Misfits Season Four, Episode 6

 

Finn is walking and he is joined by Rudy, who informs him that he is wearing the wrong pants because they are headed to an insane house party.  "Strangers are going to fuck strangers," Rudy says.  Apparently, they are going to Richard Saunders party.  They meet up with Jess and Finn gives his big doe eyes.  This has all been interspersed with a man watching video and doing what I assume is acid.

The three head up in an elevator and Finn tells Jess that he likes her top. Clearly, Finn is still refusing to take no for an answer.  When the elevator arrives, Alex is waiting for them. They arrive at the correct door and Rudy tells them to brace themselves but when they enter the apartment, it is filled with older people and it looks more like a wake than a party.  Rudy says that they just need to get themselves a drink. Jess tells Rudy that they are at a wake and Rudy starts to cry and says that Saunders is his best friend.  Jess says that the wake is for an old woman called Glenda and Rudy instructs everyone to get their shit. Alex suggests that Rudy just call Saunders.  

As they get to the party, a couple is arguing outside and the man asks the woman how many people she has slept with.  The number 11 appears on her forehead but she tells him only 4.  The Misfits open the door and they all have numbers on their forehead.  Finn has a 1, Jess has a 2, Rudy has 99 and Alex has the number 46 on his head.  It turns out that it is the exact number of people that they have slept.  Finn says that he was in a long term relationship to explain his low number. Alex asks if this is some kind of power thing. The Misfits are stunned to learn that Alex knows all about the storm and the powers.

Jess is in the bathroom trying to rub the number off and Finn walks in and of course has to comment on Alex's number. Jess does not want to talk about it and suggests that they go.  Finn goes to talk to Rudy and says that it is not about numbers and  that it's about the quality.  Rudy suggests that Jess is never going to respect him with that low number on his head but Finn says that Jess respects morals.  Rudy plans to enter the hundred club and takes off with a woman.  Rudy start to have sex and pushes her off and says that he is not really feeling it and that his hundredth fuck has to be very special. They hear a noise in the closet and when Rudy opens the door, he finds Saunders.  

The elevator opens and inside is a large White rabbit with electric eyes.  Alex approaches Jess who wants to talk about his number. Alex says he is not that person anymore and Jess suggests that they keep drinking.  She heads to the bar where Finn is and he points out that they have something in common because neither of them are sluts.  Finn suggests that they find out if two should turn into one.  Jess says that would mean her penetrating him and of course we cannot have that.  Finn admits that he knows that she would rather spend her evening talking to Mr. HIV (read: Alex), but Jess cuts him off. 

Rudy makes his way back out the party and Finn approaches him.  Rudy believes that Finn is sulking because he has been blown out of the water by the sexy man and so he suggests that Finn find someone else to make Jess jealous.  A young woman leaves the party and waits for the elevator as a golf ball rolls across the floor. When she bends to pick it up she sees the freaky rabbit.

Back at the party, Rudy suggests that Finn have his way with a drunk woman but thankfully Finn says no.  Rudy believes that there is no harm in having sex with a wasted girl and that "it's a bloody loophole." Finn says that it's against the law.  Rudy says he needs a party where all of the girls are desperate and emotional, so they decide to head back to the funeral. In the hallway, they come across a passed out girl but Finn rejects Rudy suggestion to leave her there as the freaky rabbit looks on.  They had back to the party where they deposit her in the bathtub.

Alex and Jess head into a room alone and they start to kiss.  Alex says that he doesn't think that they should do this but Jess takes off her top and pushes him on the bed.  When she runs her hand down his body, he stops her before she can touch his genitals.  Jess stands up asking what is wrong with him and says that she has had enough of him and his bullshit head games, before leaving the room. Jess starts to chat up another man.

Finn and Rudy are back at the funeral, where Rudy encourages him to get "sweet bereavement pussy." Finn tries to chat up two women but they are clearly not interested in him.  Rudy takes his turn and he actually comforts a grieving woman. She asks why he has a number on his head and introduces herself as Nadine.  Finn says that it is a long story and that he missed the funeral because he was working at the community center. When she sees the time Nadine says that she has to go and then rushes out the door.  

Abbey gets out bathtub gets up and starts to wander through the party.  She pours herself a large drink and is clearly feeling much better.  Back at the funeral, Finn is making himself a plate of food and Rudy approaches him to say that he met a girl, who was really nice. Rudy realizes that he didn't get Nadine's number and heads into the hallway, where he finds a dead woman with a golf ball in her mouth with the number 11 on her forehead.  The rabbit grabs Rudy and pushes him to the ground. Rudy just manages to get into the elevator in time.

Finn manages to have sex with a grieving woman and the number on his head shifts from 1 to 2.  Rudy appears and tells him that they have a problem. Rudy takes Finn into the hallway and tells him about the rabbit and says that they have to find the others.  Back at the party the man Jess is talking to has no number on his head.  Alex interrupts the conversation to say that he needs to talk to her. Jess says that she had Alex wrong and that he is just like all of the others.

Review: Cold Days by Jim Butcher, Book 14 of the Dresden Files

Harry Dresden is back from the dead, convalescing in the less-than-tender embrace of the Winter Court and newly empowered as the Winter Knight. Winter Court politics are far from easy – especially when Mab, the Winter Queen, seems to be feuding with Maeve, the Winter Lady. And politics in the Winter court come in the form of constant assassination attempts.

Not that he has time for politics. We learn the true nature of his island, Demonreach and that it’s poised to explode and destroy a significant portion of the US – if not more – unless Harry acts. And he has to choose between killing Mab or Maeve – with the bonus of not knowing how to achieve either.

It’s a good thing he has the new power of the Winter Knight – and, even more, the support and strength of his good friends. But there is a darkness that connects all of Harry’s cases and the Nemesis can corrupt anyone.

And the new power of the Winter Knight comes with a cost – it changes people and Harry can feel its influence slowly eroding who he is and turning him into a monster like his predecessor.

I have been looking forward to this book for so long – counting the days. The minute I got my greasy hands on this book I sat down and started reading. Anyone who came near me was treated to the death glare until they retreated to minimum safe distance. I continued to read until the book was finished and I looked up to realise it was now 5:00am. I then spent an extra 10 minutes staring sadly at my Kindle and trying to figure out how to magically make it continue.

This is what Harry Dresden does to me and my sleep patterns.

Just about everything that makes the series one of my favourites was there. We had some amazingly awesome fight scenes, some excellent action and some truly amazing epic. There is no author I have ever read that comes close to packing the amount of blood-fizzing epic into a book as Jim Butcher does in the Harry Dresden series. I find myself torn between not moving my eyes from the page and just needing to move because to the power and pace of what is written. It may not be as epic as riding a Zombie Tyrannosaurus Rex through downtown Chicago – but leading the Wild Hunter and Father Christmas in an amphibious assault against demons is pretty up there. The pacing is electric, the snark is funny to hilarious and it was a joy to read.

But more than just the glorious epic, is the meta development. After 14 books of epic stories and occasional hints it has come together and the Nemesis has been revealed. And it is tying in everything – the previous Summer Lady, Harry’s very first case, the Shadow Council, the courts of the vampires. The Nemesis has had a hand in every previous book and it’s all coming together in a wonderfully complete, epic tapestry. With that has come a considerable amount of world building including expanding the nature of the Outsiders and filling in the role of the Winter Court. We also have a lot of very shiny major powers being expanded and developed – like the Queens of the Courts. These major, epic figures are expanded and heightened that add such excellent flavour to this awesome world.

VIDEO: The Making of The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8, "Made to Suffer"

As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding Book 2 of Dreg City

 

As Lie the Dead, begins exactly where Three Days to Dead ended.  After surviving a vicious battle, All Evy wants to die is sleep for a week.  Evy wants time to deal with her feelings for Wyatt but more important to deal with being in Chalice's ( this has got to be the worst name ever) 

body permanently and the loss of Alex. Unfortunately for Evy, the rest she so desires and deserves is simply not in the cards for her.  When she is approached by Phin, an owlkin theorian who asks for her protection for the next few days.  Believing that she is at least partly responsible for the near extinction of the owlkins Evy agrees only to discover that Phin and the counsel want the death of the handler Rufus.  Evy is now caught between the debt she feels that owes both men.

If that were not enough, someone in the triads has decided to turn their back on humanity and gather therians for an assault.  The Triads numbers are low and they are desperate to stop the assault before it happens.  Evy must get to the truth behind the origins of the Triad to discover the sickness which has caused one of their own to turn against humanity.

As Lie the Dead was packed with action from the very beginning. I must admit that this is something that doesn't particularly agree with me.  I prefer character development and in this story, it really felt squished in between fights. I really liked that Evy continued to struggle with her new body and her rough childhood rather than having these issues being cast aside to deal with the problems at hand.  As a character however, Evy seemed barely able to maintain control of herself.  Sarcasm dripped from her tongue and her constant desire in a moment of conflict was to punch someone.  She didn't always act on this impulse but the repetition of the impulse did become irritating the more it appeared.  Evy also rushed headlong into situation without thinking and deeply resented anything that kept her away from the action.  I am hoping that as this series goes on, Evy will mature out of this.  It is possible to be a person of action and think though you wouldn't believe that from reading a lot of urban fantasy. 

666 Park Avenue: season 1, Episode 9: Hypnos

 Last week Nona took Jane to someone who could help her remember. So now we open with Jane in Maris’s apartment. Maris hasn’t left her apartment in 20 years because it’s safer. Maris is a psychiatrist, though she now “opens minds” (isn’t that brain surgery?) and repeats the doctor’s diagnosis about Jane’s amnesia. Maris takes Jane’s hand and we get a series of confused visions. Maris tells her to come back tomorrow and Jane asks what she saw, where was she. Maris says she never left the Drake and forget about were – think when.

Jane wakes up to find Henry failing to make her breakfast in bed. And he’s working from home – which is all touching and kind. But he’s also hovering and extremely protective, almost smothering.

Which is when Gavin arrives with some more hooks for Henry – a councilman has been a naughty boy and his seat may be coming vacant. And he’s arranged a meeting with Phillip Perez (a political consultant) to get his backing for Henry’s candidacy – but the meeting is in 2 hours. He also shows Gavin the press kit that Laurell has developed for him (hmm, I always assumed Laurell was one of Gavin’s tools).

Meanwhile Olivia is using Tony to take Vincent Shaw for a little walk to an abandoned warehouse (owned by the Dorans of course) to find out more about his claim that Sasha is alive. Olivia dodges Gavin’s calls and gives Vincent an hour to show her Sasha. They have him call Sasha’s voice mail and arrange for a meeting.

None of his calls going through, Gavin tells Kandinski to kill Shaw and bring Olivia home. Olivia warns Victor that Sasha better arrive before Gavin’s minions arrive. Vincent continues to work on Olivia, convincing her Sasha is alive with reference to a Cartier bracelet she bought her and saying she faked her own death because she hated Gavin, like Victor dowes

Back at Maris’s Jane drinks tea, talks hypnotism and remarks on her weird clock. Maris tells her there’s a presence from beyond in the Drake that opens the door between past and present and life and death. Her memories are locked deep in her mind but she can unlick them in a trance – with the help of the weird clock.

Jane enters a trance staring at the clock and she – and her chair, appear in the lobby of the Drake. And in front of her is a big red door. She opens it into bright white light, she goes through and joins a ritzy birthday party (666 Park Avenue has to have a ritzy party every week) for young Jocelynn (her grandmother) where everyone calls her Libby Griffith – and she even looks different in the mirror. Also at the party is Peter Kramer, the murderer from Hallowe’en, such fun!

Jocelynn takes Jane upstairs to find her doll – and in Peter’s office they see various occult paraphernalia. When they hear his voice they hide. Peter argues with a man about whatever they’re doing but the hook is that, after tonight, they get whatever they want. Jane also sees him hide a book behind a loose stone in a fireplace.

Then Maris wakes her up. She tells Maris everything and they assume she has some kind of bond with this Libby woman. As she returns to Henry in her apartment she runs into Gavin and acts all suspicious and nervous. She goes to wish Henry good look at the meeting. The meeting falls apart though because Jane’s medical records have been leaked – no-one will support his candidacy while he has a mentally ill girlfriend.

Once Upon a Time: Season 2, Episode 9: Queen of Hearts

 Fairyland Past

In fairyland past, in a very very spikey castle (therefore evil – evil always has sharp edges, it’s the first rule of evil fashion) Hook is staging a gaol break to rescue Belle (she’s been in prison a while, you can tell by the chalk tally marks. Who gives these prisoners chalk anyway?) he wants her help because her father is under attack by the Dark One – Rumplestiltskin (an enemy of Hook’s). There is a rumour of a weapon that can kill him and since she has spent more time with Rumple than anyone they hope she’ll have an idea.

Belle protests she has no idea how to kill Rumple and wouldn’t even if she could. Hook knocks her out and prepares to kill her with his Hook since she’s useless – when Regina appears behind him, magicking his Hook to her hand. She, after making it clear who is boss, tells him she can help him kill Rumple since she intends to enact a curse that will take everyone to a land without magic where Rumple will be helpless. But there’s one person she’s determined won’t follow her to the new land – her mother.

She enchants Hooks’ Hook so it will take a heart – only one. She has banished Cora to a far off land and to get there Hook will have to use a portal (provided by the Hatter’s hat) to get to her, take her heart and bring her body back. And she’s been banished to Wonderland.

When he arrives, he’s taken before the Queen of Hearts – Cora, of course. Hook stabs her to try and take her heart and she points out she’s the Queen of Hearts, why would she keep hers where everyone else does? Hook reveals that it’s Regina who wanted Cora dead – which rather upsets Cora. She offers a counter to Hook – since Regina’s curse would also remove his memory (something Regina didn’t mention) he wouldn’t be able to get his revenge on Rumple anyway – because he wouldn’t remember him. But she promises Hook his memory and his revenge, if he will get her close to Regina to take her heart.

Cut to 28 years ago and Regina and Hook stand over a coffin in which Cora’s body lies. Hook leaves Regina alone. Alone Regina says she killed Cora because she loved her and, as Cora showed her when Cora killed Daniel, love is weakness. She lays a rose on Cora’s chest and says goodbye and leaves. Hook emerges from the shadows and helps Cora up and asks why she didn’t kill Regina. Cora says there’s a change of plans and they need to protect themselves from Regina’s curse.

She and Hook go to a small part of the land and when Regina’s curse roils over the land, Cora raises a magical dome, protecting the small segment of land. She says she still has a hold on Regina and when the Saviour breaks the curse in 28 years, Regina will have lost everything and she will need Cora. Hook will get his revenge and Cora will help Regina pick up the pieces

Storybrooke, Present

Regina is worried that Charming hasn’t woken up and Rumple suggests they take precautions. They don’t know if Charming got the message through to Snow and he won’t be waking up until Snow arrives – so they need to be prepared in case Cora comes through the portal. He suggests they gather enough magic to destroy the portal and anyone coming through it as soon as it appears. Regina protests – what if Mary Margaret and Emma are the ones who come through? Rumple points out it’s a win/win, either they stop Cora – or they stop Mary Margaret and Emma and Regina becomes the only mother in Henry’s life again. Especially since magic is unpredictable in this world – who could blame Regina for a mistake (uh, everyone? Since when does anyone extend her the benefit of the doubt). Oh Rumple, always going back to the evil. Regina protests, she wants to be a better mother for Henry, but Rumple points out Cora is a threat to Henry and a good mother would protect him.

She goes to see Henry (reading allowed the story of Snow White to the unconscious Charming. Is it narcissistic or just redundant to read Prince Charming his own fairy tale?) to tell him she and Gold are going to prepare the portal for Emma and Mary Margaret, that she will do everything in her power to help them get home. Henry remarks that she really has changed. Ouch.

To the mine under the city where the fairy dust diamonds are being mined. Rumple praises Regina for coming to her senses and uses the wand he stole from the Fairy Godmother to take the power from the crystals.

Fangs for the Fantasy Episode 96

This week we discuss the season finales of The Walking Dead and Revolution. We also look at The Vampire Diaries and American Horror Stories.

Our book of the week is Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

 3/12-10/12: Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines

10/12-17/12: The Turning by Jennifer Armintrout

17/12-7/1/2013: The Awakening by LJ Smith

7/1/-14/1/2013: Grave Memory by Kalayna Price

(NB: We're obviously not going to have podcast on the 24th or the 31st December)

Review: Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett, Book 1 of the Arcadia Bell Series

Arcadia Bell has lived under her false identity since she was a child, ever since she had to fake her own death with her parents after they were accused of a series of brutal murders of the heads of rival magical orders. She now tends a bar she part owns and has put her past – and her supposed status as the precious “Moon Child” behind her.

Until her parents resurfaced again.

Seeing them alive, those magical orders are demanding her parents be handed over for justice. Or, failing that, that she be handed over in their stead. And her Order isn’t willing to go to war over it, they will hand her parents over.

Which leaves Arcadia with very little time in which to exonerate her parents, preferably by finding the demon that did the murders and discovering who summoned it.

We have some interesting premises in this book that focuses on magic, magic users and demons more than other supernatural beings. And demons are vast, incredibly varied and not (necessarily) evil. The sheer variety of the demons itself lends itself to be a very open ended world with a lot of possibilities. The magic system is also one with apparent rules and planning – it may be my geeky love but I always prefer when you can see the how of magic in a world rather than just pointing and having stuff happen. The world and the premise of this series definitely draws me in – I think that alone would make me a follower and certainly makes me look forward to the next book.

There are some intriguing characters, Arcadia, Lon and Jupe all bounce off each other really well, they have an excellent dynamic. They’re fun, they’re real and there was never a moment when I didn’t enjoy reading them.

The romance between Lon and Arcadia also worked for me – they had a decent foundation and work well together which is something of a miracle because it was full of tropes that annoyed me. They went from just meeting to Lon being willing make large investments and risks on Arcadia’s behalf. The relationship started with Arcadia hating Lon (for little reason), we had a classic pointless misunderstanding (and since Lon is an empath that just seems even more unnecessary. In fact, as an empathy and a telepath can we skip the whole “does s/he like me?!” angst altogether), an unnecessary jealousy moment and a big dramatic break up which may have been reasonable and have some grounding if it didn’t end after less than a day. Despite only knowing each other for, maybe, a week, this relationship has lots of mini-dramas shoe-horned into it. All of them storms in a teacup. Is there a checklist? Do all of these need to be included in a romance? Romance tropes aren’t pokeman, your lovers don’t have to catch them all.

The pacing of the book works really well in terms of interest – there was never a point when I was bored or felt that a scene dragged on and there was some really fun and powerful action scenes that were really well handled. The story keeps moving forwards and I never felt the need to yell “get on with it”. But at the same time Arcadia needed to be more urgent for me. She has a deadline, after which she or her parents are dead – sounds like a reason to go all in. But she doesn’t even take time off work straight away, then she dumps the quest into Lon’s lap and… what? She’ll cast a spell that will take at least a day to return then kind of twiddle her thumbs. The book was never boring, but Arcadia was never in a hurry either.

Still, the story showcased the world and was interesting in its own right – I did enjoy it. And the ending? That was a twist I didn’t see coming, not at all.

I also always have mixed emotions about protagonists who are special because of the special power/bloodline/woo-woo of specialness rather than because of their own actions. It can work – so long as there is enough of their own personality as well to back up the specialness.