Of Kings and Prophets: Premiere Review

         It's about time someone decided to make this story into a show. The story of David is one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament which is the only interesting part of the Bible to be honest. There have been mixed reviews so far but I feel like they're being a bit unfair. 

Just another day in BC

      Characters & Story:

            I'm not even going to make the joke about the many British accents and the 2 white guys (Ray Winstone as Saul and Olly Rix as David) playing the major characters. First off it's too easy and second it's like beating a dead horse. I focus on the quality of the actor and I think the casting turned out pretty well despite the many casting changes during the production. 

This Rizpah chick is bad news

You have to be bad to survive as a woman in this era

            I for one am happy to see Christina Chong (playing Rizpah) again after SyFy's Dominion cancelation. She's the girl with attitude which seems to play well with her character like the rest of the female cast. Old Testament women were strong, tough, and wily. They had to be in order to survive. The Old Testament is also full of characters who are all deeply flawed individuals. Saul was a pretty ok king until Samuel basically bullied him into genocide and when he didn't kill Agag the king of the Amalakites, Samuel butchered the guy in front of a rabbling crowd. Here's Saul trying to unite the 12 tribes of Israel which is not an easy thing to do and Samuel comes with a task that doesn't sound like a loving God. Then again the Old Testament God was a vengeful one. 

Armed with a harp, a sling and a charming smile

         But in any case it still spells bad news for King Saul. In the story after this event, Saul sinks into a deep depression which is soothed only by David's beautiful harp playing. And before you cast David as the hero of this story you may want to read the rest of his tale. David is a musician/shepherd. He's very exuberant with a hell of an arm. He's also got some hubris when he promises to kill the lion that's slaughtering his village's flocks. Sounds noble but still going after a menacing lion with just a leather sling and a rock? David's got a brass set. Now David's on the rise but he also doesn't have ambition to become king at first. That comes later. So David has good qualities as well as bad ones that will hurt as well as help him. What's he willing to do to survive and fulfill his destiny?

Behind every great king is an even smarter queen

  Content: 

         As far as content goes it has about as much blood and sex you'd expect ABC to allow. Most claim it's a play at getting Game of Thrones fans to watch but people need to stop associating or even comparing the HBO fantasy show to this one. I feel people will enjoy it a lot better if they avoid comparisons. The story of David is the original GoT, people. You don't have to be a Bible thumper to enjoy a good tale of war, treason, backstabbing, and sexual conquest. I can tell they worked really hard on the setting. The costumes are well done. It really pulls the whole story together. 

Girls love musicians

        Overall I give the show a B-. I'm excited for a show about a Biblical story that doesn't center around Jesus for once. Even Christ would like the break from the attention. So I'm definitely watching and I encourage everyone else to give this show a chance.

The Magicians: Burned Bridges

Grow up, girl. You lost get over it.

                  So Julia and Quentin's last encounter was less than pleasant. Clearly this friendship was not as strong as they thought it was. Julia put Quentin in an enchanted sleep and a nightmare where she taunted him. Though she never intended Quentin to get hurt Julia crossed a line. But does that mean there's no hope of a reconciliation.

That's just cold, Julia. Well at least you show your true colors

            In the books (I'm allowed to say now) Julia actually progressed so far that she left the hedge witch safe house to find bigger magic. Though I much prefer this route. I don't know why but Julia just annoys me. She came off as a Susan Pevensy, thinking she knew everything and in a hurry to grow up but it's the reverse when Julia discovers magic is real and apparently she's not good enough to study at Brakebills she goes off the rails. She treats magic as a drug forsaking her family and friends to practice a few party tricks. I loved how Quentin told Julia to grow up because she truly was acting like a child. Also didn't she tell him the same thing not too long ago? Burn! So in my opinion Julia got what she deserved. 

Probably not a good idea to give this one
ANY kind of magic

             I will say it's a little unfair of Quentin to punish Julia for taking pity on him which wouldn't have been too horrible if she didn't know that he had romantic feelings for her in high school. That's worse than being mean to his face but Julia thought she was doing a good thing by being Quentin's friend. Julia saw herself as this good person when in reality she was probably a worse bully for seeing Quentin as more of a charity case. Now she's the one who's losing it. While Julia spiraled Quentin was getting closer to Alice and seems that he's going into a more healthy relationship and not just in romance. Quentin is making good friends (even though Penny likes to beat on Quentin there have been occasions when they worked well together). He's getting his crap together and I feel that's mostly due to finding out who he really is where as Julia is still trying to find out who she is which is why her world is coming undone. 

At least THIS relationship is working out

        Sometimes people outgrow each other. Julia is now in rehab writing amends letters to Quentin though so far she can't help holding a grudge. She's still hurt that he got into Brakebills and she didn't but it seems Julia isn't going to give up on magic just yet as a counselor (who's also a reverend) shows her another kind of magic. I can't help but feel that this is going to throw her back into the fire again but maybe praying to gods will put her back on the straight and narrow and therefore mend her friendship with Quentin.   

  

The 100: Bellarke At Odds

The chemistry is still burning between them!
They've been through so much together

                 Feels like only yesterday that Bellamy was calling Clarke by his pet name for her "princess". Now they're once more on opposite ends though still on the same side. Does that mean there's no hope? At the beginning of season 3 when Clarke was captured by Roan, Bellamy was hell bent on saving her. He was even willing to follow her on a wounded leg! If that's not a sign of some romantic feeling brewing then I don't know what is. However, they're second meeting didn't go so well... 

I don't like Bellamy wearing that uniform. It scares me

           To be fair to Bellamy, Clarke did abandon Arkadia, but not just Arkadia. Bellamy was the helping hand on that lever that killed everyone in Mount Weather so he felt as guilty and self loathing as Clarke. They used to lean on each other for support when faced with moral decisions but this time Clarke took the martyr route. So Bellamy had a right to be angry but that still doesn't mean he's right. Under Pike's influence (which is based on prejudice, grief, and anger) Bellamy has turned into a soldier of genocide. Though he pleaded for the wounded Grounders to be spared and has shown some conscience, he still follows Chancellor Pike to a point of moral blindness. It seems that nothing can persuade Bellamy to change his mind though I refuse to believe that.

Are these 2 going to do it of what because
I'm waiting for that

          Clarke's stance is towards peace which to me makes more sense. Assimilation has been happening since the dawn of human history. There's a clash of cultures followed by some bloody conflict but eventually there's unity; a combining of sorts, such as intermarrying of people as well as beliefs. Clarke's way seems less bloody and more in her people's best interest, increasing their chances of survival. For one thing the Grounders outnumber Arkadia 10 to 1. They could easily wipe them out despite Skaikrew having guns. And Pike is only enflaming tensions. He tried to wipe out a village when he could have easily found another spot or before massacring 300 Grounders could have negotiated a trade. In Clarke's defense she's trying to make up for her past sins by choosing a more peaceful path, hoping to never be put in a Mount Weather situation ever again. 

Seriously? Bellamy's so self loathing that he's going to
be Pike's bitch

           I still feel that Bellamy and Clarke are soul mates. Bellamy only handcuffed Clarke and took her prisoner because he felt that he was saving her. We see that they still have a strong bond though a bit frayed. They were both changed by what they did in Mount Weather but both chose different paths. Bellamy sees genocide as the only way while Clarke sees assimilation as a more sensible solution. Clarke feels so guilty that she doesn't want more blood on her hands which is why she let Emerson live. Revenge is too easy. Peace is hard but if Arkadia wants to survive then they have to burry some hatchets and make peace with the Grounders. It's not that peace is a foreign concept, it's more of a perpetuating circle of violence of hot heads. I think Bellamy can still be reached and that Clarke is the one who can do this. He just has to make the reach across the aisle.

I guess this guy forgot that he was killing Clarke's people
prompting her to genocide in Mount Weather...

Lucifer & Second Chance: Yay or Nay?

              Been editing my first short story since high school so I've been kinda busy but seeing FOX's 2 new shows I felt like I needed to blog them.

   Lucifer: The Devil is here!

           Even the Devil needs a vacation. The story is Lucifer quits hell and hoofs it LA where he enjoys every sinful act under the sun. No one can resist his dark charm until he meets a beautiful yet serious detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). Intrigued by her resistance to his charisma, Lucifer, with his super power to make people confess their deepest desires, helps Chloe solve crimes and deal out punishment in his devilish style. Yet his demon body guard Maze and brother Amenadiel are determined to get Lucifer back to hell where he belongs.  

          Tom Ellis fits the role perfectly. He gives his character this playful energy, an electric charisma that makes you immediately fall in love with him even though you know he's the Prince of Darkness. And aside from the amazing chemistry, Lauren German is very stunning. I just love watching her. I remember protests about the show since it casts the Devil in a heroic light when I feel the opposite is true (the show is based off the DC Comic actually). Lucifer is more of an anti-hero. He's selfish, proud, self indulgent doing whatever pleases him not caring about the consequences of his actions. But underneath the bravado is a guy who believes in justice. He deals out punishment only to those who deserve it. Lucifer is fascinated by humans while also being frustrated by their complex natures that causes them to do evil for any reason. I would love to see more of the supernatural play into the story as so far it's been procedural but so far I'm loving it. Let's hope FOX has the good sense to give the Devil his second chance. Speaking of which...

   Second Chance: Yes, No, Maybe... I don't know

          After going through a few title changes once being called Looking Glass (which to me sounds much better but whatever), the story is based on Frankenstein. A 75 year old disgraced sheriff, Jimmy Pritchard is transformed into a new man, literally, by the famous computer twins Otto and Mary Goodwin. Mary has cancer but Jimmy's unique genetic code may be able to help her beat it. Jimmy stays at the isolated Goodwin mansion donating blood to Mary while also trying to reconnect with his estranged son, FBI agent Duval Pritchard. 

          Honestly? I don't know what to feel about this show. So far it's been a bit mediocre. While Tim DeKay always plays a great FBI agent and Robert Kazinsky is great eye candy I'm not feeling emotionally invested enough in the story. I feel like the story could have gone better if Jimmy was Duval's long lost brother instead of his father. The story still works that way. The trouble with science fiction procedurals is that it can go either way. It's best if you have a continuous thread that connects everything instead of doing individual cases as it keeps the story alive and you become more invested. With regular procedurals like the NCIS franchise you don't have to do that because... well they're regular and there's usually no big conspiracy that needs to consume the whole show. 



       I'm more than willing to give Second Chance well... another shot hoping that it gets better later on. Already there was a big reveal at the end of the last episode. Lucifer on the other hand definitely has some kind of future. The characters are a lot of fun and I get excited every week for a new episode.

The 100: Prince Roan, A New Friend Or Foe?

Men never ask for directions...

           The season 3 premiere did not disappoint and I feel like this will be the season of Bellarke (however I'm biased) and then there's this new face, Prince Roan formerly of the Ice Nation who seeks redemption in the eyes of the Commander. Will he be friend or foe?

He's looking for a woman. Maybe he should
get a bath & a hair cut & he'll find one no problem

         We find out that Roan is the son of the Queen of the Ice Nation. However, he abandoned the Ice Nation to join the other Grounders. Why did he do that? Very few things can make a man forsake his own people to join another. One thing I can think of is a woman. Or maybe it was a man (I don't judge). Either way it is interesting that Roan would seek redemption from the Commander whom he claims he wants to serve despite that his mother and Lexa are enemies. Costa, Lexa's old lover was murdered by the Ice Queen so definitely some bad blood between the families. But if Roan did switch allegiances for a woman I hope it's not the Commander because she clearly bats for the other team. 

Oh good you're blond again!

        I definitely felt some sparks fly between Clarke and Roan though he had her bound and gagged trying to take her as a bounty. And even though he injured Bellamy, when Clarke pleaded for his life Roan did spare him. There was also a moment where we sense that Roan and Clarke could be more alike than either one is willing to admit. Roan admits that he thinks Clarke abandoned her people like a coward while he was only banished. 

Playing possum are we?

       However he could also be a spy... No but that doesn't mean he won't sell Clarke out if it meant redemption for him. Remember season 2 when Cage of Mount Weather was ready to murder so many of the people of the Ark? If something means survival for one at the expense or the destruction of another then 9x out of 1o someone will choose survival. So Roan may never become a true ally at all for Clarke but a much bigger foe.

Clarke looks hella pissed!

        Both do want redemption but both go about it a different way. For Clarke it's solitude. For Roan it's bringing Clarke to the Commander. They're enemies for now but alliances often shift back and forth on this show. They could even become lovers. I doubt Clarke harbors any romantic feelings for Lexa anymore after what Lexa did. I can see Clarke and Roan together either as intimates or as allies. Like I said, there's a spark there. It feels similar to how Bellamy and Clarke first started out as adversaries until they realized they had a common goal and also they both saw each other at their most vulnerable. Yes it's totally possible that Clarke and Roan could become romantic or just allies.

The Expanse: Dark, Moody, & Incredible

So good it's scary!

            Imagine Game of Thrones went into space then blended perfectly with Battle Star Galactica. You'd get a mind blowing, visually stunning, addictive story! SyFy's new (I'll say ambitious) show The Expanse takes place hundreds of years in the future where humanity has colonized most of the solar system. The U.N. controls Earth while Mars has become an independent military power and these two behemoths are in the middle of a Cold War that will combust into a war at any moment. 

Smile for the cameras...

          Cast is very colorful character wise. Shohre Aghdashloo, Cas Anvar, and Paulo Constanzo I've seen before and they have impressed me greatly. I love antihero and outsider-type characters who pretend not to care but when faced with a decision to save themselves they break their hard shells. Miller and Holden never met but they have a lot in common with each other. Holden's loyalty is to his crew even though some of them he wasn't very close to. He kept giving them a way out but they refuse to abandon him. 

Don't mock the hat, bro

        Detective Miller is a bit harder on the outside but he punishes a criminal he accepts bribes from for depriving children of oxygen in the Medina as he searches for Julie Mao and actually falls in love with her (I think that was a movie... Hitchcock?); I feel like it's more admiration because here's a rich Earther girl forsaking fortune to help Belters. But nevertheless Miller digs despite being told to drop the case. 

Mars is a military power? Buying into that Roman
God of War are we?

         While being dark (literally I mean there's not that much light in space) The Expanse isn't all doom and gloom. As far as settings go it's kind of colorful showing separation of the classes on Ceres and in the asteroid belt. The Belters even have their own language to truly distinguish them from Martians and Earthers (and not just most Belters being tall and thin). 

Get ready for a class warfare!

       The story is kind of Game of Thrones with several people following different story lines but they're all connected so there's something to hold the story together as well as your attention instead of it being all over the place. And I'm feeling some BSG energy not because of the dark sets but because of the theme. The fall of humanity and our hope to build a better future; to expand our horizons but somehow we can't stop fighting each other. 

So which side are YOU on?

         Despite Martians and Belters originally coming from Earth there's this alienation between all nations. Mars wants to turn it's planet into what Earth was, a garden and Earth is struggling to keep going, and then there's the Belters who are no better than slaves being used as pack mules. I actually feel more on their side despite the radical factions of the OPA. That's how good this show is! Though you see how each side has their own story on how they're the victims or how they're all working towards a goal for their nations but at what cost? Highly recommend The Expanse for anyone interested in space dramas. 

      

"The Expanse" may just leave you breathless!

        

Agents of SHIELD: FitzSimmons Twist What If?

I'll be honest their first kiss wasn't that great but
that doesn't mean they shouldn't try again

                 I'm probably the first to suggest this but what if Simmons was pregnant with Will's baby?

Yes I would love to have a hunky astronaut comfort me

            It's not like they had birth control or believed at the time that they would be rescued in the next few days so it's completely logical that Simmons and Will would get busy and not even think about kids. Then again who would want to bring kids into such a world? Living underground in constant fear on a desert planet stuck in eternal night? Not the place you would want to raise a child. However, there's always that "Oops" moment.

Simmons has so many shoulders to cry on doesn't she?

            Simmons admitted that she was in love with Will (I mean wouldn't you? Stranded on a desert planet with a handsome astronaut is one of my fantasies!). Now that Simmons knows that Will's dead she can move on with Fitz but what if she found out that she was pregnant with Will's baby? I feel like it's a possibility because Will mentioned that he thought he had time to meet someone and start a family but that ship may have sailed until Simmons appeared giving him some form of hope. If not for a family then at least a future where he's not alone. It would be great for Simmons to have a piece of Will and he can truly live on but would Fitz be entirely okay with that?

Did you have sushi for lunch...?

            Fitz is probably the world's nicest guy and number one friend you want to have on your side. He was angry and jealous about Will but he was still elbows deep in trying to help Simmons rescue him. I could see Fitz helping Simmons raise the baby and he wouldn't resent the kid in any way but would there be a romantic relationship in there? That's hard to say. I'm not completely sold on the Fitz Simmons romance though I do think it's adorable. So if Simmons is pregnant then it would be an interesting challenge to see if they can make their romance work or just go back to being friends.

Fitz is a guy you can always lean on for support