Galavant: A Fairytale Musical Parody

Sit back and hear the tale of Galavant

                   If Monty Python's Spamalot had a one night stand with any Disney Movie the result would most likely be Galavant. I thought it would be ridiculous and silly, even the name Galavant is meant to cause instant images of absurdity; just not worth the watch but I was actually surprised when I streamed it on Hulu. It's because it was ridiculous and silly that it was funny. It's riddled with all the clichés of a fairytale but the jokes befitting a musical parody. It's a romantic comedy set in medieval times. 

More like food at first sight. Ewww

           The actors were all very well chosen. Timothy Omundson singing and dancing? Yes! Actor Joshua Sasse when asked to play the role of Galavant wanted to do a complete parody of the classic Prince Charming archetype. He didn't want to portray this perfect guy but more like really twist the image of the ideal hero and it came out fantastic. Underneath the bravado, Galavant has deep insecurities, some delusions grandeur, and an intense fear of getting his heart broken. 

Richard goes through chefs like I go through sunglasses:
A LOT!

         It's not just Galavant's Archetype that's been turned on its head, each actor has turned their classic character inside out to bring out all of their flaws making them polar opposites of the traditional (or boring) fairytale archetypes. The Hero's "True Love" is a total gold digging bitch, the Evil King is an infantile insecure maniac that I sometimes wanna hug (because I feel so bad for the guy), and the Princess is a tom boy who knows how to handle a sword. We can't forget some of the guest stars either: Weird Al, John Stamos, and Ricky Gervais all make this an entertaining romp to light up your Sunday.

Wow...this is awkward...

           I hear it's just a miniseries which is a good call although it could have also done well as a TV movie. Galavant has all the clichés of a fairytale plus a  romantic comedy with the heart and hilarity of a Disney Film. I highly recommend watching this show and see how long you can last without laughing or sighing. I can't stop watching it and the songs get stuck in my head.

We're gonna do it!

       

The Librarians: Once Upon A Time

Now time for an autopsy to find Red Riding Hood

                       I know it's been a week since I posted something but I've been sick for the last few days but I promise to do a blog post everyday. Now Once Upon A Time there were three librarians, a guardian and their book keeper and they were in for a very grim adventure...

Thank god he wasn't reading "The Hunger Games"

             One of the aspects of The Librarian franchise that I like is its ability to bend gender roles and switch them around. Example: the librarian is an intelligent man but his guardian usually appears as a warrior woman instead of as a stereotype military man. We hear Librarian and think instantly think of a woman and same with a guardian where think of man but not in this franchise. It's refreshing. Just as it was refreshing for Prince Charming to instead be Princess Charming. Yes Cassandra was getting every girl's number and free drinks. That waitress was giving her the "Hey, How you doin'" look! Jake was the Huntsman, typical he's a farm boy with this back and white sense of right and wrong. Of course Ezekiel is the Jack, the guy that gets off easy BUT although Jones could have runaway when things got tough, we see he has a heart of gold which is why the Jack usually gets off scot free. He was really cute with that little girl. Barrett isn't the feminine "damsel in distress" type but a magical book decided to cast her as a princess. It was kinda funny seeing Barrett out of her comfort zone. And did she make eyes at Cassandra in the library? I love this show. 

Get over it, Jake. Cassandra is Prince Charming
and you can trust Charming

             I'm so glad we finally readdressed Stone's trust issues with Cassandra. I like Jake but come on! Everyone else forgave Cassandra for what she did because she has a ticking time bomb in her head ready to go off in a few years. Like Ezekiel pointed out anyone would have done the same thing and stuck the landing but Cassandra decided to save Flynn. Jake doesn't hate Cassandra but not trusting her feels like he's punishing her more and that's just not cool. I wish these trust issues were addressed in the end of the episode too but at least it was mentioned and we're heading toward the next step in rebuilding that bridge of trust between Jake and Cassandra. Jenkins made a rare trip out of the Annex this episode. He's kinda macabre but I expected that from a guy who doesn't socialize much. I actually like him for his dark sense of humor. 

Wow, what a big everything that wolf has!
And it's all the better to kill us with!

             Disney was called out in this episode for its White Washing of classic bloody Grimm Fairytales. Psychotic behavior, dismemberment, and cannibalism are all a part of fairytale tradition. Though there were no name drops per say, Cassandra threw out some aspects of cartoon fairytales like from Cinderella. Our heroes were in real danger of losing when the wolves were at their castle doors. Reading really can be dangerous especially if the story teller is a disgruntled old librarian (who is again a dude but really bitter) juiced on the power to shape reality. I was shocked that someone who seemed like such a sweet old guy was okay with draining and killing a little girl! Sounds like a classic Grimm Fairytale but we got a happy ending with Jamie becoming the hero and destroying the evil warlock. 

See any wolves?

            I was actually more occupied with the character in this episode than story because each character was sort of challenged in a way. Jake and Cassandra would be a great couple and Jake has shown some feeling towards her even though he still flirts with Lamia (the moron) but there's still this issue of trust that he isn't even trying to get over. I feel like that is in connection with his reasons for never publishing under his own name or telling his family that he's an art historian genius. Zeke is reaching a point where he's becoming so arrogant that it's becoming a bit unbearable. I feel like one day he'll be in a situation where his luck will run out though. He needs to be knocked down a peg to really grow but I will admit he's exhibited a trait of loyalty to the Library and his team mates. I think Barrett is really settling into her guardian role by stepping back a bit instead of being too controlling. The Librarians aren't just high IQs they can come together in a fist fight. 

That's an owl... I guess they couldn't get a falcon.

            New Librarians on tonight and I can't wait to see if Jake can work out his trust issues and that Ezekiel gets schooled in some humility. I feel like were heading towards some serious character growth here.

3 Things To Love About NBC's Constantine

Giving Hell...Hell

                       Still no word from NBC about renewal or cancelation of it's new gritty, dark, engaging show Constantine. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse but there are plenty of reasons for NBC to renew it but here are my top three reasons. 

Yikes! She couldn't afford plastic surgery?

Burn, baby, burn!

        1. Faithful Rendition Makes A Must Watch

              Before the film Constantine I didn't know anything about Hellblazers or the cigarette chewing, smart ass, wise cracker from Liverpool John Constantine. Needless to say the film was a bad first impression. I looked up the comic after that and was as appalled as the Hellblazers fandom at the film. Although it was an interesting plot, the cast was poorly chosen. There were no Brits available? How did we get stuck with Keanu Reeves and Shia LaBeouf? So when I heard that NBC was doing a show I groaned with other Hellblazer fans. But after seeing the Pilot I was unexpectedly blown away. Matt Ryan was an excellent choice for the lead. Not only is his look for the character spot on (also he's Welsh) but Matt Ryan has settled well enough into the role that he makes us sympathize and cheer for John. And John's not a good guy. He's not in it to save the world though that's what he usually ends up doing. He's arrogant, stubborn, makes inappropriate jokes, and gives little regard for collateral damage. However, Matt Ryan gives a great enough performance that brings out the tortured side of John that suffers from guilt, loneliness and desperation and that he's had a dark childhood with an abusive father who blames poor John for his mother dying in childbirth. He makes us want John to succeed.

This is perhaps the one and only time
we'll ever hear John say "Please" for anything

          Matt Ryan isn't the only well cast character. Angélica Celaya as the optimistic fiery psychic Zed perfectly counteracts with John's pessimism, sullen outlook. Then there's Harold Perrineau as the angel Manny. Harold brings a sort of charisma to the cryptic angel. He takes some pleasure in frustrating John. But I see there's more to Manny. It seems that John is becoming somewhat of a bad influence on the dutiful angel, which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing yet. Charles Halford brings an enigmatic energy to Chas. He makes me curious to want to know more about him. Like is he already dead? How can he die and come back? A wonderful supporting cast with an energetic lead makes for great television and because of each character's mystery and personality one could draw out 5 or 6 seasons based on them alone.

Buck toothed fangs? Is she from the South?

      2. The Rising Darkness Makes Everything Go Bump In the Night

              The issue that some fantasy shows have is that they can get lost in doing creature features each week. While that's interesting, story lines can get mixed or lost leaving the viewer confused and just as lost. The Rising Darkness pulls everything together. Every spell gone wrong and creature summoned is connected creating a consistent story line that will keep viewers from getting lost and still we get to see the dark aspects of John Constantine's world. It even brings into question who started the whole thing? Was it the First of the Fallen? Or even Nergal? That connects John's personal mission in getting Astra back, a child that John sent to hell (by accident of course). 

The least Manny could have done was snuck in some whiskey.
Boll*cks

This angel is much prettier than John's guardian angel

           I like the twist on angels that the producers took on them in this show. Manny isn't an Aryan and he has cat eyes. Seems like all angels have cat eyes here which gives them one extra trait that separates them from humans. The creatures we've seen so far just scream bloody gore horror which really speaks to my blood loving gory side. 

That's called smoking, genius

       When I heard that Constantine was going to air on NBC I thought: "Oh man... they're gonna sanitize it." But that's not the case. NBC gave the producers plenty of leeway with this one and Constantine has pretty dark content: murder, rape, and even some nicotine addiction. First few episodes you barely see John's nasty habit, only hints but now we see him light up and take a puff more often. Cigarettes are basically John Constantine's signature.  

You know, love, shagging a nun is on my bucket list

      3. Popularity Spreading Like Hell Fire

               Low numbers at first but after a few episodes the numbers rose real fast. Through word of mouth and advertising Constantine's fandom has been growing. This show has the potential to be right up there with The Walking Dead (not a fan of zombies personally). People who don't even know about the Hellblazers comics can and are getting sucked into the show. Producers and actors continue to use Twitter to their advantage. Smart idea. Getting fans to care about your project is a sure fire way of getting their support especially if you communicate with them. It gives fans an extra boost of confidence and makes their day when their favorite actors and people involved with the show tweet with them. At this rate the numbers for Constantine will outshine Grimm which is now on it's fourth season. 

Bloody gory is what I like

         Great actors, great story, all around the perfect show to binge on and to share with friends who are fans of gore and the occult. I hope that NBC realizes the gem they have and not give it up. There are very few shows that blow me away on TV today so it's nice to add Constantine to the list. 

              

      

Dominion: Eviction Success Theories

Can Michael even read that book? Basically it's blank

                         Still have a while before Season 2 so to slake my thirst for Dominion I've decided to play around with theories. One theory is about the process of angel evictions. So far Alex has only been successful with evicting Gabriel from Louis but why were the others a failure?

That book has seen better days

               The origin of the eviction process goes back to one of the first prophets who wrote the Apocryphar (don't know if I'm spelling that right). The book contains the eviction needed to expel an angel. So I can assume that those prophets have had success or at least some success with evicting an angel without doing too much damage to the human host. But what are the factors that helped them?

Clementine Out

               My opinion is that if someone is possessed by a lower angel an eviction must be done as soon as possible. The longer the wait the harder it becomes to separate spirit from host. The angel seems to bond quickly with its host, making it easier to take full control and banish the human soul to some dark place. Clementine's case brought up some interesting questions about the relationship between host and angel. The angel was in control but Clementine was still conscious of events taking place. I think it came to a point where the angel and host merged identities making one indistinguishable from the other. It would explain why sometimes the 8-ball would call Claire her daughter. 

Sanctify!

Ha ha ha-uh Uh Oh

        But as Michael said, spiritual matters have never been an exact science. They're more of an art so plenty of room for trial and error. But why was the eviction of Gabriel more successful? I think the time and the subject were factors. Gabriel wasn't in Louis for long and Louis is an angel, stronger than a human in keeping his identity separate and able to recover physically.  

Already Alex doesn't need the book. That's progress

        I can't wait for season 2 where we can find out more about evictions and what other things Alex can do. Evictions are definitely an interesting story line since angel possessions have been happening for thousands of years in the Dominion universe which changes the stakes a little and begs the question if Alex can evict angels then would that bring the war between angels and humans closer to an end?

        

TVD: Kai Crushing On Elena?

This could be fake but I don't care! I like this idea!

                     I've only just recently heard this through the Twitter gossip vine. There are rumors going around that our new psycho villain Kai may start crushing on another Mystic Falls local and no she's not blond. She's none other than Doppelgänger Elena Gilbert. Poor Elena. Either people want to kill her or kiss her. But that opens up some interesting story lines. She doesn't remember loving Damon and although she's trying to get to know him again another crazy emotionally damaged killer may believe he has a chance at winning the brown eyed vamp.

Where's Ms. Cuddles?

           At first I thought Bonnie would be first on Kai's flirt list but she's still stuck in purgatory and no hint of coming back as of yet (and she will come back I hear so have a little more patience). Also after last year's Christmas cliff hanger it looks like Kai and Elena will be spending some quality time together. You remember when Klaus needed Elena to make hybrids? Maybe Kai needs her doppelgänger blood for some spell. He's super juiced right now so I'm sure his sick little mind is working out some ideas for nasty spells. Then again he may want to get back at Damon for leaving him in purgatory. 

Ms. Cuddles says Kai's sorry, bonnie...

Please say you're gonna use that to carve the turkey

      Still you know how that hostage/captor situation has a habit of working. Sometimes the prisoner and the guard get close leading to either Stockholm Syndrome or Lima Syndrome (which is the exact opposite of Stockholm Syndrome where the captor emotionally connects and bonds with the hostage). I doubt Elena is weak minded enough to fall for Kai but like Klaus, Kai is very lonely. He may be more open to an emotional connection. You can argue that Elena already fell for Damon despite his monstrous nature and so Kai may think she could love him just as much; getting past his horrible sins. 

What is it about Elena that attracts the psychos?

Children of the Corn much?

      We fell in love with Klaus when we got deeper into his story. Even more so when he started showing some hint of humanity when he started falling in love with Caroline. If Kai just remains a psychotic killer bent on murder and mayhem he won't be much of a sympathetic character. Besides Elena's last boyfriend outside the Salvatore Spectrum was boring old human Liam. Kai seems much more interesting. If rumors prove true then Kai's courtship with Elena will be more aggressive and fascinating and give us a deeper look into his tortured character.

         

The Librarians: Rotten Apples with Good Intentions

Daddy's home, minions!

                    I need to start downloading these episodes they really do light up my week. Numbers for The Librarians have risen. All the other shows are on a winter break and won't be back until 2015 so it's nice to see a new episode of a new show every week instead of watching re-runs. Anyway... Dragons, magic apples, and earth quakes! Just another day at the Library's Annex. This week's episode was one of the best I'd say. Everyone was ready for battle while Zeke was characteristically ducking behind the table but guess who came through the back door? Flynn Carson is back! 

How about some Jasmine tea to calm your nerves...

             Hello, Flynn! It's been a while. I thought having our main Librarian back would be stealing the spot light away from our current ones but not at all. Noah Wyle is the type of actor who likes to share the spot light letting each character have their moment. It just added to some hilarious, side splitting fun especially since our "pearl of wisdom" turned out to be a "rotten apple"; the Apple of Discord. The Apple of Discord brings out the worst in people and as the fruit was passed around we got to see our heroes at their worst. Cassandra is really REALLY scary when she's at her worst. I kinda like it. Lamia was no match. I just want to point out that Cassandra is kinda part robot so confusing her with the whole numbers in Pi was clever. Flynn was the best when he was at his worst. "Out Minions! Daddy's home!" I was rolling over in hysterics and he was in evil-mode long enough to tell some mystical creatures what's what. 

Cassandra is no Pussy Galore. She'd be a Bond Villain

         Duloc is turning out to be quite a villain. The worst part was that he stole Zeke's pizza! Instead of using brute force, Duloc decided to use dirty politics. I thought he would win for a minute but Zeke and Jenkins working together outsmarted the SOB. And for Lamia it was just not a good day. She kept getting her ass whooped by our heroes once they went dark side. Still don't like Jake getting flushed whenever he and Lamia are in the same room BUT he didn't have to hold Cassandra for as long as he did so that makes me happy. I dub their ship name to be #Cake! Cute, simple, and fun just like them! 

My pizza! You really are evil!

         I think this episode for Zeke was a deeper look into his character. For a few people some expected Zeke to walk out at some point or steal some artifact and use it for selfish reasons but he really came through for the Library, surprising even the judgmental Jenkins. Zeke may seem like he doesn't care but he never backs down from a fight. He even inspired Jenkins who was about to run out when things were getting tough. Surprising that Zeke was the only one who could touch the Apple without turning evil especially since through out the entire episode the gang kept saying they couldn't let him touch it. Zeke apparently is already his worst self so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. As for Jenkins I feel we have more questions than answers at this point. We have a lot of immortals connected with the Library and it seems Duloc and Jenkins like Jensen have been around for as long as the Library has. 

Jenkins looks worried... or maybe that's just his face

          As usual I loved the magic, the places, and the knowledge learned that comes with The Librarian franchise. Classic! Could barely tweet the story was so engrossing. Dragons under The Vatican while Western Dragons are symbols of Satan? Joke's on you Christians! Love it! I can't wait for next week's episode. The team has progressed so much even impressing Flynn who leaves the Annex in Barrett's capable hands after she decided to make her transfer permanent. Counting down the days until next Sunday!

The Annex has a doorbell? 

The Librarians: How They Saved Christmas!

Santa knows my name!

                   Happy Holidays! Deck the book shelves and get ready for some surprising guest stars! For The Librarians Christmas almost didn't come. This episode was a lot of fun and very informative. Something for the whole family to watch.

I'm feeling the magic here... where's the mistletoe?

            The chemistry between the cast has improved. I feel they finally found a rhythm after that Labyrinth adventure. Very funny and cute but in a good way. Zeke was especially hilarious given that he had to act way out of his comfort zone of selfishness and instead be very nice, jolly, and showing good will. Cassandra and Jake had a rough patch at the end of last week's episode but they seemed to have gotten over that for a while to team up in London. Jake even complimented her... I think. I don't speak Brit as well as Jake can. 

When Santa stops referring to himself in a 3rd person
you know something's wrong!

          Comedian Jim Jeffries and actor Bruce Campbell just upped the hilarity level. Jeffries's role was small but he still had me in stitches as he wore his Santa costume. Bruce Campbell as Santa Claus referring to himself in a 3rd person? Priceless! The best part was that he wasn't just Santa but all of his other incarnations. Here's where the informative stuff comes in. I had no idea that Odin was technically the first form of Santa Claus. 

The Christmas Brigade

           Barrett was a Scrooge, not unlike her entire personality but spending time with Santa and the goofy yet lovable geek squad her armor is coming undone a little. When we first see Barrett's apartment it was very spacious, empty which implied her detached nature. She's been all over the world but hasn't seen much good will towards men even on Christmas making her cynical about the whole idea. However, when she was needed, Eve Barrett stepped up to spread some good will all over the world at the magic hour. There was this moment where she came face to face with herself helping two separate people? Trippy! 

Odin smash!

             Duloc may be a villain but he still puts me in a few giggles especially when he was scared that Jake was going to break his priceless artifacts and when he had the hat on. Okay how incompetent is Lamia that she didn't see that her boss wasn't acting like himself when he sent her away in Santa's Sleigh? Can't find good henchmen these days. And Jake should stop crushing on Lamia right now! Yeah I saw that look he had when she flirted with him. Now Duloc basically "killed" himself but if you ask Jenkins it'll take a lot to kill Duloc so I'm guessing our Serpent Head has been around as long as Jensen. It's a mystery...

It would really make me happy if we didn't crash and die

           All around a good episode. The Librarians is shaping up to be a show for the whole family and you don't get many of those anymore. Have a Happy Holidays! Next episode Flynn returns but hopefully he doesn't outshine the junior librarians in training this time.