Downton Abbey, Season 1

I'm late to the party here, but still early enough to catch the premier of Season 2 tomorrow night.  As a devout NPR listener, I'm equally devoted to PBS whenever it comes to television.  For the last several weeks, a certain commercial kept playing, showcasing a series on Masterpiece called Downton Abbey.  "This looks like something you'd like," I told Keisha, and she agreed, and that was that.  But, as it goes, it wasn't, and over the course of time, I continued to hear more and more of this show.  Capping it off was an interview on NPR's Here and Now with a critic who was lauding praises.  They played a clip, it sounded intriguing, and I decided I wanted to watch it, too.  Turns out that it was available on Netflix, and over a Friday night Saturday morning binge, Keisha and I watched the whole first season.  

Downton Abbey is an early 20th century drama, featuring an incredibly talented cast, remarkable writing, beautiful set pieces, and a perfect score.  The season begins with the sinking of the Titanic, where the heir to Downton Abbey perished, along with his family.  This left the Earl of Grantham and Lord of the estate, Robert Crawley, in a predicament, as his only children are all girls.  At the time, entailment still existed, and so the girls could not inherit.  The remainder of the season deals with finding a suitor for Mary, the eldest daughter.

Simultaneously, the audience is given insight to the running of the estate and the considerable staff required to provide for the gentry.  The ins-and-outs of the staff--a butler, a housekeeper, the Lord's valet, the Lady's maid, two footmen, three housemaids, and two kitchen staff--are the heart and soul of the show.  Every character is important to the plot, filled with a backstory, and integral to the excitement and intrigue of Downton Abbey.  Take Mr. Bates, for example.  He is arguably my favorite character, and his handicap and unwillingness to reveal much of his past propels the plot, as well as the plotting of two eager staff-people.  These two, Thomas the first footman and Misses O'Brien, are possibly the most detestable villains of any show I've watched in recent memory.

I do not intend to slight the nobles.  On the contrary, as I very much enjoy the various plots concerning the staff, I also very much enjoy the plots concerning the Crawley family.  Mary's quest for love/marriage is center here, and while I'm not much on gooey gooey stuff and lots of romance, the writers handled Mary very well.  She was a character that I both liked and dislike, and that's a good thing.  I also must give credit to the wonderful Maggie Smith a la the Dowager Countess and Robert's mother.  She is wonderfully witty and a hoot when pinned against other characters.  She provides a heavy moodiness to any situation she is in, and yet she's funny, especially when remarking on the modern technologies (swivel chairs and telephones to name two).

Honestly, I was surprised at how quickly I was caught up in the story.  Generally this kind of stuff is more up Keisha's alley.  Nevertheless, I was extremely impressed with everything about this show.  It never dipped into ridiculousness, nor did it stray too far from the many themes it makes.  Each actor is perfectly suited to their role, and each performs well above the norm.  

I look forward to starting season two tomorrow night and getting back into the affairs of Downton Abbey.  Truly, I'm eager to find out more about these people I've grown attached to and to see how much life will change in the coming years.  If you've not watched this show, I cannot recommend it enough.  It's available to watch online for free on PBS (here), as well as Netflix instant streaming.

Fringe Season 1, a Review

It's no wonder that I love Fringe.  The show, created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, is about a team of investigators that solve crimes using "fringe science."  I describe it as X-Files meets CSI meets LOST meets Twilight Zone.  It's gruesome, sometimes disturbing, nail-bitingly tense, and often graphic, but it's one of my favorite shows out there now.

Part of the appeal is the pervasive mystery that grows with each episode.  While LOST was built on questions without answers, Fringe is built on questions with answers.  Each episode follows a typical pattern, starting with an off-POV that ends up with somebody dead.  The rest of the show deals with the investigators trying to solve the case.  However, since the cases are things that aren't generally in the realm of possibility, special investigators do the work.

FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) works with the infamous scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son Peter (Joshua Jackson) to understand better what's going on and stop any more deaths.  Walter is one of the most famous scientists in the world, and the show begins with him sitting inside St. Claire's Asylum, where he's been prisoner for seventeen years after the accidental death of his lab assistant.  His work in the fringe science field has him released in lieu of his cooperation with the newly created Fringe Division.

What sort of crimes are we talking about here that fall within Fringe Division?  Crimes that are related to something called the Pattern.  For example, the pilot episode begins with an international flight landing in Boston and everyone on board dead, decayed and rotted away into foul looking blobs of flesh and blood.  Or maybe people crystallizing.  Or turning into monsters.  Whatever the case, the crimes are unnatural, a particular predilection of Walter's.

And even though the mysteries of the Pattern and its webs are highly entertaining and interesting, the even greater joy of Fringe is the characters.  Walter Bishop is hilarious.  He's crazy and says the most random things at the most random times, and his ability to think (ir)rationally--often aloud--makes for many memorable quotes.  Also, the relationship between Peter and his father is strained and awkward, perfect fodder for a television drama, and I enjoy watching it change and grow.  Dunham, arguably the shows protagonist, is also an interesting character, though she sometimes comes across as shallow and lacking.

While most episodes fall neatly into a predictable formula, the show is still an absolute blast to watch.  What's more is that Keisha has even fallen in love with the show, and I daresay she enjoys it as much as I.  We'll laugh at something Walter's said or muse at what's going to happen next.  It's great having another show to watch together like this.  Fringe is not LOST, even if Michael Giacchino* wants you to think it is, but it's similar enough that fans of the Island's mysteries would likely enjoy the show, and haters of the Island's lack of answers would be satisfied, too.

If you're looking for something to throw on your DVD queue (or ask your public library to purchase), then I recommend Fringe.  It's been delightfully freaky and amusingly tense, hitting all the right notes at the right times. 
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*There's quite a bit of very similar sounding music making up the score for both shows, and some re-use, even.

Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season Two

Last fall, one of my friends let me borrow Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season One.  He thought it would be something I would like, and he was spot on.  The show is about a young boy, Aang, who is the reincarnated Avatar, master of all the elements—water, earth, fire, and air.  Aang seeks to understand his awesome power and master the elements so he can finally stop the war that has raged across the world for over a hundred years.  With help from his friends Katara and Sokka, he travels abroad, uncovering mysteries and getting into frequent trouble.

It did not take very many episodes for me to like the show.  For one, the cartoon is beautifully animated.  It’s obvious that the artists are very skilled in what they do, and watching the show is rather cinematic.  Another thing that makes the show great is how funny it is.  The ill-luck some characters have (Sokka) and the clever script has me laughing nearly every episode.  The show also juggles other emotions quite well.  Shame and guilt, longing for something more, love, all of these are infused in this cartoon, and this makes it something more than just a basic toon.  Finally, the show has an excellent plot.  While not necessarily all original, the episodes are tight and all fit together snugly, never leaving the viewer curious for too long.  Plus, it borrows from many Eastern religions and cultures (mysticism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.), and this cross-culture type of show is both educational and perfect for setting.

I write all of this because after I finished Season One, I had no way to watch the last two seasons.  My friend only had Season One on DVD.  So, I put in a request to the local library that they get the DVDs, and finally, they have got Seasons Two and Three. 

I’ve been watching Season Two this past week or so, and I still find myself laughing and mesmerized like I did for Season One.  The depth of characters for a cartoon show is amazing, and the cast is large.  Season Two deals with Aang, Sokka, and Katara traveling to find an Earthbender to teach Aang, and after they find one, learning to Earthbend.  Along the way, Sokka discovers a clue that will help bring down the Fire Nation, something happens to Appa, and one particular character has a metamorphosis that was long in the making.  With the last episode of Season Two, “The Crossroads of Destiny,” I was excited to see how all of the characters would interact together.  By the end, I was flabbergasted and slightly angry.

I’m looking forward to checking out the concluding season from the library and seeing the rest of the drama play out.  If you’ve never watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, do yourself a favor and rent/Netflix (I guess Netflix has them.  I dunno, I don’t have Netflix, either.)  them right now.  There’s a live-action film coming out sometime based on the series, and hopefully it’ll turn out okay.  Right now I’m a bit perturbed at the casting choice, but from what I’ve seen so far, it will hold true to the show.

The Beautiful Account of Thursday and the Shiny New Pickle

Why yes, it is a beautiful day outside today.  The sun is up.  The sky is blue.  It’s beautiful and so are you, dear Prudence.  Got some great music playing through the iPod, got a nice USGS Quad map in front of me.  Got me a Jonagold apple waiting.  Got a date with a sweet, lovely lady tonight.  What else could I ask for?

“Ask for a pile of coconut shavings, Logan!”

Yeah… I don’t like coconut stuff, though. 

If you think you might like some indie folk music, I strongly suggest trying out the Mumford & Sons album Sigh No More.  It’s currently $7.99 on Amazon as an mp3 album, which is available here.  The album has a wide range of sounds, from simple acoustics to a full-fledged background band.  The singing is exceptional, as the band is British, and the lyrics are powerful, especially when coupled with such awesome music.  (One of the best songs, “Little Lion Man,” has the F-bomb in the chorus, if that sort of thing rankles you.)

Keisha and I recently started watching the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica.  From my understanding, Battlestar is one of the finest sci-fi television shows ever.  The writing is superb.  The action is intense.  The characters are completely believable and real.  The imagination is futuristic, yet familiar.  Overall, I’ve really enjoyed it so far, and I hope the rest of the show stays up to my expectations.

We’re going to watch Shutter Island tonight.  Keisha doesn’t do scary movies, so this should be fun.  I’m expecting some intense moments.  You should expect a review.  Maybe.  Maybe you should expect a jar of pickles.

“I said ask for a pile of coconut shavings!”

I read the hilarious Stuff Christians Like blog, which basically pokes fun of many things in the Christian culture.  From there I found a few other blogs I liked, and one of them had this video the other day.  They created it.  I laughed.  You should too, especially if you have a house dog.

Keisha gave Stella a bath last night.  I dried her off.  We use the hair dryer.  It’s funny.  Then we clipped her nails.  It’s not funny.  But it kind of is.  She always feels like a giant warm cotton ball after she’s had a bath, so that’s nice.  And she runs around and around and around playing afterwards, too.

On to work.  Time to figure out what the heck this stuff means.  Or at least try to.  When life hands you lemons, make pickle juice!  (Okay, that’s just nasty.  I’d rather have… coconut shavings.)

A Daily Dose of Aimlessness; A Taste of Things to Come

First—the taste!  Oh sweet, sweet taste, like a warm and gooey Pop-Tart® on an oatmeal-less morning.  Like Sarah McLachlan fumbling towards ecstasy, only to find that it’s not really Sarah McLachlan or ecstasy, but the Great Somnambulist eating a warm and gooey Pop-Tart®.  Finally the long wait draws near an end.  Soon, oh so soon, does it begin anew, afresh, again.  I’m talking about Lost’s final season, folks, and I think it’s obvious I’m excited.

Here on Rememorandom I’ll likely be postulating my theories on each episode.  For those of you that read my blog and don’t like Lost, you’ll likely not read these posts, and that’s fine by me.  I’d rather you not than have the greatest show on television ruined for you.  For those of you that watch Lost religiously, like I do—where you demand absolute silence, high-definition, crisp audio, a bag of popcorn, a comfy seat, a beautiful spouse, and a wonderful puppy—then I hope you find it in your heart to postulate with me.

That’s the beauty of Lost.  The fandom is huge.  The enthusiasm of the fans is overwhelming.  The creativity of the fans is inspiring and wonderful.  Check out The Lost Underground Art Show if you want to see some awesome fan art, which was commissioned by Lost’s producers.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  (Is that an acceptable transitional phrase?)  I went to the gas station yesterday and bought a pop.  The lady in front of me bought a lottery ticket.  She won $500.  The cashier gave her 25 $20 bills.  The winner, an elderly lady, didn’t look very excited.  If I’d’ve been her, I probably would’ve been jumping around the gas station like an excited bunny rabbit, glad to be emancipated from the vile clutches of the Evil Cage.  But she didn’t seem like she cared.  I cared.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  (Uh?)  I got my guitar fixed.  For free.  I took it to a different shop and the guy looked at it, fiddled with it, turned some knobs, plugged it up, and it worked.  He said dust was likely the culprit.  And to think, the local guy wanted to charge me $50 just for looking at it.  Sheesh.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  (I still don’t know if that’s an ok transy phrase.)  My love affair with parentheses (totally the coolest of all punctuation marks) will never end.  (Why should it?  Supplemental, useless information is always welcome here.)

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  (I don’t care.  It’s a great transition.)  I did something last weekend that I haven’t done since The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which was 2006.  I reserved a video game.  Final Fantasy XIII.  The game looks beautiful.  And it’s enormous.  And it’s Final Fantasy.  I bought XII but I’ve never had time to sit down and play it.  One day, hopefully.  Anyway, I’m looking forward to playing the game.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  Jai guru deva om.  Nothing’s gonna change my world.  I finished Firefly last night.  So sad.  I know I’ve already said it, but I can’t see why the show was canned (other than Fox’s horrible choices of airing episodes out of order, among other things).  Each character was memorable and intriguing.  There was humor.  There was camaraderie.  There was a vast universe to explore and a load of story to uncover, but it all vanished.  There’s nothing to do about it now except watch Serenity and hope it wraps up some of the loose ends.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  I took the test to get on Jeopardy last night.  I made homemade shrimp scampi, which wasn’t the best ever, but definitely not the worst, either.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!  Goodbye JD Salinger.  Thanks for making a great and inspiring novel.  Catcher didn’t have a huge impact on me, like it did so many others, but it did help some world-view thoughts start a-churning in the head.  And reading it as a teenager was perfect.

Hoist up the John B. Sail!

Find Him! Bind Him!

First off, I strongly recommend that you listen to this song right here.  It’s by The Decemberists and titled “The Mariner’s Revenge Song.”  To my knowledge there is no official video, but I thought this production was pretty good.  The song style, words, and music are all akin to a classic pirate’s shanty and the story is most entertaining.  Go on.  Watch it.  You know you want to.  I can almost guarantee that you’ll smile from ear to ear from the wickedly delightful lyrics.  And, if you can listen to it and not feel like you’re on a pirate’s vessel, then you win today’s prize.

Well?  Whaddya think?  If you’re like me, after listening to it a few times I had to track down the lyrics and read the entire tale myself.

Second off, I have three episodes of Firefly left.  I knew I would like the show from the onset, and I knew it was going to end prematurely, but still I can’t help but wonder how something like this could get canceled?  It’s definitely better than plenty o’ other crap that makes it to tv.

Thirdly, I got an email from the library telling me Best Served Cold was in and on hold for me.  Of course, I just started reading Ted Dekker’s Green, so I’ll go pick it up and hopefully finish Green quickly enough.

Fourthly, here’s an interesting blog post by Al Mohler.  It discusses how many abortion workers turn to pro-life after years of work.  Sad, but encouraging, methinks.

We’re in a winter storm warning until tomorrow night or Saturday or something.  Expect 1-4 inches or something like that, so it’s said.  Who knows?  I know brevity is in order now.  There’s much afoot and I must hasten on.

Find Him.  Bind him.  Tie him to a pole and break his fingers to splinters.  Drag him to a hole until he wakes up naked, clawing at the ceiling of his grave…  I hope you gave it a listen.  So it goes.

Desultory Thoughts About Diddly Squat

There are times in life when you feel like Bono, walking through the empty streets of London searching for something that you can’t find, knowing that you never will find what you’re looking for. Or maybe you feel like a scarecrow that’s scared of the crows, which is really quite inefficient. But we’re talking kings and successions, even you can’t be caught unawares.

Don’t you hate it when the book your reading turns out to not be what you’re expecting? It’s like taking a big drink of pop, expecting the full richness of Mt. Dew and instead getting Coke or tea. While there’s nothing wrong with Coke or tea, there’s nothing good about that false excitement and sudden revulsion, either. Treasured is about finding tangible reminders of God’s active presence in our lives through life stories of the author. So far, I feel like I’m reading chick literature, which is a definite let down. Maybe it’s because I’m still coming off the high of Last Argument of Kings?

So prepare for the coup of the century, be prepared for the murkiest scam. Have I ever pointed out my favorite Disney movie of all time? It’s Aladdin. I love it. The comedy still cracks me up every time I watch it. Genie and Al are too funny. I’m glad Disney made good cartoon movies back then instead of this weird stuff they’re making now. My second favorite Disney movie? You’d never guess it in a million years.

Meticulous planning, tenacity spanning… Where does that leave us? In the dregs of the soup bowl? In anticipation for Thanksgiving? In the throws of the soul of music, floating on like Modest Mouse? We look into the mirror and see not ourselves staring back but the Witch King of Angmar, blade aglow and flail a-ready. (You have to admit, his design is awesome.) Startled at the sight of the Black Captain, we jump back and stumble into Outkast, which startles them into an outburst of “Hey Ya!”

Decades of denial is simply why I’ll be king, undisputed, respected, saluted, and seen for the wonder I am. Tearstained cheeks with mascara streaks make us all eke out own. The terror of everyday living, of everyday knowing, is enough to drive even the stoic up the wall of emotion. There is no sanctuary. There is only Australia, the last great hope for man. How sad would I be if I dropped my favorite coffee cup, the handcrafted one from the pottery place, and it shattered at my feet?

Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared. The Ciabatta sandwiches for supper last night were really good. Heroes was okay, but only okay. Big Bang Theory was funny, as it always is. I was eschewing Black Friday deals (I have to work), but I saw that Best Buy is selling Fallout 3 GOTY Edition for $20. I can’t pass that up. They’ve also got Dragon Age for $40, but I think I’ll let that one slide for now. Of course, on the flip side, I always have my calculus.

Be prepared!

FlashForward Thoughts

Last night, ABC premiered the new series FlashForward. The show is about dealing with the aftereffects of a global blackout. Every person in the world blacked out for 137 seconds, and during this time they had visions of the future. Due to the blackouts, millions of people perished. This series is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Sawyer.

I find the idea behind this show fascinating and full of potential. An underlying theme to the show deals with can the characters change the future they see or are they destined to act the part they saw? While this idea is not original, the mechanics certainly are. What caused the blackouts? Why did everyone have these visions? Will it happen again?

The pilot episode was well done, and the characters were well written and cast. If each episode is as intriguing and exciting as this episode, then I think this series will be fantastic. If you missed the premier, ABC is airing it again tonight at 8:00pm EST, or you can watch it at abc.com.

I'm not sure how the series will progress, but I have faith that it will be great. Plus, it gives me something to do while waiting for Lost to come back on next Spring.

Lost Recap

This season of Lost has been very exciting for me. I've watched the show since it started, and I've loved it ever since. Sure the series has had its poor episodes, but there have been far more interesting and great episodes than otherwise.

Season 5 started out pretty rough, but it has consistently been very entertaining. With the survivors finally back on the Island, albeit in 1977, things are getting very interesting. We finally see some of the history of the Island being explained, especially between the Hostiles and the Dharma folk. The mystery of the Island is still very much alive, constantly growing.

The last episode, "Whatever Happened, Happened," was one of my favorites of this season. Although it was a Kate-centric episode, and I'm not a fan of Kate, everything that was going on On Island was pure entertainment. The flashbacks served to provide some insight to Kate's On Island actions, which currently is to save Young Benjamin Linus from a gunshot wound. Ben was dying, and Juliet requested for Jack to help her, but Jack's pride prohibited him from helping. As such, Jack's inaction led Kate to taking Ben to the Hostiles for help. While there, Richard Alpert warned Kate (and Sawyer) that by helping Ben he would be forever changed. He would lose his innocence. Kate and Sawyer agreed, and Ben was carried off into the Temple by Alpert.

The next scene was beautiful. The Old Ben wakes up from his injuries and comes face to face with John Locke, the very man Ben murdered. Locke says, in his kindly voice, "Hello Ben. Welcome back to the land of the living." The episode ends, and we are given a preview to next week's episode, which looks like it may be one of the greatest of the shows history.

Lost is such a great show for many different reasons. I love the allusions to pop culture, to literary classics, to philosophers, to mythology, and to religion. The mystery of the Island perpetuates the shows success, but also the mystery of the characters. Each person has their own story and their own mistakes, and the Island forces the person to make choices. Have faith and change, or stick with logic and remain unchanged. These ideas, while not original, are still fun and entertaining.

For an excellent blog to read on Lost, which is updated weekly, check out this site. These guys blog about all different sorts of things on television, but I particularly like what is said about Lost every week. For a wiki site of Lost, which I find myself referencing quite often, I recommend checking out this site.

As I've said, I am really enjoying this season of Lost. It's not as intriguing as the first season, but it still is top quality television, unlike Heroes, which seems to be taking a turn for the worse.

Arrested Development

I've just started watching Arrested Development. All I can say is that I've been very non-productive for the past couple days, and I finished Season 1 last night. Several of my friends have recommended the show to me, but for some reason it kept slipping my mind to check it out until about a week ago. I don't know if there has ever been a show to rival its humor and I'm not sure if there ever will be again. The entire plot, the demise of the Bluth family, is so twisted and awkward, and somehow driven by love and selfishness, that I can't help but laugh several times each episode. There have been several moments where I've had trouble ending the laughs. Even as I write this I can think back to certain situations and bust out laughing (and I'm sitting in the middle of my computer lab on campus!)

It's hard to pick a favorite character, as they all have an amazing uniqueness and charm about them.

Michael: The good son of George Sr. Michael is motivated by love for his family, to provide for them and keep them safe (and usually out of jail). The protagonist of the show, but not the funniest character.

Gob (George Oscar Bluth, II): The eldest son of George, he is a magician, and definitely one of the funniest characters on the show. He is driven by selfish desires, namely that to succeed and be better than Michael, or anyone else in his family. He has the funniest quotes and memorable lines, in my opinion.

Buster: The awkward son of George, Buster lives with his mother off-and-on, and he is not exactly solid in the head. Buster is motivated by his mother and his desire to make her happy, but also to find acceptance and sugar. Buster provides slapstick comedy to the show, and the awkward humor as well.

Lindsay: The only daughter of George, Lindsay is typically driven to make sure that she is in the spotlight. She is an avid protester and picketer, though she often does not care what she's protesting or picketing. Lindsay has some funny moments.

Tobias: The son-in-law of George, Tobias is married to Lindsay and he is as awkward as Buster. Tobias is heavily played to portray homosexual tendencies, which is typically obvious to everyone except himself. Tobias is a nevernude, which is exactly what it implies. Tobias has several very funny moments and quotes.

George Michael: Michael's son. George Michael fell in love with his cousin, Maeby, during the first episode when she kissed him to get even with her parents. George runs the Banana Stand and is mostly motivated to gain Maeby's attention and to get his dad's approval.

Maeby: Daughter of Tobias & Lindsay, Maeby is driven to get her parent's attention/ to not have her parent's attention. Maeby is constantly scheming to get even or to not get even with her parents. She's not necessarily a funny character, but she provides an impetus for George Michael to get into funny situations.

George: The paterfamilias of the Bluths, George is serving time in prison for so many reasons it's hard to pick one. He is motivated by selfishness, corruption, and love for his family. George provides several memorable quotes and funny situations.

Lucille: The mother of the Bluths, Lucille is often cold, sharp-tongued, and intoxicated. She loves her children, though it is rarely seen.

Onyong: The adopted Korean child in the Bluth family, his name is actually Korean for hello, though the Bluth's do not realize this.

In all, the entire Bluth family is best taken together. They live and feed off of each other, and the comedy is layered and ingrained with them all. As a family, they are extremely dysfunctional, but they provide wonderfully funny situations for laughter. I'll end with a funny quote by Gob.

"The zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. Sick of playing second fiddle. Always third in line for everything. Tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over."

LOST S5 E1 & E2 Reflection

For those of you that don't know, I am a huge LOST fan. For those of you that don't know, LOST is a television show that comes on ABC about a group of plane crash survivors and their quest on a mysterious island. For those of you that don't know, a television, or tv, is a gateway into another world...

Anyway, I am a huge fan of LOST. I've watched it since it premiered a few years ago with Season 1. The island has waged so many mysteries that my mind cannot remember them all. The character relationships with each other, in the past and present and future, are intriguing. The definition of good and evil and faith and science are all very questionable, and ofttimes it's hard to know how to describe accurately any character. You may think they are acting one way, when their intent is something completely different.

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But this post isn't a post about why I like LOST. This post is a reflection of last nights episodes, "Because You Left" and "The Lie." The post-island Oceanic 6 have all slid into depression/madness/paranoia, and they all are acting differently than they were when on the island. Ben is wanting to collect them all, including a dead Jeremy Bentham, and to try and return to the island. The folks that remained on the island are now going through a space/time warp, traveling both frontwards and backwards through time. Daniel Faraday emerges as a leader (which I approve of) and attempts to explain this to the viewer. A good summary of the episodes is this: things get crazier and crazier on and off the island.

I enjoyed the episodes mainly because I've been dying to watch LOST since Season 4 ended last Spring. The story is still intriguing me, though I feel that its complexity may be losing viewers. People sometimes want a normal story. LOST is far from normal, as its creators tell the stories from many different and unique perspectives. I think Season 5 looks promising, but probably won't be as good as the earlier seasons. But my hopes are high and my expectations realistic, so I think I should be fine.

Heroes

Several people have recommended to me the ABC show Heroes. Finally, I decided to try it out. I rented the first 3 discs of Season One, spanning episodes 1-10, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the show thus far. I've always loved comics and such, and this show's character's are completely likable. Anyway, I just thought that I'd throw a quick "thanks" to everybody that recommended the show (Bill, Brian, etc.) and let you know that I am very glad to be watching it finally. Have a cold night, folks.

Post Script: By the way, if you look at the word for very long, it's one of those words that start to look funny and made-up. You know, like, roads. The more you look, the more you're convinced that it's misspelled.