Just to start off: I am a majorMonk-aholic. I’ve seen every episode at least twice, plus read most of the excellent tie-in novels by Lee Goldberg. So naturally, I was thrilled to see an advertisement on Peacock for a brand new Monk movie. I watched Mr. Monk’s Last Case on the day it released – December 8th – and I’ve been wanting, maybe needing, to talk about it ever since.
The first thing fans need to know is that this movie has an underlying tone of despair which was not typical of the original series. I noticed by chance in the upper corner of the screen that one of the warnings on the film was for suicide. I frowned, thinking this might be an unintentional spoiler for the case Monk would be investigating. Not so.
The reason for the warning quickly becomes clear in the movie’s early scenes. Mr. Monk is not doing well at all. In fact, he is deeply depressed and planning to end his own life.
When last we saw Adrian, he was euphoric from finally solving his wife’s murder, and happily building a relationship with his newly-discovered step-daughter, Molly. But more than a decade has passed between then and now, and times have definitely changed. Over the course of the movie, we learn it’s not one big thing causing Monk’s depression, but rather a series of events and feelings that have all chipped at him over time.
Most of his loved ones have scattered and moved away, including Natalie. Monk is no longer working as a police consultant, and the only people he regularly interacts with are Molly, Dr. Bell, and Trudy (in the form of ghostly visions). Monk’s social isolation is sharp and palpable.
The pandemic dealt his mental health another crippling blow, causing a resurgence of his agoraphobia as well as cranking up his OCD to unbearable levels. Although Monk lived to see the other side, he never truly recovered from the trauma of being that afraid for so long.
There’s been much talk about how we all came out of the pandemic psychologically worse for wear. Whether or not you got the virus, whether or not you personally knew someone who passed away, we all have scars. No one came out of those years unscathed.
But there hasn’t been as much discussion about how it affected the people who were already struggling with demons like depression, germaphobia, isolation, etc. before Covid, how much worse it was for them. By now, most of the world has moved on, but there is this forgotten group of people who physically survived, but never fully came back. In some ways, I am one of them.
I appreciated that the movie talked about this, and using Mr. Monk as an example was the perfect way to explore the issue – a beloved character who is already well-known for his mental health battles, so we’d easily be able to understand just how hard everything hit him.
Monk’s suicidal intent is the dark current running beneath the rest of the plot, which features many of the character returns and emotional moments fans will be expecting.
The regular gang reunites for this adventure, including Stottlemeyer, Natalie, Randy, and Dr. Bell, all portrayed by their original actors. Trudy’s spirit plays an important role here, just as she did in the series, and Sharona appears in a flashback, so she is included as well.
The only recast is Molly, originally played by Alona Tal (aka Jo on Supernatural). Not sure why they cast a different actress for the film – possibly they wanted someone with a more easy, free-spirited vibe? – but it shouldn’t bother people too much as Molly’s only appearance on the original series was for probably about 60 seconds in the last episode, and the new actress, Caitlin McGee, does a great job.
The movie hits all the right beats for a typical Monk story:
Randy presents an outlandish “theory” about the case, complete with an equally ridiculous visual aid.
The Randy Disher Project gets a hilarious shout-out.
Adrian plays his clarinet (incorrectly identified in the closed captioning as an oboe).
Stottlemeyer grumpily disagrees with Monk about the prime suspect.
Monk gets to say his classic, “He’s the guy.”
Natalie and Monk team up to investigate, resulting in numerous car crashes and lots of hysterical screaming (Monk being the screamer, of course).
The bad guy looks like he’s going to get away with it.
Monk gets that smile on his face when he finally solves the case, closely followed by, “Here’s what happened…”
Another highlight was the introduction of the new, cooler-than-cool police captain, Lisa Rudner, who obviously knows a valuable asset when she sees one. She makes it very clear she wants Monk to return as a consultant. Although Rudner isn’t in this first movie that much (yes, despite the movie’s “last case” title, I would be surprised if they didn’t make another one), her brief scenes show that she cares more about getting justice for victims than about politics or appearances – a sharp contrast to Captain Stottlemeyer in his early days, when he hated having Monk called in on a case because it might make the captain and his officers look incompetent.
Overall, the mystery is not the most complex or well-written one in the history of the series, and there are a few plot holes I won’t get into here to avoid being spoilery, but emotion is the true engine of this story, and the movie has that in spades. From the devastatingly personal nature of the case to Monk’s private battle with depression, there is more than enough substance here to elevate the storyline to the status of a movie as opposed to just a super-sized episode.
Despite the many wonderful comedic moments, the sadness is what stayed with me most, so much so that when I walked in on my mom watching an old Monk episode the other day, my heart twisted at the knowledge of what is to come for this character, what he will have to endure before finally coming back into the light again.
And, yes, Mr. Monk does survive the movie. But not because one of his friends runs up at the last moment to knock the pills out of his hand. Despite Monk’s cryptic comments throughout the movie, and the concerned looks he gets from Natalie, Molly, and even Stottlemeyer, no one seems to know exactly how close he is to ending it all, and that’s scary.
Monk’s psychiatrist has a better idea of what’s going on than anyone else, and there’s an extremely touching scene that brings them both to tears (me too). But no matter how many people tell Monk he is loved and needed, it just doesn’t seem to sink in.
And as desperately as I wanted someone to get through to him, to shake him and yell at him and tie him down until he finally listened, in the end the decision to live comes from within Monk himself. I think it has to. The way it happens is sweet and special and I won’t spoil it, but it is worth seeing – just like the movie itself.
Honestly, I don’t know if it will hit most people as hard as it did me. It’s all about what you’ve been through, and what you’re going through right now. I’ve known three people who’ve taken their own lives, so this movie dredged up a lot of that old pain. For viewers without that personal history, it might just be like a regular Monk episode. For others, it might be too hard to even watch. Graphic images of Monk hoarding and counting out prescription sleeping pills, opening a high-rise window as if to jump out, writing goodbye letters to all of his loved ones – these could be triggers for people who are already on the brink.
In the end, I think it was an important movie exploring the after-effects of the pandemic on those who were already in crisis. It made me want to listen to “Hate Me” by Blue October. It made me want to check up on the people in my life. It made me want to check up on myself.
If you’re reading this, and you’re feeling some dark thoughts, I hope this movie inspires you to reach out for help. Or reach inward, as Monk does, and see the value you bring to this big, scary, wonderful world and the people in it. A value onlyyou can bring.
We’re never as alone as we think we are, and neither is Mr. Monk. (Keep watching past the credits, and you’ll see what I mean.)
Stay safe, take care of each other, and have a Happy New Year.
“The part of Joey Buchanan is now being played by Nathan Fillion.”
I remember that moment so clearly, sitting there watching One Life To Live with my mom. Being diehard soap fans, we were more than familiar with recasts – they happened about as often as hummingbirds flap their wings (i.e., constantly). And unless you kept up with Soap Opera Digest or one of the other magazines, you could really be caught off guard. Sometimes it hurt – a beloved favorite suddenly gone, and a new face thrust in front of us with the expectation that viewers should simply accept the change and adjust. Other times, a role had been recast so many times, or the character just wasn’t that memorable to begin with, so a new actor meant nothing aside from a brief eye roll (Another recast? Oy.).
OLTL’s Joey Buchanan fell into the second category. As viewers, we didn’t really care about the character…until that fateful day mentioned above. Right from the first scene, Nathan had his hooks in us. Joey’s playful interactions with his family members felt funny and warm and natural. Mom and I looked at one another and decided, “We like him.”
Of course, little did we know that Nathan Fillion would go on to become the very definition of a megastar, ruling genre television and police procedurals alike with starring roles in Firefly, Castle, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, The Rookie, and many more. He also voices the character of Octopus on my current favorite series, Resident Alien (if you haven’t seen it yet, go stream it on Peacock right away!). Nathan is the perfect example of how a talented actor can make a previously bland character into one audiences can’t get enough of.
Watch Nathan’s first scene as Joey, courtesy of Jasmine on YouTube:
Lois & Clark (& Jimmy 2.0)
Mom and I had a much stronger – and more negative – reaction when we heard that same cheesy voiceover announcing that the character of Jimmy Olsen on Lois & Clark would now be played by Justin Whalin. While recasts are a dime a dozen on daytime television, they are far less frequent when you enter the realm of prime time and movies. So, no eye rolls this time. We were attached to Michael Landes’ portrayal of Jimmy and didn’t understand the change. My mom theorized that Michael looked a little too similar to Dean Cain, who was playing Clark Kent. A brief internet search indicates she may have been right (go, Mom!), but it does raise the question: if he looked too much like Clark’s little bro, why cast him in the first place? It’s not like Michael suddenly started resembling Dean. Maybe there were other reasons we’ll never hear about.
In any case, the Jimmy Olsen recast was a rough one. All recasts take the viewer out of the reality of the fictional world, reminding us that we are just watching a show or movie. And since this was my favorite show – the marvelous escape that helped me cope with the real stuff going on in my life – I definitely didn’t appreciate the interruption. Justin (AKA Jimmy 2.0) acknowledged on the special features portion of one of the L&C DVD sets that he didn’t get the warmest welcome from fans, receiving a lot of negative letters in the first part of his initial season. However, by about halfway through, the tides were turning and he was getting about a 50-50 mix of good and bad fan mail.
Personally, I think I started to warm up to him around episode seven, “That Old Gang of Mine.” Jimmy’s heartbroken grief after Clark Kent is “murdered” in that ep really tugged on my teenage heartstrings. If he was that devastated after losing a friend, my young mind reasoned, then he must be a pretty good guy. 🙂
Iron Man and Rhodey: The Missing Bond
Unlike my initial dismay over the new Jimmy on L&C, the recast of James Rhodes in Iron Man 2 was just plain confusing for me. Admittedly, I am not great with names, so it took me a beat (and a rewatch of the first film) to realize that this newcomer, Don Cheadle, was supposed to be playing the same character that had previously been portrayed by Terrence Howard. Another rocky transition for me, since I thought Terrence was great in Iron Man. The writers really took the time to show the bond between Rhodey and Tony in that initial movie, and with a new actor, the relationship between the two characters just didn’t feel the same. Of course, Don Cheadle ROCKS as War Machine, so he eventually won me over, but if I were a writer working on that franchise (I wish, LOL!), I think I would have added a bonding scene between Tony and Rhodey 2.0 early in Iron Man 2 to help audiences get over the hump and begin to form that connection to the new actor.
A Tale of Three Carlys
When it comes to recasts, it’s cool to acknowledge the different strengths each actor brings to the role, rather than just trying to forget any previous incarnations of the character ever existed. Michael Landes was charming and hilarious as Jimmy, while Justin Whalin was sweet, sincere, and boyishly innocent. Terrence Howard’s Rhodey had a memorable bond with Tony Stark, while Don Cheadle’s version kicked all kinds of butt fighting side-by-side with Iron Man against Whiplash (and added some great humor when his suit’s tech malfunctioned).
General Hospital did something really interesting a few years back, where they paid homage to all of the actresses to ever play the role of Carly through the years, bringing back each performer for a single, memorable scene alongside costar Maurice Benard. It was a little bit weird, but also a really nice touch to see a show so boldly acknowledge (rather than shy away from) the uncomfortable but sometimes necessary issue of recasts.
In Loving Memory
Recasts can happen due to a variety of circumstances – financial disagreements, personal issues, an actor no longer being available – but the very worst reason is, of course, that the actor has passed away in real life. Such was the case with Michael Gambon replacing Richard Harris as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies. I loved Harris’s Dumbledore for the sweet, grandfatherly affection he showed Harry, and the sparkle in his eye. Gambon brought more quirkiness and mystery to the role. Together, they made the perfect wise old wizard.
While Dumbledore had to be recast for the pre-written storyline to work, there are other times when replacing a deceased actor just wouldn’t feel right. After Christopher Reeve passed away, Smallville decided to have his memorable and magnetic character, Dr. Swann, also perish. The grief on the show mirrored our grief in real life. The same goes for the character of Dr. Kroger on Monk. After the loss of actor Stanley Kamel, Monk paid tribute to its fallen cast member in the best way possible – by showing Adrian Monk grapple, and eventually make peace, with the death of his beloved psychiatrist, Dr. Kroger.
Superman and Lois (and Jon Kent 2.0)
Over the summer, while searching for the premiere date of my other current favorite show, Superman and Lois, I stumbled across the news that Jon Kent would no longer be played by Jordan Elsass. The news was upsetting, but at least I had ample time to adjust before the show actually began airing its third season. Still, I was nervous as I sat down to watch the premiere. Elsass was memorable, and I could tell from the amount of fanfiction written about his version of the character that he really made an impact on viewers.
So far, despite my reservations, I am happy with how Superman and Lois has handled the difficult situation of replacing one of their main actors. They didn’t shove the change in our faces, but they didn’t sweep it under the rug either (and very thankfully, they did not make that super cheesy voiceover announcement!). Over the course of S3’s first several episodes, we are gradually getting to know Michael Bishop’s version of Jon. I feel like he has the right vibe for the character. He’s sweet and earnest, funny yet serious when he needs to be. As Nathan Fillion showed us almost twenty-nine years ago, recasts do not have to be horrible. As Justin Whalin, Michael Gambon, and others have demonstrated through the years, a new actor can make a role special in their own way, without taking away from what came before. I’ll always look back fondly on what Elsass brought to the character of Jon Kent, and I can’t wait to see how Bishop grows into his own version of the fair-haired Kent brother.
So, it’s Halloween, AKA the one day a year I actually have a legitimate excuse to wear my werewolf masks (no the plural is not a typo – I have two masks, as well as a set of fuzzy ears, a pair of paws, and a tail). As you can probably tell from the above sentence, werewolves are kinda my thing. I’ve spent the last several months reading and watching all manner of lycanthropic entertainment. Now seems like a great time to give you guys the skinny (or should I say the hairy?) on the numerous fur-raising tales I’ve been dipping into!
Enjoy, and let the good times howl!
TV
Wolf Like Me (Peacock) This show was the whole reason I signed up for Peacock. It just looked SO good. And I am thrilled to say it more than lived up to expectations. The show centers around Mary (a werewolf with a tragic past), Gary (a widower struggling to raise a young daughter), and Emma (Gary’s daughter, who suffers from severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks). Wolf Like Me is a beautifully written and performed story told in six bite-sized episodes. It is part rom-com, part drama, with a little bit of horror thrown in for good measure. You will fall in love with the characters, laughing out loud at some points and holding your breath at others. I devoured this show in about three days, then immediately rewatched the final episode because it was next-level good in terms of the emotional payoff. I have since showed the series to my mom, who also really enjoyed it. When we got to the last episode, I asked her if she was excited for the final installment. She said, “Yes and no.” She wanted to see how it all turned out, but also was sad that there would be no more episodes. It was definitely over too soon, and I can’t wait for season two, assuming we get one (I think we will!).
Wolfblood (Peacock) A cute British show for kids/tweens about a species of werewolf-like creatures struggling to keep their secret while dealing with all kinds of normal teen drama and various supernatural dilemmas. To be honest, this one is worth watching for the accents alone – you’ve got all manner of British, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and more, and being an American, I could listen to those voices talk all day long. A few of the storylines would definitely be more of interest to younger viewers than adults, but overall I had so much fun watching seasons 1-3 (all they had on Peacock, though apparently there are 2 more seasons floating out there somewhere). The wolves were very obviously CG, but at least they were cute-looking. The characters were very well-drawn, with even people like the mean girls and the class bully getting backstories, so that no one was just one-dimensional, and everyone was a redeemable human (or wolf). By the end, I felt like they were family, and I was sad when it was time to say goodbye.
The Order (Netflix) The pacing is a bit manic on this college-set drama, rushing from one storyline to the next as if the writers thought the audience had super short attention spans or something. That said, the actors are likeable, and have good chemistry together, making me care about the characters and their problems. There were a lot of cool details, including the use of wolf pelts to create the werewolves (rather than the typical “infection by bite” mode) and a practical explanation for the purpose of werewolves and why they eat the hearts of their victims. I found this a refreshing change from the norm. Also of note: season one did a great job of making the werewolves scary by not showing too much. There’d be a paw, or a snout, or a massive silhouette, or even just someone reacting to what it looked like without the beast appearing on screen. The wolves do eventually show up in their entirety, but the build-up was nice. I’d like to see another season of this, especially as it ended on a cliffhanger, but I don’t know if there’s any chance of it actually happening.
Books
Bitten(Once Bitten, Twice Shy, Book One)by Noelle Marie
I found myself engaged by this story of a young woman whose life gets completely upended after she is bitten by a werewolf, witnesses her family being attacked (and presumably killed) by brutal assailants, and then finds herself kidnapped and held against her will by a group of werewolves “for her own protection.” I liked most of the characters, including the lead, Katherine, and many members of her pack as well as students at the special werewolf school she ends up attending. The whole “werewolf society” thing was cool. There was even an awesome, all-female pack that I desperately wanted Katherine to join.
The one thing that grated me about this book was the character of Bastian. I hated him and the way he treated Katherine, which to me read like abusive behavior. He bit her and turned her into a werewolf, jeopardizing her life and her family’s lives simply because his wolf was attracted to her and couldn’t “control himself.” Bastian follows this up by kidnapping Katherine, obsessively micromanaging every detail of her life (she is not allowed to go anywhere or do anything without his permission), peeing on her to mark her as territory (for her “protection”), saying nasty things like “I wish I’d never met you” and then later apologizing that he didn’t mean it, etc. I was cheering Katherine on whenever she did anything to defy him, and cringing whenever they had romantic moments. The reason for some of Bastian’s disgusting behavior is explained by the end of the book, but in my mind the explanation didn’t really do anything to excuse his actions. I want her to ditch his sorry butt.
Unleashed(Wolf Springs Chronicles, Book One)by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
This book stands out from the pack (pun intended!) because of the really creepy atmosphere. The main character, Kat, has just moved in with her grandfather outside the remote town of Wolf Springs. Their cabin is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods. She is not allowed to go out by herself at night. She isn’t even allowed to step off the porch after dark. Strange noises emanate from the darkness – including screams and weird drumming/chanting from a nearby corporate retreat. A girl has been murdered prior to Kat’s arrival in Wolf Springs, and a second death occurs right after Kat moves in, heightening the fear level. Even the reveal about the existence of werewolves – which the reader should see coming, given the topic of the book – is handled in an eerie and believable way, adding to the creep factor.
Kat did frustrate me at times, taking actions that very obviously were not smart, just in order to move the plot along. Seriously, if people were getting murdered/mauled to death in the woods at night, and basically everyone on the planet had already warned you not to drive home alone, I don’t think you would forget or ignore this information just because of a fight with a guy.
Overall, though, I thought the book was well-written. I have mixed feelings about the end, as there was no resolution to any of the plot points. However, the chilling atmosphere and numerous mysteries kept me engaged, and I definitely want to read the next book in the series!
The Wolf Giftby Anne Rice
I’d never read an Anne Rice book before, and I must say I was very impressed with the writing. Beautiful descriptions, expert characterization, and a compelling tale of a newly-turned “man-wolf” made this a highly enjoyable read. I especially liked that the main werewolf, Reuben, used his gift to dispatch the most deplorable criminals imaginable (including child murderers and someone who was trying to light a homeless man on fire), making him like a really vicious superhero/vigilante. My main complaint would be that never at any point does he consider not killing his victims, even though he’s plenty strong enough to contain perpetrators with nonlethal force. The only other thing that bothered me was that Reuben’s main love interest, Laura, was the only character not particularly well fleshed out. They decided to move in together and spend the rest of their lives together after just barely meeting each other and having sex two times. Insta-love is a big no-no for me, but overall I really enjoyed the book. There are some beautiful philosophical passages as well as a few “science behind the transformation” tidbits which were refreshing because most authors don’t attempt to explain something like that in medical terms. I will definitely read the sequel at some point.
Mercy Thompson Series, Books 1-3 (Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed) by Patricia Briggs
As you can tell by the fact that I read the first three books, I am hooked on this urban fantasy series about a Native American woman who can transform into a coyote at will. She also happens to be a mechanic and a total badass who was raised with werewolves and therefore does not take crap from them. So far, these books tend to involve murder mysteries that Mercy gets involved in due to her ties to the supernatural community, which includes fae, vampires, witches, and the aforementioned wolves. I thought the plot of the first book was a tad overly complicated, with possibly too many characters introduced. For a supposed loner, we find out that Mercy is actually close with her neighbor, Adam (the local wolf pack’s Alpha), and Adam’s daughter, Jesse, and Adam’s third in command, Warren, and Warren’s boyfriend, Kyle, and the local cop, Tony, and the fae guy Mercy bought her garage from, Zee, and the friendly-ish vampire, Stefan, and well, you get the picture – it’s a lot of people in her life, and that’s before the folks from her past get involved. So I was a little overwhelmed in book one, but I settled right into book two with all of the characters and relationships already established, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. I love Mercy’s voice and her personality. Looking forward to book four and beyond!
Cry Wolf (Book One of the Alpha and Omega Series) by Patricia Briggs
I gave this book a chance because my library only had the first three Mercy Thompson installments (plus one from way later in the series, but no way am I reading them out of order). I read the audiobook version, which is not my preference, and may have colored my perception of the story. This book takes place in the Mercy Thompson universe, shortly after the events of Moon Called, so there are some spoilers for that one. The characters were okay, but not as compelling as the main characters in the Mercy books. The book cover did not mention that it was an abridged edition, but I felt like something might have been missing from the beginning. Anna and Charles, who have only just met, are already “mated” to each other in wolf form (meaning their wolves just instantly fell in love/lust/whatever). We didn’t get to see when this moment occurred, but we do know the two are virtual strangers, which made it uncomfortable for me that they were already bonded for life. Another case of insta-love that left me sour, because I think people need to spend a lot of time together before making a commitment like that, whether your wolf is horny or not. The story has some cool elements of magic and a really nice newly-turned werewolf who sadly doesn’t survive to the end of the book. The concept of what Anna is, an Omega wolf who can’t be controlled by an Alpha and has the power to calm other wolves, was interesting, but I didn’t love her character or Charles and therefore wasn’t super-invested in their romance.
Movies
Ginger Snaps
This one had been on my radar ever since I encountered it on someone’s top ten list of best werewolf movies. Given that decent werewolf movies are hard to come by, I was really looking forward to this, and it did not let me down. It was a well-written and well-acted film with a compelling storyline paralleling the brutal changes of becoming a wolf with the volatile body changes a teenage girl undergoes during puberty. I must say this is absolutely the goriest werewolf movie I’ve ever seen. A total blood and guts fest. It was a bit shocking. The other thing that caught me off guard was the amount of suicide imagery. One of the main characters, Ginger, is obsessed with death and the idea of killing herself, and the film is filled to the brim with every graphic image of self-inflicted death you could imagine. If you or the person you’d be watching it with are going through any kind of depression, I would not recommend this movie, as it could be a trigger. The special effects were good, and the final form of the beast is truly hideous. Nothing pretty about this film at all, but it is well-done and worth watching if you can stomach it.
I Am Lisa
Okay, the concept of this movie sounded great – a young woman is brutalized and left for dead in the woods by a group of nasty peers. Instead of dying, she is bitten by a werewolf and then uses her newfound abilities to exact revenge on the ones who attacked her. So yeah, it sounds bloody awesome, but sadly I just felt like the writing was terrible and I couldn’t get into it at all. A lot of the characters seemed flat, and people did not behave logically or with any clear motive. At one point Lisa (the werewolf) and her best friend wisely decide that they should leave town. They then continue to hang around in town as if the conversation never took place. I didn’t finish watching this movie, so maybe it got better in the final third, but life’s too short to watch something you’re not enjoying, so I decided not to keep pushing through.
Battledogs
Like the previous film, this one had a cool-sounding concept. The idea of using werewolves for military applications isn’t explored often enough, and I thought the plot might be cool if nothing else. I’m sorry to say this is a ridiculously bad movie. I think it knows it is a bad movie, and even embraces its own terribleness, and those kinds of movies can be fun to watch, especially with friends. There is no real development of plot or character, it’s all just one action scene after another, weak explanations for elements that just plain don’t make sense, etc. I probably would have finished this one, despite how much it sucked, but I grew uncomfortable with the fact that all the “hero” characters were white, and the two main “bad guys” were Black and Native American. (The lead baddie is actually played by our beloved Dennis Haysbert, who was so memorable as God on Lucifer. His talents were wasted here.) There was one Black character (portrayed by Ernie Hudson of Ghostbusters fame) helping the protagonists, but he got senselessly murdered halfway through the film. Shortly after that, I just kind of called it quits. If you like constant werewolf action and blatantly stupid writing, you might like this one.
I don’t have Disney+ at the moment, but at some point hopefully we’ll get it back and I can dive headfirst into Werewolf by Night. In the meantime, I bid you happy watching, happy reading, and a very happy Howl-o-ween!
As a fangirl, having something to look forward to – a book, a movie, a tv show – is essential to my emotional health. Those bright-hot moments of anticipation, the little mental movies I play, imagining all the wonderful and exciting adventures to come – these things keep my internal fire lit. They keep me going. In an increasingly dark world, fandom is one of my only lifelines…but lately, I just haven’t found much to be excited about.
Enter: Daredevil, Season Three.
Okay, yes, I realize S3 isn’t anything new. I think it came out in, what, 2018? But due to a weird set of circumstances, I didn’t know it existed until a few months ago. Long before we had a Netflix subscription, I nicked the Daredevil Season One DVD set from my dad, and got Season Two as a much-anticipated birthday gift. I knew about The Defenders, and waited for it to come out on DVD while searching for news about a possible Daredevil S3. The main article I read stated that S3 was highly unlikely to happen. A bummer, for sure, but I’m no stranger to cancellation disappointment **cough**Forever**cough**Limitless and was grateful for the two full seasons we got. As soon as we subscribed to Netflix (thank you, Lucifer!), I happily watched The Defenders, and figured that was that.
So, years went by – yes, years! – with me having no clue that another whole season of Daredevil was right under my nose. I think my brother even mentioned S3 in a phone call, and I dismissed it as a mistake. Shame on me – I should have known he’d never make such an error about a Marvel show! Then again, I’m kind of glad I didn’t question him right then, because it would have totally changed when and how I found out about S3.
Near the end of 2021, on a total whim, I decided to watch the episode “Nelson vs. Murdock.” It’s one of my favorite S1 episodes, because Foggy finally knows the secret. And, being the lazy bum that I am, I figured who wants to get off the couch, pull out a disc, and pop it in the player when you have the magic of streaming right on your tablet? So I put my Netflix subscription to good use, and, for the first time, watched an episode of Daredevil on the service rather than on my DVD player. And there it was, just sitting nonchalantly in the drop-down menu: Seasons 1, 2, 3.
Even then, I thought it might be a mistake. Like, maybe they were listing The Defenders as the third season of Daredevil. I clicked on S3, caught a glimpse of some episode titles, and knew in a beat that it wasn’t The Defenders. It was a brand new season of Daredevil, just waiting there for me like the best Christmas gift ever. My fangirl heart gave a howl of joy, and I happily commenced with re-watching S2 and The Defenders in anticipation of my first viewing of S3.
Little did I know, I was running out of time.
There are many things I love about Netflix (I mean come on, they savedLucifer – if that doesn’t earn a lifetime of goodwill from me, nothing could). But one thing I really don’t like is how they take content away without reasonable warning. A movie or show that’s always been on your list can simply vanish without a trace. The only warning you might get, if you’re lucky, is a little notice at the top of the screen – IF you happen to be watching that particular movie or show in the month before it is scheduled to be removed. Otherwise, your content is simply gone, and if you wanted to watch it one more time, that’s just too bad for you.
Thankfully, I got lucky, both in the fact that I discovered Season Three when I did, and that I was actively watching S2 in the month before Netflix was going to take all the Marvel shows away. I did some quick math, and figured out that if I binged hard, I could still finish my re-watch of S2 and The Defenders, watch all of S3, and then have a few days left over to re-watch any S3 eps that caught my fancy.
It worked out beautifully. Normally, I try to resist binge watching because then the content is gone too soon. When I’m enjoying something, I like to draw it out as much as possible (Prime example of my insanely powerful restraint: I still haven’t watched the final season of Lucifer!). In this case, though, I had no choice but to watch it fast and furious, sometimes two episodes per night. Instead of holding myself back, I had every excuse to just let go and indulge. Wanna know what happens next? Guess what, you don’t have to wait! Just watch the next episode right now! It was glorious.
What made it even better was the fact that I really loved Season Three! It was by far my favorite season of the lot. I liked S2 more than S1 because it had romance, Foggy knew the secret, there was a cool juxtaposition between Daredevil and The Punisher, and I thought the writers did a better job of giving Matt some deficits as a blind person. That said, the main villain of S2 is an organization, and it’s hard to do character development with an organization. I really admired the way they developed Wilson Fisk in S1, and that was a little bit missing in S2. Thankfully, that beautiful character development was back in S3, where we got to know more about Foggy, Karen, and Matt’s families, as well as doing a deep dive into new characters Ray Nadeem and Ben Poindexter.
I got so invested in Ray and his family – I really, really didn’t want him to die, and my heart tore a little when he did. But the truly impressive thing was how the writers actually made Dex, who commits mass murder and all other manner of atrocities, a character you could also feel for. I mean, to see someone that screwed up trying so hard not to give in to his screwed-up nature, and then have someone manipulate that situation for their own gain, effectively ruining him in the process…I did have some (limited) sympathy.
All in all, Daredevil Season Three was everything I could have asked for – full of hurt/comfort, character development, people trying to do the right thing in horrifyingly bad circumstances, amazing fight sequences (the prison escape, the Bulletin massacre, the church attack), and what I wanted most: Matt, Foggy, and Karen reconnecting and their friendship looking stronger than ever. I was excited for the future of the characters, even though I’d likely never get to see what that future was. It left me smiling and wanting to write Daredevil fanfiction for the first time ever.
I’ve heard Daredevil makes a brief appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home. So, I’ll probably get to see Matt one more time, at least. I truly hope Disney chooses to do something more with these great characters, but even if they don’t, I am okay. The joy I got from Season Three will last this fangirl a good, long time. 🙂
I scribbled these notes ages ago, and thought I’d better post them before 5b drops (May 28th, people! It’s almost here!!). Readers beware: this isn’t a proper review of Season Five, because I can’t really judge something that isn’t complete. So, instead I give you some random fangirl thoughts and feels! (Plus, since you’re such good DevilBunnies, a few Lucific recs to boot.) 🙂
Episode 1: Really Sad Devil Guy
Great opener! We get to see how Chloe and Luce are coping in their separate realities. I love the Chlaze partnership. It has been WAY too long since we’ve seen Chloe and Maze as anything more than frosty acquaintances. Having them be friends and even work partners was like a delicious peppermint candy. Too bad I got greedy and crunched it up. It was gone far too soon. Seriously, just one episode and then poof to the Chloe/Maze relationship? Such a bummer. Hope it’s back in 5b. Other things I loved about this ep:
-The wistful expression on Lucifer’s face when he looks out across Marina del Rey. That aching sadness in his eyes says more than words ever could about how long he’s been away from the world – and the people – he loves.
-The parallel case solving, with Lucifer in Hell and Chloe in LA. So cool! It was awesome how they went up and down between the two dimensions and sometimes when a scene started you didn’t know yet where it was taking place.
-Mr. Said Out Bitch! Of course he had to be in it, because it’s a season opener! But, on the downside…he’s dead now, so what does that mean for the Season Six premiere? Souls coming to Earth? A trip down to the underworld? I hope they found a creative way to include him in the final opener. 🙂
-The demon that came to talk to Chloe – he was so cheerful and happy and friendly, which was at complete odds with the fact of him inhabiting this horribly wounded dead body. He’s all chipper and like, “Hi! I’m a demon!” right after choking on a throatful of blood. He even apologizes for being “gross.” Hilarious. I think we need this demon back again. Though sadly it would have to be a different actor portraying him, since that body was apparently “too jacked to keep working,” lol.
-Speaking of demons, we learned that various “characters” who appear in the Hell loops are actually played by demons. Does this include the version of Uriel that Lucifer saw in his own Hell loop? Was that a demon torturing his own king? Just something interesting the episode made me think about!
-The ending was a twist! I’d accidentally been spoiled about the Michael thing beforehand (this is why I try to avoid Twitter), but the writers still fooled me. I totally thought it was Lucifer who came to save Chloe and Lee’s sister at the end. My jaw dropped a little at the reveal that Luce was still in Hell. Me loves to be surprised. 😀
Episode 2: Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer!
If you ignore the fact that it’s Michael and not Lucifer, this episode is actually really shippy. Chloe is flirting, concerned about his well-being, trying to understand the struggles he’s facing after being in Hell for so long. In short, she’s being a really sweet, awesome girlfriend. The makeout scene with Maze/Michael is hard to swallow because of how much it hurts poor Chloe. So glad she realizes in the end that it wasn’t really Luci, cuz he would never do that to her. Still, ouch! I like how Tom is playing Michael, using a distinctive posture/accent and the whole wimpy/whiny/bitchy vibe to really sell that it’s two different characters. I love, love, love Chloe shooting him at the end. 🙂 Too bad it didn’t take the sting out of Michael letting the whole miracle thing out of the bag (something I totally believe Lucifer would’ve told her himself if he’d had more time on Earth). Also, on a somewhat random note, the scorpion at this beginning of this ep looked very nice, and was the first of many superb special effects this season, making me wonder if the show got a bigger effects budget, or if it’s some improvement on the technology side of things. Whatever the cause, Lucifer seems to have upped its FX ante, and I am loving the eye candy. Keep it coming!
Episode 3: ¡Diablo!
My first instinct was that this episode was too goofy for dealing with the heavy subject matter of Chloe grappling with the whole miracle sitch. However, it’s a hard episode not to love, and it’s definitely grown on me with repeated viewings. For once it is Chloe and not Lucifer who is searching for the answer to personal problems in between the lines of their current case, so that’s a fun reversal. Too bad the person she thought had the answers was actually a psycho killer chick! As a huge Deckerstar fan, it was rough not to have a real reunion like the characters deserved, because it was already tainted by the miracle revelation. 😦 But instead of the longed-for Deckerstar, we did at least get some Douchifer, which was totally on my wishlist for S5 after being sorely lacking last season. Other highlights of this ep:
-Diablo – OMG, how could you not love this sweet, dumb-yet-somehow-smart actor taking his role way too seriously? It was so great how no one ever even called him by his real name. He was just “Diablo.” How could his costar kill him? How could anyone? It’s like shooting a litter of newborn chinchillas with an AK-47. You just can’t. Plus he solved the case! Diablo FTW, Dad rest his soul. 🙂
-The clown room in Hell. Do I even need to say anything here? Totally priceless.
-Dan, Ella, and Lucifer acting out a ¡Diablo! episode. Best. Scene. Ever. “Now I can…put my bra back on?” ROFL!
-Lucifer mentions being able to “listen to” Chloe’s conversation from well outside a room with the door closed, and also talks about Dan’s bone density like it’s something Lucifer can actually see. Are these hints at some devilish superhuman sensory abilities? My fangirl heart hopes so! 🙂
Episode 4: It Never Ends Well for the Chicken
I enjoyed this one as much as I could, given that it’s one of those eps. By those, I mean the noir-style, black-and-white, everybody-playing-a-different-character eps. A lot of shows do these. Smallville did one. They’re not really my jam. The fact that this one is Lucifer telling a story to Trixie about events that actually happened saves it a little bit, as does the fact that it moves Maze’s arc forward, but still, this type of episode is never going to be a favorite for me. (Ditto for musical episodes – not my style. At all.) I hope the people who do like this sort of thing enjoyed it!
Cool things about this ep:
-As mentioned above, these were actual events, not a dream or fantasy sequence (which most episodes of this type tend to be) so kudos on that.
-DB Woodside’s character was HIL-arious! Ditto for Kevin Alejandro’s prissy, super-wimpy counterpart. 🙂 Those guys must’ve had such a blast. In general, it looked like everyone was really having fun with their new roles, which was cool to watch.
-Sooooo nice to see Tricia back! Made me miss Charlotte (and Mum) so much! The love story between her and Lauren’s character was touching to watch, as was Rachel Harris’s character’s devotion to her beloved wounded war veteran.
-Lesley-Ann did a great job portraying Lilith. The friendship between Lily and Lucifer was sweet. I especially liked when they sang “Someone to Watch Over You.” It was very clear they’d been through a lot together and had a mutual respect for each other.
-I love that we got some Trixie/Lucifer scenes – there are never enough of these, and they’re always gold. Part of me was a little sad at the reveal that Trixie was just manipulating Lucifer to get information for Maze. It makes total sense, though – Trixie has outgrown her “complete adoration” phase when it come to Lucifer, so of course her loyalties would lie with Maze, who treats her as a best friend and doesn’t just call her “child” or “offspring,” lol. Plus, Trixie has always had a taste for cold hard cash. 🙂
We learned a lot about Lilith here, including that she was immortal until fairly recently, that she “chose” to have soulless children and send them to Hell to be Lucifer’s army, and that her immortality now resides in Lucifer’s ring. There are still so many questions, though! Like, I feel stupid for asking this, but what exactly is she? I mean, is she a previously-unkillable human like Cain? Or is she another sort of creature entirely? Do her children have fathers (or a father)?
ETA: I actually did a little research on the history of Lilith throughout various religious texts and early folklore, and there was not a lot of agreement on what she is, though I did find references to her being Adam’s first wife, and her having tons and tons of demonic children – in some accounts they are Adam’s, in other accounts the fathers are men she had sex with or stole “seed” from in their sleep. She is associated with owls and other night creatures/demons, and is often depicted with wings and sometimes with scales/reptile features. In some stories she is actually the serpent in the Garden of Eden, rather than Lucifer! Lilith was believed by many to prey on men for sex and to harm women (especially pregnant ones) and children in their sleep. In some versions she left Adam and the Garden because she refused to be anything less than Adam’s equal, which has made her a symbol of female empowerment. One last interesting tidbit: in one of the tales, God commands that 100 of Lilith’s children be slaughtered every day until she returns to Eden. In our Luci-verse, perhaps this could be the real reason she “chose” to send her kids to Hell? To protect them from God’s wrath? Hmmmm….
Episode 5: Detective Amenadiel
A fantastic ep, and arguably my favorite of the season! 😀 Chloe and Amenadiel have this great dynamic and we almost never get to see them spending time together, so this was a real treat. In this ep we also got more Douchifer (YESSSSSSS!! Bracelet Bros, FTW!), and got to see Amenadiel be a kick@$$ angel with an impressive show of power at the end there. I love the title’s double meaning, because Amenadiel is not only helping to solve a murder here – he is also solving a major problem for his little bro and Chloe. Amenadiel’s wonderful insight into the Deckerstar dilemma felt so refreshing and so right after all the agony both characters have been through thinking they were forced to have feelings for each other and that their relationship was all some grand manipulation by a higher power.
“You are the only mortal who sees him as he truly is.”
“He thinks you choose to be vulnerable with me.”
**cue Deckerstar fangirl squeals!!!!**
Episode 6: BluBallz
Aaaand our nice moment gets interrupted by a murder! Thanks a lot, Ella! I did really like the bait and switch at the beginning, when it looked like we were watching Chloe and Lucifer together and it was really just some random teenagers fooling around on the beach. And then it looked like the teenagers were going to get killed, but the weapon turned out to be a squirt gun. Very playful on the part of the writers. Fun stuff. 🙂
So, we got to meet one of Chloe’s exes. I didn’t like him at all, but I don’t think we were supposed to, lol! He just seemed very…empty. Like there wasn’t a whole lot beneath the handsome exterior. His “niceness” felt false, as if it were merely an act he was putting on to impress people while hoping they didn’t look too deep. As far as Chloe’s exes go, Dan has way more character in his pinky finger than this guy!
Still, jealousy is not anyone’s best color, and even Lucifer can’t quite make that green envy look good. I couldn’t really blame him too much though because he and Chloe just got together and yet she tells What’s-His-Face (seriously, I forgot his name) that she’s not in a relationship. Right in front of Lucifer. Ouch. Dang, Decker – that was cold. I mean, true, it was probably too soon to define their relationship as “dating,” but she could’ve said something closer to the truth, like, “Actually, I am involved with someone right now. It’s still really early, but we’re seeing where it goes.” I’m just saying, you could see why Luce got upset. And unfortunately, when he gets upset, he acts out in very ridiculous and childish ways.
Despite the silliness and stupidity of Lucifer’s antics, this episode actually had some major events:
-Tribe Night #2 (Love it like crazy, especially the Chloe/Linda talk about sex with Lucifer, and “nice” Maze barely surviving small talk with Karen)
-Dan sees the Devil Face (OMDOMDOMD!). Love how Michael was the one who orchestrated this event. Double love Charlie’s reaction to Uncle Lucifer’s monstrous side. 🙂 The baby loves it, ROFL! Charlie would probably really like Maze’s demon face too. That kid’s gonna need sooooo much therapy when he grows up. Good thing Linda’s his mom! 🙂
-Chloe and Lucifer finally, finally make it past their NUMEROUS issues and actually get together!!!! WOO HOO!!!!
Episode 7: Our Mojo
Great episode here! Definitely a S5 favorite. This one starts out all cute and fluffy, but quickly goes down a dark path as the team hunts a particularly vicious killer. Some shows do serial killers on a weekly basis and it gets old pretty fast, but on Lucifer these types of cases are a rare event, often reserved for multi-ep arcs like this one. When we face a serial killer on this show, I know it’s going to be epic and it’s really going to change things for the characters, so I am instantly on high alert.
Oh, poor Detective Douche. His graveyard breakdown talking to Charlotte was absolutely heart-shattering. Kudos to Kevin on that scene, and just in general for making us care so deeply about a character who could easily be unlikable given all the stuff he’s done in the past. Dan’s stolen evidence and gotten people killed and basically even put a hit on Lucifer in S4, and yet somehow we still love him and I’d say that’s in large part due to Kevin’s portrayal.
Then “angelic” Michael shows up, and the scene shifts from devastating to nauseating. I’m sorry, but Michael is just so icky! He’s like nails on a chalkboard mated with tin foil scraping across my teeth. If this character has any redeeming qualities, they’ve yet to make themselves known.
In this ep, Michael introduces himself as an archangel. I believe this is the first use of the term on the show and the first indication of “ranks” among the angels. On Supernatural they had four of these angels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Lucifer. They were the most powerful angels and killing them required a special weapon (an archangel blade), as regular angel blades would not hurt them. In this case, since it was Michael referring to himself, I kind of brushed it off as him trying to sound really important and special. Yet, in the next episode, Lucifer also refers to Michael as an archangel. So I’m assuming Michael really is one. We’ve yet to learn what this means on the show and if any of the other angels carry that title.
The mojo swap was the fun part of this otherwise serious episode, but it did hurt to see Lucifer so distressed, and I think Linda had a point about Chloe not taking the issue seriously. I love how Lucifer compensated for the loss by getting his own badge and gun (ROFL!) and I love, love, love how Chloe used Lucifer’s gun to stop the super creepy killer guy.
Great cliffhanger ending with Dan holding the gun on Luce! Part of me suspected that Michael would send Dan to kill Lucifer, but for some reason I thought it would be with a supernatural weapon (possibly Azrael’s blade, retrieved from the other universe). The fact that it was just an ordinary gun makes me wonder if Michael really intended Lucifer to die, or if Michael somehow knew what we find out in Ep 8 – that Lucifer is once again fully invulnerable.
Episode 8: Spoiler Alert
Speaking of which…oh no, the vulnerability around Chloe is kaput! They hinted a bit at this in the previous episode, with Lucifer looking very troubled over the fact that he’s let his guard down so much. This set-up seems to indicate that he subconsciously decided to put his walls back up, and thus made himself bulletproof again, but I’m not sure that’s the case. I think other forces may be at work. In any case, I hope he gets the vulnerability back at some point, because without it, every fanfic I’ve ever read, written, or planned to write is kinda dead in the water. 😦
I’m glad we had a few light moments at the beginning of this one (Lucifer shooting himself and delighting at the lack of damage, Chloe’s expression when Lucifer happily agrees to her sarcastic suggestion to split up), because after that it gets DARK.
Chloe’s kidnapping and the search for her is so intense. Whenever I’m squirming in my seat while watching an episode, it means I’m really, really nervous about what’s going to happen, and I was writhing like a bag of snakes while watching this one!
I was afraid from early on in the ep that the real Whisper Killer might be Pete. It’s always the nice guys, right? I was really hoping it wasn’t, because he seemed so sweet and so perfect for Ella, but once he gave her that key to his house, I knew for sure it was him. My heart breaks for poor Ella, but at least she’s alive (the writers had me scared for a minute there), and the team finally did figure out where Chloe was with a little help from a very intoxicated Dan. Plus we got our first reference to events from the episode “Boo Normal,” which was cool. 😀
Of course, not all’s well that ends well. Ella is an offscreen wreck, Chloe is insecure about Lucifer’s feelings for her (as a viewer, I have NO doubt whatsoever that he loves her, but I understand how it feels from her perspective: she’s been unceremoniously dumped – twice – for reasons totally beyond her comprehension, and that would give anyone serious misgivings), Michael’s scheming as always, Dan’s barely clinging to sanity, Maze is once again in hardcore betrayal mode, and Amenadiel’s having a time-freezing panic attack.
I initially thought Chloe’s frozenness had something to do with Lucifer starting to say the “L” word, like he inadvertently set some sort of apocalypse in motion by saying it, but thankfully I was wrong. Poor Amenadiel just doesn’t want Charlie to die. 😦 What parent wouldn’t stop time for their kid if they had the power to do so?
Re: Maze: It hurts to see her fighting alongside Michael, but honestly, can you blame her? Lucifer treats her like complete crap. He is totally insensitive to her feelings, as if she is not capable of emotion or attachments, when she has shown very clearly (through her bonds to Trixie and Linda) that she is capable of those things. Lucifer uses her when he needs her, but otherwise casts her aside like she’s worthless. So yeah, no wonder she sides with Michael.
Which makes it a more even fight, and what an EPIC fight it is! OMD, once again I bow to the show’s FX gods. That broken glass scene was especially phenomenal. Truly breathtaking!
And then, as if we needed even more drama heaped on top of it all, God shows up! All I can say is: a) I did NOT see that coming at all, and b) what appropriate casting :D.
So, I have no freaking idea where all of this is going, but for me that makes it way more fun. I hate spoilers and love surprises and I’m so ready for the next chapter in this incredible story. Can’t wait for May 28th!
If you need something to keep you from squirming like a bag of snakes while you wait, check out these two awesome and totally epic Lucifics (As always, please read the content and age-level warnings before you start reading the actual stories. The second one, in particular, has very graphic and adult content.):
Summary: What if Kinley’s poison still managed to find its way into Lucifer that night? Can Lucifer and Chloe learn to trust each other again, or will Lucifer run if he can recover?
Summary: After a five month absence, an amnesiac Lucifer returns from Hell, mysteriously cursed to fulfill Chloe Decker’s every desire—the first pull from an apocalyptic house of cards. As natural order shows signs of structural collapse, Lucifer and Chloe must discover how to free him from his bonds, and solve the puzzle of his reappearance. Meanwhile, their newest murder investigation draws them deep into an exploration of BDSM. Harbingers, Hell, devilish hijinks, and kinks. What’re a beleaguered Devil and Detective to do?
Enjoy, and I’ll be thinking of y’all on May 28th! 😀
Viewing Season Four – or Series Four, as they call it on Netflix – of Lucifer was a unique experience in several ways. It was my first time getting to see a canceled show come back to life on a new platform, and also my very first time using a streaming service. I had no idea what to expect going into this adventure, and was equal parts excited and nervous.
How hard would it be to set up Netflix? What if it didn’t work and I couldn’t see the show I’d been waiting so many months for? Of course, I had planned to get all the technical stuff sorted out and watch a few other Netflix shows as a test run before the Lucifer premiere date, but you know what happens when you make plans. In short, Neil Gaiman laughed.
As is usually the case with my life, I found myself right up against the deadline, scrambling to get the service set up the day before the new season was scheduled to drop. I didn’t know how fast or slow I would watch Season Four as a whole, but I did know I wanted to watch that first episode on the same day as everyone else…assuming the darn technology would cooperate.
I am happy to say that despite certain glitches, it all worked out just fine, and I settled into a cozy mattress for one of the happiest experiences this fangirl will probably ever have: Lucifer: Season 4.
Going into this new season, my main fear was that the Netflix version of the show would be very different from the one I knew and loved. However, when the first ep opened up with the familiar scene of Lucifer singing in Lux, followed by the entrance of Mr. Said Out Bitch – who is by this point a Lucifer season premiere requirement – I started to relax. I quickly realized that it really was going to be the same show I always adored – just with a few extra naked butts and swears thrown in to great effect.
My other concern was the length of the season – only ten episodes? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t complaining – I was beyond grateful to have any new episodes at all. But I did worry whether the writers could do a fully developed, satisfying season in just ten fifty-minute scripts. The writers on Nikita actually did an absolutely amazing six-episode final season which blew me to smithereens, but that was a different show and different writers, so I was still leery about what Lucifer would be able to do with such limitations.
Much to my delight, the short season worked beautifully. In fact, I think in some ways it worked better than a longer season because it forced everything to be so tightly focused. There wasn’t any room for filler. Every moment of every episode had to drive the plot and the character arcs toward their final destinations.
I love how all the characters have their own struggles and challenges in Season Four. Chloe struggles to accept all of Lucifer. Lucifer has to decide who he truly wants to be and whether settling for a great person who loves and accepts him is enough, even if that isn’t the person he really wants to be with. Ella battles with a crisis of faith, while Dan faces off with grief, personal demons, and an actual demon for good measure. Linda and Amenadiel wrestle with all the fears and joys of becoming parents to the universe’s first-ever angel-baby. Maze fights to find her own connection, and Eve has to swallow the hard truth that the person she loves does not love her back in the same way.
It is an amazing, emotional, and ultimately satisfying journey for all – viewers included.
Burning Questions:
1.) Did I supersize my Season Four experience with the bonus eps from Season Three?
Answer: No. I love the bonus eps – truly – but I feel like the ten episodes of Season Four were absolutely perfect, as-is. Trying to fit the bonus ones in, IMO, would’ve messed up the flow, just like in Season Three when the showrunners had to shoehorn in several eps taped in Season Two. So, I let it be. I just figured, why screw up perfection?
2.) Did I binge-watch all ten eps in a highly-caffeinated ten-hour marathon?
Answer: LOL, no! I actually watched them way slower than I originally imagined I would. The whole season took, I think, maybe three months? Maybe a little longer. I really wanted to savor each ep, especially since in the beginning I had no idea we’d be getting more. I only watched a new episode when I was alert and able to fully enjoy the experience. I even took my own mid-season break after Episode 5, which turned out to be perfect timing, since Episode 6 takes place several months later. Starting with Ep 2, I quickly got into the habit of re-watching the previous episode right before viewing the next one, which made each night like snuggling in for a two-hour Lucifer movie! It was awesome!
My personal favorite episodes:
“Everything’s Okay” – Pretty much my dream opener following the Season Three cliffhanger. We get to see Chloe interacting with the REAL Lucifer for the first time. He finally gets to show off all his powers in front of her. I spent the whole episode reveling in the fact that she finally KNOWS. In shows where there is a secret between the main characters, I personally think two seasons is where the cut-off should be on that type of storyline. After that, the other person needs to find out, or else the whole show is just boxed in and unable to move forward. With this episode, we move into exciting new creative territory. And I was thrilled to be along for the ride.
“Someone’s Been Reading Dante’s Inferno” – Chloe finds out about the vulnerability thing at long last! Yay! The scene where she holds the axe to his chest…**shivers** so intense, so emotional, so good! Plus, she turns her back on Kinley at the end of this episode, choosing instead to side with her friend and partner. You go, Detective!
“Expire Erect” – Do I even need to say anything about this episode? An instant classic, and definitely the one I’ve re-watched the most. Fun, danger, excitement, craziness, and h/c, with a Chloe/Lucifer reconciliation at the end. Nuff said.
“Devil Is as Devil Does” – Super intense, especially the artfully staged scene in the bad guy’s office with Chloe and Eve on either side of Lucifer, the angel and devil sitting on his shoulders.
“Save Lucifer” – Lucifer is physically turning into the monster he views himself as. Chloe has to find a way to save him. What’s not to love? The moment when he admits he wants to forgive himself, thereby taking the first step toward self-love? A-mazeballs.
The ones that were hard for me to watch (And by this I just mean from an emotional standpoint. They were EXCELLENT episodes):
“Oh, Ye of Little Faith, Father” – Lucifer finds out about Chloe’s betrayal. She admits she’s not sure she can accept him as-is, Devil-face and all. Amazing scene, but also a heartbreaker for Deckerstar shippers such as little old me. We all wanted Chloe to do what Eve does in the next episode – kiss him right on his red, crusty face. But it’s okay that Chloe doesn’t get there right away. Makes it all the more satisfying when she finally reaches that place of acceptance.
“Orgy Pants to Work” – I feel bad for Lucifer, struggling so hard between the two incompatible sides of his life. Just as he decides to do the right thing and embrace his goodness, the bad guy gets away and murders a cop, pushing Lucifer hard in the opposite direction. Amazing yet painful ep. My only complaint would be when Chloe is walking past Lucifer after Rookie Joan’s death, there is no physical contact, not even a sympathetic look from Chloe, though the Devil is obviously devastated. I think she should’ve touched his hand or something. But that could just be the shipper in me talking.
“Super Bad Boyfriend” – Despite the many moments of humor, this was a definite heartbreaker of an episode. Lucifer dumping Eve was hard to watch. I mean, I wanted him to, it was the right thing for all involved, but still rough. I really like the Eve character – she reminds me a bit of the fake personality Candy put on in Season Two, but in Eve’s case it’s 100% real. She’s giddy and excited and naive and genuinely wants everyone to be happy and fulfilled. She just isn’t right for Lucifer, and that is a big, nasty-tasting pill to swallow. But that wasn’t even close to the most painful part of the episode: watching Amenadiel weep for his newfound young friend, watching the angel lose his faith in humanity. Not to mention the final scene of Lucifer admitting his own deep-seated self-hatred. After this brilliant episode, I needed a Band-Aid. Ouch!
More favorite moments:
-The way Chloe just shows up at the crime scene acting totally normal in the premiere – and the way Lucifer spends like five straight minutes just staring at her like WTF? ROFL!
-Maze’s dating montage. I think I died laughing.
-Amenadiel finding out he’ll be a father after spending a fruitless day searching for his purpose on Earth.
-Trixie and Maze make up. We needed this, and they did too.
-Trixie goes to the penthouse to check on Lucifer. 🙂
-Amenadiel comforts Dan, telling him Charlotte is in heaven. Also when Amenadiel talks about Chloe’s dad in the present tense, reminding her that her father is also in heaven. So beautiful. There were several scenes this season that made me believe DB Woodside might actually be an angel. When he cries after Caleb has died, it just rips right through your heart.
-Dan in Linda’s office, finally letting go of some of the anger and actually allowing himself to grieve.
-The bar fight, AKA Lucifer kicks ass in time to great music.
-Final scene between Chloe and Lucifer. Gorgeous and achingly sad. Glad it’s not the end after all!
-Ella on ecstasy AND cocaine. Basically the whole opening scene of “Expire Erect.” Gotta be the best in medias res opener ever.
-Maze serenading Eve. I’ll second Lucifer on this one: “I’ll be damned!”
-The devil-wing reveal. Did NOT see that coming. Love the way they cut between Chloe hearing the prophecy for the first time and Lucifer building up to showing the wings to Linda. Great stuff.
-Another great end-of-episode twist – the final moments of “Everything’s Okay,” when we learn that Chloe is up to something and, despite the sweet moment she just shared with Lucifer on his piano bench, everything is very much NOT okay.
-Linda and Amenadiel naming Charlie after Charlotte – could not be more perfect.
-Chloe sees those pretty white wings. Finally! Probably what we’ve all been waiting for the most, and it more than lived up to expectations.
Honestly, there are way too many funny, wonderful, and bittersweet moments to mention them all, but hopefully that gives you just a little taste of what I loved about Season Four! All in all, I felt it was an amazing gift to the fans, and I hope you enjoyed it every bit as much as I did!
For me, being a fan of a TV show, or a book series, or even a movie franchise, has never been just about the source material. That’s where it starts, of course. But when I’m really obsessed with something, I always want more. Not spoilers, mind you. I’m allergic to those. (Seriously, I just got up and left the room to avoid a scene from an episode of Stranger Things that I haven’t watched yet).
By “more,” I mean that I want to know the characters better. I want to dive deeper into the storylines than the original material allows. I want to imagine what happened right before the episode started, or after the book ended, or analyze what a character was really thinking when he said a particular line.
For many years, this was a solitary pursuit on my part. Me, making up my own little stories about the characters. Filling in history where there wasn’t any yet, coming up with explanations when there seemed to be plot holes.
I was in college when I first discovered fan fiction, and what a revelation it was. Other people wanted more, too! They wanted to write missing scenes and dissect dialogue every bit as much as I did.
Another thing that quenches my thirst for “more” is reading rich, in-depth reviews written by someone who obviously knows and loves the source material just as much as I do. For me, finding reviews like these is actually rarer than finding excellent fan fiction.
I had two favorite reviewers for Supernatural: GaelicSpirit (https://gaelicspirit.livejournal.com/) and Kroki_Refur, both over on LiveJournal. Sadly, I don’t think either of them still writes regular reviews, but even their old ones (or sporadic new ones) are worth reading if you’re a fan of the show. Gaelic is a more of a Dean fan and Refur is definitely a Sam enthusiast, so it’s always fun to read both perspectives and get a fully rounded view of each episode. (Bonus: Both authors also write fanfic for the show, and it’s reeeeally good.)
There was a great reviewer on the official message boards for The Mentalist, but I could never find her again after CBS abandoned the traditional fan boards for a Facebook system. 😦
When it came to Forever, the place to be was AfterBuzz TV on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCcVQKtF8zHVQoTJt8NNMJA). They always had a great discussion of the current episode, and sometimes interviewed the cast and showrunners. They even helped create a subplot that later appeared on the show!
And now we come to Lucifer, one of my newest obsessions. I’ve been reading fanfic for this one for a while now (I even recommended some on here), but only recently did I come across some cool episode reviews via a link on Twitter. The author, LaToya Ferguson, really delves into the characters and plotlines, sometimes pointing out small elements I didn’t notice, or bringing up possibilities I never considered. Which is exactly what I’m looking for in a review.
So, if you’re hungry for more Lucifer, and you just can’t handle the three-week wait for the next new episode, why not check out these a-Maze-ing bits of post-ep analysis:
Hey, all – sorry I’ve been offline for so long! Lots of stuff going on right now – some good, some bad. I’ll try to catch you up! Okay, so the news first:
Publications
I read a werewolf novella by Joshua Werner and loved it so much I just had to write a review! My review of Rampant can be found in the May issue of Bloodbond, a werewolf-, shapeshifter- and vampire-themed magazine published by Alban Lake Publishing. The other content in the zine is all fiction, poetry and artwork pertaining to shapeshifters and vamps, so if you’re as crazy about creatures of the night as I am, be sure to check that out!
Up next: I have two stories coming out this August in Chicken Soup for the Soul books! Yay! The first story, “One Step at a Time,” is about my cat Sputnik’s miracle recovery from a severe health crisis. That can be found in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Really Did That?, which will be available on August 8. The second story, “Out of the Mouths of Strangers,” is a bit more humorous and includes MANY embarrassing moments from my junior high and high school years. That one will be published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Kind ofAmerica, which comes out on August 29.
Movie Reviews
In other happy news, I was fortunate enough to see THREE superhero movies in the last several months. Here’s what I thought of them:
Logan
A good movie, no doubt. High-quality and well-written. I do question the need to make this an R movie. I’m not sure that was the right way to send off the character (at least Hugh Jackman’s version of him). Wolverine has many younger fans who wouldn’t be able to see this film, and therefore wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to their favorite character. My other main issue with Logan is that it isn’t a well-balanced film. This is one of the most depressing movies I’ve seen in recent years. Virtually every character dies. And before they do, the majority of them suffer from physical and mental illness, as well as torture at the hands of their enemies. There is very little humor, and very little hope. The tone is dark and stays that way throughout, rather unrelentingly. Also, the f-word is overused. When I hear it that many times in a row, at a certain point the writer in me starts thinking, Couldn’t you have come up with a better, more creative expletive?
Despite everything, this still was a really good movie. Definitely worth seeing, but I’m not sure I’d want to own it. My suggestion: rent it when you’re in a good mood. If you’re already feeling low, this movie will only bring you down further.
Wonder Woman
To be honest, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to see this movie. Now, I can’t imagine NOT having seen it. Wonder Woman is pure magic. Unlike Logan, this movie is perfectly balanced, with just the right mix of hope, humor, action, romance and sorrow. This is the first female superhero movie to come along in…geez, I don’t even know how many years – and it delivers in a BIG way! Just seeing those powerful Amazon warriors training on their horses in the beginning of the film…I got chills. I didn’t even know how much I needed this movie until I saw it. No matter what your gender is, I promise you will leave the theatre grinning and hoping the next Wonder Woman movie is coming out sooner rather than later. Readers of this blog should be glad I don’t have a lot of time right now, otherwise you’d be getting a 5,000-word post raving about Wonder Woman.
My suggestion: See it!
Captain Underpants
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie with all three of my nephews, and I really enjoyed it. Though much of the humor is of the bathroom variety (as you can guess from the movie’s title), the core story of friendship between the two main characters is touching. As a writer (and a big superhero fan), I loved that the MCs are an author and an illustrator who created their own superhero and publish their own comic book. The fact that they get to see their creation come to life before their eyes – something any writer would give up their pinky toe to see happen – only adds to the joy of this film.
My suggestion: If you’ve got kids between 7-11 years old, take them to see it! They won’t be disappointed, and neither will you. 🙂
TV Reviews
No, no, I didn’t forget about the TV shows! That would never happen.
Last season, two shows tied for first place: Limitless, for being so friggin’ awesome in its first season, and Supernatural for being so friggin’ awesome in its ELEVENTH season! Both shows demonstrated amazing creativity and I had such a great time watching them that it was impossible to choose. I give them both a 9.5 score for the season. Runners-up included my old love, The X-Files, as well as the sparkly newcomer, Lucifer.
Some friends of mine were disgruntled about TXF, as it seemed the network might just be drawing us in with Mulder and Scully, only to reboot a new version of the show starring the recently introduced characters of Miller and Einstein. Personally, I’m withholding judgement until this actually happens. The last time I checked, Season Eleven was listed as a “sure thing” – with the original cast – so we’ll see. I do like the new characters, but Mulder and Scully need to be the stars. Always.
This season I had to make some sacrifices and only watched a few shows religiously. Among those were Lucifer and Supernatural (duh). I loved the mom-drama on both shows, but in the end, Lucifer won out for just being incredible from start to finish. Last year was a little hit-and-miss for me, but this year was DYNAMITE. There was much more focus on the supernatural elements of the show, and the emotions were running a lot higher this year, too.
I’m glad they at least established the beginning of a romance between Chloe and Lucifer. When shows wait too long to introduce romantic interest between the leads, the characters can get stuck in the friend zone. Then, if the writers do decide to put them together down the line, it’s very awkward. (Castle was one show that got this right, while The Mentalist waited too long). The characters don’t have to be together all the time – we just have to know there’s some attraction between them.
Oh, and the Lucifer finale? I just have one word: WINGZZZZZ!!!!! Also, Lucifer gets mega-points for not killing off any beloved characters in the finale. Unlike Supernatural :(. Um, some of those people can come back…right? Please???
Elsewhere on TV: Chicago Fire: We needed more time to get to know Anna before they killed her off. Grimm: Why the heck did they cancel this amazing show??? Emerald City: Too caught up in the glitz of its concept to deliver on an emotional level. This is Us: If you’re not watching it yet, start now! Great show, with many alums from other shows we love, including Smallville and Supernatural. Plus, it’s not getting cancelled anytime soon, so you can watch without fear.
Novel Update
Some of you may recall that I was in the process of editing one of my novels. Last time I posted about it, the book was at 150K words. Now, thanks to an awesome writing partner (and her equally awesome son), the manuscript is at about 106K and still shrinking. That’s down from 300K, people! Cutting your book IS doable.
For more help on cutting words from your manuscript, check out this post:
First off, a mega-sized THANK YOU to those who braved the frigid weather back in February to visit our event at PetSmart. Special moments included seeing a picture of my favorite kitty Teagan with her new mommy, watching a partially blind dog named Jack Sparrow go home with his new family, and meeting some fellow Supernatural fans (woo hoo!)! Also, great big hugs go out to my buddy Zach – AKA, the one-man sales team – and to Tara at Furget Us Not Rescue for continuing to fight the good fight! 🙂
And now, moving on to a LONG overdue update on the status of our favorite shows. Some of them have been burning hot all season long, while others have completely flatlined. See how they all rank heading into the finales! (Note: iZombie and The X-Files have already completed their seasons, so they are not listed here, but they will definitely be included in the final 2015-2016 season report.)
Burning Hot
Limitless (Tuesday 10pm, CBS): Favorite new show of the season! The writers really dump buckets of creativity on every script, making each episode an epic adventure. Whether it’s an ep told from alternating perspectives, a giant kiddy-show dinosaur named Josh-O-Saurus Josh replacing scary words with nice ones, or a comic-book themed ep complete with breathtaking illustrations, this show isn’t afraid to take risks, smash through boundaries, and pull out all the stops to deliver the most entertaining content on TV. Brian Finch has earned his place as one of my all-time favorite characters, and the rest of the players are brilliant as well. One of the best things about this show, for me, is the way the story carries right over from one ep to the next. It’s not a bunch of stand-alone procedural eps with an occasional nugget of mythology thrown in to boost ratings for sweeps. This show progresses the storyline in every single ep – something one of my other great loves, The Mentalist, failed to do. I remember being fairly bored through a lot of the eps, because the Red John ones were basically the only ones where things actually happened. Not so on Limitless. Kudos to the writers and cast: you now own a piece of my heart. Be gentle with it (i.e. don’t kill off Brian or Rebecca in the finale)!
Score: 9
Status: Not Renewed Yet (And I’m starting to getting that bad feeling again, just like with Forever…Please say it ain’t so…)
Supernatural (Wednesday 9pm, CW): Um, I’m just going to come right out and ask: Is Kripke back? ‘Cause seriously, this show is at least as good as it was when he was in charge. If not – gasp – even better. I don’t know what it is about Season 11, but everything is just clicking. We’ve got the scary (freaky rabbit in “Plush,” Lucifer’s eyes glowing from the shadows of the cage), the feels (Rowena’s confession to Crowley before her neck got snapped stole my breath, the scene with Bobby and Dean staring at one another in “Safe House” froze me in my seat, and I can’t even talk about “Red Meat” yet – still too raw from that gut-wrenching Romeo and Juliet-type moment where Sam comes back alive just as Dean is falling dead…just OMG), the crazy levels of creativity (a touching episode about imaginary friends that had me thinking about it for days afterwards, an ep entirely from Baby’s perspective (coolest thing EVER), a wonderful juxtaposition of Sam/Dean and Bobby/Rufus working a case in different time periods – it just goes on and on), and of course the LOLs – Sam: “So, you’ll beat Amara, and then what?” Lucifer: “Move to LA, solve crimes?” ROFL. I haven’t bought a Supernatural DVD since Season Six, but Season Eleven is definitely going on my birthday list.
Score: 9
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017 (Whew!)
Lucifer (Monday 9pm, FOX): SHAY LIVES! Well, not exactly, but it’s still great to see Lauren German rocking a leading role over on Lucifer. This one is definitely my newest obsession (I’m already reading fanfic for it!). I feel weird saying this, but Lucifer is almost like a nasty version of Forever. I mean, look at the similarities – handsome dark-haired immortal with an accent teams up with tough female detective? In the pilot, he even got shot trying to protect her and she witnessed it (or thought she did)…Ring any bells? So, maybe that’s why I like it so much. Of course, other than being (mostly) immortal, Lucifer is not anything like Henry Morgan. Henry was deeply compassionate whereas Lucifer revels in being as shallow as possible. However, there is a deeper storyline of redemption below the surface of Lucifer and that’s what caught my eye. I like Lucifer best when he’s being real and honest, rather than just cracking jokes and pretending he doesn’t give a crap. The idea that even the devil himself could somehow find his way back to the light – that resonates with me. Can’t wait to see where this one goes – especially with the new twist of Chloe being the one who makes him mortal!
Score: 8.5
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017 (YAY!!!)
Still Sizzling
Supergirl (Monday 8pm, CBS): I was kinda on the fence about this one when it first started up. Not anymore! Supergirl has become a real highlight for me – I really look forward to it. The characters are far and away what make this show for me – the stories might occasionally be a little hokey or cheesy, but I don’t care, because the performances carry the day. When these characters hurt, I hurt for them. When they succeed, I cheer for them. The ever-pithy Cat Grant always plants a smirk on my face, and Kara is a girl you just have to love and root for – her upbeat attitude and genuine compassion don’t give you a choice. The special bond between J’onn J’onzz and Alex and Kara makes me teary sometimes – just so sweet. I’ve always loved the Martian Manhunter, even back on Smallville. Just a wonderful character, and I was wigging out when they started to reveal that’s who Hank really is. I geek out completely whenever Clark makes an appearance, even if he’s just texting back and forth with Kara, giving his cousin some support. I love that Superman has a role in this universe, but that he respects Kara’s right to be her own hero and handle her own problems. Favorite eps include the one about how women are expected to deal with their anger in the workplace, and the one where Kara had lost her powers. “Falling” was also cool, but painful to watch. Great homage to Superman III in that ep, as well, with Kara flicking the peanuts in the bar. This show reminds me of Lois and Clark – not just because Dean Cain is on it, but because it gives me the same kind of hopeful feeling. Keep up the good work, Supergirl cast, crew and writers!
Score: 8.3
Status: Not Renewed Yet…
Gotham (Monday 8pm, FOX): Getting darker by the minute. Still utterly compelling, but I’m not sure how much more gruesome depravity I can take (A madman ripping a cop’s throat out with his teeth? Penguin feeding that lady her own kids?). Also, I didn’t like the corruption of Jim’s character, having him kill Galavan like that. Wish the show hadn’t gone there. It made sense, and it was believable, I just wish they hadn’t. Gotham is topnotch, riveting entertainment, but I don’t know if I will stick with it next year. I didn’t miss it while it was off the air, and that’s pretty telling. The finale might make the decision for me.
Score: 8
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017
Chicago PD (Wednesday 10pm, NBC): PD is rocking it, big time. Great stories all around. I don’t even care that much that Adam and Burgess broke up – it wasn’t really going anywhere, anyhow. And she and Roman are kinda cute together…;) This show packs a gritty punch with every swing. The emotional connections between the cops and the victims are a special highlight. Antonio’s tears over a murdered child (and his near-hysteria over the killer’s complete lack of remorse) got to me big time. The crossovers with SVU are just as crisp as ever (I was scared they might go away when Med came on board). Speaking of which, the only ep that fell a little flat was the crossover with Med – too much courtroom, not enough action. The tie-in with Voight’s wife was excellent, though. Keep it up, PD!
Score: 8.4
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017
Heating Up
Chicago Fire (Tuesday 10pm, NBC): Much better!!! This show is totally back to the quality of eps we saw in the first two seasons. Fire is once again must-see, and I couldn’t be happier (I just wish it wasn’t on opposite Limitless!). They’ve really gotten better at having one central storyline in each episode, such as Sylvie’s stalker or Severide trying to find out what happened to that little girl found dead in the chimney. Also, the ep with them all trapped in a building with several mass shooters was especially emotional. Only complaints: 1.) Severide still gets to have no long-term friendships or romances (yes, I get that he’s friends with Matt, but sometimes the show gets dumb and makes them enemies, so the Matt-Sev bromance is never a sure thing), 2.) Don’t make characters act out-of character just to create stories (e.g. Chili’s sudden-onset emotional/behavioral problems (yeah, I know her sister died, but they wrote it like she’d had severe problems way before that), and Herrmann callously insulting Freddie, despite knowing Freddie’s history), 3.) When you make the villains so totally despicable, e.g. the old Alderman, they become caricatures.
Score: 7.5
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017
Grimm (Friday 9m, NBC): After a rocky and super-depressing start, this one quickly got back on track and once again became one of the most flat-out entertaining shows around. I *HEART* Grimm! They had some real poignant moments of grief early on in the season – e.g. just a quiet scene of Nick, lying in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. You could just feel the mix of emotions – the loss of his mother, the loss of Juliette, but also the newness of being a father and the bizarre budding relationship with Adalind (of all people!). I’m still not quite sure what to do with their romance (if you can call it that), but I don’t hate it, and that’s something. Eve is an awesome new character – can’t wait to see where things go with her. We finally got a glimpse (I think) of her showing actual human emotion in the last ep when she displayed protectiveness toward Nick. Then we have the mystery healing stick, Wu growing closer to wolfing out by the hour (Btw, my local NBC station totally preempted the Lycan ep, without warning, and I had to hunt it down online – not cool, NBC. Not cool at all.), Adalind morphing back into a Hexenbiest, Black Claw gaining ground all over the world, and (oh please no) my beloved Sean possibly helping the bad guys win. This show is rocking right now.
Score: 7.8
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017
Cooling Off
Castle (Monday 10pm, ABC): Hard to believe this show was one of the top dogs in my rankings last year. Long hiatuses have essentially killed Castle for me. I’m entertained by the episodes, but that drive to watch is not there anymore. I don’t rush home to make sure I see it. If I miss 15 or 20 minutes of the beginning, it’s no big deal. Also, I’m not thrilled that they tied Castle’s amnesia into the LockSat (sp?) storyline. It was probably a smart move, plot-wise, but it left me a bit flat. I do like the British chick that sometimes helps them with the investigations. She’s cool.
Score: 6.5
Status: Not Renewed Yet
Elementary (Sunday 10pm, CBS): Still a great show, but the strength of my desire to watch it is pretty low, just like with Castle. If I make it home to see Elementary, then awesome. If I don’t, then **shrug**. I do like Sherlock dating the Aspie girl – that’s a nice story. Also, the b-plot with Sherlock helping the struggling ME was very sweet and emotional. And I loved the episode “Hounded” – great homage to The Hound of the Baskervilles. I actually wish they’d do more of this – modern interpretations of the original material, the way Sherlock does. They can obviously do it well, so why not?
Score: 6.8
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017
Colder Than My Toes
ChicagoMed (Tuesday 9pm, NBC): To be fair, I’ve only seen one full episode of this show – the one that was part of the three-way crossover with PD and Fire, after Herrmann got stabbed. The show was very sloooow. And booooring. A lot of manufactured, unnecessary drama between the docs and the firefighters. A medical “mystery” so predictable I was actually hoping I was wrong, just so I’d be surprised. I guess I’m used to House, where there were always a bunch of twists and wrong turns before they correctly diagnosed someone. As it was, the Splenda Guy was by far the most interesting part of the ep. Hope they kept him on. I’ll probably never find out, because I’ll be happily watching the INFINITELY more entertaining iZombie over on The CW. I wish nothing but the best of luck to Chicago Med and its fans – but “The Chicago Trilogy” will remain a duet for me.
Final Score: 5 (ouch!)
Status: Renewed for 2016-2017
(Yeah, I got a little carried away with the Roman numerals. Guilty as charged.)
I.) Mulder and Scully are back. Yes, both of them. As my fellow Philes know all too well, only about half of Season Eight’s episodes contained Mulder, and he appeared in just one episode of Season Nine – the finale. Note to TV writers everywhere: The truth is out there, and the truth is, when your series completely revolves around the lives and struggles of your two main characters, don’t try to continue without one of those characters. It’ll end badly. The last few seasons of The X-Files were hard to watch. Sure, there were some gems here and there, but for the most part, many fans (myself included) were watching out of loyalty, not out of love. Season Ten has brought the love back. I feel a thrill of excitement as I perch on the edge of the couch cushion, too eager to sit back and relax, lest I miss one single second of the newest installment.
II.) It’s authentic. This isn’t some Dark Shadows reboot that would make fans of the original series cringe. This is the real deal – original cast, original writers, and Mark Snow on music – just as it should be. They even used the good credits, the ones from Seasons 1-7, and not the cheesy, fakey-looking ones from after Duchovny left. When I heard The X-Files was returning, the very first question out of my mouth was: Is this a remake, or a revival? I’m not sure I could’ve watched new actors try to take on the iconic roles of Mulder and Scully. Thank goodness we didn’t have to!
III.) Skinner. I don’t know exactly when it happened, whether it occurred gradually over the course of the series or if it was a more dramatic, sudden shift after Mulder left, but at some point along the way, you couldn’t have The X-Files without Skinner. We need him like we need Mulder and Scully themselves. They love and trust him. We love and trust him. Skinner has Mulder and Scully’s backs when no one else on the planet does. The one major change made to the credits this time around was the addition of Skinner’s badge (in cool, vintage black-and-white glory, of course). As soon as his beautiful, bald head appeared, I nodded my approval wholeheartedly.
IV.) A clean slate. No matter how much you loved the show’s mythology, you have to admit that at a certain point, it just got WAY too complicated. I truly and honestly believe that by the end of the series, the writers themselves could not have told us how each piece fit into the puzzle. We had at least three species of aliens (the green bloods, the black bloods, and the alien replacements (those things with the metal vertebrae)), plus two different alien viruses, not to mention all manner of human-alien hybrids. We had an Alien Bounty Hunter, numerous Jeremiahs, and a bunch of really old, pampered white dudes who liked to sit in a smoky room and dictate our planet’s future with overly cryptic, sometimes nonsensical dialogue. Year by year, season by season, more layers were added to the conspiracy, until, like an unstable wedding cake, it eventually toppled. The writers knew this (note how they even poked a little bit of fun at their own writing in “My Struggle”). The viewers knew it. The critics knew it and stated it loudly. This time around, The X-Files is playing it smarter. This time around, the writers have wiped down the chalkboard with a wet sponge. They’ve scrubbed away the tangled mess we were left with after nine seasons, and written one word in its place: Experimentation. The aliens aren’t trying to take us over, after all – the government is. It was the government all along. They have many ways in which to accomplish this, as outlined in the first ep of Season Ten. The only thing we don’t know is, why are they experimenting with alien DNA? What role does that play in the grand scheme of world domination? Giving Mulder and Scully one complex and personal question to answer, rather than ten thousand tangentially-related threads to follow, is a wise move, especially since they only have six episodes in which to solve the mystery.
V.) The Cigarette Smoking Man. Okay, yes, he’s as much a part of The X-Files as Mulder, Scully and Skinner, but COME ON! How is that dude even still alive? Didn’t we see a missile physically blast through his skull? I suppose it could’ve been an alien replacement that got nuked, and not the REAL CSM, but still. A little bit ridiculous. And yet…a little bit right, too. No matter how hard we try to banish evil, it still manages to waft, smoke-like, up through the cracks. So, even as I was rolling my eyes at his return, I found myself grinning all the same. After all, what is The X-Files – or any fictional universe, for that matter – without a true nemesis?
VI.) Cool FX! Way cool! The X-Files always strove to be cutting edge with its visual effects, aiming to make a small movie each week, rather than just a TV show. Seeing The X-Files FX team get to play with all the current technology, stuff that simply wasn’t available thirteen years ago, is like getting to watch captive dolphins jump and splash in the ocean for the first time. The alien and spaceship in “My Struggle” were top notch, as was the vividly realistic gore in “Founder’s Mutation.” I fully expect more eye candy – both sweet and disgusting sour – throughout the rest of the season.
VII.) Heart and soul. Right from the start, The X-Files was about way more than alien abductions and scary monsters. It was about two characters on a quest to find the truth. Many times, that quest cost them dearly. Mulder lost his parents. Scully lost her sister and daughter. Both Mulder and Scully have been shot, abducted and experimented on. Both of them had to give up their only son to keep him safe. With each new loss, each new trauma, the characters became closer to each other and we, in turn, became closer to them. Mulder, Scully, and all the people they connect with along the way, are the true heart and soul of this series, and Season Ten hasn’t forgotten that. Far from it. Whether it’s Scully’s raw emotion at hearing a stranger’s clinical recitation of her relationship with Mulder, or a series of poignant scenes depicting “what might have been” if Scully and Mulder had kept their son, this show still knows full well that the humans (not the monsters or the aliens) are what keep us coming back for more.
VIII.) Continuity. The slate may be clean, but that doesn’t mean all the history, all the things Mulder and Scully witnessed and experienced, never happened. Longtime viewers will enjoy the familiar sight of triangular experimental crafts built with UFO technology (like the ones featured in “Deep Throat” and “Dreamland I and II”), and the image of a little girl breathing underwater, which instantly brings to mind the hybrids snoozing in tanks in the “The Erlenmeyer Flask.” Even after all these years, it pays to be a fan who really watched closely. 🙂
IX.) The LOLZ. Aw man, how much have I missed Mulder and his dry one-liners? Is there a number higher than infinity? A friend once commented that without Mulder, the humor of the show took a nosedive, and he was so right. Scully and Doggett together? It was like having two Sams on Supernatural, rather than a Sam and a Dean. In any partnership, you need one straight man, and one joker. Mulder is back and witty as ever as the joker, and I can’t help snorting with laughter every time he says something like “Obamacare” or “Why would I want to watch this jack-ass?” or “I blacked out around the time his eyes popped out of the sockets.” ROFL! Keep them coming, Mulder – I need more lolz in my life.
X.) The Awe. As I sat down to watch last Monday night, I thought to myself: How freaking amazing is this? How many more times in my life am I going to get to sit down in front of a TV screen and watch a NEW episode of The X-Files? This is the show that helped me forge lifelong friendships. This is the show I watched in high school when I was working on take-home calculus tests. This is the show that introduced me to fan fiction in college. I’m thirty-five years old, and the series that wowed me in my teenage years is back on, showcasing front and center every reason why I fell in love with it in the first place. A fangirl can’t get much luckier than that.
🙂
Hungry for more X-Files mania? Go check out my friend Carbonated Beverage Drinking Man’s awesome reviews of the new season:
as the HERO flies... 