smallville

Movie Review: Superman 2025

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Superman and Lois (and Me) Through the Years

Some thoughts leading up to the movie (click here to skip straight to the review):

Superman and I go way back. My first memories of the Man of Steel include lying on my belly on the yellow-gold living room carpet, watching the Christopher Reeve movies with my parents and older brothers. Our VHS copies of the films had been recorded from TV, which meant two things:

1.) They had been edited for running time and content. (I didn’t realize until years later that several scenes had been cut).

2.) They had commercials. My dad and brothers were pretty much experts at stopping/starting the recording to omit these, but one notable goof stands out, and the original Superman movies will forever be associated in my mind with a woman’s voice saying, “I don’t like your face” and the man’s reply of, “Shaving irritates it!”

The Christopher Reeve movies were good. I enjoyed them as much as a little girl could. Clark trying to keep his identity hidden from Lois in Superman II and having to battle a dark version of himself in Superman III were particularly memorable.

Me being Superman at an outdoor Comic Con (I should’ve taken off the glasses!)

I got a little older and Superman faded out of my life, until a new show came on called Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Boy, was I hooked! Yes, the storylines were sometimes cheesy and the special effects were at times undeniably horrible. But the love story felt real.

In this version, rather than Clark Kent being a bumbling persona put on for show, Clark is actually the character’s real identity, and Superman is just his alter ego.

Clark Kent is who I am. Superman is what I can do.

This idea resonated with me, and I credit Lois & Clark for my deep love of Superman which still burns to this day.

When it came to Smallville, well I was still a little bitter about L&C getting cancelled, and questioned why we needed another Superman show so soon. Once I gave it a chance, I fell in love – hard – with this charming take on Clark Kent’s early years. Also, the special effects were pretty darn good.

Superman Returns was an unexpected pleasure. I know I’m in the minority, but I dug it. I liked the general storyline, and Brandon Routh’s portrayal of both Superman and Clark blew me away. He’s got this one line – I’ll take you back now, Lois – that’s so heavy with double meaning it makes me shiver. I was very much looking forward to the next installment of this, which we never got, because instead they gave us:

Man of Steel.

Which. I. Hated.

From Kryptonian creatures that looked like Avatar rejects to a young Clark just standing there pointlessly watching his dad die, this movie seemed to spit on everything I knew and loved about this fandom. I didn’t think it was possible for me to hate a Superman movie. This one proved me wrong.

I surprised myself by actually liking Batman versus Superman and Justice League. They were entertaining and they had Wonder Woman, so, all good.

Then along comes the TV show Superman and Lois.

Once again, I’m thinking, Do we really need ANOTHER Superman show? Once again, I’m proven wrong. Superman and Lois, I felt, was exceptionally well done (minus the last 5-10 minutes of the series finale – seriously, Do Not Watch, it’s horrible). But here we had an experienced, mature Superman battling to save the world while also raising two teen boys and attempting to be a good husband. It was the romance of L&C meets the teenaged-hero-coming-of-age-story of Smallville. Major props to Superman and Lois, and I’ll try to forgive the wretched ending, which apparently happened in part so there would not be two live-action versions of Superman in existence at the same time.

Because I guess they thought people might get confused between the TV version and the movie.

Which I wasn’t even sure I wanted to see. I mean, I’m 44 and there have already been three different Superman TV shows as well as seven(???) Superman movies in my lifetime alone. I mean, I love the guy, but seriously?

So, I waffled. Then I watched the trailer, and thought maybe. Heard some good things in interviews and decided to give it a go.

I spent part of the previews (pre-commercials, more like) explaining to my dad that it wasn’t going to be the same actors or storyline from Superman and Lois. I told him the show was cancelled.

Dad: Why?

Me: So they could make this movie.

Dad: ?????

Me: Yeah.

He then asked me how the show ended, and I had to go into all the depressing/annoying details.

Dad: Why did they end it like that?

Me: ?????

Finally, it was movie time.

Me in my Superman shirt proudly holding an advanced copy of my superhero novel

Superman 2025 (this movie needs a better name) Review

Well, I knew going into it that a CGI dog in a cape was going to play a prominent role. So, I was aware the movie wasn’t going to have my preferred level of realism. Even so, as Krypto came running up in the opening scene, I still had to make a mental adjustment. It was like the first Avengers movie – I came to that having only seen Iron Man 1 and 2, which were fairly believable explorations of advanced technology. And then in Avengers there’s suddenly aliens talking about taking over Earth and I’m like, whoa, okay, I have to rapidly shift my expectations in order to enjoy this movie.

So, it was like that here, too. I had get in gear for things to be a little less realistic and a bit more absurd. Once I got in the right mind-frame, I could just sit back and enjoy the pleasant rollercoaster ride that was this movie.

Superman is more playful than your typical DC movie. It honestly felt more like a Marvel film. It has high energy, high stakes, lots of fun characters, and several one-liners that made me laugh. There are monkeys on computers, pocket universes, and a King Kong-sized creature that looks like Stitch from Lilo & Stitch.

It also has weirdly juxtaposed scenes at times, like Clark and Lois having a serious conversation while the Justice Gang (yes that’s their name, lol) battles a giant glowing monster in the sky outside the window.

This version of Superman’s character is a lot less restrained/reserved than what I’m used to seeing. At one point he is near hysterical when confronting Lex Luthor about Krypto’s whereabouts, and also gets pretty bent out of shape during a frustrating interview with Lois. I didn’t quite know what to make of this – Superman is usually about control and restraint. Because of how powerful he is, he can’t risk accidentally hurting someone, and he wouldn’t want to even appear to lose his temper in the public eye because it would erode people’s faith in him.

Granted, the public’s faith in him was pretty much in the toilet by the time he had the Krypto meltdown, but still. It bothered me. Then I read a review of the movie where the reviewer pointed out that this is Superman at the beginning of his career. He’s still figuring out how to act as Superman, how to interact with his fellow metahumans, how to do this whole hero thing. This isn’t Tyler Hoechlin’s older character with decades of experience under his belt. This is someone who’s fresh and naive and trying to do good but not always going about it in the most effective way or making the smartest choices.

That explanation worked for me, and helped me adjust my expectations for the character.

Lois and Clark had good chemistry, and for once Clark actually looked like a believably different person than Superman, sporting a wild mop of curls and glasses that supposedly had hypnotic powers capable of changing his appearance (good detail – makes the whole glasses-as-a-disguise thing seem more plausible). Jimmy Olsen, Eve Teschmacher, and Kara all made me laugh. The real scene-stealers, though, were Captain Hammer – er, Green Lantern – played by Nathan Fillion, Mister Terrific (he probably made me chuckle the most), and oddly enough, Krypto.

Yes, I can see why everyone loves the dang CGI dog. His behavior is SO awful it just takes you back to every encounter you’ve ever had with a terribly trained animal that you can’t help but love anyway. We’ve all had that dog, or know someone who does.

Lex Luthor is darkly determined to eliminate his nemesis, Superman. He has gone to extreme lengths to manipulate events in order to take out the Man of Steel. In the final confrontation, I really felt Lex’s raw hatred.

At one point in the film, a character gets murdered. This is the one part of the movie you really wouldn’t want younger audiences to see, and I don’t think it was necessary to the plot. The death is used as a catalyst to get one character motivated to take action. I think this could’ve been accomplished by something short of murder (torture, maybe?). It just felt like too much.

Overall, the plot worked, though towards the end I wasn’t entirely sure exactly what was happening, but I knew who I was rooting for and that was all that really mattered.

I liked that the movie touched on relevant topics, such as the risks/benefits/motivations for getting involved in foreign wars, the power of social media to shape public opinion, and the complicated tangle that is immigration. It felt fresh.

The ending is sweet and uplifting and kind of perfect, and will leave you glad you watched the movie. I saw one scene (also super-sweet) after the credits, but I’m hearing there’s a later one I missed. No worries – I’ll definitely watch the movie again (and probably own it). My dad turned to me after the movie and said he really liked it. I concurred.

The last and probably best thing I’ll say about it is this: I went looking for fanfiction afterwards, and found an excellent, still-in-progress story about this new version of Lois, Clark, and the gang. The author: someone who had never seen a previous version of Superman, but was inspired enough to write over a hundred thousand words about these characters and this universe. To me, that says more than positive reviews or ticket sales. Just like Lois & Clark did for me back in the 90s, this movie brought a new fan into the red-yellow-blue fold.

And I’m pretty sure they’ll be rooting for the Man of Steel for years to come.

Recasting Roles Through the Years

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How I Met Nathan Fillion

“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.

News, Reviews and More!

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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 of America, 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:

http://www.rachellegardner.com/how-to-cut-thousands-of-words/ 

Loads of great advice in the comments, too, along with a wonderful quote that sums up the cutting process:

“Every word you cut gives its power to the words that remain.” ~ Cathy’s brother

Wish me luck in getting my book down under 100K, and I hope to be back soon with more news, reviews and other goodies!

~Gretchen

 

Great Reads, Volume 2: It’s Raining You-Know-What

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Maymaykitten

Before we get to the awesome stories, I just wanted to say an enormous “Thank You!” to everybody who came out to the Chesterfield Petsmart on Sunday, December 21st to support Furget Us Not Rescue. The event was a big success, all because of you! 🙂  In the near future, I will be doing an in-depth piece about book promotion to help my fellow authors, including what worked and didn’t in terms of advertising, a copy of my proposal, event dos and don’ts, and much more. In the meantime, though, I have a nice little post-holiday gift for my fellow fans: FIVE absolutely excellent stories for you to enjoy – two original flash fiction pieces, and three fanfics, all on the theme of cats and dogs!

The two original stories aren’t just two of the best cat and dog stories I’ve ever read – they’re two of the best stories I’ve ever read, period. Seriously, if you haven’t read these, your life is not complete. Go fix that now, by reading and reviewing these phenomenal fics.

In terms of the fanfics, we’ve got one for The Mentalist, one for Smallville, and I even went old-school with a golden oldie written for The X-Files! So go forth, read, and enjoy!

ORIGINAL STORIES

“The Last Accounting ” by JR Hume

For full appreciation of the awesomeness, make sure you read the Rainbow Bridge verse by William M. Britton. You will need tissues for both the poem and the story. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Also, if you love the story: a.) let the author know and b.) check out the plethora of other stories by JR Hume!

“Nikki Comes Home” by Christopher Owen

This one just rips me to shreds. But, like, in a good way. I’ll never forget this story as long as I live, because of how deeply it touched me. So short, so sweet, so perfect. Another major Kleenex alert. If you love it (and you will), tell the author!

FANFICTION

The X-Files

“Walk Like a Man” by Windsinger (aka Sue Esty)

Took me three days to track this one down, but man was it worth it. I couldn’t let myself give up, because I just had to share this story with other fans. When something you read has stayed in your heart – like exact quotes from the text – for over a decade, you know it’s something special. Another Kleenex Alert (best to have two boxes on hand), and warnings also for disturbing themes of child abuse. The overall message is positive, but the journey is rough. You have been warned.

Smallville

“My Favorite Things” by paperbkryter

No tissues needed here – all smiles for this one. A sweet Season One story featuring the beauty and innocence of Clark and Lana’s early friendship. Oh, yeah, and there’s some really cute cats in it. A guaranteed pick-me-up after the first three tear-jerkers. 🙂

The Mentalist

“Big Red Tabby” by ruuger

Another one that’ll leave you smiling. The talented ruuger lifts Jane out of his gloom and sends him on a mini-adventure to help out a worried little boy, with some adorable results. Features great characterization, as always, plus some nice jokes and sweet moments. A very well-rounded fic.

Don’t forget to review!

Up Next On ATHF: November/December Race Highlights, January Race Results, 10 Things You Should Never Say to a Writer, one of the BEST writing resources on the web, 10 Reasons The Mentalist Fans Will Love Forever, and Care and Feeding of Your Forever Obsession