Video Game Review: Beyond Good and Evil HD

Beyond Good and Evil HD

PlayStation 3

When this game was released back in 2003, it opened to generally positive reviews. Sales of the game, however, were abysmal. It had originally been planned to be the opening act of a three part trilogy, but because sales of the game were so poor, these sequels were scrapped. Copies of this game became very hard to find. Everyone who had played the game really liked it, but commercially it was a failure. As a result, Beyond Good and Evil quickly obtained "cult" status.

This cult status intrigued me. I was one of the many gamers who did not play it upon its initial release. But when I saw a used copy of it on sale for the PlayStation 2 back in '07, I scooped it up. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

I actually didn't like the game. I didn't get into the story. I didn't like the characters. The sneaking around game play was weird to me. I thought it was very overrated. However, I have to say that I never really gave the game a chance. I was drunk a lot back then. Like, black out drunk. I was probably only semi coherent half the time when I would play this game. I was obsessed with American Idol back then, and would play the following video over and over again in the background while playing this game:

You don't have to tell me. I know I am weird. So suffice it to say I wasn't really focusing on the game and giving it the legitimate shot that it deserved. I did beat the game, but as far as retaining any information about it other than I didn't like it that much, forget about it.

Years passed. 9 to be exact. The retooled HD version of this game became available on the PlayStation 3 for dirt cheap. I knew that I didn't like the game very much, but I also knew I hadn't given it a proper chance. So I got it.

I will say that I do like the game a lot better the second time around. But as far as all the copious amounts of praise that have been heaped on it over the years - I still think the game is a bit overrated.

The game throws you right into the middle of a complex story with little to no background information. You play as Jade, a journalist from the land of Hillys. As the game progresses, you are able to determine that the land of Hillys is under attack by alien forces. The government is supposed to be protecting the people of Hillys from these attacks, but often show up too late to do anything about the situation.

Armed with your trusty camera and a few butt kicking sidekicks, you embark on a mission to prove that the aliens and the government are in cahoots, and that the government is actually involved in human trafficking that supplies the aliens with live captives for their nefarious purposes. Whatever those purposes may be.

This game is a weird combination of many other games you may or may not have played. The overworld contains a large amount of pearls, which are collectibles akin to the stars in Super Mario 64. The pearls are used as currency which you use to upgrade your equipment in order to advance the game's story.

Also, Jade is paid to take pictures of animals for research. Along your path you are constantly stopping to take pictures of the wildlife before continuing on in your journey. This reminds me a little of Pokemon Snap. Stealth is preferable to outright combat in this game, ala Metal Gear Solid. On the occasions when you are forced to fight, battles play out a little bit like Zelda. The camera locks on to your nearest enemy, and Jade wields a staff to fight them off.

The game also features RPG like character interaction, where you can walk around and talk to people. Buy things. Gamble and play mini games. Transportation through Hillys is done mainly over the water, where you pilot a boat. Grand Theft Auto on water comes to mind here. You can't steal anything, but you can get in trouble and you can destroy civilians. There are races.

It is really hard to categorize the game because there is such variety in its styles. And therin lies a little bit of the problem for me. It does a lot of these different play styles "pretty good". But excellent? Hmmm....

I think the main draw of the game is supposed to be its story line. The conspiracy/human trafficking plot is fairly interesting. I am sure in its day, this was considered a super amazing and original story. But now, meh. Almost every game that comes out has a better story than this. It doesn't help that the game does a poor job of setting things up. It just expects you to know what is going on.

Where is Hillys? Who are the Dom-Z? Why are there people people but then are pig people and shark people as well? What is going on???

The game is a little goofy. If I had to compare its basic visual presentation to a movie, I guess it would be the 5th Element. I know that a lot of people like the 5th Element, so if you think this sounds good - more power to you! I, though, was not a big fan.

I really wanted to like the story line, but I didn't get too excited about it. That means that the action and the game play had to carry the title for me. It... kind of did. As I say, the game does a lot of things pretty good, but never excellent.

I was bored a lot of the time. Not only by the story, but by the mazes and dungeons in the game as well. I would get stuck in them a lot, only to have to look up the solution online. And then I'd see that the solution would be some incredibly odd, obscure action that you never would have thought to do in a million years. And this is just in the dungeons. In the overworld, there were more than a few occasions where I didn't know what to do or where to go next.

The fighting didn't interest me, the sneaking around was very tedious and trial and error based. As I said, the puzzles and a lot of their solutions were very vague. I actually found my favorite part of the game to be its photography aspect, which I never would have seen coming beforehand. That, and simply exploring Hillys in the boat and looking for pearls.

The game never excited me at any one time. It was all just kind of... eh. I like the ambition of the title. I like how they tried to do something different here. I really do. It just didn't quite come together for me. I wasn't feeling it.

Not to say I hated the game or that I would dissuade you from playing it. Different strokes for different folks. This game has a big cult following for a reason. I can see why people would like it.

Sure the game doesn't do a good job introducing you to the story line. But with a little digging and dedication things become cleared up pretty quickly.

The world of the game is stunning. Graphically, everything looks really good. In fact, I didn't notice much difference in the HD version from the original PS2 version I played almost ten years ago. So the game does withstand the test of time. The world of Hillys is super detailed, full of all kinds of colorful, interesting characters. The atmospheric effects like the rippling water, the luminescent cave crystals, the red glow of security beams, all add to the game's very, very immersive universe.

The game's voice acting and musical score are top notch as well. Put out the lights, pop on some headphones, and totally lose yourself in this game.

Massive props to Ubisoft for creating such an amazing looking and sounding world.

But pretty graphics, fun characters, and a nice highly detailed game world weren't quite enough to win me over. When it comes down to it, I play a game because I want to be entertained and I want to have fun. I wasn't having a whole lot of fun here. The whole game just seems a little too dour story wise, and its multiple game play modes uninspired. If it had just picked a genre, stuck to it, and excelled at that genre, I might have really liked it.

Instead I think the game tried to do too much and fell on its face a bit.

Also, the game is very short. I played it sparingly off and on and still finished it in a week or two. And that was with getting stuck a bunch of times and having to look online for help. A dedicated player could probably beat this in a couple of sittings.

I know it sounds like I am being unfairly harsh on this game. I can't lie that expectations didn't play a role here. I wanted so much to love it! I had heard so many good things about it. I know that I didn't give it a proper chance back in '07. But maybe there was a reason for that. I didn't really think the game was that good back then either.

Which is really too bad. I know this game has a big following and I wanted to be swept up in the following and rant and rave about the injustices of the series being cancelled online. But instead, I find myself nodding my head, glad it ended when it did.

The game does a lot of things right, and I know that there are a lot of people out there that really like the game. And I can acknowledge the things the game does right. Unfortunately, I play games to have fun and this one was seriously lacking in the fun department for me. It's not like the game is poorly made or is crap or anything, I just couldn't get into it.

In break up terms - it's not you Beyond Good and Evil. It's me.

Considering I didn't like the game a whole lot, this grade seems a little generous. But I do have to take into account the high quality of the game, and the fact that I didn't have a bad time playing it. Just not a particularly good one.

Overall:

C-

Ultimate TV show rotation review

This is going to be a little different from past blog entries. Usually when I write about my TV rotation, I will watch one episode of every show in my current rotation, and then write up a little synopsis or review of the episode and throw in some thoughts on the show in general. I do this over the course of one weekend.

Same basic idea here, but I am upping the ante and making this blog entry more grand in scope. Some shows fall out of my rotation from time to time - but I always come back to them later. For example: Mad Men. I finished with season one and set the show to the side for a little while. I am waiting to burn through a couple more shows before I come back to Mad Men and put it back in the rotation. Normally when I write a blog entry about my rotation, I would skip over Mad Men since I am on break from it.

But as mentioned, this blog entry will be different. This was written over the course of two or three weeks, as opposed to a single weekend. I watched one episode of every show in and out of my current rotation. We will again use Mad Men as our example. Although it has been set aside and I haven't watched an episode in over a month - I WILL watch an episode of it and review it here as part of this blog entry. No shows will be skipped over, even if I am on break from that show. Of course, if there are no new episodes available (like Orange is the New Black) it gets a free pass.

Usually my blog entries only talk about 15 to 20 shows, but because I am including EVERYTHING (even shows that I am on break from), the number is going to be a lot bigger. I am doing this because by the time you read this post, I will have completed my annual movie ranking blog entries from 2015. This is kind of like a side project to keep myself occupied while I do that.

I am going to begin now, and I am going to start with:

Season 3

Episode 15

"Overlords"

I have been caught up in all the Star Wars mania in the air recently, with the new movie coming out and all that. This has never been my favorite show in the world, but I have been digging it lately - likely because of said Star Wars mania. I have to be in the mood to enjoy things, and being in a Star Wars mood has definitely helped me enjoy this show in recent weeks. Here is to hoping this episode doesn't suck and keeps that Star Wars loving fire burning inside me.

*watches episode*

All right: I lied.

I didn't just watch one episode, I watched three. I had planned to only watch one, but then I saw that this was a to be continued three-parter. So I watched all three. A lot of episodes of this show are like this, where an episode ends and then immediately continues in the next episode. I don't watch this show very often, so many times weeks pass between me viewing part one of a two part episode and then the second part. I forget what the episode is about and I don't get into it as much as I could or should.

So I decided to watch all three one after the other and treat it as one episode. It helped to keep me interested in the story line of the show, as well as if I do this it keep the show moving along at a faster clip. I think I'll do this every time I see a multi-part story arc coming up on this series.

The episode itself is pretty good. It didn't advance the overall plot of the show, but it was a nice little side diversion. In the episode Anakin, Obi-Wan and Asohka arrive at the location a distress call is coming in from. A large vessel looms in front of them, and before they know it - they have blacked out. The trio awakens on a bizarre planet occupied by a family of three Force strong aliens.

The daughter represents the light side of the Force. The son the dark side. The father acts as an in-between. The father wants Anakin to step in as the "chosen one" and take over the father's job of mediator. The children are so strong in the Force that their power must be contained so that no one can take advantage of them.

A lot of things happen in these three episodes, but one of the main plot points is that the son attempts to turn Anakin to the dark side. He shows him his future if he doesn't change his current path in life. This future includes killing Padme, destroying Alderaan, and turning into Darth Vader. That scene was pretty cool, I have to admit as a rabid Star Wars fan. In the end, the three Force strong beings die and Anakin has those memories erased from his mind.

The three Jedi awaken on their shuttle, and quickly realize that no time has passed in the "real world". Did all that really happen? Were the three Force strong aliens real? Did they represent variations in the Force? We don't really get any answers - so I guess it is up to us to decide. Or maybe it is explained in a future episode.

Despite the let down of an ending to this three episode arc, I enjoyed it a lot. This is a fun show, certainly better than the prequel movies. Maybe it didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I still had a good time.

On a side note, I thought it was funny how almost no one from the movies lends their voice to this show - yet somehow the show makers got Liam Neeson to come back as Qui-Gonn for his apparition scenes. Lol.

Season 1

Episode 6

"Freakin' Whack-a-Mole"

This show isn't even really supposed to be in my rotation. I was going to put it off as long as possible so that I could time my viewing with the arrival of season 2 on Netflix. But I liked the pilot episode so much that I couldn't help but continue watching. Screw waiting. The show has been really good, really addicting - especially in the last few episodes. It is well acted, there is a lot going on, and the show does everything right to get someone with a short attention span like me engaged in the plot line. Normally I watch an episode of a show and I am good for a while, but when I finish with an episode of this show, I immediately am like "OMG I must know what happens next!!!"

This probably won't be in my rotation long, as it is a relatively short show and there is only one season on Netflix. It is going to be a long wait for season 2, but I will worry about that later. For now I am just going to sit back and enjoy it.

*watches episode*

Once again, this show has impressed me with another solid episode. For those who don't watch the show, How to Get Away With Murder is about a group of law students who work cases with their teacher. The show follows a formula. There is an over arcing story line where the students and their teacher are trying to solve a murder that took place on campus. Also are "cases of the week" where other cases are worked on and solved at the same time. Most interestingly are flash forward scenes to the future - where a murder is being covered up by the students.

The main focus of the show is on the campus murder arc - and the events leading up to the scenes in the future with the cover up. We know that these two are connected in some way. It is like a puzzle that we get a new piece to each and every episode. Very clever, very well done. But what impresses me with this show is that it doesn't slouch on its "cases of the week". These aren't treated as secondary at all, and are often quite interesting. In this episode, the team works on a case to free a man who they believe was falsely put on death row 20 years ago. Without giving away too much, the result of this case brought a tear to my eye. And I am not someone who cries often.

I love this show. Love it, love it. I can't wait to watch more. If you aren't watching it, you should be.

Season 1

Episode 7

"The Small Blade: Battle of Trost District, Part 3"

That's a mouthful of an episode title, eh?

Attack on Titan is a show I have actually seen before. I like to have a show in my rotation that I have seen and I know I am going to like. That way if I am not feeling anything else in my rotation, I have something to fall back on.

I watched this show about 2 years ago, and I am STILL waiting for season 2. Hurry up already! But I know it is coming soon in 2016, so I figured I would go back and start from the beginning again to brush up on what has happened before season 2 begins. This is a show where you really have to pay attention. There are a lot of characters, a lot of small visual hints and clues. Things you may not pick up on when watching just once. So I figured I'd watch it again!

This is about a group of humans trapped inside a walled city. Outside the city walls lie Titans, mysterious giant cannibalistic creatures that eat anyone they come into contact with. After hundreds of years of living inside this walled city, strange events have occurred that have breached the wall and allowed the Titans in. This is a great show. Don't let the fact that it is an anime scare you off. I wasn't big on anime before I watched this - yet it quickly developed into one of my favorite shows. It is intense, bloody, filled with mysteries, and the Titans are creepy as fuck.

This episode picks up in the middle of a battle where the last episode left off. The main character, Eren, was seemingly killed and eaten by a Titan.

*watches episode*

The Titans have breached the wall, and this episode focuses mainly on the surviving troops that are looking to retreat behind the next wall to safety. Eren is dead, and Mikasa and Armin have very different reactions in the middle of this war zone. Armin wants to give up - while Mikasa takes charge. The group heads to a supply depot to recharge the fuel in their mobile attack suits or whatever they are called. Everyone is shocked when Mikasa is saved by a rampaging Titan that attacks other Titans - something no one has ever seen happen in recorded history.

Each episode of this show is really short. It is a continuing story line though, so the entire run of the show is basically one giant episode comprised of a bunch of really short episodes.

This was a decent episode and I really like the show, but there was nothing too special about this one. The big shock of the series came in the last episode with Eren dying. While the rampaging Titan attacking other Titans was a big development - not much else happened of note here. Just a lot of crying and reacting to Eren's death.

It may not have been my favorite episode, but it was still critical to the advancement of the show's story line. So I still liked it.

Season 8

Episode 4

"Charlie and Dee Find Love"

This show is a good match for me because it is so short. I am not a big comedy fan and I can usually only take it in small doses. Each season of this show is in the area of 10 to 15 episodes long. Each episode is only about 20 minutes long. So it goes by pretty quickly.

Not only is it a perfect length for me, it is also my kind of humor. I like crude and somewhat inappropriate non PC behavior. This show gets away with a lot of things that other shows would fall under criticism for. And I admire it for that.

*watches episode"

In this episode, Charlie and Dee fall in love with a rich brother/sister combo after being rear ended by them in a car accident. The brother only pretends to be friends with the gang so he can mock them with his friends. Dee makes a fool of herself falling all over him. The sister however, legitimately likes Charlie. When the brother's lies are exposed, Charlie dumps the sister on the side of the road in favor of the waitress.

It was a good episode, and very something this show would do. It is an interesting comparison - seeing the wild and out of control main characters interact with the upper class. We wanted to think that this pairing would legit work out somehow, but in the end, of course, it didn't.

This isn't my favorite series in the universe, but as far as comedies go, it is something I like to watch from time to time. As I said before, it is the perfect short length for me, and each episode has at least one moment where I actually laugh out loud (which doesn't happen with me much... I am not a laugher). So it has that going for it.

Season 3

Episode 1

"White Christmas"

I am very excited to see this show back on Netflix, even if it is only one new episode. If you have never seen Black Mirror, it is an anthology show about the future, and bad things that could happen with technology if our society was to continue along its current path.

I think the show is pretty much complete. I may be wrong, but I have heard that Netflix may pick it up at some point and release new episodes. For now, all we get is this special Christmas episode, which was released over a year ago. Way to take your sweet time putting it on streaming! I'll take it, though. I'll take any and all Black Mirror I can get my hands on.

Let's just hope my expectations for this aren't too high.

*watches episode*

OMG I missed this show so much. I didn't even realize how much until I started watching. It felt like coming home again after a long vacation. As soon as it started up I was like "yeah that's the shit." This is such a good show. And it has such a distinctive feel to it too. I love it.

The episode is about two men who are working alone together on some sort of job where they are separated from humanity. The first thing that came to mind was the bunker from Lost. But what this job is we never find out.

The two begin talking and they tell stories about their past. They all involve different technology. A man who is coached remotely to go into a bar and pick up a woman. The ability to block people in real life. Creating a virtual copy of your consciousness to run your life. Weird stuff. Anyway, all these stories tie together, and the show ends in a pretty darned brilliant twist. It is really dark, really awesome.

Well worth the wait. I really hope this show is picked up because I like it a lot. Watch this if you already haven't.

Season 1

Episode 3

"Mr. Denton on Doomsday"

I've been watching this show for over a year now. Maybe even 2 years. No, it hasn't taken me that long to watch 2 episodes. I actually started with season 2 because season 1 doesn't play the classic Twilight Zone theme song at the beginning of each episode, and it didn't feel like the Twilight Zone to me without it. Now I have finished with season 2 and have come back to watch season 1 in its entirety.

This is a classic show, no doubt about it. I have seen some really solid episodes so far. That said, I have seen my fair share of clunkers too. That's why I am never really excited to watch this and why it is taking me so long to work my way through it. I never know what I am going to get.

Let's see what episode 3 of the very first season has in store for us.

*watches episode*

I wasn't too crazy about this episode. It wasn't a complete miss, but it wasn't anything sensational either. And I could swear I have seen this one before, but Netflix says I haven't. Hmmm....

This one is set in the old West. The main character is a drunk named, you guessed it, Mr Denton. He is famous because in his hey day, he was one of the best shots out there. However his shot has since abandoned him.

After getting tormented by some town bullies, he passes out and wakes up hours later. A gun has mysteriously been placed beside him in his sleep. He discovers that his shot has returned. After giving the bullies who were being mean to him a little revenge, he loses his ability to shoot straight once again. He is challenged to a duel and begins to fret.

A mysterious traveler arrives and gives him a potion that allows him to regain his shot for 10 seconds after he drinks it. When he arrives to the duel, he sees that his opponent has taken the same potion. The duel turns out a draw, and the episode ends. What the point of this episode was, I have no clue. It was an okay episode for the most part, but the Twilight Zone usually offers some kind of moral lesson. Or at least the episode would makes sense in some way or "have a point".

This one didn't.

Meh.

Season 2

Episode 9

"Until You're Blue"

I am so glad I stumbled upon this show. It has become a favorite in my rotation. I am sad to see that I am already almost through it. I have just one more episode after this, and then I have to wait until season 3 comes to Netflix. Lame!

Last I remember, there was discussion whether or not Daniel should take the plea deal or continue with his claim of innocence. I still don't know who committed the original crime. And I still have doubts about Daniel. I am really curious to see the direction this show goes. It's a slow build, but I have a feeling it is going to be well worth it. It is going to be a long wait for season 3.

*watches episode*

This is a show that rarely ever lets me down, and this episode was no exception. I thought it was very good. A ton of stuff happens here, mostly revolving around Tawney. The episode starts off with Tawney at the doctor's office... receiving news that she has lost her baby. Meanwhile, Daniel learns that if he pushes his innocence, he will win his case. But he won't be allowed back home anymore.

Tawney tells Teddy about her losing the baby, and he flips out on her and accuses her of not wanting the baby to begin with. He says she is in love with Daniel and now with the baby gone she is free to pursue him. She leaves and gets drunk in a hotel... and calls Daniel to come join her. The episode ends with the two dancing amid high levels of sexual tension.

Will they do it, or will they not do it? We shall see. Anyway, glad to see a lot happen in the episode to push the story into overdrive. Things were stagnating a bit, so they needed a kick in the pants. Can't wait to watch more. I can't believe there is only one episode left and then I have to wait for season 3. Nooo!

Season 1

Episode 6

"Family Secrets"

This isn't my favorite show in the whole wide world, but it does have a lot of great moments. It centers around a young boy in a dysfunctional family. He has a one night stand with a fugitive on the run from the law and this stand produces a baby. The mother is caught and executed for her crimes, leaving this clueless boy to raise the child with the help of his wacky, backwards family.

The show has good characters. The great grandma in particular is my favorite. The humor is crude and inappropriate. I am not a big sitcom person. I don't like laugh tracks. I don't particularly care for who is banging who, and that kind of crap. This is mostly poop jokes and low brow humor. No laugh track. An interesting story arc. Perfect for me.

*watches episode*

This was another fun episode. Like I say, this show isn't mind blowing or anything, but it is always good fun. In this episode, Hope's dad (why can't I remember his name?) receives packages from jail. Belongings from Hope's dead mother.

There are VHS tapes in these packages containing videos from prison intended for Hope when she gets older. In these videos, the mom sets a bad example with her terrible behavior and unsettling life tips. This is when we find out that Hope's dad's mom (I really need to watch this more so I can start remembering names!) has been keeping secrets from him. The main secret being what happened to her mother, who supposedly died years and years ago.

Hope's father, Jimmy (I just cheated and looked it up), digs into the past to find out what happened to his grandma. He finds out that she abandoned the family to devote herself to a swinger lifestyle. Yikes!

This was your typical Raising Hope episode. Shock value. Jokes made in poor taste. Jimmy playing the unassuming fool. But none of these are bad things. The style of humor is right up my alley. And the show has heart too. A heart built on the foundation of its strong characters and well fleshed out story line. This show has an uncanny ability to make you laugh, gross you out, repulse you, and care for these people all in the same breath.

Season 1 

Episode 12

"We Are Grounders: Part 1"

This is the first of the two part season one finale. I am probably only going to watch part one and leave part two for later, just cause I like this show and want to take my time with it. This show is about a group of 100 young adults who are all criminals. Humanity lives above the Earth, which has been rendered uninhabitable by nuclear warfare. With power on this space ship failing, the kids - who are seen as expendable because they are criminals - are sent down as an experiment to see if Earth is livable yet.

The last episode left them at war with a faction of "grounders", people who somehow survived the nuclear war and now live free on the planet's surface. There is a lot of other stuff going on too, but I am not going to recap it all.

I must say though, I really enjoy this show. I thought it was going to be stupid like Twilight or some of these other questionable YA shows, books, and movies out there. But I like it a lot and am very excited to see where the show is going to go. I have even begun reading the books too. And although the show is a COMPLETELY different entity from the books, I like them both in their own ways.

*watches episode*

Yup, it was another solid episode. Lots of drama, lots of action and conflict everywhere you turn. This is one of the more action packed shows in my rotation, and a definite welcome change of pace from a lot of my other shows. Not only is there all kinds of fighting and action, but the show also has a lot of mystery about it too. There are many unanswered questions, a lot of things that keep you guessing and make you want to binge watch episode after episode.

Also, the show's characters really keep it going as well. Everyone has their own unique personality. No one is really a generic stereotype (you could make a case for Jasper I guess, but I still like him). I've even changed my mind on a lot of characters. There were some I didn't like at the beginning, but are now among my favorites. So a lot of them are showing growth and maturity, which is nice to see.

All in all I am very glad I started watching this show. I have one more episode left, then I am done with season one. I may or may not take a break between seasons as I normally do between shows. We shall see. I like this one enough that I may skip the break altogether. I am sure the season will end on a cliffhanger. Luckily I am watching this on Netflix and don't have to wait for season two!

Season 3

Episode 1

"Return of the Guardians of the Galaxy"

It has been a good while since I have seen an episode of this show. There was a long wait for season three to come to Netflix, but now it is here. This was never my favorite cartoon ever. Some of the jokes are lame, and many times the show seems too geared towards little kids. But I like how diverse it is with the characters. Sooo many Marvel characters make guest appearances on this cartoon. The X-Men, the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy... Even many of the villains cross over and make appearances here. It is like the ultimate Marvel mega mix.

Obviously the Guardians of the Galaxy will be appearing here, so I am kind of excited about that. The episode with them last season was good, so I am hoping this one is too. Let's start season three off with a bang!

*watches episode*

This was a decent episode. It has been a while since I've seen this cartoon, and I think I pumped it up in my head as being better than it actually turned out to be. Maybe because the Guardians of the Galaxy were in it?

I actually preferred the season 2 episode with the Guardians to this one, unfortunately. Nearly the whole episode is one big battle that takes place on Earth. Bad guys are trying to take Alpha's helmet, which contains some kind of special locked away power, and the Guardians along with Spider Man are out to stop them.

Highlight of the episode for me: Groot. I don't know why I love this guy so much. He only says the same thing every time he speaks, but for some reason it is always funny for me.

He needs his own show.

Season 3

Episode 1

"New Blood"

Yay! I love this show, but it seems like the wait for season 3 to come to Netflix has been a really really long one. Now, it is finally here. Usually I might wait to finish up a few other shows before starting up this season, but hey - this is the Ultimate TV show rotation in review. When I say I am watching everything in my rotation - whether I am on break from the show or not - I mean everything.

It has been so long that I have NO idea where last season left off. I am sure it will come back to me pretty quickly once I start watching.

So I am going to start watching.

*watches episode*

I am very glad to have this show back on my TV, even if this is the final season (or so I have heard).

Despite not remembering where things left off, I got back into the groove relatively quickly. Joe Caroll didn't appear in the episode at all. In fact, the focus of the show seems to have gone from him to Mark - the last surviving member of the murderous family from last season. His brother and his mom are dead, and now with the help of some new followers, he is out to take revenge on Ryan Hardy.

Poor Ryan just can't seem to escape from all the crazy, can't he? Anyway, it was a solid season premiere. It didn't exactly blow me away, nor were there any huge shocking moments which we have come to expect from this show. But it was a good table setter. And I can't help but believe that we haven't seen the last of Joe Caroll.

I can see this taking the place of Rectify when I finish season 2 of that show as the go-to show in my rotation. Very excited to watch more of this and see how it all wraps up.

Season 1

Episode 4

"Unexpected"

This show isn't really a serious contender in my rotation as of yet. I have only watched 3 episodes in the span of about two months. Aside from the pilot episode, I have been kind of meh on everything I have seen so far. I will continue to watch, albeit at a very slow pace. I am very interested in this era of Star Trek, and even if the episodes haven't been very exciting so far, I know I'll start warming to it eventually.

At least, I hope I do.

*watches episode*

Ha, this episode is much better than I thought it would be. For once, I have begun to see the potential that Enterprise has to offer.

I was iffy on the first few episodes of the series. A little dry, not very exciting. I hadn't warmed to the characters yet. But everything changed with this episode. Hopefully the show can keep it up and use this episode as a building block.

Trip Tucker goes over to an alien ship to help repair their engines, and he has a nice time. He meets an alien woman there and visits a holodeck for the first time. When her returns, however, he finds that he is pregnant. The Enterprise heads off to find the alien vessel, only to find that they are riding cloaked in the wake of a Klingon bird of prey.

In a tense stand off, the ship negotiates with the Klingons not to harm the aliens. The aliens are spared, and the baby is taken out of Tucker while the Klingons take the aliens' holodeck technology.

The episode had it all. Mainly it was funny, with Trip's pregnancy and the crew's reaction. But the last part with the Klingons was tense. It also gave us a little insight into some Star Trek history, and we got our first glimpse of the holodeck. The holodeck doesn't exist in the Kirk era, and is a new thing in the Next Generation, so I am interested to see if they explore the history of this device any further.

I enjoyed the episode a lot, and this is a major step forward for the show in my eyes.

Season 4

Episode 1

"Two Swords"

Well, here we go with Game of Thrones season 4. I stopped halfway through the third book to watch season 3. Now I have finished the third book and will watch season 4. I'm trying to read the books and watch the shows in as close a tandem as humanly possible, which you will already know if you have been following this blog at all.

I am excited for this. Of all the seasons of the show, this is the one I can remember the least. This is the season Joffrey dies, and I also seem to remember Oberyn's death being particularly gruesome. There is an epic battle at the wall as well. But that all comes later in the season. What happens in the first episode? I have no idea. I guess I will now find out.

*watches episode*

It was a good episode from what I recall. I am not going to lie, I forgot to do the write up right away, and now it is several days later, lol. So my memory on it isn't great. Oberyn enters the picture and has a handful of scenes. Dany marches on Mereen and sees all the dead slave children pointing the way. Wedding preparations happen. Sansa is offered a chance to escape by Ser Dontos. Jon is forced to answer questions about his time with the wildlings. Theon continues to be tormented by Ramsay Snow. Arya and the Hound come to an inn occupied by Lannister men, and kill them. That scene was pretty awesome, I do remember that.

This is basically all I remember happening. Next time I will remember to do my little write up thingy right away instead of 3 days later. As for the rest of the season, I'm very excited to see the rest of it. I know that the show is about to become very different from the books pretty soon. I don't remember much of this season so it should be fun to watch.

Season 3

Episode 1

"Wait for It"

Here is a show that hasn't been in my rotation for a while now. I started watching this about a year or two ago because I had no comedies in my rotation. I wasn't a huge fan of the show, kinda watched it on and off. There are a few really funny episodes here and there, but for the most part I was kind of lukewarm on the show.

When I finished season 2, I figured that would be a good time to take a break from HIMYM for a while. It has taken a very long time for this show to work its way back in my rotation. It is not officially back yet, but because this is the ULTIMATE TV show rotation blog entry, I am still going to watch an episode.

Unless this episode really blows me away, it is probably going to be put on the back burner once again until a space for a comedy series open up again in my rotation. And with It's Always Sunny and Raising Hope firmly entrenched - that may be a while.

*watches episode*

It is funny how things work out sometimes. Here I am, ready to come in and be like "eh it was okay" and then it turns out I actually really, really liked the episode. I had forgotten how much I liked Barney and his raunchiness. I had forgotten how much more "real" this sitcom is when compared to other shows.

Most of all though I realized how much I had missed the characters. In a weird way it is like this group of friends are my friends too. I don't know how to explain it.

The episode itself was a lot of fun. Last we saw, Robin and Ted had broken up. Now she is back and with a new man in her life, who everyone loves except Ted, who is irritated by him. So he goes out with Barney to find a hook up, and ends up waking up with a butterfly tramp stamp.

It was funny, I enjoyed myself and had a good time. At first I thought this show would have an uphill battle to get back into my rotation, but now I am not so sure about that.

Season 2

Episode 5

"Aftermath"

I do like this show, but I am never in any rush to watch the next episode. Each episode is usually pretty good. There are some that are clunkers, but not many. There are some that are really intense and personal, but those are not very plentiful either. The show mainly falls under the decent but not amazing category.

Each episode is self contained and wraps up by the end of the show. So there aren't really any cliffhangers or continuing stories to speak of, which I think is really hurting this show's stock in my rotation. I can see myself taking a long break when I finish season two of this show, since I am really not that horribly invested in it.

*watches episode*

Every time I start to lose faith in this show, I get a really good episode that renews my interest in it. This was one of those really good ones.

The crew is called in to catch a serial rapist. They discover some clues that link the victims. Ultimately someone who works at a telemarketing company that receives survey information about women is caught. Unfortunately, Elle jumps the gun on the sting and they find him just sitting in a car outside a potential victim's house and he hasn't done anything wrong.

She finds him after he is released and shoots him, claiming self defense.

I liked this one because it showed us some actual character development for once, something that can actually carry over into future episodes. Elle is still scarred from her shooting, and now is starting to act out. There is no evidence to prove that her attack on the rapist wasn't self defense, but you get the feeling this is going to be a big story line in episodes to come.

A plus episode. Let's see more like this one.

Season 4

Episode 1

"Chuck Versus the Anniversary"

I'm on break from this show for the time being, but this blog entry cares nothing for breaks. I am not sure where the last season of Chuck left off but this isn't exactly a tough show to follow. I am sure it will catch us up within minutes of the episode starting.

*watches episode*

Well, this was a decent season premiere episode for Chuck. We were indeed caught up on the events of last season. Chuck - at Ellie's request - is out of the spy game. For now. He is using this time to try to track down his mom, who is also a spy. We know that with 2 seasons of this show left that Chuck isn't going to be out of the game for long. And sure enough, he takes a mission despite his sister's wishes.

Like I said, it was a fun episode. We get to learn a little about Chuck's mom. Chuck and Sarah are officially a couple and that adds an interesting dynamic to the show. The supporting cast continues to shine. And now we have a new Buy More staffed (almost?) exclusively by undercover agents.

Interesting to see Olivia Munn, Aaron Rodgers' girlfriend on the show. I don't think I have ever actually seen her in anything before.

Season 3

Episode 17

"Pusher"

I just keep trucking along with this show. Very, very slowly. But I am making progress.

I don't know what it is about this show that puts me to sleep. I always liked it when I was younger, but for some reason it just doesn't hold my attention anymore. I have mentioned a few times on this blog that I am considering dropping the show from my rotation. I don't know. We will have to see how season three wraps up and if the series can hit on a recurring story line that actually makes me want to binge watch to see what happens next. So far, that hasn't even come close to happening.

*watches episode*

Well, what do you know? This episode put me to sleep, lol. I won't fault the episode too much though. It was late at night and I figured that was going to happen. The episode itself wasn't too bad. It's about a guy who can use his mind to make other people do things for him. His nickname is the Pusher.

Mulder and Scully do some investigating and find out that he has a brain tumor which has allowed him to do these things. There is a good deal of back and forth between the good guys and the bad. He keeps baiting them like he wants to be caught. Finally they do catch up with him and Mulder is able to break his mind control enough to shoot him and put him in a coma.

This wasn't a bad episode, but it wasn't particularly great either. Pretty much what I have come to expect from the X-Files. It wasn't enough to redeem the show in my eyes, but at least it was decent and will not scare me away from watching more of this show in the future.

Season 1

Episode 9

"Homecoming"

I have heard so many great things about this show, but I must say that so far I am not infatuated with it. The show is decent, don't get me wrong. There are some good things about it. I like the characters. Their powers are interesting too. I just don't really know where they are going with all this yet. There is not quite enough of a hook to make me want to continue watching when I finish an episode.

I expected this to be more binge worthy. Isn't season 1 supposed to be the best season?

Oh well, maybe it will get better here.

*watches episode*

This was a decent episode. Again, I don't think it was anything that spectacular. But things actually happened here, so I can not complain. Peter has shown up to "save the cheerleader" despite knowing he is going to die. But with his absorbing abilities, he is able to come back from the dead. Although now he looks guilty as the wrong cheerleader has been killed and he is found bloody at the scene of the crime.

This was the main story line of this episode. Some other smaller events happened with some of the other characters. The blonde chick is looking to get her son back, still. Hiro has gone back in time to save the waitress, although why he has gone so far back we have no idea. Mohinder has found a list of people with powers in his dad's research, and now is headed back to the states. We didn't see anything from the mind reading cop.

This show is juggling a lot of balls, and these balls are all still in the air. But at least it is starting to pick up a little. Maybe now that all these powers have been explored, we can move on to why Sylar is killing gifted people, and who exactly is behind this nuclear strike that is on its way.

Season 4

Episode 17

"The Waters of Mars"

The David Tennant era of Doctor Who is winding down. Even though I am not a terribly huge fan of this series, it still makes a little sad. He's a good Doctor. The Doctor by which all future Doctors will forever be judged. I shall miss him. Just two more episodes to go with him after I finish this one.

But really, I am just hoping for a good episode. The last episode I saw with a bunch of people on a bus going to an alien world sucked, so I would like to wash that taste out of my mouth. This show is sometimes really good, sometimes really bad. Seeing as how this particular episode is an hour and 2 minutes long, I am really, really hoping it is a good one. Otherwise I'm going to be miserable for quite a while.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait that long to get my thoughts on this episode!

*watches episode*

Eh, well. It was pretty much what I expected. It wasn't as dumb as the last episode, but it was nowhere near the best the show has to offer. The Doctor comes to a colony on Mars where the colonists are under attack by creatures in the water that possess them and turn them homicidal. The Doctor has read about this particular event, and knows that this is meant to happen because it triggers a series of events that is beneficial for mankind.

But letting these people die doesn't sit well with him. So after a bunch of running, fighting, and fast talking gobbledegook he finds a way to save the day.

It was just an okay episode, and pretty much sums up my feelings on the show so far. I keep waiting and waiting for it to get better and it doesn't. I don't know why everyone is so nuts about this show. It isn't that good.

I have come to learn that it is being taken off of Netflix on February 1st. I'll probably rush to finish this season of the show, but once it disappears off Netlflix, I am probably going to forget about it for a long time.

Season 21

Episode 9

"Running the Camp"

I'm still on my quest to rewatch every old season of Survivor and I am now up to season 21.

I initially thought that this was a crappy season, since I didn't really remember anything special about it, other than the fact that Jimmy Johnson was a participant. Watching it again, however, I can appreciate it in a new light. There are a lot of good characters and a ton of good drama - most of which has been fueled by Naonka, who is totally awesome.

I didn't like her the first time I saw this season, but now I can appreciate her for the character she is. This season would be totally lame without her. I think the show needs more people like her on it. If I remember correctly, she quits at some point. That would be hilarious if this was the episode where she quit so I can write about it on this blog. I know it has to be coming soon.


*watches episode*

Nope, this was not the episode she quit. But it was still a great episode. Events focused around a reward challenge where the men competed against the women for a feast. The men won - and at the reward devised a plan to scare Naonka into using her idol and then vote for Jane.

Meanwhile. the women all wanted to vote for Marty. Sash and Brenda were the deciding factor, and they decided to vote for Marty in the end. It was a fun episode with a big blow up at Tribal Council. Naonka is amazing and although this wasn't the episode she quit, she still brought a lot of good drama to the table.

Fun season so far. I am impressed. Naonka is a goddess.

Season 1

Episode 1

"Eighteen Years Lost"

I was totally not intending to add a new show to my rotation, but I keep hearing so much about this on social media that my curiosity has gotten the better of me. I only know the bare essentials of what this documentary series is about, but I know it has gotten people all worked up and talking about conspiracies and framing and all that.

I'm very curious to see what all the fuss is about. I am shamed to say I live in Wisconsin and I barely know anything about this case.

*watches episode*

Interesting stuff here. I must say that I can see why people would become so addicted to this series and obsessed with the Avery case. It definitely looks like he was set up to take the fall for this rape. The police ignored obvious signs that it wasn't him and were grossly negligent in their pursuit of the actual perpetrator. And as a result it cost this man 18 years of his life for a crime he didn't commit.

As interesting as all this was, it is only the precursor for his possible murder frame. I can't wait to watch more. Like I had mentioned, I really don't know much about this case and the more I hear about it the more pulled into it I become. Here is to it being as good as people have said. So far, it is off to a strong start.

Season 1

Episode 3

"The Girl Who Waited"

Usually when it takes me a really long time to get through a show that means I don't like it. This is not the case with Wentworth. True, I started watching it almost two months ago and I am only to episode three. But that doesn't mean I dislike the show. Far from it actually. I am mainly just trying to clear a few other shows out of my rotation before I settle in here. Because I know once I get rolling with Wentworth I am not going to want to stop. Now that I will soon be done with Rectify until season three comes to Netflix, and I know I will quickly power through the rest of How to Get Away With Murder and Making a Murderer, it probably won't be long before this show becomes a regular staple in my rotation. For now, though, it is a good thing I am doing this blog because this episode will refresh my memory a little bit about what has been happening on this show.

*watches episode*

Well I have only seen three episodes but this one stands out as probably my favorite so far. This episode dives into Frankie's past. Why she is in jail, her relationship with her father. At the end of the episode I definitely felt like I knew her much better as a character than I had previously.

We see some family visits. Franky confronts her dad, Bea finally gets to see her daughter. But not before she was searched for drugs resulting in the guards contacting her dad back at home. Uh oh, he didn't want his daughter going anywhere near Bea. I assume this problem will be addressed sometime in the near future.

Franky and Jacs are still at odds, and probably will be for the run of this entire series. Things get serious in this episode when Bea is ordered by Jacs to press Frankie's hand in a steam presser. This is definitely NOT just a friendly rivalry, and things are only going to get worse from here.

There are a few other stories going on at the same time too, but I won't go into all of them. Suffice it to say, I am really enjoying this show so far. I probably will continue watching this at a slow rate until I can bump a few other shows out of my rotation, but that doesn't mean I am not liking this show at all.

Season 2

Episode 1

"For Those Who Think Young"

From all the hype I have heard about this show, I expected it to be a little more exciting and addicting. I mean, it is decent show. It takes its time setting things up. It is very character driven. The setting is very true to the time that the show was set in. It's very easy to get lost in this show, even when nothing is really happening.

My only problem is that it is taking a little too long to really get going. Is there a point to this show? Is it just an office/period piece soap opera? I really want to like it. And I am close. But it is just not quite enough for me yet. Here is to hoping they up the ante in season two. This show has a big following for a reason right? I can't imagine the rest of the seasons being as uneventful as season one was.

*watches episode*

Well it was still pretty much a lot of the same old Mad Men. It didn't seem like much eventful happened here. Instead, we simply got to dive into the lives of some of these characters and follow them along for an hour or so.

The show has an undeniable charm, I have to give it that. How often can you find a show out there where there isn't much drama or fighting, not a whole lot happens, yet the show still keeps you interested as you watch it? No other shows like this really come to mind. Never once did I look at the clock or think "is this almost over?" It's like I leave my body and join the characters on the show or something, lol.

There doesn't seem to be a clear route the story line is taking. No end goal in sight. I don't even know if there is an underlying story or if the whole series is simply going to be along the lines of what I have seen already. Does it ever speed up? Is there a climax or a "finish" at the end of the show's run, or does it just end? I don't know. On the surface you would think I'd detest this show or be bored out of my mind, but so far that is not happening.

Season 2

Episode 1

"Last Days of Summer"

Change was in the air at the end of the last season of Friday Night Lights. Coach Taylor was on his way to coach at a college, leaving his pregnant wife and daughter home in Dillon to fend for themselves until his return.

Anything could happen with this show now. Will there be a new coach? If so, how long will he last? Because with four seasons of this show remaining, we know that there is no way Coach Taylor is going to stay away forever.

I'm interested to see the direction this show is going to go. Cause I have no idea what is in store for us viewers.

*watches episode*

Well this was a really solid episode. I've been away from this show for a little while now, and I forgot just how strong the cast of characters is. And the show isn't just all about football, it is about the coach and the people of the town of Dillon.

Things have changed. Landry is now trying out for the football team. Lyla has gone all religious on everyone. Julie is worried her relationship with Matt is going to go the way of her parents, so she starts flirting with a new person. Lots of personal drama, very little in the episode about football.

And I was totally okay with that. Definitely the biggest story of the episode is Tyra's would be rapist returning. Landry defends her and clobbers the guy. It looks like he could be dead. Interesting turn the show took for this second season. But I like it, and really want to watch more now. But I was temporarily on break from this show, and may wait until I can clear out a few other things from my rotation before I come back to this.

Season 2

Episode 12

"The Royale"

A little known fact is that over the last few months I have been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation from the beginning, writing up a blog entry for each and every episode of the series. Once I finish with all seven seasons of the series, I plan to release one blog entry a day until I am finished with the whole show.

I watched season one very, very quickly. But you know me and my short attention span. I've hit a stall out point a little less than halfway through the second season. I still love the show and it is not like I am sick of it or anything. It is just that I have been caught up in other things.

Normally I haven't counted this as a part of my regular show rotation, but seeing as how this is the ULTIMATE show rotation blog, I might as well go ahead and include it. I am going to kill two birds with one stone and write my blog entry for this episode as well and post it here. I will still include it in order whenever it is that I finish with this series and start posting my one episode a day blog entries. So consider this like a free preview....

---

"The Enterprise investigates strange debris in orbit around a nearby planet only to find a piece of a NASA spacecraft emblazoned with the US flag."

If I were to solely base my remembrances of this episode based on its incredibly vague Netflix description, absolutely nothing would come to mind. But I have read a separate preview of this episode in a TNG companion book, and I actually do remember this one. Not very well, I must say. I didn't read the whole thing, so as to avoid spoiling myself before watching the episode and forming my own thoughts and opinions on it.

I recall this being one of those episodes where the crew is transported to another time. Maybe if not actually to another time, but to an alien representation of another time. Don't ask me to explain that. If you are a Trekkie you either get it or you don't. The crew members are gangsters in a casino, maybe, looking to pull off some kind of heist? I'm probably way off base, but this does sound familiar to me. I did see that he companion book didn't really have nice things to say about this episode. But hey, I seem to recall liking it.

Let's get started and watch!

We begin aboard the bridge, as usual. Riker has received a message from a Klingon vessel about unusual debris being found in the orbit of a distant planet, so naturally the Enterprise comes to investigate it. Riker comes to Picard's ready room to inform him of the situation only to find the good Captain in a reflective mood, talking about puzzles and problems that have difficult solutions. Foreshadowing for the difficulties in this episode perhaps?

A piece of wreckage is beamed aboard, and the crew finds that it contains *gasp* an image of the NASA logo. Totally didn't see that coming. Man, the person who writes the episode descriptions is seriously slacking at their job.

Anyway, the crew detects a "pocket" of livable, breathable atmosphere located around a structure on the surface of this otherwise very inhospitable world. Riker, Worf, and Data beam down to investigate. They find a void untouched by the raging storms of the planet, and in this void an old fashioned revolving door that leads into... mystery!

When they enter the door, all communication with the ship is cut off. They find themselves in a casino (called it!) and begin their investigation. Although the place is packed to the gills with people, tricorder scans show that there is no sign of life forms among them. Curiouser and curiouser.

Aboard the Enterprise, Picard is concerned because he has lost touch with his away team. And there seems to be no sign of outside communication jamming. Troi is able to sense that the team is still alive. Not only alive, but amused at something.

Back to the casino (the Royale). Data dons a cowboy hat and joins a game of blackjack, where he promptly proceeds to destroy his competition with a rare "five card Charlie" move. Most notable thing about this scene is definitely the cowboy hat. I actually recognized it from this gif I have seen floating around on the internet.

I always wondered which episode this came from. Now I know.

Back to the recap.

Riker decides it is time to head back to the ship, so he leads the team through the revolving doors... back into the casino. That's right, they are stuck in the casino and not allowed to exit. Can't say I didn't see that coming. To top it off, they can't seem to communicate with any of the people in the Royale anymore. It is as if they don't exist to them. Worf attempts to blast his way out with a phaser, but the plan does not work.

Back on the Enterprise, Picard and Laforge continue to work out a way to get back in contact with the away team. Troi senses Riker's sense of frustration down below, and this adds some extra urgency to the Captain's efforts. He manages to get a communication through to Riker, but the frequency is so unstable it cuts out before he can get a full grasp of the situation on the planet.

Data detects a trace of human DNA in one of the floors above them in the casino, so the team takes an elevator to investigate. In one of the rooms they discover the body of the lone member of the NASA shuttle. At his side is a journal and a copy of the book "Hotel Royale." In the journal entry, we discover that the man believed that aliens had hijacked his shuttle. In an effort to make him feel more at home, they created the world of the Royale for him out of the book, believing that this was the style of life he was most familiar with.

The away team still can not find a way to escape, and now they find that one of the final parts of the novel, where a bell boy is shot and killed, is coming to life in front of them. Realizing that whatever happens in the book happens in the alien simulation, the crew reads the end of the book. The ending reveals that "foreign investors" buy the casino and leave it in the hands of the manager. This is how they will escape. They will become the foreign investors, buy the casino, and leave it to the manager. And walk out the door.

But first, they need the money. Data makes a killing while gambling and earns the money, plus a little extra to hand out to the bystanders at the casino. The book did say that the foreign investors were flamboyantly generous, after all.

The plan works, and the away team is allowed to leave through the revolving doors and return to the Enterprise.

Riker has one last chat with the Captain before the show ends, mirroring the conversation they had at the beginning of the episode. How could the NASA shuttle get that far out on its own? What happened to the rest of the crew? Perhaps it is a puzzle with a solution they will never find out. And you know what? I am totally okay with that ending.

I really liked this one. I don't know why the recap I skimmed over had negative things to say about it. I had a good time. It is everything I love about Star Trek. Humor, a good mystery, the show's characters forced to adapt to an unusual situation.

I was into it. There have been a few episodes of this show that have been dull or so-so in quality. This episode was anything but dull. It was fun and the sense of adventure was a palpable thing here.

Two thumbs up from me.

Season 2

Episode 18

"Killed by Death"

This is definitely one of my least favorite shows in my rotation, and I have considered dropping it on several occasions. I may still do so, but I am at least going to stick it through the end of the season and see if it gets any better. Supposedly, it was supposed to have gotten better by now. If this is the best the show has to offer, then I guess the show isn't for me. If I do drop it out of my rotation, maybe... maybe I will resume it someday when I have burned through everything else I am currently watching.

I don't necessarily dislike the show. It has its moments. But I feel like I am wasting my time watching it when I'm really not that into it. Life's too short to watch shit you don't really care too much about. But hey, Buffy has five episodes to turn things around for me. And the first of those five episodes starts now.

*watches episode*

You know, I actually liked this episode. It is easy for me to lose touch with Buffy when I let 2 months go between watching episodes. But as soon as I started watching this, it just felt comfortable for me. I like the characters. It's only season 2 and already a lot of them, like Cordelia, have changed. Xander, Willow, and Giles are all strong supporting characters. I like the Angel is evil story line.

This is a good show, and I am now reconsidering dropping it. It is funny how one good episode goes such a long way for me. Anyway, this episode centered around Buffy, hospitalized after an injury obtained while fighting with Angel. She sees weird things at night in the hospital. There is a creature killing kids, that only kids can see. And he is one ugly motherfucker.

No one believes Buffy since she hates hospitals and was previously wigging out trying to escape. But of course, she is right and defeats the monster and saves the day. There is more to the episode, but that is just your basic generic recap. The point is, I liked it and had fun.

For now, it has redeemed itself in my mind. If the next episode sucks, I will probably go back to hating it again.





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Well, there we go. 26 shows I watched, which was a pretty exhausting task. I tried to get one episode from each show inside and outside my rotation, and I think I did it. If I missed anything, well too bad.

I know that Hannibal isn't on the list. I am waiting for season 3 to come out, and I still don't have my hands on it yet. I think its out, I just haven't been looking for it. I haven't forgotten about it, don't worry. But that's really the only glaring omission that I can think of.

I'll probably go back to my normal rotation blog next time I do one of these. Which means I won't watch episodes from shows that I am currently on break from.

Hope you thought this was interesting.

2015 Movie Ranking: #10 to #1

#10

This is the movie that everyone was hoping for when the Phantom Menace released back in the late 90's. That movie was such a letdown. All the bad acting, stupid action scenes, awful jokes, and just overall cartoony feel of the movie completely wrecked it for nearly everyone who loved the old movies as much as I did. It was so bad.

This film takes Star Wars in a completely different direction and is more of a throwback to the original trilogy. Thank God!

It's dark, the action scenes feel a lot more authentic, the acting is strong and it's just... I don't know how to describe it. Authentic to the Star Wars universe.

This film focuses mainly on new characters, but expect to see more than your fair share of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia. I thought that Luke was supposed to be a big character here, but he only appears for like 20 seconds at the end of the movie. The main focus of the film is on finding Luke, who has gone into hiding after an apprentice of his took up the Dark Side and destroyed everything that he was trying to rebuild.

I will go ahead and say that I am an avid reader of the books that take place after the original movie trilogy. So I kind of had an idea in my mind of what should have happened after those films. However, this movie tosses all of those books out the window and starts over again. At first I wasn't a huge fan of this and it nearly wrecked the movie for me. Luke is supposed to have a Jedi Academy. Han is supposed to be respectable, married to Leia with three kids. The New Republic is supposed to be in charge, and the Empire is supposed to be just a few remaining factions squabbling over scraps.

In this movie, the happily ever after isn't quite so happily. Han and Leia are separated. Their child has turned to the dark side and has taken up Darth Vader's work. One thing that majorly bugged me was how we don't really get a good grasp of the political situation of the galaxy. Is the New Republic running the show? Who is this First Order? Are they remnants of the Empire? Are they something different? It's never really explained to us what the Resistance is either and how it relates to the New Republic.

All these things bothered me. Plus I thought the plot was a little too reminiscent of A New Hope. Really, hiding something in a droid and setting it loose in the desert? Come on.

Despite all of this though, I really liked the movie. The characters are great, new and old. It was nice to see the returning characters and how they have aged over all the years. Rey is awesome and may be my new favorite Star Wars character.

The movie looks great. The action scenes are all fantastic. Not even close to that cartoony crap in the prequels. The tone of the movie is terrific and reminiscent to the original films. Intense action and a fast paced story line, but just enough humor to keep things light hearted. It is just very engaging as a whole. Even my wife who isn't the world's biggest Star Wars fan really enjoyed this movie.

I don't think I liked the movie as much as I should have, simply because it was SO different from what I expected. I have actually seen it again in 2016 (it was one of the first movies I watched this year) and liked it much, much better the second time around. So expect to see an even better ranking next year, possibly.

As much as I wanted this to be my number one movie of the year, I just couldn't justify that. It is certainly a good movie, but there were a few other films that impacted me on more of an emotional level than this did.

#9

I wasn't really sure what to make of this movie when I first heard of it. I am not really a big fan of either war movies or survival films, and this movie sounded like it was going to be a combination of the two. And it is. But I liked it.

This movie tells the story of an Olympic runner named Louie who enlists to fight in World War II. His plane goes down and he is forced to live on a raft with a couple of injured and dying compatriots. These events in and of themselves could have made up the whole movie. The events leading up to the war, the drama on the raft, that sense of hopelessness in the air. But this is only half of the film. The man is rescued from the raft after an insane 47 days adrift only to be taken captive by the Japanese.

As their captive he is tortured, beaten, and generally made miserable for several years. What a tough life! Eventually the war ends, and he is able to come back home. The reunion at the end is such a great moment. It brought a tear to my eye.

This movie is based on a true story too, and it was interesting to see pictures of the actual people involved in this story. I am usually not a special features guy, but I watched them all for this film. Seeing Louie as an old man talk about what he went through really made me admire his spirit. Any other person would have went through what he did, and it would have broken them. But he didn't let it ruin him. I guess that is where the name Unbroken comes in.

Great movie. Beautifully filmed, very inspirational. One of my favorites that I watched in 2015.

#8

When I first heard about this movie, I was intrigued by its concept. Shot over the span of 12 years, Boyhood follows the life of a young boy as he grows into a man. The film uses the same actors and actresses over these 12 years, and we actually see them age as the movie progresses.

If you are looking for a big exciting plot or mysterious twists, this is not the movie for you. Instead, this movie is just simply about the ups and downs of life. The boy comes from a splintered family where the parents are spearated. The mom moves on to a series of bad marriages while the hard partying dad eventually settles down and becomes very responsible.

All throughout this movie we see things through the boy's perspective. He goes through many phases in his young life, and he is forced to adapt and react to all of these things happening to him and around him.  As I said, this isn't necessarily the most exciting movie out there. It's more interesting than anything. And I particularly was interested in this movie because a lot of the same situations this young boy found himself in, I myself went through as a child as well.

Even though it is very long (nearly 3 hours, if I recall correctly) the movie never seems too long or too boring. In fact, it pretty much flew by for me. 

This movie may not be for everyone. I am sure there are some people out there that thought it was too long or too uneventful. But I am not one of those people.

#7

Of all the movies I watched last year that made the top ten, this is probably the one that nobody saw coming. I had never even heard of this movie until it popped up on my list of Netflix recommendations. The description talked about the world ending and a man on his quest for redemption before he died, or something of that nature. I thought it sounded interesting and added it to my list. Maybe I would watch it. Maybe not.

I am very, very glad I did. The premise of the movie is that the world is about to end. In fact, there is less than a day before a tremendous blast of heat put off by the sun or something (I forget the exact cause) scorches the entire planet and kills everyone. 

As expected, the world loses its mind. People start rioting, killing, looting, raping, doing whatever the hell they please. The world is going to end, why bother conforming to the rules of society anymore? A man decides to leave behind the woman he loves so he can go get fucked up and go out partying. On his way to the party to end all parties (literally) he sees a little girl being attacked and nearly raped. He saves the day and decides to take this girl under his wing.

Even though the world is going to end he doesn't want her to have to experience that. He mistakenly brings the girl to the party with him, and again has to rescue her when she is drugged by some psycho woman who thinks she is his daughter. 

The man realizes the error of his ways and brings the girl to her house, where it is discovered that her whole family has committed suicide. The girls wants to stay with her family until the end, so the man agrees and leaves her behind. Realizing what is truly important in life, he heads back to his love that he had abandoned and together the two meet their end as the wave of heat swoops in and kills them both.

This is definitely a very dark movie, but the atmosphere it creates is just incredible. Knowing the world is going to end and that the only way this film can end is the death of everyone puts an enormous burden on you as a viewer. The feel of the movie right from the get go is so heavy and depressing that you almost can't stand it. You feel what the characters are feeling. This enormous lump of dread forms in your stomach almost immediately.

I think this film would make a lot of people uncomfortable, but that is why I like it so much. I have never experienced a movie like this before. The emotions it provokes from the viewer are unmatched and unprecedented. Right away I could tell this movie was different and unique. And it definitely proved to be that.

It definitely deserves this high ranking for being one of the most unique, intense, and heavy hearted films I have ever seen. I have never seen a movie quite like this one before, and I don't know if I ever will again.

#6

I am a huge fan of Jurassic Park. I saw the original movie in the theaters when I was a kid. I owned it on VHS, DVD, and now Blu-Ray. I don't know how many times I have seen it in my life. A countless number of times. It has to rank as one of my favorite movies of all time. The sequels I enjoyed for the most part, but neither of them came close to matching the excellence of the original.

Years and years passed since Jurassic Park 3 came out. I thought for sure the series was dead.

Until it wasn't. When I first heard about the release of Jurassic World, I was ecstatic. After two decent but mainly forgettable sequels, I was ready for a movie that would finally be able to recreate the magic of the first film and do it justice. I had high hopes. Clearly, everyone saw what was wrong with the two sequels and there was no way they would make the same mistake again. Right?

Right. I thought this movie was excellent, as evidenced by its high ranking. As a kid I always wondered what Jurassic Park would look like if the dinosaurs hadn't run amok and wrecked everything, and this movie brings that vision to life. The park itself is really amazing. If it was real, I would want to live there. In fact, even if there was no plot to this movie at all and it was just people walking around and exploring the park with no action or drama whatsoever, I would still love this movie.

The story isn't stellar or anything, but it fuels the movie and keeps it going. The action is high intensity. Once the Ndamukong Rex, as I call it, breaks loose the action never lets up. I was on the seat of my pants the whole second half of the film. Props to the movie makers for giving many subtle (and some not so subtle) shout outs to the original film. That little touch of nostalgia went a long way for me.

Everything looks amazing. All the effects, the dinosaurs, everything. The fight at the end between the Ndamukong and the tyrannosaur is legendary. I just wish there was more of the T-Rex in this movie. 

I actually saw this film twice (maybe even more) last year. The first time I saw it I was blown away and didn't notice any flaws in the movie. The second time around when I was less awestruck I did notice some things that bugged me, particularly the acting. It's not phenomenal. But on the flip side it is not so bad that it wrecks the movie. At least for me.

All in all, I thought this movie was a blast. It still isn't as good as the original film, but it is by far the sequel that comes the closest to matching its grandeur. Here's to the inevitable follow up film in the future. And may that one be even better than this. 

#5

I thought that this sounded like a really interesting documentary, and all the reviews I read about it had heaped copious amounts of praise onto the film. So I decided to check it out.

It's about a missing child who returns to his parents after going missing for about 10 years. He is welcomed back with lots of tears and open arms. There is only one problem - it isn't the actual son that went missing. It is a con man who has taken his place.

The movie centers around the con man and the steps he took to blend in with the family. It also focuses on the family and how they could have possibly been fooled into believing that this random guy (who wasn't even an American) was their beloved son. 

More than halfway into the film, it drops a bombshell on us and suggests that perhaps the family had killed the boy, and the reason they accepted this impostor was so as not to raise suspicions of to what they actually did.

This was just a really, really fascinating movie for me. I got sucked into this case and was on the edge of my seat for much of the film. Anyone even remotely interested should check it out. 

#4

I've seen this movie in the past once before, and I liked it. But I can't recall liking it as much as I did when I watched it in 2015. I thought it was really fantastic the second time around.

Strictly on a visual level, it is one of the best looking movies I have ever seen. Everything is just so lush and beautiful looking, especially in India in the beginning of the movie. I want to LIVE in that zoo. In fact, the whole first half hour of the movie was just astonishing to me. I recall being kinda bored by it the first time around, but this time - I thought it was tremendous. I really got into it on an emotional level.

The rest of the movie with the shipwreck, the tiger on the raft, the island and all that is just as strong as I remember. There were no dull moments in this film for me. It is heavy hitting emotionally, while also managing to uplift at the same time. I just thought it was really engaging and terrific from beginning to end.

Not a huge fan of the ending though, in either the book or the movie. 

#3

I had heard that this was a really good movie. As you know if you have been reading this list, I watched all the older Mad Max movies in order leading up to this film as preparation for Fury Road.

But I didn't really like any of the older Mad Max films. As a result, I thought for sure I wouldn't like this and I would discover that it was overrated. However, I am glad to say this was completely and unequivocally not the case. 

This movie is amazing. From beginning to end, it is one giant roller coaster of action. Usually when movies are mainly fighting or chasing or explosions (see any Michael Bay movie) this gets old after a while. Not so with Fury Road. This movie does almost everything right that you would expect out of an action movie. It's over the top without being stupid. It has great characters that you can relate to. And it keeps you interested by constantly changing things up and putting you as the viewer into newer, crazier situations. The movie constantly outdoes itself on a basis that I have never quite seen before from an action movie.

There is really only one word I can use to describe this movie, and it is awesome. Everything about it is just awesome. As soon as this movie ended, I wanted to go back and watch it over from the beginning again. That NEVER happens with me. Never.

I actually didn't want to watch it again, because I wanted it to be fresh the next time I see it. And I will watch it again, I can guarantee that. Don't be surprised to see this movie crack the top 10 yet again on 2016's movie ranking list.

#2

This was a movie that I watched twice in 2015. The first time I watched it, I was playing on my phone and not paying attention. When the film ended I was just like "eh it was okay" and then I went about my business. Time passed, and the more I thought about it the more irritated with myself I became.

I knew that I owed it to this film to watch it more closely and give it my undivided attention. So I watched it again a few months later and hid my phone in the other room.

Surprise surprise, I thought the movie was incredible the second time around. I had read the book, plus I had seen the movie once before, so I knew what to expect. But really paying attention and really getting involved in the story, the movie blew my mind.

It is just so well done, so hard hitting and emotional. The flashbacks to Cheryl's past, the scenes with her mom and her ex. They are all so real and add such depth to the character. It gives her hike so much more weight and purpose. 

Over the course of the film you really become attached to Cheryl and what she is going through on her journey. You can't help but admire her spirit. She takes you along on this amazing ride of self discovery amidst the harsh and unforgiving beauty of nature. 

It is truly an extraordinary movie that had me in tears more times than I can count. Terrific movie and it completely does the book justice. I can't believe I almost wrote it off after that first viewing where I was on my phone the whole movie. It makes me wonder how many other great movies there are out there that I have missed because I've been too busy doing other things to pay attention to them.

#1

When I first heard that this movie was in production I was thinking "really?" I like Stephen Hawking and everything but I thought a movie about him would be about as dull as dull could be.

I've never been more happy to be so wrong. Obviously you can tell by the #1 ranking that I really liked this movie. I loved this movie actually. It took all my expectations, crumpled them up into a little ball, threw the ball on the floor and jumped up and down on it repeatedly.

Stephen had such an interesting life. You think of him now and you just picture the guy slouched over in his wheelchair, drooling and talking with a robotic voice. But there is so much more to Stephen Hawking than that. He was an actual person once, with hopes and dreams and goals. He was in school, he was in love.

This movie has a lot of poignant moments, but none more so than Stephen recieving his diagnosis of ALS. This whole scene was so amazingly filmed, and you could really feel his dread. It was like he was being told that his life was over. And he had so much to live for.

And his story ended up being very inspirational. He fought through all the hard times, breaking down scientific boundaries while his body failed him. It was heartbreaking to see him deteriorate as the movie progressed. But uplifting to see that he didn't let his condition defeat him. 

This is by far one of the saddest movies you will ever see. No human being should ever have to go through what he did physically. Seeing him and his brilliant mind lose the ability to communicate, seeing him almost die on multiple occasions. It really is tragic. But like I said, he pushes through it and the way he continued to be a scientific force after losing almost complete control of his whole body is quite the story.

This movie ran the full spectrum of emotions for me. Sorrow, humor, heartbreak, triumph, discovery.... this movie had it all. Not only was I mesmerized by the story unfolding in front of me, but I was also completely emotionally invested as well. 

It was a tough call for the best movie I watched in 2015. Any one of these top five could have won it for me. But the nod goes to the Theory of Everything. Great movie, terrifically acted, and well deserving of my #1 spot.