Shadowhunters Review

    I hope everyone is having a good week so far!  I'm making an attempt to post at least once this week just so I feel accomplished.  As you all know, I've been eagerly waiting for the arrival of "Shadowhunters" on Free Form, which used to be ABC Family.  Unfortunately I didn't have time to post about it last night because I ended up watching not just the first episode, but the SECOND one as well!  I downloaded the new Free Form app on my phone in order to access the second episode, which they unlocked for those people who had the app.  I will be reviewing both episodes here while also letting you know what I did or did not like about the show so far.  If you haven't seen either episode one or two, be prepared for spoilers below.

(tmisource.com)

    I'm going to start off with the negative because I feel like it's easier to pick out what I didn't like than what I did like.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed watching this show and I will definitely keep watching, however there are some things that bugged me about this pilot.  The first thing I'm going to mention is that once things moved past initial introductions, everything seemed a bit rushed, even the dialogue.  It's as if they were trying to cram too much into the pilot episode.  The second episode was a bit better tempo-wise, but still crammed with a lot.  I think a lot of people have already commented on this, so I won't elaborate any more, but I think it may have something to do with attempting to combine the first two books into this first season.  We see elements of both City of Bones and City of Ashes here in these first two episodes, so those of us who read the books may deem this to be a bad move.  I think as a show, without re-reading the books for it, is a great show and Free Form's first attempt at a really good fantasy show.  We have to remember that Cassandra Clare was directly involved with this show, so there is hope for the show to become more relaxed.

(fanpop.com)

    The biggest thing I had a problem with, besides the obvious rushing of events, was the institute.  There were WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE in there!  The New York institute is supposed to be practically empty except for the Lightwoods and Hodge.  The ancient and empty institute is what made it interesting and mysterious.  Now it looks like they are raising an army in there with loads of modern technology.  The institute in the movie took my breath away with how beautiful and spot on it was visually.  This TV show one fell a little flat for me.
    I don't mind the difference in ages and I think it works better for the demographic they are trying to hit with this new launch of ABC Family as Free Form.  I don't mind Hodge as a younger guy because apparently he was younger than the rest of the Circle members in the books.  I also like how Valentine is older and looks more like a father of an 18 year old.  I also love the guy playing Valentine, (he was also in Reign as King Henry and he was AMAZING).  He had a decent amount of screen time too.
    The Silent Brother's scene from episode two bothered me a little also.  They look pretty much the same as before, although I think they could look even creepier, but that's just me.  The graveyard setting was key because they look after their dead, so the fact that this looks more like the entrance to the troll market from Hellboy is a little underwhelming.  I did enjoy the part where Jace said my favorite line from the book, "Shadowhunters: looking better in black than the widows of our enemies."

(tmisource.com)

   The characters were good.  I loved the Lightwoods!  They are spot on and Alec is SO DONE WITH EVERYONE'S SHIT already, it's so perfect.  I also really liked Simon because it really felt like the Simon from the book, (not sure if that's because Alberto has read the books and is actually a fan girl like the rest of us, but it could be).  I also like Luke, even though they've deviated from his original profession.  I even liked Raphael, for the short time he was in the second episode.  Dom looks great as Jace, but I honestly think that Jamie Campbell Bower was a better Jace at this point.  Jace is sarcastic, witty, narcissistic, and rude.  It was almost as if Dom was holding back a lot, so I'm hoping he gets more comfortable with himself as Jace as the show moves forward.  Some of the dialogue was straight from the books while some of it was really corny at times, so they have to find that happy medium.  Clary felt mostly true to her character for me, but there were times where I feel like she accepted everything that was going on too easily.  She really just went along with Jace without asking too many questions.  I understand that she's in it for her mom and that's all she cares about, but shouldn't all of this be a bit more overwhelming at first?  I can understand her coming to terms with her new status in the second or third episode, but she shouldn't just be able to jump right into being a Shadowhunter.  Can we mention Jocelyn for a minute?  She's a complete bad ass and I totally approve.  She's still unwilling to introduce Clary to the Shadow world, but she is willing to kill demons to protect her, instead of acting helpless.  Also, definitely not enough Magnus for me.

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    The second episode was better than the pilot.  They had a decent introduction to the vampires, but I'm wondering if they're going to turn Simon this early in the season or if they'll wait it out a few more episodes.  Obviously they're going to have to attempt a rescue mission in the third episode which may or may not involve Magnus's help, so we'll see how that goes.

    Overall, I think this show has potential.  There were some great lines in these first two episodes, (including the one above),  many nods to the books while also recognizing this as their "translation" of them, and a little bit of action.  I really hope they have the fight in the vampire den as a part of this series because I'd love to see more vampires vs. werewolves up in here.  This is how I see everyone's inner dialogue, based solely on the first two episodes:
  Clary: GUYS I LITERALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU'RE SAYING unless it's about my mom.
  Jace: How's my hair?
  Isabelle: *looks at everyone like they have a secret to keep and she knows it*
  Alec: I CAN'T EVEN.
  Simon: What the actual fuck?
    I'm really excited about this series and I will not be deterred from watching because of only the first two episodes.  Yes, there are some things I didn't like or that didn't feel right to me, but that's because it's a pilot.  After watching both episodes I can say that the second one felt better than the first, so I'm hoping that trend continues throughout the series.  I may or may not be posting every week about this show, but I will keep you posted on definite likes and dislikes that need to be addressed as they come up.  What did you think?  Do we have similar opinions about the show so far?  What would you like to see in future episodes?  Is anyone else counting down until Malec?!??  Let's discuss in the comments below!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
   

TV Recap

    Hey everybody!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.  Although the Patriots lost AGAIN, and therefore robbed me of my free coffee on Monday, I still got to see a lot of good TV, including a special behind-the-scenes special for Shadowhunters, (more on that below).  Plus, there are about 17 more days until Christmas and 11 until my birthday, so there's something for me to be happy about!  I'm going to be talking about some of my shows today, at least one of which is now on winter break.  I'll also be breaking down my thoughts on the Shadowhunters special, so stay tuned for that if you're interested or obsessed, like I am.  If you haven't been watching or are not caught up in Once, Arrow, Flash or Agents of Shield, BEWARE OF SPOILERS below!

(www.tv.com)

    Once had ALL the feels this week, as we see Emma become the better of two evils in order to battle Dark Hook and his master plan to destroy everything Emma loves, (except himself of course).  It looks like Emma has forgotten she's also a Dark One, but that's alright because everyone is completely OK with it.  Everyone has the Mark of Cane on them, thanks to Dark Hook, which means that they all just bought a one-way ticket to Hell, unless someone can come up with a way to finagle out of it.  Emma does, but Hook thwarts her once again, causing everyone to just give up and spend time with each other.  This episode seemed very blah to me after everything we'd been going through up until this point.  I did enjoy the little flashbacks of Hook and his father, but nothing was really explained at the end, so we have NO idea if Liam #2 is still alive and/or if he's looking for Hook, his big half-brother and their father's murderer.  In the end, Hook changes his mind at the last second and gives Emma the sword in order to run him through, like a real girlfriend would.  It's all very emotional because Killian was like the only really hot guy left on the show, (Charming is OK, but he's not my type...plus he's barely spoken in last few episodes).  But when you think it's over, you get Rumple, who's been biding his time until he can revert back to his evil ways again.  Thanks to some bit of leftover magic dust he had stocked up in one of his cabinets, Rumple now has all of the past lives of the Dark Ones trapped inside him, plus the dagger, ultimately making him more powerful than he's ever been.  Emma threatens to tell Belle, now that they've rekindled their relationship, so Rumple agrees to do Emma a favor.  Which is to bring her and her entire family to Hell to get Killian back.  Didn't they just get out of that mess?  Anyway, we'll see what happens when this show comes back from hiatus, but I'm guessing a lot of betrayal and dead enemies.

(superherohype.com)

    Arrow and Flash had a crossover episode last week, which was really cool to watch.  Barry was trying to find ways to increase his speed since taking on Zoom has decreased his confidence significantly.  Cisco and Kendra have taken things to the next level, but are interrupted on their date by Vandal Savage, the random bad guy of this crossover.  Savage is here specifically for Kendra, who is actually Hawk Girl in a reincarnated state.  It takes most of the episode, and a little help from Team Arrow, to figure this out.  We also meet Kendra's counterpart, Hawk Guy, (I don't know what he's actually called).  Their souls are apparently linked so that in each new life, they can find each other again, (AWWW).  Poor Cisco... How can you possible compete with that?  Anyway, Kendra finds her wings by free-falling off a skyscraper, Barry and Oliver work together to figure out the best course of action when dealing with the mystical Savage.  They figure out that Savage is immortal and that he's hunting mystical objects related to Hawk Girl's origin.  Malcolm Merlin offers some words of encouragement on the nature of immortality as both teams convene over drinks at Ollie's apartment.  There are lots of jabs at each other, (Barry nags Ollie about no sleeves, Cisco insists on renaming Speedy, Barry comments on Merlin's shadowy entrance, etc.).  Hawk Guy swoops in, (literally), takes Kendra, gets beaten by Team Awesome and questioned about what he knows.  Eventually, they all figure out that Savage is after a magical scepter, which he gets his hands on, but not without a fight from Arrow and Flash.  After realizing that Savage is after Kendra, now that she's gotten her powers back, they leave for Star City, but not before Oliver has an awkward run-in with the child he fathered with that girl Moira paid off back in Season 2 or something.  WHAT?!
    Enter the Arrow crossover, Legends of Yesterday.  As I'm writing this, I just realized that Oliver had more story line in the Flash crossover and Barry had more story line in the Arrow crossover...weird.  Anyway, both teams travel to a farmhouse on the outskirts of Star City, (cue Thea making an obvious joke about Avengers: Age of Ultron), to regroup and come up with a plan to take on Savage.  Hawk Girl and Guy train outside and attempt to spend some time together in order to rekindle her lost memories.Oliver attempts to make contact with his long lost son while keeping it from Felicity, (HORRIBLE move).  Eventually, everyone is finally ready with what they think is an OK plan.  During the final confrontation, Savage uses the staff to incinerate everyone, which immediately causes you to think this is either a dream sequence or something because EVERYONE CAN'T DIE.  Barry runs so fast he turns back time, thank God, and he tries to help the team think of a better plan than the one that got them killed originally.  They do and it works and everyone wins, even Ollie, getting to spend some one-on-one with his son Will.  However, he still doesn't tell Felicity and she definitely KNOWS something is up, so this will not end well.  Overall, a great crossover, but the sole purpose was to set up Legends of Tomorrow, so we'll see how well that worked.

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    Agents of Shield has slowly been losing my interest as of late.  I'm not sure why, but I'm just not as invested anymore.  Last week, we saw Coulson lose his lady love by way of sniper rifle to the throat, thanks to Ward, whose goal is to now make Coulson suffer.  It's working.  Coulson then spends the entire episode trying to find Ward and kill him.  We haven't seen a lot of May or Skye/Daisy lately either, and even less of Lincoln, (which is a crying shame).  Everyone has been beaten so badly at this point, but I can't see May lying low for too much longer because of what happened with Andrew.  She's never been one to sulk.  But I loved Fitz-Simmons in this and the bond they have is obvious.  Fitz went through a portal for her!  I'm curious to see what will happen next week when Hydra tells Simmons that they only needed Fitz as a sacrifice to their horrendous Squid God...  I wish I cared more.  They wouldn't kill of Fitz, would they?...

    

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    The Shadowhunters special was probably the highlight of my night, (because I'm obsessed).  It was called "Beyond the Shadows" and featured footage from behind the scenes of filming the show, (obviously), as well as little clips and snippets we haven't seen yet in any of the trailers.  LIKE MORE MALEC!!  After watching this, I feel a lot better about watching the TV series in January, (WHY must I wait another MONTH?!).  I'm still not 100% sure this is going to make me happy because I know they are going against the book on a lot of details, but I'm hoping that I still like what they've done with the story.  Besides Malec stuff, (one of the episodes is called "Malec!"), they showed more footage of scenes from the show, which gives us an idea of what we might see from the books in the first season.  We're definitely getting Simon's burial, when he becomes a vampire, and it looks like we're going to meet Isabelle's Seelie/Faerie boyfriend, which means a trip down into the Seelie Court.  This means we can expect content from at least the first two books, if not a bit of the third, although I've seen nothing so far to suggest that yet.  There are only 13 episodes in the first season, so I have no idea what they're going to do or how they're going to split things up.  Regardless, I've already watched the special twice and it's on YouTube and ABC Family's website, so I'll leave the link here so you guys can watch it if you're interested.  I believe the show will be better received if all the guys go shirtless.

    Ok, I think that's about all I have for you today.  If you watch any of these shows or have thoughts on the Shadowhunters show, let me know in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Nerd Alert!

    Hey guys!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  I'm coming at you this week with very few ideas, so don't be surprised if I end up not posting Thursday.  That being said, I'll be doing a movie-book comparison today for The Mortal Instruments series.  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in a previous post, but after finishing The Infernal Devices prequel trilogy, I had to get my hands on The Mortal Instruments and read through that series pronto.  As you might imagine, I'm already on book five of six after acquiring all six books a week ago Monday.  I can't seem to put it down and, as a result, I've watched the film version of City of Bones about three times last week in addition to checking out the TV clips for the new Shadowhunters series coming to ABC Family this January, (soon to be Freeform).  So this will be a comparison between the book series, the movie and what I've seen of the TV series thus far.  Let's get into it.

(goodreads.com)

    For those of you who don't know, I'll give a brief synopsis of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which both the movie and TV show are based off of.  Clary Fray is your typical city teenager, until she stumbles into the Pandemonium Club and her life changes forever.  She witnesses what she thinks is a brutal murder, only to discover that demons lurk in the shadows of our world.  Our only defense against these creatures are Shadowhunters, part human and part angel, who are brought up for a single purpose: to destroy demons.  Clary gets sucked into this world, while, unknown to her, her mother is captured by the same man who may hold the answers to her questions about her lost life.  After everything she's been through, Clary discovers that demons, vampires and werewolves, among other things, are very real and not part of the fairy tale her mother made her believe.  Clary has to decide whether or not she's going to accept her destiny.  This series has six books and is a great introduction to the Shadowhunter world, however, I would recommend reading the prequel trilogy The Infernal Devices before reading The Mortal Instruments to give you a better sense of the world and it's past.  I promise you won't regret it!

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    For what it's worth, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the movie adaptation of the City of Bones novel.  What I loved the most about the movie was the casting.  I think they got every character spot on, including personalities and mannerisms.  It's very rare that a book-to-movie adaptation can do that, but I think this movie did it fairly well.  I thought Jace's character, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, was incredible and definitely loyal to the character of Jace in the books.  He exuded Jace everywhere, so it will be hard for someone else to take his place, (more on that when I get into the TV show).  As for Clary, I thought Lily Collins did a fantastic job, although she didn't stand out quite as much to me as Jace did.  The first three quarters of the movie were pure gold.  Even with the minor changes they did to adapt the book to screenplay, (like the scene in the greenhouse with Jace and Clary), I thought were done well and respected the book.  I actually liked some of the movie alterations better than what happened in the book.  The last quarter of the movie was a mess, I have to admit.  Although I love Jonathan Rhys Meyers, (SWOON), I didn't think he was what I had pictured for Valentine.  He looked too young in contrast to Jocelyn, (played by Lena Heady), and I didn't always believe him.  The end also seemed rushed and didn't stick with the book at all, so they lost me there.  However, when I read the books, I'm picturing this cast as I read, not the one from the TV show.

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    As for the TV show, there is one thing I'm more disappointed about than anything and that's Jace.  The actor, Dominic Sherwood, has a GORGEOUS English accent and they TOOK THAT AWAY FROM HIM.  One of the reasons I loved the Jace in the movie adaptation so much is because he was stunning and attractive, partially because of his accent.  Dominic has an accent, but his character is apparently sporting a very American accent, due to them being in New York.  I will point out that not a lot of Shadowhunters are actually from the places where their institutes are located.  That being said, I was very disappointed that they didn't let Jace keep his accent for the TV show because I feel like that would give him the sort of edge he needs to really be the Jace we deserve.  I'm also not a huge fan of Clary in the TV show.  She seems headstrong and brave enough, but she also seems kind of annoying, like bold enough to go where she doesn't belong and touch everything that says, "DO NOT TOUCH."  He hair also bothers me, because it's so obviously fake, where Lily Collins' hair was more realistic.  It also looks like they changed up a lot in the first scenes of the TV show, compared to the book.  I'm already worried that the TV producers are going to change too much and deviate farther from the original path of the novel.  I still can't wait for it to come out, (I mean, check out that clip!), but I still have my doubts.

    The books have been amazing!  Since I read Harry Potter as a child, I knew how it felt to want to be something else instantly, like a wizard.  I've always wanted to be a wizard because of how much Harry Potter touched me.  I haven't felt like that in a long time.  Now, reading The Mortal Instruments, I feel like I want to be a Shadowhunter.  It's the same feeling I thought I would never have again.  This just goes to show that books have a power all their own.  But what do you think?  Are you as obsessed with Shadowhunters as I am?  Are you looking forward to the TV show?  What did you think of the movie?  Let's discuss in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

TV Recap

    Hey guys, sorry about not posting yesterday.  I totally forgot:(  I'm going to try to keep myself on track by putting reminders in my phone so that I can keep up with things.  I very rarely sit at my computer these days and with everything else going on in my life at the moment I've found it difficult to stay on track.  I am planning a little mini vacation for myself when the holidays come around, so that'll be nice.  ANYWAY, I meant to do a recap yesterday of the TV shows I've been keeping up with lately, so here we go.  Beyond this point are SPOILERS, so if you're not caught up, don't read!

(greenarrowtv.com)

    Arrow was big last week because of Constantine making a cameo appearance.  My husband loved that show and when it was cancelled, he wasn't too happy.  Needless to say he's been given a second chance and it did not disappoint.  We left off with Team Arrow trying to figure out the best way to approach the now loose Sarah after attempts to talk her down failed.  Thea realized that her blood-lust was directed towards her, because Thea was the one who killed her under Merlin's influence.  Thea decided she wanted to let Sarah kill her in order to cure her blood-lust because Thea felt that she was the only one who understood what Sarah was going through.  Thea's blood-lust cannot be cured because the person who killed her is already dead and she can't avenge herself.  Obviously the rest of the team didn't like this idea, so Oliver called in some back-up in the form of an old friend.
    They showed flashbacks to when Oliver was back on his old friend The Island and Constantine happened to be held at gunpoint by his commanding officer.  Constantine took Oliver hostage and drove him to a location where he knew there was a magical artifact that he needed.  Oliver saved his life Indiana Jones style, which meant Constantine owed him a favor.  Back in the present, Constantine devised a plan that would allow Oliver and Laurel to go inside Sarah's mind to retrieve her soul.  In the end, everyone is successful and Sarah is returned to her normal state.  Diggle receives closure about his dead brother and Felicity discovers that Ray is still alive.  A lot happened this past week, so I can't wait to see where this goes.  I believe Constantine will be a crucial part of defeating Dahrk, but we'll see.

(movietralerreviews.net)

    Agents of SHIELD was also full of surprising revelations last week.  We see Agent May return to the team under circumstances beyond her control.  Andrew, her ex husband, was involved in an explosion that killed several members of the newly-formed Hydra group, sent by Ward.  May and Bobbi team up in this episode and it was awesome!  This was the first time Bobbi had returned to the field since last season, so she was still unsure of herself in the beginning.  May and Bobbi make a great team and May was able to talk Bobbi into relinquishing her fear.  Meanwhile, Skye, (I still can't call her Daisy...it's too weird), and the rest of the gang are trailing Coulson as he meets up with the leader of the ATCU.  They discover that she's putting the Inhumans she captures into a sort of stasis in order to bide time for finding a cure.  We also find out that she lost her husband to cancer and refuses to let the Inhumans deal with their troubling abilities without at least trying to help them.  Noble, but is she really doing the right thing?
    The real shocker in this episode, which I kind of saw coming, is the reveal of the human identity of Lash.  After Skye saw Lash turn back into a human a few episodes ago, she didn't want to let it go.  As they search for the answers, May is actually the one to find out the truth from a dying Von Strucker.  We see in a flashback to the explosion that Andrew is actually Lash and caused the explosion that killed everyone inside the store.  This also explains how he could have survived such an explosion.  We're probably going to be dealing with this revelation when May and Bobbi return from their mission.  May is currently the only one who knows about Andrew, so it's unlikely that she will tell anyone until she has a chance to talk to him herself, knowing the truth will set everyone into a panic.  Inhumans everywhere!

(flashtvnews.com)

    Flash was interesting last week.  I've been waiting for Barry to ask Patty out for awhile now, so I'm glad they finally worked that in.  Unfortunately, the poor bastard was blind for most of the date, thanks to a run-in with our newest Inhuman bad person, who looks identical to Linda Park, one of Barry's ex-girlfriends from last season and Iris's friend in the newsroom.  While they deal with Linda's doppelganger, everyone is dealing with working alongside the Earth 2 Harrison Wells.  Although this version of Dr. Wells is identical to the one Barry defeated last season, they have very different personalities.  No one is comfortable, but they have to learn to work together in order to defeat this season's villain, Zoom.  Dr. Wells even helps Cisco, (albeit not kindly), reveal his new powers to the rest of the team, shocking everyone, including Cisco.  In the end, Dr. Light is captured with Cisco's psychic help before she can kill Linda, Barry gets the girl after regaining his eye sight and Cisco introduces himself to an attractive barista, who will turn out to become Hawkgirl this season and continue on to the spin-off Legends of Tomorrow with The Atom and the White Canary from Arrow.  When every episode of Flash introduces a new character, you have to learn how to keep track of the ones who aren't temporary.

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    Lastly, Once threw us for a loop last weekend as well, introducing us to the original Dark One, aka Nimue, who was Merlin's lost love.  As Merlin and Emma search for the last ember of Prometheus in order to reforge the sword, (I will never get tired of saying that), to wipe out Emma's darkness.  While on their quest, Merlin recounts his past, including the day he discovered the Holy Grail and inadvertently created Arthur's future kingdom.  He also discovers he has magic and eternal life, which he uses to help the people in his ever-growing village.  There he meets Nimue, who has fled her town after a murderous lunatic set fire to everything and killed everyone in order to find the grail.  Merlin falls for her and they devise a plan to turn the cup into a sword in order to wipe out Merlin's magic so they can be together for one life.  Nimue ends up betraying Merlin for revenge against the man who destroyed her village and becomes the first Dark One, having taken the man's heart and crushed it.  The rest of the gang stage a break in of Arthur's castle in order to get the sword.  As usual, they're betrayed by Zelena and sent away before completing their task.  As we move back to present day in Storybrooke, we see that Emma has both pieces of the sword and is able to put them together.  She encounters all her past Dark Ones, including Nimue, who watch her put the sword back together.  Emma briefly recalls when Merlin told her as a child to "leave the sword alone," which she doesn't end up doing anyway.  We'll see what happens in the two-hour show this weekend, but I have a feeling Emma knows what she's doing.  Merlin and Emma talked about whether or not a dark force can overcome itself in the right circumstances and Merlin hints that maybe someday there will be someone strong enough to break the darkness for good.  I have a feeling it'll be Emma, but we'll see.

    So that's all I have for recaps this week.  For someone who doesn't watch a lot of TV, I'm finding that the TV I am watching is sufficient and engaging enough to keep my interest.  I've also been adjusting my November TBR to accommodate my new obsession, which is The Mortal Instruments series.  I read the first book in a day, so I'm hoping to finish the series by the end of this month.  I plan on doing an author spotlight tomorrow on Cassandra Clare, so more on that then.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Nerdy Recap

    Hey everyone!  I apologize, (again), for not posting on Tuesday.  I've had a lot going on and I've gotten back to working on my unfinished colloquium, which is supposed to be done at the beginning of December.  That being said, I'm going to try to make an effort to remember to post on the days I've set aside, if not for your sake, then for mine, just to have some sort of distraction at least.  I'll be moving my Nerd Alert to next Tuesday and in the meantime I thought that today could be a recap of the TV I've been catching up on.  We're talking Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Arrow.

    Although I don't have cable, I do have a Hulu and a Netflix account, (like any normal person would), but that means I have to watch my shows the day after they air, which puts me at a slight disadvantage.  Regardless, my husband and I try to get caught up as soon as possible and we just caught up with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D last night.  Oh my Lord has it gotten complicated!  For those of you who aren't aware, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D follows a team of people from the Marvel universe who work closely with the Marvel superheroes and tie in directly with The Avengers, etc.  We're entering season three now and things have gone haywire from where they started in season one.  Season two's finale tied in directly with the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was awesome!  Marvel is working to connect the cinematic and television universes together and they are doing a great job so far.  Beyond this point are SPOILERS galore, so aver your eyes, unless you're an Inhuman!

(comicbookmovie.com)

    Anyway, season two also ended with Simmons getting sucked into an inter-dimensional alien portal monolith, (otherwise known as a giant, black rock which can liquefy at random).  At the beginning of this season, we see Fitz attempting to discover the mysteries of the alien stone and try to get his true love out of her prison.  We find out that she's actually alive at the end of the first episode of this season, which aroused more questions, like where the hell is she?  We also get introduced to the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, (ATCU), created by the government to fill the empty hole left by the destruction of the old S.H.I.E.L.D.  Episode two saw more of Fitz scrambling to get into the portal, breaking an old Asgardian ally out of prison to travel to a remote English castle to experiment with ancient technology.  Needless to say it was risky business, but Fitz was willing to do anything to get Simmons back.  Meanwhile, Skye/Daisy, (I'm never going to get used to her name change), is still searching for Lincoln, who's now on the run from everybody, thanks to this new agency attempting to flush him out with press coverage.  We see Simmons and Fitz finally reunited after a harrowing rescue ordeal with the help of Daisy's quake abilities.  Episode three saw Simmons in recovery mode, trying to fight off the horror of surviving that hell hole mystery planet.  Fitz tries to show her that he's kept everything as she left it, but Bobbi mentions that maybe she needs some change, something different to make her feel more comfortable and move on from her ordeal.  So, naturally, Fitz uses his long-standing reservation at a nice restaurant to clear the air, only she spends the evening crying on his shoulder.  The ATCU is still on the hunt for Lincoln and that poor bastard can't trust anybody but Daisy now, so he ends up giving in and finally asking for help, but not before he accidentally kills a friend of his.  And kisses Daisy, which I've wanted to happen for awhile now and I'm SO GLAD it did!  But now they have to find him again... Also, Ward is back in the picture, trying to reform Hydra with the son of von Strucker.  This should be a very interesting season indeed.

(screenrant.com)

  Arrow has only had two episodes so far and I've only seen the first one, (we'll be catching up tonight with Flash and Arrow).  Season three saw the disengagement of the team Oliver led with him fleeing into suburbia to a life of quiet and quiche.  That didn't last long.  Season four begins with the gang disarming a truck full of vagrants, with Speedy, aka Thea, joining their task force in a nice red getup.  Soon they discover this goes far over their heads and the city is now in danger, thanks to Damien Dahrk, the villain of season four.  I've heard he's a force to be reckoned with in the comics, so we'll see if that plays out in the show, but so far, I fear him completely.  He has some modifications to the comic version of himself, including mystic powers far beyond those of most professional human beings, which incapacitate his victims easily, including Oliver.  We see Oliver attempt to propose to Felicity before being interrupted by Laurel and Diggle, asking for his help.  I really hope it doesn't take him the whole season to propose to her or I'm literally going to scream.  We've been waiting for this for FOUR SEASONS NOW GUYS.  Also, what concerns me is the end scene, with Oliver at a grave site in the near future, six months from the present.  We don't see whose grave it is, but Oliver swears painful vengeance on whoever is responsible for the death.  WHO COULD IT BE?!?  I can't even begin to discuss the theories I have for this cliff hanger.  For one, it could be Felicity, just because the CW people are cruel and refuse to satisfy the fan shipping we all want to happen and to destroy Oliver once and for all.  Another option would be Diggle, since his warrior outfit is literally the worst and he still has to forgive Oliver for what he did to his family last season, so there's obvious tension there.  Then there's Thea, an obvious choice because it's his only remaining family and it would devastate him to lose his beloved sister.  Those are my three choices for who ends up dying, probably by the end of the season, so we'll have a lot of time to think about it before they actually show us who it is.  I'm excited and frustrated at the same time.

(comicbook.com)

    So there you have it, my recap and slight reviews of Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D so far.  I'm looking forward to following these series this season because I feel like they've both reached their apex.  It can only get better from here.  I've also reached season three in The Vampire Diaries after only a week of excessive late-night Netflix binge-watching.  I've even hooked my husband into watching it with me, (against his better judgement).  I'm addicted now, so if I keep going like this I should be able to catch up before the newer seventh season is over.  Fingers crossed!  What about you guys?  Do you watch Arrow or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D?  Vampire Diaries?  Thoughts on any and all of these shows can be left down in the comments!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Fall TV!

    Well hello everyone!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I spent mine working, but in reality, that isn't so bad, considering I've spent the last three months not doing anything at all.  It's nice to have somewhere to go and something to do, however trivial or mundane at times.  I just got home from work, actually, and Tuesdays are typically very slow, so I spend most of my time reading and cleaning up the shop.  Even though I barely did anything, I'm still exhausted.  My chronic fatigue is rearing it's ugly head again, so I'm going to assume there's some sickness coming on.  I can't wait for that to manifest...  I also can't wait to crawl into bed with my book, but that's neither here nor there.

    Today I decided to talk about TV because I haven't in awhile.  In fact, some of my more successful or popular posts were TV re-caps, where I talk about what happened in a given episode and what my premonitions might be for future episodes.  Since fall officially starts this week, (especially with the weather finally cooling down to an acceptable temperature), we can expect our favorite TV programs to grace our televisions once more.  I'm going to list the TV shows I'm most excited to watch this season and shows that I might get into if I have the time.  We'll start with a few shows that I'm excited to see return to my weekly line-up.

(hypable.com)

    Once Upon a Time:  I've mentioned this show countless times here and there's no doubt it's my favorite anticipated series premiere on this list.  If you are unfamiliar with OUAT, fairy tale characters have been taken from their enchanted forests and castles and placed in a small Maine town due to a curse by the Evil Queen.  Obviously you'll have to start from season one to get the gist of it, but there's a lot of hidden mystery in this show.  I will be honest in the fact that I did lose a little momentum for this series last season when they introduced Frozen characters because I don't think they did any justice to the story.  HOWEVER, Emma is now The Dark One, (due to a series of unfortunate and unavoidable events), and her family has to deal with the repercussions of Emma's sacrifice.  There are a few new characters getting introduced this season that I'm excited about, including Merida, the Camelot crew, (I'm definitely calling them that from now on), which includes Merlin and King Arthur, and the return of Mulan!  I'm really excited about this season, so if you're new to this, just binge watch the first four seasons.  It should only take you two weeks, tops, and it's totally worth it.  GO DARK SWANN!  Also, LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS POSTER!  Season five premieres this Sunday, September 27th at 8pm EST.

(seat42f.com)

    Arrow:  Arrow has had it's ups and downs for me, but I fell in love with this series after season two.  It's so complex for a CW show that I was initially surprised.  Who would have thought that the CW network, the same network responsible for the Vampire Diaries, would put out great programming like Arrow, The Flash, Reign and The 100?  The CW has become a formidable force when it comes to dramatic television and Arrow is no exception.  It is dark, gritty and very much a DC universe reminiscent of Batman in all his glory.  If you haven't started this series yet, I highly suggest you do so.  The first season is a little slow, but by season two you will be hooked.  We left off last season with Oliver Queen running away to his new, quiet life after faking his own death with the League of Assassins.  The Arrow is no more, but the GREEN Arrow will be born from the ashes.  This season we get the formal introduction of Speedy, Oliver's younger sister Thea Queen, and Laurel Lance as the Black Canary, taking over for her dead sister Sarah.  With so much that can happen to this new and complete team, there's so much to speculate.  Stephen Amell is still HAF though, amirite?  Season four promises to be just as great, if not better, than all it's previous seasons, premiering Wednesday, October 7th at 8pm EST.

(ign.com)

    Agents of Shield:  On the other side of the comic book spectrum, we have Marvel's Agents of Shield, who's last season finale led the way right into the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron.  I love the overlap of this series with the Marvel cinematic universe.  The show follows a team of individuals who are members of the S.H.I.E.L.D organization, (who we don't really know that much about, other than the fact that they're very much like secret agents and a task force to be reckoned with), as they investigate various happenings related to the MCU.  The first season set the ground work, although it started extremely slow.  It picked up quickly and now this show is an incredible testament for crossover potential.  Last season we were introduced to the Inhumans, Marvel's take on mutants, (because they can't legally say "mutants" because of copyright).  Skye, or Daisy, has discovered that's she's one of them and has to deal with her new role on the team as Quake.  I'm assuming we're going to dive deeper into the Inhumans story line this season with all the unanswered questions we received at the end of last season.  I literally can't wait to see what happens this season!  Season three premieres Tuesday, September 29th on ABC at 9pm EST.

(amazingracewikia.com)

    The Amazing Race:  This show is my guilty pleasure!  I watch this show with my dad and it's always nice to spend time with him watching a show we mutually love.  We get a kick out of all the different countries and places the racers visit on their way back to home base.  We also love watching the inevitable squabbles and annoying teams that make watching both laughable and painful at times.  It's one of the few reality shows that I watch religiously.  The 27th season, (WHOA), premieres this Friday, September 25th at 8pm on CBS.
    Dancing with the Stars:  Another guilty pleasure reality show I watch with my dad.  I loved last season, but this season looks ratchet, so I'm not sure if I'll watch or not.  That being said, I will most likely be drawn to the allure of Tom Bergeron's awesome personality at least.  It already premiered, so I'm behind at this point, but I can catch up on ABC.com.  Go Bindi!

   
    Those were shows I know I'll be watching the next few months.  These next shows are shows I'd like to make time for, if it's worth my while.  Still unsure whether or not I can commit to one or any of these, but we'll give it a try.
    Gotham:  I tried watching Gotham for awhile and I liked it a lot, but I missed a few episodes and never went back.  I enjoyed the dark, gritty world it portrayed, similar to Arrow, but still different.  Two very different cities, two different settings, two different groups of people, one old school Batman, another new school DCU.  This next season promises the beginnings of the Joker, whom we've all been dying to see come to life on this show.  Rumor has it the guy playing the Joker is really talented, so I'm curious to see how he brings the Joker to life.  That would be one of the only reasons I tune in.  Season two has already started on FOX.

(gamespot.com)

    Heroes Reborn:  I never watched the original Heroes, but I've heard nothing but good things about it from my friends who've seen it.  I would be doing myself a disservice if I watched this series without watching the original, but this new series looks so great!  I'd like to feel the nostalgia that comes from seeing an old character you love in a new show.  Zachary Levi seems to have somewhat of a presence on this reboot, so I'm willing to give it a go.  I'm not sure why I wasn't initially drawn to the original Heroes before, but I will have to find it on Netflix in the meantime and figure out why.  Heroes Reborn premiers Thursday, September 24th at 8pm EST on NBC.

    The Muppets:  I've always loved the muppets, so when I heard that they were trying to resurrect The Muppet Show, I almost fell out of my chair.  That being said, this is a lot different than what I was anticipating, although I think it could work for them.  The Office and Parks and Rec feel of this series makes me want to see the muppets in this environment.  I know it will not be what I am used to and I still crave the nostalgia that comes with the sing-song comedy that is the muppets, but I'm willing to give this thing a shot.  The Muppets premieres TONIGHT at 8pm EST on ABC.

    That's all I have for fall TV shows!  Hopefully I can get to all of them without cable at my disposal...  Which ones do you watch?  What are your favorites?  Are there any shows not on my list that you think I would like?  Leave me your recommendations and comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Nerd Alert!

    Since I neglected to post Tuesday and posted Wednesday instead, I thought we would just post a day off this week and get back on the wagon for next week.  This post will be a new segment I'll be trying called "Nerd Alert" in which I will do a comparison, a rant or something along those lines about something really nerdy that I find interesting.  Topics may include book-related things, such as  Harry Potter, or could be completely random, like the Power Rangers or Pokemon, etc.  I think you'll find that I enjoy a wide variety of things not meant for adults.  Unlike my husband, who is a comic book nerd, I can be nerdy about a bunch of different things and I fully embrace that!  Sometimes you just don't feel like adulting, and that's ok.
    Today's post was inspired by a cartoon I started watching again on the weekends through YouTube.  I used to watch it EVERY weekend, for about 5 years or so, (well into my high school years, no shame).  It has become a huge part of my life and my nerd fandom, so I thought it deserved a spot in here.  Since Nickelodeon has since picked up this rebooted series as of 2012, I thought it would be fun to compare the two versions.  Obviously I'll be a bit biased, but each version has it's own strong points and set backs.  I give you, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

(comicsalliance.com)

    Unfortunately, we won't be reviewing the original cartoon because, let's be honest, you really can't compare the original to anything.  The version that I was, (and still am), mildly obsessed with in high school is the 2003 version that aired on 4Kids TV.  This version was a little darker than the original with more hard lines, shadows and a comic book style look.  We'll also be looking at the newest version of the cartoon, which airs on Nickelodeon as of 2012 and is currently doing extremely well.  The current cartoon is CGI with some subtle anime-esq animation throughout.  This one's a bit more "campy" than the 2003 version and is more along the lines of the original with nods to both the comics and the original live-action movies from the 80s.

(playmatestoys.com)

    The newest version of the cartoon, (shown above), has been doing very well on it's new network.  I'm personally glad that the TMNT have benefited from this resurgence of 80s nostalgia and it seems to be flourishing.  This series has the voice talents of Sean Astin, (Raphael), Greg Cipes, (Michaelangelo), Seth Green, (Leonardo), and Rob Paulsen, (Donatello).  You may recognize Paulsen from his earlier voice acting gigs, such as The Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron, Spike from The Land Before Time movies, plus too many more to list here.  Not to mention Paulsen was the voice of the original Raphael from the 1980s cartoon series!  What a legend to have on the TMNT squad!  There was some backlash when Seth Green replaced Jason Biggs as the voice of Leonardo in 2014, but the series hasn't seemed to suffer since the change.

    I haven't watched this series as much as others, however, I will say that they have done a great job keeping true to both the comics and the other franchises.  They have made numerous references to the comic book story lines as well as the movies.  They have also brought in characters from the original series, like Rocksteady and BeBop.  The series is still meant for children, mainly kids within the elementary school to middle school range, so it's not dark and leans more towards the campy original version of the cartoon.  I enjoy the back-and-forth banter between the brothers, (say THAT five times fast), and the occasional wit from Raphael or Mikey, as per usual.  This series is actually pretty funny and adults will laugh if you give it a try with your kids.

    What I DON'T like about this series is it's lack of seriousness.  Last week's episode was the first one where I actually saw some emotion and some grit in the series.  Donatello is supposed to be a genius and an inventor, but he uses garbage cans and other trash to make weapons, robots and vehicles, (that they shouldn't be driving because they are teenagers, but I digress...).  I think Donny's talents are being wasted, quite frankly, compared to what other Donnys have done in the other series.  This also makes me think that they modeled this cartoon off of the original because the original Donny's inventions usually didn't work correctly or at all.  I think there's also a lack of character development for the brothers.  They all have their own unique personalities, but I think Mikey is the only one who really shines through in this series.  The others haven't been allowed to stand on their own once or twice, so we really only see them when their working as a team.  I miss the banter between Raph and Leo and the tension that put on the team.  Again, another reason I think this series mirrors the original the most.  

    I also don't really care for the Casey Jones in this series.  Casey and April are way too young and Casey is basically a high school drop out.  He's supposed to have motivation in order to fight the Foot Ninja as a vigilante, but I don't see that in this series, or it was never brought up.  April is also a little conflicting for me because she brings her dad into this and she also has a psychic ability for some reason, (I think she's originally a clone experiment from the Krang, but still...too much).  Overall, there are some key features missing from this series, which is why it hasn't grabbed me yet.  I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

(comicvine.com)

    This is the series to which I compare all others.  I LOVE this series, although there are some things I didn't like about it, it was and still is superior to the others.  This series, created in 2003 and aired until 2007, was gritty, dark and driven solely by the story.  It stayed true to the comic books, almost entirely, especially with the origin story.  No weird mutant bats or other animals here, except for Leatherhead, (who looks SO BAD ASS in this series by the way!).  This series hearkened to the comic book style like you wouldn't believe.  The animation is a bit dated by our standards now, but it was so inventive back then, (I'm saying that about the early 2000s...I'm so old).  LOOK at their muscles!  They are supposed to be teenagers!  Who cares?  I don't.  This is the only time I will publicly admit to having an unwarranted crush on an animated character.  I love you Raph <3

    What I love about this series is the obvious character development.  Everyone has their own personality and it shows throughout the series.  Michaelangelo is the funny guy, so he's usually the one cracking jokes and pushing everybody's buttons, (mainly Raph).  Raphael is the angry, brooding one who often goes out on his own just to get above ground, away from the confinement of the lair.  Donatello is the genius and the mechanic and builds some seriously awesome gadgets and vehicles to propel the turtles through hard times.  Leonardo is the definite leader, which sometimes pisses Raph off, but ultimately makes sense to the group.  Leo actually goes through trials for this position, which you don't see really play out in the newer series.  Each turtle has it's own voice and is differentiated from the others by variations in their green colors, which I find completely amazing, considering they already have masks, right?  These guys bring teamwork to a whole new level.

    Did I mention this series was hilarious?  I usually find myself laughing to myself every time I watch an episode.  Much like the newer series, this series makes constant nods to the comic books, movies and other nerdy fandoms, (at one point they reference Star Wars).  The wit in this series is unparalleled and the wise-cracking is insane.  You really feel like you're there with them, going through what they're going through, which is a lot actually.  They start the series with one of the comic arcs which includes Dr. Stockman's famous Mouser robots, (in the comics) and goes through their relocation process and the beginning of their adventures with The Shredder.  The story lines are so good!  They cover everything about their origins, meeting April and Casey, going galactic and everything in between.  I actually watched every weekend just to see where the story went.  I was addicted.

(turtlepedia.wikia.com)

    I love the classic comic book style animation, I love the grit and the wit, but I especially like this April/Casey combo.  They are ADULTS, first of all, and second, they both have a true purpose.  April worked for Baxter Stockman before bumping into the turtles and becoming their first human ally.  Casey shows up a few episodes after that, running into Raph after he almost bludgeons Mikey with a metal pipe, (See?  It's really heavy guys).  Casey and Raph butt heads until it's time to team up and they become BFFs.  This Casey is great and very goal-oriented.  His father's store was attacked by the Purple Dragon Gang when he was a kid, so he becomes the masked vigilante to make them pay.  No one ever kills anyone though.  Heck, they even make a note to practice restraint on more than one occasion, but this series has real emotion behind it.  They have complicated lives and it shows in the story.  Watching the romance bud between Casey and April is both hilarious and awkward at the same time, but watching them get married at the end of it all makes it worth while.

    This series takes you on adventures.  First you're in NYC battling Oroku Saki, then you're transported to another dimension, back in time, alternate universes, outer space, and beyond.  Renett, the Time Lord's assistant, makes her appearance in both this series and the newer series, as well as in the comic books.  I loved meeting new characters along the way, like Usagi, the rabbit ninja the turtles meet during the Tribunal in the alternate dimension.  Seriously guys, go watch this series.

    There were things I didn't like in this series, although not as much as the other one.  First there's something I liked AND didn't like at the same time.  It was one episode that's titled, "Same as it Never Was" and it focused on Donny as he traveled to an alternate timeline, (due to interference from an evil sorcerer).  Donny lands in the future, having disappeared for many years, and bumps into future Michaelangelo, missing an arm and fighting off an attack from the Foot Clan, who have taken over the world thanks to The Shredder.  Mikey explains that, after Donny disappeared, the team fell apart and split up, so Mikey stayed behind.  Through careful manipulation, Donny is able to get Raph and Leo to meet up and make amends.  They had cut ties over a disagreement about how they handled the passing of Splinter, who was killed protecting them.  Donny gets everyone to team up again, minus Casey, who was also killed in a previous attempt to overthrow The Shredder.  In the ensuing battle, Donny prevails, but at the cost of his brothers.  April promises to keep Donny's memory alive as he disappears and returns to his own timeline, happily reuniting with the other turtles who are not dead.  This episode is ALL the feels, especially if you've been watching this series for years like I had.  It was awful to watch and at the same time I'm glad the producers took this chance at a gritty and terrible alternate timeline.  This episode was not for the faint of heart, but I appreciated the effort to make this series really great.

(youtube.com)

    Another thing I didn't particularly like about this series was seasons 6 and 7, the last two they made.  This would be TMNT "Fast Forward," where they get transported in time to the future and meet Casey and April's grandson, and also "Back to the Sewer," where they return from the future.  These two seasons I didn't watch as much because it was terrible.  The animation changed drastically and the story became too extreme for my tastes.  A lot was happening and it all seemed too far-fetched for the series as a whole, so I abandoned ship.  I did watch the TV movie special they did toward the end where they brought back every type of turtle, (animated original comic book black and white turtles, original 80s turtles, and the 2003 turtles.  This was a great special and showed just how much the turtles have changed in the last couple decades.  It was still weird and the animation was terrible, but it was worth watching for nostalgia purposes.

    That's all I have for the turtles, then and now.  I don't necessarily want people to become swayed by my opinion alone, so make it for yourself.  I know way too much about the TMNT for my own good, so if you are a proclaimed turtle lover, such as myself, then do yourself a favor and relive your childhood!  Re-watch both series, (they are both available online and I've been watching the 2003 version on YouTube), and see what you think.  You will enjoy yourself either way.  Which version do you like the best?  Are you still aching for 80s turtle nostalgia?  What about the live-action movies or the newer ones?  Let me know what you think in the comments!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Hulking Out and Parent/Teacher Conferences

    So far, so good!  Hope everyone's doing ok.  I'm glad I at least talked myself into typing this up tonight, even though it's been a really long day.  I literally JUST got home from my first round of parent/teacher conferences, (it's about 9:30pm), and I can honestly say it wasn't terrible.  Luckily the two kids who had signed up to see me who are failing my class didn't show, but I'll have to deal with them later.  Most of my kids are great, well-behaved and acing my class, so I'm not too worried.

    I was a little worried at the end of last week, on Friday, because I got some really negative and harsh criticism/feedback from my cooperating teacher about my progress so far:(  I guess I wasn't doing as well as I had hoped...  It really hurt to hear her honesty, but I appreciated that she had the heart to tell me.  I'm not connecting with the kids in the right way, I'm still too soft on them, they talk over me STILL, I have some trouble makers who think they're smart asses who test my patience, and I guess overall I'm still not delivering the curriculum correctly, (or at least adequately enough to help them comprehend what I'm talking about).  I know that her suggestions and opinions are only supposed to help me and make me better over time, so I hope I can improve to a point where I'm proud of myself again.  Just today I got over the "I don't think I want to be a teacher anymore" feeling, so here's to a new leaf turning.  We just started a new unit on The Odyssey and we're doing a research project about monsters and Greek gods, so this should be fun!

    On the health front, I'm feeling so much better!  I'm on my second day of steroids and I can safely say I can't remember the last time it was easy for me to get out of bed in the morning.  It's been nice feeling "normal" for awhile, even though it won't last forever.  I have a month to see what's going on, but for now I'm focusing mostly on my upcoming biopsy, which is Thursday.  I'll have a long weekend to recover, but I'm still really scared about the procedure and complications...  I have an ultrasound on Monday which isn't terrible, but I have to "fast" for it, which means I can't eat for 12 hours, (2am-2pm).  NOT fun.  I think I'm going to cheat a little and get some jello and/or pudding, (who WOULDN'T want pudding?!)  Getting through the day is hard enough as it is, but with no food and all these 'roids coursing through my veins it'll be hard to survive the day.  Until we get the results back from the kidney biopsy, they won't know how bad my Lupus Nephritis is, so we'll have to wait and see.  It's probably not that serious, but dialysis still scares me, so I hope it doesn't come to that.

    On TV this past week, I've started a new show called The Red Band Society, in which the series is narrated by a child in a coma as a part of a terminally ill or intensive care unit for kids and teens in a hospital in California.  The doctor/surgeon is wicked hot, the characters are snarky despite their conditions and Nurse Jackson is my new spirit animal.  I'm happy there's a show like this on Fox and I can't wait to see what they do with it.  Gotham is another show I've been loving recently that just started.  Obviously my husband and I had to watch this one solely based on the Batman references, but it's surprisingly engaging without the bat.  I'm also excited to see where they take this series because they have a lot to work with and many directions they could take this.  So far I like the guy playing Gordon and I've always liked Donal Logue, so there's a win-win team right there.  I'm still getting over him being a viking...  I love how they've portrayed Selena Kyle so far and I can't wait to see how Bruce and Selena become friends, (or enemies).

    Other shows that have started but I haven't been able to get caught up on are Castle, Bones, (I know who dies...I'm DEVASTATED), Face Off, Agents of Shield, Reign, and The Amazing Race.  I did catch the premiere of Once Upon a Time last Sunday and it was AMAZING!  I'm not turned off about the Frozen team being there, especially if it means that Scott Michael Foster is back in my life again.  I literally screamed when I saw the sorcerer's hat from Fantasia morph from that box at Belle and Rumple's house, but we'll see what he does/doesn't do with that.  Also, the kiss between Emma and Hook proves that Captain Swan is alive and well!  So excited for this season and what they have up their sleeves.
    Well, that's all I have for this week.  I really have to go to bed...  Even though I'm feeling better physically, I'm still suffering from fatigue and my kidney issues.  I've also been really itchy lately, all over, so I'm not sure if I'm allergic to my father's fabric softener or if it's a side effect from the steroids, but I'll figure it out this weekend I think.  I should have an update next week.  I may have to push back my post until Friday, depending on how I feel next Thursday after my procedure, but we'll play it by ear.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

PS: In other news, tomorrow is October 3rd.  I'm planning an impromptu Mean Girls Day celebration tomorrow in class.  You're welcome in advance kids:)

I'm BACK!

    Hello everyone!  Welcome back!  I know I said that I would be back at the beginning of September, but a lot has been going on and I honestly haven't found the time to post until now, so I apologize.  Things have been crazy lately and I have every intention of telling you all about what's been going on with me during the last few months.

    First of all, we've started school!  I spent the last months of summer at our local summer camp and it was so much fun!  It's been about a month since school, (and my internship), officially started and I'm just now getting more comfortable and relaxed with the kids.  I'm hoping this will kind of turn into a space where I can vent and discuss my internship experience in full and maybe work through some of my problems or concerns about my teaching future.  We'll see!  So far, so good though.  I was getting worried for awhile because they still have trouble listening to me and I have problems with projection, (which I initially found hard to believe given my naturally loud voice).  As of right now, they seem to be more comfortable with me, so we'll see how that keeps up.  I'm doing a rotating seating chart to help them quell the talking and to get them to meet each other as well.  I have a few students who insist on sitting near or next to each other and that's never a good idea.  We've been slowly progressing through our short story unit and they have a test on Friday, so we'll see how that goes.  Right now I'm more concerned about their writing and grammatical issues that I will have to address at some point...  The one main thing I have been loving about my class is the emphasis on Penny Kittle and independent reading choices.  The kids have really had fun picking out and reading their own books, and, even though this is a new curriculum for everyone, I think they're getting the hang of it.  So for now, that's what I've been doing in school, with plenty more to come.

    Part of my internship is a weekly seminar, which is a space where the interns can vent and voice their aggressions with the rest of the group.  It's been awesome so far to hear all the other stories from other departments.  I'm the only English intern, so I've felt sort of secluded from everyone else here at the school.  It's nice to talk and discuss with other like-minded college grads.  Our internship coordinator is pretty cool too I guess.  He's been more than a huge help, especially lately, so I will have to remember to get him a card as a thank you at the end of all this.  Especially if he helps me find a job too.  I will most likely post my blog entries every week after seminar on Thursdays because I still want it to be during the week so I can talk education, but I don't want to feel overwhelmed or pressured by it, so I'll try that out for next week.  I know it's Tuesday, but I have some downtime between periods so I figured what the heck.

    Now for the bad...  As you know, I've been struggling with random severe flares from my Lupus ever since last summer.  Lately, they have escalated to the point where I've had to seek alternative treatment back at Massachusetts General Hospital.  This summer, though very enjoyable, was also very tumultuous in the sense that I was very sick for most of the three months I worked and had to take some time off to recuperate.  I'm not the type of person to take time off because of sickness or anything like that, even though I probably should sometimes.  With the internship now, I have more flexibility and if I need to, I can take some time for myself and my health.  I've already had the discussion with my coordinator and my cooperating teacher and they are both on board with me getting my health back on track.  Last night was especially difficult for me...  In the last 13 years, I can never remember crying or getting emotionally upset over the pain I have.  Last night was the first time I just broke down and let all of my frustration out.  I could barely move and I'm actually surprised I made it to my apartment alone.  My left leg hurt so bad I had to physically lift it into and out of my car with my own arms, which also hurt a great deal, (obviously a little less than my leg).  It's gotten to the point where I'm literally sick and tired of feeling like this.  I've never had a flare last THIS long.  It's scary to think how badly this has progressed over the last year.  It makes me fearful of my future and what's to come.  On top of my body shutting down, I've also developed the butterfly rash on my face, been having trouble breathing due to my pericarditis, and had a resurgence of kidney problems that I'm currently working on with both my primary Rheumatologist and the clinical doctor at Mass Gen.  I'm hoping to get in to see a kidney doctor this week before I go back to Boston for my follow up a week from today.  I'm hoping to get this sorted out soon so I can finally have some relief.  I have found solace in a support group known as the "Spoonies," who are other people with chronic illnesses.  They call themselves "spoonies" because of a blog written by Christine Miserandino called "The Spoon Theory."  She writes about her experiences trying to explain how her illness works to her friend and the results are astounding.  It is a great piece of writing and I'll link it here.  I totally recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about chronic illness.

    That's basically it for me.  As far as TV goes, I'll try to keep my reviews to a minimum, but my shows are all starting up again, so we'll see how that goes.  I'm currently watching Face Off, but Gotham just premiered last night and I'll be watching that with my husband probably tonight.  Also, I have been on the fence about Dancing With the Stars this season, but I might watch just in case Bethany Mota wins.  I believe the only other shows I'm waiting to start again are Castle, Bones, and The Amazing Race.  I'm thinking about adding another page to my blog just for TV reviews, so let me know what you think about that in the comments below.  I would also like to revamp my book log and let you guys know what I'm reading right now and what I think about it, kind of like what I'm doing with my students and Book Talks.  Let me know!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.