Showing posts with label tv show review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv show review. Show all posts

Thursday, August 5, 2010

What I'm Watching: So You Think You Can Dance?


I started watching "So You Think You Can Dance" when it first came out back in 2005. That season I didn't get to watch every episode, but I was pretty close! I was working in a day care at the time and my coworker and I would come in to work the day after and talk about the performances, and our crush. We both had a massive crush on Artem, who unfortunately, did not win.

When it was time for Season 2 I was excited! I think I watch every episode that season. The things I remember best? Dmitry starting a trend of wowing the ladies by losing the buttons on his shirt, Mia Michael's routine "Calling You" (aka "The Park Bench") performed by Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz, and that I predicted the winner! Ok, so maybe I didn't predict it as much as I really wanted it... Benji Schwimmer, Season 2's winner, was a swing dancer, and thus my top choice to win. I think Season 2 is the only time I participated in the voting for the show, and every week I voted for Benji!



I was able to catch most of Season 3, but it doesn't stand out in my mind as much as the first two years did. I just think I never connected to any of the performers the way I had before. Season 4 had a lot of memorable performers, but the two that I remember the most are Twitch Boss and Courtney Galiano. Twitch, because he is just an incredible character, and Courtney because she was just so cute! 

Seasons 5 and 6 I missed. It's been awhile since I had good tv reception and it took a long time for Fox to decide to put the episodes on the internet like so many other shows these days. I missed it, but my hubby didn't mind not having my crazy, obsessive, dance show around.

Now we're up to Season 7 and I'm loving it! They are finally airing it on-line at both fox.com and hulu.com and I eagerly await each episode. They've mixed things up this season by bringing back some of the allstars (including Twitch and Courtney) to perform with this seasons contestants. We've seen contestants perform with allstars, with each other, and by themselves. 


It's been a heavily male dominated season. We started out with 6 out of the 5 contestants being guys, and we've now lost all but one of the girls as we reach the top 4. Unfortunately, two of the contestants who've had to leave did so because of injuries. So we're down to four, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out! I can't decide who I want to win.

As for performances - there have been some incredible routines this season. They've really broken out of some of the molds they had established in the early seasons, and the show is still fresh and moving. I don't love every routine, but I am impressed by quite a few of them, and I even cried over one of them two weeks ago. But don't blame me, so did almost everyone on screen. 



Monday, August 2, 2010

Writing ADD #23

Well, I definitely didn't meet my goals from last week, but I'm trying to be positive about it. My goals were reasonable if I had a good week. I did not have a good week. Therefore I'm content with what I did accomplish and I'm moving the unaccomplished goals forward to this week!


Week's Total:
Book Reviews: 6
TV Review: 1
Movie Review: 1
Dalia's Story: In progress
Total Words: 3515

The one goal I did meet for last week was I managed to get 6 book reviews written! Woohoo! I still have a pile left, but hey, that's the way it tends to go around here. Especially when I've been living in migraine city and thus spending lots and lots of time reading.

TV Review and Movie Review: I haven't gotten either of these posted yet. I was a bad blogger last week. (I think I only posted one blog other than my Writing ADD post). I had planned on writing either of these last week, it just happened. So they kinda took place of what I was planning. Oopsie. Wait, is that really an oopsie? It's still writing after all!

Dalia's Story: I really need to get cracking and write more on this story or I'm going to miss the dead-line. BUT I didn't give myself a word goal for it last week so, since I did get some done on it, this is another goal achieved!

The two goals I didn't meet were to finish the "A Disturbing Group" piece and write another "Striking Thoughts" piece. So guess what's on my list for this week?

Goals:
~ Book Reviews
~ Dalia's Story
~ Finish "A Disturbing Group"
~ Write another "Striking Thoughts" piece.

Gee - this list looks rather familiar...

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Writing ADD #19

Illia

I did amazingly well writing-wise this last week considering I spent most of the week either in doctors offices or flat on my back from migraines! Part of that was that there were several times that I could think clearly as long as I was lying down, so I took my hubbies net book, laid down on the couch, propped it up on my knees, and did a wee bit of writing :P So here's the summary for the week:

Week's Total:
Book Reviews: 6
Tv Review: In progress
Letter's Home 4: In progress
Total Words: 2907

The TV Review is my thoughts and memories about Star Trek Voyager: Season 1. I'm re-watching it right now and I started my review before I finished it because I had thoughts running through my head that I didn't want to lose! I'm actually not sure I'll add much more, but I want to finish the season out and make sure of that before I post it.

My latest Letter's Home from Illia to her Mum actually should be finished, only I deleted the file on accident. Oops >_> So it's been written once, which will make writing it again much easier, but I have to do that before I can put it up on the blog! Maybe I'll get that done today. We'll see.

Speaking of Illia, the avatar at the top is what I use for my character in the D&D game (we play on-line). She's a half-elf/half-human bard. I love the character I've put together for her!

I'm hoping this week will go better than last week so I can get something done other than writing, but I also have a lot of writing simmering in my brain that I want to get to as well! Lots of books to review still, stories, TV stuff, movies... We'll see what I have for you this next week :)

Saturday, January 2, 2010

December was Crazy...

Yes, December was crazy...but I still managed to post more on here than I did my jewelry blog! Not quite sure HOW that happened. Ah well. Here's a look back at the month :)

Personal

Writing

Book Reviews

TV Review

Ah - now I see how I had so many posts - I did a lot more personal posts than normal! I don't think anyone minded though :P

On a positive note, I've been writing regulalry again and Aria's Quest will return starting Monday! Woohoo! I'll also be posting other short pieces I've written from time to time. I'm looking forward to it.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

DS9 - Season 5

There are so many things that happen in season 5 that I hardly know where to begin! I remembered a lot more of these episodes than I did the earlier ones, but then again, I was a lot older when these aired than I was when season 1 aired! So I probably saw more of them, and I know that several of these episodes were frequently replayed as well.

Season 5 has some entertaining love stories. Quark tries to woo his Klingon ex-wife, the O'Brien's and Kira have some interesting dynamics in the their relationships as Kira carries their baby, Quark's Mom starts dating the Grand Nagus, and even Odo has a romantic interest in one episode! Of course the best romance, in my opinion, is the developing relationship between Worf and Dax. By the end of the third episode they have finally moved beyond friendship to passionate love (involving many broken bones and bruises), and we get to watch them date over the rest of the season!

We also have what is probably the most famous episode of the entire show in this season, "Trials and Tribble-ations." This was the 100th episode for DS9 and the writers wanted to do something special. They had several different (and fun!) ideas, but the one they went with was an excellent choice!

In "Trials and Tribble-ations" the crew gets sent back in time to the Tribble episode from the original series. They did a great job at blending in the new scenes with out compromising the integrity of the original story. It was a lot of fun to see the cast of DS9 running around in uniforms from the original series!

There are many more things I could talk about from this season, but it would make this a really long post! By the end of the season many things have changed. We learn that Bashir is genetically altered, Odo regains his changeling form, and the battle with the Dominion officially starts!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

DS9 - Season 4



Season 4 of DS9 starts off by adding Worf to the crew! Worf is brought to DS9 to help with the negotiations with his fellow Klingons. When Sisko learns that Worf is considering leaving Star Fleet because he feels adrift now that the Enterprise is gone, he asks him to join the team on DS9, and fortunately for all of us Worf fans, he eventually decides to stay!

Worf adds a dry sense of humor to the show that is a great contrast with Bashir and O'Brien's more boisterous attitudes. We also see a lot more Klingons in general now that he's joined the show, something we can all appreciate. Worf and Jadzia also quickly begin to form a friendship since Dax's former host, Curzon, used to be an ambassador to the Klingons.

Season 4 had a lot of episodes that were charged with emotion, and sometimes even controversy. In this season we meet Gul Dukat's daughter Ziyal. Ziyal forms a tight connection with Kira, forcing Kira and Dukat to have an uneasy truce, as they both love her dearly. We also have the infamous "lesbian kiss" episode in which Dax runs into a former lover, and discovers that the connection is still strong even though both of them are in new (and female) hosts.

The pending conflict with the Dominion is further developed in the season, first with the shocking revelation that there is a changeling on earth, serving in the government! This creates a lot of fear as people realize how deadly the changlings ability to take any form truly is. It also creates conflict as Sisko struggles to protect Earth, and its citizens (most notably his father) resist Starfleets necessary actions as invasions of their privacy.

The season ends with a shock as Odo is judged by the founders because he was forced to kill another changeling. He is the first to murder a fellow changeling in the history of their species and the punishment is severe. They turn him into a solid, effectively barring him from the Great Link, and leaving him bereft.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Look at October

October was a busy month for me - and it showed on my blog - I didn't get as many posts up as normal! It was fun month though. Well some of it was. Lots of family time - and that was a lot of fun! Getting my tooth pulled....not so much fun. So here's the wrap up of the month:

Personal Stuff:

Writing:

Book Reviews:
Chalice by Robin McKinley

TV Shows

Interview

I've continued to get my book reviews written - and I think they are starting to get better (but that might be hard for you to tell because the blog is about 20 books behind me) but I haven't been getting much other writing done. This month ahead looks to be busy, and we're headed into Christmas, so who knows when I'll get back on track writing wise? Oh and did I mention I have about 5 books stacked behind me to review? :P Oh well, my jewelry comes first and will continue too, so at this rate I might not get into anymore "serious" writing until January, and I'm not going to beat myself up if that's the case!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

DS9 - Season 3

Deep Space 9 Season 3 was all about the relationships for me, well that and the development of different characters and the concept of identity. I'm sure other people would probably see the season differently, but that's what stuck out at me the most. Odo finding his people, Bashir and O'Brien's friendship, Kira and Vedek Bareil, Garak and Bashir, and they even have an episode all about relationships called "Fascination!" It's a fascinating episode (pun intended) where person after person starts hitting on some one you would never expect! Vedek Bariel on Dax, Dax on Sisko (ok that was expected), Kira and Bashier, and the list goes on! It's a highly entertaining episode.

They also, like I said, spend a lot of time on the concept of identity. The season starts right off the bat with Odo finding his people, and that escalates his turmoil about who he is, a concept he spends the rest of the series exploring. Is he defined by his physical heritage, or who he's made of himself, or a mixture of both?

One of my favorite episodes was one called "Facets" where Dax asks various residents of the station to join her in the Zhian'tara ritual. The Zhian'tara ritual is traditional for joined Trills because it gives them the chance to meet the former hosts through a process where their identities are temporarily psychically transferred into another person. Sound confusing? It is a little, but it was also histerical! It was fun to watch the different actors getting to play different roles, and of course I enjoyed learning more about Dax!

How can I talk about identity and relationships with out mentioning the episode where Kira is transformed into a Cardassian, Bashir's trip to the alternate universe, and Bashir's aging episode? Well..there...I've mentioned them and now you'll have to go watch the season to find out more!

Friday, October 2, 2009

A Look at September

As I sat down to write this post I was feeling a little bummed. I really didn't get any writing done this month, and since that's part of the purpose of having this blog, I didn't really want to write up my "month in review" post! Then I stopped and thought about it. I dealt with about two weeks straight of migraines because of the paint fumes around my apartment. On top of that I had to move in with my parents temporarily. So, basically, life was pretty disrupted this month. Last time I had this many migraines back to back I completely dropped out of the blogging world. but this time I still managed to get 26 posts up! I've decided, based on that, I'm happy with the month :) now lets hope I can get more writing done in October!

Personal Stuff:

My Writings:

Book Reviews:

TV Reviews:

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

DS9 - Season 2

As I watched Season 2 recently I couldn't help but think of how my perspective on the show has changed. I was just a kid when I watched it the first time. I remember having a crush on Bashir, really liking Jadzia, and admiring Kira. In fact, I was completely fascinated by Bajoran civiliztion and I used to pretend I was a Bajoran!

Watching it as an adult I still like Bashir, but I can't quite figure out why I had such a crush on him! At least not in the early seasons while he's so young and brash. I seem to remember him settling down a little in the later seasons...but I guess I'll see as I watch them.

I still really like Jadzia, and I think my admiration for her character has grown now that I'm watching this as an adult. It must have been hard to portray the two sides of that character, both Jadzia and Dax. I also love how they develop her character to be more of a rogue in this season!

My perspective has changed drastically on Major Kira. I still like her character, but when I was little I wanted to BE her. I wanted to be a tough fighter who didn't back down from anything. In some ways I am, but looking at Kira now I see her as being a little too much of a fighter for me to desire to emulate her any longer. I've learned to value peace and many other things that she never had time for. Oh she has her softer moments, but she is always defined by the years she spent fighting, and I am glad that I never went through the type of hell she did.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

My Thoughts on the Upcoming TV Season

As you may or may not know, I spend a lot of time watching tv and movies while I work on my various crafty projects, which means that I'm really excited that the fall tv season is starting! I've had a lot of fun watching various things over the summer, but I'm excited to have new shows again, even though I'll have to wait on pins and needles from one week to the next... So here's what I'm looking forward to watching :)

Castle - ABC - Monday Nights

This will be the second season of Castle. I started watching last season when a fellow Firefly fan mentioned that Nathon Fillion was going to be staring in it! Nathon played the roguish Captain Mal on Firefly, and I was excited to have a new show to watch him in. I wasn't disappointed! Castle is the story of a murder mystery writer (named Castle) who starts tagging along with a dective on her cases. She doesn't really like it, but since Castle is charming and has most of the heads of the town in his pocket, she doesn't really have a choice! I'm looking forward to their banter, the interesting cases, and seeing what new trouble Castle manges to get himself into this season!

Lost - Coming Back Early 2010

I'm actually rather upset about this one. I've noticed over the last year that the tv seasons are no longer as rigidely adherent to the fall schedule as they've been in the past, but I didn't realize Lost wasn't coming out until March! I discovered that when I went to do a little research for this post.

I'm a new Lost fan. I didn't have the time to watch it when it originally came out, and I didn't really want to start the series part way through because everything's so connected. Then, this summer, hulu released the first seasons! So I started watching, as did Mo, and became hooked! We watched the first 5 seasons in about a month. Yes, I know we're crazy. And now we have to wait until March to find out what happens next! Argh!

NCIS - CBS - Tuesdays

I've been a fan of NCIS for a long time now. I started watching it because it's a crime drama - and I tend to like those (I watch Law and Order too, but not as dedicatedly). I kept watching because I love the characters! I'm really excited for this new season to start because they left us hanging at the end of last season with Ziva in Israel and in danger. I'm hoping she gets to come back to the team, it wouldn't be the same with out her!

NCIS: Los Angeles - CBS - Tuesdays

I'm a little skeptical about this show, but then again, aren't most fans when the tv stations create a spin-off of a show you love? Oh I'm going to give it a chance, but it won't have the cast I love, so we'll see. On the other hand, I do love crime drama's, so it might manage to win it's way into my heart!

We have seen the lead character, Callen, on NCIS before. There was an episode with him in it last season. He looks to be a promising character. A bit of a loner, likes doing things his own way, and friends with Gibbs! I don't know anything about any of the other characters in the show yet, but he's a good anchor character.

Chuck - NBC - March 2010

This is another one I just found out today won't be coming out until next year. This is one that Moses and I love watching together! It's well written, is full of laughs, and I'm not looking forward to having to wait for several more months. *sigh*

Heroes - NBC - Monday's

I came to Heroes fandom late - but I've seen every episode! Mo and I like watching this one together too, and then arguing about it. My dear hubby and I tend to have different opinions on things, and it amuses me how differently we interpret this show sometimes! I'm a wee bit leary about this season because I didn't like some of the trends that I saw at the end of last season. We'll see what I think once this season has a chance to unfold.

So You Think You Can Dance - Fox - Wednesdays

As a former dancer, anything involving dance fascinates me! I've never really liked Dancing with the Stars, but I've loved So You Think You Can Dance ever since the first season! Life has kept me from watching the last two seasons for the most part, but I'm hoping to be able to follow this season! I've missed the first two audition episodes, but those are no where near as fun as the main show so I'm not too disappointed. I was going to watch it this week, but then something went wrong with the tv here where I'm staying at my parents house. Oh well, we'll get it figured out in time for next week!

Bones - Fox - Thursday Nights

This one comes out tonight! Woohoo! My brother just went back to my room to mess with my tv until it works too :) I love Bones! Not only because it's yet another crime drama, but I also fell in love with the characters a long time ago. Brennan can be so clueless sometimes about real life, and Booth, well he's darn handsome not to mention a fun character :) The last season ended in a weird place with Booth in a coma, and Brennan having recently requested that he be the sperm doner for her baby. And I do mean literal doner, no physical act invovled. So this season should start off interesting!

Fringe - Fox - Thursday Nights

Fringe is a cross between a sci-fi and a crime drama. There's usually some sort of crime or at least startling activity that occurs each episode, but they never have a very normal explination! I love the show because, well, I love things that are out of the ordinary! There is a lot of mystery and conspiracy involved too, which makes things pretty interesting. And again - I get to watch it tonight!

Dollhouse - Fox - Monday's


My original attraction to Dollhouse was simply that it was created by Joss Whedon. As a fan of his work (Buffy, Firefly) I was hoping for another quirky and fun show. Dollhouse doesn't have the same level of fun as his previous work though. It's definitely darker and more serious, but it does still have his touch to it, and because of that some things are simply different from what you might expect. I don't like it as much as his previous work, but I'm intrigued by the concept behind it enough that I plan on giving this second season a try.

House - Fox - Monday's

House is one of those shows I go back and forth on. After all, he's such a jerk! And sometimes the weekly "patient with a weird disease, several misdiagnosises and a near death late, solved at the last second" pattern gets old. I got sucked back in, however, when I realized that this season is going to premier with House in a mental ward! That amuses me :P So I went back and watched the last season on Hulu just get get caught up with the story. I'll probably end up watching this a day behind though, because it's on at the same time as Heroes, and I'd rather watch that one live snuggled up with my hubby!

I don't know how often I'll end up commenting on these shows as the season starts - but you probably won't get constant updates on my thoughts :P



Saturday, September 12, 2009

DS9 - Season 1

I love to watch things while I'm creating. Often that means watching things on-line, but I'm also blessed with a best friend who's Dad collects science fiction television shows! Right now, that means that my brother and I have borrowed the entire Star Trek - Deep Space 9 collection! We'll be trading the discs back and forth.

Currently I'm watching the first season. It came out way back in 1993, so I would have been 11 when I first started watching the show! I remember there were some episodes I didn't get to watch, at 11 I still got kicked out of the room if there was too much sex in the show, and I don't mind that my parents did that one bit! Fortunately I got to watch quite a bit of it!

It's amusing to go back and watch the first season. Not only am I viewing this as an adult, which is very different, but it's funny to see all the characters looking so young and new to their stations! Some of them don't look or act that different, but many of them have different hair cuts, Jake Sisko is played by a different actor than in later seasons, and the crew is still settling into their different roles on the station.

One character that has always fascinated me is Jadzia Dax. Not only is she a strong female character, but she has the exotic characteristic of actually being two personalities joined as one. Jadzia, the woman, and Dax, the symbiot within her. The symbiot has lived for over 100 years, transferring from one Trill (Jadzia's race) to another. It's most recent host being a man named Curzon. A man with a close friendship to Jadzia's current supervisor, Captain Benjamin Sisko.

This creates many interesting complications in Jadzia Dax's life. For instance, her relationship with Sisko has necessarily changed. Also, through the memories of the symbiot, she has much more life experience than her physical years would normally allow for. They explore this topic in the episode "Dax" where Jadzia is brought to trial for the supposed crimes of Curzon Dax.