wJan 1, 2010


Question for the Audience

Has anybody read any of the Buffyverse novels? I see used copies of the Buffy/Angel spinoffs in bookstores all the time, and I am always tempted to buy them.

When I was in middle school, I used to love the Star Wars expanded universe novels, and I still pick some up from time to time, like cheap candy.

I'm wondering if anyone has favorite ones? Are there good ones about Wesley? Any good ones in general? I like most of the characters, except probably not one focusing on Xander, and not focusing on Cordelia post S3 Buffy.


~~
I don't need any recommendations on the comics, thanks. ...Unless you have recs outside of Season 8, Fray, Tales of the Slayer, or Slayer; Interrupted.

I also don't need recs on collected meta essays of Buffy....I've been devouring those from the library lately as well.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 10:16 PM
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wOct 24, 2009


The [LJ] icon will make sense by the end of the post, I promise.

I already tend to loathe Facebook on a good day, but I'm starting to get really annoyed with the way they use their suggestions on the sidebar of the splash page.

"Friend Suggestions" are a good way for me to realize that someone who I thought was my FB friend has actually defriended me. It's also a good way for me to be reminded of people who everyone else likes, but I do not (this is mostly the case with high school people, don't freak out, LJ!).

But now they've added a "Reconnect" thing, so that if I haven't communicated with someone on Facebook in a while, they'll post their name, like, "Cordelia Chase. Reconnect with her." And it's like, WAY TO MAKE ME FEEL GUILTY FOR NOT KEEPING IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH MY 337 FACEBOOK FRIENDS, as if making me feel guilty for not being friends with people I'm not friends with wasn't bad enough. Now it's not only that, but that I'm not a good enough Internet!friend to people who already are my friends!

I'm not actually upset about this emotionally, but I am extremely annoyed. I don't think that motivating people with guilt is a good way to get people to want to use your website. Wouldn't you rather have people associating your website with positive feelings?


IN OTHER NEWS, HERE IS A PSA:

Target has various TV show "bundles," in which you can get two seasons of TV on DVD for $20. This includes seasons 1 and 2 of Angel, 3 and 4 of Angel, and 1 and 2 of Buffy (although that one was $25, not sure why). There were some other shows too, but those were the best ones.

I had previously maintained that I would only own Angel season 5 on DVD, BUT I CANNOT RESIST THE ANGST OF WESLEY.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 11:39 AM
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wAug 2, 2009


Buffy, Season 2 [rewatch]

I think that I've been reading new books/manga/etc. and watching new TV shows steadily for a couple of years now. And this is weird behavior for me, as my tendency throughout life in general has usually been to reread my favorite books obsessively.

I don't remember what initiated it, but last week I started re-watching the second season of Buffy, and I finished the re-watch today.

I'll put my spoilers behind a cut - it was just last year that I was watching this show for the first time myself!

Spoilers through the end of Season 2.


Characters
I had forgotten how much I love Oz. But right after I fell in love with him again, I realized that he actually doesn't appear in many episodes in season 2! This is sad to me.

It's still refreshing watching Cordelia. I shallowly wonder if I love her a lot more on Buffy just because I think she looks awful with short hair?? Watching Cordelia on Buffy makes me hate Angel the Series more.

I'm hating Xander a lot more than I did the first time around. I find a lot of his sexual comments to Buffy really inappropriate considering that she's made her refusal absolutely clear, and I frequently find him more self-centered than Cordelia. His actions in Becoming, Part 2 are particularly atrocious to me, with him purposely not telling Buffy that Willow was trying to re-soul Angel. I kind of hate that this is never brought up by either Willow or Buffy in season 3 in a "Dude, you suck at life" kind of way. He is never punished by the other characters for his actions. I guess Buffy would never know that Willow delegated the sharing of this information to Xander unless Willow herself told her, but it seems surprising to me that nobody would ever discuss what happened during season 3, especially once Angel came back.

His refusal to forgive Angel for his actions as Angelus (namely killing Jenny Calendar) are also pretty weird - out of all the characters, he was probably the least close with Ms. Calendar. While yelling at Buffy for "forgetting about Ms. Calendar so she can be with her boyfriend," he is in reality using Ms. Calendar's death as a way for punishing Buffy, yet again, for not reciprocating his romantic feelings.

While I'm liking Xander less, I'm liking Willow more. She is just....adorable. She points to her pouty lip; "Resolve face."

Episodes
Buffy killing Angel in "Becoming, Part 2" still made me cry.

My favorite episodes are Innocence, Passion, I Only Have Eyes for You, and Becoming Parts 1 and 2. Apparently I'm a big fan of rapid plot development combined with epic, dripping angst.

I hated the episode "Ted" the first time I watched it, but I found it delightfully hilarious this time around. My favorite scene is Buffy, Joyce, and Ted sitting at the dinner table, with Buffy looking ready to scream. Ted asks Buffy how she would react if her mother married Ted, and Buffy says in deadpan, "I'd kill myself."

Other
Overall, I'd forgotten how much of a horror show this used to be. By the last couple of seasons, the characters have become so jaded that it's almost amazing to watch them be legitimately afraid of vampires, werewolves, etc.

I do like the first two seasons of Buffy a lot. But I do like watching characters post-trauamatic experiences, and I like the jadedness that Buffy gets after having to kill re-souled Angel.


Lastly: I was rereading my old entries about Angel the series to see if it was a bad as I remember it being, and I am mildly ashamed by how much squee there is. I think my favorite part is how much I loved Wesley for screaming at Faith to shut up so that he could stab a heroin addict in the shoulder. I might be disturbed, but people make TV shows just for me! It's awesome.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 1:29 PM
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wMar 31, 2009


:[

Andy Hallett died!!!!

But Alexis Denisof/Alyson Hannigan's baby was born.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 6:52 AM
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wJul 17, 2008


Help me make important life decisions, Internet!

Okay, so Shopko still has all of the seasons of Buffy and Angel on sale for $20. At first, I thought I should avoid it entirely and not purchase any of them, BUT IT IS KILLING ME, INTERNET.

I already own seasons 1-3 of Buffy, and I don't care to own seasons 1-4 of Angel at all.

And while I like certain parts of Buffy season 4, it will be the last season that I buy, I think.

THUS, your choices are:
Buffy, Season 5 (I remember loving this one)
Buffy, Season 6 (Although I loved this one as well. ANGST.)
Buffy, Season 7 (I loved certain episodes, and hey, it's the end of the series)
Angel, Season 5 (We all know that I loved this seaon)

If you'd like to avoid spoilers, avoid reading other people's comments on this entry too closely!

ETA: OMG ACT II OF DR HORRIBLE WAS SO GOOD! I mean, the first act was all right; I liked the Laundry Song. BUT THEN I WATCHED ACT II AND IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER. I loved Dr. Horrible in the first song. And then I fell in love with Penny when she sang her nice song! AND THEN THERE WAS THE LAST SONG. I love Dr Horrible! I feel so bad for him!

The birds are singing 'cause you're gonna DIE!

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scribbled mystickeeper at 8:13 AM
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wJul 2, 2008


Angel: through "Not Fade Away," aka, LAST EPISODE EVAR, :[

I'm having trouble with Blogger and Gmail and other websites on my personal laptop, as detailed here, so while I'm working things out, you might want to check my livejournal to keep up to date.

Anyway, last night's post on Angel.

Fucking Blogger.com isn't working for me again. And my laptop was being a good boy earlier today! Still not sure what's wrong with it, but it was functional for a while there.

WTF, I am sad to see this show done! I would really love to own season 5 on DVD. It still blows my mind that I loved this season so much, considering my love/hate relationship with the other four seasons of the show. Are the other four seasons worth it? MY DEVOTION TO WESLEY SAYS YES.

Anyway.

( Spoilers and caps lock lie behind the cut, as always. )

I hate that Joss Whedon and cast members keep making references to Shakespeare readings at Whedon's home. How much would I KILL for recordings of those?! They should sell them! People would buy them!

Does anybody know where I could *ahem* things such as the song's opening theme? Or Lindsey's "L.A. Song"? Or any of Lorne's karaoke songs?


I'm not quite sure what to do with myself, now that I've finished both shows. I feel strange, but extremely glad that I watched them. Everyone should watch Buffy and Angel! I've already started the first disc of Arrested Development, and intend to continue. Lighthearted is a nice follow-up to dumptrucks of angst, I think. I'd also like to rewatch Firefly this summer; I've only seen it once, and it was a couple of years ago. PLUS, this time I can blog about it. :D

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scribbled mystickeeper at 9:39 AM
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wJun 30, 2008


Angel, through "The Girl in Question"

Spoilers for the episode, as well as caps lock, lie behind this cut.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 5:42 PM
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wJun 29, 2008


Angel, through "Shells"

Notes on Angel, through "Shells" lie behind the cut. Included is much caps lock.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 1:08 PM
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wJun 16, 2008


Angel, some Season 5 episodes

I haven't been able to watch this show as much as I would like lately, but I would really like to get through it so I no longer have to worry about spoilers. This weekend, I watched the third disc, and liked all of the episodes.

Don't get me wrong, I love watching characters flounder in angst, but I really feel like the show is a show, one where all of the characters are interesting, complicated, and doing something. Why couldn't this show have been this good all along?

Flailing notes reveal spoilers through 'Damage'


"Soul Purpose"
I think it's neat that David Boreanaz directed this episode!

It wasn't quiet as awesome as "Restless" in capturing the WTFness of dreams, but it came pretty close.

What was with that evil!Wesley camera shot? He'd better not be in cahoots with Eve! He has already betrayed Angel, even if he doesn't remember it. I'd put my money on Gunn, because this show is stupid enough to play that card.


"Damage"
One thing that I don't like about TV shows is the constant rotation of writers. You can really tell when there's a good writer behind an episode, and I almost can't stand watching the "normal" ones.

This one is a good one.

Spike through the window! That's just mean.

OH MY GOD, IT'S ANDREW!! He's so cute! And really unrecognizable with longer hair! Hahaha, he called him Frodo.
"Yeah, we saved the world together? Well, Buffy helped, but it was mostly....us?"

OH MY GOD, HIS LUNCH BAG!

"Driven insane by Yoda knows who!" I LOVE ANDREW.

I think it's awesome that Spike "does Angel's job" while Angel works in the corporate structure.

"The air smells different. Stronger."
"Like nickels?"

Oh my God, his hands! Can vampires regrow limbs?! Oh no!
(But the media consumer in me is saying, YES!, THIS IS BADASS!)

Wow, I really like Andrew standing up to Angel. What a sucker-punch to the gut! Nobody trusts Angel because he works for Wolfram & Hart. I mean, I wouldn't either, but that's rough, yo.

"I'd give you the finger, but apparently I won't have motor skills until the drugs wear off."

This was a great episode! I'm excited to see the next one, even though stupid Cordelia is going to be in it (she was not stupid until she lost her personality!). The puppet episode is near, and it taunts me.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 5:52 PM
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wJun 5, 2008


Season 5, through "Lineage"


I'm very disappointed with Spike thus far this season. Jokes can be great, but a big part of the reason why I liked him was his brooding, knowing quiet in some scenes. He's good at reading people, but now he's just comic relief, and boring to watch.

I loved Wesley shooting the robot he thought was his dad without hesitation, the moment it touched Fred. And, of course, his vomiting afterward. I love Wesley. HE IS MAKING ME MORE TOLERANT OF FACIAL SCRUFF ON MY BOYFRIEND. Bwahahaha.

I almost loved Fred a lot in this episode - calling Wesley on his sexist beliefs for needing to "protect her," and she calls him patronizing. And he is. But then Wesley's father appears, and it's clear that the writers just wanted to give them something to argue about, in order to embarass Wesley.

And I hate how this show makes half-assed attempts to make up for powerless women, and then takes it back. Cordelia gets sword-training, maybe actually fights once, and then gets pregnant and possessed and discarded by the writers, having now fulfilled her role. The only women with power are evil or corrupted (or disappear, like Kate!).

Overall, I'm bored so far this season. The Lorne-centric episode was a missed opportunity to go somewhere darker with his character, but maybe that's just me and my love of angst.

What's up with Gunn? How come Angel doesn't have bucketloads of angst about Connor and Cordelia? How can Fred possibly love Surfer Drawl Scientist (who I still think is evil) over beautiful, throat-scarred Wesley?

I continue to hope for the best, despite what the show has given me thus far.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 8:53 AM
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wMay 14, 2008


Angel: Episode 5.1

Spoilers through 5.1



I'm not sure how I feel about the Wolfram & Hart business as a whole, but I do take solace in the fact that the writers recognized how soapy the show was getting, and decided to shake things up. I like that they took Cordelia and Connor out of the picture entirely. I like that the plot looks like it has the potential to be more episodic.

I knew Spike was coming back, but I didn't know that Harmony was. Genius.

But, um, seriously WTF with Gunn's storyline? I mean, the man looks fine in a suit, but there's something about it that just makes me shudder. What is it? Oh yeah - for the only person of color on the show to be a more interesting character (presumably that's the goal?), or at least "to have a role," they literally take knowledge (Whedon was very careful to spell out that it was not intelligence - just knowledge) and implant it into his brain. Really? There was nothing else for Gunn to do? It's no secret that Gunn was not a favorite character of mine, but I really feel like something less.....drastic could have been done by the writers.

What's up with Fred's assistant who has the surfer drawl? I peg him as evil now.


The West Wing fan in me loves that Gunn now knows all of Gilbert & Sullivan, too. I thought it was just Aaron Sorkin, but apparently it's a lawyer thing.


And lastly.....SPIKE AND WESLEY ON THE SAME SHOW, OMF!!

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scribbled mystickeeper at 11:05 AM
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wMay 12, 2008


Angel: Season Four Wrap-Up

Spoilers through the end of season four!


This is random, but I thought it was neat that the last episode of the show's fourth season was more of a coda, much like "Restless" was in Buffy's season four. Not sure how I feel about that whole Wolfram & Hart crap. But it looks like Gunn might get real characterization?! OMFWTG!

As a whole, I like this season the most thus far. Unfortunately, like seasons 2 and 3, I think that it was strongest in the middle (although the first episode was my favorite). I wonder if season 5 will be better, or worse? I haven't encountered Angel as a puppet yet, so I know that I have that to look forward to, :)

Connor gets SUCH TERRIBLE LINES. "I'm about to have a baby, but all you can do is make jokes because you don't like me." WAH, CONNOR. WAH.

I like the Gunn/Gwen episode. I like watching Gunn doing things. I hate (and the show has made it clear that he also hates) that the other characters view him as "only muscle." And as Gunn points out - the show has been such a soap opera lately that nobody has been getting saved!

That was a sweet set-up of Cordelia! I like Lorne's chant, though. AND I LIKED WESLEY WITH THE SHOTGUN. Fred was pretty cute with a gun, too. Oh, weaponry. You make people so much more attractive.

"Inside Out"
I find it pretty hard to believe that Connor could take out Wesley and Angel, in addition to Fred and Lorne.

HOW CAN CONNOR BE SO STUPID?!

Jasmine
Jasmine didn't bother me as much as Caleb did on Buffy. I feel like this is also a perversion of faith, and once again, the show seems to be going after one that is uniquely Catholic. The presence of Jasmine as an all-powerful, all-loving, peace-inspiring goddess makes sense to me. The entire season (and show?) is about alienation, so it really did make a lot of sense. Also, it was easy to distance this representation of God from my God, as mine is pretty big with the free will.

What I found more interesting were the references to Communion. Normally drinking of Christ's blood is a good thing, but when people let Jasmine's blood mingle with their own, they see her maggot-ridden face. Instead of letting people eat of her own intangible body, Jasmine consumes the physical bodies of other people, for no apparent reason except to underscore her evil-ness.

I wasn't really offended by Jasmine's presence because, like I said, it made more sense (than, say, Caleb dressed as a Catholic priest for no reason). It was just really interesting to me that it happened on both shows at the same time.

Cordelia
I thought that the show would be awesome when she was evil, but it was not. In fact, I hated watching her even more. This makes me want to dig out my Buffy season 2/3 DVDs and watch Charisma Carpenter back when I thought she was a decent actress. Of course, part of the blame lies in the script, but HOLY CRAP, I hope that she does not wake up from this coma.

Pwn?
So....Did Angel kill Connor? Because that would be bad-ass. Or is this like "I Will Remember You," when only Angel remembers that Connor ever existed? I don't like that everyone else's memories get erased, just so nobody has to know that Angel killed his son. When your son ties bombs to people, including small children, your shared girlfriend, and himself, I think that Angel's friends would understand.

I kind of feel like I only continue watching the show for Wesley, and for narrative closure. I'm sort of watching for Fred, but I only really love her every once in a while, when she becomes bad-ass or when there is sexual tension between her and Wesley.

I'm hoping that the quality of the show will sky-rocket now that Buffy and Firefly are both done, and I'm not really sure what else Joss Whedon was doing with his time in 2003-2004.


Thoughts for Season 5
I forgot to mention this in my Buffy post, but WTF, how is Spike going to be in Angel season 5?! I know people come back from the dead and shit, but he looks pretty damn dead to me.

Season 5: THE YEAR LORNE SHOULD BE IN THE OPENING CREDITS?! For real, it's pretty ridiculous that he wasn't in the opening credits in season 3, let alone season 4.

Because I couldn't stand Cordelia, and could only stand Connor 25% of the time, Season 5 might be a lot better for me.

What else could Wesley possibly do to make me love him more? As I expressed in caps lock in my previous post, it's going to take a lot to top screaming at Faith to shut up, so that he can stab a heroin addict in the shoulder. Thus far, that's my favorite Wesley moment, although his throat getting slit and any scene with him and guns are a close second.

WTF happened to Justine? Did I miss it, or did she just get written off like Kate Lockley? Come on, show, no need to get rid of your few empowered females like that.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 10:46 AM
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wMay 5, 2008


I really need a Wesley icon.

Spoilers for Buffy through "Get it Done" and Angel through "Oprheus" are behind the gray. DON'T READ THE BOTTOM HALF, DAVE!


BUFFY
Andrew references DragonBallZ! BWAHAHAHA!

Buffy's speechifying to the Potentials is getting old, :/

I liked the Xander/Dawn moment, though. That nobody notices Xander, or Dawn, and it makes them even more extraordinary. Xander is so nice! I wonder if Dawn still crushes on him.

WHY IS GILES SUCH A HARD-ASS? IS HE EVIL? How come he gets to show up for an episode, admonish anybody for not doing anything, AND THEN LEAVE?! WHAT GIVES, GILES? ARE THERE TOO MANY WOMEN IN THE HOUSE FOR YOU?

Yay Principal Wood, although it's weird that he wants to date Buffy. My boyfriend is older than me, but not by ten years!

I like Buffy sticking up for Spike, but I find it pretty hard to believe that she wouldn't kick him out of that house. This is the girl who killed Angel at the end of season 2. But she'll let a ticking time-bomb stay in her house with everyone she loves because she's needy? Bullshit.

I LOVE ANDREW. I kind of hate Kennedy.

What was up with Buffy's "CHLOE WAS STUPID" speech? It was pretty mean. I kind of want a :[ icon now, that says CHLOE WAS STUPID. But not as much as I want a Wesley icon.











WESLEY SCREAMING AT FAITH TO SHUT UP SO THAT HE COULD STAB THE HEROIN ADDICT IN THE SHOULDER MADE MY LIFE.

Okay, why does nobody question the fact that Cordelia never comes out of her room? You would think that at least Lorne would go visit her, even if she was claiming illness.

In conclusion: Cordelia was only not!annoying as Evil Cordelia for about two episodes. Now it is stupid and annoying. Angel should be evil. Or Faith. Wesley should continue to angst.

Oh yeah! LOVE WILLOW/FRED, OMG.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 12:38 AM
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wMay 4, 2008


Angel, Season 4: through episode 13, "Salvage"

Spoilers lie behind the gray text!


Awakening
Worst episode....OR BEST? OMG.

I hated this episode so much. Terrible dialog, Connnor being a stupid prat, Cordelia being SO annoying. My skin was crawling with her "I was FRIGHTENED! And ALONE!" Things kind of got interesting at the end - I thought that the exploding light from killing the Beast turned Angel into Angelus. When he looked out his window, and then to Cordelia, I thought he was going to kiss her and snap her neck. IN FACT, I WISHED FOR IT. Then, when Cordelia wanted to have sex with him, I thought she was evil.

BUT THEN, he woke up in his cell. CACKLING MANIACALLY. I want to write about a crazy person. It took me a minute to figure it all out (just ask Chad; he came in during the last 2 minutes, and watched, and laughed at me being very confused, and then enlightened) - that it was all in his mind! OMG amazing! I want to rewatch the episode so badly now Holy shit.

And what does it say about Angel, that his psychological pure happiness contains Cordelia with such trite dialog? His friends and son being all Championy? And yelling Buffy's name? Whoa. WHOA.


Soulless / Calvary / Salvage
I never really liked Gunn, but I HATE him now. I can't stand him fighting over Fred with Wesley, saying things like, "She's mine." Fred should dump his ass, and realize that Wesley is the better man.

I LOVE EVIL ANGEL. AND I LOVE EVIL CORDELIA EVEN MORE. I feel like these actors are only good when they're evil. DID I MENTION THAT I LOVE CORDELIA BEING EVIL?

Okay, I'm not imagining things, am I? That knife that Faith's fellow inmate tried to use to kill her is the same one used by the Bringers on Buffy to kill Slayers?

FAITH, I LOVE HER. She and jaded!Wesley fit nicely together, too. I love that she appreciates his scruff and angst. WHO WOULDN'T?! (Disapproving glare to Fred)


Annnnnd....end of Salvage: WTF BABY?! Connor, stop kissing people. Once in a great while, they make his hair look nice. 90% of the time, though, Connor is kind of an ugly fucker, which is a shame, because TV people should be pretty, and I sort of like his character when he's not being an idiot.


I'm excited to watch more! Season 4 is definitely my favorite thus far.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 1:36 PM
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wApr 10, 2008


Angel, Season 4: Episodes 1-5

Spoilers for episodes 1-5 lie behind the cut.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 9:07 PM
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wApr 1, 2008


Angel, Season 3

Spoilers through the end of Angel, season 3

So anyway, done with season 3. Am waiting to sort out a weird Netflix mistake that I made (I had Buffy 7.1 sent to my parents' house instead of here; will have to wait for Netflix to send me disc 2 because I can't have the same disc in my queue twice at the same time, and hope that the library gives me disc 1 soon! Am also using the library for Angel!). While I wait to come into possession of discs, though, it's nice to take a bit of a break. It's like, OMG, what do I watch while I eat my dinner? (Tonight, I started Tokyo Babylon) Life will be really weird when I finally finish watching Buffy and Angel. When I watched a Buffy season 6 featurette of the series as a whole, though, I really wanted to immediately go back and re-watch seasons 1 and 2.

Gretchen, are you going to be at Room tomorrow around 11:15, or Friday around 1:00-1:20? Because I could return season 3 to you then!

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scribbled mystickeeper at 8:53 PM
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wMar 4, 2008


Musings on Buffy, "Tabula Rasa" and Angel, "Lullaby"

Spoilers through Angel, 3.9 and the first 1/3 of Buffy, season 6


Current Music: Masquerade - Phantom of the Opera

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scribbled mystickeeper at 8:15 PM
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wFeb 15, 2008


Angel, Season 2

Spoilers through the end of Angel, season 2 lie behind the cut.

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scribbled mystickeeper at 10:51 AM
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wFeb 9, 2008


Links

I've never gone, but if you live in Madison, Cinematheque seems like a nice way to spend time. Good, obscure movies for free, on various nights of the week. I actually only thought they showed movies on Saturdays, which is why I've never gone (Anime Club), but looking at their schedule, it seems like there are various nights on which movies are shown.

As you might remember, Bob, I spent a couple of days per week this summer being an intern at Bleak House Books. Several Bleak House books have been nominated for some Edgar Awards (a big deal in the mystery genre). Articles are here and here. I just think that's so cool. I highly recommend Head Games - I think it's probably the best thing I read at Bleak House during my summer there. I corrected a lot of the Spanish from the original manuscript! Awesome.

To nobody's surprise, when the Mystery Writers of America announced the finalists for the 2008 Edgar Awards last week titles from the large New York houses dominated the eight (out of a total of 13) categories dealing with books. But one small Wisconsin press is more than holding its own among the 35 books and five short stories selected as this year's Edgar Awards nominees. Three of the 15 titles released this past year by Bleak House Books in Madison, an imprint of Big Earth Books, have been nominated for 2008 Edgar Awards in three different categories: Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman (Best Novel), Head Games by Craig McDonald (Best First Novel), and "Blue Note" by Stuart M. Kaminsky from the Chicago Blues collection (Best Short Story).


I don't know where I originally found the link to this page, but I know it was somewhere on LiveJournal. Anyway, a trope-wiki has a list of all of the tropes found in Revolutionary Girl Utena here. Yes, all of those things really are part of the show. PS: You should watch Revolutionary Girl Utena! One of my favorite shows of all time.

Lastly, everyone needs to see why I was excited about Christian Kane's singing in the last episode of Angel that I watched, EVEN THOUGH IT'S COUNTRY. There are only spoilers in this clip if you don't know who makes up the main cast of the show Angel. Please enjoy the cheesy dialogue that is a staple of Angel filler episodes (and sometimes the dramatic ones, too!).

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scribbled mystickeeper at 1:41 PM
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wFeb 5, 2008


Everything and its mom

I should blog, in order to prove to the Internet that I do other things than just watch anime.

However, by the time I have enough spare moment to get a blog entry together in the evening, I have reached the point in the day when my bitterness threatens to poison my words and thoughts, and convince me that things are much worses than they truly are. My time is consumed by work, class, homework, and barely having time for life-things like groceries and shopping. Although I am still afraid of graduation, I can feel my insecurities slipping away as my resolve hardens and I realize that this isn't going to be bad at all. What the hell am I so afraid of? Life? I can totally do this. I am hopeful that this will force me to kick myself into higher gear.

Ash Wednesday
Speaking of having a full life, though, tomorrow I'm going to be gone from 6:30am until after 9pm. The only time I'm going to have to go to an Ash Wednesday service will be at 8:00am, which means that I have to walk around with ashes on my forehead all day. I never understand why the Ash Wednesday reading always has Jesus telling people not to make a big deal about it publicly when they pray, etc. And then we all get marked and leave it on all day. I might wash it off when I go to work, but I'm not sure yet. I'm not a fan of mixing government and state, but this is more like....practicing my own religion and not pressing it on others, right?

Speaking of Ash Wednesday....I have no idea what to give up for Lent. Did I even do anything last year? I suck at being Catholic.

Politics and the Ideal
I spent my evening watching the election results with Antoine and Chad. My favorite TV show of all time is The West Wing, although I haven't watched it in quite some time (I really should). Chad sent me a link to a clip of the show tonight, and I find it pretty fitting after watching Mike Huckabee talk to ABC's Charlie Gibson about his good fortune tonight. Gibson asked Huckabee why he had invoked references to the Bible in his campaign thank-you speech. Huckabee told Gibson that "Bible" was not a second language to him, but a mother tongue. Blah, blah, your mom.

It's no secret that I consider myself a religious person. But I've never understood people tendency to mix religion with government. We either live in a free nation, or we do not. Separation of church and state aside, it's always bothered me that by layering on all kinds of archaic rules, people tend to miss the whole point of Christianity.




OMG BUFFY/ANGEL
WHY DOES NO ONE TELL ME THESE THINGS!? The actress who played Willow on Buffy is married to the actor who played Wesley. OMGWTF.

AND, Christian Kane (Lindsey in Angel) is best friends with David Boreanaz (Angel) in real life. THAT IS SO CUTE. OMG!!

SPOILERS

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scribbled mystickeeper at 11:57 PM
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