The Day I Went To ComiCon (and ALMOST met Sean Astin!)

So... What is a geekblog without even ONE ComiCon post? Yes, we are but poor, penniless writers—but seriously! 

I had the opportunity to change that the day I went to my city's local con, Rose City ComiCon. A friend of mine had an extra ticket; how could I refuse?

First of all, I was late. Like, as in I missed Wil Wheaton's panel by no more than half an hour. But I was dressed as Captain Malcom Reynolds, so I made it my goal to enjoy myself anyway.

Behold.... Ironman Totoro!

I had parked about half a mile away, but if I was worried about being lost, I started to see streams of cosplayers and knew I was headed the right direction. (I even saw a Kaylee and a Jayne... But on the other side of a four-lane street, so they were too far away to wave or salute or otherwise acknowledge... *sighhhh* )

The guys at this booth actually BUILT working models of Star Wars' most famous mech-droid!
They moved around and bleeped and everything! It was awesome!

We spent about an hour people-watching. For only a small Con, there were a LOT of very legit costumes, though! The funnest part was seeing groups in coordinating costumes, like the Weeping Angel, Clockwork person (from "Girl in the Fireplace") and Cyber(wo)man (she'd made it a dress... But she had the handles!)... There were a lot of Ghostbusters...

GUYS!! IT'S A DELOREAN!! They also had the 60's-era Batmobile
(and later on a TARDIS you could pose in, but I missed that one....)

At least 2 Castiels (complete with little black wings!), a whole family where the dad was Boba Fett, the mom was Leia, and the three little kids were a scout trooper and two Jawas... Another family where the kids dressed as a Dalek, a Headless Monk, and a TARDIS... One VERY realistic Star-Lord... A few muppets (Animal and Beaker, complete with big, furry masks)... Princess Ariel, the Joker, a few Army fatigues I recognized from Stargate... One LEGIT comic-book Black Cat (complete with the white fur on her boots!)... A bunch of Hobbits and one very convincing Thranduil (except it was a girl)... And about half the crew from Spaceballs...

Took this pic because of Star-Lord (at roughly center-frame),
but I can also see: Kick-Ass and Hit Girl,
Chuckie, Carmen San Diego... who else can you see in this photo?

There was also a bunch of NEAT merchandise and whatnot around the main exhibit hall... but alas, not one of my pictures of anything turned out as more than a colored blur...

As luck would have it, the same time as Sasha Roiz (Captain Renard from "Grimm") was signing autographs, Nick Brendon (Xander from "Buffy") was hosting a panel. I followed my friend's advice of "Panels are always better than standing in line for thirty seconds of conversation!" so I completely missed shaking hands with the guy from my favorite TV show to watch a discussion over a show I enjoyed, but didn't even finish. (Nick's voice sounds exactly the same as it did fifteen years ago, by the way)

That would be Nick Brendon (Xander) and Claire Kramer (Glory); SO fun!

After Nick Brendon was Sean Astin. Oh man, was that ever fun! Not only was I able to get seats in the front section for my friend and I, but partway through the panel, Joe Pantoliano (he played one of the Fratelli brothers, the villains on Goonies) came out, and we got the rare treat of listening to two fantastic actors just jawing about memories from the set that didn't necessarily make it onto any BtS features! I feel sorry for everyone waiting to ask questions (one poor kid was standing at the mic for about half an hour waiting to ask his question while Sean and Joe went on and on!)

Reminiscing about the time Spielberg shipped the Goonies
to Hawaii just to prank director Richard Donner!

Because I was having so much fun listening, I never actually got up, myself... But I wanted to! I know just what I would have said:

-------------------

Sean, I was really excited to come to Rose City ComiCon, and I will admit that out of your Big Three (Goonies, Rudy, and LOTR) Rudy was the first film I saw, and Goonies was the last. (And actually, Toy Soldiers I saw even more recently than that!)

My question is concerning your brief but spectacular appearance on the tragically short-lived show Alphas, and I wanted to know—after gaining a reputation in all these blockbusters for the "Average Joe" roles, how different was it to be invited onto a relatively small show where your character is actually one with a really neat super-power?

----------------------

(*Note: I don't have Twitter, but if anybody wanted to tweet Sean the question and comment with his answer, I would be totally ecstatic! I know the whole thing is probably longer than 140 characters, but the question is the main thing... )

We both had to leave pretty much right after that. My phone was practically dead (and of course I left the cord in the car, hence very few pictures) and I ended up deleting quite a few of the ones I took because apparently I need to improve my point-and-shoot skills with my iPhone (I swear, all you see here were the clearest pictures I had!), I had sore feet all the next day, but it was TOTALLY worth it, and I certainly hope to do it again next year! (Maybe with a whole group of friends!)

My "Captain Mal" Cosplay! (also known as "She-Mal")

Till Next Year...

Supernatural Review: Season 9 Episode 5 "Dog Dean Afternoon"

By: Eric Charmelo & Nicole Snyder

**Spoilers**

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

     Well, much as I am disgusted by the way this season seems to be squandering the promise of Sacrifice, this episode reminds me of just WHY I fell in love with this show in the first place. Dean gets turned into a dog. That premise alone should pique your interest and make you want to see the episode just because it will give you the chance to see Jensen Ackles act like a dog.

     Does the episode deliver on that premise though? Yes. It delivers beautifully and gives us one of the best episodes of Season 9. It's funny and gross and even a little bit scary in places. The story of the shaman-wanna-be was interesting and it was nice to have the boys on an honest-to-God monster hunt again with no higher power pulling the strings.  I also appreciate the way the vegan couple were NOT the culprits and that Dean comes to respect them enough to leave Colonel in their care...even though I was hoping the Winchesters would keep him because Sam needs a dog, darn it!

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- No offence to taxidermists the world over (my former karate sensei dabbled in taxidermy) but that profession just creeps me out. Actually? I take it back. Taxidermy doesn't bother me. It's the results of taxidermy (the stuffed ducks and embalmed armadillos) that give me the proverbial chill up and down the spine. So whenever this episode opened in a taxidermy shop, I was just WAITING for something to possess the stuffed bear and go on a rampage...except that didn't happen. 

- Gotta love the taxidermist's reaction to the dude with the forked tongue (I'm going to call him Voldemort Jr. for now). If I saw someone like that I'd be running away as fast as I could, not asking what was wrong with him. Remember...the last person on this show with a forked tongue was Hallucifer.

- So Dean and Sam took Kevin out drinking and then force-feed him Buffalo milk to cure the resulting hangover? Ewww...I know their cure has everything in it EXCEPT the milk, but I really don't want to know what actually IS in it!

- Dean is being a mother hen is episode, nagging Sam about how much sleep he's been getting. "Yeah, but the last three nights straight, I had eight hours of shut-eye. For a hunter, that's like 20. Trust me, Dean. I feel good." Wonder if Zeke has been knocking Sam out for that long? If so, good for him. Neither Sam or Dean have slept well since Season 1.

- I really think that the SPN writers are trying to get someone from this show onto Game of Thrones. There have been more references to GoT in this season than there have been to X-Files in the rest of the show. Those dressed-up stuffed animals were just weird. I actually double-checked to make sure this isn't a Ben Edlund episode, as that touch practically reeked of his particular brand of humor.

- I liked the couple who ran the gluten-free vegan bakery. Props to the SPN writers too for not making them intolerable clichés just for the sake of a gag.

- "Always knew I'd find the source of all evil at a vegan bakery." Oh Dean...

- This episode was cruel to cats. Why did they have to show us the adorable little kitty getting swallowed whole like that? EW! Uncalled for!

- It's cool that they decide to use Colonel as a witness. One can only imagine Kevin's reaction whenever they called him and asked for a way to speak to a dog.

- Dean accuses Sam of having a 'delicate stomach' right before he down the spell that 'tastes like ass'. Thanks for that vivid description, Dean. Really appreciate that.

- You are a 34 year old hunter, Dean. 

- I love how the spell takes a while to work so Sam and Dean are just sitting there scarfing down their lunch whenever the dog objects rather strongly to Dean's taste in music. Needless to say, an argument ensues.

- Colonel made fun of Styx. He doesn't know good music when he hears it. It makes me laugh how Sam is just kind of sitting there watching his brother argue with a dog over music instead of getting down to the important information. He just has a look of utter bemusement on his face that always makes me giggle.

- Originally I thought that this was going to be a typical case where Sam and Dean find the baddie, hunt the baddie, and gank the baddie with the added advantage of their primary witness being a dog named Colonel. It was the moment when Dean did the mind meld, though, that this episode turned from typical to that very special brand of screwball absurdity and fascinating mythology that this show does so well. Y'see, Dean didn't just mind meld with Colonel, he absorbed some of the doggy-ness as well.

- Instantly cue the humor, fueled by the impeccable comedic timing of Jensen Ackles. Dean unwittingly plays fetch, 'barks' at the mailman, scratches behind his ear, discovers that he can't eat chocolate, and presumably gets the urge to sniff butts as well. (Or at least that's what Colonel suggests and methinks Dean did protest too much.)

- And let's not forget about Dean vs. Pigeon...

- Sooo many doggie puns in this episode! They're SOOO corny, but in that hilariously bad kind of way. 

- Having Dean absorb some of the doggie tendencies was a stroke of genius and turns the episode from something mildly interesting to extremely fun and memorable. You'll notice that he reneged on his 'no dogs in the Impala' rule in order to accommodate Colonel.

- "Damn cataracts. And you know no one's going to pay for my surgery. Just another casualty of the system, I guess. I don't belong here, you know. I'm pedigreed." This is the scoop Dean gets from a lovely collie.

- It's interesting how the dogs seem to view the pound as a kind of orphanage/jail hybrid. Reminds me of Lady and the Tramp, actually. Was that a reference?

- Am I the only one who fell into incoherent giggles at the sight of the look of sheer ecstasy that little dog got while Sam was obligingly bribing it with a belly rub?

- Just a friendly reminder that Sam needs a dog. Just sayin'...

- It was funny that Dean (the man who has expressed dislike for dogs in the past) took the time to pause the case long enough to open up all of the pens in the pound and let the dogs free. Maybe this mind-meld thingy will finally help him get over his Hellhound trauma?

- "Honestly, who can afford to be closed on Monday these days?" "A homicidal maniac?"

- Those mice in the cage with their shrill little voices reminded me of something out of Beatrix Potter's stories...if Beatrix Potter wrote twisted cookbooks.

- Hannibal's fridge is just nasty. You'd have to be pretty desperate to eat the brain of an owl or the heart of a bear. How did he even get some of those animal organs? I'm pretty sure that cheetahs are not native to America...so did he smuggle the organs in? Seems an awful lot of work just to dabble in an ancient magic that could get you killed anyway. Did he have accomplices? I ask because I'm genuinely curious...especially about how he got hold of some part of a chameleon to eat.

- "Don't play coy. I want to know what you are. Oh, screw the sharktopus."  Gross, Chef Hannibal.

- It's interesting how Hannibal asks Sam 'what' he is. Poor Sam. We all know that he has a complex about being referred to as a 'monster' instead of a human. 

- I call the chef 'Hannibal' because, after seeing Zeke take over for a moment to heal Sam's slashed throat, Leo gets the marvelous idea that if he ate Sam's heart he would gain immortality and a cure for his cancer.

- This episode really exploits the 'you are what you eat' jokes and references...especially while Hannibal has Dean 'leashed' and tied to a pillar.

- "Your brother? What was your mom smoking when she had you two?" Hey! Just because Sam has angel wings and Dean smells of dog doesn't mean you have to be rude, Hannibal. Mary wasn't smoking anything before the boys were born and...I am so sorry. That was terrible.

- While this episode is a lot of fun, I think that where it breaks down is with the climax. While I like the band of dogs from the pound coming in to take out the chef and save the day, I do feel like Hannibal wasted a lot of time monologuing to Dean (Syndrome would be disappointed!) while preparing his dish of wolf-heart. Why didn't he just shoot Dean in the head? He had Dean's gun and was at point-blank range. Not that I WANT Dean to die...but that particular bit of tension just felt forced and stupid.

- The episode ends with the spell wearing off, Dean leaving the Colonel with the vegan couple, and Sam questioning Dean about what is wrong with him. He's starting to become suspicious about the hours of lost time and mysterious healings. Dean dissembles."He was possessed by – by something he couldn't control. It was...it was a – a matter of time before it completely took over. You can't reason with crazy, right?

         In a less-than-stellar Season 9, this episode is a blessed breath of fresh air and just a fun romp for both the boys that also sets up future events. Watching Dean act like a dog is hilarious and Chef Hannibal was a suitably creepy (albeit ultimately stupid) villain. The climax felt a bit forced, but was helped by Dean waking Sam up by threatening to lick his face. Dog Dean Afternoon is a 4/5.

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

How Supernatural Took Over My Life

The Story of How Supernatural Took Over My Life
by Clara Pond

NOTE - SPOILERS TO BE HELD WITHIN FOR ALL CURRENT SEASONS OF SUPERNATURAL. READ WITH CAUTION.      

Before watching SPN:

After watching SPN:

        About six or seven months ago, I had pretty much gotten my fandoms under control. Doctor Who had the biggest influence, followed by Sherlock. Various book fandoms followed suit accordingly. I had just gotten into another show, House (which I do reviews for here on Emily's lovely blog), but I even had that under control. I had finally found the perfect fandom/life balance equation.

        And then came Emily and, with her, Supernatural.

(Look - they even made a House reference in Supernatural. I was doomed from the beginning.)

        Of course, I'd heard of Supernatural before. I'd be surprised if anyone hasn't, especially if they're already a fangirl/boy.

        However, my interpretation of Supernatural from the scattered GIFs and rants I'd seen on G+, as well as the conversations of some of my friends, left me with a slightly skewed interpretation of the show.

Pre-SPN Image of SPN:

1. I truly believed that Destiel was canon on the show. Actually, after Season 4 (when Cas showed up), I was waiting for them to get together until around Season 7 or 8, when I realized Destiel was just Supernatural's Johnlock.

(By the way - not trying to start any shipping wars. Ship what you ship, and respect other people's ships. Peace out!)

2. The picture below was the first picture I ever saw of Crowley. It was preceded by a Tumblr conversation saying that someone should make a hipster Crowley picture based off a screenshot from one of the episodes. Since they only referred to him as the King of Hell, I assumed he was a human who had somehow managed to gain power in the Underworld. I've always been bad at guessing plot.

3. I thought that John Winchester was an absolute jerk. And I was right. 

(By the way - as you might have guessed, I am certainly not a John Winchester fan. I mean, how he sacrificed himself for Dean was very noble and all, but - Sam's right. He really did screw them up. Even if he was trying his hardest... I just can't forgive him.)

4. I actually did think that it was a show about two brothers hunting monsters - at least some aspect of SPN didn't get lost in translation!

5. I assumed there'd be drama between Sam/Dean - but I grossly misjudged the amount of chick-flick scenes (despite Dean's hatred of them) in the show.

6. I also had no idea why people kept referring to a 'Lucie' - I just assumed it was some reoccurring girl character that fought against Sam and Dean every once in awhile. Little did I know that Lucie was short for Lucifer... though, now that I think about it, I should've made the connection.

(Sorry, Lucie - it won't happen again!)

7. I didn't know that Supernatural would be so funny (or make fun of itself so many times). I mean, sure, I could tell that there were a few particularly good jokes in SPN from what I'd seen on the Interwebz, but if you'd told me there'd be episodes like Changing Channels along with ones like Swan Song, I would have doubted the show's functionality. And yet, Supernatural has been going strong for ten years. Bless them.

8. I thought that Kevin was a Winchester. Just... it was obvious he spent a lot of time with Sam and Dean on the show, and way everyone talked about him, well, I just assumed he was their long-lost brother or something! I knew the boys had a half-brother called Adam, so I only thought it logical to think of this Kevin guy as a brother, too.

(Oh Gallifrey - I'm sorry if I gave you all too many feels there, guys. So sorry.)

9. Cas was different than I expected him to be. I mean, I love him. And he's the awesomest angel to have ever had wings. But his reputation preceded him, and since he wasn't the brilliant Cas he is now way back during his introduction in Season 4, I started to doubt that I would ever adore him like most fans seemed to. But, of course, he worked his magic, and now I'm yet another hopeless Castiel fan.

(Love ya, Cassie!)

10. I was not at all prepared for the amount of feels this show gives its viewers. I thought that after watching Doctor Who and Sherlock, I was ready for anything they would throw my way. Ha. Poor me. I certainly learned that lesson.

        Anyway, back to the story...

        After I started writing for the blog, Emily made the 'innocent' suggestion that I start watching Supernatural. A lot of my friends had already tried to get me to watch it, but this time, I thought Eh, why not? It's not like it'll completely take over my life or anything...

        Oh, me. Didn't you learn with Doctor Who? Fandoms always take over your life in the end - it's your destiny.

        But no, me didn't learn - and so I started with Episode 1, Season 1, "Pilot." 

        It was pretty slow going at first. I'm always that way with fandoms. Heck, it took me a whole year to watch past Episode 3 of New Who. But one day, my friend came over. And in the course of one sleepover, followed by another one the next week, we were able to barrel through Supernatural up to the middle of Season 2. 

        I choose my friends wisely.

        One of the reasons I struggled so much with Supernatural in the beginning was because of its lack of plot. But as we started getting introduced to more reoccurring demons, and Yellow Eyes was killed once and for all, things started to pick up. Much like Sammy's hair, the plot thickened. And I loved it.

('These' being Supernatural episodes, in this case.)

        It's very interesting to watch a show without getting too much into the fandom culture beforehand, because you focus on everything. For example, I didn't know that Jo and Ellen would perish so suddenly. If I had, I probably wouldn't have gotten as invested as I did in them. Similarly, I didn't know Crowley would be with us for such a long time, so that came as a pleasant surprise. 

        In short, the only things I knew for sure were that Sam and Dean were brothers, that there'd be monsters, and that the Winchesters had a habit of dying... and so everything else came as a plot twist for me.

(Seriously with the dying and coming back, though - they're pretty much immortal at this point.)

        Throughout watching, there've been some things I've hated, and some things I've loved. But in the end, Supernatural won me over for three reasons.

The Three Winning Aspects of SPN:

1. The Idea

I mean, just think about it. It's an awesome idea. Two brothers, united by loss and pain, fighting monsters and constantly bending the rules of Heaven and Hell. Two men who have gone through so much with each other that they're the strongest form of family there is. Two sons who were started down the road of revenge by their father, and who end up doing so much more than they had planned to. Two friends who, through impossible odds and challenges, still end up valuing each other over anyone else. It's wonderful, and it's a big part of what makes Supernatural, Supernatural.

2. The Dramedy

So, in Supernatural, you get your scenes like this, from episodes like The French Mistake:

Annnnnnd your scenes like this, from episodes like On The Head Of A Pin (I believe):

As a wise blog owner named Emily has said before, Supernatural is able to do what Merlin could not in its later years - it's able to provide laughs and make fun of itself while also having a meaningful and heartbreaking storyline. Even with the Lucifer arc in Season 5, the Trials arc in Season 8, or even the Soulless!Sammy arc in Season 6, Supernatural had at least one joke in every episode. Basically, we know that none of this is real, and the writers know it, too. And they're not ashamed of making fun of that fact (repeatedly). But they also use their characters well and, despite some episodes that are a bit too far out there, for the most part provide us with the perfect balance of comedy and drama in each episode.

3. The Characters

Supernatural has provided us with some absolutely amazing characters. From Sam and Dean to Cas and Crowley, each long-term character in Supernatural always seems to grow on me before their departure (if they have one, that is). Even the characters with a shorter screen time, like Lucifer or Adam, leave their mark. I don't know whether it's just the situation they're all in or the writing or both, but the characters in Supernatural all have a story to tell. Stories which I will never get tired of listening to, and stories which I hope will never end.

        I love Supernatural. I can't wait for Season 10, and I hope that the show won't go down in quality anytime soon. Even though I hate Emily for making me a Supernaturalist, I love her, too. She introduced me to one of the greatest fandoms humanity has had yet to offer. The past year or so has been pretty rough for me. But Supernatural helped relieve a lot of that pain by filling my heart with so many feels that I was unable to be worried about my real life problems. If you ignored my spoiler warning, and are reading this without having finished Supernatural, DO NOT GIVE UP ON THIS SHOW. Trust me, that'd be a terrible, terrible mistake.

        Thanks for reading, guys. Means the world to me :) Hope we can all survive Demon!Dean in the upcoming season! 

P.S. Emily, this post is dedicated to you. Thank you so much. For everything.

Film Review: The Princess Bride

**Spoilers**

If you have not seen this film, PLEASE stop reading right now and do so immediately.

        Endlessly quotable and exploiting the tropes and stereotypes of classic fairytales to a charming degree, The Princess Bride is a cult classic film that everyone should see at least once during their lifetime. There is fencing, kidnapping, rodents of unusual size, romance, magic, and more witty banter than you can shake a stick at.        

            There's also an evil prince who is just a little bit more intimidating than this:

          And just slightly less on-the-top-of-the-kill-list-irritating than this:

        Basically what this film does is take every fairytale trope and stereotype and inflate them to a ridiculous, exploitative, self-aware level of awesomeness. You will be in tears by the end of this movie...tears of laughter. What's the story?

        Well a young boy is sick in bed is visited by his grandfather who brings an old storybook to read to him. This is a handy framing device as it not only gives us an 'in' to the magical world of the story but the boy and grandfather also provide running commentary throughout, adding to the commentary. The Shrek franchise stole a LOT from this movie as their Farquaad reminds me very much of Prince Humperdinick sometimes and the chalice challenge from Merlin: The Labyrinth of Gedref shows up here as well. Not to mention the romantic dialogue that is so cheesy you could serve it with wine. The sad thing? This intentionally terrible and melodramatic dialogue is somehow better and more believable than a lot of the stuff you'll hear in serious romantic films.

      "I've hired you to help me start a war. It's a prestigious career choice with a long and proud tradition."

       The scenes between Inigo and the Man in Black (haha) are a lot of fun. I like the way they are both so painfully honorable that they let the other rest before they fight to the death. I like that Inigo tells the story of his father while they're waiting. I also love the very civil and ridiculous conversation they have over the edge of the cliff. Their sword fight is a thing  of beauty as well. In fact, all of the fencing matches in this movie are. In a way they remind me of West Side Story in that they are more of a dance than an all-out brawl. There's not even an EFFORT to make them seem gritty and realistic...but somehow that only adds to the charm and humor of the whole thing.

 

          Like I said, this movie is endlessly quotable. I have a whole plethora of gifs on hand, just to use in my reviews. Scarcely a scene goes by without a sentence or conversation that is worthy of being put on a teeshirt. "You're trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen." You know you've found something great whenever there are THAT MANY lines that are memorable.

          Now are there maybe a few people in the world who don't enjoy The Princess Bride? Well, hmmm, I suppose there must be a couple who have seen it and don't get it. There's always somebody. Still, the idea of someone actually HATING this film? Inconceivable! 

        It's a cult classic and, watching it again, it's easy to see why. This movie has a little bit of everything. It has comedy, cheese, romance, camp, drama, satire, and lots and lots of fencing. You can't go wrong with swinging swords about and spouting one-liners. And rodents of unusual size. Don't forget those. The Princess Bride is a 5/5. If you have not seen it and ignored the warning at the top of this review, GO AND WATCH IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! I hope I didn't spoil too much for you.

        

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

Supernatural Review: Season 3 Episode 13 "Ghostfacers"

By: Ben Edlund

**Spoilers**

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

         They are the longest-surviving characters on this show. Just let that sink in for a moment...THESE bumblers have outlived Bobby, were here before Castiel, and have managed to survive where the Winchesters and Meg have not. How is this possible?!

        This episode is an example of 'found footage' done right. One of the tricks of that genre is to have a believable excuse for the characters to actually have a decent excuse to be filming anything because, let's be honest, usually whenever something creepy happens you drop the camera and get out of there as fast as you can...not stand there and try to film everything. Or at least that's what you do if you're smart...

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- This episode is sort of an unofficial back door pilot for the spin-off Ghostfacers: The Web Series which is something that every SPN fan really needs to check out. It is HILARIOUS!

- Harry and Ed's attempts to put together a classy, professional wardrobe never fail to make me laugh. It's the yellow trainers and brown plaid socks that really sets off the whole ensemble.

- "Our team faced horrible horrors..." Redundant much?This script is written really well. Ben Edlund has yet to disappoint with a story! I really want the Ghostfacers' theme song for my ringtone. And Harry and Ed walking in 'slow motion' while the cars whiz past behind them is just hilarious.

- "And two lone wolves need...other wolves." 

- This episode is another place where we get an Outsider's POV on the Winchesters, which is always fun because we get to see the boys for the badasses they really are instead of getting bogged down in all the man pain we're usually privy to.

- I also like the way the Ghostfacers are actually rather competent in their methods. Sure they don't have the knowledge and skills that the Winchesters do and they're doing it for different reasons, but for civilians they are actually quite smart about it. 

- Harry is scared of rats. He and Dean would get on well, actually. 

- There's a LOT of swearing in this episode too...tastefully bleeped out, of course. Somehow it sounds all too natural coming from the Winchesters' mouths. Makes sense, I guess. Sam and Dean WERE raised by a tough ex-Marine.

- Ed calls Dean 'chisel chest'. Excuse me while I go laugh and laugh over that...

- I love Dean's reaction to discovering that he has now just been filmed for a prospective TV show. Makes sense that he would be particularly disgusted...he and Sam did just get off the FBI's radar by 'dying' again. So not only is he annoyed at the Hellhounds guys cropping up again, but now his face has been caught on tape and documented that he is indeed still alive after his supposed death.

- It's nice how the Ghostfacers really do care about their friend Corbett. They weren't very smart about coming to the Morton House and they are pretty much doing it to get a movie deal, but they're not totally selfish. They do worry about keeping each other safe and, while they're not always smart about it, they do try.

- This episode is legitimately scary despite the fact that it is hilarious. This is a balance that this show does extremely well.

- Dean trying to shock the death echo out of its loop reminds me of the episode Roadkill where the boys help that woman go into the light.

- "Okay, seriously. Does looking at this nightmare through that camera make you feel better or something?" Thank you, Dean, for giving us a believable reason for people to be filming all of this. THAT is how 'found footage' should be done. You need an excuse or else people will just start to question and be taken out of the experience.

- And of course, as soon as Sam is taken, Dean starts to really take Ed's suggestion of digging up the floorboards seriously.

- But not before they fit in a parody of the whole 'discovery kiss argument' cliché that we see in so many reality shows. Anyone who makes fun of that fake emotion is cool with me.

- This is the episode that forever ruined birthday parties for me.

- Gotta love the way these abandoned houses always have just enough crap left inside to provide the information a person would need. Wouldn't the house be totally stripped of stuff like that? Hmmm? The toe-tag thing was disgusting, though. Ewww...

- Poor Sam was tied down with telephone cord and made to watch as the ghost murdered Corbett. It only got worse whenever his choking ghost appeared in front of his friends. Though, one must wonder why he became a death echo instead of being picked up by a Reaper. Does a lot of evil spirit activity obstruct them from doing their jobs or something?

- "Wow. You're strong." Of course Dean is strong, Spruce. He's a good head and shoulders taller than the rest of you and hunts ghosts for a living. Also, his brother is behind that door so he's not letting anything get between him and Sam.

- We get another reminder that Dean only has months left to live. Thanks for that, episode.

- Somehow they manage to make the scene where Ed tries to shock Corbett out of his loop manages to be both utterly hilarious and a tear-jerker. I'm never sure whether to cry or to roll on the floor laughing. I really love this episode because not only is it scary and funny, but it also helps to flesh out the Ghostfacers' characters. We all laugh whenever the narration says that they faced themselves in that house and came out stronger for it, but to be honest I think that is true. Certainly Ed had to put aside his own personal comfort to help Corbett out and to save his friends (and Sam and Dean).

- My only question is how they explained the death of Corbett to people. Did they go to the cops and admit that they broke into this house? How did they tell his family? Hmmm...

- Sammy got beat up a lot this episode. Was that intentional? I wouldn't put it past Edlund to write that into his episode as a kind of underhanded commentary on the show.

         This episode is definitely a Supernatural classic. It is wacky, weird, scary, hilarious, and surprisingly touching. Harry and Ed and their team are great characters and it's always fun to see the world of the Winchesters from a different POV from the norm. Whenever I'm doing a re-watch of SPN or recommending must-see episodes to people this is always one I name. Ghostfacers is a 5/5.

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

NuWho Review: Series 8 Episode 5 "Time Heist"

By: Steven Moffat & Stephen Thompson

**Spoilers**

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

        I was worried about this one. Stephen Thompson has, to date, only ever provided one coherent script for anything I have ever watched that he has worked on (The Reichenbach Fall from Sherlock) and Steven Moffat has left me less than pleased recently. I have come to the conclusion that he doesn't do well whenever he has too many irons in the fire and a whole series arc to try and pull together. Even Listen which is, in my humble opinion, some of his best work since Series 5 is - at its core - simply a rehash of old Moffat tropes. It works, but I think too many more of those and they're going to get old fast. Like the 'Don't ____' catchphrases. Come on, Moffat! 'Don't Blink' is a classic! 'Don't Listen' is a stretch. How about 'Don't Ruin It By Beating A Dead Horse'?

      Needless to say, I went into this episode with VERY low expectations and came out with...a slightly better experience than I planned on?

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- Love the way The Doctor is still being deliberately obtuse about Clara's relationship with Danny.

- If that woman in the shop who gave The Doctor's number to Clara doesn't turn out to be some manifestation of River (or Donna Noble) I am going to be seriously angry.

- Okay, so like the return of the memory worm, but I'm beginning to have serious issues with Moffat's women. I've defended him in the past, saying that he can write decent female characters and I still stand by that. He can...it's just a question of if he will. Reinette Poisson? Very classy and cool. Sally Sparrow? Quietly determined and resourceful. River Song? Sassy and a lot of fun. Amy Pond? Fiery and loving. Clara Oswald? Ehhh...we're getting there. It's like watching a devolution! Moffat used to write wonderful, three-dimensional characters who may be there to serve The Doctor's story arc, but who had lives outside of their association with him. But now with these River/Madam Kovarian clones that have been cropping up (though, with all fairness, I think the Miss Whatsherface from this episode had a bit of Miss Foster in her too) I think I am going to have to start mourning Moffat's ability to write women and write them well. He seems to be trying to duplicate River and, with every attempt, only gets further away from what made her work and further towards the downsides of her character. I am disappointed!

- The Architect sounds like a Time Lord name...hmmmm...wonder who The Doctor hates so much?

- "Good day to be a bankrobber." There was something very...Sherlock about this episode. Not surprising, seeing as how both writers work on that show, but I'm still not sure if that was a help or a hindrance.

- That weird eye-stalk creature reminds me of a mix between the Judoon and the god from The God Complex.

- Ummm...even if your brain was turned into 'soup', as The Doctor terms it, your head still wouldn't collapse like that because your skull is in there to hold the juicy bits in place. That utterly ridiculous moment really took me out of the episode and left me laughing instead of feeling tension about our team being caught.

- I still want to know why The Doctor was so determined to rob the bank. I know that 12 is slightly more morally grey even than his predecessors, but what was the purpose of it? They had agreed, yeah, but they have no memory of doing so and now they have an opportunity to walk away. Why would he insist that they stay? And why were there no security cameras in that 'safe deposit' box?

- "Still don't understand why you're in charge." "Basically, it's the eyebrows."

- Why are Clara and that augmented dude taking time to have a heart-to-heart while the intruder alert went off? And how did they catch up with The Doctor so fast? And "Don't Think"? Seriously?!

- The shapeshifter girl is like a mixture of Rogue and Mystique. She even calls her abilities a 'mutant' gene. What are you saying there, writers? Her story took a surprisingly dark turn whenever The Teller locked onto her and The Doctor gave her their exit strategy. Were those supposed to be like cyanide pills? Gosh. Such a wasted potential of a character! I wanted to know more about her powers. Was she literally just there to be an easy 'in' to the bank? Talk about a plot device!

- Again. No security cameras anywhere in this highest-security bank. Why is it so hard to locate The Doctor & Co? Because the builders of this bank were STUPID!

- They should have worn gloves. They're leaving incriminating fingerprints everywhere.

Nice Torchwood reference, though.

- Oh gosh. They just tried WAY too hard to make the 'deaths' emotional in this episode. It would have been easier to get teary-eyed if the people getting killed off were actual characters, not just there for the sake of the plot. What was the points of them, anyway? Even The Doctor wasn't concerned by their deaths. I have to say, though, whenever we found out they were still alive (despite the heroic music) it just felt like a cop-out. 

- ENOUGH OF CHARACTERS WHO ARE THE LAST OF THEIR KIND! We KNOW that The Doctor is no longer the last of his, so STOP WITH THE COMPARISONS! That got old during the Davies era!

- "We're getting sanity judgement from the self-burner..." 

- The climax in this episode was rather...meh. Not bad, not terrible, but trying a little bit too hard. And the reveal of the clones felt like an afterthought.

- Still, I did wonder if The Doctor would be more immune to The Teller than humans because he too is telepathic. Or maybe that made it worse? At any rate we got some nice references to past regenerations and a nice bit of tension as we waited to see whether or not that magnificent brain would be turned to mush.

- I could see the 'twist' about Madam Kovarianclone coming from a mile off, though, and as soon as The Doctor deduced that The Architect was from the future, I figured it was either The Doctor himself or The Master in disguise, so that was no surprise either. Am I the only one who is tired of the timey-wimey stories? Can't we have something like The Empty Child again? I think Moffat needs a reset. Especially since he recycled the 'monster love story twist' from the forgettable Hide. 

         In short, this episode is okay. Not great, not terrible, just okay. I don't think I'll ever go back and re-watch it, but it was an okay experience the first time around. The twist was rather predictable, the relationship with Danny - while comedic at The Doctor's expense - added nothing, and the side characters felt like filler. Hopefully next week will be better. I think Moffat needs a break. Time Heist is a 3/5.

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