My thoughts on The Dinner Party (Contains Spoilers!)

Bonnie - Had she handled the whole Luka interrogation scenario differently, somehow I don't think her powers would have been stripped.  :(

Luka - What'd he do go running home to Daddy?  Or did Daddy just know?  Either way, it still doesn't make him look all that great.  Also, do male witches and female witches have different strengths and weaknesses?  I feel like he should have been better able to defend himself or at least smell or taste that he'd been slipped something.  After all, he tricked Bonnie into thinking he'd destroyed the moonstone.  Bizarre...I also feel like what Elijah was saying about people from Massachusetts having settled where Mystic Falls was first ties into this witch thing somehow. 

Jonas  - Can witches that aren't related just waltz up and bind up the power of another witch just like that?  He's either got a scary amount of power or They're related somehow too [I hope that's not the case, because I feel like my disbelief has been suspended all it can be as far as this is concerned.    One positive thing I can say about this part of the storyline, it's certainly unique.]

Elijah - That was just crazy last night. I'd elaborate more, but I don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said elsewhere.   I don't think he's "permanently dead" though, so hijinks will ensue.  Until I see ashes or a decapitation,  I remain hopeful. 

Elena - She surprised me again last night [in a good way].  We also saw her drink some of Stefan's blood last night, so I'm thinking that the groundwork has been laid for her to become a vampire.  Still not sure if it'll be next season.  Elena has an immense capacity for forgiveness. 

Stefan - It was odd seeing him as the bad one...[Not that I didn't enjoy it. I don't believe for one moment that he was worse than Damon though.  I just don't. lol]  This also reminded me of Stefan's journals, particularly Vol. 2.  [Again even though this series of books is newer, the show doesn't seem to be sticking with the books.]

Jeremy - I'm not sure how I feel about Jeremy being so smitten with Bonnie he practically can't see.  He even tried to intervene when Jonas showed up ticked off, which wasn't smart.  He was just as impulsive with Anna, but still I'd hate to see him wind up hurt [again]. 

Jenna -  I know why she's upset with Alaric, something tells me if she knew the whole story she'd be even angrier, because her life was put in jeopardy because of what she didn't know.  Still I love Alaric and Jenna together. 

Alaric - I've got a really bad feeling about him giving up that ring and I just can't shake it.  I also like how he told Damon off too.  Happy he's finally getting some action again, but I just worry that it'll be at a cost. 

John - This dude has to aspire to be pond scum, he is just that low.  I'm really curious to see what he's getting out of the deal he made with whoever.  And I bet if he thought he could make better profit switching sides, he would.  He is one of the villains that truly make this show worth watching.  Excellent job David Anders!

Andie -  I just kept hearing Kanye West's Runaway the whole time she was in a scene with Damon, only with The Televixen's lyrics [Let's throw toast at the douchebags...Thank you for that! Can I say again how much I love Twitter?].  Does this Andie go to work anymore?   Hello deadlines?  Breaking News?  Good grief! smh This part of the plot is just so hard to watch, not that it was any easier with Caroline... I never thought I'd hear/see myself say this, but I actually miss Rose [Don't miss the water 'til...]. 

Damon -  He's either going to get it or he won't.  Also will we ever see an ep where they bridge the gap between how he got from being who he was when he was human to the Damon he is now?   [Does the period hair get worse with each flashback or what?]  

Katherine - I don't know if Andie was home when she appeared.  I hope not, because I get the feeling Katherine would have only too much fun compelling her or worse. Can't believe it was so easy for her to manipulate Damon, then again considering who we're dealing with here...Yeah, I can. 

Tyler - I miss him.  :(

No Matt or Caroline

Decoded...my two cents

I'm finally got around to reading Decoded.  Was pleased to see the story behind some of my favorite Jay-Z songs, Renegade, Hard Knock Life (self-explanatory, but still good to see), Empire State of Mind. Would have liked to have seen Song Cry, but he couldn't do all his lyrics, I know.  Still I love that song...  I had a little difference of opinion with Jay-Z on something that stuck in my mind though. To compare Disco and the Blues?  Disco felt/feels like more of a manufactured thing.  The Blues...that to me is something organic, that got co-opted.  We wouldn't have a lot of still existing forms of music without Blues (R&B obviously, Rock music in all it's various forms..., Pop [think of that single Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Change... One hit wonder song, I know, but go with me on this...Now what's the sample in it?   B.B. King's How Blue Can You Get? ].  I'm not saying Disco doesn't influence anything, it does, particularly Dance/Club music, but Blues to me is everywhere.  Everyone can relate to it from time to time, perhaps some more than others.  The Blues getting pushed into the background of the music industry...that to me is a race/class/marketability issue, moreso than something being written off as a fad or becoming outdated.
Anyway, just my two cents...

Crying Wolf --Contains spoilers

 "Kathy" or Katherine -  Not in this ep. 

Bonnie -- It kind of unnerved me how easily she was able to do what she did to Luka, but I guess when push comes to shove...I actually felt badly for him last night...He's a character kind of like Rose was to me, I don't love him, but I don't hate him either.  I don't know how I feel about Bonnie and Jeremy hooking up...I was also happy to see Caroline and Bonnie bonding at the beginning of the season, I never would've seen this coming. 

John -  I didn't think he'd changed...stirring Jenna up with the talk of bad parenting and all. 

Jenna - she seemed ticked at Alaric...I hope she gives him a chance to have his say and that he doesn't screw his chance up. 

Alaric -- I was worried about him last night, because I temporarily forgot about the ring.  John's asking for it back...Is it just because he's a jerk, or does he know something the others don't?  I'm guessing it's a little from column A and B.  The "scary dude with nice hair" line cracked me up.  That and the look on Damon's face when Alaric says it.  Priceless. 

Matt --I love that we're seeing more of him lately.  Can't say it enough. 

Tyler--Kudos to him, for allowing Matt to think he was an ordinary human, instead of going off. 
Still bummed about him leaving with Jules...Something tells me she might seduce him or brainwash him some kind of way, if he's just like going to grab on to anything.  I know he doesn't want to be a wolf ...maybe that will be the thing that saves him, but it might also prompt him to do something else desparate and stupid [I'm also remembering Williamson or Plec alluding to something tragic happening regarding Tyler and Caroline...I just don't have a good feeling about how his story is going to turn out. I love Michael Trevino's work here too.]  I'm going to miss him.  I'm so bummed.  At least they've left the possibility open to him coming back...

Stevie -- Was he referring to the Saw films or something else? [I can't watch those...I. Just. Can't.]  He freaked me out too...Where do they find these guys?  And being a vampire amplifies your natural personality traits?  Sheesh!

Elena -- I love how she handled Brady attacking her.  I thought I was going to end up annoyed, instead I was pleasantly surprised.  Until they got a tad bit creepy [You look hot in my great-great grandad's what?????!!!!!] I was enjoying Stefan and Elena finally having time to themselves.   The death and martyr thing...I'm so over it.  I don't know when or if they will make Elena a vampire at the end of this season, but I'm thinking her "death" doesn't have to be permanent...I may have said this before in one of my earlier posts, and if so, I apologize...She may die and be resuscitated. 

Stefan -- I love the way he confronted Elena on the martyr thing.  Didn't realize he was the one who ended Brady (Thank You!).  I'm so doing a rewatch of this ep.  Erin at My Entertainment OCD had me laughing at The Hardy Boys reference in her recap on her blog.  I loved that show.  I've got to wonder it's not partially responsible for my Supernatural thing, but let me get back on track here...

Elijah --He owned it last night!  And Klaus is badder than this guy?  Mystic Falls is in some serious trouble.

Andie -- This whole plotline is just creeping me out.  Some analogies were thrown about on Twitter and I found them all disturbing.  A flesh colored bandage...and a scarf thrown over it.  And then Andie's response to Damon at the Tea...Jenna looked like it was all she could do not to heave...and she's probably thinking why on earth did I set them up...Once she finds out the truth about Damon and Stefan, not to mention what Alaric knows...she's going to freak. 

Damon--I had a feeling payback was coming from Elijah, but I don't think this will be the extent of it.  As far as the wolves, ...this is what I wanted to happen last week, instead of poor Caroline being put in a cage.

The Vampire Diaries -Daddy Issues recap. (contains spoilers)

Caroline - Candice Accola just gets better and better with each ep.  If anyone had told me Caroline would become a character I came to care about in Season 2, I'd have laughed.  I think this is truly a testament to what a fantastic actress Candice is.  I love that no matter what Brady did to Caroline, she still didn't break, and she's a newbie vampire.  I was just floored.  As far as lying to Matt,...They text each other when they're taking on Katherine or whoever, so how hard would it have been to check on Bonnie's whereabouts?  With everything that she'd been through it's understandable why this didn't occur to her, but still ...Now, it's going to be even harder for Caroline to reconcile with Matt, if she ever does.

Bonnie-  It was nice to see her with Jeremy last night.  I think it would have been too much for her to take down all those werewolves at once.  [Imagine what she, Lucy, Luka, and Jonas could do combining their powers.  Almost makes me giddy thinking about it.]

Jeremy - Why does it seem like he and Matt take turns with the whole odd man out thing?  Can't everyone get some action at the same time?  But, I guess it wouldn't be a soap/angsty enough without someone being left out in the cold. 

Tyler - He just got caught in the middle of all this insanity.  I feel badly for him.  His character kind of reminds me of Damon's in the sense that they don't think stuff through/slow down and think about how what they do could hurt people until after the damage is done. 

Stefan - I loved seeing him all hands on last night.  More please! 

John - I hope he's telling the truth about how to kill an Original.  I just don't trust him further than I can throw him and keep in mind this was before I even saw his scene with Katherine. 

Jenna - This woman is bordering on comic relief.  Please someone [Alaric? Elena? Jeremy?] clue this woman in before it's too late [if it isn't already]. 

Alaric - Another I blinked and missed him ep.  How do they waste a character with this much potential?  How?  I know it's an ensemble cast, but Sheesh! 

Luka -

Brady - This character and Jules are definitely a well-matched pair, which is just frightening (understatement I know.).   He really gave me chills [and not in a good way].  Very well played by Stephen Amell. 
Andie Star (played by Dawn Olivieri)-  The jury is out on her, because and this isn't her fault, but this reminds me too much of what was done to Caroline in Season 1.  Damon is being a little more "humane" with this one, but it's out of selfish reasons.  To paraphrase one comment on Twitter that I thought hit the nail on the head last night, he's looking for a therapist [and speaking of therapy, what was with that "hero hair" remark from Damon...I was laughing, but he's a mess right now.], like he was with Jessica. 

Damon -  Before I get to the inevitable, I also want to say I'm glad that Damon and Stefan picked up Katherine's trick with the vervain [Wonder if Caroline can get in on that too?  Or is she too new?  Hope not.].   As distracting as the shower scene and bubble bath scene were...(A psychopath is still a psychopath no matter how pleasing to the eye...) It's almost like Damon took one step forward and two back.  Most of what he was telling Andie he'd said before.  And when he was talking about or to John, for a while there last night, I thought he was going to go off again [Crazy. Eyes.  Doesn't do anything to allay my misgivings either.].  I'm thinking if he doesn't find something in himself to get him out of this rut/pattern, maybe the fate of Book Damon would be what's called for here too...[much as I hate to say it, because if nothing else, the character and the way Ian Somerhalder portrays the character definitely keep me entertained.]

The fight --That really got my adrenaline up, I've missed scenes like this.  I don't think we've had one in a while. 

The casualties --Was it my imagination or did I see a Black man with a blowtorch last night?  And was he a werewolf?  If so, I'm still annoyed, because he wound up cannon fodder.  If not, I'm no less annoyed.  I'd like to see more diversity among the werewolves and the vampires, because [and I've said this before] most cultures have some variation on vampire and/or werewolf myths.  Even if Mystic Falls isn't that diverse, all the supernatural creatures drawn to it, shouldn't be bound by the same conventions, especially coming from different locations, cultures, and time periods.  I found this annoying on Buffy too, they were only slightly better with it on Angel, but since one took place in LA and the other didn't, it gets some [and notice I say some] leeway.

The Descent (contains spoilers)

Overall yesterday's episode kind of had that uneven feel for me again, but there were definitely moments and performances that I loved.

Bonnie--wasn't shown, but someone (can't remember who) wisecracked that had she been present, she'd have been able to save the janitor from Rose.  smh

Jules - This woman is scary...Imagine the damage she, Bonnie, Lucy, and Katherine could do if they teamed up.  lol  I knew she was going to be trouble, I just had no idea how much.  She actually reminds me of a less skanky version of Veruca on BtVS...She looks on regular humans as food and sees no reason to feel guilty about or to hide what she is...[Someone brought up the question in one of the chats or during a call in, that we don't know how she came to be a werewolf.  ie. She doesn't seem to be a Lockwood, so what's the deal?]  Also, I have to wonder if the werewolves aren't divided into two factions like the vampires [Is there a faction of werewolves that doesn't like to prey on humans either? ].  Did Mason come back to Mystic Falls because of Katherine?  Or was it something else?  Mason locked himself up during the full moon, clearly Jules believes in doing no such thing...Interesting stuff indeed.

Matt- He may have actually got equal time with the fireplace last night, but it's still an improvement from not seeing him at all.  I'd love to know what would've happened if Caroline and Matt hadn't been interrupted...Although Caroline might've confessed to being a vampire, she might've just wound up compelling Matt the same way she did her mom. 

Tyler and Caroline - I love them together.  I don't usually go for that doomed love thing either, but I love Candice Accola's and Michael Trevino's chemistry [Not saying that she and Zach Roerig don't have chemistry, but it's not the same.].  Must admit, I'm a bit nervous for Caroline come next week though. 

Also...since more werewolves are coming to town, the vampires and werewolves will be so busy facing off against each other, that I figure it will make them easy pickings for Klaus.  I'm also not sure where Elijah's allegiance [Try saying that one five times fast won't you?] lies. 

Stefan -  The building up a tolerance to vervain....is Damon in on this too?  I think it could serve both of them well.  I also missed the fact that Damon was looking for Stefan at one point and couldn't find him...I'm on the fence as to how to interpret his absence. And yes, I do know Paul Wesley was injured thus his scenes were limited.  I'm not sure if this was an episode that was effected by that, but it would make sense. 

Alaric - I truly miss when they gave him more of the action. 

Oh yeah, that phone number last night...I knew something was up when they didn't do the 555 thing, but I still didn't call it.  [I'll partake in the whole breaking of the fourth wall thing some other time.  But I love the idea.]

I don't recall seeing Jenna...

Elena - I may have said this before, but I still can't figure out whether she's really brave, really compassionate, really stupid or some combination of all three. 

Rose --Lauren Cohan did an excellent job with what she was given.  A less capable actress might have made Rose's deterioration comical or melodramatic.  That didn't happen last night.  I actually felt down last night about losing a character, that I was at best ambivalent toward.  I loved the scene where they're in the field...I didn't cry though.  Not sure why not...A lot of people said they did cry...[I sleep, therefore my soul is not missing. Yes, I'll stick a Supernatural reference in here if I want to.  I love both shows. ]

Janitor dude--I started to get upset and then I remembered the couple in the car...Seems like nothing makes you cannon fodder faster in Mystic Falls then stopping to inquire after someone's well-being (Vicki, Jessica). 
Lesson One:  Keep it Moving and holler back "I'll call 911!" It may not save you completely, but it might by you a few precious seconds. 

Damon--Damon's bedroom...It wasn't what I expected at all. I kind of see why he wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in it.  [The picture Tasha painted, on last Saturday's I HeartTVD [online] radio broadcast made me smile.  I've been thinking about it off and on since last night's ep.]  The paintings, particularly the one of the man in the hat, really creeped me out. 

Gone With the Wind...Oddly, my parents introduced me to this film...I never read the book though...I'm interested to see how the two differ, but it's something I have to be in the frame of mind to do...Obviously, it's going to be very heavy/painful stuff to get into...

He was very tender with Rose and it was just like I thought...guilt was mixed in, but I think he felt for her too, because she risked her life/unlife for him.  She also missed being human like he did...I think they gravitated to each other for more than just a hookup, whatever they were telling themselves. Granted what he felt for her wasn't the same as what he feels for Elena, but he still felt for Rose.  [Damon can enter and manipulate dreams too, huh? Who knew?]

The meltdown...I kind of figured it was imminent when that kaleidoscope of emotions started to flicker over Damon's face when Elena was hugging him.  I just didn't know the extent of it...I feel like I've seen something similar from him, and I can't think where...when he was torturing Mason in Plan B maybe.  You also see hints of it once he and Stefan are in that room with Katherine in Masquerade [alcohol just seems to make it worse.], like he's just barely keeping a lid on it.  From the books, it makes me think of the part in I think it's Shadow Souls that refers to the little boy guarding something in Damon's subconcious...I also think that Williamson, Plec, and co. like to tease us with little nods from the book, but not really committing to it [I've said this once, and I'll say it again, I think all bets are off.]. 

The "lost" references...I don't know whether that was intentional or what, but I found that jarring.  Inside jokes are cute and all, but not when you're being hit over the head with them.  Then again, it could've been purely coincidental, I still would've done a rewrite though.  Overall, I don't feel like the last scene was ridiculously hammy...I felt badly for Damon and yet at the same time, I felt this odd mixture of sorrow, wanting to laugh, scream, and yet being oddly titillated at the same time. [and then per Tasha, I pictured him eventually going back to the house, passing out and Stefan throwing a blanket over him. lol]


Have heard that there will be tragedy regarding Tyler and Caroline and another character death or two ahead....I'd anticipated more character deaths, but at the same time, I'm dreading it.  [Excellent writing when a show can get you so emotionally invested in the characters.]

Man!  Have I missed typing these up.

Yet another blog post on biopics

This post was prompted by the recent headlines about Halle Berry playing (and then not playing) Aretha Franklin.  I couldn't see that, so I'm glad they didn't do it.  I love Halle, but some roles, she's just not the right one for period.  A lot of names have been tossed around on Twitter for playing Aretha...I've seen everyone from Jennifer Hudson to Taraji P. Henson mentioned.  I loved Toure's suggestion of Queen Latifah.  He also brought up the fact that the actress doesn't necessarily have to be able to sing to be able to play Aretha Franklin...This is true...although I'd prefer an actress that could sing to one that couldn't.  As far as the weight thing...Aretha Franklin has been different sizes at different ages...Beyonce wasn't/isn't the spitting image of Etta James either, but somehow they made that work in Cadillac Records.    I wouldn't even mind if they chose an unknown to play Aretha Franklin, but I'm not the majority and in the end, and I've said this time and time again, it all boils down to $$$$. 

Toure' also mentioned wanting to see a Marvin Gaye biopic...They wait too long, anyone who was even remotely feasible will be too old to play the part (I wanted Jesse L. Martin for this so badly...I think this will go down the same road that the Hendrix picture Laurence Fishburne was supposed to be in did, and that's a shame.) 

I'm curious to see what happens with the Tupac film bio too.  I remember Anthony Mackie playing him in Notorious.  He did a fantastic job...People either seem to really love Notorious or really hate it from what I've seen...Again, this is another project I'm definitely going following.  I do have Tupac's book of poetry...My favorite film of his is Gridlock'd. 

This subject seems to come up every few months, maybe I could make it part of a regular update or something. 

Feeling more than a little bit sheepish

Just looked and realized I've started drafts to ideas since the New Year, but not an actual post.  Sorry about that.  I've just started up on tumblr too.  I want to learn how to create my own theme, but that may be a ways off yet.  At the very least, at least a fire has been lit under my a#*!

Came from a visit to the optometrist this week and found out on top of being nearsighted (since I was 7 or 8)...I now have astigmatism.  It would definitely explain some of the trouble with figure drawing I had while I was sitting in on that figure drawing class though.  :(   I'd like to give it another shot and get some new glasses whichever my vision is best in, I'll just use that when I'm in class. 

May have another photo shoot next month, which if all goes well will be the gateway to more shoots. 

Gearing up for EyeCon...I'm more than a bit frustrated, because I still can't find a dress for the Masquerade Ball I'm in love with yet.  I'm also on the fence about whether I should wear something short or long.