My TV show rotation: A weekend in review #5

Time for another trip through my show rotation. Things are a little bit different from my last update, but not drastically so. Amazing Stories is no longer on Netflix, so I had to drop it out of my rotation. I finished with Orange is the New Black as well as American Horror Story: Coven and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Replacing these shows are Hell on Wheels and Glee, which have both recently had new episodes added to Netflix.

Survivor is not on Netflix, but I recently just finished up with Heroes vs Villains, which I had been watching on my computer. Instead of going right into a new season of Survivor, I am taking a small break and going back to watch Big Brother 8 instead. I considered adding Aquarius to my rotation, since I am interested in the Manson clan and all that stuff that happened but I can wait until I bump a few more shows out of my rotation before I start that.

Let's not waste any more time. We shall begin.

Season 6

Episode 1

"Loser Like Me"

May as well start things off with Glee. Season 6 just came up on Netflix, and I am very excited about that. At first glance this may not seem like a typical "me" show, but I enjoy it. I am comfortable enough with my masculinity to say that the show does make me cry every once in a while. Making me cry isn't easy to do, so congrats to Glee for making it happen. It is quite an accomplishment.

At the end of last season, the glee club was disbanded and everyone seemingly had gone their separate ways. I know that there is no way the show could end like that. The glee club will of course be back. But why? How? Guess I am going to find out.

*watches episode*

Rachel and Blaine return home after fizzling out in New York. Things have changed in Lima. Mr Schue is gone and is coaching Vocal Adrenaline. Sue is ruling the school with an iron fist and funneling all their money to sports. Blaine takes a job with the Warblers. Kurt returns to patch things up with Blaine only to find that he is now dating Karofsky.

Rachel consults Ted Beneke and uses her Broadway money to fund the McKinley glee club. The episode ends with Rachel belting out "Let It Go" and beginning her search to start recruiting club members. I always though Rachel had to perfect voice to sing this song and I am glad it finally happened.

Overall, a good episode. We knew the club would be back, and now it is. There remains possibility for many interesting dynamics, especially with three of the show's biggest stars all coaching their own glee clubs. Sue's reign of terror looks to continue in the background. And I am especially curious to see what happened to all of the former members of the club like Marley, Kitty, and Unique. Season 6 is only 13 episodes so I expect this to be a fast paced roller coaster of a final season. And I can't wait to see what will happen.

Season 2

Episode 24

"Ultimate"

Just three more episodes of this show left, and then I am done with it until new ones come up. I'm kind of excited for this to be over with. I liked it at the beginning, but it just seems to get stupider and stupider with each passing episode. Fingers are crossed that there is no season 3. Why do I keep watching it - you may ask. Because once I start something I have to finish it. It is a weird OCD thing I think.

*watches episode*

It was basically what I expected. Goofy. A lot of action. In this one, Spiderman's team is turned against him by the Green Goblin. I don't know how, but Spidey reverses the brainwashing and saves the day. I was too busy checking out Facebook to really care too much about what happened here. At the end of the episode, SHIELD is so impressed by Spidey's heroics that they send the Avengers in to invite him to the team.

Again, I wasn't wild about the episode. I'm sure if I was a kid I would have loved this. Bring on the dark gritty dramas please.

Season 5

Episode 6

"Buyout"

Is this drama dark or gritty enough for ya? I've seen this show in its entirety already, but it is so good I decided to watch the whole thing from the beginning again. I've made good time. I expect to finish this within a few weeks. The last episode I watched was the one where they stole the methlamine from the train, and it ended with the little boy getting shot. I'm excited to watch more.

*watches episode*

You can never really go wrong with Breaking Bad, and this episode proved it yet again. The episode starts with the crew cleaning up after the train fiasco. We all know that Jesse has a soft spot for kids, so he is furious with Todd and wants to get rid of him. With the murder of the child in the back of his mind, plus the fact that he is constantly being tailed by the DEA, Mike decides that the whole enterprise is too risky and he wants to sell the methlamine and get out. Jesse does as well.

Walt is not okay with this. He wants to build a meth empire and thinks that these two are chickening out. He doesn't want to repeat his same mistake he made with Grey Matter (or whatever it is called) where he left for a small amount of money and then missed out on making billions. Mike is threatened by Walt and ties him up while looking to sell off the methlamine.

At the end, Walt escapes. He is nearly murdered by Mike, but he and Jesse manage to convince him to hold his fire because Walt has a brilliant plan to make them all filthy rich. The show ends with Walt about to go into his sales pitch.

This is mainly a dialogue based episode that is a table setter for things to come in the series. We learn a little more about Walt's motivation for not wanting to quit until he is ahead. Mainly though this sets up the end game for the series. I really wanted to keep watching more episodes. Once I finish with this blog entry, I think I am going to polish off the rest of the show in pretty short order.

Season 4

Episode 7

The Doctor's Daughter

I gueeeess I'll watch Doctor Who next. Despite all the rave reviews this show gets, I still have yet to really see what all the fuss is about. If I haven't caught Doctor Who fever after 47 episodes, I will probably never catch it. Nevertheless, I am soldiering on. There are some good episodes every once in a while.

*watches episode*

This was an okay episode. It wasn't as bad as some of the others I have seen in the past, but it is definitely not one of the show's best either. The Tardis freaks out (seriously, for such an advanced piece of machinery you think it would be a little more reliable!) and sends the Doctor, Donna, and Martha to a world where two species live underground and have been engaged in a war that spans several generations. The Doctor is grabbed and forced to submit to some kind of test, which uses his genetic material to spawn a "daughter" who is meant to be a perfect soldier.

I got bored and started Facebooking halfway through the episode. But the general gyst of the episode is that the surface of the planet is being terraformed, and the underground war has only been going on for 7 days. But because everyone in the war keeps dying, and new clones made, it is technically true that it has been going on for generations.

Stuff happens, the doctor's daughter is shot and killed, and somehow the situation is resolved and the Doctors and his two gal pals are allowed to leave. Like I said, I was Facebooking so all the details are lost on me.

I am just about ready to give up on Doctor Who. My OCD compels me to keep watching even though I don't really enjoy it. But that's dumb. What is the point of watching if I don't even like the show? And this wasn't even a bad episode in the grand scheme of the show. If this can't keep me entertained, I don't know what will.

Season 2

Episode 21

"The Prime Mover"

The Twilight Zone isn't my favorite show in the world either, but I like it much more than Doctor Who. Some of this show's episodes are really good. Some are clunkers. But for the most part it seems more hit than miss. By a small margin. I'm almost finished with season 2 of this show. I've been jumping around out of order while watching this show since none of the episodes are connected anyway. I actually skipped season one because the iconic musical introduction is missing from those episodes, and it just didn't feel the same. I'll probably go back and finish season one once I finish with these last few handfuls of season two episodes.

This episode didn't sound very interesting to me, so I actually skipped over it when watching season two. And now during season two mop up duty I have come back to it. How will it fair?

*watches episode*

I actually kinda liked this one. In this episode, a compulsive gambler discovers that a friend of his can move objects with his mind. He comes up with the idea to help him win a fortune gambling - by moving dice and manipulating the roulette wheel, etc. He builds up a huge fortune, but ends up losing it all when his friend loses the power on a crucial roll.

I don't know if the friend intentionally screwed up because his pal was being an arrogant jerk, or what. Because we do see him use the power again at the end of the episode. But the whole time watching the episode, I just knew that he was going to lose his fortune. That is what always happens on the Twilight Zone, right? It almost never seems to end well.

I was entertained though. I thought it was fun and I had a good time watching. Just because I knew how it would end doesn't mean that I didn't want to see how it was going to get there. It wasn't the greatest episode of television ever, but that doesn't mean I wasn't entertained. That's all I ask for.

Season 7

Episode 6

"The Storm of the Century"

This show is usually pretty good and can always be counted on for a laugh or two in times of crisis. I enjoy the low class humor and the non PC nature of the show. Yeah it can be dumb sometimes, but hey sometimes dumb is good.

*watches episode*


Another solid episode. Philadelphia is expecting a hurricane level storm to hit, and people are freaking out. Some of the gang head to the store to stock up while others stay behind to protect the bar from looters. It was a simple story, but filled with a lot of lol moments and the usual crass comedy.

My favorite part of the episode was the guys ogling the breasts of the TV weather reporter. And how Dennis and Charlie tried to lure chicks back to the bunker at the grocery store to repopulate the planet in case the storm killed everyone. At the bar, Dee and Frank watched Youtube videos of black people and white people rioting. How when a white person does it, it is called survival. But when a black does it, it is looting. The show totally mocks those kind of issues, and I love it for that.

Season 2

Episode 11 

"Aftershocks"

I've always been a pretty big fan of this show. I have read that season 2 is better than season 1, but so far I am not liking season 2 as much. Whereas season 1 was more of a "mystery of the week" type show with an over arching serial story line going on in the background, season 2 is all serialized all the way. Which I don't mind. I love shows like Lost and Breaking Bad that are just one big story line that continues throughout the entirety of the show.

But it isn't as well done on this show. It is still a solid show, but I just don't feel like the whole obelisk/alien city plot line is as interesting as it could have been. The last episode ended with Skye getting super powers (or at least it looked that way) so that could be the start of something interesting.

*watches episode*

Before I continue any further, I must note that I saw the name of Rafe Judkins in the opening credits. I thought to myself how that name seemed awfully familiar. Wasn't Judkins Rafe's last name in Survivor Guatemala? So I googled it - and it is indeed Rafe from Survivor. Weird. Cool though, because I liked him on that show and now he is writing for a different show that I enjoy.

Anyway...

It was a pretty good episode. Skye's new power apparently is the ability to manufacture earthquakes. No one else knows about this except for Fitz - and he has decided to look the other way in order to get Skye out of quarantine. Raina has turned into some spiky looking mutant. She goes to Skye's dad - the dude from Twin Peaks - for help, but he turns her away.

Coulson manufactures a fake rescue of their Hydra captive. The captive leads Shield to Hydra's base where an attack is launched and many members of their hierarchy are killed. A big deal is made out of that black guy dying in the previous episode. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't find it in me to really care much about his demise. We've only known him for, like, ten episodes. And this show isn't nearly personal enough or character driven enough for me to become attached.

Regardless, it was a solid episode. I highly look forward to seeing whatever is going to come next. Looks like things really change a lot in the upcoming episodes, and that is exciting to me because like I said I have had enough with the whole obelisk story line.

Season 3

Episode 5

"Chuck Versus First Class"

It is hard for me to really get too excited about Chuck. Sure I appreciate the show's sense of humor and its characters. There are some good episodes from time to time. But the show lacks a hook. The story line isn't nearly interesting enough to keep me watching episode to episode.

It's a nice change of pace type show to watch from time to time, but it will never become one of my favorites.

*watches episode*

Lo and behold I really enjoyed this episode. It was a solid mix of action and humor. There was some good character development. We get to see Chuck go off on his first solo mission in this one. He believes he is heading to Paris to partake in a mission, only to learn that he is after something on the plane.

Back at the Buy More, Morgan is undergoing constant harassment from his employees, who feel he has sold out to obtain his managerial position. He enlists the help of Casey to help whip everyone back into shape. This was some pretty solid comical relief. I think I actually enjoy all the Buy More drama more than I do the actual spy missions on this show.

On the plane, Chuck has to battle Stone Cold Steve Austin for a mysterious key that the US Government wants its hands on. Using his intersect powers, plus with a little help from an intervening Sarah back home, Chuck completes his mission. And even picks up a lady friend along the way.

Like I said, this was a pretty fun time. I like this show when it is not taking itself too seriously (which it doesn't do very often) and when it keeps things simple. This was just a fun, simple episode that really allowed its characters to shine. Keep it up, Chuck.

Big Brother

Season 8

Episode 3

I started watching all seasons of Big Brother from the beginning about 6 or 7 years back. I had missed seasons 3, 4, and 5 when they had aired on TV originally. I did watch seasons 6 and 7 on live TV back in the day, but season 7 was All Stars and I didn't know half of anyone in the cast. So the main goal with going back and watching from the beginning was to watch those seasons I had missed. Familiarize myself with those casts a little more.

Plus, seasons 1 and 2 had been sooooo long ago. I wanted to watch season 1 to see if it was as bad as I remembered. Which it pretty much was. And I wanted to see Dr Will in action on season 2 to observe the crazy game he had played to win.

After watching up to season 7, I stopped watching. I needed a Big Brother break. Little did I know that break would last nearly 5 years. But now I have resumed my epic rewatch of Big Brother. I have seen season 8 already, but again - it was so long ago I don't remember much of what happened. I know who wins and who makes the final 3. It is the journey I don't remember. I am super interested to see how Dick goes from big target to winning. How things fall apart in the house that makes him go off on everyone. I'm only on episode 3 - so that is a ways away yet. But I do remember this being a pretty great season so I am excited to relive it once again.

*watches episode*

Big Brother is a show that I can put on just about any time and always be entertained. This episode was no exception. In the last episode, Kail nominated Amber and Carol. So the focus of this episode was on the power of veto. If the nominations were going to be kept the same. If it should be used to backdoor someone like Joe, Daniele, or Jen.

Jen was the center of a lot of drama in this episode. Not only was the crying over her picture completely absurd (this happened in episode 2) but in this episode she caused a lot of chaos. She falsely accused Nick of trying to make out with her, which was quickly proved a lie. She also continued to irritate the whole house by wearing her stupid Jen shirts. Dick snapped on her too for the way she had treated him early in the game. When I first watched this show I thought for sure she would be gone, but Daniele won the veto and kept the nominations the same.

I had a fun time watching this show. I've already seen it, but only have vague memories of what happened in the house, especially so early in the game. So it is nice being able to go back and see it again. My only gripe was the America's Player twist this episode. Eric had to tell a fake sob story to Kail. Uhh... okay?

If he had to tell it to someone weird like Dick or Jen it might have been a fun twist. But instead it just turned out to be incredibly stupid and pointless.

Season 6

Episode 12

"Leonardo is Missing"

TMNT hasn't aged well, and I keep telling myself to stop watching. Just delete it off my computer and be done with it. But there is a part of me that wants those bragging rights, to be able to tell myself and I everyone else that I have watched every single episode of the original cartoon series.

I actually might stop watching soon, since it really isn't worth it to watch a show I really don't enjoy just to say that I did. We will see what happens though.

*watches episode*

It wasn't a terrible episode. It did take me over 2 hours to watch a 20 minute long episode though, because I kept on falling asleep. Leonardo disappears after picking up a distress call while his fellow turtles are away. They come back and find him missing, and immediately assume the worst. Krang and Shredder have detected an energy spike and proceed to check it out, thinking that maybe this energy can help power the Technodrome. Turns out that this is where Leo was headed.

The energy and the distress call are coming from a vessel that burrowed its way out of the earth. There are three dinosaurs aboard who claim they survived the dino extinction and that they occasionally venture to the planet's surface to save species that are about to go extinct. They were saving an endangered flower when their ship broke down. The turtles reunite with Leonardo and fight off the Foot clan. They find a way to power the dinosaur's ship and save the day.

Considering that most episodes of TMNT stink, this wasn't a bad one. I probably would have liked it more if I didn't keep falling asleep, but there's not much I can do about that. The episode must have played over and over again five plus times before I finally was able to stay awake enough to watch the whole thing. I liked the whole plot line with the dinosaurs, and I hope I see them again in future episodes. Also, there was a lack of really horrible pizza jokes in this episode, which I appreciated immensely.

Season 2

Episode 21

"Something Borrowed"

Sometimes I really like this show and think it is cute and creative. Other times I could care less for it. What will I get this time around?

*watches episode*

A good one, that's what I got. So season 2 is coming to a wrap, so it is about time they FINALLY got to Marshall and Lilly's wedding. Nearly everything at the wedding goes wrong, including Marshall shaving a stripe through his hair because he hated the frosted tips the hairdresser gave him. Also, the harp player is pregnant and can only play half the harp. There is a problem with the flowers, etc etc.

So to deal with all this, the group meets outside and has a private ceremony with just their inner circle of friends present. Barney officiates and tears up. Marshall and Lilly decide that this was the perfect wedding. Even though there were a lot of hitches in the public ceremony, they cared less about them because of what they were able to share in private.

As I said, this was a good episode. So many of the previous episodes felt like filler or a lead in to the wedding. So it is cool to finally get to see the wedding. Sure those episodes where not much happens can be funny some times but I find the show is at its best when big things are going on. And this show does a good job of making things funny and believable instead of being totally off the wall stupid like other sitcoms out there. I like it.

Season 1

Episode 9

"Trou Normand"

I like this show so far, and I am very interested to see where it goes. I have read that eventually it begins to tie into the movie Hannibal (Mason Verger will appear at some point) and Red Dragon. If it ever gets picked up for more seasons: to Silence of the Lambs. I've read all of those books and seen the movie versions of all of them multiple times, so I am very excited to watch it play out.

The only problem is getting through this first season. When I watch the show, I do tend to be very interested. I have a good time. The 45 minutes seems to fly by. But I am never like "oooh yeah let's watch another one." It tends to be a week or 2 before I watch another episode. So it has taken me a few months just to get to episode 9. It could be because I have so many other shows to watch. If I just watched this, I would probably be through it already.

*watches episode*

Funny how I was just saying that I don't have an urge to binge watch this. Right after this ended I was thinking about watching another episode. It was really good. But alas, the blog must go on.

A lot of things happened in this episode. The main plot line for the show was the FBI discovering a totem pole made of dead bodies out in the middle of nowhere. The killer is searched for, and it turns out to be Lance Henriksen which I thought was awesome. I haven't seen him in anything for a long time and it was nice to hear that voice again.

The continuing plot of the season went on in the background. Will Graham finds out that that girl (I can never remember her name) killed that dude and buried the body. How descriptive. I am so good with names. He also deduces that Hannibal was in on it. He confronts Hannibal and discovers the truth. They decide to keep it quiet for the time being because it is what is best for the girl.  We also find out that she did indeed lure other girls in to be killed by her father.

The episode ends, but the story is far from over. Like I said, this was a very good episode. It accomplished what other episodes of the show have so far been unable to do. I could see myself starting to watch this show at a more rapid clip. Especially once Breaking Bad and Agents of Shield are out of the rotation.

Season 2

Episode 12

"Bad Eggs"

I've been warming up a lot to Buffy lately. I thought it started out rough and that it was nearly unwatchable at the beginning of the show's run. But here in season 2 it has really found its niche. Supposedly after episodes 13 and 14 it gets even better, so I am excited about that. But first I must get through episode 12. Will it be any good?

*watches episode*

No, no. This was not a good episode. I must clarify that even at its worst, Buffy is still better than a few shows out there. For example: Dr Who. Even though this admittedly was not a great episode, I still found it better than nearly everything Dr Who has offered me.

In this episode, a giant larvae-like creature is rising through the cracks beneath the city. This creature is called a bezoar. I have heard the word bezoar before in Harry Potter, but apparently it is a completely different thing here. It releases eggs that possess people. One by one, Buffy sees people like her mom, Giles, and Cordelia succumb to the egg creatures. She must deal with all of this while at the same time fighting off these hilly billy like vampires that have come to kill her. In the end, she is pulled in by the bezoar but manages to hack it apart with some kind of enormous blade. The bezoar dead, the people of Sunnydale return to their normal selves.

I viewed this as kind of a goofy fluff episode. It didn't really do anything to advance the plot. The story itself with the evil eggs was very silly. It wasn't the best Buffy has had to offer, not by a long shot. But if what I have heard is true, the show is about to get really good. So I won't hold this momentary hiccup against the show.

Season 4

Episode 3

"Chicken Hill"

Hell on Wheels finally makes its debut on my blog. I've been watching this show one season at a time for several years now. This series is consistent in quality, but rarely exciting. Exciting things do happen at times. But for the most part this is a pretty slow moving show.

The description on Netflix says that this is a show about a man taking a job at a railroad to track down the soldiers who killed his family. The description is a little misleading. While that is how the show started, that story line was tied up halfway through the first season. This is for the most part a Western about the building of the railroad itself.

Like I said, it is pretty slow at times. There is a lot of buildup but little payoff. The show boasts a large cast of characters, the majority of which bore me. There are too many to focus on. I watch this show for Bohannon and the Swede. I couldn't care less about that Irish guy or the tattooed whore. Miles O'Brien has his moments, but most of his scenes are dull or long winded too.

Hopefully this is a good episode. The season has limped out of the gates so you'd think we are due for something big to happen soon.

*watches episode*

This was a solid episode. Typical Hell on Wheels fare. Nothing really flashy or exciting happened, but it was still an interesting 45 minutes of television. Once again, many characters shared the spotlight. There was a lot less Durant and his politicking this time around, which helped.

Bohannon returns to Cheyenne from the Mormon Fort. He encounters resistance from the new law enforcement in town but dispatches of them with non lethal force. He is offered several jobs but turns them all down to work with the freed men. He really wants his Chief Engineer job back since he knows that the railroad needs him to proceed. He wins the job back (I think?) when he protects everyone from an explosion that the other Chief Engineer didn't think was going to be dangerous.

Other things happen in the background. Eva is still pissed at Bohannon because she holds him responsible for Elam's apparent death. I still think he is out there somewhere though. Eva also begins to learn how to cheat while gambling. With the trigger happy new law enforcement in town, this is totally setting her up to get caught in the future. These new lawmen also beat down Bohannon at the end of the episode for shaming them in front of their superior. This won't end well.

So there is a lot going on, but right now it isn't too overwhelming. This was a good episode because it didn't spread itself too thin, and it focused on the main issues we should be concerned with right now. There was some good action, some dramatic dialogue and tense standoffs. This episode definitely sets us up for something big to happen, and soon. I approve.

Season 3

Episode 6

"The Academy"

I keep waiting for this show to have a really good episode that blows me away. But for the most part it is just the same thing show after show after show. Lots of guns blazing, lightsaber flaring fights. Lots of boring dialogue. Little to no character development.

Maybe this will be the episode that breaks the mold. And maybe I'm the Queen of Sheba.

*watches episode*

Another okay episode. Nothing spectacular. Nothing too cringe worthy bad. It was just... okay.

Asohka is sent to Mandalore to teach its youth about the dangers of a corrupt government. The youngsters take her lesson a little too close to heart and decide to start investigating the food shortage on the planet. Only to discover that the shortage is caused by, you guessed it, corrupt government officials. They get themselves into trouble - but Asohka swoops in to save the day.

Basic story. Plot twists we could see coming a mile away. It was not a terrible episode. It's not even a terrible series. It is just so horribly bland and forgettable. This is not the Star Wars I fell in love with. Here is hoping that once I finish with this series I never have to dabble the in pre New Hope Star Wars universe again.

Season 1

Episode 21

"Secrets and Lies"

It feels like I have been watching Criminal Minds for forever now. And I am not even out of season 1 yet.

It is a good show. There is rarely a clunker episode. I'm just not connecting with the characters that much. And each episode's case is solved, wrapped, and tied up with a silver bow at the conclusion of the show. So there is really not a huge incentive to binge watch.

I don't dislike the show. But it is going to take me a very, very long time to complete it.

*watches episode*

So this was a fun episode. The team is called into the CIA headquarters to investigate a potential mole in the building. This mole killed a fellow CIA agent who was trying to hide Nadia from Lost from her husband. After some digging and a lot of false accusations. the mole is uncovered. Nadia and her kids are saved.

This show does stories well. It doesn't do characters all that great, but I am hoping as the show ages that area of the show will improve. I enjoyed the episode. It's not quite enough to make me want to run out and immediately watch some more, but it was a definite step in the right direction. If I had 10 or fewer shows in my rotation, I would probably watch this show a lot faster. But with there consistently being about 20 in my rotation, it is hard to find time for Criminal Minds. I'm hoping to get the number of shows cut down a bit because shows like Criminal Minds are too good to be ignored on such a consistent basis.

Season 3

Episode 12

"War of the Coprophages"

I think it should be clear to everyone reading this blog by now that I am not the biggest X-Files fan. Aside from a few standout episodes, I tend to get quite bored/confused by all the complex conspiracy theories. I actually prefer the weird case by case episodes rather than the long story arcs that persist through a whole season.

I haven't truly enjoyed an episode of this show in a long time, and have even considered giving up on it. However, this episode about a deadly cockroach infestation looks like it could be fun. Let's give it a whirl.

*watches episode*

I actually had fun with this one. No elaborate conspiracy theories. No mysterious strangers showing up to save the day at the last minute before fading back into the dark. This was just one single bizarre case. Perhaps on the surface a silly one, but still pretty fun.

Cockroaches have begun infesting a small town, killing those that they come into contact with. Mulder just so happens to be in town and he investigates while conferring with Scully over the telephone. His investigation leads him to a bug researcher in town who discovers that the body of one of the cockroaches is made out of metal. But the bugs keep disintegrating before any real tests can be done.

The episode didn't have that satisfactory of a conclusion. We can determine that the bugs were brought in through manure shipments, but we don't find out where they come from, what they are, or why it is that they kill people. The manure farm is blown up and the threat is seemingly ended. And that's it.

I guess that is part of why people like the X-Files, because not every case is that easily solvable. It kind of goes against the theme of the show if they were able to figure out every single detail of every mystery put in front of them. The truth is out there, after all. But for someone like me who dislikes open endings, this show drives me a little nuts sometimes.

Season 1

Episode 12

"What to Do While You're Waiting"

This show and I got off to a slow start, but the more I watch it the more invested I become. It is really the characters that are carrying the show for me. Playoff time is approaching. Many of the athletes and students on the show are stressed out or have become bogged down with personal drama. There are a ton of different storylines going on, and I can't wait to see where they are all going to lead.

*watches episode*

This episode focused very little on football. It was mainly a character driven episode - and that is where the show shines. With no game this week, Dillon must wait on the outcome of a different game to see if they will make the playoffs or not. Street's parents continue on with their lawsuit against the coach. They say if he would have taught his players to tackle properly, Street never would have been hurt. It was a freak football injury. Seems like a really dumb lawsuit to me, but what do I know?

Those are the two big stories in this episode. Other side stories include Smash's romance, Matt's dad struggling with home life, and Tyra facing off against her mother's abusive boyfriend. I enjoyed myself with this one. I can't emphasize enough about how this show is at its best when focusing on the characters. And this was a huge character building show. Other programs out there fail in this regard. You could have the most interesting stories in the world but without good characters it is all for naught. I'd rather watch a show like this than the X-Files, Dr Who, The Clone Wars, Criminal Minds, etc, any day of the week.

Done for now

That's all for this week. It may be a few weeks before I update this blog but as always, I hope that the rotation will be a little different next time around. I should be done with Spider-Man any day now, so that will be out of the rotation. I am nearly finished with Hannibal season one.

I expect that I will be finished with Breaking Bad by the next time I do a show rotation write up. I'm on the home stretch of that show, and I could totally see myself watching a few episodes a night and finishing up with it. Season 6 of Glee is only 13 episodes long. Hell on Wheels' most recent season is only 13 episodes.

I don't expect it will take me long to finish Agents of Shield. And who knows, I may just finally give up on Dr Who and TMNT like I have been threatening to do for a few blog entries now. 

So that is potentially 8 shows out of the rotation by the next time I do this. 

New shows I am interested in watching are Aquarius - which I had already mentioned - The 100, Bloodline, Arrow, Sense8, Enterprise, Heroes, Sherlock, and a few more. I'll probably download season 2 of Hannibal. There will always be shows to plug up the holes in my rotation. Which is kind of irritating actually because it is like a trap I will never be able to get out of. I could totally be doing something productive with my time!

Curse you Netflix, curse you. 

Video Game Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sega Genesis

To me, Sonic 2 epitomizes the Sega Genesis console. It was the first game for the Genesis that I ever owned. Plus there is the fact that Sonic is Sega's flagship character, and many consider Sonic 2 to be the best Sonic game out there.

I got this game on Christmas Eve of 1992. It was one of the best Christmases I ever had. I got so many things that I wanted. A new TV. A new VCR. A Sega Genesis AND a copy of Sonic 2. It was an embarrassment of riches. Probably my biggest Christmas haul I ever brought in as a kid.

My brother got the same array of presents as well, only with a different game (I think it was Pit Fighter? Don't quote me on that). I think the reason for us getting so many of these gifts was because my asshole stepdad was sick of us kids and wanted us out of his hair. What better way to accomplish this than by making us never want to leave our rooms? It worked.

But hey I wasn't complaining. I desperately wanted a Sega Genesis, and it was one of the only nice things he ever did for me. Beggars can definitely not be choosers.

I holed up in my room that Christmas Eve night and played this game like there was no tomorrow. Nowadays I can breeze through this game in my sleep. But back then, playing it for the first time, I couldn't make it through the second level. I always managed to fall into that purple water and either die by falling off the screen, or die because I couldn't get to the surface in time. I have an irrational fear of being underwater, so every time I got down there I would completely panic and freak out.

I did make it to the Robotnik battle on that stage a few times, but I always would fall between the slats after hitting him with my jump attack. Eventually I gave up and went to bed with Sonic on the brain. But it was okay. I didn't get pissed or frustrated. I was really good at games and I would have been irritated if I had beaten it on the first night.

Time passed, and the more I played the game, the better and better I got. I can't tell you how long it took me before I beat it, but it wasn't long. Being my only Genesis game, I explored every nook and cranny of Sonic 2 and completely mastered the crap out of it.

The only thing that eluded me was mastery of the half pipe bonus stages. I didn't know what would happen if I collected all the Chaos Emeralds. I had played the original Sonic on my friends' Genesis and could never come close to getting all of them. But this was my baby and I was bound and determined to make it happen.

I quickly ascertained that there was simply no way to get enough rings needed by playing just as Sonic or Tails. As much as I hated Tails, and as much as he would always get hit and completely flub up my game, I needed him to get those extra rings that you couldn't get with one player alone.

I tried. I played. I persevered. There were many controller throwing moments and shouted curses of agony and despair, but eventually I did it. And the result of getting all those Chaos Emeralds completely blew my mind. I'm just playing the game, minding my own business. Hoping for an added little scene after the credits rolled. But no. I make a jump and just happen to hit the jump button in mid air. And holy crap, the music changes and I become a much faster, much more yellow, and much more damage resistant version of Sonic.

I felt like a complete badass. I already loved the game to death, but this had given it an all new depth. And the fact that it was such a difficult thing to accomplish made it even sweeter.

It wasn't long before Sonic 3 came out and Sonic 2 started collecting dust. Then Sonic & Knuckles came out, which wasn't as good. But that game let me explore the world of Sonic 2 in a new way. True, playing as Knuckles doesn't really add a whole to the game. But it did breathe some life into an old game that I hadn't played in a long time. That lock on technology is outdated now, but it was genius for its time.

Now, over 20 years since I first laid my hands on the game - I can still appreciate just how great Sonic 2 really is. It isn't as challenging as the first Sonic game. The levels are much shorter, and there are only two stages per level. Most of these stages I am able to complete in about 2 minutes. I think the boss battles are a lot easier too.

But it just has that unmistakable fun factor going for it. The whole game is just so well made. It is bright, it is colorful. The music and sound effects were (and still are) top notch. Many tweaks have been made to the original Sonic which have made the game even better. Most noticeably, the spin dash has been added. Hold down and hit the jump button, and you can rev Sonic up for a super handy burst of speed. The spin dash has been a staple of every Sonic game since. I don't know how Sonic 1 got along without it!

The stages are the best thing about the game. They are all so well designed. There are secrets everywhere. Multiple paths you can take to the end. Everything is so pretty to look at and just sucks you right in. My favorite stages are probably the Casino Night and the Wing Fortress.

Funny side story - my mom, who never ever played video games, used to love Sonic 2. She came into my room one day when I was nearing the end of the game and asked to give it a try. I was on my last life and farther than I had ever made it before. But this was unprecedented. My mom, wanting to play a video game? I handed the controller off and she immediately proceeded to walk right past some rings and into the clutches of an enemy, killing me instantly and sending me back to the beginning of the game. I was mildly irritated, but amused at the same time.

But mom would go on to play this game when I was at school, and she actually became pretty good at it. She never beat the game, but she could make it to the final boss of the Wing Fortress, which we jokingly called the Living Fortress because the font of the game makes the W look like an LIV.

So I have some pretty fond memories of the game. Even without the memories, I would still love this game. Sonic 2 was a separate entity from the original Sonic game. It made some improvements to it. Added a new character. It was just a lot more fun. Every Sonic game after Sonic 2 didn't do much to improve the Sonic Formula. Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and whatever else is out there are just more of the same.

Sonic 2 was the last great, truly original game in the series.

I own this game as part of the Sonic Mega Collection for the Gamecube. Imagine, me playing a Sonic game on a Nintendo console. How times have changed...

But a perk of this is that the disc contains nearly every old Sonic game in the Genesis era. One of these games is "Knuckles in Sonic 2" which is the exact same game as Sonic 2, but it allows you to play as Knuckles. This is how I played the game this time around. I wanted to play it twice, once with Knuckles and once with Sonic and Tails. But it is the exact same game. No point in playing Mario 2 multiple times with each of the characters, right? It is still the same game.

Playing with Knuckles doesn't cheapen the experience either. Sure you could be a wimp and climb all the walls as a shortcut and glide over almost the whole stage. But that's cheap. I equate that to picking the Princess in Mario 2 and just jumping and hovering past everything. You don't really get to play the game that way. Sure, I took advantage of his extra powers a few times, but take in to account that he doesn't jump nearly as high as Sonic. It all evens out in the end.

It will probably be a while before I pick up Sonic 2 again. If I had to make a list of the top 5 games that were influential to me as a gamer, this would definitely be on it. I have played and explored this game so many times, inside and out. 20 plus years since the game came out, and I can still finish it with 10 plus lives and multiple continues, rarely dying the whole way through. The only thing I struggle with is getting all the Chaos Emeralds, but I consider those a luxury.

This is truly a remarkable game and an all time classic. The only things I could knock it for would be its length and its lack of replay value. Those are the only things keeping it from a perfect score for me. But really, I am just nitpicking. Sonic 2 rules.

Overall:

A

Special Guest Video Game Review: Parasite Eve

Parasite Eve

PlayStation

Special announcement everyone! For the first time ever in the history of this blog, we have a special guest entry. My good friend Jeff (AKA the Almighty Wisk) has recently finished playing Parasite Eve, and really wanted to submit a review.

I actually haven't played Parasite Eve for a few years. When I write a review, I only write them for games I just finished playing. I toyed with the idea of quickly playing through this game so I could post a double review, but I couldn't find the time. So this one is all Wisk.

If and when I beat this game again in the future, I will post a review of my own. And I would like to let you all know that if anyone else out there has a game review they would like to submit - please feel free to do so. The more contributions I get to this page, the merrier.

For now, sit back, kick up your feet, and enjoy the Wisk show.

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Hey guys, Almighty Wisk here stepping in for a guest review of a game since Dan is too lazy to put one out himself. Allow me to sex your eyeballs and use my words to lather you into a creamy goodness of nostalgia and word love.

Survival horror: what is the first thing that comes to mind? Resident Evil, Silent Hill, to some die hard fans Fatal Frame. Playstation, between 1994 and 1999 survival horror was in its prime, the combined gameplay of puzzle, platform, and shooter, something for everyone. I was on this hype train, and I am even now, waiting for something worthy to come along that matches the initial 'on the edge of my seat' feeling I used to have. With that it was time to dive into the tail end of the Playstation era and play the hidden gem Parasite Eve.

Some may have heard of it and some may have not. Parasite Eve is the first game by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) to have a Mature rating, which due to that rating did not get much marketing, which to me is what makes this game an underplayed classic. It wasn;t until 2 years later, (which we all know is 200 years in this industry) that it was ranked number 16 in "Famitsu" magazine's top 100 Playstation games of all time, and in 2010 ranked number 7 in IGN's "top 10 games that need an HD remake" (and I would buy that in a  heartbeat). Some of you may be thinking, "But Wisk, if the game is so great why haven't I heard of it?" This game sold less than a million copies in America. 890,000 to be approximate, and it is still in the hearts and minds of IGN in 2010. What does that tell you?

What makes this game so wonderful?  Let's start from the beginning, as soon as you hit the power button and load up the game, you are treated to a fantastic CGI montage of the game without spoiling anything and an amazing intro theme, and hit the new game button,  you'll be treated to a cutscene of the city of New York.

The game is set in New York, 1998. You play Aya Brea, a rookie NYPD cop who is still wet behind the ears. The first glimpse you see is her at Carnegie Hall with a date. Parasite Eve wastes no time getting things started, after events unfold your first fight is with the games antagonist Melissa/Eve.

The game progresses pretty quick, but lets you take in your surroundings, for Playstation era the graphics are absolutely fantastic, the human models used are realistic, the enemies are creative and disturbing. The cutscenes and CGI effects for the game deliver and they deliver hard. When you get past the opera house and into actual gameplay, the first scene you are treated to is a rat mutating, bones cracking, screaming, the thing growing, the game shows no remorse as to say "you wanted this".

The battle system is a combination RPG, Active Time battle, and free roam. It's extremely unique and easy to learn, if for some reason you are having a rough time, at the title screen has an actual tutorial for how to play the game. With that being said, Parasite Eve is also an RPG, with each battle you gain experience points and level up, but to all non-rpg fans don't worry about "level grinding" you get enough 'exp' in the game without needing to do that so the RPG element does not slow it down at all.

The only overwhelming aspect of the game is the numerous weapons and armor you get, with the limited carry space (the game is supposed to be realistic so I get it). I am a completionist and this kills me that I have to put some stuff back into a chest due to space.  This overwhelming aspect is for the greater good though, because you can modify your weapons and armor with tools throughout the game giving you an option for adding slots to your weapons for extra attacks, added status effects (acid ,slowing, burning, freezing) extra turns, they give a tutorial for it, it's pretty in depth.

The music, it's incredible. It sets an a tone for a game that only Squaresoft can set. Resident Evil and Silent Hill are great, but Squaresoft has always taken pride in the music to set the tone, and it does it well. Yoko Shimomura composed the game's soundtrack including the main theme, "Primal Eyes".  The music is a blend of ppera and electronica, which is hands down, the most unique sound I ever heard in a game. It gives a disturbing ambience that makes you feel like something is wrong, which it obviously is. It is completely original.  On a side note, Yoko Shimomura also is composing work for Kingdom Hearts, so if you are a bit of a music nerd and love Kingdom Hearts music, Parasite Eve is worth a shot.

The negative aspects of this game are the negative aspects of a lot of games like this. The battle system although pretty refreshing, is also a small downfall, the open battle allows for enemies to also move freely. This in turn can land you in some hot water in narrow corridors, you get put in a lot of unfair positions. The enemies can and will corner you at times leaving you to take damage, and with touching the enemies causing minimal damage along with their normal attacks it can be frustrating. With that issue also comes reloading in battle, meant to be realistic, its a minor pain, it stops the battle completely leaving you vulnerable for a good 2 seconds, this can be deadly if you miscounted and you are low on health.

The collision detection with doors and other objects like chests, and sometimes even people is wonky, you can stand in front of a door and completely miss it. An issue I also have is the game is way too short, if you just play the main game you are looking at maybe 10 hours of game play, they fix this with New Game EX mode. New Game EX is a mode you keep all of your weapons in storage, and if you chose to engrave your weapon and armor you have it in your inventory when you start "New Game EX" at the title screen, in this mode you restart the game at level 1, have the engraved weapon and armor you beat the game with, and the enemies are a bit tougher although this isn't noticeable until way later. The Chrysler Building is where this mode is going to wind up if you so choose to get the true ending. With all of this extra gameplay, you are still looking at 15 hours, maybe 20 if you max your stats.

In conclusion, this game still holds up, between gameplay, cinematics, an original story, and a protagonist who's actually likeable. This game forever held a memory in my mind, and with this review I truly hope you give it a shot and let it be a memory in yours. Just...don't spontaneously combust before that happens. Almighty Wisk leaving you now, it was a pleasure.

Overall:

B+