2017 in both movies and TV looks to have a ton of wonderful things that will come out and in this post I will highlight just 5 things that I am looking forward to in the year of 2017.


WONDER WOMAN

One of the most anticipated movies of 2017 without a doubt is Wonder Woman. We got a taste of Gal Godot's Amazon in Superman vs Batman. Many agreed that she was one of the best parts of the film in her short screen time.

Now in June, Diana gets her own film and I can't wait. With a strong supporting cast led by Chris Pine and Robin Wright and the talented Patty Jenkins directing, my hope is that Wonder Woman can raise the DC movies up to the level of the Marvel films. This female-led super hero movie will also be in my prediction the best super-hero movie of 2017.


LEGION

Helmed by the creative genius behind the "Fargo" TV series, Legion is my most anticipated new TV show of 2017. Dan Stevens plays David Haller , son of Professor Charles Xavier, who finds that he might just be more than a mentally ill patient. Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart are just a few of the supporting cast joining Stevens. This show looks like it might be the fun, psychedelic, slightly comic book-ish show that we have all been waiting for.


Star Wars: Episode VIII

Star Wars: Episode VIII is the most anticipated film of 2017. Continuing from where The Force Awakens left off, Rey meeting Luke Skywalker, Episode VIII brings us some new visions in the form of director Rian Johnson.

Getting to see Rey, Finn, Poe and Luke would be enough to get the emotions of Star Wars fan up.  However there will be even more tears this time around when General Leia will be on the screen after the sudden passing of Carrie Fisher. Seeing one of Carrie's last performances on the screen will bring a wave of emotions to all fans and I can promise I will cry the first time I see her on the screen.


The DEFENDERS

In a no-brainer winning move, The Defenders series brings together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist in a highly-awaited crossover event. Not only do we get them together but also many fan-favorite supporting characters from these series including Karen Page, Trish Walker and Claire Temple back as well. Add in Sigourney Weaver as a mysterious villain and you have all the ingredients to not leave your home till you have watched this multiple times.



Kingsman: The Golden Circle

The sequel to breakout hit Kingsman, The Golden Circle brings back Eggsy , Merlin and Roxy as they head to the USA to stop a criminal mastermind played by the legendary Julianne Moore.

The Additions of Moore, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Halle Berry add spark to the movie. But the return of Colin Firth's Harry Hart adds a bit of mystery to the film. Many called the first Kingsman film one of their favorite movies of 2014 so the expectations have been boosted for this one. Thankfully Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn are back for this one and once again I am excited to see how much Eggsy has grown as a Kingsman.

2016 is has been one big flaming pile of shit but on this holiday as most everyone else does, I look for things to give thanks to via article post.

So right now I'm going to highlight some of the things in movies, tv or just random that made me forget how crappy a year this has been.  So my choices are the following :

-the "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror

-Season 3 finale of From Dusk Till Dawn 

- The touching final seasons of Person of Interest and Carmilla

-Finding out about shows like Poldark and the awesome Demelza on there

- *My only Sports one*
Seeing my favorite quarterback ride off into the sunset a Super Bowl champion

-the wit and wisdom of Mike Lawson on Pitch

-the continued genius of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 

                       

- Fun enjoyable shows like Wynonna Earp 

- Wrestling that makes me feel like a kid again

-Shows that make me think like Westworld

- Healthy TV relationships like Fitzsimmons, Captain Swan and Jake and Amy from Brooklyn 99

- The Airport scene in Civil War

- Amy Adams's performance in Arrival

- Sing Street

These are just some of the things in tv, sports and movies I am thankful for. Have a Great Thanksgiving holiday everybody!!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Charles Dulaney

Best TV Characters of 2016 (PART 2)

Here we go with Part 2 of BEST TV CHARACTERS OF 2016!!

                                  Alex Danvers

LGBTQ story lines are still a rare thing on network television in 2016 (Seriously we can do better) However, Supergirl is in the middle of one with Alex Danvers figuring out that she is gay and it is one of the best things on tv right now.

A lot of the credit for this goes to Chyler Leigh. The writers have written a wonderful story arc of Alex slowly come to realize her sexuality through her crush on Detective Maggie Sawyer. Their scenes together have been both cute and highly emotional as our hearts broke alongside Alex when Maggie just wanted to be friends as she wasn't ready for a relationship yet. Chyler's ability to show how hurt this made Alex just by facial expressions make her one of the most underrated actresses on television right now.

But we have also gotten to see the hard side of realizing one's sexuality and the emotions of opening up about it to the people you love.  Some of the best scenes of the year have come from just a simple conversation between Alex and Kara just talking. It is refreshing that they supported each other positively without the tv trope of "WHAT WHAT WHY?" 

That Alex showed strength in coming out as gay is what tv role models can and should be. I know it's never smooth sailing for someone to reveal their sexuality but for me Alex Danvers serves as a role model to everyone in the LGBTQ community. 

                GREG SERRANO

I was never the biggest Greg fan on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend but I'll be damned if his short but powerful arc in the beginning of season 2 didn't turn me around. 

Santino Fontana always delivered on Crazy Ex when it was time to sing terrific songs like "Settle for Me" or "Greg's Drinking Song" but he never gets enough credit for nailing dramatic scenes. Whether it was standing up at his AA meeting and painfully telling what lead him to finally seeking out help for himself to his farewell to not only Josh and his friends but Rebecca as well. 

In that scene Greg realized that although he truly loves Rebecca, he knows that for both of them the best thing that he can do is get on that plane to Atlanta. It was truly a beautiful and heartbreaking moment as we all got to see Greg have a emotional breakthrough. 

It's a credit to the writers, Rachel Bloom and Santino that they were able to give Greg Serrano as good a farewell story arc in such little time without any of it feeling unearned. I don't know if we will ever see Greg again but if we do it will be wonderful to see.




          
                    

BEST TV CHARACTERS OF 2016 PART 1

2016 in television has seen some really terrific highs and some very low lows. This post is the first of a few that is going to highlight some of the best characters that graced our televisions/laptops/ however you watch tv shows now. My first choice starts with a character on a very popular HBO series.


              MAEVE

Westworld has been a successful hit for HBO and while many actors have delivered great performances from Evan Rachel Wood to Anthony Hopkins, Thandie Newton's Maeve has been a standout week in and week out.

A long-time host at the park, Maeve's story arc of slowly realizing what is happening to her and deciding to fight back about it is one of the best things on the show. Episode 6 was a highlight as Maeve got to see firsthand what she truly is. Through just wonderful facial reactions, Thandie was able to show all of Maeve's emotions from shock as she glimpsed at the world she lived in truly looked like to rage at seeing her friend and fellow host Clementine being "retired".

A lot of credit goes to Thandie for getting you to root for Maeve while also keeping her the ruthless madam the creators programmed her to be. I hope by the end of season 1 we get to see a free Maeve and what havoc she will wreak on Westworld.






  LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR

When people talk about the show Lucifer, most describe it as "A good, fun show" Lately though everyone has been talking about how great a performance Tom Ellis is giving as the devil Lucifer in this season.

In just a few episodes we have seen Lucifer, a man who always bristles from emotion with a sarcastic jab dealing with some heavy heavy family problems. His mom returns and Lucifer is struggling with her in his life but we see that he does care for her.  Later, when his brother Ariel arrives to give a ultimatum to Lucifer to send her back to hell or he'll kill Chloe, the detective that Lucifer cares about more than anyone else, Lucifer ends up killing Ariel and going into a emotional tailspin.

I have love how vulnerable the show has made Lucifer without losing the smug side. We have got to see more of Lucifer's emotions in some fantastic scenes whether it is Lucifer trying to bond with Detective Douche(Dan) , get drunk and breaking down over killing his brother to his doctor or the emotional hug he reciprocates to Chloe when Chloe thanks him for his help in avenging her father's murder. (the ongoing friendship between Lucifer and Chloe as they continue to bond and work together has been the perfect example of a slow burn)

As season 2 continues , it looks as if things will not get any easier for Lucifer with his mom and brother trying to lure him to try to get to heaven. I know it is unlikely that Tom will get any awards for his performance and ability to convey different emotions in just one scene but it is one of the best in network television.



Thanks for reading and part 2 will be coming very soon!!

ARROW

Hello and welcome back to my thoughts on how the CW/DC shows can improve this upcoming season. Earlier I hit on how Supergirl season 2 and The Flash season 3 can build on the previous seasons.

Today, I am going to talk about Arrow season 5 and a couple things the show could do to help make this season fantastic after what was to some a lackluster end to season 4.

- More insight into the characters and their storylines

At the end of last season, We were forced to sacrifice a few different character arcs for some of the team as they had to deal with Darhk and the big fight. This season I am hoping we can hit on some things left open from season 4.

One of the main ones is Felicity and her mindset after what happened to Havenrock. I am hoping we get to see more of the fallout of not just that but also how she is feeling about still working with Oliver.

Other stories I want to see more time on is - Thea and what does she want from her life. Will she be able to hold off the darkness inside her? Diggle and how broken he is after killing his brother and leaving the team? Oliver and how much is being mayor and a vigilante taking out on him personally? Just a few of the things I hope the show hits on in the upcoming season.

-A healthy relationship between Oliver and Felicity


A lot of talk among Arrow fans has also been about Olicity and when or if Oliver and Felicity will become a couple again. While I feel they will definitely become a couple again, I think it also needs time to get there.

We need to see one thing that was only teased a bit in season 4. No not sex (Later for that). No, I mean a long , knockout drag out talk about what they mean to one another. Where everything get put out there and all the secrets and fears are finally told to one another. I think if we see that, then the steps to Olicity being even better than ever is possible. *

*My prediction/guess is the middle of season 5 is when the wheels to them getting fully back together with them as a couple (Possibly engaged by the season finale)


Thanks for reading and next time I will talk about Legends of Tomorrow and what can be done there to improve their second season. (getting rid of Savage is a good start)

THE FLASH

Last week , I mentioned a couple ways how Supergirl season 2 could improve. This week, the focus goes on The Flash, a show some may consider the most popular show on the four DC/CW shows. Last season was very hit or miss with some wonderful episodes (Earth-2 and Kevin Smith's directed episode come to mind) and some not-so-good ones (King Shark,anyone?) 

So below are three ways (If followed) can, I believe make season 3 rebound and get the show back to it's season 1 greatness.

- NO MORE TIME TRAVEL FOR A WHILE

    I'm not saying here to never do it again but to give it a rest.Last season, before Barry completely fucked up the time stream, he had gone back into time at least twice before. Once was a very smart thing to do as he had to save Oliver and all of his friends. The second time ended up making the Pied Piper a ally in a episode that gave you headaches for days. 

Now I know Barry will have to go back in time one more time to stop Flashpoint but after that NO MORE. Cool it with the time-travel for at least a season. We already have a time-travel show called Legends of Tomorrow.

-let Barry make less selfish/dumb decisions

    Let be honest for a second. Barry made a lot of dumb choices last season with the biggest being of course, going to save his mom after having tried it before and not accomplishing it. Saving his mom is noble don't get me wrong but not at the expense of destroying the timeline and affecting EVERYONE YOU EVER CARED ABOUT LIVES. That led to earth-2 being found and that whole mess it made. Besides that though, there has been a great deal of decisions made by Barry that weren't as heroic as one would like from keeping Patty in the dark forever to almost ruining his earth-2 counter-part's life.

This season I want Barry to start realizing that his actions affect everybody around him. Every action has consequences and Barry's hurts the people he loves.

- WestAllen and Iris's storyarc

   This will be a short one as I think they are going this direction (and SPOILERS)(seriously SPOILERS) 

 photos of Barry and Iris going on a date and kissing for a upcoming season 3 episode are out there. All I am saying is, if you make Barry and Iris a couple, then do it and stop making every goddamn kiss not have happen or in a different timeline. Making it real and make us feel their love for one another. Grant and Candice are great actors so writing it is up to you. I'm rooting for them!

Also let Iris be a reporter. She doesn't have to be doing reporter stuff every episode but give her a long-running arc even if it's in the background of whatever the main story is. Those kind of storyarcs can be rewarding for fans if done right.

So these are a few of the suggestions I have to make season 3 of The Flash the best one yet. Next week, I will tackle how Arrow can rebound from a not-so-great end of the season to make season 5 wonderful. Thanks for reading!! 

The tv season is almost upon as we enter the end of the summer and beginning of fall. Starting in October - for 4 nights in a row, The CW will be airing a DC comics show : Mondays - Supergirl , Tuesdays - The Flash , Wednesdays - Arrow and Thursdays - Legends of Tomorrow

I watch all four shows and enjoy them. I also admit that none of the 4 are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. There are things each show can improve upon and I want to point out 2 things each can for the upcoming 2016-2017 season. for today I will talk about the show that has joined the CW this year for it's upcoming sophomore season


SUPERGIRL

- Keep the focus on Kara and Alex's sisterly bond

- Superman here (but dont make it about him)


I know that the show will be hurt a little by Calista Flockhart becoming only a recurring guest star on there (however many episodes we will see Cat Grant in is unknown at this time). So to count this I have two thoughts.

Firstly is focus on Kara and Alex's lives together and when they are apart. we know next to nothing of what Alex does outside of her adventures in DEO. Lets find out more about Alex Danvers's life. And also Kara having some solo moments with new people besides Alex (and especially without Winn and Jimmy around) Let's see them apart and then have moments after where they talk about what happened and the struggles of their daily lives. I know we had these moments in season 1 but I say increase them just a little to make up for absence of Calista.

Secondly, we are getting Superman. It's going to be awesome to see Superman and Supergirl. BUT the show must make sure to use Superman as only support for Kara. Let him have moments in the first couple episodes but never at the expense of Kara. It's Supergirl and let Superman know that the Woman of Steel is grateful for the Man of Steel but not reliant on him.



Soon I will talk about what The Flash can do to improve it's show heading into it's third season.

ON ROOT - A guest post by Isa 

Sometimes you read something on Twitter that makes you go: “No! Get out!” But  you  hold  back  and  say  nothing  because  what’s  the  point  anyway?   But sometimes it pops up everywhere. You try to avoid it, you try to ignore it, you take a few breaths, you close the tab. Take a walk. And then you read it again. It’s at that point when you feel that you need to vent a little, even if it’s just to the nothingness. That’s the case with Root’s fate. I keep reading people say over and over how her development and character arc were thrown into the garbage can by killing her off. I’ve had it. I need to say something here. Even if it’s just to the nothingness. I loved Root. She's easily my favorite character in the last 10 years. Easily. I don’t think I have respected a character more since The X-Files’s Dana Scully. I guess part of it has to do with the fact that many of Root’s views on people, the state of the world and just her ideologies in general, I shared with her. Everything   about   Root   was   perfectly   executed.   You   don't   get   that   often   on network. You get decently-written characters that are decently played by decent actors and, hey, if that performance happens to be on, say, a prestige drama,it'll get noticed by critics and, if they're lucky, by the Emmys. You get (and get a lot of) mediocre writing elevated by good actors. See some actors on House of Cards or even James Spader on The Blacklist. That type of characters you get a lot on TV. But Root? You don’t get many Roots. Root was the perfect example of a character that was superbly realised: she was studiously layered, very well-written and very well-acted. It's not easy to create a character like this and make her go through such a big transformation and make that transformation feel earned. I am a firm believer that development is not something that makes a good character. People often see development as something that makes a  character  better than others. I don't agree with this. I think you can only do so much with it and it depends entirely on your character. For comparison’s sake, Reese and Finch are not terribly developed characters. Especially Finch. You see his views in season 1 and season 5 and there's nothing too drastically different about his core values. His…  Finchness   was,  in   fact,   a  constant   throughout  the   show.  Granted,   he became more aggressive towards the end, but even then, he kept vacillating.But unlike Reese, Finch was an excellent and complex character. He wasn't just someone that genuinely wanted to help people, he was also an asshole, he was a hypocrite, he was brilliant, and he was a coward, too. His high-mindedness got many people killed. He was great because the layers to his character were better realised than Reese's, who always seemed very one-dimensional: he's a hero who wants to save people. The end. Neither saw a drastic transformation,but that doesn’t make them bad characters.



But there are specific types of characters that call for huge development. I think some characters on The 100 really beg for it, but are severely lacking. But, then again the   writers   on   that   show   are   not   particularly   adept   at   developing  a coherent story, let alone a character. That's why you get from Octavia to Octavia The Grounder to Octavia The Warrior in less than, what, five, six episodes? That's not development, that's bad writing. So, you see, even when you get characters that, on paper, are transformed, that transformation does not mean they are great characters. Above all, development, good development, must feel earned. And that is what they did with Root over four seasons. She started out as a terrific antagonist:clear motivations, incomparable skills, a rational cause and a plan she laid out and executed perfectly.  She was  never made to  look incompetent, she  was never, not once, made to look like she didn't have a point or like her cause was unjust, they never sugar-coated how dangerous and lethal she was, they never shied away from showing us just how amoral she could be. That's why some viewers had trouble accepting Root. You know, some people love their good guys and hate their bad guys and that's as far as their television experience goes.


More   discerning   viewers   (a   minority   in   the   CBS   audience   it   seems)appreciated that, for once, the show had its first brilliant antagonist. Root killed, Root kidnapped, Root tortured. But Root was right. That's the thing the show did so well. Here we have this character that did terrible things, but it was  her   who  was   in  the   right   and  our   heroes  in   the   wrong.  Root's   actions weren't born out of vengeance or poverty or daddy issues or a man. Root's actions were born out of her rationalization of the world we live in. She saw human life as outdated and corrupted in ways this artificial intelligence was not.She was the first character to personalize it, the first (and, really, the only one)to truly understand her (or Her), and the first to offer the big questions on the show. Her beliefs on The Machine drove the main storyline and her relationship with Finch gave us the show’s thesis statement: “If you want to make something that understands  human behaviour,  it has  to be  as smart as a human. You created an intelligence. A life.” (Season 2, Episode 1 “The Contingency”)I know people like to believe that after Root went through her big development and   redemption   arc   she   stopped   believing   humans   were   bad   code,   but  I disagree. I think Root was always a misanthrope. I think what changed was that she found people who met her high standards for humanity. And once she found them, she made it her mission to be accepted among them. She chose her own family. That's where her God helped her, in redefining her methods, in making sure   the   collateral   damage   wasn't   as   costly.   But   she   remained   lethal,   she remained   an   assassin,   she   remained   just   as   ruthless.   That's   why   her development   was   so   fantastic.   Because   she   learned   to   change  her methodology, she found people to care for, but her goal never changed, why should it? Root was right: the world is corrupted and this AI was not. For Root,what changed was the 'how' not the 'what'. And in that 4-year journey, she was given relationships that humanized her. She was given a father figure in Finch,a  man   she  respected  above  all;  she   was  taken   in  by   her  God,  an   artificial intelligence  who  valued  her  and  chose  her;  and  she  met  a  woman,  just  as brilliant   and   as   lethal   as   she   was,   who   loved   her.  Those   relationships,  all carefully developed, are what made Root's transformation feel earned.Root’s death does not, in any way, negate that journey. Did she have to die?That’s another matter altogether. Personally, given where the season went after episode 510, I think that she had to. For  this  ending, for  this  story? Yes. But there are many endings and there are many stories! In my head and in yours and in the writers’.


But  this  ending? It would not have been possible without making that decision. Does that mean I like that Root died? No. I fucking hate that Root died, I am still grieving. That’s also why I am writing this, it helps me. But   I   also   appreciate   the   story   it   produced.   Of   course,   people   are   free  to disagree with me on this. It’s entirely valid. I appreciate what she, as a character, gave me as a viewer. Someone whose story defined not just the first big arc of the series, but its endgame. A character that powerful needs to be celebrated. I get not agreeing with the choice! We’re all different, we all read stories differently and stories affect us differently. What I cannot stand for is the constant trivialisation of how important she was to theworld of Person of Interest. She transformed a boring crime procedural into awonderful sci-fi tale about the humanity of artificial intelligence. Don’t trivialize what she meant to this show, what she made possible, where this story went every season thanks mainly to her. In football, there’s a stat called Key Pass, it means a pass that eventually led to a goal. Well, in every season, Root gave the key pass, whether it was her who scored or made the assist or provided theopening, it was her who made it. To me, her ending was heartbreakingly poetic and, you know, I do find merit in that. A lot of merit, actually, given how it servedthe overall narrative and the thesis statement of the show beautifully. Others do not and, you know what, that is fine, that’s fair. But let’s never trivialize what her story accomplished. Denise Thé said it: “She was that character for us. She came in and she stole the show. You would put her with any different character and they would have such an amazing dynamic. So, we just wanted to keep writing her more and more. She evolved that way for us.”

"But if you meant something to someone, if you helped someone, or loved someone. If even a single person remembers you, then maybe you never really die."


5 years ago when Person of Interest started, I'll be honest and say while I liked the show, it wasn't my favorite show on the air. I watched because of Michael Emerson at first honestly. Jim Caviezel was a favorite of my brother's but overall the show was just something to enjoy for a hour. It was pretty much a crime precedual and while nothing is wrong with that, it would be nothing I would remember over time either. I mean in the first season there were hints of a good show there thanks to Emerson, Caviezel and Kevin Chapman but I never thought it would reach legendary status......


But then the season 1 finale aired and Amy Acker was the guest-star. She was at first a number but then at the end of the episode she was revealed to be the mastermind known as "Root".  Thanks to Amy's performance, the show started becoming more special as she brought everyone up to another level as she made Root one of the best characters on television. Season 2 introduced Sarah Shahi's character to the show in the form of the silent, deadly Sameen Shaw who added the final spark needed. Some will say it became a show about what kind of power Artificial Intellgence has over us.  While that is true a little, it became so much more.

So as everyone will say what they thought of the series finale, I come to say what Person of Interest  became to me.


It's weird to say sometimes but I think Person of Interest became a show about family and what you would do to save/get back/defend them. It didn't matter if you were a human by the name of Root, Finch,Fusco, Shaw or Reese. It didn't matter if you were AI called "The Machine". These individuals all were at one point in their lives broken. And though they would suffer losses again (One huge loss was the death of Joss Carter in season 3) , they would never give up fighting together and for The Machine.

(Also with one of the greatest names in tv history : Team Machine)


The show was also about how AI and technology is everywhere now and it's still up to us humans to decide whether it can be used to help or hurt people. Finch believed that his Machine can be used to help humanity by 'not to save somebody but to save everybody' while Samaritan considered the best way to help humanity was to take out "Deviants" which it considered most of Team Machine to be.

Through all-time great episodes like "If-Then-Else" and "6,741" , we got to see how both The Machine and Samaritan works and the impact it makes on the lives of Team Machine (also with great performances by Amy and Sarah in both episodes too)

And it was also a show about growth and finality and how we all deal with it. Reese was a man lost when he met Harold Finch and through 5 years they worked together and when Reese sacrificed himself for Finch to stop Samaritian, we all cried like Harold did. When Root sacrificed herself to save Harry and the machine, we mourned and were hurt. When we first met Root , she was a 'bad guy' but through time and the work of the writers and Amy, we grew to love her and she became to a lot of people the best character on the show.

When we first met Fusco , he was a corrupt cop being blackmailed to help Reese. Through the 5 seasons however, he became something more than that. He became a trusted ally to the team and someone who took many bumps and bruises for them. When we first met Shaw , she was working with her partner unknowingly for The Machine. Shaw at first refuses to join up with Finch and Reese but ends up working and fighting alongside them.

(Special mention to Shaw and Root's relationship which went from wanting to generally kill each other (well on Shaw's side for sure) to one of I would consider love and genuine caring for each other - 4 Alarm Fire)


And finally I will mention what the show GAVE me. Not only did it give me over 100 episodes and 5 years of entertainment but also friendships (Online which is perfect for this show) with people like Isa whose passion and love for this show is topped by no one. Sharan who I've enjoyed many a discussion with over many topics brought up by this show. Even Simon who when I don't want to strangle him, loves talking about this show more than maybe anyone on this earth. These are just a few of the people (alongside Matt, Yasher, A.Thena and more) who I have had a great time talking about this wonderful show with.


So I will end this with a Thank You to Michael Emerson, Amy Acker, Jim Caviezel, Sarah Shahi, Kevin Chapman, Taraji P. Henson and the many guest-stars who gave us many lasting memories for to remember and cherish.

Thank you to Jonathan Nolan , Denise The, Greg Plageman and the multiple writers and producers who worked on this show and always gave us their best efforts. Thank You to the crew who tiredlessly worked to make this show one of the best on tv even when it was barely noticed.


So don't think of this as the end because victim or perpetrator, if your number's up......we'll find you.

(set in between ep.2 and ep. 3)

Ross had just returned home from a long day of trying to gain more support for his start-up mining company.  In truth, he was sick of having to shake hands and making pleasantries with people he would rather having nothing to do with in any way. But he knew that to not go into complete poverty and not let George have complete control of the town.

A tired Ross had just put his horse back into it's barn when he started to hear a whine come from Demelza's quarters. In a haste, Ross ran to where he heard the noise. Jud tried to yell at him about something but all he heard was a blur "fur is be..."

Ross reached the door but as he tried to open it he found it locked from the inside.  Pounding on the door, Ross yells out "DEMELZA! DEEEMELZAAA!" ARE YOU.." which is interrupted by a normal voice calling out "Sir , I'm okay. Nothing is wrong. Promise.." Demelza says out before another high-pitched whine comes out of the room. "Demelza, are you in pain? Are you hurt?" Ross says to the door with slight pain and worry in his voice. Silence fills the space between them more than the sturdy door blocking Ross for what feels like forever before Demelza calls out. "I promise , sir I'm okay. You can leave and go back to the house."

Ross stares at the door for a few seconds and goes to walk away when he hears once again whine but in a softer tone. Ross quickly turns back and yells at the door "LET ME IN DEMELZA OR I WILL BREAK IT."  Demelza quickly calls out "No Sir!! I'll...open the door." The sound of a latch being unhooked fills the quiet air and the door creaks open slowly as Demelza looks down on the floor worry in her eyes. Ross storms in as he starts out by saying "Dammit Demelza I was just wan......." Ross stops as he sees where all the whining was coming from.


In the middle of the room , a dog was lying down with three puppies snuggled up on top of one another next to their mother. Right beside her was Garrick, watching over everything and staring at Ross and then Demelza to see what was going to happen a look of protectiveness in his face over his new family.

Ross looks at the mother for a second and then exits the room, gesturing to Demelza to follow him outside. As they walked, Ross was walking very fast and Demelza struggled to catch up. As the left the house, Ross quickly spun to face Demelza and asked "Where did that dog come from?!" Demelza takes a deep breath and starts "She came a few days ago with Garrick and I just couldn't put her out there in the cold. It's not right. I know Garrick is my responsibility and I promise to take care of them puppies like they were my own children. Sir."

Ross looks bemused at her quick ramble and then states matter-of-factly "Alright Demelza, they may ALL stay for now. For now." Demelza smiles and hugs Ross who is at first surprised and then hugs her back for a moment before she realizes what she's done and lets him go. "Oh I'm so sorry sir. But thank you Thank you so much!!" Demelza says happily. Ross smiles back at Demelza and says "It's quite alright. In a strange way I am happy that Garrick has found someone to... care about." Demelza looks at Ross with a touching look in her eyes and "Maybe someday we can all find someone to be in love with....care about." Ross clears his throat and then straightens out "Well I'm pretty sure that the chores you have for the day tomorrow are plentiful so I will let you have your rest. Goodnight Demelza." Demelza gives a little nod and says "Goodnight sir." As Demelza walks away, Ross takes one more look at her and whispers "love" before going back inside for the night.



                                                   The End

The 2015-2016 tv season is almost in the books and in this post I want to highlight what I thought was the best of this year's shows whether it was network, cable or streaming system. As always these are my thoughts and if you would like to let me know what you thought deserved mention instead of my picks , let me know on my twitter page here : https://twitter.com/cdulaney85 .


So we'll start out with my pick for Best Comedy of the year below

CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND !!!!

It's rare to say that a new show can be the best of all comedies this year when you have shows like "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" or "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" that had tremendous seasons but right now "Crazy" is on a whole other level. Where do you begin to talk about the genius of Rachel Bloom? Alongside co-creator and Executive Producer Aline Brosh McKenna, they have crafted one of those rare shows wherethe lead character is someone you root for and also wonder what they heck they are doing at the same time in Rebecca Bunch.

The show is basically this : Rebecca is unhappy in her job and life when she runs into a ex she has never quite got out of her head - Josh (Played by the adorable Vince Rodriquez III). Rebecca runs into Josh in NY and finds out he lives in West Covina and decides to move there on a whim where she gets a new job and friends all while trying to get back Josh through multiple schemes concocted with the help of her friend/mother figure Paula (the so gosh-darn talented Donna-Lynne Champlin) all while occasionally bursting into song.

Throughout season 1 we got to know these characters including somber love interest Greg (Santino Fontana who delivers anytime he gets the chance to sing) , and my favorite pairing (though I am Team Josh) in the lovely Darryl and White Josh (Darryl's song : "Getting Bi" is THE BEST SONG OF THE SEASON)

We also got to see Rebecca's deal with things like depression, sexuality, self-esteem issues and heavy boobs all in realistic but funny ways. I think this show has a chance to come back as strong as ever in season 2 and can't wait to see what Rachel, Aline and this cast come up with. I definitely don't think they will settle for just this. (Am I okay with that? Totally.)





Now my pick for Best Drama is

The People vs O.J. Simpson

The O.J. Simpson trial from the mid 90's has been talked about over and over these last 20 years but somehow FX was able to not only bring us back to that time but make it more interesting than most anything going today. In this series we got to see how much (or little) things have changed whether it was the public's fascination with celebrity to racial tension in a powder keg of a city.

One thing that worked for the show was that nothing was rushed. Hell, the show dedicated a entire episode to the infamous Bronco chase scene. We got episodes from the POV of not only Simpson's defense team but also from Marcia Clark and Chris Darden's side showing them not only as what their public personas were but the all too flawed yet always fascinating human beings they are (and in the case of Johnnie Cochran and Robert Kardashian -were)

What gave this series the extra boost was key performances from some of the best actors out there today starting with Sarah Paulson's performance as Marcia Clark. Sarah shows and lets us feel Marcia's continuing unease with the spotlight shined on her as the case wears on. The moment wears she appears in court with a new haircut is one where we all cheer her on until she notices people making fun of it and suddenly we go from rooting for her to feeling her embarrassment even when Darden tries to cheer her up.


Sterling K. Brown is phenomenal as Christopher Darden who we get to see as a man trying to do the right thing but lets pride and ego sometimes overwhelm him. His and Sarah's chemistry are terrific in their scenes together to the point you root for them to hook up in a tension-filled scene.  Courtney B. Vance and John Travolta are wonderful as Johnnie Cochran and Robert Shapiro, O.J.'s all-star defense team that can't stand each other. Vance's performance is Emmy-worthy as is Paulson's and Brown's and I hope they do get some of those awards this year.



(If you want to read reviews for each episode , check out Rae Nudson's over at itsjustaboutwrite.com here : http://www.itsjustaboutwrite.com/search/label/American%20Crime%20Story )




My pick for Favorite Episodes of the tv year -

The Leftovers : International Assassin


I like it when a show goes big and says "screw it, lets go for it" The Leftovers did that a few times this tv year and none with more gusto and greatness than "International Assassin" A quick recap of what happened to lead to this episode (deep breath) - Kevin is haunted with his guilt of killing the Guilty Remnant's leader Patti. So much so that he is being haunted by her ''spirit'' every day and night. So finally , with help Kevin decides to take something that will send him on a mission (Possibly to the afterworld) to confront Patti and finally this.


The episode finds Kevin in a hotel , searching for Patti and finding characters that have already passed away in the series. Sprinkled throughout was moments that would alternately surprise you and shock you. Eventually Kevin is able to weave his way to through this alt-world to find Patti , only she is herself as a little girl. As he goes to the well that his father said he must with her, the two climb into it (well Kevin pushes her in a slightly funny moment). In the next scene, Patti is back to how Kevin knew her and the two start talking and it is a wonderful scene. She tells him the story of how she wanted to leave her husband and how scared she is of dying. Kevin is scared of what he has to do. It is a wonderfully human moment for both.

I won't spoil everything but top to bottom, from the performances of Justin Theroux and Ann Dowd to the writing of Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta and direction by Craig Zobel.

Doctor Who-  "Heaven Sent"


Most actors are lucky if they have one great scene in their lives. Peter Capaldi had a great performance in this episode which put him up there not only as one of the best Doctors in Who history but also one of the best actors out there today. Through 40-something minutes, Peter gives a solo performance of a hurt man who feels tired and sad that he could not save his companion and friend Clara. There is a moment when The Doctor is explaining something and calls out for Clara and knows she is not there anymore and you can see the sadness in his eyes at that moment.


But this story also shows what lengths The Doctor will go to try to save Clara as he spends thousands of years in a locked away place, constantly trying to not be killed while trying to figure out what is happening. Great direction by Rachel Talalay as she sets it as not only a Doctor Who tale but also gives it a horror-movie thriller tone to the episode too.





Best Performance in a episode

Sarah Shahi - Person of Interest - "6,741"


This episode is a great example of showing us emotion from even the most unemotional characters can make us feel so many things. Sarah's performance in "6,741" is a tour-de-force in that. We get to see Shaw escape from her captives in Samaritan and reunite with Team Machine. As Shaw slowly starts to think that things are not right with her, we start to worry for her. Her emotional reunion with Root is highlighted by a sense that something is still wrong. Then We see Greer and things unfold to the point that Shaw is pointing a gun at herself to protect not only Root but the team and their secrets.

I can't say enough of how great this episode is and the twist ending at the end just highlights even more how wonderful Sarah was in this episode. A great reminder that Sameen Shaw is better than all of us combined when it comes things like loyalty and fighting and intellegence and...

 Now to the lightning round!!!


Best Ship (Tie) - Jane and Michael - FitzSimmons

Most Underrated Performance of the tv year : Rose McIver - iZombie

No one other than Tatiana Maslany does more in a season as Rose does.  Not only does she have to play Liv Moore, she also had to do the characteristics of each brain she eats every week , whether it's a stalker or a erotic writer. Much like a another actress who worked with Rob Thomas by the name of Kristen Bell, Rose not only delivers in all aspects whether it be drama, comedy , action. You name it, Rose can do it every single time



Best Season finale - #IZombie - Salvation Army

A fun, wild action-packed episode with a ton of great character moments. Everything you'd want from a season finale.

 Season 3 of Agents of SHIELD just wrapped up last week and many different changes happened to our scrappy group of agents.  Love, Death, Farewells and much more have happened. Below I will give what I believe are a couple of the highlights and lowlights of season 3.

HIGHLIGHTS

#FitzSimmons -It was a up and down year for our favorite British scientists which thankfully for them ended on a up for their personal relationship. (YAY) At the beginning of the season we saw Fitz raise hell to try to find where Simmons went and rescue her only to find out she had fallen for Will, a astronaut who had been stranded at the planet she was taken too. (more on that episode in a bit)

So Fitz, decided to do what he thought best and help Simmons find Will. Fitz's ends up on the planet only to find that Hive has taken over Will's body. Hive ends up leaving Will's body (then goes into Ward's - more on him later as well)

The back half of S3 is Simmons and Fitz once again realizing their feelings for one another which leads to the kiss at the beginning of this paragraph as they become a official couple. They consummate their relationship at the end of 3x18 (video below)

It has been really nice to see a relationship grow from best friends to a couple deep in love with one another. A ton of credit should go to Iain and Elizabeth and the exception chemistry they have with one another. It will be interesting to see where the relationship goes in season 4 as whenever a Whedon is in charge of a show, relationships don't usually end well. Let's hope Jed is less like his brother in that regard. (THIS ISN'T BUFFY JED. LET US BE HAPPY)

Bobbi and Hunter's farewell - In the middle of season 3 just before the Hive storyline kicked into full gear, we were forced to say goodbye (for now) to two of the best characters on the show as Bobbi and Hunter's mission in Russia went south fast. 

In the end , Coulson made a deal to save them from a life in prison but it had to be that they would no longer be agents.  In one of the best scenes of the year, Bobbi and Hunter are at a local establishment when they are giving drinks from a unknown person. As the drinks add up you see the rest of the team giving Hunter and Bobbi "The Spy's Farewell" as one by one they raise their glasses.  Finally Mack is the last one to raise his glass as his emotions overcome him along with all of us and says goodbye to the two people he's closest with in his life.  A great scene highlighted by Adrienne Padlicki and Nick Blood emotion just from their expressions. Though there is a good chance we could see them again next season it takes nothing away from this emotional scene.

4,722 Hours - One of the best episode of tv last year, it showed what happened to Simmons while she was trapped on the planet. It was a great story highlighted by Elizabeth Henstridge's tour-de-force performance through the whole hour as she tells the story to Fitz. Conveying every emotion imaginable, she shows us just what Simmons had to go through to survive.

                                                   

If you have another favorite moment from this season I didn't mention , let me know at my twitter account @cdulaney85 and here's to season 4!

(Set in between Arrow 1.03 and 1.04)




It had been a couple days since Felicity Smoak had helped badboy-millionaire Oliver Queen find information on a laptop. As she sat down to start the day in her cubicle, her mind kept wondering to that moment. She was stunned to see the Oliver Queen there. Her mind goes back to the babbling she spouted as she was approached by the young and handsome man.

"Drowned, ugh why did you think let alone say that Felicity?" she says outloud to herself as she grabs her red pen beside her computer. Staring at the blank screen , her mind wanders again to that interaction.  She knew he was lying about...basically everything but something inside her knew to trust him. Felicity knew that even with a quiet voice , he had a good heart. Maybe there was something dark inside him but she felt that there was a good man inside.

As she goes to turn on her computer, she again talks outloud to herself. "At least he has a better haircut now..."

"What was wrong with my haircut before?"

At the sudden voice ringing out, Felicity swings her chair around to see Mr. Oliver Queen again by her cubicle , this time with a slight smirk on his face.

Felicity takes a deep breath and blurts out "Hello Mr. Queen...I mean Oliver. I knew that because you said that Mr. Queen who was, I mean is dead ...oh god I mean your hair is lovely. Was lovely! Not to mean that I have been studying your hair. That would odd.....please say something to make me stop.."

Oliver smiles during Felicity's babbling as he realizes this is the first time he has smiled at someone that was not family and actually meant it.  The thought sticks in his head as he interrupts her after a minute or two

"That's ok Felicity. I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with the damaged laptop the other day.  Luckily I am ...going to a new coffee shop now."

Felicity raises a quick eyebrow and returns Oliver's smile with one of her own as she looks at him.

In her mind her thoughts are "He is so good-looking. What are you doing Felicity? YOU CAN'T HAVE A CRUSH ON OLIVER QUEEN.....Though it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilty....NO NO PROFESSIONAL. YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL."


Felicity responded with "I am glad to hear that. And you are Very Welcome."

Oliver nods and turns around to leave as Felicity continues to smile as he walks away.  After a couple steps however Oliver turns around.

"Oh hey one more thing Felicity.." Oliver digs into his coat pocket slowly as Felicity raises her right handing a waving gesture


"Oh please you didn't have to get me anything. Just being.." Felicity stops as Oliver hands her a piece of paper with a code on it.

"When you have time  can you see if you can run that code and see what it translates to?" Oliver askes her as Felicity takes her hand and swipes the paper from his and places it on the desk.

"I will ASPA , I mean ASAP this as soon as possible...which is what I just said." Felicity says trailing off into a mumble at the end which Oliver does not hear as he is already out of the office by then leaving Felicity with a slight bewildered grin on her face.

"Do the cute ones have some sort of magic to disappear easily?" she says to herself as she goes back to working on her computer.




 Later that night , Felicity is getting ready to go home having a long day at work and translating the code Oliver gave her on to a e-mail she sent to him within minutes of cracking it.

"I've earned all the wine tonight." she says as suddenly as she is about to leave the cubicle , a man rushed up to her.

"So glad I didn't miss you Miss Smoak!! This package arrived just now for you." Simon, a work pal of hers , tells her out of breath as he hands her a box with a note.

"Thanks Simon!" Felicity says to him as she walks to the elevator with the box.  Luckily it is late so she has the elevator to herself. As the door closes and takes her down to the parking lot, she opens the note.

In plain print , it says "Now this is also for you. - Oliver "

Felicity puts the note in her pocket and slowly opens the box. "I swear if this is a syringe..." She opens the box to see a red pen inside. She picks up the pen with her other hand and see the words "Felicity Smoak" enscribed into it. As she turns the pen she spots more words underneath her name which she reads outloud

"Future CEO" Felicity pauses again before a big smile appears on her face again as she holds the pen and reads it one more time "Future CEO. Sounds good."

Agents of SHIELD came back last night and I am going to do a quick review of the major things that happened in the episode.

- The Flash-Forward. Hmm I swear I've seen this plot device before and recently too. Oh well. We started the episode in space as 3 MONTHS FROM NOW flashes on the screen. Mostly we see a quinjet(?) in space as suddenly we go inside the ship to see that something bad has happened inside of there as blood drops are floating alongside a torn cross as the ship is blowing up.

Now the speculation begins : Who is in the ship? Honestly I have no clue right now. (Well except Bobbi and Hunter. Ain't them for sure. Hello Marvel's Most Wanted.)


-As for the main stories of the episode we had the main A-plot of the team trying to find and help a new inhuman by the name of Elana "yo-yo" Rodriguez , a newly christened speedster. She kidnaps Mack at first but after she is captured, they find out she is only stealing weapons to keep them from the corrupt police force. Who end up having their own inhuman! (His power , sort of a madusa stare, was pretty cool) The Secret Warriors/Shield team are able to rescue Bobbi and Hunter, who were kidnapped by them just as Hydra shows up to collect their medusa boy.

It was a okay storyline which did have a few cool moments of fun and a few chuckles but overall I felt very okay with it. I wish we could spend more time with Yo-Yo however as her scenes with Mack had just a hint of the chemistry I had been hoping for. (Sidenote : Mack really needs some lovin'. CMON SHOW)


- B-plot was Coulson trying to get more info on ways to get at Gideon Malick. This was mehh at best but this could be to my overall blahness over all things Coulson anymore. He is able to get info on how to contact Malick from baby Strucker and sends him a threat. This leads Gideon to close some of his businesses and the stock market to go down
(and also how does this stop him, Phil? All you've done is honestly cost people their jobs. Way to go.)


NOTES

- As for couples on the show - Daisy and Lincoln are full-steam ahead if the make-out session near the end of this episode was any indication.

As for FitzSimmons, it was awkward between them for most of the episode till Jemma finally spoke some truth to Fitz. They both agreed to a fresh start which I hope is the beginning of something really good (I HOPE)


- Ward is Hive now. That's basically all to say about these scenes.....I got nothing else.

-May was pretty quiet this episode (well more than usual) as she was in the scene where The President confronted Coulson on what his plans for Malick were and a nice quiet scene at the end where she tells Coulson "He's joined the Calvary" I expect this to change very soon however.



OVERALL : This episode was okay at best. There were good moments but for a spring premiere episode this just felt a little flatter than I expected it to be. The Inhumans storyline will go for the rest of the season and it will be interesting to see what other powered characters they meet.*


 *Personal Opinion : Just give me my FitzSimmons

Today, news broke out that Steven Moffat would be leaving Doctor Who in 2017, giving up showrunner duties to former Doctor Who and Torchwood writer Chris Chibnall.  Furthermore , in 2016 it was also announced that there would only be one episode of Doctor Who, a Christmas special before Series 10 starts in spring of 2017. Below are my extended thoughts about all of the Doctor Who-related news.

First of - Moffat's leaving. I have never been a huge fan of Steven Moffat's though I do think he has written some great episodes of Who. As for his seasons as showrunner, it has been hit and miss especially his last two with Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. I was not a fan of series 8 for the most part while this last season was one of the best Who seasons since Tennant's run as The Doctor. During Moffat's run as showrunner, he has written a ton of the episodes and had hit a creative peak with Hell Bent and Heaven Sent , bidding farewell to Jenna Coleman's Clara in a run that some  people considered the best of new Who.

I think that this is a good time for Moffat to bow out. When he finishes 2017, he will have been in charge of Who for 7 years. His mark on the show will not be forgotten but he has also has his detractors who think he has ruined Doctor Who. Even though it is not the reason he's leaving, that has get to a person in time. Also since 2010 as well Moffat has worked on Sherlock and will continue to do so this year (as much as Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman schedules allow) and that also puts a strain on him. So Moffat is right to go out while still producing quality work and can focus on new projects in the future.

Second - What about Capaldi? Peter has been dropping hints about season 10 possibly being his last as the Doctor. Now if this would happen, it would be almost unanimous disappointment from all Doctor Who fans. Sadly I think this might be happening for a couple reasons. One is that by the end of season 10 , Peter will have been The Doctor for 3 seasons and a special, close to Tennant's run and as much as Matt Smith's run. That's a good run for anybody and Peter would be happy to go out at the top of his Doctor game.

The other big reason and the one I think will happen is that since Moffat is leaving , that Peter will leave with him. I think this is likely to happen as Peter could show a sense of loyalty and go with Steven in 2017. I personally hope he stays for another season after 2017 but will not blame Capaldi if this is his choice (and I really hope he gets to make the decision and is not forced into one.)


Third - no episodes for 2016 except a Christmas Special. This is one you can not blame on Moffat as this was a decision by the BBC. I'm very disappointed about this though I hope it gives Moffat more time to be able to work on both Doctor Who and Sherlock and make them the best they can possible be for 2017.

Finally, the new showrunner : Chris Chibnall. Now mostly known for being the creator of Broadchurch, he has written a few episodes of Doctor Who and a lot of Torchwood episodes (A spin-off of Doctor Who for those who have not watched it). His Torchwood episodes are really good in my opinion while his Doctor Who ones are good to pretty bad (Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - Woof). I think he can be a fine showrunner as long as he surrounds himself with the best writers possible (go with a good bit of season 9's writers starting with Sarah Dollard "Face the Raven") and he could be helped out by Peter Capaldi staying though.



So in short, Doctor Who is not going to die. It might take a long vacation in 2016 but it will return with a vengeance in 2017 for Moffat's final year. Doctor Who has become a world-wide phenomenon , thanks some to Steven Moffat and regardless of your thoughts good or bad of him, let's wish him the best and hope he can produce a spectacular Series 10 for all of us to enjoy.