The OA, Season One, Episode Two: New Colossus

Little Prairie is now in an elite school for the blind, having been smuggled out of Russia by her father. Every Sunday night, Prairie plays the violin for her father and he listens in on the phone. It all comes to a halt when Prairie is called to the headmistresses office and informed that her father has died. Aunt Nina is there to take her away, not having the money to keep her in the school. Prairie however is certain that her father is actually in hiding and not dead but she is taken away anyway. Prairie now begins experiencing her blindness like a prison inside of the child mill that her Aunt Nina is running. The Johnsons show up to buy a baby from Aunt Nina and Nancy meets Prairie for the first time when she excuses herself to use the washroom. Nancy follows the sound of a crying baby and spies Prairie trying to calm the child down. Nancy wants to adopt an infant and Prairie as well and offers to pay. Nina suggests that it would be better if they take the baby, while Abel is stunned by Nancy's request. In the end, Nancy and Abel decide to adopt Prairie and promise to change her name and make her an American girl. 

They bring Prairie home and it seems that she bonds with Abel right away.  Abel helps Prairie learn to climb a tree. At night, Nancy and Abel awake to find Prairie walking around her room speaking in Russian.  Abel is adamant that Prairie needs a doctor.  Nancy is forced to rush to Prairie's side when she picks up a knife.  

The doctor tells the Johnsons that Prairie believes her father is alive and is sending her messages in her dreams and that the Russian mafia are after her. The doctor says that Prairie is showing signs of mental illness and that she needs a mix of medication. Nancy argues that what Prairie needs is love but the doctor is adamant that they are dealing with a psychosis. What the adults don't realise is that little Prairie is listening at the door. Okay, hold on a second. This doctor needs to be fired.  A child is simply informed one day that her father is dead and she's never been given any closure so tries to find a way to hold onto him and that makes her mentally ill?

Later, Nancy is giving Prairie a bath and Prairie has a flashback to almost drowning. Nancy is quick to hand over one of the pills that the doctor prescribed. Later, the little family poses for a photo and Prairie is clearly drugged right out of her gourd. Prairie tells the group that she was medicated for 13 years and though she felt numb, it didn't stop her premonitions.  Prairie dreams of seeing her father again at the Statue of Liberty of all places but when she reaches out to him, he steps away.

Prairie is now all grown up and Nancy is still playing nursemaid to her, infantalising her, doling out medicine, which Prairie dutifully takes.  Prairie is convinced that the dreams are messages from her father calling out to her. Prairie relates that the premonitions are powerful because she can see in them. On her twenty-first birthday, Prairie leaves the Johnsons and heads to the Statue of Liberty. Prairie sits quietly with her violin but of course her father does not show up. Finally, Prairie is the last one there and is told by security that she needs to get on the ferry. 

A dejected Prairie takes the ferry back and ends up in the subway.  In the present Prairie admits that she should have gone home but was heart broken and ashamed. Prairie decides to play her violin in the subway until her father steps off a train and finds her. Clearly, this means that Prairie doesn't have the sense of a concussed penguin.  The man who finds her isn't her father, but he will change her life nonetheless.

It's morning now, and Prairie's little crew head out and go their separate ways. French runs through the woods to his home.

It seems that while Prairie was telling her story, Nancy and Abel were getting busy. A happy Nancy offers Abel breakfast in bed.  When Nancy gets up, she sees Prairie making her way back home. Later that morning, Prairie says that she went for a walk and that she needs to be alone sometimes. Nancy is quick to point out that the last time Prairie went out alone she came back with dog bites. For good measure, Nancy also brings up the incident with Steve's teacher. Prairie makes it clear that she cannot live cooped up in the house all of the time. Nancy makes the jump to Prairie needing to be hospitalized. Prairie apologises in an attempt to forestall being hospitalized and Nancy agrees to wait as long she goes to see a psychologist fromm the FBI. It's Able who steps up to support Prairie, saying that she can have an hour alone. 

At home, French gets his younger siblings ready for school.  He sends his siblings off to dress and then snorts some drugs, before leaving himself. At school, French gets a text about the bus accident that Prairie was in. French is then called to the principal's office, where he is informed that he's won a scholarship. French is told that he has to abide by the character clause and carry a full course load. 

In the cafeteria, Steve, and Jesse sit together trying to verify Prairie's story and they are joined by Buck.  They pause for a moment to note that Betty is chatting with Mr. Gilchrist.  Steve is quick to disavow the idea that the Betty is trying to get him out of military school. They are joined by French, who is not happy about receiving the text in the morning.  Steve is quick to say that French is a dick if he doesn't return. 

At home, French tells mother the good news about the scholarship. She's not full of praise and wonders if he is done with Harvard, claiming to want the best for him.  French's mother is certain that they can make it without him, though she is quick to blame her condition for not participating in the lives of his younger siblings.  Finally, French's mother tells him that she is proud of him and sends him out to pick up milk for her tea in the morning.

Buck runs into French at the store, and French isn't exactly excited to see him. Buck brings up French's worry that being in the house will screw up his scholarship. Buck admits that his parents want him to be like French. It's worth pausing to deal with the fact that Buck's parents admit that at first they wanted him to be Christine Yee.  Is this a confirmation that Buck is a trans* character? French is concerned that if he's caught up in a house known for drug deals that this will bring an end to the scholarship.  Buck questions if French is curious as to how this ends because he believes Prairie picked them for some reason. French however is adamant that he doesn't need help and does everything on his own. French hops in his car and Buck starts to walk away but before Buck can get far, French calls him back and offers him a ride.

Blood Rebellion (Blood Destiny #6) by Connie Suttle

Normally I do a plot summary to start reviews, but really what’s the point? Lissa is awesome, faces absolutely no conflict or difficulty and is now ruling an entire functioning planet by wont of her Sueishness. Everything works out because it just does, there’s no conflict or complications and Lissa is just totally awesome and super powerful all the time.

Oh dear gods it gets worse. It actually gets worse

See, Lissa, the worst person of in the universe, Supreme Queen of Mary Sues is now in charge of an entire planet. She’s also, apparently An Adult.

But this adult who is the supreme all powerful dictator of a planet decides to run off and sulk every time things go wrong. Something happens she doesn’t like? She leaves the planet or goes back in time and pouts for a few weeks/months before coming back and deigning to rule her kingdom again. And absolutely no-one calls her on this shit. This woman is supposed to be, at least, well into her 40s. She behaves like a petulant teenager

Of course, everyone may be just happy to see her gone because she is an utterly terrible ruler whose planet would collapse were it not for the power of her Sueness and endless super powered lovers with god like abilities.

Her planet has absolutely no resources. She’s literally just moving a gazillion vampires and comesueli (proto-vampires which basically act as a slave race but no-one talks about that) to a planet with no industry, agriculture or industry but hey everything’s working out. And Lissa is micromanaging EVERYTHING. Sports, culture, nascent industry. Everything. She takes a day out of her schedule to help pick fruit with half her council for a winery. A single winery. She has an entire planet to manage and she spends pages concerned with this one winery run by one of her favourites because it’s going to shore up a PLANET WIDE ECONOMY. They make decisions on the economy and agriculture going forwards with no attempt to study what their planet or population can actually do – just “hey, let’s do this” and lo, they do.

She literally has a little snit because tourists will be coming to her capital and *gasp* photographing her palace. She seriously decides the capital city of her new planet will be closed off except for certain days when she can be out of the city and absolutely no-one questions either the draconian nature of this or how unworkable it is.

The Walking Dead, Season Seven, Episode Seven: Rock In The Road

When we last left The Walking Dead, much of our merry band of survivors had reunited and they had made a promise to find a way to fight back against the Saviours.  Due to the large force that Negan commands, for the first time ever, this is a threat which Rick and his ragged band cannot take out on their own.  It means that they are going to need allies. This necessitates a major increase in the population of The Walking Dead, which will allow a lot of nameless faceless people to die in what is sure to be an epic battle, as well as set the stage for a more settled type of survival.

The first order of business is to get the asshole Gregory on side.  Gregory is adamant that the Alexandrians didn't live up to their end of the bargain and therefore, he is not going to join a war against the Saviours.  Gregory wants Rick and his crew to simply disappear so that The Hilltop is not tainted or accused of working in collusion.  At this point, I really want to know why it is that people are even following Gregory? What did he do to inspire their trust in his leadership abilities?  Jesus is not shy about pointing out that the last time the Saviours decided to teach them a lesson, it was Maggie who saved the Hilltop.  This is absolutely foreshadowing a change of leadership at the Hilltop and the only one who doesn't really see it yet is Gregory because he's an arrogant asshole.

While the adults have been talking, it seems that Enid ran around telling everyone of the plan to resist the Saviours.  It seems that Gregory doesn't have the true pulse of their people because quite a few step forward to volunteer to fight.  It's absolutely a start however even with the volunteers, Rick & Co., still don't have enough people to take out the Saviours, particularly when they only have two guns. Rick moves to head back to Alexandria, not wanting to be gone if Negan returns but Jesus suggests that it's time that Rick meet King Ezekiel and besides, Jesus stole one of the Saviours radios and now they can listen in on them.

Once in the Kingdom, Rick and Morgan reunite. Morgan's chooses to respect Carol's expressed desire to be left alone and simply tells Rick that Carol's gone.  Morgan explains that Carol was attacked and that he had to kill someone to save her. This of course is the big set up because Morgan will weigh in on Rick's suggestion that all of the communities join together to go to war. Morgan is still on his anti kill program despite what he did to save Carol.

Rick tries to sell Ezekiel on going to war with Negan but Ezekiel is not impressed that Jesus told Rick all about the issue they are facing, given that he has chosen to withhold information about Negan from his people. Rosita and Michonne detail the havoc and death that Negan has brought into their lives. Richard is absolutely in support of going to war against the Saviours. After hearing everyone out, Ezekiel turns to Morgan to find out what he thinks.  Morgan, who is clearly still living in lala land points out that many people could die in a war and suggests that maybe they could find a way to just capture Negan.  At this point, I'm super irritated with Morgan. I know that he didn't see the savage way in which Glenn and Abraham died, but he knew these men and should have felt something more at the loss of their lives.  War is not an easy thing and it's not as though Rick was asking to go to war for no reason.  I think they've beaten this pacifist Morgan thing to death. Ezekiel decides he wants to think about it for the night and Rick tells a story from his childhood about the rock in the road, hence the title of the story.

While Rick is making his pitch to Ezekiel, Father Gabriel is busy clearing out all of the food from the pantry in Alexandria.  He also grabs shovels and knives and anything that can possibly be used as a weapon.  In the dead of night, Gabriel drives off without saying a word to anyone.When Gabriel pauses to close the gate, a head pops up indicating that he's not alone.  Has dude gone back to his cowardly ways after spending so much time professing how he has changed?

Benjamin takes a trip into the woods to try to work on his skills and to check on Carol.  I cannot help but be amused the way the males of the Kingdom seem to assume that Carol is so helpless and defenseless because of her gender.  It's sexist as all get out but it leads me to believe that it's only a matter of time before Carol shows them exactly who they are dealing with. At any rate, Benjamin offers Carol some water and food explaining that since there aren't many people left, people should help each other when they can.  It reminds us of just how naive Benjamin really is. Carol suggests that he gets out of the woods before it gets dark and to change the way that he walks because she could hear him from miles away.  When Benjamin suggests that Carol follow her own advice, Carol is quick to point out that she'll be just fine.

Later that evening, Benjamin finds Ezekiel saying one of MLK's speeches to a child as a bedtime story. Ezekiel asks Benjamin's opinion and Benjamin reveals that he thinks that they should fight. It seems that Benjamin believes that when given the choice to be a hero, one should always say yes.

Sleepy Hollow, Season 4, Episode 6: Homecoming

Time for a road trip to Sleepy Hollow which means lots of complex memories about Abbie and all their memories.

Which would be time for lots of explorations of Abbie an what she meant and how important she was and how she could never be replaced and how this show is just a thin, desperate shadow of what it could be with her absence.

But instead it seems to be another episode focusing on solidifying the new team. And I get that that’s necessary to go forwards – but this is how this whole series has dealt with the desperate absence of Abbie. There has been little mourning for Abbie – it’s the general feel of reboot that consumes this season – this really unseemly feeling that the show is trying to draw a line under Abbie, trying to move as fast away from Abbie as it can. Yes, it needs to move forwards (if it must continue) but it can do that by treating its past and Abbie’s memory with respect, rather than as something briefly referenced only to emphasise this as a distant past.

In Sleepy Hollow they are determined to find the last shard of the Philosopher’s Stone before Dryfuss. We also drop the knowledge that the Philosopher’s stone one person immortal by killing a thousand or so others – just to make sure we don’t all just let Dryfuss get on with it. Dryfuss has also got his Demon Jobe back – I still don’t know why Jobe is supporting him in this? I mean, isn’t he literally letting Dryfuss find a big loop hole in his soul contract?

In Sleepy Hollow they show off Ichabod’s archives as well as some letters from Washington that conveniently contain info that Ichabod missed before. Basically it confirms that Banneker also knew that Ichabod was the Witness – and he was the one who planned to divide the stone. Ichabod tries to put a brave, good-soldier face on things but he’s clearly bothered by the fact that just about everyone in colonial times knew he was a witness but no-one told him. That’s definitely something he doesn’t want to happen with Molly

They go looking for the Stone using one of Jenny’s Artefacts after Alex does some technical tinkering to enhance it (see the roles all being drawn on again. It’s trite but it’s nice that everyone is being involved on some level) and run right into the guardian of the Philosopher’s stone. Well damn, shame the others didn’t have one of them. It’s apparently a sphinx but basically an archer.

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Grimm, Season Six, Episode Six: Breakfast in Bed

"Sleep is good, death is better; but of course, the best thing would

 to have never been born at all." 

Clearly, Breakfast in Bed, deals with the difficulty of trying to hide the fact that you're seeing something that no one else does.  It's made worse by the belief that telling the truth and asking for help will lead to even greater problems.  Though the majority of the story focuses on our typical Wesen of the Week storyline, it's clearly meant to link in with Eve and Renard's ongoing problems.

It begins when Dan rushes into a cheap hotel as he is warned that he has to keep the noise down. As Dan makes his way to his room, a neighbour woman snaps at him about the noise, as an elderly man sits in a wheelchair and stares at him. Dude in the wheelchair just screams creepy as fuck. 

A nervous Dan employs the numerous locks on his door and then nails a chain around the window. Dan then peeks under the bed and in the closet before climbing into bed clutching a hammer. Dan fights sleep but eventually succumbs, only to be awakened by a green mist. A disgusting creature climbs on top of Dan and then opens it's mouth in a four way split, revealing a row of glowing green terrifying teeth.  No wonder dude is paranoid. 

While Dan is having his appointment with the creepy creature, Nick sneaks out of the room he shares with Adalind, to head into the tunnels to take pictures Eve's carvings.  He is joined by Eve and the two discuss the potential meanings.

It's time to have a little chat with Monroe and Rosealee about what the hell these glyphs mean. Looking at the images, it's Monroe who recogises the Pleiades constellation, which ancient civilizations associated with mourning. It coincides with the fact that seven Grimm buried the artifact and seven keys lead to it. They begin to ponder if perhaps they are looking at a calendar and it's Eve who suggests that maybe it marks a time in the past.

The next morning Dan, who is properly freaking out runs out of his room wearing only an under shirt and boxers.  He makes his way outside rambling about someone in his room. A man who works with the homeless notices Dan and approaches him to try to help. Dan immediately comes to the conclusion that the good Samaritan is the person who has been slipping into his room and goes on attack, in the process killing the man. 

At the precinct, Nick brings up the carvings to Hank and it's clear that Hank would much rather stick to real world problems.  They get interrupted by Wu, who tells them all about Dan's murder.  After some brief investigation, they manage to track Dan back to his hotel room and take him into custody. Nick and Hank debate whether Dan is dealing with a mental illness or if there's Wesen involvement. Of course, they decide that some random Wesen had a role to play in this. 

Nick and Hank stop to talk with Scott, the manager of the fleabag hotel about Dan and about Charles Link, the creepy dude in the wheelchair, who was eyeballing Nick in the hall when he went to apprehend Dan.

The Vampire Diaries, Season 8, Episode 12: What Are You

Matt is being made relevant again – with lots of ancestral visions which is apparently a thing he has now. This involves some very unfortunate sleep walking which ends him joining Alaric and Dorian

Dorian continues to hint about something going on in his life but is constantly interrupted when he tries to elaborate

Anyway, since they’ve adopted an archaeological system of “let’s find distant descendants and give them random things which may have their surname attached” it seems that one of these items is causing Matt to have ancestral dreams about his bell making ancestor working with the Bennet witches – Bonnie’s ancestors.

So last episode Enzo died and I’m supposed to care. Apparently Bonnie super super cares and is super upset. She’s also not ready to speak to Damon,  Stefan, Caroline or anyone else who will inevitably say “we’re so sorry” before moving on to another subject and dragging her into it

Caroline, having a moment of almost prioritising Bonnie, sends Bonnie’s mother to her. Hey there Abbie – where have you been? No, really, where have you been?

She’s here to help Bonnie with the funeral and letting go and tell us where she’s been – oh wait, not the last part. Bonnie’s been hearing Enzo’s voice which she takes as a sign that she can get Enzo back. Alas for her, no – Bonnie does not get happy endings. Instead it seems her grief and connection for him in hell risks pulling her in – she is saved only when Abbie burns Enzo’s body. For more grief and tragedy

Stefan, meanwhile, has all the Manpain now he’s a human again with human feelings. He’s duly torn up by his suddenly active conscience. He’s also splattered in blood which leads to him being arrested and confronted by his many many many many many many many crimes. I wish I could say this was even remotely about the victims, but it’s all about Stefan’s guilt.

Caroline arrives to cause utter paperwork chaos by simply making all the police forget him and remove all evidence of him. Because removing a police suspect with this much evidence against him is just that easy. On the way out Stefan is confronted by that rarest of beings – the daughter of one of his victims. She’s all alone in the world and Stefan has All the Guilts

They decide to go find her mother’s body and as they go on this side quest they find out that she’s actually alive. They find her, save her with Caroline’s vampire blood and Stefan gets stabbed. And because he has the cure in him vampire blood cannot save him – they have to use actual medicine to patch him up again

Emerald City, Season One, Episode Seven: They Came First

This episode is aptly named because They Came First, is all about choosing who to align with. Glinda, The Wizard and Lady Ev have all moved their pawns into place and now all that is left for the pawns to do is decide if they are going to run and hide, or follow through with the plan to its culmination. With the Beast Forever and the future of Emerald City at stake, neutrality is no longer a choice.

The first person placed in a position to choose his alliance is Eammon, who is ordered by the Wizard to go door to door and round up all of the little girls in the hunt to find witches.  One of Eammon's friends begs him for mercy, pointing out that he's known his daughter from birth but Eammon responds by knocking the man to the ground savagely. At the castle, Eammon tries to advocate for the girls but the Wizard is adamant that they need to gather up the witches that Glinda is grooming. Eammon then suggests that the people will revolt but that doesn't worry the Wizard, because the Wizard feels that people only revolt when they are angry, not scared.  I think the Wizard might be wrong on that one because if someone had simply gathered up my child, I would absolutely be on the war path. 

When we last saw Dorothy, Lucas and Sylvie, they were making their way out of Emerald City, thanks to Dorothy making an agreement with The Wizard to kill Glinda.  Dorothy and Lucas stop to allow Sylvie to stretch her legs.  While Sylvie plays, Dorothy makes a point of reminding Lucas that he's sworn loyalty to Glinda and Lucas in turn points out that Dorothy's allegiance is to the Wizard, thus setting them up as being at odds with each other.

Jack and Lady Ev have begun their journey from Emerald City and Jack being a sensitive young man, does his best to attempt to console Lady Ev.  Unfortunately for Jack, Lady Ev takes offense to every single overture he makes and promptly throws him out of the carriage, stranding him in the Screaming Woods.  This is yet another reminder of the unequal power between these two and that Lady Ev doesn't know how to treat a friend or love interest.

Proving that they are the worst babysitters ever, Lucas and Dorothy realise that they've lost sight of Sylvie.  Are either of these two ever going to watch out for this child? When Dorothy finally comes across Sylvie, she is lying in a field completely unaware that a pack of wolves is approaching because of her ear plugs. Dorthy calls out to Sylvie repeatedly as the wolves get closer.  In her fear, Dorothy throws our her arms and the red gauntlets appear, causing a massive shock wave which scares away the wolves. The gauntlets really are an upgrade on the ruby slippers.

After retrieving Sylvie, Dorothy and Lucas head to the little cabin Elizabeth told them about. Lucas does a check to make sure that it's safe and Dorothy plays a little game with Sylvie to get her comfortable with not wearing her ear plugs. Seeing the closeness which has developed between Dorothy and Sylvie, he makes a point of reminding Dorothy that when they reach Glinda's, Dorothy will have to give the child up.