How is he real. Why does he torment us with his beauty.
Grimm 2.21 - I really want Nick to shave
First, a few thoughts on episodes 19 and 20 (won’t be doing a proper review because, well, it would be ridiculously late).
“Endangered”: I liked this one, for the most part. If I remember correctly, this was the first episode in the new Tuesday timeslot (tho they’ll be going back to Fridays for the 3rd season). I was a little surprised about the overly long previouslies until I realized it was probably for possible newbies. On that note, good job, Grimm people! The previouslies looked gorgeous and presented a coherent narrative that, imo, new viewers wouldn’t have trouble following. I watched it twice. It was really pretty.
Anyway, the case of the week was entertaining and fulfilling for the team Grimm aspects (I enjoyed Nick, Monroe, and Rosalee teaming-up for the field) but I found the resolution problematic. I just really disliked that Nick let the guy go. I mean, he did kill a guy and almost seriously injured the woman whose car he stole. I understand that, for narrative purposes, it was either kill the guy or let him go since he, apparently, couldn’t control his very conspicuous woge. Preservation of the Masquerade is first priority, of course, but I just really hated that he got off scot-free. Not even a talking to from Nick? Or even a plea to keep his fucking shirt closed? Come on! On another note, I found the aliens angle hilarious and plausible. I mean, yeah, which would you go with - monsters or aliens?
My favorite part of the episode, however (and perhaps unsurprisingly for people who read my reviews), was the expo-dump in Renard’s office. First, is it me or does Nick look like a sulking teenager every time he has to talk to Renard alone? (Renard: Am I late for something? Nick: Yeah.) Seriously, he’s been doing this since Renard’s reveal. It’s really funny but also slightly annoying because, really, Nick, you’re an adult. Stop being so emo at the guy whose resources and help you need. Be wary, yes, but quit the grounded teenager act. Anyway, I love that when Renard is asked a question by someone not related to his family, he’s exposition guy. He just answers promptly, no hemming and hawing. It’s about time we got something concrete (relatively, at least) on why the keys are so sought after by the Families. And I like that nobody knows what the hell the treasure even is. Makes for a nice mystery plot.
“Kiss of the Muse”: Forgettable episode. The case of the week was really, really boring. I read Dresden (one of my favorite characters is the Leanansidhe) and so the idea of a muse influencing people hooked me in until I saw what they did with the subject. For something that could have been meaty and might have had real repercussions, it was way too ordered and dull. Or maybe Giuntoli just failed to sell it to me. For all that he’s improved immensely from the wooden Giuntoli of the first season, he’s still (along with Bitsie Tulloch, sometimes) the least charismatic actor in the cast. I like him just fine in the lighter moments but he’s not all that believable in the darker ones. The only good thing about this episode was the development of the Scooby Gang. It was wonderful watching all the non-Nick characters talking to each other and being functional without the need to liaise with the “hero”. Awesome team. And Monroe working with Renard (or even just being in the same room with him) will never not amuse me. Oh, also, this episode welcomed Russell Hornsby back. So thumbs up for that!
Okay, now onto “The Waking Dead”:
Very late Grimm 2.18 review
*i had this 90% done when i saw the ep last week but i couldn’t finish it for some reason and so it kept getting delayed. bad grimm fan. bad.
The case was very straightforward, wasn’t it? Not bad, really. It’s good to step back from the overarching mythology once in a while. Especially since we’re nearing the season finale which will include at least two myth-arc heavy episodes. I think. Adalind and Eric coming to Portland are a certainty, I’d say. And let’s not forget that Nick’s mom may be coming back with those goddamned coins. Anyway, back to the case… By making this week’s episode’s MOTW an elemental creature, Grimm neatly sidesteps the pesky need for motivation and backstory. Volcanalis was certainly a hell of a lot different from the usual Grimm creatures. I don’t even think this one was wesen. Did they say if it was? It looked pretty awesome. It reminded me of Buffy/Angel demons, actually. David Greenwalt must have had a hand in the design. Volcanalis was defeated pretty easily but I don’t mind the resolution. It made for a pretty boring confrontation, though. (or maybe I’m just used to less efficiency from Nick and the gang)
We only had two other plotlines to follow this time: Juliette’s continuing memory problems and Adalind’s royal baby. I said last week in my last review that if Juliette’s plotline hasn’t been resolved by this episode, I’d be really hacked off but I must say that they made significant progress with it here. There seems to be an end in sight, at least. Nick’s annoyance at her insistence that he stay away when he “has been” staying away made him look like a privileged idiot. Look, man, she’d be able to explain her situation better if you fucking told her what was actually going on with her instead of making vague statements. SPECIFICS, PEOPLE, MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND. Also, I get that he’s bitchy and frustrated (anyone would be) but, really, DO NOT take that out on the person who got mind-raped. Twice. (Once with the memory wipe and then again with Renard.) However much this situation is horrible for you, Nick, it’s much worse for Juliette. I’m pretty happy that Juliette’s actively pursuing a solution to her problem and that she’s trying her best to take control of what’s happening to her.
Oh, Adalind. I really hope they never kill her because she’s just such a delightful villain, isn’t she? Really, Claire Coffee is so good in this role. I’m glad we didn’t get more than implied action on how they got the “baby” blood. It was disturbing enough without any details. Boy, does Adalind really want her Hexen-side back or what? She’s perfectly happy trading her baby as payment. Absolutely no emotional attachments there. Aside from getting her powers back so she can, I don’t know, wreak havoc, I think Renard’s “you’re just another pretty girl now” (from back in season 1) hit her deep. She’s hell-bent on getting both her status and her powers back but what’s she gonna do after? She’s already done the revenge thing on Renard and Nick. Is she gonna come at them again? She’s obviously trying to get in with Eric but why? Previously, she was motivated by her love for Renard and then later her need for revenge. Now? I have no clue.
Overall: a good episode if a little bit boring.
Other stuff:
- Okay, the scene with the station sending off Hank? That was frickin’ adorable. The beat-by-beat banter between Hank, Renard, Wu, and Nick was hilarious. For a few moments, the show resembled a normal police procedural. It was weird. But good weird. (Like Portland, apparently. Heh). Renard is both amusing and disturbing when he’s pretending to be normal and smiley.
- First vacation in four years? Hardcore, Hank. Also might be why he keeps getting divorced.
- Good on Nick for making full use of the resources available to him. Also, good on him for not letting personal feelngs about his possibly-but-probably-not-evil Captain get in the way of work.
- I love it when Renard’s sense of humor shows. Teasing Nick about the Grimm research books probably made his day. Hee.
- The Nick-Monroe-Renard team-up was both amusing and kind of awkward. Renard, despite trying very hard not to step on Nick’s toes as a Grimm and being pretty amiable this episode, is just not made to be a team player. It felt off. Also, is it just me or did the writers deprive us of Renard weirding out Nick and Monroe by engaging in banter? I mean, come on, there were hardly any inter-team quips in there. Just Monroe making with the Xanderish mutterings. By himself. We’re pretty used to Nick and Renard sometimes exchanging amusing lines but one of the best parts of the horrific Juliette/Renard forced attraction plotline was Renard finally interacting with Monroe. The absolute disconnect of their diametrically opposite personalities was fucking gold. This episode’s team-up could have have had awesome moments of Renard being stone-faced at Monroe’s bouncy nervous babble.
- The bruja is a pretty cool recurring character. I would like to know, though, how she knows so much about Juliette’s situation. Did they ever say? I can’t recall.
- So a Royal baby is pretty valuable, huh? I wonder if this value is all about social status and political power or if there really is something special about the Royals. We still don’t know if they’re human, wesen, or something else entirely. Given that the gypsy(?) woman didn’t seem to care whether the baby was fully Royal or not, we can perhaps surmise that whatever makes them special has nothing to do with purity of blood. Which I find kind of ironic given that the Royals (or was it the Verrat?) violently disapprove of interspecies breeding.
- It was only until after the episode had already ended that I noticed Rosalee didn’t get a single scene. She’s probably my second favorite character so it speaks well for the episode (no matter how average I found it to be) that I barely noticed a missing element. The show doesn’t have to have every single character in every episode for it to work. Grimm’s regular cast has a bench deep enough that I think the show can afford to be a bit selective in choosing its players. It makes for a more organic story that way.
Shingeki no Kyoujin Episode 5
God, this show is brutal. It’s a little hard to watch sometimes but is it not almost hypnotically compelling or what? My two favorite anime of the season seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum: Gargantia (wonderful and full of hope) and Titan (horrific and absolutely fucking desperate). They are also two of the most beautifully produced shows currently on. And the world-building? Superb. Strangely, I also find both shows’ art slightly problematic if ultimately gorgeous. For Gargantia, the lines sometimes vanish and the characters become indistinct (or alternately noisy). On the other hand, Titan has the heaviest lines in any anime I’ve ever seen and everything is so sharply defined that the expressions often look off and way too intense. However, the disparate styles serve each show’s tone well and gives them a very distinct character.
Spoilers below…
when I was six I threw a tantrum because I wanted a slushie from 711 and I remember my dad said “I will never buy you a slushie” AND LITERALLY RIGHT NOW HE CAME IN THE CAR WITH A SLUSHIE AND I WAS LIKE WHY DIDNT YOU GET ME ONE AND HE LOOKED ME DEAD IN THE EYE AND SAID “REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE SIX”
As anyone who’s following me knows by now, I love lists. Cracked.com is one of my favorite sites and bleachlists continue to be one of my favorite sources of amusement. Lists are great! So, here’s another one of many to come:
Top 5 Cabin Pressure Episodes
1. Ottery St. Mary (Series 3, Episode 4)
This is probably my go-to feel-good CP episode. Anytime I feel like killing someone (like that shithole who shoved me on the train) or just feeling generally disgusted with the world, I listen to this. And it makes everything better. No, seriously, this episode is like magic. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s got Martin being Martin, Arthur being impossibly adorable, Douglas continuing to be my favorite, and Carolyn and Herc going on their first date (OTP feels!). Plus, the most glorious discussion ever heard in any media: How many otters can you fit in a plane? Ottery-St. Mary is my happy drug and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
2. St. Petersburg (Series 3, Episode 6)
What I did not expect from this should-have-been-inane-and-ultimately-fluff comedy was a series finale worthy of any tv show currently in primetime. St. Petersburg was so fucking good, people wondered whether John Finnemore could ever top it. This episode had lives in peril, deals with the devil, dastardly plans foiled, and our heroes (such as they are) overcoming adversity and becoming closer than ever. Anyone who didn’t applaud as the MJN crew executed Leverage-style entrapment is dead inside.
3. Abu Dhabi (Series 1, Episode 1)
The first ever episode of this series will always be in my top 5. Call it nostalgia or whatever you like, Abu Dhabi is a treasure. It’s a well-done introductory episode which immediately and efficiently introduces the listeners to the crew and the premise. And the ridiculously good cast! Such a great stepping stone for a show I would dearly, dearly love.
4. Douz (Series 1, Episode 4)
The episode in which we realize that Martin has an almost supernatural ability to make a fucked-up situation ten times worse. Heh. Douz is a favorite of mine because it’s just so much fun! The mental image of a fire truck being carried off and a plane being driven down the desert road feels me with glee. GLEE, I tell you. This episode was also noteworthy for, perhaps, the first time we realize Carolyn can be just as vulnerable as she is severe. It’s a great episode for being hilarious and witty (fantastic Douglas!) but also for introducing a layer of pathos that makes Cabin Pressure a level above other run-of-the-mill radio uppers.
5. Xinzhou (Series 4, Episode 5)
Honestly, I could name other episodes that were funnier or that made me happier but Xinzhou is special to me because, come on, it’s the MJN SLEEPOVER. It’s awesome. And, being the sap that I am, I absolutely loved how obviously comfortable they all were sleeping in each other’s company in a relatively small space. Series 4 was pretty much dedicated to showing us how much the MJN crew had become a family and while Wokingham and Yverdon-les-Bain were great showcases for it, I liked Xinzhou better. It’s more relaxed and more reminiscent of nights camping out in the living room with relatives, entertaining each other until everyone falls asleep. Except for the bacon. The bloody, haunted bacon.*
*damn you, douglas. bacon is delicious and definitely not creepy in and of itself. however, being the terriers fan that i am, i had flashbacks to people being creepy and hiding inside attics, stealing food. translate that to cabin pressure settings and the entire time they were trying to fall asleep, i was totally imagining someone hidden in a compartment inside GERTI, watching them while munching on delicious strips of dead pig. oi.
** no series 2 episodes in the top 5 because rounding out the top 10 is gdansk, johannesburg, ipswich, and limerick. plus rotterdam somewhere in there.
