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Season 5, Episode 5
Warren returns to evaluate the Astraeus crew but a body switching glitch derails the process. Wallace Shawn guest stars.
Carter: Wow. Nice shades Ponch.
Fargo/Carter: Holy socks. We swapped bodies.
Carter/Fargo: Is this my joking face? No. This is not my face at all.
Carter/Fargo: What did you braniacs do this time?
Zane/Carter: Wow these wrinkles are deep. He's going to have cheeks like a basset hound.
Zane/Carter: And Carter slipped into me. There's got to be a better way to say that.
Carter/Zane: Don't push me, Six Pack, or I'll pound another bacon cheese scone.
Zane/Carter: Do I look all right? I'm hideous. I'm half scarecrow, half Andy Griffiths.
Jo: You're the one that kissed me with Carter's mouth.
Comments:
Some of the quotes may be a little confusing. The actual character's name is first and the body they happen to be inhabiting is second. For example, Zane/Carter means Zane said it while in Carter's body.
1) Poor Jackey, no shades for you. Why would they give everyone else eye protection and not Jack? Irresponsible scientists. No wonder Eureka has so many accidents.
2) I really do not care for the evolution (or really devolution) of Allison. She started the series as a strong and confident woman who has now become anxious, unsure, and frankly, screechy. It's such a shame. I just don't like her anymore.
3) Henry was so very amused this episode. It was a nice change of pace. You don't normally see the character display that much of a sense of humor in serious situations.
4) Niall Matter does Carter well. Great use of all the mannerisms and speech patterns.
Spoiler thought: [ I think that when the matrix was shut down part of the way through the reboot while Jack was the only one connected Holly's consciousness shifted into his brain. So I think we'll still have her, but juxtaposed with Jack. ]
Season 5, Episode 4
The Astraeus crew tries to return to normal now that they're back in reality, but are running into problems dealing with their coworkers. An incident between Zane and Parrish in the lab releases a fire fighting firefly that goes after heat sources in town.
Allison: Try living with your boyfriend's matrix girlfriend.
Jo: Cheating the stages of grief?
Jack: But the remotes will work when we get them outside GD, right?
Parrish: Theoretically.
Jack: I hate that word.
Jack: You realize I have no idea what that means, right?
Fargo: Maybe we should just bow down to our new fireball overlords while we still can. Maybe they'll spare us.
Comments:
1) The bereavement lab is titles "furries?"
2) For the first 55 minutes of the episode, I really wasn't thrilled with the way Allison kept taking her anxiety and insecurity out on Jo. I know she had a lot to cope with in the virtual world believing that Jack and Jo were together, but she could have tried dealing with it instead of ostracizing Jo.
3) Poor Fargo, but like Parrish said, cheaters never win. You can't shortchange dealing with grief. Even in Eureka there are no magic pills.
by J. Scott Sharp
"Betrayal is sneaky. Sometimes, a person doesn't know they've deceived someone until it's too late, or maybe they do and don’t want to admit to it. If a person betrays someone in front of their face, it's a safe bet that they never gave a shit any way. At least that’s what I thought."
In this short story by Sharp, sixteen year old Roger plays a dual role in a tragic incident of betrayal that is based on an age old triangle, two men who love the same woman. I can still remember all the days of uncertainty that made up the high school years. Every win is the highest peak. Every loss is the most devastating thing possible. Every reaction to it all will consume your entire being. Moderation isn't even in the vocabulary.
Sharp executes this tragic piece with precision and heart as he takes you back to the pains of high school and young love. I'm not sure whose part of the story hit harder, Roger's or David's. The end even has a "wait, did I just read that right" twist that you won't see coming.
I wouldn't recommend this for a young teen, but college age and up.
BIS Rating: 3 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Pick it up for the Kindle on Amazon or Nook at Barnes and Noble for $0.99.
Disclosure: The author provided a free e-copy to me for review.
Forever Girl series #1
by Rebecca Hamilton
Sophia Parsons is struggling to survive after college while working at a diner in the small, judgmental Colorado town where she lives in the house she inherited from her grandfather. Not only does she have to deal with a dead end job, but the leader of her mother's church wants Sophia to sell her the house and rid the town of her "evil" Wiccan ways. Each day is a challenge with the threats from Mrs. Franklin until Sophia meets Charles and discovers an unknown world where her talents are more than a disability.
Rebecca Hamilton is a new author on the supernatural scene, but on the basis of her first Forever Girl book, I believe she'll be here to stay. The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey starts Sophia's journey into the supernatural world where the voices in her head have meaning and the drastic changes that will come to happen in her life. It is a Wiccan coming of age story with a love story and supernatural revolution rolled into the background. There is a good flow to the book and I was sucked in by the end of the first chapter. I'd suggest you don't start this late at night because you will struggle to put it down. I know I did and finally had to pause at 2 am when I starting taking long blinks and almost rolled my laptop off my lap.
While the protagonist, Sophia, is 22, this book is well suited for young adults. There is little swearing and the minimal sex and violence (which occurs more at the end of the book) is not graphic by any stretch of the imagination. The cover image, by the way, doesn't really express the feel of the books. Though the main character is a Wiccan, the book does not have a goth feel. It does have vampires (Cruor) and shapeshifters (Strigoi) and fans of the genre will enjoy it. It has the same feel as Lauren Kate's Fallen series though the supernatural elements differ. I'm looking forward to the second book, Come, the Dark: Cordovae's Journey, which is due out next year.
I plan on recommending this to a few friends with teenage daughters.
You can pick up a copy at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle versions.
BIS Rating: 4 nightlights
BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed
Disclosure: I was provided a free e-copy of the book by the author for review.
I can sum this review up with one word: a-frackin-mazing.
The Avengers lives up to all the months of hype. It’s exciting. It’s dramatic. It’s funny. It provides deep development for the characters. It’s something you don’t see much: an action movie that makes you really think about who the heroes really are inside. In other words, it’s a true Joss Whedon project.
Thor is calmer and more thoughtful but you can still see the brash and impulsive youngster underneath. Steve Rogers is still lost in the modern world, but is finding his purpose. Tony Stark is more grounded because of his relationship with Pepper, but still as smart assy and brilliant as ever. Bruce Banner is a charming, if scruffy, wonder who accepts who he is and can be. Clint Barton is sarcastic and confident in his skills. Natasha Romanoff is intuitive, and gentle yet oh so deadly. Agent Coulson is decisive, smart, quippy, and totally fanboy over Captain America. Loki is the most nuanced villain I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie (and is brilliantly played by Tom Hiddleston).
There is a lot of Whedonesque humor here some of which has adult undertones. That part will go right over the heads of kids under 10 or so if the ~7 year old who was sitting next to me is any indication.
My recommendation is go see The Avengers as soon as you can but be prepared for a packed theater. It’s already broken the opening weekend records before Sunday was even half over. I plan on seeing it again in theaters.
Even at 2 hours 22 minutes the movie feels short and leaves you wanting more.
I'm not sure I could pick a favorite Avenger. They are all so good. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner surprised me. I haven't liked the Hulk in anything else and enjoyed him here.
I am, of course, still Team Loki.
The only negative (non-spoiler) part had nothing to do with the actual movie. It involved the theater experience. I went to the first Sunday (non 3D) showing and the theater was packed. Sitting next to me was a young boy who was probably about 7 or 8. He jerked and fidgeted for the entire movie and each time he did so it caused my seat to move. He also kicked and elbowed me several times. He shouted the names of the heroes the first time each came on the screen. He also talked and asked questions quite a bit. One of the adults who was part of his party (not sure if it was his father or not) told him to stop talking a couple of times, but other than that ignored him. The height of this distraction came during one of the fight scenes when he turned to me and said, "All the other things you laughed at weren't' funny, but this was." I find it hard to really get into a movie with things like this going on around me. I also think if a kid doesn't have the ability to sit through previews you shouldn't bring him/her to a movie that is this long.
More in depth comments to come that will include a spoiler "click to highlight" section.
Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)
Season 5, Episode 3
Now that Jack, Henry and Jo know that Senator Wen is involved in the Astraeus disappearance, they just have to figure out where she is keeping the crew and how to get them back. Ming Na guest stars.
Zane: No computer version of you could have come up with something so incoherent.
Jack: Where is she?
Henry: I don't know.
Jack: I ask you to do one simple thing. One.
Comments:
1) Amy Berg! Whenever I see her name listed as either writer or producer, I know something good is coming. She does amazing work.
2) Poor Fargo. He finally found someone who loves him back and she is killed by the big bad. I hope the writers do something nice with his storyline before the season ends.
3) Spoiler:[ That is a very nice touch when Beverly strands Senator Wen in the virtual world of the sheriff's office. Clever and a little bit evil. ]
