Wednesday, April 23, 2014

T is for 'Teen Wolf' (and 'The Twilight Zone' and 'The Tomorrow People')

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Teen Wolf is a fun fantasy show on MTV, for which I write my animated-gif-tweet-recaps. It's loosely based on the 1985 film with Michael J. Fox. Along with Almost Human, Grimm, and Arrow, it's perfect for giffing and tweeting. Unfortunately, it has quite a few problems. The show tends to get bogged down with showing stuff that looks really cool, while sacrificing some of the story. You really have to work through the nonsensical portions to get to the real story.

If you can do that, however, it's pretty awesome. And, of course, all that cool stuff is fun to watch even when it makes no sense. All the actors are very easy on the eyes as well. What can I say? It's created for teens, so it's geared toward hotness, creatively gross disgustingness that causes hormone-addled young lovers hold tight to each other, and a sick sort of humor on the part of the creators that allows them to laugh heartily as crazed teens take to Twitter to express their outrage that such-and-such character is dead or in trouble, or is really really mean and sucky.
The best thing about last season was the tremendous acting job by this young man, Dylan O'Brien.
He played both a sweet, nerdy teen, and an evil old man who had possessed his body. It was awesome!
I didn't have time to create a brand new gif, so I'm using one I created for one of the recaps.
I had also made it available on this Tumblr post.
One of my absolute favorite shows of all time is #TheTwilightZone. I truly believe that some of the episodes, such as "Eye of the Beholder," should be required viewing for youngsters. It may appear to be outdated these days, but it's truly mind-blowing. It really made you think, and used the awesomeness of sci-fi to do it! It was also the first show to start many trends we see later on. The first is usually the best though. For example, even in black and white, "Living Doll" is way creepier than any of the "Chucky" movies. Here are just a few of the endless movies and shows inspired by The Twilight Zone. And here are a few more. I could go on, but you get the point.
I'm really enjoying #TheTomorrowPeople on The CW. I didn't like it much in the beginning, but it has gotten better, in my opinion. It just needs a chance. Unfortunately, it probably won't get a second season.
#Tomorrow. Hey, if tomorrow was for the letter "Y," this would be recursive! That's because tomorrow would be yesterday, but yesterday (today) is tomorrow! Wait... what did I just say?
My "T" for last year was "#Teensy #Talks #to #Tippy":
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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

S is for Stargate Universe (and Suits, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Stark Raving Mad)

Stargate Universe (SGU) is one of my favorite shows of all time, and was canceled way before its time. This one will be a bit longer than normal, because I can't help myself. I have to explain how awesome this show is. It is based on the original movie, Stargate, which spawned two other shows before SGU. The first show was Stargate SG-1 (SG1), then came Stargate Atlantis (SGA). Some people were bigger fans of the first two shows for their campiness. I like some amount of camp, but I'm somewhat picky when it comes to humor and camp. All in all, the original movie and SGU were my favorites.

First of all, the basic premise shared by all versions of Stargate is one of the most amazing ever created in any sci-fi universe. It is based on a round gate that allows instant travel over very long distances. The gate was created by aliens and used in ancient times to transport humans to be used as slaves on distant planets. As such, all the advanced technology is labeled as "ancient," even though humans barely have a grasp of it.

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The U.S. military discovers a gate, and begins using it. They come up to speed on much of the technology used by the aliens, but there is still much to learn. The thing that is so awesome about Stargate Universe is that it involves regular, present-day folk like you and me. A few of them have never even dealt with the "ancient" technology before. All of  sudden, they are thrust to a spaceship on the other side of the universe, and the planet where they were studying the technology is completely destroyed.

None of them, not even the specialists who have worked with the technology, have any idea how the spaceship works, other than small clues based on what they had learned from other "ancient" technology. They initially don't even know the purpose of the ship, and why it seems to be set on a predetermined course, even though it had been completely uninhabited before they got there.

The series had a few "soapy" moments, especially at the beginning, but it is easy to look past that to see all of the awesomeness. Another amazing thing about the show is that, similar to Lost, many of the characters are totally unlikeable in the beginning. As time goes on, you get to know them, until one day you think to yourself, "I love that guy (or woman)!" Then you realize that something amazing has happened.
This is the explosion that pushed the last living person on the planet through the gate.
I've also made this gif available on this Tumblr post.
"S" is a big day for other reasons as well. I also used to write about the show #Suits for Yahoo! TV each week.
I'm also a huge fan of all the #StarTrek shows and movies.
Of course, I'm also a fan of the first batch of #StarWars movies. In fact, Star Wars was the first movie my mother ever took me to see in the theater when I was a little kid. It's the whole reason I'm a sci-fi fanatic in the first place.
I also have to mention one of my favorite sitcoms of all time, 1999's #StarkRavingMad, starring Tony Shalhoub and Neil Patrick Harris, both amazing actors. It only lasted for less than a season, but it was amazingly hilarious.
I'm also a fan of #silver jewelry, because it looks better on me than gold.
My "S" for last year was "#Special #Sunday #Stuff":
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Monday, April 21, 2014

R is for Revolution (and Robromance)

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Revolution is currently one of my favorite shows on TV. It's about a future Earth where all power has gone out, and is not recoverable. The reason the power can't come back on is a very sci-fi reason, having to do with nanites. The nanites are mostly invisible, except when they make themselves known in the form of fireflies. Oh yeah, they can also control your brain, and kill people with spontaneous combustion.

The first season did not have so many sci-fi aspects, which is probably why it was more popular. As a sci-fi fanatic, I love that the show has come fully on board the sci-fi crazy train. Unfortunately, that makes it less popular with the general public, so the show is in danger of not being renewed for a third season. If I could only choose one renewal, I would choose Almost Human. But if I could choose two, Revolution would be my other choice.
Revolution airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC
Please excuse the low quality gif, as I could only find the clip I wanted online
I've also made the gif available on this Tumblr post.
Speaking of Almost Human, one of the best things about that show is the hilarious and wonderful "#robromance," as in, a bromance between a human and an android.
I also shared this gif under "A" for Almost Human
I had also shared this gif on this Tumblr post.
My "R" for last year was "#Remembering #Rugged #Roads":
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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Q is for 'Quantum Leap' (and Other Quirky Things)

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Quantum Leap is another of my favorite sci-fi shows, which aired on NBC for five seasons, from the late 80s to the early 90s. It starred Scott Bakula (one of my fave actors!) as Dr. Sam Beckett, and Dean Stockwell as Al.

Sam went back in time through his own lifetime, but only his mind went back. He would take over the consciousness of other people, seeing things through their eyes. Al was his sidekick, but only appeared as a hologram that only Sam (and animals, children, and the mentally impaired) could see. Sam was stuck in this quantum leaping loop, unable to get back home. He always made his next leap at the end of an episode, letting out a big fat disappointed "Oh, boy!" when he realized what he would be getting into next.
This was Sam's first leap, at the beginning of the first episode.
I've also made this gif available on this Tumblr post.
#Quarters:
#Quilt:
#Quail:
#Quasar:
#Quiet:
#Quantas:
My Q for last year was "#Questing #Quirky #Qwerty":
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Friday, April 18, 2014

P is for 'Person of Interest' (and Podcasts... and 'Psych')

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Person of Interest (POI) is an awesome action crime drama, with a touch of mystery, and a whole lot of comedic relief. It shares executive producer J.J. Abrams with two of my other favorite shows, Fringe and Lost. It's just as exciting, but a bit more scary because it's closer to real life.

POI is based on a Machine that can predict crime based on massive amounts of collected and processed surveillance. In some ways, it is similar to Minority Report, except that the Machine helps the main characters to save people from dying. The last episode went back on that a little, but only in an attempt to save many people... I won't give it away, but it was a very interesting episode, and one of the best so far in the series. I did not have time to create a new gif, so the following are just a few of the gifs I created for past recaps.
Reese and Shaw prefer kneecapping bad guys to killing them

The Machine has now restructured. It's getting scary!
I had also made this gif available on this Tumblr post.

Finch is the brains who helped create the Machine, and he loves his gadgets!
I had also made this gif available on this Tumblr post.
P is also for #Podcast! I was invited to guest on my first two podcasts a few weeks ago. In the first one I discuss Teen Wolf (here's the main page, and the iTunes page), and in the second I discuss Grimm (here's the main page, and the iTunes page). In the Grimm podcast, I come in about halfway, but I was more nervous doing the Teen Wolf one because I'd never been on a podcast before.
I also love the show #Psych, especially when they make 80s references:
Save your #Pennies:
My P for last year was "#Pico #Prefers #Peanuts":
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'Grimm' 3x18 'The Law of Sacrifice' Gif-Tweet-Cap: Hexenbaby Tag!

You can find all of the following gifs on this Tumblr post. "The Law of Sacrifice" continues from last week's Grimm, with Nick (David Giuntoli) convincing his mother that he should speak with Capt. Renard (Sasha Roiz) rather than allowing her to kill him. This is all in an effort to protect Adalind's (and Renard's) baby.

Nick starts by putting his gun away, while Renard is ready for a showdown.
They go into Renard's home for a chat, where Adalind (Claire Coffee) taunts Nick, resulting in one of the most humorous quotes of the series. He also convinces Renard that he wants to protect the baby, not steal her.
Meanwhile, the prince (Alexis Denisof) siccs one of his sleeper FBI agents on the gang, but Mama Grimm (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) isn't about to let them take the baby. The FBI goon-in-charge (C. Thomas Howell) will have a headache!
The mama-son Grimm duo fight off a couple more bad guys, and have Renard bring Adalind and her baby to Monroe’s (Silas Weir Mitchell) house. The four-way phone conversation where Nick and Mama Grimm inform Monroe and Rosalee (Bree Turner) that they are about to be caring for Adalind and her baby -- after all the trouble they went through with her back when she was putting Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) in a coma, and Nick had to remove her powers -- is hilarious.
Before walking in the house, baby steals Mama Grimm's locket, which contains a photo of young Nick.
Hank (Russell Hornsby) gets involved too, and is very relieved to learn that he's not the daddy.
The gang hatches a plan to protect the baby from all the goons, but we don't yet know the plan... and neither does Adalind. Apparently, it involves the arrest of Mama Grimm for the murder of Adalind's mom. And the arrest takes place right in front of Adalind! Well, at least that secret is out in the open now!
The next step is to let Adalind name the baby... Diana! Finally, a name!
The next step is to... hand the baby over to the prince?! Yep, Renard just takes Diana on out and hands her right over to the man from whom the secret plan to keep Diana safe was devised. Huh? Of course, Hexenasty screams in agony when she learns that her baby is gone.
But there's more to the plan! Diana warns the prince that things are not going to go well for him by forming his coffee into a skull. She's right! The gang disguise themselves as a group of German baby-nappers, with Monroe doing the talking. They take off with the baby, leaving the prince with no way of knowing who took her or where she could be.
It turns out that the real plan was to steal Diana from Adalind, without giving her to the Royals, which would ultimately keep her safer than leaving her in Adalind's care. The new caregiver? Mama Grimm of course! Besides, Mama Grimm gets a real kick out of Diana's powers, and the baby will give her a second chance to properly raise a child without abandoning her. The only problem is teaching baby not to levitate objects in public.
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Thursday, April 17, 2014

O is for Opposite Brain (and Opal)

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Have you ever had Opposite Brain? I've been recovering from it for a few days now, after babysitting my brother's puppy for 12 days. In fact, I remember doing a few actions while the puppy was here, thinking, "This is definitely going to give me a case of Opposite Brain!" Opposite Brain is when you get yourself in the habit of doing things a certain way because of a temporary situation. Once the situation is back to normal, your brain has already formed the new habits, and now you have to get back to your old habits. Below is just one example -- actually, the one that has impacted me the most -- of my own Opposite Brain.
I've also made this gif available on this Tumblr post.
I also love #Opal, because it's my birthstone:
#Orange:
#Oakleys:
#Oblong:
#Orangutan:
My "O" for last year was "#Overcoming #Originally #Ousted #Olives":
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