The Originals: Devil's Deal with the Devil

An unholy alliance!

                      Quite a revelation on Monday. Turns out every first witch of Dahlia and Esther's family has an enormous amount of juice but with 100% guarantee of going to crazy town (Freya did seem unbalanced). Hope is especially vulnerable because she's not only a witch but she's going to have the vampire hunger with the werewolf temperament. The girl is a time bomb! But would Klaus really kill Hayley?

Just a hazardous hike through the bayou

             I want to point out first of all that Jackson's plan to run away with Hayley and the baby was doomed from the start. I understand a bit why he wanted this plan to work. Hayley's a hybrid now but unlike Klaus she can't reproduce so Hope is the only baby he can share with her. But a huge part is that Jackson's a good guy who wants to do the right thing. However, Klaus would never give up Hope so easily and she isn't an ordinary baby. Forget the fact that she's a Mikaelson, she's the first of her kind. If what Dahlia says is true then when Hope becomes a teenager she'll be a hurricane of flame especially with all of those hormones. She'd kill Jackson and Hayley, not on purpose but she won't be able to control her magic. Jackson is treating Hope like a wolf when she's so much more than that. But maybe Klaus should tell Hayley what Dahlia told him!

Karma, bitch!

             We know Hayley is very protective of her daughter. Their daughter is what bonds her and Klaus together. We've seen them come together as much when it came to Hope's safety. So much so that Hayley became one of the family. A Mikaelson. When Klaus said Jackson wasn't "One of us" I assume he meant that Hayley was one of them. He also told Hayley that he trusted her more than she knew. I have a hard time believing that he would just flat out kill her. He could tell her about what Dahlia said and convince her this is for Hope's own good. However, like Klaus, Hayley is fierce when it comes to protecting Hope. She more than likely wouldn't believe anything Dahlia said and wouldn't give Hope up for anything. 

It's gonna be a blood bath

           Klaus seems to be returning to his old ways. By that I mean holding on fast to family members and causing bloody mayhem to keep them in his orbit. Klaus has displayed a destructive love for his daughter. When Hope gets older this could drive a wedge between them. Even worse when she finds out that her father murdered her mother. Killing Hayley could cost Klaus more than he realizes. Is trusting Dahlia really for Hope's benefit or does Klaus just not want to lose his daughter? Most likely yes to both questions. Though I hope Klaus doesn't kill Hayley all the same. I've grown to love her and I would feel the show would be killing off a great character. 

           

The Messengers: Strange Magic Review

I know he's the Devil and all but what would I give
to be wrapped in those arms

                   Getting excited every time Friday rolls around now that The Messengers is on The CW. Perfect to hold me over until Dominion in July. So let's discuss last week's episode "Strange Magic".

You're crazy town banana pants, lady, and I should have
smothered you with a pillow... err I mean...Crap

        Doubting Vera

                Everyone... well almost everyone was wondering if anything Rose was saying was true. Vera was very vocal about how insane this all sounded. Everyone else was like: "What? Seriously? Maybe..." Joshua needed no further convincing, yet through out the whole episode Vera kept giving rational explanations for the crazy stuff happening. What did you expect she's an atheist? "You're all crazy" and you were just about to smother a coma patient, Vera so who's really the crazy one? But someone has to be rational I suppose and she has reason to doubt God given that she lost her child a few years back. Something as horrible as that would make anyone cynical. 

Rule 1 when on the run: NO HOSPITALS!

          I have to say I could feel some sparks between Vera and Josh. Most of it debating belief but you know what they say about opposites attracting. These two seem less obvious than Raul and Erin anyway. I'm guessing Erin has a thing for the rough, bad boys (who doesn't?). Vera doubts right up to the end until she sees their wings reflected in the mirror. Explain that, Vera! (Group hallucination...? Not very likely!)

First murder didn't work out so onto the second!

         The Man With No Name

                  Technically he does have a name. Rose called him Satan. Isn't he already in hell? We may discuss that in another blog. Another question: where is The Man getting his clothes? Do we have to start a missing persons hotline if he's in town? At least Vera's reluctance to murder somebody allowed Rose to wake up just in time to give the Devil the stink eye and tell him to "f*$k off" in Enochian (I'm guessing). So there's a slight kink in the Man's plan, but he regroups and instead decides to murder someone else to set things in motion. Who better than a wounded vet who was having an awesome day until he got challenged to a game of chess then lost... and then the Man threw that huge wad of cash into the garbage. WHY?! As someone who's in debt that hurts me the most! On top of that the vet gets hit by a bus! And so falls the first domino...

So where's Charlie...?

          Out of all the Dive Bars in All the World...

                You can fight it all you want but fate worked it's ass off the whole day to get our angels back together. Raul went to see some relatives. I guess he's the baby of the family because it looks like Uncle Raul is the same age as his niece Nadia who blames him for breaking up her family (would love to get into that story later on). Of course this was all before Raul beat up a police officer for Erin so she wouldn't get arrested for "kidnapping" (I put that in quotes because I'm all for her protecting her little girl). Amy wasn't the only one who noticed some heat going on between Mom and the new guy (by the way are we sure Amy isn't some sort of prophet or even the 7th angel we have yet to find?). Peter meanwhile was literally following the signs. He basically just walked the whole day being directed by well placed, ominously worded signs. And just like that they all end up in the same bar... It's beginning to get more interesting.

This is the most dangerous game of hide and seek
ever, Uncle Raul...

           I'm hoping Fate is kind to this show and the TV gods grant it big ratings because I'm really liking it's originality and morality content. I like programs that challenge their viewers. This Friday we meet the Horseman of War and the more I see the military stone walling Vera and her partner the more I suspect they're going to be more involved in the future as they start the Apocalypse with something nuclear. 

Can't we keep him, Mommy?

Save Sirens: Missing It SO Much!

They did what? They can't cancel us!

          Very upset that USA canceled one of my favorite shows! It was perfect! Tuesdays just don't feel the same... After the news hit Twitter fans started to rally together with the #SaveSirens campaign. 

The best scenes are in the rig

          A few things that I loved about this show was the chemistry of the cast. Michael Mosley, Kevin Bigley, and Kevin Daniels had a rapport from the very start. Their dynamic was electric and crackled on screen. My favorite scenes with these three were in the rig where they talked about their problems and most of the time poke fun at each other though they could easily turn it back to the other. A poke for poke you might say. And then there was Teresa and her adorable puppy side kick Billy! Like scenes in the rig, the scenes with Jessica McNamee and Josh Segarra in their cruiser were hilarious and warm hearted! 

Billy is an adorable puppy!

          But let's not forget the rest of the cast. We had Cash deal us some of his wisdom in the break room where they had interesting debates which reminded me of my break room at where I work. It was a double treat where you get a feel for all the characters without going too deep or dragging it out. I laugh and cry when I watch this show. Mostly laugh but there are those very genuine heart breaking moments. "Over Under" was full of tears of joy and sorrow which ended in laughter.  

Some of the best scenes are in the break room

           Amazing rich characters with interesting dynamics, great stories and still layered with humor as well as a whole lot of heart, Sirens deserves better than USA. They had no idea what they had. All of their shows are too long and I lost interest in almost all of them (waiting for Dig to end then I'm done with that channel). Great drama but my life is depressing enough. I need other outlets besides writing to lift my spirits and Sirens filled that hole. Hopefully Netflix or even Hulu decides Sirens is capable of so much more. Fans are willing to follow this show wherever it goes. So Save Sirens!

We have to try guys! #SaveSirens

       
             

Olympus: A New Series

Haven't seen a Greek epic since Xena!

                SyFy channel has been hitting marks with me lately. First angels now gods! Olympus follows 3 unlikely allies who search for a way to open the gates of Olympus where the gods were banished. The Lexicon is the key, which is locked inside our Hero who's name is cursed so everyone just calls him Mercenary. It has many traits that make it a classic Greek tale, which appeals to me: powerful women, court intrigue, magic, war, and enigmatic prophecy coming true.

"So... what's your safe word?"

      1. The Female is far more dangerous than the Male

               No truer statement could be made to describe women in the myths of Ancient Greece. Of course the stories were all anti-feminist. With the exception of the cyclops about every monster you encounter in a Greek story is female. Hera blinded Tiresias because he agreed with Zeus that women enjoy sex more than men (yeah that's twisted). But in most cases the women prove more intelligent than the men if not all the time. We have the Oracle who's very observant  She doesn't have to have visions to know something's up with you. Then we have some classical characters like Queen Medea and Princess Ariadne. 

Have a headache? I have something for that...

        We all know Medea from the Golden Fleece story. She's a sorceress and mess with her you live to regret it as she uses her magic as well as her wits to get the better of you. In her story she chops up her kids and serves them to her cheating husband (mother of the year). Here I don't think she'd serve her son, Lykos in soup, however, I still get nervous when I see her with something sharp. Curious on how they portrayed Ariadne. In the myth she seemed like a weak character used as a pawn by the gods to help Theseus with that whole Minotaur nightmare then she was abandoned on an island (well she got a god out of it anyway, screw Theseus). However, I feel she was completely reinvented in Olympus. She's got this torture/sex fetish. Mostly gross yet she's not all powerful. She has real insecurities, which don't make her weak just a more human character. 

Night time is scheming time, Lykos

      2. The Mythology Behind It All
               
             Other characters used from Greek myth was Daedalus and King Aegeus. Matt Frewer gives a wonderful performance as the eccentric genius Daedalus. I laughed quite a few times. Daedalus was the guy who built the labyrinth that contained the Minotaur (the result of when Pasiphae banged a bull; Don't ask though Daedalus helped her with that too). King Aegeus from myth is depicted more as a loving father. He committed suicide when he thought his son Theseus died (because Theseus couldn't remember that one thing: change the damn sail color!). Here he's depicted as more of a comedic character: he's over the top, likes to be center of attention, in love with glory. He's not typically fond of strategy that requires the shadows though that's where most of the action happens and in politics that's where your best work is done. Aegeus is all charge full speed ahead and don't think about how your guts will spill out when you run into a spear. King Aegeus's blow-hard attitude sort of provides opportunity for Medea, Pallas, and Xerxes to work their own schemes right under his nose which I don't know about you is comical to me.

What did THAT?

     3. It feels very... well Greek

                Mostly green screen but given the money SyFy is spending on Dominion, Defiance, and 12 Monkeys not surprised nor am I miffed. The scenery isn't important. Olympus has a lot of what makes a Greek myth: heroes, oracles, magic, political intrigue (back stabbing included no question), creative ways in committing murder, and some homo-ertocism. Lykos apparently is playing for the other team though in Ancient Greece guy on guy romance wasn't that huge of a deal (oddly they were against girl on girl go figure). Lykos at first seemed bland I'll admit but the guy is hiding a brain under that dark head of hair. He's standing up to Mommy encouraged by Uncle Pallas though last episode Lykos had the clever Pallas guessing. Would like to see Lykos rise above the ranks. Meeting his older brother, the Mercenary should get a rise out of him.

Check his pulse...

          Greek mythology was the first series of stories I've ever read after being given the bible and other religious Precious Moments books that bored me more than half the time. I can read these Greek tales over and over again and not get tired of them. So seeing it all on screen is awesome for me. I'm giving Olympus a shot. I like the story. The part about the Magi and their one God (hello Christianity come to ruin all the pagan fun) is very original. I want to see how this all plays out.

Grimm: RIP Aunt Marie's Trailer

Things they lost in the fire

                   There have been many TV deaths over the years. Many sad, some devastating but probably none have been more shocking or hurtful than the burning of Aunt Marie's Trailer on Grimm. In a huge twist, Juliette trashed the trailer then set it ablaze! That's it! Juliette crossed a line! 

I'll miss those all-nighters

            For 4 seasons that trailer was the answer to many of Nick's questions about Wesen and his ancestors. Next to Rosalie's spice shop, Nick's Trailer had every rare thing he needed to fight dangerous Wesen. Basically it was a Grimm's library/museum/armory with the biggest collection of all things Wesen and Grimm than most of what the Grimms all over the world had. Then Josh's dad added some of his family heirlooms to the collection which probably went up in flames too. I have to admit the trailer was the biggest part of the show that I loved. So many amazing things in there! The whole Grimm crew spent a few sleepless nights in there with junk food, bonding while researching for a strange, Wesen case which we will all cherish. It was like an initiation rite entering that tin bucket on wheels into a strange world but now it's gone. Yet we have Monroe, Rosalie, and Reynard. Also Nick, Hank, and Wu remember most of what they learned so they could all write it down again. 

You're not a part of the Grimm crew until you've been in the trailer

Miss those nights of bonding

          One thing I hope though is that those keys (if anyone remembers them at all) weren't in there. Or does Nick still have them? I don't even remember anymore so many story lines on this show get put on a shelf and forgotten until 8 episodes later they're brought to light.

This is irreplaceable 

          In next week's promo we see Nick snap. This was the last straw! Kid gloves are off for Nick and while I don't see him killing Juliette I see him 100% willing to put her down Adalind's way. Whether or not he'll succeed has yet to be seen. All I can say is the writers are stepping things up a little. In season 5 they're going to re-boot the series which to me sounds like a time jump into the future. We'll see how things go. For now I'm gonna miss that old tin can on wheels full all things Grimm.

Worst death to happen to TV

Grimm: The Grimm Baby

Wish I saw this in the episode. Bet you David & Claire had
fun filming this one!

                 I'm probably the only one excited by the Grimm Baby. Adalind is about as thrilled as Nick and Juliette? I think we all know how she'll feel when she finds out next episode.

Come on & use tongue don't be a wuss

          Juliette has been spiraling out of control. Pushing Nick away. She doesn't really know herself anymore and she's blaming everyone around her. Juliette must be suffering from amnesia also because she had plenty of chances to leave and didn't. And it was HER IDEA to do the spell that would make Nick a Grimm again so she has no one to blame but herself. Though Juliette's been pushing Nick away I can imagine that doesn't mean she'll be happy seeing Nick with anyone else in whatever capacity. Juliette has been showing signs that if Nick asked she would have definitely married him and start a family but now that she's a hexenbiest that was basically destroyed and by Adalind no less who is going to be having Nick's baby. It will hurt extra hard for Juliette who had a secret hope to be in that role of bearing Nick's children. To see the woman who ruined her life be connected with Nick that way may just push her over the edge. But how will this news effect Nick and Adalind with their bad blood?

Those who ship Nick & Adalind were somewhat
satisfied with this... I think...

         I agree that in the beginning Adalind was a real witch. She attacked Nick's aunt and hurt his friends. Nick took her power away, which is what Adalind deserved. But after Adalind became a mother she was all about protecting her daughter and that made her a little redeemable. So what Nick did afterwards was mean. Not sure what kind of mother Adalind would have been but stealing her baby was a bit harsh and made her justified in taking Nick's power away. Nick can hate Adalind for that all he wants but he has to admit that what he did to Adalind crossed a line in some way. Don't care if Diana's the Chosen One, every child deserves to know who their parents are no matter how horrible. So now that they've taken huge stabs at each other this baby could bring a new understanding between Nick and Adalind. Adalind could become somewhat good as a result. I saw in the promo that Nick stood between Adalind and Juliette. Either that means Nick is on board with being a father or he was protecting Juliette from falling further away from her old self because murdering a pregnant Adalind and his child would really send her to a dark place that there's no coming back from.

Safe word first

           Since I assume this never happened before I have to wonder what this Grimm Baby will be like. What sort of powers will it have? NBC renewed Grimm for a season 5 and the network said they were going to try a reboot of the series. That could mean a time jump to when Diana and Nick's baby are a little older, which would make things even more interesting in terms of if nurture will overcome nature for both babies. Hexenbiests have sort of a dark nature while the same could be said for Grimms but Nick is different and perhaps his parenting skills will be enough to keep his kid on the right path. Also we may see Adalind and Nick's relationship change dramatically either for good or bad. Still I'm 100% all for this pregnancy and want to see what happens when these kids grow up.

Hopefully for the baby's sake their dynamic changes

           

The Messengers: The Apocalypse Is HERE!

The Devil has landed!

                    Angels are replacing vampires as the sexiest supernatural creature but also in terms of programming. The CW premiered it's new series The Messengers and it's like Dominion and The 100 had a baby together! Let's look at what we've got...

*sniff* What's cooking? Smells good

     Houston, We Have a Situation...

              Great setting. Starting from where the first nuclear bomb was tested giving off a foreboding vibe of destruction that came from human's playing with nuclear fire (radiation poisoning that devastated the world and from which we still haven't recovered yet) and started a nuclear arms race. It's a parallel for another figurative bomb that's about to drop (and from the promos I suspect another real bomb is going to destroy the world). I also liked that we didn't get a vision of heaven in the fluffy white clouds and angel choir sense. The Man is hurdling towards Earth from outer space! Probably he fell from the spiritual realm of Heaven then passed into the physical realm of Heaven (of planets, satellites, and meteors). It's more modern but still Biblical. 

If only it WAS a meteor or at least ET

        Like The 100 I feel we're going to deal with a lot of moral issues; not everyone is 100% good or 100% bad but somewhere in between. Vera just found out that her son Michael isn't dead after all but was taken and now she's on her way to kill someone so she can find out where Michael is. Then we have Erin who may or may not have been an alcoholic with a douche of an ex who's a cop no less and now she just kidnapped her daughter. I'll admit I'm on Erin's side on this one though you still have to question her decision. Peter is a troubled teen who tried to commit suicide at one point but from what I can see he's a pretty tough kid. Raul not so sure about but we know he's all about family and he has a code of honor in a way. The only character we don't know much about is Joshua but given that he's a preacher you just know there are a few skeletons in his closet. 

Not very often you find a hot guy waiting for you in your bedroom saying:
"You'll come to me."

Because all angels like meeting in dive bars

   Our Messengers

           Rose the nurse seems important though we only see her for a few minutes in the beginning! Only question is who was that crazy guy quoting scripture that shot her? Was that random? According to The Man, the mysterious crash lander from space that does NOT come in peace, nothing is random. But onto our other angels: Vera a scientist (as well as an atheist), Raul the DEA agent now fugitive, Erin a single mother also on the run with her precocious daughter, Peter the troubled teen, and Joshua the now broken hearted preacher. We've basically covered the age, gender, and race spectrum including that they all have different occupations but what they all have in common is their dark past and troubles. Personally what tops it for me is Joshua's sleaze ball dad who may be the father of his son. I can only assume "on retreat" is code for rehab unless I'm proven wrong. 

Think you can kill me with that pea-shooter?

         And who is this Man? He's just called The Man by the producers... for now at least and he is played by the devilishly handsome Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado. I feel like he's an angel, a fallen angel. Theories abound from Lucifer (but wouldn't he come up from below the Earth not through the atmosphere) to Azrael or any other low ranking yet important angel. And why can't he kill Rose himself? Either way I'm actually glad we don't know his name because it adds to the mystery and keeps us watching to find out more and given that this show has premiered a bit late and is on Friday (which for most shows would be a death slot), the art of surprise and a riddle should help carry this show.

She's no Charlie's Angel. She's just a messenger

        Like Dominion, The Messengers is unique in it's representations of angels. There has been religious debate about if humans could become angels. They all died then came back as something else. Not to say they're all going to sprout wings and fly. Their wings are invisible and can only be seen in reflections. And they're all still human; nothing holier than thou but still like regular people. They also have different powers. Peter has super strength, Raul can read people's thoughts, Joshua has prophetic visions, and Erin has the power to heal. 

Joshua's cute. Yeah I said it

Hm you didn't kill her after all

       Not sure what Vera's power is yet. Not sure what Rose is either but she seemed to have the power of premonition which is similar to Joshua's power but it has to do more with feeling. Then there's Amy, Erin's daughter, who's along for the ride though I feel she has more to offer. She seems pretty precocious drawing suns, which is the symbol for Houston's Medical hospital, and she wanted to go to Texas where they're ALL going to meet. Coincidence? I think not!

Time to fly the coop, baby

       Is it the End or Just the Beginning?

             Overall I like the characters, I like the idea, and I want to see what happens next. I feel like The CW is gaining more of an edge. First it was The 100. Remember when they had a little girl murder some guy then commit suicide? Then in season 2 it really got controversial! And there was Mary's rape on Reign. I'm not going to count Jane the Virgin because of the huge plot hole (how incompetent is your gynecologist that you go in for a check up and come out pregnant?) though I will say having a pregnant virgin is pretty bold, however not that big of deal anymore given our scientific leaps in fertility. It has started late and it's on a Friday but The Messengers looks like a great way to kick off the summer. 

Beware temptation, boys

TVD: Hybrids, Hybrids Everywhere!

The return of the mummy

                  I think after Klaus, hybrids started to trend. We had vampire/werewolf hybrids, then there's Hope Mikaelson who's not only part wolf, part vampire but also part witch, and now we've come to witch/vampire hybrids! I can say it a hundred times but it's still inconceivable but at the same time kind of awesome!

"Come play with my life-sized dolls"

             It just had to be Mama Salvatore that found these leech witches and turn them into vampires. If you think about it, magic sucking witches are basically mortal vampires that feed off of energy instead of blood. Turn them into vampires and you're just adding to their power. They're called Heretics because they're undead but they can practice magic though that shouldn't be allowed. You can't be both a witch and a vampire... unless you're like Kai. Speaking of which...

I wanna see this psycho again

           Kai should still be alive or else Jo and her dad and the rest of the Gemini Coven would be dead. Though Jo gave Kai her magic so I'm not sure if that means she's still linked to the Coven. Either way I would hate to say good bye to Kai so soon. I think Kai was turned into a witch vampire. I don't think Julie Plec would get rid of Kai so soon. I would personally feel cheated out of seeing more of his character develop. 

"Ouch, mom."

            Lily Salvatore doesn't seem like a villain though the people with the best intentions often cause the most damage. She flat out told Damon that she didn't love him or Stefan anymore and she wants to get her vampire/witch friends out of the prison world and who knows what havoc they'll wreak! Someone should stop her though I really want to learn more about these vampire/witches. It's a new mythology we've come to that should help carry the show now that Nina Dobrev is leaving.

Dominion: The Evolution of the 8-Balls

She's sexy and she knows it

                  If you've seen Legion you'll remember that 8-balls were your basic monster with nasty teeth, black soulless eyes, a creepy voice, and something extra disturbing: they could change their body, twisting and bending any way they need. I'm probably not the first to squirm a bit every time they see an 8-ball scaling a wall like a spider. But some of the 8-balls seem to be capable of much more now: they have wings! Why is that?

She hasn't been to a dentist in 25 years

           We know that when an 8-ball moves in it's next to impossible to get rid of them. Evictions have had a very low success rate, even lower when you count the fact that the human host dies shortly afterwards. But after Clementine we began to question the actual nature of an 8-ball possession. It looked like the 8-ball was in control but was sharing housing, which led to an identity crisis, especially when Claire was around. It appears that an 8-ball can snuff out the original soul of its host if it wanted or prolonged possession would just cause the human soul to fade away giving the 8-ball complete control of the body.

You can't hide from the Archangel

          In Heaven, Michael explained that all of the angels were aware of each other but on Earth they can only see as far as physically as any human and telling a higher angel apart from a human is near to impossible. So what I draw from that is though the higher angels were given physical bodies in Heaven they were all in spirit form, multi-dimensional and the Dogs of Heaven though spirits had some form with wings. But when passing to Earth the lower angels were nothing but air; intangible, unable to interact with the physical plain. Now that the 8-balls have completely taken control of their human hosts they can manifest their angel forms on a more physical level. How's that for evolution!

When I said I needed a new hood ornament I meant
a small metal grey hound or something

          The only difference between the 8-balls and higher angels now is physical appearance. We haven't gotten much into the whole 8-balls evolving during season 1 but maybe we'll learn a bit more during season 2.