an Anchorage hospital. However, it turns out he is being sent to the very tiny town of Cicely instead.

Needless to say this comes as a huge shock to Joel and he doesn’t take it very well. Since he is from New York City, he is used to a very different lifestyle. He rebels and tries to find a way out of his contract but is unsuccessful. As he begins to get to know the townspeople he realizes just how different he is.

Ok, back to Chris. He is into philosophy, poetry, art and music. He also happens to be an ex-con. He is the DJ for the local radio station. In addition to playing music, he delves into all types of subjects, reads books, gives advice; basically he can talk about almost anything and make it interesting. He is very charming and has the knack for finding (and picking up) random women out in the woods.

I think John Corbett was born to play this role. In addition to being an extremely attractive guy, he also has this wonderful down to earth quality about him that is well suited to the character. Plus he is able to convincingly do the incredibly difficult dialogue that Chris has, while still making it believable and interesting to listen to. John is just great at pacing and line delivery.

My other favorite character is Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows). He is just a fun, sweet character. He’s an easy-going guy and seems to be friends with everyone in town. It’s fun to watch Ed and Joel together. They are total opposites. Ed is so laid back and just goes with the flow, whereas, Joel is controlling and fights against everything. That makes for great interaction between the two of them.

My favorite episodes from this season:

Episode 7 – A Kodiak Moment

Maurice finds out that his brother has died, which leaves him without an heir for his estate. He decides that he needs to find someone to carry on the Minnifield line. After giving it some thought it becomes obvious to him that Chris should become his son. They decide to give the arrangement a try, which leads to some interesting and slightly awkward situations. Such as when Chris is going out on a date and Maurice is giving him advice on sex “remember son, seeds sprout”. Or when Chris rebels so he tells him that he is grounded.

Episode 8 – Aurora Borealis – A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups

There is a full moon and some strange things start happening. One of which is a mysterious stranger showing up in town. His name is Bernard (Richard Cummings Jr) and five days prior he suddenly felt the need to quit his job, sell his condo, buy a Harley (even though he is afraid of motorcycles) and just head north. Now he finds himself in Cicely. He and Chris find themselves drawn to each other. The more they hang out together, the more they find similarities between them. Eventually, their stories unfold and we find out more about their pasts.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Joel – “I don’t understand, where is the rest of the town?”

Maurice – “It’s coming son, it’s coming.”

Ed – “It’ll set him off, then next thing you know he’s blowing your brains out and we’ll have to bury you. Which will ruin the festival for me and everybody.”

Holling – “Well I’ll take that into consideration Ed.”

Patient #1 – “I’ve been feeling achy and hot.”

Joel – “For how long?”

Patient #1 – “Three years.”

Ed – “Indian’s don’t knock, it’s rude.”

Ruth-Anne – “That is the most beautiful non-ceremony I ever saw.”

Maggie – “I just have bad luck with men. They do stupid things and die. Then I’m supposed to feel responsible?”

Chris – “Now for the traffic report. Maggie O’Connell just drove down Main Street too fast.”

Chris – “My mother and father, they’re gone.”

Maurice – “For good?”

Chris – “Yeah, they uhm, they died.”

Maurice – “Good.”

Ed – “Are ya lost?”

Bernard – “No, I just don’t know where I am.”

I just love all the quirky characters and storylines on the show. My grandparents lived in Alaska for many years. When I was younger I spent a couple of summers up there with them. This show kind of reminds me of those times. Although, the characters on the show are a bit exaggerated, they are reminiscent of the types of people I met there. It definitely takes a different type of individual to thrive in the harsh environment of Alaska. So let’s just say the place lends itself to unique individuals (rugged people that march to their own tune).

By the way, the exterior shots of the town were filmed in Roslyn, Washington. I was there about four years ago. It was fun to walk around the main street area and see all of the buildings featured on the show. It still looked remarkably the same. Chris’s DJ booth was still set up and visible from the sidewalk. It felt like, at any moment, you would see one of the characters walking down the street.

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

 This DVD is from a series of shows that aired on MTV called “Music in High Places”. The idea was to send bands to interesting places around the world and have them perform acoustically. The Goo Goo Dolls episode was filmed the summer of 2002 in various locations around Alaska.

For those of you that don’t know, The Goo Goo Dolls are:

John Rzeznik – Vocals, Guitar

Robby Takac – Bass, Vocals

Mike Malinin – Drums

Greg Suran – who is on the DVD, is not a regular member of the band, but was lucky enough to be invited along to provide additional guitar and mandolin.

The band originated in 1986 in Buffalo, New York. John and Robby are original/founding members. Mike joined the band in 1995. At the time of this DVD they would be considered alternative rock. Although, their most recent CD “Let Love In” puts them more in the pop genre. They are currently in the recording studio working on their upcoming CD and I desperately hope that they will sway back into alternative rock.

The show is beautifully shot and the scenery is absolutely stunning. All of the locations are in more remote parts of the state, which is nice. The audio is great and all of the songs they do are well suited to acoustic.

If you play the entire program (instead of just playing the song tracks) you get songs intermixed with the band doing things around the area, like dog sledding and mud sliding. Plus at the end, before the credits start rolling you get some extra stuff; such as John & Robby goofing around and footage of what it takes to get the equipment to some of the remote locations.

During the program the following songs are played:

Black Balloon (from “Dizzy Up the Girl”)

Acoustic #3 (from “Dizzy Up the Girl”)

Broadway (from “Dizzy Up the Girl”)

Here is Gone (from “Gutterflower”)

Big Machine (from “Gutterflower”)

What a Scene (from “Gutterflower”)

Slide (from “Dizzy Up the Girl”)

Areas of Alaska That They Visit:

Lake George

Punchbowl Glacier

Knik Glacier

Hope

Kotzebue

Some of the places you get to see them perform are; while standing on floating chunks of ice in the glacier melt, in a small town bar, on a train going between Seward and Portage. In addition to seeing the band and the amazing scenery, you also get to see people that live in the areas they visit and a bit about their culture.

I have to say my favorite part is when John and Robby go mud sliding with the kids in Hope. They look like they are having a blast and the kids were just thrilled to have them there. It’s fun to watch John and Robby just goofing around and having fun. They seem like nice guys and that they would be fun to hang out with. Side note: a friend of mine is a flight attendant and he had them on one of his flights. He said they were the nicest most down to earth guys.

If you check out the “Just the Music” section you will find two additional songs:

Sympathy (from “Gutterflower”) – sung by John

You Never Know (from “Gutterflower”) – sung by Robby (it’s mislabeled on the DVD)

In the special features section you have more footage of the townspeople in Kotzebue and more about the train trip. There is also a nice written biography for the band. I thought this was a great DVD. Not only were the performances themselves great, it’s also fun to watch them inter-act with the people and do fun activities.

A few months before this program was filmed I was lucky enough to see The Goo Goo Dolls perform at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. They were fabulous. John sings most of the songs when they play live and he is a great frontman. He has a good strong voice and also has a great stage presence. Robby usually sings two or three of his songs and while I love them on the CDs he isn’t as strong live.

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

 How can you not like a show about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost that are housemates in Bristol, England. This is another wonderful British television show that has it all; comedy, drama and horror. It is well written with an intriguing story line. The three main actors are fantastic together. I have heard that the BBC has commissioned another series of this show, I can’t wait!

Mitchell (Aidan Turner) is a vampire that has decided to give up drinking blood. The other vampires aren’t exactly thrilled with the fact that he has chosen this route. Previously, he was a hero amongst the vampires, so naturally the head vampire really wants to swing him back to their side. Obviously, this leads to many struggles for Mitchell, both internally and externally. Mitchell is sexy and charismatic. He can be very dark, but can also be very sweet and caring. Aidan is well suited to this role. He flawlessly portrays Mitchell as a complex but likeable character. It doesn’t hurt that he is lovely to look at and has a sexy Irish accent.

George (Russell Tovey) is human most of the time, but once a month on the full moon he is a dangerous werewolf. He really wants to disassociate himself from the werewolf and not acknowledge that it is part of who he is. His goal is to just lock himself away for the one night and try to have a normal life the rest of the time. However, he is afraid to form attachments with other humans because he is worried that he will end up accidentally hurting them. George is seriously lacking in confidence (especially around women) and is very goofy a lot of the time. Russell is wonderful as George. He has amazing comedic timing. His character has the potential to be annoying; however, Russell makes George very sweet and loveable.

Annie (Lenora Crichlow) is a recently deceased person, aka a ghost. She is haunting the house that she used to live in and subsequently died in. She is still trying to come to terms with her death and figure out why she didn’t move on. She alternates between being perky/upbeat to being depressed, especially with regards to her finance that she has left behind and still loves. Lenora does a great job. You really feel the emotions she portrays and she definitely makes you sympathetic towards Annie.

Mitchell and George became friends and decided to stick together to help each other battle their dark sides. They also work together as porters at the local hospital. When they move into a house together it just so happens to be Annie’s. She is thrilled to finally have someone that can see her and that she can talk to. Mitchell becomes sort of the father figure since he has been around for much longer and knows a lot more about the supernatural. They become their own unique little family.

As I said before all three of the main actors are great together. However, I have a soft spot for the times when Mitchell and George are together. They play off each other so well and seem so comfortable together. It really seems like they have known each other for a long time. Their banter and the way they deal with each other makes it feel like they could be brothers.

I absolutely adore the scene when George arrives home (right after changing back into a human) to find a bunch of their neighbors there. Mitchell has invited them over for tea and cookies. Mitchell is so funny; he is so excited about getting to know everyone. When he introduces them to George he starts rattling off everything he has learned about them. They both a great job and it is such a cute scene.

Another great one is when they are spying on Annie when she comes back from her excursion with Gilbert. As she heads to the door they run over to the sofa and try to be nonchalant, which leads to all sorts of silliness. It’s very fun to watch.

Some of my favorite quotes:

George – “Other people move in somewhere, they get damp, they get woodlice. Why do we get Casper the friendly ghost.”

Mitchell – “I can’t keep hurting people. I just want something good and normal.”

Annie – “All right George? What’s happening? I thought it was your time of the month.”

Mitchell – “It is. He’s doing it here.”

Annie – “I’ve just hoovered!”

George – “Now, remember, we’re two guys renting a house. It’s … it’s the most natural thing in the world. We just have to be totally and completely normal.”

Mitchell – “Yeah, good luck with that.”

Mitchell – “Let me talk to her. You see, I can actually talk to women without weeping or setting fire to myself.”

George – “I’d forgotten what they were like, the others. They’re predators; every inch of them is just hunger and fury. The energy it must take him every minute, not to be like that…”

Annie – “I feel safe here. There are monsters outside. When it’s just the three of us, it’s like none of them can touch us.”

Annie – “You were in Casablanca? How did you swing that?”

Mitchell – “I know people. I move and shake.”

George – “And where have you been, young lady?”

Annie – “I met up with Gilbert. We went to the cemetery.”

Mitchell – “He knows how to show a girl a good time.”

Nina – “George is … weird.”

Mitchell – “No one’s denying that. But once you get past the weirdness, he’s actually the nicest bloke you could ever meet.”

Mitchell – “You can piss your whole life away, trying out who you might be. It’s when you’ve worked out who you are that you can really start to live.”

Annie – “There’s a question you haven’t asked yourself yet. If I exist, what else does?”

Note: this is a British television show that has so far only been released as a Region 2 DVD. Which means in order to view it in the United States you need a player that can play multiple regions (most players here only play Region 1). In the Amazon.com section below you will see a link to the DVD player I use (see the customer comments section to see how to change it to a multi-region player).

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

When George ends up having to make his change into a werewolf at the house and Annie watches it is such an intense scene. What George goes through in the transformation process is just horrendous. While Annie is mortified by what she sees she can’t make herself leave. Then seeing Mitchell sitting out on the front step (holding the TV) with tears in his eyes as he hears George’s painful screams; I just feel so bad for everyone involved.

I was so disappointed in Mitchell when he turned Bernie into a vampire. I know he felt so guilty about everything that happened and was having a hard time dealing with the fact that Bernie was so young. To be trapped forever as a child vampire is a terrible thing to inflict on someone.

Shocking, when Mitchell opened the door and Herrick staked him through the heart. It was all so moving, George and Annie trying to save him. Annie giving up the chance to move on. Josie saving Mitchell by letting him drain her blood. It was all so intense and moving.

This is a British television show that gives a modern day twist to the Jekyll and Hyde story. Steven Moffat wrote all of the episodes. He is a fabulous writer and has also written for Doctor Who and Coupling (the British version). Steven is great at mixing dark and disturbing with the truly funny and making it work together cohesively. Combining that with excellent acting makes this series a real standout.

After Dr. Tom Jackman finds himself waking up in strange locations, he decides to lock himself in a room and videotape what happens. Low and behold he discovers his alter ego, Mr. Hyde. He distances himself from his wife (Claire), his twin boys and his place of employment. Katherine is hired to be his personal assistant to help manage both sides of his life. Needless to say things get very interesting.

James Nesbitt plays Dr. Tom Jackman/Mr. Hyde. I have got to tell you, he his absolutely amazing. There are very few physical differences between the two characters. Which means it is up to James to portray them in a manner that makes it obvious that they are two different people (albeit sharing the same body). He does an incredible job. His body postures, movements, mannerisms, speech patterns, and energy levels are very different for each of them. It’s such fun to watch him change back and forth between the two.

Communicating through the use of technology (video cameras and digital audio recorders) and their personal assistant, Dr. Jackman and Mr. Hyde have come up with an arrangement on how they can co-exist. There are rules they must both follow and consequences (some of them are quite dire) if they aren’t. In addition to scheduling their time, part of Katherine’s job is to serve as a mediator between the two.

As if things weren’t complicated enough, Dr. Jackman’s estranged wife doesn’t understand why he left her and the kids and tries to find answers. A mysterious black van seems to be following him. Mr. Hyde suddenly starts making unscheduled appearances and often at inconvenient times. The established rules seem to be getting bent further and further. With Mr. Hyde’s unpredictable personality who knows what could happen next.

I guess I would consider this show a mix of thriller, conspiracy, horror, drama and dark comedy. It’s one of those shows where it’s hard to take a break at the end of an episode because you can’t wait to find out what happens next. I had no previously knowledge of this show and just bought it on a whim, it turned out to be a great gamble.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Dr. Tom Jackman – “Anything else I should tell you?”

Katherine – “Do you ever smile?”

Dr. Tom Jackman – “Let me know.”

Dr. Tom Jackman – “Just once, seriously, just bloody once could you tell me where you parked!”

Mr. Hyde – “Afterwards, once you’re done, I’ll break your neck.”

Billy – “You’ll what?”

Mr. Hyde – “Trust me the neck’s good. Quick for you, easy for me, everybody’s happy.”

Mr. Hyde – “I’m wondering about that wee window up there and if you’d fit through it at high speed.”

Mr. Hyde – “Is he doing you?”

Katherine – “No.”

Mr. Hyde – “Can I?”

Katherine – “No.”

Mr. Hyde – “Then what are you for?”

Katherine – “I’m your new nanny.”

Mr. Hyde – “Ooo Mary Poppins! I love Mary Poppins! I could eat Mary Poppins!”

Mr. Hyde – “As long as the lights and cameras are on you’re safe. Lights out, you’re dinner.”

Dr. Tom Jackman – “You go to the gents. You come back. You’re a changed man. We’ve all been there. Happen to know where I parked?”

Katherine – “How was your driving?”

Dr. Tom Jackman – “Expressive.”

Mr. Hyde – “You nervous Benjamin?

Benjamin – “Not nervous, no, no, I’m just a little lion aware.”

Nurse at hospital – “What’s that?”

Mr. Hyde – “Well it’s entirely up to you of course, but I’d say the front of the queue.”

Dr. Tom Jackman – “Mr. Sexy Pants can hear you. We’re doing double shifts, he’s awake.”

Jan


P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box.

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

Although all of the episodes were wonderful, I would have to say my favorite would have to be the episode with the lions. The fact that the “bad guys” would put a child in mortal danger as part of an experiment was just frightening. It also shows that they don’t really have any morals or value anything except their own personal interests (which makes them extremely dangerous). Having Mr. Hyde kill the one lion and control the others to protect the child was an interesting turn of events. He did it because the kid was important to Dr. Jackman. We also got a look at what kind of violence Mr. Hyde is capable of.

I love how when Claire finds out about her husband’s “problem” and first meets Mr. Hyde one of her main concerns is how many people he has had sex with. Then her next concern was whether he had “safe sex”. Now I know that this is important, but I don’t think this would be my first concern when I find myself locked in a basement with a potentially homicidal maniac.

The two women detectives were great. They were strong women who could be depended on to take charge of a situation and to help out when needed. Plus the character of Min was just a lot of fun and added some levity to some very dark situations.

George (Ellen Muth) is only eighteen when a toilet seat that has fallen from the Mir Space Station kills her. Now she is amongst the undead and learns that she has a new job as a Grim Reaper. Unfortunately, this is not a paying gig so she must also learn how to support herself. Her new boss Rube (Mandy Patinkin) can at times be quite gruff, but he also serves as a surrogate father figure for her.

She and her fellow reapers must remove the souls from the dead, which are then in their custody until they move on to their final destination. Other reapers that work for Rube are Mason, Roxie, Betty and eventually Daisy. Each of the reapers have distinct personalities, philosophies and ways of dealing with the dead.

George has a lot of trouble with the fact that she died before she really had the chance to live. She also has a hard time dealing with the fact that she has to take people’s souls and tries to find ways to work around the system. It’s also hard for her to let go of the family she has left behind. I guess it’s fair to say that death is an issue for her.

Rube is a no nonsense kind of guy. He expects you to do your job without question. Even though he can come off as tough and unfeeling, he has some wonderful moments where he takes care of the others when they are having a difficult time. There are lovely moments with Mason, Roxie and especially George; where you see that he is a caring individual.

Mason (Callum Blue) is my absolute favorite character. The fact that he is British doesn’t hurt (yeah! British accent!), but he is also such fun. He would definitely be considered a partier (wait until you find out how he died), but he is also incredibly sweet. Mason believes in living off the land, which generally means getting money through various illegal methods.

In the first episode there are some great bonding moments between Mason and George when he helps her settle in. He shows her what she looks like to the living, they look different so that they won’t be recognized (only the dead and undead see their true identity). She goes with him on one of his reaps to learn the ropes. Mason also finds her a place to live and even brings her some clothes to get her started out. I love it when those two have scenes together. Ellen and Callum play off each other so well, it’s just great to watch.

Some of my favorite scenes, without being too spoilery:

Mason stealing money from parking meters. Roxie is a parking enforcement officer so needless to say she is not pleased about how he is earning his money and decides to put a stop to it. The way she goes about that is surprising to say the least (my husband always has to replay this one several times).

Roxie and Mason’s conversation about her wanting to get a bird for a pet is just hysterical.

Nothing is funnier than Mason being heavily under the influence of drugs after a smuggling venture goes badly.

I absolutely love Mason’s interaction with Florence, an old woman he has to reap. Their banter back and forth is just great. There are also some very sweet moments between them.

Some of my favorite quotes:

George – “Frog was an a$$hole.”

Joy – “There’s gonna be a funeral if you don’t get you’re a$$ out of bed.”

George – “Those are the last words my mother will ever say to me. Boy is she gonna be sorry.”

George – “Who had the nerve to name you Joy.”

Mason – “Alright, I’m willing to entertain the possibility that it might be the banana peel. Now sit back down.”

Roxie – “Are you high?”

Mason – “I’ve got illegals in my bottom.”

Roxie – “Why do you do this to yourself?”

Mason – “But he likes you George. He’ll stay mad for less time.”

George – “Days, weeks?”

Mason – “What is that other one … after that one?”

George – “Months?”

Mason – “Yeah, yeah that’s the one.”

Mason – “I’d feel like sh*t if coyotes ate my mum.”

Florence – “Damn right you would, cause you’re a good boy.”

Mason – “Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?”

Mason – “Ok, here’s to George … dead like us.”

This is a show that my husband, my 19 year-old son and I all like equally as well. It’s a combination of dark comedy and drama. Some of the deaths are comedic, while others are just tragic. Parts of the show are funny and light-hearted and other parts are very meaningful and really make you ponder life. It is a terrific show with great actors.

This originally aired on Showtime, so be prepared for a lot of language, some drug use and some sexual content.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a “30 Seconds to Mars” poster on the wall of George’s apartment.

Jan

P.S. Comments are welcomed. Scroll towards the bottom of the page (below the spoiler section) to where it says “Click Here to Make a Comment”. Or on entries from previous days there is a comment box. 

Following is additional information about the show that contains spoilers. If you don’t want to be spoiled don’t read any further.

That fact that George’s first reap is a young child was just devastating. You can totally understand her wanting to save the girl and her utter despair when she learns that she can’t.

Betty and George are bonding and it looks like they might become good friends. Betty then decides to leave by piggybacking with one of the people that died. George takes it very hard and I felt so sorry for her. It is also interesting how they left it as a mystery, we never find out what happens to Betty (what the consequences of her jump are). In a way it’s frustrating but it’s also kind of good to leave it as part of the great unknown.

I loved the episode when Mason has to reap the gay men that have been a couple for thirty years. It is so well done and incredibly emotional. Cary dies by a freak kitchen accident. Then Mason is faced with Henry wanting to commit suicide but he is not allowed to stop him, even though Cary is begging him to. At Cary’s urging Mason does convince Henry to take pills instead of slitting his wrists, because it will be more peaceful. It’s just heart breaking and it’s such a moment of emotional growth for Mason.