From Dusk Till Dawn, Season 3, Episode 7: La Llorana

Aiden has discovered a Culebra cult – yes, Culebras worshipping and sacrificing to Itzpa, a demon, who in turn passes on the energy/mojo to Amaru. This happens via scalping with a Xibalban blade and then handing them over when they’re all helpless and alive for Amaru to suck on their souls. Most unpleasant

Over at… well I’m not going to call them Team Good Guy given the givens, but with our protagonists Burt is concerned that Freddie has left the group after Richie used his mojo to force them to reduce their already paltry female representation even further. Freddie has decided to crawl into a bottle with a side order of casual sex and doesn’t want the Geckos near him. Burt, being more sensible, less emotional and generally not willing to lose a soldier to angst, decides he’s going to try and help Freddie through this somehow

Richie himself is rather troubled by the whole possession thing, as one would be, and his doing his research: discovering that when the Lords of the Culebra first arrived probably also possessed. The possession has also left him with issues – and possibly the ability to psychically eavesdrop on Amaru and her minions

Despite being under manned and Richie having issues, the whole gang decides they’re going to raid this cult with a chance of grabbing Amaru. This is a very bad idea

And it works…

The fact it does work should really have been a wake up call to everyone. After all, Amaru herself is super dangerous, Brasa with his sun-hand was nowhere to be seen and the cult of Culebras basically did very little

But they shackle her and manage to get her to Burt’s shop where he has a cage which will hold her – which he’s not amused by them bringing this to his home (he brings Freddie with him)

When they have her they decide to exorcise her – using a rack that Cortez brought other that once belonged to Torquemada. I have a major problem with this

Implying that this rack that Torquemada had actually works to remove possession implies that the Spanish Inquisition is right. Further we have it being brought to the Americas by Cortez, a Conquistador expressly to exorcise the Aztecs and other Indigenous Americans – and, again, it’s implied it works. This is a gross sanitation of two incredible evil events in history

Also, you’re going to haul a rack – especially such a simple rack – across the ocean?

The exorcism is brutal and horrific and does manage to break through to Kate – briefly. But Kate isn’t a fan of Seth – she doesn’t forgive him and with that line pretty much brutally pokes his sorest and most vulnerable spot – guilt over what happened to Kate. She also reveals that, basically and obviously, this was all a trap (hence how easy it was to capture Amaru)

Supernatural, Season 12, Episode 1: Keep Calm and Carry On

It’s the show that never ends, it goes on and on my friends.

How long will this show last? Until Jensen Ackles is no longer hot. We have many seasons left

Oooh new opening music. Is it just my love of classic rock or does Supernatural have the most awesome soundtrack?

So last season Amarra brought back Mary Winchester, Dean and Sam’s mother. On the one ide this show could use some more front and centre female characters. On the other hand this is Supernatural, the master of the very stocked fridge – and Mary has been defrosted and put back in waay too often already. I’m not eager for another fridging

The reunion between her and Dean is very touching, contains lots of emotional moments, lots of awkward moments (her seeing the Impala is both). She has a lot culture shock dealing with 30 years of being dead and how far technology has come. As well as Dean trying to explain so much that has happened in h last 11 seasons. They’re joined by Castiel who, along with the blood trail, tells them that Sam is in trouble.

It also introduces Mary to angels and the fact that Castiel’s solution to every problem at the moment appears to be to beat witnesses until they talk which seems very unangelic to her

This is all very nice and emotional et al but it all feels a little… slow? I mean, Sam is missing and there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of emotion there or even a great sense of urgency

Meanwhile Sam has been taken by Lady Antonia Bevell of the British Men of Letters and after having a vet remove a bullet from his leg she decides to question him

Ok, she SAYS she wants to know anything about American Hunters and their hierarchy (which I don’t think they have) so she can help. See, in Britain there are no monsters because the British Men of Letters have warded ever possible point of entry and the minute a monster shows up they go find it and kill it. Britain is monster free (this could be an interesting debate considering the number of “monsters” who are neutral or struggling against their nature we’ve seen). And they want to help the Americans make America monster free as well – and to do that they want to torture Sam lots and lots to make him co-operate

So, I’m going to say now I don’t believe her because obvious sinister character is obvious. More she even made a good point last season that Sam & Dean may have stopped the world ending several times but they’d also kind of caused all those apocalypses in the first place. Stopping Sam and Dean loose cannons would make more sense

Because this plan? Doesn’t. First of all going to the US doesn’t make huge sense because the US is so huge and relatively sparsely populated – maybe you could start in a region and spread out, but there’s a reason why most of Sam and Dean’s escapades don’t take place in Los Angeles, New York or Chicago-  they’re all in Middle-of-Nowhere Ohio or Look-At-All-the-Corn Kansas collective population your average shopping mall. Warding and rapid response seems like a big if in those conditions. If you’re going to do it why not start in another country where it could work: smaller, more densely populated: you could work your way through Europe and then have a larger stack of hunters to help with the wide open spaces of the US.

American Horror Story, Season 6, Episode 5, Chapter 5

Time to for some flashbacks – read by an actual historian to preserve this interesting documentary theme which I’m actually starting to like. It’s a nice twist and gives it all a realness feel that works quite well.

We’re going back to the building of the House buy the very rich Edward Mott (who, by the hinted exposition, is revealed to be Dandy Mott’s ancestor in one of those little connections that this show likes to do between the different seasons.) Rich, socially awkward and art obsessed he builds his house in the middle of nowhere so he can avoid all that pesky company (except for his servants)

Except for one – his lover Guinness. Yes we have a gay character (that’s two in as many episodes). Yes they’re going to die because he’s building a house on The Butcher’s Land and she will be around soon to massacre them all with her terrible accent. After going ballistic and torturing and locking up his servants in the root cellar after some of his precious art is destroyed – along with the ableist trope linking Edward and Dandy it’s clear this whole family is supposed to be dangerously insane.

The Butcher does her thing and Edward ends up dead, Guinness accused of his murder and the servants forgotten all about until they die in the cellar. Death death everywhere.

Of course being dead is not necessarily the end since, like season one, the dead hang around, terrified of the Butcher.

Back in the present, Shelby and Matt continue to be too stupid to live, are now surrounded by a mob of the Butcher’s determined to kill them all and torture them with terrible accents. They run through the house tormented by various ghosts including an uber creepy weird crawling one until ghostly Edward turns up to lead them out through his tunnels because he wants them to escape and leave him alone – not add to the passel of ghosts he has to put up with.

Of course escape isn’t easy and they and Flora end up in the woods by the same farm where we previously saw the horrifying kids suckling on a pig. The house is occupied by a family of cannibal redneck stereotypes who just need a few less teeth and more married cousins to complete the list. They’re eating and killing Elias who wasn’t too badly inconvenienced by the arrows – but was by the family eating him

Aftermath, Season One, Episode Three: In Our Empty Rooms

I think we have pretty much established a pattern with Aftermath. Yes, I know it's only been three episodes; however, it seems like each week the show focuses on some creature from mythology coming to life that the family has to deal with.  This of course is always juxtaposed with the difficulty of living through an apocalypse.

We're going to have to break this up because with the family split apart, it still very much feels like two shows inside a single episode.  When we last left Brianna,  she had just watched as a dragon flew away with a horse.  Brianna is back on the road determined to meet up with her family in Seattle. She comes across a couple of guys who are camping and asks if they might have any food to share. Brianna is told she can pay for the food with "ass, grass, or cash". This highlights a danger that would be common to women travelling alone in a situation where the rule of law has broken down. Brianna tries to back away but when the men get more aggressive, she pulls out her gun and shoots at one of them.  Now that she's in control of the situation, the men are backing down afraid for their lives. Mary and Devyn arrive in what looks like a golf cart and promise Brianna food if doesn't kill the men. Not being bloodthirsty, Brianna orders the men to lie on the ground face down and hops onto the back of the cart.

When Brianna arrives back at the compound, it's clear that she doesn't exactly fit into this insular religious community.  Brianna learns quickly that saying things like damn, gees, and butt is offensive to this community.  Mary, in particular, takes great relish in admonishing Brianna and even goes as far as to tell the woman in charge about Brianna's gun.  Brianna is forced to choose between staying and eating without her gun or having her gun forcibly removed from her and then escorted off property. Being in a closed in society, I guess no one ever told Mary what happens to snitches.

Brianna is quick to recognize that she's made an ally in Devyn and tries to talk to him about stealing her gun back and getting access to a car.  Devyn isn't sure about the gun but promises that when Reverend Brother gets back, he's sure to give her a lift because he's such a good man.  Yeah, we all know the head of a religious cult is not going to be a good guy.

At any rate they are all outside when Brianna hears a loud and familiar sound.  Brianna is quick to tell everyone to get in the barn because (drum roll please)

That's right, our friendly neighbourhood dragon is back and this time it has a taste for a cow. The boss lady is instantly suspicious and sure that Brianna brought a demon into their midst. That's what happens in an insular community - anyone from outside is suspicious.  Brianna waits it out for a little while in the barn but after going quiet for some time, Devyn and the head lady decide to step outside to see what is going on. Brianna tries to tell them that it's too soon but they head out anyway. They don't make it six feet from the barn when the dragon returns.  Brianna quickly instructs everyone to lie on their stomachs and not to move.  The dragon flies over closely and then takes off to do whatever dragons do when they have a cow to digest.

We're going to rest of the Copelands for while.  Okay, so they arrive in Seattle to find cars simply abandoned on the road with no sign of anyone.  Karen of course is suspicious and sure that things are going to get a little risky when looters show up.  They find a news camera and Joshua watches the tape trying to figure out what happened to the people of Seattle.  Back in the RV, Joshua reveals to Karen that whatever is happening, is happening across he U.S. and he knows this because all of the camera feeds died at the exact same moment. Karen is not up to dealing with this news and lies down. They head to Joshua's dads place, only to discover that he is among the missing. 

 It seems that Joshua got his love of mysticism and religion from his father, who has an extensive collection of Maori artifacts. Aunt Sally however is more focused on little practicalities and starts digging up granddad's garden much to the consternation of Dana.  Dana is then attacked by a rabid dog which Aunt Sally scares off with a hose.  Fortunately, Aunt Sally is a nurse and cleans the wound but knows that Dana is still going to need shots.  Dana, Aunt Sally, Joshua and Karen all hop into the RV and search for medicine while Matt stays behind in case Brianna shows up.

Hostage to Pleasure (Psy/Changeling #5) by Nalini Singh

Ashaya Aleine is the M-Psy responsible for the Psy Council’s controversial new hive mind project… and she wants out. But the Council does not accept resignations and are holding her son hostage to ensure her co-operation

Only with the help of the Dark River wereleopards – including Dorian the sniper – can she manage her and her son’s escape

But whether Dark River can trust her – and how she can stay out of the Council’s clutches – is an ongoing battle, especially since Ashaya has a far more insidious threat to avoid: her sister.

I continue to be at war with myself over this series – a war that continues with this book

There’s so much I love about it. I love the world building. I love how the ongoing debate about Silence is becoming more and more complicated and involved. I love how layered this is. Ashaya repeatedly tells them – just like Judd did before - that some people need Silence to protect themselves from their own powers. And not just the lethal powers for Psy like Judd – but from the demons in their own head. We’re repeatedly told that the Psy were tormented by psychosis, murder and suicide before Silence was implemented

Ashaya says it best – ironically for a race that is so lacking in emotion – but the Psy are genuinely terrified of themselves. With Silence fraying more and more we’re seeing consequences of that, and a lot of that isn’t good or even close to good. Murder, suicide – the Psy perpetuated and suffer from horrors while living with Silence – but Silence is there to protect them from another nightmare of horrors the whole race is funning from.

On the Council side we have another interesting reaction – with the emergence of the “Pure Psy” – as more and more Psy are breaking silence we have a push back – led by factions in the Council. Brutal and ruthless and in many ways rather trying to close the stable door long after the horses has bolted – but that’s very human nature, to throw in extreme backlash when defeat seems inevitable.

Which means we also have ongoing political shenanigans with the Council – between Nikitia and the Scotts – there’s a lot of complexity within the Psy Council without them being simplistically reduced to just the designated bad guys.

I also like the continued hints of the third race that makes up this series – the humans. Humanity, the Human Union represents a growing threat simply because they are so invisible and overlooked – I look forward to see how this develops because it would be so easy to dismiss and ignore humanity next to the supernatural power houses of the Psy and Changelings. A third faction, coupled with the internal politics of the Psy, the rebellion, the Pure Psy and the Council politics all lends itself to layers of multi-faceted storylines and world building

From Dusk Till Dawn, Season 3, Episode 6: Straight Jacket

This episode contained a whole lot of fighting (which From Dusk Till Dawn has previously used as filler because they’re not even super fight scenes) with one important incident – and by important I mean enraging.

Last episode Richie was kidnapped by Amaru and taken to the mental hospital where she was locked up, the bloody words still on the wall. With a flashback we’re shown a new power of Amaru’s – the ability to turn people to their dark side and make them evil and violent: marking them with blood red eyes.

She then uses this power on Richie – turning all three of his eyes (including the eye on his palm) red, raising his shadow self and convincing him to serve her sending all of his fellows to a “better place”

Which basically means killing them and sending them to Xilbalba

So when the gang arrives to save him he starts picking them off one by one and imprisoning them. Yes he’s not killing them because he has a plan which defies even Amaru – he needs to capture them so Seth can join them in Xilbalba (apparently he can only get there by killing the others? I don’t know, Richie logic)

Most of the episode is spent on these battles and cat and mouse games

Look, I like action, I do. And a well choreographed fight scene is a joy to behold (just look at any episode of Into the Badlands, that is awesome and beautiful). But From Dusk Till Dawn has many of the same terrible problems that we’ve seen with Vampire Diaries and Originals when it comes to supernatural power –it varies. A couple of episodes ago Burt took down Richie and Seth like they were small children because he was the eternal hunter and Just That Awesome. This episode Richie takes him down with minimal effort. Seth is human yet seems to manage better against Richie than Burt does. Scott has these amazing sword skills from nowhere. We see this a lot with From Dusk till Dawn, a character’s skill, power etc will change episode to episode at the convenience of the plot.

From Dusk Till Dawn, Season 3 Episode 5: Shady Glen

This episode brings us everyone bickering with everyone else. Endless endless bickering. And I actually like it. I like it because, sadly, this is humanity. This is what we do. We’re petty, we’re silly, we’re all too often utterly incapable of putting our petty nonsense aside because of the bigger picture

So we have Dakota hating the Geckos. We have Freddie and Richie striking up sparkes as Freddie is reminded he hates the Geckos too. We have Burt and Aiden sniping at each other. We have Scott whining about being given orders. There’s lots of bickering

I also like the role that Seth plays in this. Rather than making him a fighter on par with the other supernaturals (though I do appreciate his work out scene, though it should have been shirtless) which was always ridiculous, they make him more of a leader. He is the one who repeatedly steps in and demands everyone focus. He is the one who silences the arguments, who reminds people what they’re facing who gets everyone on track. Seth the combat monster alongside Richie, Ximena, Aiden and Freddie doesn’t work. Seth the tactician and leader who keeps his eyes on the bigger picture and doesn’t let current issues cloud matters? That works. That’s a role he can fill. And to a lesser extent he has for a while – I mean, Richie was reluctant to seek out Santanico but it was Seth who cut through the emotion and pointed out it was necessary. Seth is the pragmatist, possibly because he is the outsider.

So the demon this week is Cipactli, an Azetc primeval monster – and it comes with a swarm of insects as well. It heads into the sewers and pollutes the water (thankfully this town has its own limited isolated water supply) which makes people who drink it into cannibals who insatiably attack their nearest and dearest like they’re made of Baileys Truffles

I would also note now that if something makes my family taste like Baileys truffles they are all dead. And they understand this.

All of this is explained by the research guys: Aiden and Burt (who has seen this before) who both snipe at each other constantly

This is a shift from Amarra’s usual tactics of targeting the Culebras and leaving humans out of it. And that’s one of the reasons they manage to get Dakota onside. Yes, Dakota went to Freddie to tell him that Richie is still alive and survived a shotgun blast and Freddie quickly tried to distract her and get her out of the way. That obviously didn’t work so instead she followed Freddie and found out he’s working with Richie. The man who claims to have been raised by her father is now working with the man who killed her father.

Dakota was not amused

Thankfully a flash of culebra fangs and a small town full of cannibals seemed to be enough to get her to put her antipathy to one side and try and get in with the gang for the time being. Oh she intends to catch up with the murdering later but she’s willing to put it to one side while dealing with a cannibal plague. I respect a character who has priorities like that even if it takes, as I said before, Seth to try and keep them focused.

Immortal Nights (Argeneau #24) by Lynsay Sands

Things have not been going well for Abigail.  After her mother is diagnosed with cancer, Abigail feels that she has not choice but to drop out of medical school to care for her.  For months she acts as her mother's caregiver, putting her life on hold but its a sacrifice she's willing to make.  When Abigail's mother dies, the only relief that Abigail has is that the money she had saved for medical school and the sale of the house is enough to pay off all of the medical debt.  Unfortunately, this leaves Abigail with a few hundred dollars to her name, no job, no plan and feeling alone.  When she gets the chance to visit her childhood friend, Abigail jumps at the opportunity never guessing that will lead to her involvement in a kidnapping and ultimately, change her life forever.

It's book twenty-four and it's fair to say that there's nothing new about this story.  By this point, Sands is clearly writing her books by the numbers making it even more predictable than other paranormal romance novels.  Declaring a human a life mate is a short cut to get the romance happening thus explaining how one can claim to be in love after only eight days.  Even if I could tolerate the insta love, the idea of fooling around with a man you found in a cage after sneaking onto an airplane, while his captors are in the cockpit no less is beyond ridiculous.  Even the woo woo that is essential this this kind of story could not stop me from giving the whole thing the side eye.

I want to know where the humor went in this series? Sure, the earlier books were certainly formulaic but at least they had laugh out loud moments to distract you from how unoriginal the whole boy meets girl plot is.  The entire point of this book seems to be to rush Tomasso and Abigail quickly into sex.  They don't even know each other's names and yet they are quickly going at it.  I have no objection to porn but I do however object to bad porn masquerading as romance.

Abigail, is like many of the protagonists in that she doesn't really have many ties, thus making it easier for her to simply run off with her immortal lover.  The one tie she does have have is her childhood friend Jet who she promptly forgets about the moment she lays eyes on Tomasso Notte. In my book, this makes her an awful person.  For all she knew, Jet could have been taken prisoner.  He could have been being abused and violated or even murdered but she was too busy getting it on with Tomasso to think about her BFF from childhood.