Twin Peaks S02E19: Variations on Relations

Waitaminnit. The sex pot redhead is Teen Witch!!!

I don't have anything else to say about this episode.

Masters of Sex S01E07

This episode is all deception all the time. Libby deceiving Bill and vice versa, Barton deceiving his wife and vice versa, Ethan deceiving the Vivian, Ethan deceiving Bill, Dr. Blonde deceiving his wife, Dr. Blonde and Mrs. Scully deceiving themselves...

Ginny is portrayed as the only one who is honest with herself and with others.

Why doesn't Masters like having sex with his wife?

Questions of setting: Hotel vs. bedroom, hotel vs. backseat, brothel vs. hospital, bedroom vs. hospital

I am not comfortable with this conflation of secretarial needs and sexual needs.

Twin Peaks S02E18: On the Wings of Love

• I so don't care about Windom Earle at all. I'm told that the last two episodes of the series make up for this second half of the second season, but I have my doubts.
• I only just realized that Gordon Cole is David Lynch. But I thought he left the show midway through the season?
• There's only 9 minutes left of the episode and it is unbearable.

Masters of Sex S01E06

Before I begin I'm going to play Where Do I Know That Actor From?
- Barton Scully is played by Beau Bridges. I know the name well, mostly from crossword puzzles. I actually haven't seen him anything else, and he is NOT Stephen Root, who played Jimmy James on Newsradio
- Dr. DePaul is played by Julianne Nicholson, aka Detective Wheeler on Law & Order: CI
- Vivian Scully is played by Rose McIver, who I recognize as Tinkerbell on Once Upon a Time.
- Essie Masters is Ann Dowd, who has appeared as several characters in the L&O franchise. Her most memorable role, in my mind, was as a pediatric oncologist in the L&O episode "Compassion."
- Bill Masters is played by Michael Sheen, who I did not think I recognized, but surprisingly played Castor in TRON: Legacy. (This guy)
Now let's begin!

It's interesting how the show can be so suggestive without being too graphic.

Now back to this "Men focus on the future, women reflect on the past" motif.

If Bill has given up on his quest to get Libby preggers, will he have good sex with her?

"Going up?" Heheh

I like seeing Ginny overestimate herself around Dr. DePaul. It increases her esteem of Dr. DePaul which is neat to see, and makes Ginny push herself.

"My clitoris beat my vagina??" I like when the show is funny. This episode is funny, which is good because last episode was sad.

"God helps them who helps themselves" - this episode is all about that, and how men are unnecessary to women's pleasure.

(I didn't include Allison Janney in my actor round-up at the top because she's Allison Janney, duh.)

Oh wait, this isn't funny anymore. Poor Allison Janney :(

Wait, Ginny gets a promotion so she takes her shirt off?? Booo

Masters of Sex S01E05

They do a good job of making Ethan a really layered character. Sometimes (when he's with Libby) he's a really  nice doctor. When he's with the good ol' boy doctors he's a pompous ass. When he's drunk, he's cruel. He isn't painted as just one thing all the time.

This episode seems to be about how a man's penis (Dr. Blonde, Ethan w/Vivian) is useless if the woman doesn't have a magic vagina (like Ginny's, as per last episode)

Bill Masters is the least layered character in the show. His father abused him so he's terrified of having a child. He resents his mother.

I love that Dr. Blonde's marriage is a total non-issue

Oh! It's Allison Janney!!

Oh God, I may be the worst Jewish girl ever, but I would never want to marry a doctor.

I liked Vivian, but she did kinda trick Hoss. Too bad.

It's nice that we're 5 episodes in before the show really starts to go into Ginny's work/life balance.

"If God wasn't invented for a time like this, then why invent him at all?" Haha, that's good :)

This episode is all kinds of sad. :(

It is nice to see Bill get confrontational at last. Cathartic.

"Those days are over, son. They are dead and buried." This scene is the opposite of what Essie was saying last episode about women looking back and men chugging forward.

Wait, this episode didn't have the title sequence. Maybe the files I'm watching have cut it out?

Wow. That's really powerful that he closed her eyes before he began sobbing.

Masters of Sex S01E04

Those are some knockers on that one lady.

Who plays Bill's mother? I've definitely seen her in things before.

This show really places a lot of emphasis on how important it is for a woman to be good in bed.

Masters of Sex S01E03

What? Did this show suddenly get an opening credits sequence? I guess so...

Woohoo! U of R!!

This actress looks really familiar. Where do I know her from?

Why are so many male TV doctors assholes?

Twin Peaks S01E17: Wounds and Scars

• Heather Graham?? Heather Graham is Norma's sister?
• Windom Earle is a really boring character. I'm already tired of this episode.
• Aren't we done with Catherine Martell? She has everything she wants. What else is there to say about her?
• Runway Lucy is the best part of this episode

Once Upon a Time s03E11: Going Home

My computer crashed mid-episode and I lost my notes for the first half. Bah humbug. Something about Henry's dorky voice, some timeline inconsistencies, and Emma being astonished.

• Quit monologuing, Rumple.
• Why is the only way for Pan to die for both him and Rumple to die? Also, no way that dagger went through both of them.
• Take a shot every time anyone says "Happy Ending"
• That is some bad CGI glowing effect on that dagger.
• This parting would be a lot more dramatic if I thought it would be for good. But that's just not the nature of this show.
• Regina is going to give Emma a happy ending?? It's the moment we've been waiting for the entire series!!
• I'd be okay with it if Hook showed up at my door.

Twin Peaks S02E16: The Condemned Woman

• Guest start Billy Zane??
• Catherine Martell Is Not Amused.
• Hot damn, it IS Billy Zane!
• Why do they keep giving Norma new family members?
• I think Jerry fell out of Reservoir Dogs

Masters of Sex S01E02

• I keep wanting the prostitute to be Brittany Murphy but she's not. I'm getting used to who she is, though.
• "It's like razor blades when I pee" UTIs are terrible indeed.
• This reminds me of that time the Golden Girls accidentally got mistaken for prostitutes.
• Bernadette is eating a pickle.
• Oh look, Johnson has to choose between her children and her career.
• The young doctor's visions of Ginny in other women are creepy
• Ginny wants to earn Masters' respect. Not his love or his affection. Hm.
• "When you do watch, it must be sexy."
• Masters' wife (what's her name??) threw the "I love you too much for that" back in his face. To what end?
• "Following the science" is an Orphan Black thing!
• I would like more from Masters' character beyond the ice cold scientist.

Masters of Sex S01E01

• Adding a new series to the mix!
• Oh, MASTERS of Sex! Because his name is Masters!
• I know this show is based on real history, but I'm gonna take it at face value on this blog. I am curious about its authenticity but meh.
• In the grand tradition of TV wives, I will expect to either pity this wife or hate her. Wouldn't it be neat if she were different?
• I hope Masters never cheats on his wife and that he doesn't have sex with Johnson. It would be cheesy if Masters gets his wife pregnant only after giving her an orgasm or something like that, but it would be okay.
• I love Lizzy Caplan
• Hmm. They are going to have sex with each other. Maybe.

American Horror Story S03E09

• I was really confused about who this little boy is because no way could it be Cordelia's husband Hank. If Hank was like 10 in 1991 then surely he'd only be - oh, wait. Yep. That's about right.
• Angela Bassett is the only one in this show who can steal the scene from Jessica Lange.
• Wait, who DID blind Cordelia?
• Is that suit the same guy as Remy from House of Cards?
• I don't really care about these witch hunters.
• Oh the witch hunters blinded Cordelia.
• Well of course the melon balls were poisoned.
• I wonder what it's like to have an open, mutual hatred of someone.
• Zoe's outfit is like a cross between Wednesday Addams and Jane Lane.
• Even as a grieving religious nut I like listening to Patti Lupone sing.
• I think this Queenie/Kathy Bates scene would be a lot better with a laugh track.
• Madame LaLaurie is singing Dixie. Yesterday I watched Benjamin Horne sing Dixie. Synchronicity!
• I can't tell if the sound in this voodoo scene is supposed to be distorted or if it's just the .mp4
• I like these telepathy scenes with Luke whispering in Nan's ear.
• This shot of Kathy Bates' head crying on a table is kind of amazing.
• Why'd Patti Lupone kill her son? It's not like he would have been able to prove anything.

Twin Peaks S02E15: Slaves and Masters

• Directed by Diane Keaton??
• Quit being a doofus, James.
• Bobby sounds a lot like Zach from Ferngully. It's not him. Don't worry, I already checked.
• Yay! Albert is back!
• I ship Albert and Sheriff Truman.
• I also ship Albert and Cooper. And Cooper and Truman.
• Leo's a bad guy, but his ponytail is the very worst thing about him.
• The doctors in Twin Peaks suck if they think that it's ok for Nadine to just continue thinking she's in high school.
• When did Josie get so helpless and meek?
• Jerry is such a weird character. Where does he live?
• And when was the last time we saw Ben Horne's wife?? He does have a wife, right? Wasn't she in one of the first episodes?
• The theory is that Windom Earle picked up a drifter - and the fact that the drifter has the same last name as Earle's dead wife was a deliberate move on his part?
• Rich lady and her driver/brother/lover framed James, but they didn't give him a motive. Why would he kill that guy?
• I can't tell if some of these scenes are slowed down for style, or if Netflix is just lagging.
• Windom Earle's disguise is supposed to read "foreigner" but in 2013 it reads "hipster accordian player in a band with a long name"

Orphan Black S01E10

• Does anyone ever actually say "Try me" in real life?
• Goddammit. Vic again.
• Did Alison just seriously pull a Walter White and watch Ainsley die?? I'm betting she wasn't even the monitor...
• Weird that the revelation that she's a clone totally repaired Sarah's relationship with Mrs. S. 
• People on TV always try to hide that they think they're seriously sick. Casima is coughing up blood and she's like, "I'm all right." I would be like, "I think I'm dying. I probably have cancer. WebMD says I have three weeks to live."
• Is the French music playing Felix's choice or Casima's? Or is it non-diegetic?
• Wait - when did Helena get access to Sarah's clothes to pretend to be her? And the town house? And a wig??
• Nobody is interested in getting help for Helena.
• I don't remember Rachel giving Sarah her phone number.
• Two down, two to go? Who's the fourth?
• The patent reveal is pretty chilling.

End of season questions:

• What was Amelia trying to tell Sarah about Mrs. S? That she was one of the clone scientists?
• Who kidnapped Mrs. S. and Kira? Rachel et. al.?
• What is the sickness that Casima has?
• Will Alison find out that Donny is her monitor and Ainsley was not?
• How will Alison come to terms with letting Ainsley die?
• Who is the fourth clone?
• What's the next step for the police?
• What is Dr. Leekie really playing at?

Twin Peaks S02E14: Double Play

• "Windom Earle" sounds like a household appliance manufacturer.
• Truman: In the meantime, you're still my deputy. If you want' this case, it's yours.
  Cooper: Harry, I want it.
  That is the beginning of some slashfic, right there.
• I think Lucy has the best job in Twin Peaks
• Cooper: Windom Earle was my first partner.
  That could also be the beginning of some slash.
• Is there a chart somewhere of each character's screen time? I'd be interested.
• Thomas Eckhardt is that asshole from Titanic!! (I had to use imdb to double-check, and I discovered that this actor, David Warner, has never appeared in the Law & Order franchise. WEIRD.)
• I'm not sure which plot line I care about less. Little Nicky? James and rich lady?
• Rich lady's like "Don't leave! Oh wait, the cops are here. Leave!"

Orphan Black S01E09

• It's good Sarah just explained the whole clone thing to Mrs. S or she'd be piiiiiiissed
• I think maybe Alison would be safer at a hotel than at Felix's place. That's just inviting more mistaken identity hijinks.
• Alison has the most character development of all the clones, even if Sarah is the "main" character/clone.
• "I worry about scientists more than science" is like the flipside of "I don't mind Christ, it's Christians I don't trust"
• When one of the clones imitates another it's often to humorous effect (Alison as Sarah, Sarah as Alison) but Sarah as Beth kept its gravity because we don't know what Beth was like, really.
• Is that Chekhov's shotgun that Mrs. S is carrying, mayhaps?
• If Dr. Leekie's talk had been a little less of a lightshow, I might trust him more.
• Is it kind of homophobic that I want an Orphan Black/True Blood crossover so that Felix and Lafayette can be besties?
• "Maybe it's not just Ainsley. Maybe they're all monitors." Whoa. Twilight Zone-y.
• I don't believe that Delphine really fell for Casima. What is this, She's All That?
• If Delphine DID fall for Casima, and Paul DID fall for Sarah...does that mean Ainsley fell for Alison?
• Evil priest guy is suddenly referring to Sarah as "her" instead of "it"
• Does Brian K. Vaughan have anything to do with this show?

Twin Peaks S02E13: Checkmate

Not much to say about this episode. Weird that James didn't mention anything about Donna to the rich lady.

The X-Files S05E18: The Pine Bluff Variant

• Usherette? The feminine form of usher is usherette?
• Trying to determine the method of delivery for the deadly biotoxin: "It's gotta be something everybody touched," says Scully, before picking up a ticket stub off the ground with her BARE HANDS
• The movie theater is playing Die Hard With a Vengeance. Die Hard (the original) is about criminals masquerading as terrorists to steal money. Guess what the terrorists in this episode are trying to do? If you guessed "steal money," you get a prize. Send one dollar to Happy Dude, 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield USA to claim your prize.
• Those monster masks the terrorists wear to rob the armored car can't have been cheap. Why not buy cheap masks? Why bother with monsters?
• This episode fits really weirdly into the season. Weirdly as in, it doesn't.
• It's nice to see old white men as terrorists.

Orphan Black S01E08

• Don't detectives get printed when they join the police? So wouldn't Beth also be in the database?
• It's neat to see Alison's personality change and how people react to her.
• Meredith Brooks?? I LOVE THIS SHOW
• I don't remember if they said how Casima and Beth and Alison met.
• Delphine hid that Sarah has a daughter. Because she's a good person? Or because she wants leverage?
• Kiraaaaa, what did Mrs. S say about opening the doooooor?

Once Upon a Time S03E10: The New Neverland

• If it was so easy to release Rumple from Pandora's Box, why do they think it will hold Pan?
• Snow kinda walks all over Charming sometimes.
• Charming/Emma daddy/daughter moments are nice
• What's really evil about Pan is that he won't let this story arc end.

Orphan Black S01E07

• Casima has the best grad student apartment I've ever seen
• The statue in Olivier's office looks like the cupid statue from Kamisama no Iutoori
• Oh yeah!! The police!!
• Do any of the clones have tattoos?
• This apartment really needs knew locks.
• Okay, now I kind of like the other lady detective. Angie. I even like that I didn't really trust her. 
• No major characters have been killed yet, so I have no reason to think they will be, but if Mrs. S gets killed I'll be pissed.
• Paul might kick the bucket soon, though
• Helena having dinner with "Paul" is amazing. Helena is amazing.
• Olivier just wants to punch Paul for kicks. He knows he's not going to get anything out of it. Except maybe a boner. Tail boner?
• "I don't do running" Evidence to the contrary...

Orphan Black S01E06

• Hot glue doesn't hurt thaaaat much, does it?
• A potluck with a Spice Girls soundtrack sounds like my kind of party!
• I think I could be friends with Casima
• I've figured out the trick to writing for TV: All the Shit Shall Hit the Fan at Once
• I increasingly like Paul.
• I'm getting tired of Vic. I can't imagine how Sarah feels.
• Pooor Donny.

The X-Files S05E17: All Souls

• When Mulder believes something strange he's noble. When Scully believes something strange she's weak. When Mulder listens to a suspect he's keen and insightful. When Scully listens to a suspect he's getting in her head and she's "susceptible" and being misled. 
• I like the religious-themed episodes. This one is particularly neat.
• I could have done without Emily in this episode, though. Why couldn't Scully's faith be enough? Why did it hace to be anchored in her daughter?
• I wonder how many Hail Marys Scully had to do afterwards.

The X-Files S05E16: The Mind's Eye

• I love Lili Taylor's voice
• I bet she could play The Joker really well if they ever did a female Joker.
• Nice to hear witty dialogue for a female character.
• Payphones are like the 90s version of burner cell phones
• I *think* they've already done a concept like this, but this one is better than anything similar that I remember.
• "Kick her loose"? On Law & Order they'd say "Cut her loose"
• I think Mulder has a crush on Marty.
• "I've been called a lot of things. 'Skeptical' is not one." - Agent Mulder
• Mulder thinks Marty is protecting the murderer because she feels responsible. Maybe she's protecting him because she likes being able to see things sometimes.
• When she sees herself through the killer's eyes, how does she know? She's never seen herself before. She doesn't know what she looks like.
• Mulder: The tests confirmed something else, Marty
  Me: "He's your father."
  Mulder: He's your father.
• How did Gotts find out who she is? And why didn't she let Pennock protect her? She changed her mind and wanted him dead?

Orphan Black S01E05

• I like Alison's husband. He seems like a nice guy. So of course he's a bad guy. Maybe.
• Shit, how am I supposed to tell which clone she is when she's naked??
• Wait, is that Emma from Degrassi?? It totally is!!
• I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the other clones can't procreate.

Twin Peaks S02E12: The Black Widow

• Nadine was one of my favorite characters, but this high school plot is stupid.
• I'm also not buying this whole plot with James and the rich lady
• Oh I hope Audrey doesn't get with Bobby. He's way more than a step down from Agent Cooper. (Not to mention poor Shelley)
• Wait, why did Mr. Horne lose his marbles? Because he was in jail? Because Leland murdered Laura? Because he lost ownership of One-Eyed Jack's and Blackie got killed? Because Catherine came back and tricked him into selling her the mill? Hmm...I suppose it could be the combination of all of those.
• I don't really like the shift in Pete's character. I can't put my finger on it, though.
• I don't like Josie's new haircut, either.
• Ed's a good guy. And I love the way Norma looks at him. It says everything. 
• I would love to see more insets of what's going on in Andy's mind.
• I don't care about this Dwayne fellow. Or Dougie. They had nothing to do with Laura Palmer, so I just don't care.
• Same goes for the widow. Quit changing the character dynamics I'd come to love and expect!
• I do like David Duchonvy's character, though. She fits right in.
• Rich lady's drunk/driver brother is weird. And not the good kind of weird I like on this show. 
• I also like the shift in Bobby's relationship with his parents. That's a nice development.
• Major Briggs looks like he just had a desert encounter with a small prince from another planet. I'm glad he's back, though.

The Walking Dead S04E08

Mid-season finale time!

• Maggie and Glenn are my favorite (canon) TV couple right now
• Budding psychopath-slash-taxidermist? It's gotta be one of those little girls
• Gov's response to dying children: "I have a tank"
• Darryl's response to the tank: "Fuck you in the shoot hole"
• Poor Herschel. At least he got to go out Game of Thrones style like a noble mofo.
• How did the bus drive away without the kids!?!
• That the Governor shot Megan after she died shows that he HAS changed since Woodbury. That he then ordered the tank to move on the prison and kill everyone shows that he still cray.
• Say something badass before you finish off the Governor, Michonne! Or don't say anything and leave him to die. That's badass too.

Orphan Black S01E04

• The theme music is a weird fit. It's kind of psychedelic.
• You know how sometimes you associate an actor with a character so totally? Or you like a character on a show because of the actor who plays her? Can't do that on this show.
• I don't trust this other female detective. I wonder what real Beth's relationship with her was like.
• The police captain or lieutenant or whoever is channeling Queenan from The Departed
• Sniper clone is the Blair Witch!?
• Oh shit! The kid knows the score!
• I don't think I would notice that "Beth" and Helena have the same face because I wouldn't be looking for it. I wouldn't think "clones!" I would chalk it up to "Huh. That's odd."

Orphan Black S01E03

• Oh my god, neighborhood watch lady's red overalls are AMAZING. What is that print? Dog bones??
• I wanna find interview with the guy playing Felix about filming scenes with multiple Tatianas. 
• I'm pretty sure that is exactly how I would use a walkie-talkie, too. Roger.
• All the clones have the same perfect eyebrows.
• Is it really that easy to pretend to be someone else? Would no one question you, for real?
• Psycho killer clone looks like Natasha Lyonne almost.

American Horror Story S03E08

• Is a fisheye lens in the mirror really necessary?
• Uh oh! Misty the hippie witch is in trouble!
• Myrtle was much more fun fresh out of the grave
• Taissa Farmiga's hair has no business being that straight.
• It's really hard to take anyone seriously when wearing a black pillbox hat with a long lace veil.
• Why does Nan want to be the supreme? Just because no one thinks she is?
• Denis O'Hare is the best in everything he's in.
• Wait, Madison being the next supreme makes Fiona wantt o kill herself, but not anyone else being the next supreme?
• If Kathy Bates is in the next season of this show I might keep watching.
• I want to give an award to the costume designer who put Delphine in that tiger sweatshirt.
• Taissa Farmiga is really good at that one dumbfounded expression

Twin Peaks S02E11: Masked Ball

Thoughts on this episode:

• That laptop is so old it took me a second to realize what I was looking at
• I would like an episode of Law & Order in which the detectives investigate the murder of Laura Palmer
• Oh Andy. He reminds me of the sheriff from Bat Boy. Kinda.
• David Duchovny in drag. Oh yes. Look at those gams.
• I think Cooper and Mulder would get along
• The writing in this episode has two too many groaners: "How was your hunting expedition?" "It was a little fatiguing" and "This can't look straight to you Dennis." "Denise."
• Benjamin Horne touting feng shui before it was a thing. (He doesn't actually say 'feng shui')
• Andrew Packard is alive?? What a twist!

Orphan Black S01E02

Thoughts on the episode:

• They go to great lengths to make Felix's apartment look shitty, but it's still huge. No way an artist/drug dealer could afford a loft that big in Manhattan without a trust fund.
• The swapped identity thing would be enough to carry these first episodes, but the sci-fi/international intrigue angle makes it even meatier. Or is it the other way around?
• I feel like Vic Mackey could wipe the floor with Art. Art wouldn't even make it through the first round of a dirty TV cop battle royale.
• "Don't you want to know what's in the briefcase?" When has anything good EVER come from a mystery briefcase??
• I wonder if Tatiana Maslany looks to Eddie Murphy for inspiration in playing all the characters. Are any of the twins Tatiana in a fat suit?
• Tatiana Maslany is like Barbie - she can pull off any look. I want Orphan Black fashion dolls.
• A string of implausible coincidences can make for good, clever comedy. (See: Arrested Development). For it to make good drama, I have to really buy it - at least within the parameters of the show.
• For instance: Sarah spent time practicing an American accent to do a convincing Beth, but she breaks the German accent for Katya out of nowhere. I'll let it slide because one of the givens of the series is that she can think on her feet.
• I think it was Mark Twain who said that thing about telling the truth so that you don't have to remember anything? "Beth" going over her account of the shooting with Art unwraps a nuance there. The story she was telling, which she got from her previous statement in the file, was the truth as far as she knew. It wasn't HER truth - she isn't the person who did the shooting - but it's what she knew to have happened. Then she found out that her true lie was actually a lie, a cover-up. Is it easier to tell a lie if you think it's the truth?
• It's kind of refreshing that there's only one storyline - no subplots around minor characters. But I have a feeling that the main plot will soon get complicated enough that it would be futile to try to delve into any other characters.

Orphan Black S01E01

It's so good!

Um...

What else can I say?

Really intriguing first episode. I've heard amazing things about Tatiana Maslany's performance, and I can see where that praise is coming from.

Anne says I should blog about all the TV I'm watching.

me:  I just watched the first episode of Orphan Black

it's so good!

 Anne:  it only gets better

by the third episode it's amazing

i'm so glad that you have decided to take your life in this direction

 me: 

I've also been watching Twin Peaks

have you seen it?

 Anne:  the first season

and then i skipped the second season accidentally by watching the movie at a party

 me:  I'm told the second half of the second season is terrible

until the last two episodes

 Anne:  the movie was great

 Sent at 8:31 PM on Tuesday

 Anne:  and you watched the fall?

you've been so busy!

i'm so jealous!

 me:  I only knew Kyle MacLachlan from that episode of SVU

soooo busy

this evening after I got home from running errands for Tyler I thought to myself "I should do something fun and creative"

and instead I've been watching TV

 Sent at 8:33 PM on Tuesday

 Anne:  if you blog about it that makes watching tv creative

 Sent at 8:45 PM on Tuesday

 me:  but then I'd have to think things and put them into words

Here's my blog post on the first episode of Orphan Black:

"It's so good!"

 Sent at 8:46 PM on Tuesday

 me:  may I have your permission to use this conversation as my first blog post?