The Feels Never Bothered Me Anyway (A Frozen Parody)

The scene pans out as the character dies,

Not a glimmer of hope to be seen--

Unless the show is cancelled,

I hope a fake-out is routine;

I'm forced to linger with this swirling storm inside--

I can't help myself, heaven knows I've tried...

Don't get attached, just let them go—

For heaven's sake, it's just a show!

They're actors, paid to make a scene—

But they're real to me!!!!!

Let it out! Let it out!

Can't hold it in any more!

Let it out! Let it out!

I don't have to be so sore!

I don't care what they have in store!

Let the show move on!

The feels never bothered me anyway!

It's funny how good scripting

Can make me feel so strong!

It's sheer manipulation,

And it's why I wrote this song!

It's time to realize my feels,

I've reached the limit, I can't deal!

You've killed him off, just for the views—

I feel so used!

Let it out! Let it out!

Let's just admit I cried!

Let it out! Let it out!

My brain and heart are fried!

Why did you make me like this guy?

How can life go on?

Emotions flurry every time I see his face;

I'm fantasizing rescues from that unfair coup de grace!

In memes and fanfiction, I've found my happy place!

I'm never going back! I've joined the Fandom Race!!
 

Let it out! Let it out!

Our freak flag's flying high!

Let it out! Let it out!

The best ones ne'er say die!!

Here I stand as the music fades

Screaming in the dark...

The feels get the best of me every time. 

© Leslie Conzatti

Normal?!

        

         Hi, everybody! So I know that the song 'Royals' has been done to death, really I do. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not actually a hermit and I don't live under a rock. (It's actually a turtle shell...but who's keeping score?) So here is the poem I have subtitled Another Royals Parody (for that is what it is) and it is dedicated to all my fellow geeks, nerds, fanboys, fangirls, or whatever you wish to label yourself as. Enjoy!

You know Buffy’s my drug of choice

You know I spent my savings on all the posters

And if my eyes seem kinda moist

I’ve just got off Moffat’s rollercoaster

So don’t you tease about dating, romance, ‘obsessing’ over hedgehogs

Fake geek girls, why I don’t go for your heartthrobs

I don’t care! I’m fighting Klingons in my dreams

And you know I like X-Men, Firefly, Star Wars, Supernatural

Fred and George, Frodo, and of course Gabriel

Don’t you know? They’ve been my friends for many years!

And I’ll never be normal (normal)

It’s not compatible with my blood

That kind of life is not for me

I crave a different cup of tea

I’ll be your dungeon master (master)

Know every line of Merlin

And, mocker, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I'll rule

‘Cause normal’s so boring

My friends and I talk through chat rooms

We share spoilers and have virtual parties

And everyone who knows us knows

Stay out of our way after a SuperWhoLock finale!

The fandom life is made up of sobs and sniffles and smiles

The sniffles win out, but we’d walk 500 miles

Just to be at ComiCon in person, yeah

And we improve our minds writing fanfic, doing fanart and cosplay

Learning Elvish, crying over soufflés

And that’s okay, because we do it as a team

And we’ll never be normal (normal)

That’s illogical indeed

‘Cause Narnia's calling our name

And World of Warcraft’s a great game

Let’s all bond over music (music)

Weird Al or The Beatles?

And that’s how we roll, we roll, we roll, we roll

We also hunt Internet Trolls

Ooh ooh oh

I just don’t know what we would do

Without friends that stick just like glue

Ooh ooh oh

Close as brothers and sisters

Tributes, Potterheads, Whovians, Ringers

My friends are not real friends you say?

Is that because we met online through our writing?

And ‘cause at the end of the day

We have each other’s backs when feels threaten drowning?

Oh now you’ve gone way too far, that’s not cool, did your mother teach you manners?

*Reach for wand and phaser and my best screwdriver*

I know ways to hide your salted and burnt corpse, dude!

Insult me all you want but you’d better leave my friends alone

See? This is why geeks so often sit at home

Don’t you see? If this was about sports buddies, I’d be rude!

Because that would be normal (normal)

But it’s kinda pointless anyway

Because that word is so cliché

A setting on your dryer, they say

And just because we have Vulcans (Vulcans)

Doesn’t make us better than you

But at least we’re not rude, not rude, not rude, not rude

Which is more than we can say for you

©Emily Ecrivaine (2014)

Top Ten SPN Character Introductions

        Characters are the vital element to making any story work. If your characters are off, it doesn't matter how good the rest of the show is because it is going to fail. If the audience can't get invested in the characters, then they're really not going to care whether or not the good guys succeed or die. 

        And one of the key parts of getting the audience invested in the characters is the introduction you give to them. Any good character will usually have an intro that makes the audience sit up and take notice. Where would we be without Gandalf's introduction from The Hobbit? Would Hagrid have had the same impact on us if he hadn't come speeding in on that flying motorbike? No. Probably not. Introductions are SO important!

       Here be spoilers...

10: Jo & Ellen Harvelle (Season 2 "Everybody Loves A Clown")

         I'll admit that I warmed to Ellen long before I fell in love with Jo, but these two tough ladies definitely had a memorable entrance what with the Winchesters breaking into their bar around noon and both girls managing to get the drop on our boys and hold them at gunpoint for an interrogation. Not only does it cement the Harvelles as tough, no-nonsense women of action who can hold their own in the hunter world of dudes, but it's also funny as all get out! Not often does someone manage to outsmart both Sam and Dean, so I laughed and laughed whenever this happened.

9: John Winchester (Season 1 "Shadow")

        John's introduction is certainly memorable. For most of the first season the story is all about Sam and Dean searching for their elusive father and running into hunts along the way. We had heard so much about John, whether through Sam's rants or Dean's hints, that the character was built up HUGE. It could easily have been a huge let-down whenever we met the man himself, but no. Not only did he just pop in for a hug and a fight with the shadow demons at the end of the episode, but John Winchester also managed to live up to expectations and show us that he honestly does love his kids at the same time.

8: Charlie (Season 7 "The Girl With The Dungeons & Dragons Tattoo")

         Okay. So I think Charlie may be my favorite SPN character? Maybe. I'm still deciding between her, Gabriel, and Jody...but she definitely is close to beating the other two out simply by the fact that she's still around and only becomes more wonderful with each episode. But it was her introduction that really got my attention - dancing in through the door of Roman Industries to 'I'm Walking On Sunshine' and wearing a Princess Leia tee that I am so coveting! Charlie showed herself to be smart, resourceful, geeky, and very brave - all within her introductory episode. She's just awesome.

7: Lucifer (Season 5 "Sympathy for the Devil")

          Out of all depictions of the Devil I have seen in media, literature, and music...this is probably the closest to what we can imagine he'd be like if we should ever meet him. He's actually portrayed very sympathetically...a liar with honey on his tongue who professes to be more honest than the good guys and is willing to tell just enough truth to either make his lies stronger or to trick you into thinking the opposite of the truth. He acts very gentle and understanding and behaves as though he's just the neglected son (the victim) in this whole Heavenly muck-up. His introduction is no different as, like a shark, he chooses his prey carefully. He goes after Nick, a man who has just lost his wife and newborn baby to a burglary/murder, and starts gently integrating himself into the man's thoughts and mind. He slowly sinks in the tentacles of doubt and anger until he has his hooks into Nick and the poor man doesn't know which way is up and which way is down. Then he goes in for the kill by reminding Nick of the age-old question of "How can you say God is loving if he allows such terrible things to happen? Let me in. I can give you what you want, what you need." Deep stuff, absolutely wonderful and thought-provoking, and a perfect introduction to this version of the Father of Lies.

7: Dean Winchester (Season 1 "Pilot/The Woman In White")

         No I'm not talking about the scene where he breaks into Sam's apartment and wrestles him to the ground with a couple witty quips. That's not our introduction to Dean Winchester. No, our introduction comes much earlier in the pilot whenever a young boy kisses his baby brother goodnight and runs over to hug mummy and daddy. Then, mere hours later for him and mere moments later for us, that same baby brother is thrust into his arms and he's instructed to "Take your brother outside as fast as you can and don't look back. Now, Dean, GO!". Four years old, he doesn't question it, he just takes Sam and runs. That right there cements Dean's character to us as well as showing us his life's mission above saving people, above hunting things, above everything: Take Care Of Sammy.

6: Kevin Tran (Season 7 "Reading Is Fundamental")

          Getting struck by lighting and having the Word of God start resonating in your mind...it doesn't get much more dramatic than that! Kevin is only the second prophet we've seen on the show (the other one was Chuck, and the jury's still out on him) and we'd never seen one actually be activated before. Kevin is first introduced as the stereotypical over-achiever. He plays cello for exactly an hour every day, has his day planned out down to the second as to how he is going to study, practice, study, and drink a soda. That is all shook up, though, whenever the Tablet is recovered from the vault of the Earth and Kevin is irreparably drawn into the world of Heavenly War.

5: Famine (Season 5 "My Bloody Valentine")

         While normally I am annoyed or disgusted whenever films or shows try to delve into Biblical mythology (or mythology in general) because they tend to either over-simplify it, do it for cheap laughs or gimmicks, or just unapologetically get it wrong and mangle it beyond all recognition, I actually really like the way that Supernatural handled these elements. Obviously not everything was done right, but the stuff that they got right was a lot and was done REALLY right. The entrance of Famine was no difference. I think that Castiel's voice-over is even quoting directly from the Book of Revelations. Everything from the lighting to the text to the ominous music just serves to send chills up your spine and the feeling that there is an unstoppable menace coming settling in your heart.

4: The Trickster/Loki/Gabriel (Season 2 "Tall Tales")

      No I didn't just put him on this list because he's my favorite angel (Stop SMIRKING, Jessica!) No, ol' Gabe is on my list because of his introduction. At the time of his character's creation, I don't really think that Kipke and the rest even had the idea for the angels yet...he was just an ambiguous demi-god with a fondness for sweets and pranks. We first get a glimpse of him whenever an adulterous professor is flung from a second-story window to his death and, at the time, we have no idea that this janitor is the one responsible. The mystery only grows from there...

3: The Ghostfacers (Season 1 "Hell House")

       I did a Google Images search for 'Harry and Ed' which was really dumb, apparently, because all I got were a bunch of pictures of 1 Direction and Ed Sheeran. Why, God, why?!  Not that there is anything wrong with Ed and Harry, it's just unbelievably frustrating whenever you're looking for one picture and instead you get myriads of others. Anyway. Rant over...on to Harry and Ed, co-leaders of the Ghostfacers. They were introduced all the way back in Season 1 during the truly epic prank war between Sam and Dean. They are supernerds, aspiring internet stars, and the co-runners/founders of the Ghostfacers.

2: Death (Season 5 "Two Minutes To Midnight")

        Can we say E.P.I.C.?! Yes. Few things can top the entrance of the Horseman, Death, on this show. Not only is the music and lighting and slow-motion and shots beautifully meshed together to create great atmosphere...but it's also Death. You know, that thing that the other three Horsemen bring about but don't control? Yeah. Super chilling!

1: Castiel (Season 4 "Lazarus Rising")

            I put this one above Death for one very simple reason: Castiel was built up better. Allow me to take you back five seasons to when we had no idea that angels existed in the SPN universe. I'll be the first to admit that I binge-watched this show and so haven't followed it from the very start (Gimme a break..I was barely in double digits when it started!) but I actually managed to avoid spoilers rather well. Here is what I knew about the show: It's about two brothers, the fandom has a gif for everything, they fight Lucifer at some point, and there's some dude named 'Cas' that everyone seems to love but who I think looks like Columbo in his younger days. That was it. So I was wholly unprepared for the TREMENDOUS build-up that Cas' introduction was given. So Dean went to Hell at the end of Season 3 and then wakes up in his coffin in this episode. The ground is nuked, grass scorched, trees knocked down, and Dean himself is sporting a branded handprint on his shoulder. Even the demons are afraid of this creature whose voice breaks glass and whose true form burns out a woman's eyes. It's cosmic and the writers spend the entire episode building up the reveal carefully so that tensions and expectations were high. And they did not disappoint!

Supernatural Review: Season 7 Episode 14 "Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie"

By: Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet watched this episode PLEASE go and do so before proceeding!

        That joke was from Season 2. THAT JOKE STARTED ALL THE WAY BACK IN SEASON 2! I'm not sure whether this is utterly clever and amazing or utterly stupid and beating a dead...unicorn. Right now I'm going with the former because it made me laugh. And hey - at least we got to finally see a unicorn in Supernatural. A moonlighting, rainbow-farting, killer unicorn, yeah, but still a unicorn.

        Just...wow. Sometimes Supernatural may be mind-boggling and frustrating feels-wise, but if you stick with it long enough everything will eventually be explained and/or resolved. Even jokes from five seasons ago.

        This episode proved that, two seasons out from its original intended ending, this show is still able to balance the laughs and the gross-outs and the feels with delicacy and ease. We also get a return to the concept of Sam's coulrophobia (the man has fought the Devil and yet still cries when he sees a clown...not that I blame him) and an explanation as to why he's so afraid of clowns. Turns out it was because whenever he was younger Dean would strand him at a Plucky's and go trolling for chicks. Guess this particular phobia really does stem from a bad childhood memory. And here I was betting that it was because Dean had showed him IT at too young of an age and Tim Curry had scarred poor Sammy for life. Huh...


Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

Sam has my sympathy...

- Right from the opening recap (complete with a montage of Sam and Sam's clown phobia) we know we're in for a good time. Then whenever the episode itself begins with a teaser from later in the episode that involves Sam being chased/mugged by two creepy clowns...well...it just gets better from there on out!

 - The episode proper opens with Dean swearing off all beer, booze, and barmaids entirely. The reason for this uncharacteristic act? May I remind all of us what happened just last week with The Slice Girls? Yeah. At least they're keeping the continuity going even in their 'breather comedy' episodes.

- "If it bleeds, you can kill it." Heeheehee...hahaha...teeheehee...yeah right!

- This episode has its own, personalized title card.

- The first death is a man who was suckered to death by an octo-vamp. Whenever deaths like this started, I have to admit I had a bit of hope that they were dealing with a trickster. It's a good thing that I'm not a hunter, though, because my prediction was WAY off!

- "Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie? Pizza chain for kids. Actually, more for lazy parents." Ouch.

 
- So for the first death we have an Octovamp and the second one is a killer unicorn that literally has rainbows coming out of its behind. Starting to see why I suspected it was a trickster?

- The episode keeps cutting back to the original story of Sam being beaten up by two clowns (though he held his own rather well, considering that they didn't bleed and couldn't be killed) with a 24 - style ticking clock to remind us of poor Sam's impending date with Tim Curry's uglier soulbrothers. Seriously...what was up with those clown's teeth?!

- I also laughed probably more than I should have whenever poor Sam was being mugged by those clowns. Classic SPN black comedy!

- Poor Sam! (That was pretty much the sentiment throughout this entire episode!)
DEAN: "It's not like I left you in jail. I mean, those places are supposed to be fun."
SAM: "Fun? Uh, they're lame. And they smell like puke. And the ice cream is all grainy."
DEAN: "All right, don't have one of your episodes, okay?"

- Sam's FACE whenever Dean tells him that he has to go to Plucky's! He looks like he's being led to the block...

- Bear in mind, on a darker note, that all of this is happening to Sam while he's still dealing with Halucifer. I hate to think what he was seeing this entire time.

- On a side note, I don't blame Sam for being emotionally scarred by Plucky's. Even if it hadn't been because of abandonment issues Dean inadvertently gave him, I still would understand it he came out on the other side a different man. That place is just creepy. Too many fake clowns with empty, creepy eyes are wandering around. The colors are too bright. The music is annoyingly cheerful. And there's too many of those darn mascots that you can't see their eyes...and if Doctor Who has taught me one thing, it's been that if you can't see something's eyes you shouldn't trust it.

- "It's just an exercise some pop psychologist came up with. Plus, the owner's obsessed with "aiding children's development." So, the place-mat is a safe way to get kids to talk about their fears. You know, we get them to sketch it in a little box, and – voila! – Plucky magically transforms it into rainbows and candy. Personally, I think it's a load of hooey, but they say that if these fears run wild, then it affects kids long into their adulthood." Well clearly it's still affecting Sam!

- The janitor died in a ball pit in a scene that was eerily reminiscent of Jaws (had similar music and everything) and the police somehow figure that the BALL WASHER did it?!

- I love the bit with Dean bonding with that kid in Plucky's while Sam played 'bad cop'. Dean may have sworn off of babies and all baby-making activities for the foreseeable future, but that doesn't mean he's not still an excellent big brother/father figure.

- And for some reason his awkwardness about being a grown man hanging around in Plucky's was funny too.

- I laughed whenever he and the kid both agree that the pizza "Tastes like butt."

- There was a reference to Breaking Bad in the scene where Dean chases the lion mascot and it turns out that all he's guilty of is shrooming in a ball pit. Come on! Ball pits are bizarre and weird anyway...can you imagine being stoned in one? Urgh!

- So it turns out that Howard was the culprit, in typical Scooby Doo fashion, using voodoo (of course) to get back at parents he feels are being less than excellent in a twisted revenge plot against his own family. It doesn't really make sense, but it's dark and tragic enough for this show and, let's face it, villainous motivations are usually so re-invented and dramatized anyway that who knows what the original story was!

- Love the time stamp that appears over the finale jump:

- Also, Sam running from the clowns is very reminiscent of Dean in Yellow Fever running from that little, itty-bitty dog.

- Except clowns are more scary than that dog was.

- Seriously. Clowns are messed up.

- And Sam takes quite a beating from them too. Everything from being whacked with a crowbar to being thrown into the windshield of a car...these clowns are what Pennywise should have been if they wanted him to be menacing.

- Speaking of Pennywise...is the name Plucky Pennywhistle's a reference to that clown from IT?

- The way Dean disposes of Howard (by calling up a shade of Howard's dead brother) is surprisingly dark and even cruel for this particular type of episode. It worked, but it feels rather jarring at times.

Poor guy looks like he's about to cry...

- There's just something very funny about the way the clowns burst into glitter. Sam looks like he borrowed Edward's body wash. I'm shocked that Dean didn't make a comment about that...but maybe vamps in general just hold bad memories for him.

- And at least they both got a laugh out of it. It's suddenly occurred to me that we haven't heard our two boys laugh, really laugh, since Season 5. Sarcastic and sad and humoring, yeah, but not a real laugh. We all needed this.

- Dean apologizes to Sam for psychologically scarring him and the two brothers laugh some more. Oh yeah. We all REALLY needed this.

- And Sam buying the gigantic slinky Dean has been eyeing the entire episode is just the icing on the cake. Perfect ending to a hilarious episode!

           This episode is just a joy to watch. It's funny, it's dark, and it delves some more into Sam and Dean's childhoods. It really showcased just what makes a SPN humor episode work so well: all of the black comedy. It was gross in some places and the story was utterly absurd (even for this show) but because of the humor and the characters, it sailed on through the finish line without ever feeling dragged down or too out there to be enjoyable. Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie is a 4/5.



What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Gabriel's Last Plea (SPN)

Poem by: Clara Pond

(The cover is by (need I even say it at this point?) Emily Ecrivaine.) 

(Poem based on the Supernatural episode Hammer of the Gods)

We are all God's children,

These humans share so much with us.

But you want to hurt our siblings, 

Turn them into ash and dust. 

Tell me, big brother, please,

What have these people done to you? 

They were barely born

When from Heaven's sky you flew. 

How can you claim they are petty 

When all you feel is jealousy? 

They, too, have scars and honor,

How different can they truly be? 

And I side with our Father 

In saying they're better than the Host. 

They can feel so much more,

Mourning each and every ghost. 

Forgiveness isn't easy, but,

They manage to find it, unlike we. 

Their love for each other binds them, 

Even blinds them, so they can't see. 

You can say they've destroyed each other,

But, dear brother, we've done that, too!

Angels killings angels in endless fighting, 

So gruesome that I fear I must kill you. 

You should protect your younger siblings, 

Not make sure that they die. 

Tell them of peace and right and wrong, 

Sing them to sleep with a lullaby. 

I learned all my tricks from you, 

You could've taught them marvelous things. 

But now your entrance is darkness, 

Cloaking the evil that it brings. 

I know that you'll never love them

As much as you love me. 

But, though I'll die, I have to try

And, from you, set my siblings free.

THE HOBBIT!!!!

        Honestly I am fangirling so hard right now, it isn't even funny. I don't care if this film bombs. I don't care if it doesn't live up to expectations. I don't care if this finale instalment of the Middle-Earth Saga is terrible. I'm just glad that I was able to see this trailer because it is AWESOME!!!!!

       I am a shameless Tolkien fangirl and so I spent this entire trailer just squeeing and playing 'spot-the-book-reference' bingo in-between fits of wild emotion. I am insanely excited for the film (it's only made better by usage of Pippin's song) and I can't wait to see how they tie everything from The Hobbit into The Lord of the Rings. There have been some things about the prequel trilogy that I haven't agreed with and there have been some things that I have complained about...but at the end of the day that doesn't matter because it's still PJ's interpretation of Tolkien's Middle-Earth and the films are still amazing and fun and touching and everything that great stories are made of.

NuWho Review: Series 4 Episode 3 "Planet of the Ood"

By: Keith Temple

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

         The middle of The Hiding Place meets Uncle Tom's Cabin meets beginning of X-Men. That's the best description I can think of for this episode as there are definite slavery/concentration camp vibes. Wow. Just wow.


Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- The beginning of this episode just reminds me again why I love Donna so very much. Whether she's squeeing excitedly about setting foot on an alien planet or she's dashing back into the TARDIS for a fur coat, she's just so energetic and excited to see the universe with her Martian that one can't help but get swept up in the adventurous spirit too.

- "Rocket! Blimey, a real proper rocket. Now that’s what I call a spaceship. You’ve got a box; he’s got a Ferrari! Come on, lets go see where it’s going!" I wonder what Sexy thought of that...?

- Red-eye. Now that doesn't sound at all ominous... (note the sarcasm)

- The way Donna deals with that Ood, speaking gently to him and calling him sweetheart once she gets over her initial shock, are examples of why she is the perfect companion. Not because she is perfect, but because she's willing to work past her problems and issues to become a better person.


- You know, it was shameful the way The Doctor didn't try to help the Ood last time he met them (In his defense, he was fighting the Devil) and it's also an interesting commentary about how sometimes we just don't notice injustice (or rationalize it away) even though it's right under our noses.

- And here we go with the 'mistaken for couple' jokes again.

- This episode also contains the very first Simpsons reference on Doctor Who.

- One thing that makes this episode stand out so much is the very dark tone it takes. Not just dark as in dealing with deep concepts or a high death toll...but dark in the sense that it hits very close to home and gets personal with the unhappy truths.

- And yet, despite the hard-hitting elements, this story manages to also keep a sense of wonder and hope about it. Sort of like it manages to showcase the worst bits of humanity as well as what makes the human race so very wonderful as well. "It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but... Back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming. Flooding. All the bees disappearing. But look at us! We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?" The point is that humanity may be depraved and depressing and all of those horrible things that Pandora let out of her box...but she also let out hope. And hope is what keeps us alive. Hope for a better future; hope that gives us the courage to strive for something greater. Everyone needs hope.

- It's sort of chilling the way the processed Ood don't even understand the concept of freedom. All they know is that "...the circle must be broken..."

- Clear Hitler comparisons with the way the 'infected' Ood are gassed. Quite chilling.

- Again...clear parallels with the way they're packed into boxes for shipment like that.

- The Doctor just drives everything home with his comment to Donna about how she may not have direct slaves...but what about the sweat shop workers who make trainers and fancy jackets? Ouch.

- One of my favorite Donna scenes of all time is the moment where she and The Doctor find some of the un-processed Ood in the cells and The Doctor opens her mind so she can hear their psychic singing and she just breaks down in tears because she can't bear the sadness.

- I'll admit that that scene brings me (yes, cynical complainer me) to tears every time I watch it. The music, the atmosphere, the emotions...just everything comes together perfectly to get a point across so poignantly and to sweep you up in the moment. It's just beautifully sad.

- Another sad scene is with Solana, the head of Public Relations who could claim ignorance to the truly terrible events because she didn't ask. Sort of reminds you of what actually happens in dictatorships and all corrupt societies where all it takes for evil to win is for good people to sit on their hands, cover their ears, and do nothing.

- It is interesting that the Ood, a race previously so fascinating for the fact that they were allegedly 'born to serve' now are re-imaged as a race literally born with their brains in their hands. They are peaceful singers who had no choice but to put their faith in others...and were betrayed.

- Donna, in particular, gives the head of the Ood corporation the what-for whenever she and The Doctor are finally captured. "You idiot! They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see, that makes them peaceful! They've got to be, cos a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."

- And, of course, she is given the classic dogma and excuse...

- That's one thing I really love about Donna is that she may be loud and seemingly brash and sometimes even insensitive at first, but whenever it comes down to brass tacks she has a lot of heart and understanding that cuts right through the muck and nonsense right down to the quick of a matter. And she isn't afraid to tell it like it is either. She's not necessarily mean, but she never shies away from saying what she thinks is right. And I respect that.

- And then, in a classic case of 'shoot the messenger/whistle-blower', The Doctor and Donna are left to the tender mercies of a bunch of infected Ood.

- Handcuffed to a pipe, no less.

 - But their earlier kind treatment of the captured Ood comes back to them as the Ood all call out together in song for the DoctorDonna to be spared.

- Our climax comes with a battle between the newly freed Ood and the guards (after a bunch of Ood dispose of potential buyers) while the head of the corporation, Mr. Halpen, goes to destroy the main shared brain of the Ood, thereby killing them all. Turns out the mysterious 'circle' was a telepathic hindering field around this massive brain that kept the Ood from communicating without great pain.

- Through a series of events the doctor is killed (after revealing that he's actually a spy in one of the most out-of-the-blue and pointless scenes in television history) and Ood Sigma reveals that the hair tonic he has been giving his master is actually Ood essence (EW!) that, in the end of the all, turns Mr. Halpen into a newborn Ood himself. Ood Sigma promises The Doctor that no further revenge will be taken and that this new member of their race will be looked after properly.

- The Ood then sing a song of freedom for The Doctor and Donna as the two friends fly off in their TARDIS.

         I feel like this is an episode that gets overlooked at lot (just like Fires of Pompeii) whenever people are talking about great Doctor Who stories. And that's a shame, because it's really a deep little gem. It's dark and depressing in places, but while it goes to the ugliest portions of life it also makes sure to show us the beauty. In that, it's a wonderfully balanced story. It manages to promote humane treatment of enemies and peace without coming off as preachy or holier-than-thou and it helps our main characters to grow and change as well. It was touching, sad, dark, and even gross in places (most notably whenever Mr. Halpen turned into the Ood) and managed to keep an even pace throughout all. Except for the bewildering reveal of the Friends of the Ood plant, nothing really felt jarring or out of place. Planet of the Ood is a 4/5.




What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Supernatural Review: Season 1 Episode 18 "Something Wicked This Way Comes"

By: Daniel Knauf

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

        Flashbacks. Lots and lots of flashbacks. This is the first episode to really delve into the childhoods of Sam and Dean and is simply overflowing with the Dean being adorable and Sammy putting the cuteness factor right through the roof. I mean the younger versions of them, obviously...

         Right.                    

             This episode shines with charm and heart. It is definitely one that is worth multiple re-watches, not just because of the wonderful acting and interesting mythology, but because of the story as well. I really liked Michael (the kid, not the angel...we're not quite that far yet) and felt that he had a lot of great personality. The scenes where he's ribbing Dean and giving him lip never fail to make me laugh and, in the end, he was a hero in his own way whenever he offered to put his own life on the line for a chance to save his younger brother. The parallels between him and Dean were obvious (made even more so by the many flashbacks) but he never felt like a stock character just there to make a point. It also helps that the child actor actually had some acting chops.

        Also...I can't be the only person to feel the overwhelming need to break out into a rousing chorus "Double, double, toil and trouble!" whenever I read the title to this episode! Am I...?

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- The opening with the kid reciting the classic bedtime prayer was very sweetly done. Understated and not at all saccharine, but changing over to creepy the minute that bony, groping hand appeared at the window. Ugh...suddenly I feel the need to go salt my windowsills and trim away all branches!

- That being said, it is really interesting the way the silhouette of the hand materializes from among those branches. Not only are all the shots with the shadows and billowing curtains absolutely perfect to set the mood, but is also leaves us uncertain as to what exactly this creature is. And come on! What kid hasn't been scared by a bizarre-looking branch shadow at some point in their life or another? 

- And that, boys and girls, is why you should never turn your back on an open window or door...

- This week the boys are headed to Fitchburg, Wisconsin for their case.

- "I'm the oldest...which means I'm always right." Thanks for that, Dean. I'm going to try that on my brother next time we have a discussion.

- Sam is a regular old Sherlock Holmes in this episode, what with his observations about the playground. 

- Dean made a doctor's badge for Sam that says 'Bikini Inspector'?! O...kay. That is awfully funny. (Dean also has a point about Sam really needing to flash - *snort* - the ID. Sam's haircut makes him look like a really tall twelve-year-old.)

- I really love the musical selections in this episode. Everything from the awesome classic rock to the piano that plays for the kids to the oboe and string theme that is for Dean's flashbacks just heightens the mood and perfectly blends into each scene.

- It's cool too how they tied this case into something that happened when Sam and Dean were younger. IT's a good way of giving us the back-story of our two main characters without a lot of tedious exposition. The flashbacks were led into pretty smoothly too. Not a lot of awkward close-ups to transition and the triggers seemed pretty non-forced as well. 

- The flashbacks are why I love John Winchester so very much. I feel like in later seasons we have forgotten just how much he loved Sam and Dean, despite his many mistakes. He loved them and he protected them and he tried to teach them how to protect themselves and each other in the cruel world that they were all thrust into. I look at the scenes where he's running through the drills with Dean and I don't see a father favoring one son over the other True maybe he isn't all mushy gushy chick-flick-moment the feels away...but plenty of men are like that.

JDM does a great job with the part too. It can't have been an easy role...

- The kid who plays young Dean does a really good job too. There's a lot of really good child actors in this episode.

- The show that young Sam is watching is Thundercats.

- Michael (again...the kid, not the angel) is a lot of fun. He just gives constant lip to Dean from the very first line he says and never lets up on his witty quips for one moment. This is nicely tempered, though, by the fact that he clearly loves his little brother (clear parallels drawn between him and Dean) and that he is respectful to his mother.

- We also learn, though another flashback, that for all Sam's excitement over salads he has a secret weakness for Lucky Charms.

- Turns out the creature that's been putting the kids in comas and burning handprints into their windowsills is called a Shtriga. Now I had never heard of this particular creature before but apparently it's a type of witch from Albanian folklore that drains the life-force of children to feed. Found this interesting quote on Wikipedia: "...according to legend, only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained (often by spitting in their mouths), and those who were not cured inevitably sickened and died." Eww...

- They figure that it's probably that creepy old woman with the inverted crucifix on her wall that Dean saw, so they head out to kill her. "When we were at the hospital, I saw someone. An old woman." "An old person, huh? At the hospital?" Dean was not prepared for that level of snark from Sam.

- He's also probably wondering why he ever let Sam buy that purple dog shirt. Seriously. Where did they get that thing? I think even MACKLEMORE would be appalled if they left a thrift shop with that! And we know that they probably bought it recently, because most of Sam's clothes would have burnt in his apartment. What possessed him???

- The scene with Sam and Dean and the old woman (who is not the witch...that would have been too easy) is a mood whiplash from tense to awkward to hilarious in about three minutes flat. I feel a little bit bad for laughing, but it was just so funny!

- But the mood whiplashes yet again whenever we find out that Michael's little brother is sick and Sam and Dean instantly jump in to help the mother and elder brother out. Dean drives the mother to the hospital while Sam stays with Michael and looks up some more information on the case. He discovers that the doctor in charge of the case is actually the creature and calls Dean right away. I kept waiting for Dean to do something stupid (it's obvious he takes this case very seriously) like tackle the doctor then and there...but he didn't.

- Wait...if a Shtriga is invulnerable except whenever they're feeding...why did Sam and Dean go after the old woman at the hospital? They couldn't kill her if she wasn't feeding (if she had been the witch).

- The piano motif in the score for this episode reminds me very much of the music from Star Trek Into Darkness.

- I thought it was a little bit unorthodox for Dean to use Michael as bait for the Shtriga...but I have to say it was handled really well. Sam and Dean made sure to clue him in on the process and include him in everything, making sure that he had all the tools and the warnings he needed to have a chance of surviving.

- One thing I really love about this episode is the way it delves into Dean's psyche and motivations. We see how, as a kid, he messed up and almost got Sam killed. Not only does it show Dean's more vulnerable side and remind us that even the Winchesters aren't perfect, but it also indicates some of just what makes him tick and what shaped him as a kid. Very important for fleshing out characters' back-stories

- Dean and Michael have a moment...

- The Shtriga has hands that remind me of a Dementor.

- I have to say, the young actors they found to play Sam and Dean really look enough like Jared and Jensen to pull it off. Props to the casting director for that one!

- So Michael agrees to play the bait, Sam and Dean come in guns blazing, the Shtriga goes after Sam, and Dean manages to finally right his mistake and kills the thing before it can kill Sam. Michael then is reunited with his mother and we learn that all the afflicted kids are going to be okay. Just this once everybody lives...except for the Shtriga.

         This was really Dean's episode. Up until this point the narrative has been pretty evenly split between the brothers, with a bit more of an emphasis put on Sam, so it was nice to both see a bit more of Dean's mind and to see the boys' childhood. The case was a bit strange in places (especially in the old woman red herring) but overall holds up to repeated viewings quite well. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 4/5.

What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?