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Once Upon a Time Review 10/21/12 – The Crocodile vs Captain Hook

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Well, FINALLY finished watching last week’s episode of Once Upon a Time’s “The Crocodile,” and all I can say is there’s soon to be rough waters ahead!

Beware matey! Spoilers ahead! Arrr! 😉

Photo credit: ABC.

With the introduction of Captain Hook, Once upon a Time creator’s have also introduced a new storyline: Captain Hook has paired up with Cora, (Regina’s mother) in the present day Enchanted forest world in the hopes to get to Storybrooke, Maine. Hook for his revenge on Rumpelstiltskin and Cora for Regina, of course.

This episode focused on Rumpelstiltskin’s back story, whilst progressing Belle’s story in the Storybrooke world. Meanwhile, in the back story of Rumple’s long search for his son, we are introduced to a “Killian Jones,” a ruggedly handsome Captain, who sweeps Rumple’s wife, Mila, off her feet, and who eventually becomes the angry Captain Hook of the Peter Pan world.

With the introduction of a magic bean and a man’s desire to never age, we have the bumbling, weaker side-kick character of Smee. I must say, I am impressed with the show’s ability to introduce so many new characters in one episode but still progress the plot. An ability, I believe, which is lost in a lot of our newer television shows!

Anyway, Highlights and Observations:

  • Captain Hook is hott! Thank you creators! No yucky long-haired wig!
  • Charming has become the new sheriff.
  • Red’s nose is more sensitive lately. (The wolf thing she says). More on her story to come, I’m sure!
  • Belle’s character grows in strength, sticking to the story we know and love – huh, she likes books! Who knew!
  • Rumple finally admitting his reason for bringing back magic…do we believe him? And Belle asking Rumple if he’s ever had a hamburger. Too cute. (I love this because we will get to see the development of their relationship as the show goes on.)
  • Rumple asking Charming for dating advice.
  • No Emma, Snow, Aurora or Mulan in this episode I’m afraid. :/
  • And lastly, this amazing bit of dialogue. As Cora shows Captain Hook her plan to get back to Storybrooke, a vial full of magic and he snorts and says: “Sparkly dirt. Wonderful.”

Will be interesting to see the explanation we are given for why some fairytale world characters remained and why the rest of them were cursed. A protection spell placed on the land perhaps? There was a lot in this episode, I definitely didn’t cover it all. If you have some thoughts, let me know!

Looking forward to the new episode! Finally! More on Dr. Whale!

A sneak peek below:

I have to say, I always thought Dr. Whale was a bit off, but Frankenstein? Hmm, perfect for a Halloween episode!

Life of Pi – In Medias Res

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I saw a trailer for the new movie “Life of Pi” so I, of course, had to check out the book by Yann Martel. I downloaded it on my nook and am I already on the tenth chapter. Some of my friends on Facebook complained that it was a book they were forced to read their first semester of college; that it was confusing and boring and no one understood what was going on half the time.

As I am hardly a quarter of the way into the story, I cannot say much about the actual story just yet, but what I am impressed with, is the writing and the depth behind the words that are being said. I don’t often read novels that have significant meaning to them lately, (I know shameful of me) but when I do – I make sure they are good ones.

Although I am very impressed with the author’s intelligent writing, I can agree that the narrative is long-winded and the first person narrator takes forever to get his points across, whatever they might be. As a reader, however, I am trusting that there is a point to this story and am going to follow it faithfully on as I am anxious to see what happens. The author himself has promised a story that will make you believe in God, and perhaps that is a hook just like any other. However…

View from overlook at Harris Hill, NY.

My creative writing teacher in college always encouraged us writers with a Latin phrase, “In medias res,” which means in the middle of things. It is a literary technique that some writers use to grab the attention of their readers by starting off their story in the middle of the action, or near the end. The result is very little exposition, but it is an exciting technique, because it allows the reader to experience what is happening to the characters they are reading about; and as a writer, you are forced to show your readers what is happening through action and various sensory details.

Life of Pi does not do this.

Well, at least not yet. There is an opening chapter with a brief glimpse of what the first person narrator thinks about certain things, and some of his experiences after something traumatic has happened to him, but it is mostly telling. It also reminds me of some early nineteenth century literature, where the narrative just goes on and on and on, because of some unforeseen need from the narrator to express something very near and dear to his or her heart and nothing can stop the flow of conscious thought.

Perhaps I’m doing that now…hmm. Anyway…

While I think Martel’s style of narrative can be tedious to some, it is also thought-provoking. He says some amazing things. I’m terribly sure I’ve heard this somewhere before, but the author says in his introduction:

“If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.” (Martel).

How true! But I wonder how amazing would this book be if it were written with the idea of impressing its readers? If the action and scenery behind the narrator’s reflection actually mirrored his thought process? (Perhaps this is where the movie has numbed our mind with visuals.) Some could argue that it is not about the experience but what he or she has learned along that journey…

I, on the other hand, just yearn for a story where I am immediately scooped up and taken for a ride of a lifetime. A quick, sensory detailed read where I am lost in the character’s voice and story and cannot wait to see what happens on the next page. Perhaps this is why I love Young Adult fiction so much, because teens are not impressed with literature that confuses or bores them. They want that quick fix of great writing, of a story that wraps itself around your subconscious and you can’t hear or see anything else for a few days.

Perhaps the lesson here is no matter the style of writing, a great story is a great story, but a narrator should not bore its readers. They want to be entertained, they want to love the story that you are trying to tell. Don’t bury a great story in yards and yards of exposition. Show them!

Once Upon a Time Review 10/14/12 – Ogres, Emma and a Parent’s Love

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Well, after going on hiatus from here for a while, I’ve come back with an idea. I will now only review shows that I think are worthy of viewing. I like trying new shows and giving people a heads up on great TV and what to avoid – but this girl just doesn’t have the time. After wheedling out the shows that I think will make or break it this season, I think I will stick to my reviewing of Once Upon a Time and a new one I have high hopes for – Arrow.

That being said…Once Upon a Time certainly knows how to pull the heartstrings!

Disclaimer: Mild spoilers in this review!

Photo credit: ABC.

Sunday night’s episode of Once Upon a Time seemed to focus on this theme: a parent’s love, and what said parent may or may not do for the sake of their child.

The back story focused on Snow and Charming; and Snow meeting Charming’s mother. Lancelot makes an appearance as a knight for hire working for King George, and admits that he has fallen from grace because of a woman. All I can say is that I am relieved that they gave this Lancelot a new face and have not fallen into the cliché of making Lancelot the Casanova of the Round Table; like what we’ve seen in various movie renditions. More of his story to come, I’m sure!

Snow, Emma, Mulan and Aurora spend some quality time together in this episode and I have to say I am impressed with the way these characters are coming together. Pairing two unlikely characters (Mulan and Aurora) together was a risky business, but I am loving the comradery we are seeing between these two. They are learning and growing from each other and I love how Mulan is just the right amount of bossy and caring for the princess Aurora that we can’t help but care for her some, too.

I also love seeing Emma in a world where she is not comfortable, because it is also forcing her to grow as a character. Emma is hard to sympathize with at best because she has always been so cold. I, personally love her complexity. But in this episode we are reminded again why she is so closed off and the scenes between her and snow are much more poignant because of it.

Some other observations:

  • Regina’s joy at getting a call from Henry. We love the boy, but a woman’s heart can only be broken so many times. Once again we are left feeling sorry for the evil queen.
  • No Mr. Gold in this episode, but that’s alright. Lots of Charming, though, to make up for it!
  • King George is in the Storybrooke world, too! (Alan Dale) Lost fans will recognize him as Charles Widmore.

Highlights:

  • Henry’s new code phrase, “Operation Scorpion.”
  • Snow saving her daughter from the ogre.
  • Snow flipping Princess Aurora over her shoulder and telling her to get over her crap and find new ways to channel her anger. Will be interesting to see how she finds ways to do this.
  • Emma loaning the jacket to the princess, who says, “What kind of corset is this?”
  • Jefferson’s reunion with his daughter.
  • Cora, Regina’s mother. The big bad is also in the Enchanted Forest world, huh, go figure.
  • And lastly, Emma admitting her anger to Snow and her realization that she is not good at being a daughter, because she never had someone to put her first before.

This scene between Snow and Emma really moved me. (It’s also because I am a sap and get too attached to characters that I love.) But there were a few times in this episode where the tears were just at the surface. Another great example of good character development and growth. Another great episode!

Here’s a sneak peek of the next episode:

A Night of TV: Elena Lives and Beauty Meets the Beast

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Disclaimer: Spoiler Alert! For 10/11/12 ‘s episodes of Vampire Diaries and Beauty and the Beast.

Well, was able to catch the premiere of The Vampire Diaries tonight and decided to stick around for CW’s debut of Beauty of the Beast. It went something like this:

The council finally has enough of vampires in Mystic Falls and decides to enact their revenge. Meanwhile, in the middle of this is transitioning Elena, who is reassured by Stefan that there is a third option – Bonnie is, of course, set the task of working on it.

Caroline’s mother loses her job; the mayor, (Tyler’s mother) gets arrested and Dr. Fell is threatened. And although Alaric is gone, he has managed to leave a legacy in his wake: a very determined council. The council captures Stefan, Elena and Rebecca, hoping to flush out the other vampire’s: Rebecca’s siblings and Damon.

They do manage to flush out one, however, Klaus in Tyler’s body is too busy rescuing Caroline, a fact that does not go unnoticed by Rebecca as she was left behind. And if the council thinks that any of the original siblings care a lick about each other anymore, then they are just as stupid as they look.

Damon blames Matt for Elena’s predicament, something that Stefan also beats himself up over, but like always, it was Elena’s choice. And because it was Elena’s choice, it had to be the right one, right?

Bonnie goes to the other side to try to bring the alive part of Elena back, but is warned of dark magics by her Grandmother and cannot complete the task. She is, of course, confronted by dark magic as she returns to restore Klaus back to his body and Tyler back to his, and her Grandmother gets punished for it.

The highlight of the night was Caroline discovering that Klaus was in Tyler’s body. Something that surprised me, because I thought it would be a storyline that the show might want to drag on for a while, especially considering Klaus’s feelings for Caroline. Hmm. But we’ll accept Michael Trevino with his shirt off any day. Klaus or no Klaus.

A good portion of the council gets blown up, Elena feeds and becomes a vampire and the show ends on the note that although she is now one of the undead, at least she’ll be with Stefan forever. And as nauseatingly sweet as that sounds, it also sounds rather boring. At least Elena has all those memories of Damon now, though.

As far as it goes, I’ll give it a B minus. There was a lot going on in this episode, but then, none at all at the same time. For a series that kept the audience hopping with all its twists and turns the previous season, this episode was rather predictable.

They couldn’t make Elena human again because of the fans and they couldn’t let her die. Ah, oh well. Maybe she’ll complain less now that she has super powers. But who will Damon and Stefan rescue now?? Matt??

Beauty and the Beast 

Surprised me with its lead character, “Cat,” a kick-ass detective who does what she does best, sticks her nose in where it doesn’t belong. At least this show knows how to respect the female protagonist. And there are a few of them here and done well for a show that doesn’t seem to have a high budget. (The special effects weren’t that great.)

The story is as follows: “Cat’s” mother is killed one gloomy and creepy night by a group of men and would have been killed her self, if it weren’t for the help of a ‘beast.’ A man with strong capabilities and beast-like physicality, but everyone tells her she must have been imagining it.

Four years later, she’s working as a detective for the LAPD and she encounters another anomaly: DNA that is not quite human, evidence that was also found at the crime scene of her mother.

She meets Vincent, a man who is supposed to be dead but isn’t. This is the man who saved her the night her mother died, and the whole truth comes out. Vincent was in the military and was selected for a special project. They were given something that was supposed to enhance the soldier’s capabilities. Well it did. But with startling results. Once the adrenaline kicks in these “super-beings” become beasts and there’s nothing that can stop them.

Except annihilation from the very own people who created them, of course. But it looks like Vincent, and several others managed to escape and now live in secret in the city, helping women in need from the “human monsters” that prowl the streets at night.

Although predictable, and “Cat” (Beauty) and “Vincent” (the beast) have no chemistry, the creativity of the story and bad-ass female leads surprised me. I’ll probably tune in for another viewing.

10 Reasons why you should watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog Tonight

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

Well, as emphasized in a recent blog post, you all know my love for Joss Whedon. I believe he is an amazing writer, a talented director, and just a great example of a person who loves great entertainment and wants to share that love with others.

During the writer’s strike in 2008, Joss Whedon, with the help of his brothers, Zach Whedon and Jed Whedon as well as actress and writer, Maurissa Tancharoen, created a musical web series: Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog.

The short film is about Dr. Horrible, or “Billy” (Niel Patrick Harris) who longs for the love of a young woman named Penny (Felicia Day). In the midst of an evil plot to do wrong in order to be considered for the Evil League of Evil, he final meets her, Penny, the love of his life. But like all of his plots to do wrong, he is immediately pushed aside by Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion), his arch nemesis.

So, WHY should you be tuning in to see Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog on the CW at 9pm tonight?

  • Joss Whedon! Joss Whedon! Joss Whedon! – If you like great writing, you’ll pretty much love anything he’s involved in. ‘Nuff said.
  • Great cast – Nathan Fillion (Castle), Niel Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother),  and Felicia Day (The Guild).
  • Nathan Fillion – Just ’cause I love him so much!
  • Great music – You’ll be surprised how talented the Whedon family is as emphasized by the creation of this film.
  • Catchy songs – You’ll want to sing along with it. Durrh!
  • Great Story – It’s cleverly written, funny and oh-so-very entertaining.
  • It’s award winning – It’s won 7 awards already!
  • Great Characters – Never thought you’d feel sympathetic towards the bad guy? Ohh, think again!
  • Niel Patrick Harris – Great singer, great actor, great looking, great everything!
  • It’s Intelligent – Like everything Whedon is involved in, it’ll make you think and surprise you!

Okay, now I’ve given you my reasons time to find your own! Be sure to tune in tonight at 9pm on the CW!

Here’s a look at the first act right here, the rest is, of course, available on youtube:

And if you’ve already watched it, leave a comment and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear from you! 🙂

Revolution Review 10/8/12 – Tragic death, Nate and a Mother’s Love

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***Spoiler Alert! If you have not watched Revolution’s most recent episode, I suggest you go do that now before reading this review!***

Photo credit: NBC.

Well, as my expectations for this fourth episode of Revolution weren’t great, my review tonight will be brief. Well, as brief as I can make it.

In tonight’s episode, the group gets chased by dogs as the search for Danny continues, while said brother barely escapes a storm with Captain Neville. Meanwhile, “Nate” joins the group to be “used for information” although, we know that he is just there to have sexy scenes with Charlie.

Perhaps it makes sense now why they made the “children” so old. They are required to do “adult things” in this show and apparently, no one will buy into the belief that a sixteen-year-old could kill, cross the country and rescue her brother. Although, if this were a young adult novel things would be different. Perhaps better written, too!

Anyway, tonight’s show focused on the back story of Maggie, a woman from England, who after the blackout makes an incredible journey from Seattle to try to get back to her kids. As it is impossible to get back to England, she finds a temporary happiness in the discovery of Ben and his family. Later on in the episode, Maggie is then stabbed by a random crazy man, who happens to own the “wild dogs” and who unluckily punctures an artery.

Perhaps most impressive from this episode was from actress Tracy Spiridakos and her outpouring of emotion as Charlie when Maggie dies. Miles then comes to a realization that although he is selfish and “comes up with the same crap excuses,” according to Nora, he is not all-terrible and finds some humanity left in him to comfort his niece and let her know that although he is a jackass, he will not abandon her. Shame. (I personally think that the character of Charlie shines when he is not in the picture. My opinion is it’s because they are both too strong of protagonists and essentially weaken the other.)

It was a nice to see “Nate,” our only hope for some kind of romance in this story, but through most of the episode he remains tied up and silent. He is, of course, ever faithful to a kidnapped Charlie and springs into action with convincing damsel in distress heroism. Meanwhile, we are left with the information that the reason that Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) remains Monroe’s “guest” is because she left her family to turn herself in to Miles, for whatever reason. For the guaranteed safety of her children? Who knows. I’m starting to think it’s for a sexual relationship with Monroe, who seems creepily familiar with the mother of two.

Although the death of Maggie was remarkably touching in this episode, (I have to admit there were tears) my frustration at this show remains. Charlie finally has a shining moment where she pushes aside her recent brush with death to comfort a dying Maggie, but sadly, it is not enough for me.

While the characters (the ones that are now alive that is) are not touching me at all, I had a feeling that although we discovered some information, tonight’s episode did not progress the plot very much. So, now we’ve got a slow-moving plot-line as well as bad characterization. Revolution loves to emphasize that there are many ways to die is this dystopian world, I hope they didn’t mean themselves, too?

The fact remains: as gut wrenching as this world is to watch because of all the easy deaths, harsh living, violence, etc., it’s even harder to watch when you don’t like the characters doing it. Best of luck, Revolution! I may or may not be seeing you again!

Once Upon a Time Review 10/7/12 – Why we love these characters

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***Mild Spoiler Alert! If you have not watched last night’s “We are Both” episode of Once Upon a Time, I suggest you go do that now before reading this! And it was a great episode, I highly recommend it!***

Photo credit: ABC.

In this episode, we are reminded that if you love your favorite show’s characters enough, you will follow them anywhere. Once Upon a Time’s second episode, “We are Both,” reminds us why, we as fans, love this show so much. The characters are alive and accessible to us; we feel their tension, their heartbreak, their struggle. We love it when we see certain characters conversing with others. Regina and Charming. Charming and “Mr. Gold.”

It is the mark of great writing. To be able to take your characters anywhere. To make them grow. To show their weaknesses, to show their strengths. To remember that a character is loved not because they are perfect, but because of their imperfections.

Because perfect characters are boring characters and no one is as UN-boring as Storybrooke’s very own evil queen, Regina.

The episode focused on her story this time around and I love how we get to see the building blocks of evil and it makes us question and think: What is evil? Who is evil? Because everyone has a purpose of living, or a motivation of some kind.

The Highlights?

  • Granny with a cross-bow.
  • Seeing Rumpelstiltskin’s true golden self.
  • Dr. Whale asking if he can date a nun. And then standing next to Blue in a certain point of an episode. Coincidental? I think not!
  • Charming’s speech. He’s still got it!
  • Regina’s realization that she doesn’t want to be her mother.
  • The dwarfs with pick-axes.
  • Henry and “Gramps” at the diner. So adorable.
  • A glimpse of the enchanted forest.

Last night’s episode really reminded me how much I have come to adore these characters. It’s like with LOST all over again. I feel like I know these characters. They have written them so well that I feel like if they ever had to disappear, I would fight for them. That is the mark of great writing, and great characterization. And something that I think many TV writers/producers forget is the main point of great TV watching. We watch something because we love it. And Once Upon a Time definitely knows how to woo its viewers.

Revolution Review – Step Aside Charlie, Uncle Miles is Here

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

***Spoiler Alert! If you have not watched tonight’s episode “No Quarter,” I suggest you go do that now before reading this.***

Well, after having recovered from the disappointment of not seeing a sexy “Nate,” in tonight’s episode of Revolution, there was then more room for bloodshed as the sword fights, gunfights, shooting people, oh, and the blowing things up resumed.

One thing can be said about Revolution: they don’t skimp on the action. Where as the characters are tromping around blowing stuff up, it leaves little room for other things: like compassion, and oh…does anyone have a sense of humanity anymore? Or when the power goes out, are we really going to shoot each other because we’re starving, thirsty, cold and sick?

It’s an uncomfortable thought…and done maybe a bit too well in this show. I refuse to believe that when everything is gone to the dogs, our sense of humanity will go with it…but, perhaps that’s the case for most people. Everyone has to make a choice. Like I read in a recent interview between Once Upon a Time creators, who said: “Everyone’s got darkness in them.” But would everyone truly act on it? There’s a difference between fighting for your life and becoming a murderer. The line is getting a bit too thin here.

If that’s the case, Charlie stands out like a bright light in the darkness compared to the other characters that she is often sandwiched between. She’s all about ‘getting Danny back’ and ‘remembering what ice cream tastes like.’ But for one who has grown up in a harsher world, why does she appear so innocent? Meanwhile, Nora is all about ‘making things mean something,’ while Miles is jealous because she may or may not be seeing another man. (Is it just me, or is a jealous Miles kinda hott?)

Miles is…oh, only captain of the militia, founder of the Monroe Republic. Whaat?! (Hah! I told my mom that I had a feeling that Monroe was just a stand-in.)

Anyway, tonight’s episode was definitely a shift in character. It was definitely Mile’s story and Mile’s journey and the fact that the show started off under Charlie’s point of view seems kind of silly now. (I, who loves a great heroine…feels kinda gipped, actually.)

This story is becoming very much a Mile’s story, and no matter how much you’ve got Charlie flirting with injured young men, militia men, or shooting or blowing things up, she’s not the one behind all the goings-on here. She’s just an innocent, a bystander, who desperately needs her uncle, but at the same time, doesn’t want him telling her what to do.

While Miles certainly isn’t bad to look at, and seems to have more a complexity of character that I’m starting to admire…he’s shifty. Protagonist or Antagonist? Are the writers trying to make us love a bad man gone good kind of thing? Who obviously feels like he doesn’t care anymore, despite his actions. Or, am I just beating myself up over a character who was not thought out very well…heh. I like to hope that first impressions aren’t everything.

That being said, there is one character, however, who is surprising me and that is: Danny. For someone who is trapped, helpless and alone, he is defining himself as a character and as a person in more ways than his cross-bow shooting sister ever is. I love the fact that she is a sister who cares and wants her brother back, but what else does she stand for? He also gets great lines, too.

So does our Mr. Billionaire comic relief guy. He’s always got some interesting things to say, and he’s just a side character. So, I wonder why Charlie is so one-dimensional?? It is frustrating to see the story build on such great male roles, while our heroines are falling to the wayside. Was kind of neat to see Jacob from LOST, though.

Anyway, Revolution’s still holding strong with its action, but the characterization, or lack there of, is starting to take its toll on me. Dialogue’s not bad…some good things get said, and the casting is good, I think. Miles, is definitely a favorite of mine. (He’s just so interesting to look at!) But, sadly, Charlie is not serving a purpose. Thanks, NBC, you had us all fooled. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie is the one that gets killed in the next episode. It’ll probably be the blond haired chick, though. What’s her name? See, I can’t even remember. What a shame.

Once Upon a Time – Broken is a New Beginning

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***Spoiler Alert! If you have not watched ABC’s Once Upon a Time season two premiere, I would go do so now before reading this! And you really should, because it was AWESOME!***

Photo credit: http://www.abc.com. (I am not sure where to find photos of my favorite television shows for my reviews. I noticed that some people seem to take a general advertising picture and give it a credit. I don’t want to accidentally steal anything. If anyone has any info of the Do’s and Don’ts in regard to this, that’d be awesome!)

Well, what to say first? My head is still spinning with all that we just saw in Once Upon a Time‘s season two premiere, “Broken.”

The show started off with a mysterious scene in everyday life, a man in the city, who receives news that the curse in Storybrooke, Maine is broken. Who sent the news? Someone from the town? My impressions? (I think It’s got to be Rumpelstiltskin’s son!)

What follows is a scene that is reminiscent to the series premiere, we are panning across a vast, green land and this time there are two horses, leading us to a castle, to the start of our story…to our destiny…

I get the feeling that the series’ creators/writers worked very hard to give this show a fresh, new beginning. They wanted to start off this season with the right characters, the right excitement  and present us with a new story (because the first season’s story had ended) and they certainly delivered!

My brain is still swimming with all the questions that we have here, so I’ll do what I do best: ask questions of my own.

What caught my attention the most?

  • Dr. Whale. (How awesome was Snow mentioning her one night stand, hehe!) Who exactly is he? Is he his own prince??
  • Mulan!! I had heard that they were going to bring some new characters in. I must say, I love the casting and the portrayal of this character. Well done!
  • The man at the beginning of the show. Who is he? Is he Mr. Gold’s son?
  • I never thought I’d feel bad for Regina, until she gets that mark on her hand. And then about two scenes later, I’m hating her all over again because she’s got our Prince Charming pinned against a wall and she let Emma and Snow get sucked into the portal.

What I loved about tonight’s episode?

  • Well, Mulan, durh! Her costume. her hairstyle – yeah, everything!
  • The idea of seeing Emma in a fairy-tale world. We’ve got fairy-tale creatures in the modern world, what happens when it’s the other way around?
  • The soul stealer thing! Um, okay…he was creepy and believable. I was worried about how the magic would look in the real world, that it might be too corny. I worried in vain! It looks pretty cool if you ask me.
  • Henry calling Prince Charming “Grandpa.” They were a family again…even if it was just for a moment.
  • Belle and Rumple’s almost relationship. Oh, she is a strong girl…
  • The fact that we’ve got a new story line to look forward this season!

And so far, it appears to be a strong one, too! Emma, Snow, Mulan and Sleeping Beauty in the fairytale world. Regina’s got her powers back. There’s the soul-sucking monster. There’s Jefferson. There’s Charming and Henry together. There’s a promise that Regina may or may not keep to her son, Henry. Will she be able to keep her powers in check? Oh, magic does come at a price indeed…

Plus, there’s new characters to look forward to! Lancelot. Captain Hook. Oh, I must say, I love this show, and tonight’s episode only just made me fall in love more. Sure, we’ve got cliché, but it’s good cliché and great characters. One things for certain, this show isn’t called “Happily Ever After” for a reason.

The Writer Brain: Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

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Well, went to bed last night and I had a total of 10 views on my blog. Just checked my stats here at about 5 o’clock and I have 109 views! And from different countries, too! (I love that. That you can connect with someone halfway across the world. Oh, the power of words…thank you Mr. Internet!)

So, thank you, Joss Whedon fan out there, who shared my post: A bit of Joss Whedon, Firefly, Dialogue, and Great Writing. It is interesting the traffic change that just one “share” can do…amazing!

More Myrtle Beach…but I love the blue color here – looks so otherworldly! If only it was in better focus…

So, as I was sitting in church this morning I had a thought about what I was going to write about today, I guiltily recorded it in my phone’s notebook as some old lady looked on – no ma’am, I am not texting in church, honest!

I was thinking about this:  How as writers we always try to get the better story.

We twist and we turn things to suit our fancy. (Well, I do sometimes!)

For example, say you are presented with this situation: Your co-worker shows up late for work and then acts awkwardly around the boss.

My thoughts: What is she wearing? She looks sloppy. Okay, there’s a wrinkle in the blouse, her lipstick is smeared…is that cover-up or some kind of bluish-bruise on her cheek? Wait, no, it’s just a freckle. Perhaps the boss took her out for dinner. Maybe he hit on her. Oh, I know! Perhaps they went out to eat, got drunk, hooked up and now they are late because they had to get the morning after pill, but the car ran out of gas and maybe they had a flat tire…oh, and now she’s looking at me funny because I’ve been staring too long at the wrinkle on her blouse. Look away! Look away!

Well, you get the point. As writers we are always looking for the better story. We are always striving for that little bit of detail that will tip our readers off to the fact that hey, something important is about to happen here, pay attention!

In truth: The co-worker was probably late because her kid was sick and she acted uncomfortable around the boss, because he said something to irritate her the day before. That darn boss!

But, the other story was much, much more fun. I stumbled upon an episode of Castle the other day. It was a rerun of the first episode in the whole series, where Castle more or less accidentally helps Beckett solve a case. She gets irritated because he pushes and he prods: Why do people do the things they do? What’s their motive? What makes the better story? But he ends up helping her solve the case. Again, now, who doesn’t love Nathan Fillion?

For me, I am always seeing writing opportunities in normal situations.

For example: The old lady sitting next to me in church. She is wearing brown shoes. She’s got a hat on. White curly hair and sun spots on her legs. She is wearing a green skirt, a forest green in color, but her blouse that she wears is a turquoise green, patterned with flowered embroidery. Her clothing is old, but so is she. But the smile and sparkle in her eyes says that she is in excellent health. She acts nervous though; she told me during the greeting and welcoming portion of the service, it is because she is new, she doesn’t know anyone. But she is so kind to me, with a warm smile. She asks me about my interests. She smiles and pats my shoulder. She encourages me. This perfect stranger, who I only met five minutes ago.

My writer brain is thinking: Holy crap! This woman is a guardian angel. She’s one of God’s own. Oh, and she smells nice. Angels are supposed to smell nice, right? Perhaps she’s on a mission. I haven’t been feeling well…maybe she’s here to heal me, oohh, hallelujah!

(Laughs). Well, you get the point. Again. And I actually did think that today! What a nice elderly woman! I hope I see her again next time. And if I don’t…*cue creepy music*

I guess she was there for a reason. To inspire me to write this post to say: Hey, we writer’s do think differently sometimes…we prod and we poke and we stretch. We look for the detail that no one else sees. We look for the extraordinary in everyday situations. There is art in life. Just like we can create art. And going above and beyond the usual…

Well, that just makes everything much more fun!