Reign: A Second Review

   

          After the Pilot of Reign, the second episode aired on The CW and I have to say I did see some improvements. Against my better judgment I stuck around The CW instead of switching to USA to watch White Collar, and tweeted with other already fans. Not only did I attain some new followers but I did start to have a liking to the new show.

First Improvement: (Old Score: D)

        Remember when I said the clothes were my biggest problem? Well they have since then improved. With period projects, the cost is always daunting especially when most of the money goes into the clothes. Yet some costume designers find ways to compensate costs and that's where creativity is really tested. I found the clothes of the Pilot very disconcerting; so much so that I didn't feel connected to the setting. However, the clothes seemed to be more consistent with the era with some modern twists. Mary Stewart's outfit for the arrival of Lady Madeleine was lovely and then her creamy white gown at the picnic just as stunning. So on that the show scores: A!

Second Improvement: (Old Score: C+)

          The love triangle brewing between Sebastian, Mary, and Francis is growing more engaging with Bash taking risks like helping Mary find Collin and Francis helping Mary fool the English Ambassador that their alliance is on firm ground; so sweet of both of them! Then Francis coming to help his brother in the dark and scary woods, although I do worry about Royal Security. Why are all these very important people going off alone where they could be killed? Are the guards that easy to slip pass by? No wonder royal assassinations were so easy. Anyway, the only attractive actors on there that I would crush on are Mary and Bash; sorry but they're just better looking. The score for characters: B!

Third Improvement: (Old Score: B+)

          The all-around story is becoming more engaging. The mystery person with the potato sack on her head; well we finally have a name: Clarissa. Nostradomus seems to be the only person in the whole castle who knows who this ghost is. Then there are the people in the woods. I guess they're pagans as there have been mentions of them doing blood sacrifices and being called heretics and then Bash cutting his hand and yelling out some gibberish. At first I thought: is Bash some sort of wizard? I suppose we'll find out more eventually. Then there was a plot against Mary to terrorize her into dropping the French Alliance. That was entertaining. Also when Catherine found a large red "X" in her bed. Catherine's been marked! Score: A+!

Fourth Improvement: (Old Score: C)

         It's not really an improvement. The music for the era hasn't made much of a showing as it is still replaced by modern artists. I didn't expect much to change there but I'll let that slide. Score: C+!

         So pretty much vast improvements have been made but it's still too early to tell if this show will be renewed. The third episode is really vital for such success. Hopefully numbers will go up.

Once Wonderland: Why I Ship The Knave & Alice

         I watched the Once Upon A Time in Wonderland pilot On Demand as I watch The Vampire Diaries at 8 on Thursdays (sorry but they were there first and I'm not switching to any other channel that day or time). I have to say... the romance between Cyrus and Alice is one word: BORING! So I began to ship the Knave of Hearts (a.k.a. Will Scarlett) and Alice instead.

        First I'll explain why I think Alice and Cyrus are boring. In my growing up with epic stories, the most interesting romance stories start with some friction. The couple hates each other at first; hell they can't stand each other. They have nothing in common and they have completely different ideologies. They argue and bicker but through all that start to learn more about each other, about each other's weaknesses, their fears, and then they get into what they like. With Cyrus and Alice, when they first meet Cyrus has that "love at first sight" look. Alice then starts giving him those "I think you're cute look" after she is disarmed by his charm. I will admit, Cyrus is cute and he is a romantic but his initial attitude just doesn't grab me right away. 

        With the Knave and Alice, their time together is more interesting. The Knave is sarcastic, not very trustworthy, and seems more likely to complain. Yet Alice sees right through that and sees the man beneath all that dry humor and self-preservation. She calls him on it every time, making him rethink his whole attitude. 

        Second, I personally think Will has a thing for Alice. Why else would he risk his life going back to Wonderland where everyone wants to see his head on a silver platter? He complains about how complicated a task is but goes ahead and does it anyway simply because Alice asks. While others say, the Knave's doing it for the wishes, I say Will could have run off with them at any time. He's had plenty of opportunities to take them and leave and just sell them to make a quick buck. Yet he came back to save Alice's life from the ravenous Cheshire Cat. There were also times where I caught the Knave looking at a sad Alice with sympathy. I doubt he ever felt such a twinge of emotion around anyone else. Then there was his look when Alice received that note from Cyrus, he looked somewhat disappointed. 

       Will could have left Wonderland after they didn't find Cyrus at the Mad Hatter's house, but Alice insisted on staying. She even gave him the option of leaving, but Will stayed. If it were me I would have left. People want me dead and I have to find this girl's true love in this strange place because she found a magic necklace? I'll pass. 

       I think Will and Alice's relationship is an interesting one. Will claims Alice is stubborn but I think he likes the challenge. She also got him back his heart, which I hope we see how that happens. Their constant friction and butting of heads forces Will to change and think to become the decent person we know is in there, a person Will doesn't believe exists. Alice is also willing to risk her own mission to get Will out of tight situations. She dove right into the lake after him after the jilted Silver fairy dropped him and ended up stuck in the middle of the lake. Alice also tried to get Will out of the house when they were free from their restraints. Alice valued Will's life more than her quest. That seems more than friendship to me.

        Look, even Prince Charming and Snow White had a rocky start in their epic love journey. I mean the woman stole from him, knocked him unconscious, and just beat him up really. Then Charming captured her and he said his signature romantic line "I told you I'd find you" with such arrogance that it begged ironic laughter. Snow White shot back that he really was a Prince Charming with such disdainful sarcasm that I rolled over laughing because that insult became David's pet name from then on. Now these two are inseparable. They are the definition of true love. 

      To me true love is fighting on occasion. Cyrus and Alice are a bland couple who have that old fairytale feel where it's all black and white and not interesting at all. They don't really clash at all which is just so boring! Put a love triangle in there at least with the Knave as the poor third wheel that I'll root for over Cyrus. I'm not saying I don't like Cyrus, I'm just saying I wish he'd smoke right back into that bottle and stay there.

The Originals: Why Cami & Klaus's Friendship is Vital

        Although I am a Klaroline fan, I do love the chemistry between Klaus and the smart, psyche degree holding bartender, Cami. People keep harping that it will ruin Klaroline but I disagree. I wouldn't be adverse to a romantic relationship between them (as I know Caroline will pursue other romantic relationships as Klaus should during their journeys of self-discovery) but I see them more as friends and how Cami's company, romantic or otherwise, is vital for Klaus if he is to receive redemption.

         In The Originals episode 4, "Girl In New Orleans" we really got to see Cami and Klaus interact more and see into the dynamic of their odd relationship. Although Klaus has Cami as his spy to give him intel on Marcel, his once protege now turned frenemy, Klaus appears to genuinely enjoy Cami's company. He said so himself in the beginning of the episode. He finds her bold, intelligent, and because of her degree or perhaps of her own personal experiences she seems less likely to judge Klaus for his ruthless actions, which makes her easier to talk to. 

       Cami acts like Klaus's confidant, listening to his problems, his personal dilemmas, and how he acts, then giving him sound advice and reasoning. She believes that no one is born evil, they are broken down and beaten until they snap and see the world as a dark and unforgiving place. I would like to point out that Caroline never voiced that conclusion, but understandably, Klaus tried to kill her a few times and he has killed half of her friends' families. Still, Cami didn't recoil in disgust.

      People will point out: Klaus compelled Cami to not be afraid of him. True. But from then on, Cami became quite curious about compulsion; very interested actually. Usually, Klaus would just use someone and not really bother with pleasantries. At the bar Cami worked at, he asked her to spy on Marcel and Davina at the music festival. Cami was appalled at the request and reasoned that Klaus would compel her anyway and then asked, "Why bother with politeness?" Then surprisingly Klaus said simply, "Because I like you." Klaus hasn't said that to his other spy in Marcel's company. So there's something special about Cami.

       In "Tangled Up In Blue", Klaus seemed surprised Cami was there. You would think, as Rebekah reasoned, that since Marcel likes her he would be properly distracted that Klaus would have compelled Cami to the party. However, Klaus seemed peeved at his sister's deviousness. He even called her truly evil. Klaus was very amused when Cami called his sister a bitch. Then he asked Cami if she was alright as she looked distressed at seeing Marcel lose his cool with Thierry. Klaus seemed genuinely concerned for her feelings. Then at the bar, Klaus and Cami had that intimate yet awkward moment of the "almost kiss". Male/Female friendships have that awkward moment from time to time. It's natural to feel an attraction to your friend of the opposite gender and Klaus said, "No you read it right." That means Klaus had those same "what if" thoughts. 

     Then in "Girl In New Orleans", Cami confided in Klaus, the reason she is in New Orleans is because she wants to find about how her twin brother could snap then kill the priests of St. Anne then himself. She couldn't understand why her twin brother who showed no signs of a psychotic break would cause a massacre. This horror haunts her, even preventing her from sleeping well at night. Then we see why Cami is so interested in compulsion; maybe her brother was compelled to commit the bloody massacre. 

       This is when we see Klaus reveal his compassionate side (well what he considers compassionate). Against Cami's tearful pleas, Klaus makes Cami forget all about her secret intentions of finding out what happened to her brother. Part of what Cami said was true, Klaus needs her focused on Marcel but there was also another reason: Klaus saw how the mystery of her twin brother was eating away at her. He saw that despite her strong, bright exterior, Cami is just as fragile as any human. Klaus thought that if Cami found out the truth, whatever it was, would destroy her and she wouldn't be able to bounce back from it. So he did the only thing he could do, Klaus compelled Cami to forget and also compelled her to sleep peacefully and dream of the world as she saw it: a bright, wonderful world with people trying to be good. That scene with Klaus and Cami in tears was heart-rending and I loved it! I was mesmerized by the two actors, Joseph Morgan and Leah Pipes, who have, I felt, raised the bar on this show. 

     Klaus doesn't have any friends and a therapy session is long overdue as he has over 1,000 years of baggage. Cami recommended Klaus seek professional help with his chronic anger issues, bad personal relationships, and his paranoia. Klaus smiled and said, "I'd rather talk to you." At the masquerade ball, Cami came dressed as an angel with Klaus as the Devil. To me that's an accurate description of their roles in the show: Klaus is this poor, dark, twisted demon while Cami is this holy angel that you pray to for deliverance. So even if a romantic relationship never develops between these two characters, Cami's friendship is important to Klaus's road to redemption.  

        

      

The Originals: Why Klaus Is My Favorite Anti-Hero

         Anti-Heroes have to be my favorite archetype. Oedipus, Lucifer from Paradise Lost, and Damon from The Vampire Diaries have enthralled me for a long time. Why? No real reason except... well you grow up reading these stories about good vs evil and the fight seems so cut and dry, but what about the villains? No one is bad for no reason. Monsters aren't born they are made over the course of a hard childhood and a bleak look on life. Now one of my new favorite antagonists have switched to the role of anti-hero and that character is: Klaus (played by Joseph Morgan) from The Vampire Diaries. 

        I'm so happy that The Original Family gets its own show. The Originals looks darker and more mature, which already grabs me. TVD is great but that's high school where the drama and angst are over flowing and somewhat annoying. The Originals will be a sort of family drama with more blood and guts and some vendettas all while trying to grab control of the empire of the alluring city of New Orleans. 

        When Klaus first made his appearance onto the scene, he came off as a cut and dry villain set on getting what he wants no matter the collateral damage. Yet over the course of Season 3, we got to see more into Klaus's character, making him less a black and white villain and more an antagonist (a character not necessarily evil but just set against the protagonist). We began to see Klaus's more vulnerable side. What he really wanted was a family. His biggest fear is being alone. This was why Klaus wanted to make hybrids and since they had a sire bond they would do everything he said because they feel indebted to him for saving them from their agony. Klaus felt that his real family let him down that they didn't want him so he went off to make his own, but that was an epic failure. In Klaus's mind, Tyler, his first hybrid, betrayed him and made Klaus kill all of his hybrids. So in an act of revenge, Klaus killed Tyler's mother. The Immortal Hybrid thought it was perfect symmetry: Tyler took all the "family" that Klaus had so in return he would take all the family Tyler had.

        Klaus is artistic (a talent to fall back on if he decides to give up the villain life), charming, intense, and a romantic when it comes to the woman of his affections. Yet he is also possessive, easily jealous, selfish, an all around user, and ruthless. He went so far as to give himself a new name, going from Niklaus to simply Klaus, which sounds much more evil. Nevertheless, Elijah and Rebekah in times of affection, call him Niklaus or Nik. Whenever one of Klaus's siblings tries to find happiness, he daggers them and carries their corpses around like cargo. 

       Yet looking at how Klaus grew up it's not hard to believe that he'd be like this. Klaus saw himself as more a victim than as a survivor of Mikael's cruelty. Klaus was beaten by his father on a regular basis and Esther didn't really do much to stop it. Klaus still called Mikael father in Season 3 when he finally killed him. Klaus didn't seem relieved at all, but became in a way, angrier, as Elijah has described him. Klaus learned cruelty from Mikael, which taught him that fear is the only way people won't come against you or that fear will prevent someone from leaving him. 

       When Finn fell in love, Klaus figured he would leave the family and by definition Klaus. Rebekah made a habit of falling love and Klaus in turn would kill that object of his little sister's affections. His excuse was that no man was good enough for her, that men came and went but Klaus was the only constant in her life. Rebekah never saw it that way. Klaus loves to be the center of attention and is immediately threatened by any outside force that threatens to emotionally take away his family members. 

         Yet Elijah seems to be the only one in the Mikaelson Family willing to give his black sheep brother chances to redeem himself and find his humanity. Most sane people would call Elijah a fool, even Klaus thinks Elijah is looking for redemption where there isn't any. 

      But Elijah continues to swoop in to save the day and clean up Klaus's messes. The dynamic between the Mikaelson brothers is always interesting, they always seem to fall for the same woman but while for a time that would tear them apart, Klaus and Elijah manage to come back together. Rebekah is the same way. She and Niklaus have the most friction; they insult each other, exchange barbs, but in a crisis they manage to close ranks. 

        Klaus did show some compassion for people not related to him. Klaus made Stefan come and be his wingman because he wanted his friend back. He even thought of Stefan (or Ripper Stefan) as a brother! That's high praise from a man like Klaus. 

        Stefan was probably the only one of Rebekah's boyfriends (besides Marcel) that he didn't kill. The Immortal Hybrid admitted that he didn't want to compel Stefan because he wanted things to be how they were in the 1920s. Klaus even went so far as to give Stefan a person to hate so that he wouldn't turn it on himself. Listening to Klaus say that to Stefan, I thought, Klaus still has hope that Stefan would come back to him. Klaus can't dagger Stefan so he plays a patient friend and in his own twisted way helps Stefan focus his self-destructive anger on himself. Yet Stefan broke Klaus's hopes for a reconciliation so Klaus had to move on. 

         Klaus managed to play the father to his adoptive son, Marcel. He even gave his protege his name. That was heart warming to see. Again Klaus feels a connection with someone other than his blood relatives. Yet Klaus is possessive and he feared that Rebekah and Marcel would go off without him. Klaus told Rebekah as he drove a dagger through her heart that she shouldn't steal something that was his. So Klaus doesn't view people as individuals but as his property. 

        When Klaus came back to New Orleans and saw how Marcel ruled a kingdom that Klaus has always tried to build but failed to do. Klaus once saw in Marcel a version of himself who was brutalized by his father and unloved, which was why Klaus played the father-figure for the young Marcel. Yet instead of being happy for is surrogate son, the green monster reared it's ugly head as it always does and Klaus vowed to take down Marcel and rule New Orleans. Later he reveals that Marcel was like family and that it hurt Klaus that Marcel didn't come to find him. Klaus said he mourned Marcel because he thought he was dead. Marcel was the closest thing Klaus had to a son but now he feels betrayed. Klaus doesn't like people telling him what he can and cannot do either so as he usually does, Klaus acted out violently. 

         Klaus made Marcel in "his" image and has surpassed him in every way. In the back door Pilot I felt that Marcel was at first trying to show Klaus what he's done and be a little proud. Marcel likes to remind his "father" that he taught him everything, which makes the friction between them even worse. 

      A deeper issue Klaus probably has is how everyone naturally likes Marcel. Marcel doesn't need fear to rule the vampires in his kingdom, but on occasion Marcel puts the hammer down. Still the party keeps going and people don't hold Marcel's merciless acts against him.

         Yet we've seen Klaus in a less ugly light when it came to his heart. Caroline seemed to provoke a merciful (well by his standards) attitude. Klaus let Tyler run away and didn't even try to look for him. Then when Tyler came back for Caroline's Prom, Klaus let him go for the sake of giving Caroline a happy prom night memory. Then in the Season 4 finale, Klaus allowed for Tyler to come back to Mystic Falls. Klaus said, "He is your first love, I intend to be your last." Such a romantic promise but can Klaus keep it?

        Now that Klaus is going to be an actual father, perhaps that will help him become the man Caroline deserves. The sex of the Mikaelson baby was revealed to be a girl. Maybe Klaus having a daughter will make him softer. He already is treating Hayley like family, being considerate of her needs (like putting in air conditioning because the heat bothered her). I know Cami is having a sobering affect on the hardened Klaus. I doubt that Klaus will pursue a romantic relationship with Cami (not that it wouldn't be unthinkable for Klaus to pursue other women as Caroline will pursue other men). Klaus doesn't have any friends and his friendship with Cami will most likely result in a more considerate Klaus. 

         Klaus is that likable guy with 1,000 years of emotional baggage. You know he has the ability to know what's right and what's wrong but his vanity makes him believe that everything is a personal slight against him. Yet I still love Klaus. 

       I think that's why we love anti-heroes. While we are repulsed by their behavior at the same time we get where they are coming from. We are averse to Klaus's acts of violence but see that he's a tragic figure who has been abused his entire childhood and doesn't know how else to be. 

My Thoughts on The CW's Reign

     I'll be blunt and completely honest with you; I was skeptical on the whole doing the Mary Stewart thing. Not because it's not an interesting story, but because The CW is known for doing shows that are modern with hot guys and girls and doing product placement. I'm fine with that. So I watched the premiere of Reign Thursday night after The Vampire Diaries. I'll give you my opinions on the separate aspects of the show.  

First...

       The music. Well I didn't really expect the show to feature modern alternative artists. The songs were great and all. I really wanted the song that played in the beginning called "Scotland". The Lumineers were said to be the artists but then someone listed that it was only one of their members, Wesley Jeremiah. It frustrated me that I couldn't find it. Then I downloaded two other songs that featured in the show: "Follow" by Crystal Fighters and "Back To You" by Twin Forks. Those songs are good, but I would have preferred they have included some classical music. Putting modern music in a setting where they didn't have electricity yet kind of ruins the whole story and doesn't connect the viewer with what they are seeing.

Second...

      Perhaps my biggest problem was the fashion. The clothes that the girls were wearing didn't fit at all with the setting. The year was 1557 but it didn't feel like 1557. It felt more like I was in modern times watching Gossip Girl going to a Renaissance Fair where people just put on whatever they wanted with no clue as to the actual fashion of the times. Again I felt confused about the setting. There were some ladies wearing gowns that had a more 18th century feel rather than 16th century. The men were fine. Their outfits were simple and easy. Catherine de'Medici was the only one who wore appropriate period dress. I know period stories are expensive, most of the money going to the clothes. STARZ's DaVinci's Demons went with a modern look that resembled a Renaissance Christian Dior fashion show, which was fine by me. Clarice at one time wore a sort of pants suit but it looked very elegant and when she didn't walk it resembled a dress. Then DaVinci was wearing something like a leather jacket but it was something that belonged in that period but also spoke volumes about DaVinci being a bad boy of the times. That's how the costumes for Reign should have been done.

Third...

       The actors. I never complain about how an actor looks when portraying a figure from history. It's impossible to find historical look-a-likes and back then physical descriptions weren't many or reliable. I've seen some of the actors in other films and TV shows. The actor playing Sebastian was in The Tudors where he played the dick head Thomas Culpepper. Then he played the bigoted grave digger in Haven but here he might become one of my favorite characters. Nostrodomus was a schizophrenic who had a few lucky guesses but I suppose I can let it slide how they have him as this seer.

Fourth...  

      The story. Well... the only feature that interested me was perhaps the chick or maybe it's a guy, with the potato sack on her head and the blood in the woods. That has me curious. 

     Other than that if you've read any history books you'd know that Mary Stewart marries Prince Francis and they become king and queen of France after King Henri takes a tumble in a joust. Catherine seeks to rule both her son and her daughter-in-law but then Francis dies of an abscess in the ear. After returning to Scotland and a few miscalculated moves, Mary Stewart ends up a prisoner in England then Elizabeth has her beheaded (although Elizabeth afterwards immediately regretted it and had the messenger of the order imprisoned for a few days). 

      So the love triangle that is brewing between Sebastian, Mary, and Francis is sort of unnecessary as we all know who she ends up with but for the sake of story the writers can keep that if they like. Again, the only interesting part is the mystery person with the potato sack. It's too early to tell but I would love some shots of Elizabeth with her council discussing how to deal with Mary Stewart or Mary wondering about Elizabeth. Their frenemy relationship was an interesting aspect of history; two queens, only one crown.

      That should cover it all. As I said, the clothes were the biggest problem with me. It's too early to tell if the show will succeed but every show starting out never has a good pilot.



     

Catholics & Sex: A Discussion

        

         When it comes to discussing sex in any religion there is bound to be some heated discussion on its mortality and how even thinking about sex makes you a sinner. For Catholics, even the discussion of using Birth Control sets the Church into a rage. The Roman Catholic, despite the modern age, still remains a boy's club where women are second class citizens. We're supposed to be seen and not heard; emulate the Virgin Mary. I can certainly tell you as both a Roman Catholic and a woman, all of that is complete CRAP! Even our priests and nuns are supposed to take vows of celibacy, setting them on pedestals, which make them somehow better than us because they abstain and concentrate on God's work. Of course we all know that's not true given the horrible scandals of child molestation and sexual abuse of young boys. Yet not all priests are like that; some sleep with women of an appropriate age and here's the kicker: The Church actually encourages this blatant breaking of the celibacy vow!

           I've recently read a book called Mistresses: A History of the Other Woman, which dives into this unknown fact about the sexual habits of Catholic Priests. In a recent poll, about 20 to 30% of Catholic Priests are currently in a sexual relationship with a woman. The fact that they even admit that should speak volumes about the ambiguity of the Church's stance on sex altogether. Yet this shouldn't be a shock since for as long as there have been Catholic Priests there has always been his mistress. 

      The reason the Church turns a blind eye to this active practice is because: 1.) As long as it's kept quiet then the Church won't split hairs; 2.) A priest who indulges in a sexual relationship with a woman can be more understanding of the struggles of his congregation; 3.) Giving the appearance or label of celibacy, the church can fight any woman threatening to out the said priest or try to gain child support; 4.) The Church wants to keep the drop out rate down so letting priests continue to pursue a woman seems the best option.

         Priests have housekeepers to do what a wife basically does: take care of the cooking and the cleaning. And there's a 50% chance that the Priest and his house keeper are involved with each other so it's almost exactly like having a wife. Yet single young women are not exactly ideal as they are more inclined to sue for paternity or financial support. Married women are the best option as they don't need support and the husbands are more likely to turn a blind eye and continue to support their wives financially.

        Women who get pregnant are in the biggest trouble. Although the Catholic Church frowns on abortion, the priest will encourage his lover to get one, or put the child up for adoption OR sign a contract that states she will not tell the child of their paternity or anyone else for that matter. Women who try to sue the priest for child support while find little sympathy from the Church let alone the public. The Vatican has lawyers that they send to humiliate or embarrass the woman, which stops her from going further with the sue. It's not like in the case of child molestation that the victims are more than likely to get a settlement in the millions. As well as they should!

         Yet priests having affairs with married women are preferred. The husbands definitely won't say anything (most of the time they're fine with the whole arrangement) and if she gets pregnant, the husband will claim paternity and no one will ask otherwise.  Also the married woman won't cause a fuss for financial support. Catholics also frown on divorce. Divorce still happens but it takes a long time.

         Believe it or not, this sort of arrangement has been going on for centuries. The priest's mistress being installed as his house keeper is an age old tradition. The villagers even supported this odd domesticity as it kept the priest from looking around for other trouble and made him more likable.  However, Holy Roman Emperor William (who was a huge buzz kill and a stickler for the rules) sought to end this breach of conduct among priests. Like Immigration, soldiers or the appointed agent will go into town and question everybody about their village priest and then make a visit to the priest's home. These visits were random and were unannounced. Yet the villagers would warn the priest ahead of time so he could send his mistress and any children they have away. The villagers would lie for the priest, the local council would also help out by fibbing. Needless to say this frustrated the Holy Roman Emperor. So instead of these random checks, he would fine the priests heavily. Still the unspoken affairs continued. 

      It may all sound strange and outrageous but you have to understand that no matter what priests are still human. They are prone to give into temptation. And the woman? Well in the old days, women saw a priest as just another eligible bachelor like a doctor or a lawyer. Today priests meet their prospective lovers through the work they do for the church such as charities and masses. Admittedly the priest takes advantage of his status (as in the child molestation cases show) to seduce the woman. But sometimes it's the woman who initiates the affair. They see a man lonely and vulnerable, thinking that they could be the one to lead him through the harsh wilderness of passion. 

     Yet often times the priest has a conflict of conscience. He is split between his vocation and his desire for his lady love. Sometimes this results in the priest being too judgmental and over-critical of the woman he's involved with. However, the woman also sees this as the most intimate of relationships. She's the only one who sees the priest in his most intimate thoughts. She sees all of him, figuratively and literally. He confides in her. The act of confession is reversed and the woman becomes the priest's confessor. There are cases where priests and nuns enter a romantic relationship. They would leave the church, get married, and live happy lives together.

     The Catholic Church is still a boy's club. If a woman were to enter in such a forbidden relationship, heaven help her. Anything goes wrong, and she'll be cast out into the cold. She'll be labeled a whore who made the priest stray. The priest is never to blame although he was never forced into anything. The priest is never in error, which is something we should re-think. To me priests are no different from anybody else. They just think they are because they believe they serve a higher purpose and are not bound to natural laws. BULL! A priest is flesh and blood. He will give into temptation. Most priests to day act as normal people. Most even go to baseball games and drink and curse however and when ever they want. All God asks is for us to try and be good people and leave the world better than when we found it. So if a priest wants to get involved with a mature, attractive woman, let him. It's too much to ask for him to give up everything.