Well, I had said that I would once again do another blog about my Netflix rotation once I was able to finish with five shows. That time has come. I am now completely finished with Revolution, House of Cards, Cosmos, Star Trek: The Original Series, and Street Food Around the World.
House of Cards will return next year at some pount, but I am pretty sure the rest of the shows are out of the rotation for good. To fill in the empty spaces in the rotation, I have decided to cheat a little. I have a couple shows that have been saved on my computer for a while now, and I have decided to start watching through them. Though technically they aren't on Netlfix, they are a part of my show rotation and deserve to be recognized as such. These shows are: Survivor Samoa, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Hannibal.
To replace Street Food Around the World, I have turned to season 2 of the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives collection, which conveniently has just been added to Netflix. Usually I like to have an educational show, or something about the universe in my rotation. While I am finished with Cosmos, I haven't added a new educational show to replace it. I have enough stuff in my rotation as is. I also added Chuck back into the rotation. I had taken a break from it between seasons 2 and 3. Now the break is over and it is time to get back to it.
So my rotation is totally set. 19 shows, the way I like it to be. Why 19? I don't know. Ka? I used to not keep track, but when I did my first blog entry I noticed that it was 19 shows, so I am going to try my best to keep it at that number. I look to finish up a couple more shows by next month when Agents of Shield season 2 comes to Netflix. PLUS - Orange is the New Black season 3. I literally can not wait.
I am also going to write my thoughts on each series a whole right before I watch an episode, and then my thoughts on the episode afterwards. There are other small changes I have made to this as well. Hopefully this will make the blog a better read.
Without further ado, let's get started.
Season 3
Episode 10
"731"
We are going to start with the X-Files. This is a show that I usually watch towards the end of my rotation because I dread watching it so much. But I have a three day weekend ahead of me, so I am in no hurry. Let's get rid of it right off the bat.
I have been watching the X-Files for over 3 years now. I started from the beginning and I am only up to season 3, episode 10. This is a very slow rate. Compare it to Breaking Bad which I started about a month ago. I'm already halfway through the third season of that show. Why is it taking me so long to watch X-Files?
I'm just really not liking it that much. A lot of the episodes are slow and boring. Some don't have resolutions. The alien conspiracy theories are too abundant and hard to keep track of. Stop paying attention for a minute during some of these episodes and the show can get away from you. That's my problem. Short attention span + being bored = me not paying attention at all and losing track of what is going on.
But I am going to try my hardest now to pay close attention.
*watches episode*
OK, I have now watched the episode. I will say that I enjoyed this show a lot more than I usually do. I made sure to pay close attention, even though I did nod off towards the end. Me falling asleep while watching something is not indicative of whether or not I like it though. That's just something I do.
This was actually the second part of a 2 part episode. While I don't recall much of what happened in the first episode since it has been so long since I have seen it, I tried to not let that effect my viewing. Mulder jumps on to a train in the beginning of the episode. Why is he jumping on to a train again? Nevermind, I told myself, just go with it.
It was a solid episode. Both Mulder and Scully's investigations lead to the same place. To a man who has been experimenting on lepers. Mulder thinks alien crap is possibly involved. Scully doesn't. Part of the episode plays out on the train, with Mulder discovering a dead scientist and uncovering a test lab on the train. The lab contains one of the lepers (aliens?) and also a man claiming to be an NSA agent who tries to kill Mulder.
Scully in her search to discover who is behind the chip in her neck uncovers a leper colony. The lepers tell her that they have been getting killed off. A man had been experimenting on them prior to when the massacres began. We find out it is the same scientist that Mulder was going after (who is now dead).
The drama shifts to the train. There is a bomb on the train. Tensions are high between Mulder and the man who tried to kill him. I think we find out that the scientist was planning to give his research to another country, so the NSA guy was on the train to stop him. The train car is abandoned. The bomb goes off. We never find out if the test subjects are aliens or lepers. Both Mulder and Scully make strong arguments.
At the end we see the cigarette smoking man with a Japanese fellow who was somehow tied to the dead scientist. Cigarette man usually has something to do with aliens. Is that our answer? We shall see.
I did like the episode, as I said. All I have to do when watching in the future is pay attention and to not let myself get distracted by dumb shit like Candy Crush. I think all the people out there who like the X-Files are on to something and that I have been an idiot all along for not giving the show the attention it deserves. Granted, some episodes are bad. But this gives me hope that things will pick up soon and I will get sucked in like everyone else. I am very excited for the new episodes coming out soon, but I won't watch them until I finish all... uh, 9 past seasons first. And the movies. So it will be awhile. But I am glad they are bringing it back to TV after all these years.
Season 6
Episode 8
"Too Hot to Handle"
Now we watch the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon from the late 80s/early 90s. I grew up on this show. I loved it so much. I watched it every day. I rewatched episodes on VHS. I had the toys, the games. Everything. I was obsessed with the Ninja Turtles.
How do I like it now? Hmmm.... I should just leave it at that. But that wouldn't make for a good blog update so I will continue. I still like the movies and the games. But the cartoon hasn't aged well. The story line is not that interesting. A lot of the characters and scenarios are outlandish and just flat out stupid. The Channel 6 News people irritate me. The jokes are horrible, and the show just is not funny at all.
I should have let things be and not rewatched this. I feel as if my experience of watching it as a kid has been tarnished because it is so awful. Plus I am a completionist and once I start watching something I have to see it out to the end now matter how bad it is. So I am stuck watching a cartoon I don't even like anymore. Why do I do this to myself?
I downloaded this over 5 years ago when I was working the graveyard shift at a gas station. I often brought my computer and binge watched stuff I was interested in. I thought hey why not the Turtles, so I downloaded it. I thought it was bad from the get go, and I shortly thereafter left the job and stopped watching stuff on my computer. So despite having it on my computer for over 5 years, I still have many many episodes to go.
I guess it is a good thing I am adding this to my rotation for the blog. Maybe this can finally get me to power through it.
*watches episode*
It wasn't as horrendous as I had feared. This is one of those rare episodes with no Shredder or Krang. I like that. I was starting to get tired of them. And the stories on their episodes tend to be the dumbest.
This episode introduced Vernon's nephew, who is in town for a worldwide science fair. His invention pulls the Earth closer to the sun, thus dangerously heating up the planet. The invention is hijacked by the evil Dr Sofo, who attempts to use the object to destroy the Earth. But you guessed it, the Turtles save the day.
It was decently good time. I fell asleep again, but not because I didn't like the show. If I was a kid I am sure I would have loved it. Vernon's nephew was bratty but added some fun to the episode. I have to just look at the show objectively. Sure my tastes are a lot more refined now, but if I watch it for what it is, I should come away from it not hating it completely.
Season 2
Episode 2
"Unexpected Eats"
The second season of this show came up on Netflix at just the right time. My wife and I like to watch food or travel shows while we eat dinner, and we had literally just finished Street Food Around The World when this came on to Netflix. For whatever reason they took season 1 down, but that's okay because we have already seen it.
This episode had Guy visiting 3 restaurants. In the first segment, Guy ate ghost pepper seasoned chicken wings at a restaurant in Minnesota. They were so hot, it made him drink ranch dressing right from a bowl. He got it all over his face. I can't imagine wanting to eat something so hot that causes you physical pain to eat. No thanks.
The second restaurant was Guy's own restaurant. We know him as this rich food genius with multiple restaurants around the country, but this was his very first. He focuses on grilled onion tortilla things and also on little tacos that are like a fusion of Asian food and Mexican. One customer describes it like sushi on a taco. Sounds good to me! He also chats it up with his parents here.
The final restaurant is a hot dog place that serves supposedly the best chicken and dumplings. They also have lots of interesting looking jumbo hot dogs on the menu.
This is always a good, quick show to watch. I love food, especially unique over the top food. I would eat nearly everything they show on here. Well, not the ghost pepper wings. But it is fun to see all the nifty items on menus around the USA. I can never go wrong with Diners Drive Ins and Dives.
Season 2
Episode 9
"What's My Line?: Part 1"
I mentioned this in my last blog update, but Buffy is one of those shows that everyone loves and says that I absolutely have to watch. I gave it a shot since I tend to like Joss Whedon stuff, but the show still hasn't sunk its hooks into me yet.
Some of the special effects and makeup jobs look awful and corny. There are some solid stand alone episodes, but the story arc to me hasn't been that interesting yet. Supposedly the show gets off to a rough start but gets better as it goes along. Hopefully it gets better soon because at the rate I am watching this, it will take me 10 years to finish the show.
*watches episode*
I guess it is a good thing that I am watching all the shows I don't regularly like at the beginning of my rotation. Usually I save them for later and by the time I get around to them I am tired of sitting around watching stuff all day and I lose interest.
I enjoyed the episode. Buffy and her friends take a test that indicates what their future careers should be. While in the meantime, Spike continues to look for a cure for Drusilla. He sends away for 3 bounty hunters to come and kill Buffy because she keeps getting in his way. One of the bounty hunters is killed, but the second one locks up Angel and comes after Buffy. The third one has Zander and Willow in his sights. At the end of the episode, the second bounty hunter tells Buffy that she too is a slayer. The episode then dramatically ends.
I had a good time. The episode flew by and didn't seem like a 45 minute long show at all. Things proceeded quickly, the story was interesting. Even the banter between characters seemed a lot more natural than usual. For once when this show ended, I actually wanted to keep going and see that happened next. Maybe if I finish this blog entry with time in the weekend to spare, I will go back and watch the second part and tell you how I liked it.
This show needs more episodes like this. Hopefully this episode was an indication of things to come. People have to like this show for a reason right? I have faith it will get better.
Season 19
Episode 8
"All Hell Breaks Loose"
Everyone who knows me should know that I am a big Survivor buff. I have seen every episode of every season, and some seasons I have watched multiple times. I used to record the show and save it on VHS, but I stopped doing that several years ago. With everything being so easy to find online, I didn't see the point.
Over the years I slowly have been watching every season, starting with Borneo, from start to finish. I have worked my way all the way up to season 19 (Samoa). A lot of these "newer" seasons I have only seen once, so it is almost like watching this for the first time again. So many contestants from this season I don't remember. All I remember is the outcome, Natalie winning and my favorite Russell coming up short. I definitely don't remember Foa Foa losing so many challenges. This is the merge episode, so I am curious to see how they go from being outnumbered 8 to 4 to having so many people make it to the end.
*watches episode*
This has been a really good season so far. I have liked Samoa despite the lopsided nature of immunity challenge wins. There are a lot of great characters, plus obvious cracks in the Galu alliance. Russell and Shambo are my favorites. They really define the season for me.
The episode starts with Shambo expressing her dislike for Laura, and the 2 of them getting into a fight. The teams merge. Russell shows a bunch of people his idol as use for leverage to get him further in the game. But Laura isn't impressed, so he begins to target her. It looked like the vote was starting to come together when Laura won immunity and all hell broke loose.
Many different names fly around. Mainly Monica, Jaison, and Erik. But ultimately everyone votes for Erik after he vocally targeted Monica in an attempt to break up the Galu female alliance. Russell wastes his idol, but better safe than sorry. And if I remember correctly he finds the next one anyway.
Good episode. It was very hectic and all over the place. As a fan I like it when things turn hectic and lots of last minute scrambling goes down. I like to see how people react to all the pressure. The more unpredictable a season, the better. I knew Erik didn't last long so I wasn't surprised he was the first person to go at the merge. Galu made a bad mistake letting Foa Foa stay intact. They must not have seen Tocantins when another outnumbered team hit the merge and somehow destroyed the other team.
Survivor is always a good fall back show for me, when I want to watch something and I know I am going to always be entertained. Even after 30 seasons now I still am not sick of it yet.
Season 3
Episode 6
"Sunset"
Speaking of shows I can always fall back on and know I am going to enjoy, here is Breaking Bad. I started rewatching this a month ago, and I am making good progress. My progress has tapered off a bit though in the last week and a half. I think season 3 is the weakest season in the 5 year run of the show. Still, I can already tell you that I will enjoy the episode. Unless it is the fly episode, Breaking Bad is remarkably consistent and amazing from beginning to end. I bet you I am not wrong. I will like this episode.
*watches episode*
Yup. This was a good one. Hank tracks Jesse to his RV which is being held in the junk yard with all the broken down cars. Walt is there looking to dispose of the RV when Jesse shows up. Hank is on the outside of the RV, banging on the side of it and looking to break in. If he gets in and sees Walt, the game is over.
I knew that Walt would get out of it okay, but I remember the first time I watched this episode I thought it was very intense. Which it is.
I think I am able to put a finger down on what I don't like about this season. It's those 2 twins who don't say anything. They finally talked this episode, which was nice to see. But they are by far probably the worst thing about the entire series of Breaking Bad. On this episode, Gus is able to deflect them off of the "kill Walt" train and onto the "kill Hank" one. Since, you know, Hank was the one to actually kill Tuco.
Walt and Jesse call Saul, and he is able to lure Hank away from the RV by having his secretary pretend to be a nurse. She tells Hank that his wife has been in a serious car wreck. Hank leaves, and this allows Jesse and Walt to move the RV to where it can be safely destroyed. Crisis averted.
This series rarely fails to disappoint. Every episode brings something new to the table. The drama level and the tension of the series is palpable. I am glad I have decided to rewatch the show, because even knowing what is going to happen, I am still able to recognize just how well done the show is.
Season 7
Episode 4
"Sweet Dee Gets Audited"
I can't believe I am all the way up to season 7 of this show. This show is usually pretty fun and fast paced. Not all the episodes are funny. Some are just downright stupid. But for the most part I like it. Whenever I want to pop in something that is quick and easy to watch, this is always a solid option. Sometimes you need to lower your IQ every once in a while to achieve Netflix rotation balance.
*watches episode*
This episode is pretty much what you'd expect from It's Always Sunny. Dee gets audited by the IRS because she is claiming her baby (which she surrogated for someone else) as a dependent and is bringing in extra money.
Meanwhile the group is irritated by Frank making all the decisions and decides to start voting on things. They agree to help Dee make it look like she has a baby since they don't want the bar being investigated for tax purposes. When that fails, they stage a funeral for the baby.
The guys bicker, and the whole fake funeral sham is exposed when the coffin is knocked over and a dead dog spills out.
Low class humor, bickering among the characters, off the wall schemes.... what you see is what you get from this show. It is crass and politically incorrect, and it doesn't pretend not to be. This show is nothing earth shattering but it is fun for an occasional watch. It is a good way to make the time fly by.
Season 2
Episode 22
"Long Distance Call"
On we go to the Twilight Zone. I have already spoken my piece about this show in my last few blog entries. It is very hit or miss with me. But the hits tend to be really good. And there are so many iconic episodes. I will definitely keep watching, even if I have to suffer through some poor ones every once in a while.
*watches episode*
This was a fairly unmemorable episode. It wasn't awful or anything, it was just very middle of the road. The story starts out with an old woman who loves to coddle her grandson. Knowing she is going to die soon, she gives him a toy telephone for his birthday and tells him that she can stay in contact with the boy through the phone after she is gone.
She dies, of course. The boy is able to keep talking to her through the telephone, but she keeps telling him to do dangerous things like play in traffic and jump off a balcony. Presumably so she can be with the little boy in death and continue to coddle him. When the boy is seriously injured after jumping from the balcony, the father picks up the phone and makes an impoverished plea to his mother to return the boy to him so he can experience all the joys of life that he has yet to experience.
The boy then makes a miraculous recovery and the episode ends. It was a fairly entertaining story but nothing that really is going to stick with me for a while. I fell asleep in the middle of it and had to watch the rest the next morning when I got up. That's basically all I have to say about this episode. Time to move on.
Season 2
Episode 20
"Game Over"
Of all the cartoon shows in my rotation, this is probably the one I enjoy the most. It is funnier than the Clone Wars. It never takes itself too seriously, yet it is not stupid like the old TMNT cartoon. And I like all the crossovers with other Marvel franchises that happen frequently on this show.
I can already see based on the description on Netflix that Captain America and Wolverine guest star on this episode. I am very excited for that. Let's hope it is as good as I am hoping.
*watches episode*
It was good. It wasn't epic or anything but it wasn't a failure of an episode either. On this episode, there is a villain named Arcade on the loose who is a master of manipulating electronic equipment. SHIELD dispatches Captain America and Wolverine to go take care of him, but Spider-Man tags along despite being ordered not to. The three heroes are sucked into a video game-like series of battles and fights until they finish the game and make it to Arcade and defeat him.
I get the feeling I would not have liked this episode as much if it wasn't for Wolverine and Captain America. They both gave life to the episode and it was nice to see how in character they were. Captain America always does what is right. Wolverine is there with his anger and sarcastic comments. Having followed Marvel superheroes my whole life, Wolverine is one of my favorite characters so it was cool to see him on the screen for the episode. And in his classic outfit. This is the Wolverine I know, not the one from the movies.
Season 3
Episode 2
"Boy Parts"
If you read my last blog entry, you will notice that I haven't watched a single episode of season 3 since I started off with episode 1 about a month ago. I know that this show is likely better when you watch it quickly. Back then, I was busy trying to finish up House of Cards and Revolution, and whatever else I was watching. I wanted to be able to wait until I could watch this series without having other shows on the mind. And it looks like that time is finally coming. I actually had to rewatch the first episode again because I couldn't remember much of what happened during it.
But I enjoyed it a lot and I am ready to get the ball rolling on American Horror Story Coven.
*watches episode*
This was another really good episode. This show's stock in my rotation has definitely risen a lot after today. It seems like they have corrected a lot of the things that I didn't like about past seasons of American Horror Story. Everything is more cohesive, the parts seem to fit together more easily. I am very interested with all the multiple story lines, and want to know what is going to happen next.
I like how with the "immortal" characters, the show can flash back and forth between 180 years ago and today. The whole LaLaurie/Angela Basset (I forget her character's name) feud is awesome. Then there is what is her names story with trying to get pregnant. And Zoe's story with bringing the dead frat boy back to life. There is a lot going on here, and none of it is uninteresting.
Not only is the show really good but there is also a lot of good blood and death and violence which AHS is known for. This is definitely, to me at least, the finest season of the show yet. I have heard that it was good from a lot of different sources, and it turns out they are right.
Season 1
Episode 10
"Nelson v. Murdock"
Despite not knowing much about the actual Daredevil character, I have thoroughly enjoyed the show so far. It is very dark and edgy, a lot of gore and blood. It is completely unlike anything I have seen from Marvel yet. The story line has been less about super powers, and more reality based. I mean I guess Matt's hearing is still a super power. But it seems more like Batman than Thor or Captain America or anything we have seen in the Marvel-verse to date.
With only 13 episodes in the first season, I don't have much more of this left. But I really like it and can't wait to see where they go with this show. And I eagerly anticipate Matt's transformation from the man in the black mask to Daredevil. But apparently that doesn't happen till the end of the season. In the last episode I watched, Foggy finally discovered that Matt was the man in the mask. What happens next should be pretty interesting.
*watches episode*
Hmm, this episode wasn't as good as I am used to from this show. It wasn't bad by any means, but it had the feel of a show that was setting things up for the future as opposed to keeping us on the edge of our seat right now.
So, Foggy discovers who Matt is, but he doesn't call the police. He is angry at his friend for keeping secrets from him, and questions whether or not he is even really blind. Matt had to explain to Foggy that he has super hearing that at times can be just as good as, if not even better than actual sight. Like, for example, he can tell if someone is lying or not by the sound of his heartbeat. This we already knew, but it comes as a revelation to Foggy. A series of flashbacks to the early days of their friendship shows us how they became so close. It also shows us instances of Matt using his power of super hearing when the 2 were together, and Foggy being completely oblivious to the fact.
That's the main story of the episode. We see more of Fisk and his underworld dealings. We see Ben struggling to find out what to do with his dying wife (which I didn't even know he was dealing with until this episode). Again, this episode seemed more like it was setting up future events. Not a whole lot interesting happens here until the end, when people start dropping dead (?) at a dinner party Fisk is attending. His woman drops to the ground and foams at the mouth. Whether or not she is actually dead remains to be seen.
But it wouldn't shock me if she was. The whole series so far I have been waiting for something to happen to her. Something that would push Fisk closer to losing whatever semblance of humanity he still possessed. I think this will put him over the edge, and we are going to suddenly see him become a lot more ruthless and scary than he already was.
Three episodes left, and then the long wait until season 2 comes out begins.
Season 1
Episode 2
"Amuse-Bouche"
This is another one of my "cheating" shows. This isn't on Netflix, which surprises me a little bit. It seems like a show that would pop up on streaming, but so far it has not. I have heard the ratings aren't good, so it would seem natural they would put it on Netflix to get more people into it who weren't already. Oh well.
I'm a huge Silence of the Lambs fan. I have read all the books, seen all the movies. When I heard this was coming out my interest was immediately piqued. I don't watch a lot of live TV, so I was kind of hoping it would come to Netflix. When it became clear it wasn't, I took it into my owns hands to get a copy of this show for myself. I am a little late, but I am glad I'm finally getting to check it out.
*watches episode*
This was a pretty good episode. I have heard that there are a lot of creative murders in this series. We are off to a good start. In this episode, an evil pharmacist kills people by putting them into diabetic comas and then burying them in the dirt so their bodies grow mushrooms.
Sounds weird, but it was fun. The episode also focuses more on the psyche of Will Graham, and how investigating all these murders is taking its toll on him. Hannibal Lector becomes his psychiatrist at the urging of Jack Crawford.
The biggest surprise to me was Freddy Lounds being a woman. This is about as far from Philip Seymour Hoffman as you can get. Her story line was interesting, and it is becoming clear to see that she is going to be a major pest for the duration of the series.
I am not exactly jumping out of my seat over Hannibal yet. But it has started strong. And I have heard great things about it. I have faith it is only going to get better as it goes along.
Season 2
Episode 18
"Moving Day"
I feel obligated to say this every time I write an entry in this blog, but I will reiterate. I don't like sitcoms very much. I do like to have one in my rotation though as a change of pace. I settled on How I Met Your Mother because I heard it was smart as well as funny. I haven't watched an episode since I did my last blog entry. I am not really that invested in the show. If they took it down off Netflix tomorrow, I wouldn't care and it would basically be out of my head forever.
But that isn't to say I don't like the show. I could just take it or leave it. It is good for a sitcom, but this type of show isn't my favorite. Unless it is Family Matters, I think I look down upon anything with a laugh track.
*watches episode*
It was a good episode. Like I say I do like the show, sitcoms just aren't my favorite thing. In this episode, Ted and Robin are moving in together, despite Barney's protestations. Marshall and Lily find that they don't like living alone when Ted is gone. He did all the grocery shopping and a lot of work around the house. Barney hijacks Ted's moving van and forces him to go out to a night on the town with him. He tries to convince Ted not to move in with Robin. Eventually Ted and Robin do decide not to move in together after having a few disagreements. In the end, and all is well in the HIMYM universe.
There wasn't anything too special about the episode. If you like the show, you'll like this episode. The show is pretty consistent in quality. It will never be a go-to show in my rotation, but it is an occasionally fun change of pace. With this being 9 seasons, I have a feeling it is going to take me a looooong time to finish this.
Season 1
Episode 18
"Somebody's Watching"
*watches episode*
As a standalone episode this was pretty good. There was still no real hook to make me want to binge watch or anything. But I liked it.
A stalker in Hollywood is killing people who are associated with this young blonde actress. The team just so happens to be in town to teach people about profiling when they are drawn into the case. Many clues and leads are followed and eventually they discover that it is actually a woman doing the killing. She had a thing with the actress a few years back and had been obsessively following her ever since. Reid is the hero of the episode. He protects the starlet. He kisses her in the pool. And then he saves her from the stalker at the end.
It was good to have a Reid-centric episode. So far a lot of characters on the show haven't had much depth, but this was a good depth building episode for Reid. This episode didn't do much to improve Criminal Minds' stock in my rotation, but it did reaffirm for me that this is always a steady, solid show that I know what I am going to get from it when I turn it on.
Season 3
Episode 3
"Supply Lines"
If this had been on when I was a kid, I am sure I would have absolutely loved it. As it stands, it is a little too "kiddish" for me. I do like the show more than the prequel movies, but this is only something I watch every once in a while. I have to be in a certain mood to watch it. It's a shame too because I love Star Wars. I wish this show would appeal more to me.
*watches episode*
5 hours later, I have finally finished a 20 minute long episode. I kept falling asleep over and over again and had to keep replaying the episode. The episode itself was okay, but wow it couldn't keep me awake. Most of the main characters are AWOL here. The episode focuses on Bail Organa and Jar Jar Binks, who are acting as representatives for the Republic. They need help from the Toydarians to get supplies to Ryloth, who are under siege by the Separatists. The Trade Federation tries to keep the Toydarians from helping, but they sneak the ships through behind their backs.
Meanwhile on Ryloth, the Jedi and some of the troops fighting the Separatists die, but not before the supplies make it through to the people. I am a little disoriented from falling asleep for so long, but I think that is the gist of it.
It wasn't your typical episode in the sense that this one didn't have a whole lot of action. Mainly it was just Organa and Jar Jar talking to people. I do like how the hero Jedi and clones died at the end though. Usually on this show, the Jedi and the clone army win every battle without taking any hits, and it was interesting to see a few of them going down in the name of protecting innocent people. It almost brought a tear to my eye.
Season 3
Episode 1
"Chuck Versus the Pink Slip"
This is the first episode of Chuck that I have watched in a while. Season 2 ended and sometimes I like to take a break from a show between seasons. Now it is back in the rotation and its time to get the ball rolling again. I don't really remember what happened at the end of last season (didn't he get the Intersect removed?) so I am interested to see the direction the show is going to take in season 3.
*watches episode*
Apparently he didn't have the Intersect removed. Now Chuck can instantly download new abilities that he didn't previously know, like how to fight and how to play music and all that fun stuff. So it is the complete opposite of having it removed. What was I doing during the season 2 finale to have forgotten such an important detail? lol. I probably fell asleep.
So much has changed on the show. Chuck has shipped off to learn how to become a proper spy. However, he washes out and is forced to come back to live with his sister. Sarah has left him, and he has lost his job at the Buy More. He grows a beard and sits around eating cheese puffs all day before he is drawn back into the spy gig. He proves his worth and takes out an assassin, but not before the assassin kills Buster from Arrested Development. Is he really dead? How shocking.
So now things are kind of back where they were before. Chuck's at Buy More. He is working with Casey and Sarah again. And they are back on the case. But now he has new found abilities. Oooh. I liked the episode. I needed a little break from Chuck because it was getting a little stale in my mind. But now that I'm back watching a new season with new changes, I think I'm going to find the show a lot easier to watch.
Season 2
Episode 9
"Thanksgiving"
My cat was laying on me so I didn't write a "before" segment before watching the episode for this show. I just went ahead and watched it. I can't really say much about Amazing Stories that I haven't already. It's an anthology. Kind of like a bunch of little mini Spielberg movies from the 80's. Some episodes are pretty good. Some are crap.
This episode was decent. A girl and her mean step dad live alone out in the country. I guess we are to assume the mother is dead. They are out of water, so they go down in the well to dig deeper when they discover some weird kind of entities living in the well that give them riches. While the stepdad goes off to find a way to explore down there and take advantage of them, the daughter feeds the entities chicken and ham, and is given more riches in return.
The stepdad returns, and is once again a jerk to the girl. He goes down in the hole and disappears. The entities send up a note saying "thanks for the turkey" along with a mannequin stuffed with riches. So they ate the stepdad and rewarded her because they thought she was feeding them again. Ha!
I fell asleep twice during this episode so if I missed anything, sue me. But this was one of the good Amazing Stories episodes. The stepdad is a real jerk and I was hoping he would get what was coming to him. And that he did.
Season 4
Episode 4
"Planet of the Ood"
My opinion on Doctor Who varies from episode to episode. I don't think it is anywhere near as good as people make it out to be. Perhaps because I love more serious kinds of shows like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. The whole Doctor Who thing is just a little goofy for me. I actually prefer its spin-off Torchwood, and it isn't even close.
But as silly as the show is, it is capable of pumping out some good episodes. The last one I watched was stupid in my opinion, so I put the show to the side and haven't watched an episode for a few weeks. Maybe this will be a good one? But its about the Ood, who I don't really like. So my hopes are not high.
*watches episode*
So this was a lot better than I thought it would be. I thought perhaps it would be one of those silly episodes that I dislike because of the Ood, but it was fun. I liked it.
The Doctor and Donna visit an icy planet and discover that this is where the Ood come from. Humanity has set up a colony here and is processing them and shipping them out across the galaxy as slaves. The Ood seem content in their part, but after doing some digging the Doctor discovers that they simply are incapable of fighting back. And they are indeed being forced into servitude against their will.
So he frees them by releasing a giant brain from behind a force field. This allows them to begin thinking for themselves again, and to be released from their captivity. The Doctor and Donna then get out of dodge, their mission complete.
I definitely can see why some people are so gung ho about the show. I guess I just have to be in the right mood to watch it. Sometimes I can feel it, sometimes I don't. This was a good one though. It is still not a top tier rotation show, but maybe after I finish up a few other series first it will work its way up.
Season 1
Episode 9
"Full Hearts"
I had taken a long break from the show for several months, but now it is back in my rotation and I am liking it. On the surface it doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy much. I like football but I am not big on football centered fiction, whether it be in movies or TV shows. Weird, I know. Plus there is the whole high school / soap opera type thing going on in the background.
But it is good. It is a character based show, and the more I watch the more I want to see what is going to happen with some of these people. The show is heartfelt, and that is what I like so much about it. I'm not quite to the level yet where I am totally invested 100% but I am getting there. Hopefully this episode can keep it going.
*watches episode*
Another solid episode. Saracen continues to court the coach's daughter, and they go on their first date. Which is interrupted when there is a problem with his loony grandmother. But the coach's daughter (why can't I remember her name?) is kind of charmed by how he handles the situation. We learn a lot more about Smash when the Panthers come to his hometown to take on an opposing team. They are famous for their defense, and no one expects them to win the game. Here we learn about Smash's family, and how his dad died when he was younger and his mom moved the family away to get out of the ghetto.
Also, Lyla and Tim's affair is now public news. Both of them take major crap for it. Tim's car is smashed with baseball bats, and Lyla is heckled while cheer leading. Its nice to see them take crap for it because it was a dick move on their behalves. But still they are human and make mistakes, and they both feel bad about it. So it sucks to see them being belittled and kicked when they are down when they are clearly already feeling terrible about it. And the problem isn't likely to go away either.
The Panthers win the football game by the skin of their teeth, and celebrate off the field. But while everyone is riding an emotional high over the win, not everyone is happy with what is going on in their lives. It was a good episode, and it left me wanting to watch another one right away. That is always a good sign. I am starting to get to that level of 100% investment. This show's stock has risen greatly in my mind. It went from a series that I went on a long hiatus from because I was losing interest in it, to a show that is one of the few in my rotation that makes me want to binge watch more episodes.
That's it! It is Saturday morning right now and I have already gone through 1 episode of all 19 of my shows. It usually takes me the whole weekend to do this. I guess I really do have no life. Since I had a little time to spare, I did go watch the second part of that Buffy episode, and I liked it. So Buffy's stock in my rotation continues to rise.
Since I have a little extra time I guess I will rank my 19 shows on a scale of how quickly I think I am going to go ahead and watch more episodes.
1. Breaking Bad
2. American Horror Story
3. Daredevil
4. Survivor
5. Diners Drive Ins and Dives
6. Friday Night Lights
7. Buffy
8. Hannibal
9. Chuck
10. Spider Man
11. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
12. Doctor Who
13. Criminal Minds
14. The Clone Wars
15. Amazing Stories
16. How I Met Your Mother
17. The X-Files
18. The Twilight Zone
19. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I will update this blog again at some point next month. Probably when Orange is the New Black comes out. By that time I will likely be finished with Daredevil and Survivor, and probably close to the end of American Horror Story and Breaking Bad. I like my rotation to look a little different each time I do one of these blog entries.
That's about it. I can't believe I finished this in such a short amount of time. I really need to get a life. See you next month!
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