Back with Dracula and Arrow

Hey Everyone, it has been a while. But honestly there hasn't been much out there recently to write about. But tonight this was different. I just watched this weeks episode of Dracula (1x06) and Arrow (2x08) and both series left behind a good impression. 

I'm going to start with Dracula, I have written before on this blog about Dracula, The first episode was unnecessary, and the second episode was a lot better. After that the level stayed a bit the same, but we are at episode six now and this episode was of a complete different level. I really was amazed. And it really leaves me anxious for the episodes to come. 

The way Dracula manages to deceive the order and keeps the huntsman close without her having any clue who she leads into her bed. And how he manages to keep his cool when his face is half burned away from the sun. I loved the electrifying tension.

The visual effects were of a high standard and it seems that the makers of the Tudors are evolving in producing series. I hope this level will keep up or even approve. And maybe at the end of this season I will have to reevaluate my quotation on this series.

To move on then to Arrow that also was exceptional today. For the first time in the series Olivier got his ass kicked as The Arrow and it got kicked really badly. And I for see a new member entering his crew. The young police detective from Central City. A romance already started with Felicity and will he be able to save Olivier and how will he react to the fact that Felicity shared the secret with someone else? This episode leaves so many questions and makes me long to see the next episode. 

There was also ass kicking involved with Moira (Olivier's mother) but she was the one doing it, figure of speech. Hahaha, Malcolm's face. I loved the guy in Torchwood, but in Arrow I hate his guts.

And then there was the death of Manu Bennet, who I actually have no clue what his name was in the series. It's not like they every used their names on the island. Now he died here too, and what a horrible death it was. Not so honorable like it was in Spartacus season 3. I am going to miss him, I find him a great actor. And hope to see him back soon in another series.

That was it for tonight.

'till next time 

Mom

Description:


Mom is an irreverent and outrageous take on true family love ‐ and dysfunction. Newly sober single mom Christy struggles to raise two children in a world full of temptations and pitfalls. Testing her sobriety is her formerly estranged mother, now back in Christy's life and eager to share passive-aggressive insights into her daughter's many mistakes.

Source: TVT

Review:

Hi everyone, I took a small break, but I watched today the latest Mom episode and it inspired me to write again.
Mom is a series produced by i.a. Chuck Lorre, who is also the producer from How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) and The Big Bang Theory (TBBT). 

It's the first season of Mom. My guess it's to fill the hole that HIMYM will leave behind next year since that series is on it's last season. At first, the first few episodes I was a bit skeptical. I had expected more after I saw the names from the actors involved. But then it started to get better. It's far from the level from HIMYM and TBBT but it's getting good. And I can see this series having a future. A bit more on the level of Still Standing (series begin 2000's and main actor was Mark Addy, Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones and Hercules in Atlantis). And if they really crack it up a notch maybe it will reach a level close to HIMYM and TBBT.
The show has grown and the humor became really good. This episode was so good for me, because I could find myself in the main character Kristie.
The concept about a mother that lives with her mother and turned out to be exactly like her, having a daughter going on the same path and then a young son that doesn't really fit the picture. It's daring but good. Reminds me a bit of Married with Children though, has the exact kind of humor.
But overall the series is getting better, the laugh tape could be a little less, there is not much to say about music choice, because there isn't any. And the scripts are nicely done.
If your looking for a good comedy serie where you can just turn of your brain and relax, then definitely try this out. They are short but funny episodes.

And my overall quotation for this series is 7.5/10. This quotation can change if the series keeps getting better.
Have fun watching.

'till my next blog

A crappy week

Hi everyone, it's been a week that I have written for you. I've had a bit of a crappy week. Had to go to the doctor on Tuesday and he had not such a pleasant news for me. So I'm not embarrassed to say but I cried for two days straight. And then I basically buried myself in Final Fantasy XIV so there was not much room for writing. Although here and there I did pick up some series and that is what I want to talk to you about today. In general all series of last week.
I've watched a bunch of stuff, for instant the latest episode of Covert Affairs.
What do you think about her brown hair? I have nothing against series with girls with brown hair, heck, Charmed is my favorite series of all times and they had brown hair. I'm just saying that, because it's a known fact in hollywood that series with the head actress not blond, that it doesn't sell that well. So they started out with a blond Annie, but now suddenly she's brown? I don't know. It doesn't suit her. 
I have a confession to make, I started watching Covert Affairs because I love watching Coyote Ugly just because of Piper Perabo. But I actually have that with a lot of series. I started watching Beauty and the Beast because Lana from Smallville would play in it, or Bones because of my high school crush David Boreanaz aka Angel. But I'm trailing off.
I get the feeling that it's time that they put Covert Affairs to sleep. It's becoming tedious. I liked last season a lot better and they should of stopped there. But that is my opinion of course.
So here I'm going to cut my opinion of Covert Affairs because I don't want to spoil to much and I have not much more to say about it. Except for this.
If you love a good CIA series that has some "swung" in it. then Covert Affairs is definitely what you are looking for. I just don't like this season. But that is totally personal.

I'm actually not much in the mood to write either. I worked yesterday half a day on a present for my mam and then at one point I wanted to save and it said "an error has occurred during saving" And I lost all my work. Everything was gone. Just now, while I'm typing this. I also saved in between. and even here I got an saving error. Luckily I didn't loose anything.
But I've started to cherish my blog already. And even though I don't get comments I can see in the statistics that I get at least some viewers.
Maybe I should stop here and when I got some more inspiration today I will come back to write you a decent review.

With love

'Till my next Bloooog xxxx

Castle, Lost girl and WoEE

Description:
Castle

After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle gets permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes.

Lost girl

Lost Girl focuses on the gorgeous and charismatic Bo, a supernatural being called a succubus who feeds on the energy of humans, sometimes with fatal results. Refusing to embrace her supernatural clan system and its rigid hierarchy, Bo is a renegade who takes up the fight for the underdog while searching for the truth about her own mysterious origins.

Witches of East End

Centers on the adventures of a mother and her two adult daughters, both of whom unknowingly are their family's next generation of witches, who lead seemingly quiet, uneventful modern day lives in Long Island's secluded seaside town of North Hampton. When one of the daughters becomes engaged to a young, wealthy newcomer, a series of events forces her mother to admit to her daughters they are, in fact, powerful and immortal witches.

Source (all): IMDB.com

Review:

There is always a ton to watch on Mondays. But since I bought Final Fantasy XIV: a realm reborn yesterday I haven't watched much TV the past 2 days. Way to busy raveling myself in the story from the game. If you are a gamer like me, definitely test it out.

But we are not here to talk about games now are we? I just finished watching WoEE and I don't know why but that series always inspires me to write afterwards. My boyfriend had spurred me already couple times today to write further in my blog. But it's difficult to write if you don't have any inspiration. Him as a 3D modeler should understand that I guess =)
But WoEE was again really good. You feel with the characters and you hold your breath when something bad happens. and then the revelation today of whom the shapeshifter is. THAT was shocking. I already had a feeling that that family had something to do with it. But this?
Anyway, I really try my best to stay away from spoilers. Or repeating myself, so I'm going to move on to the next topic. One we haven't had yet so far.

Lost Girl! I started watching Lost Girl 2 years ago after seeing an add on another series I was watching. I got myself the series and I started watching. Lost Girl is one of the few series that had me from the very first episode. I liked the whole Succubus concept. It was new for a change, no vampires or werewolves... Well,... no werewolves, of course you have the fae species wolf, but the series is not about that. That is what I mean.

Bo, a girl running from everyone and everything she knows because she can kill with a kiss. I must say if I had that ability I'd probably wouldn't kiss anyone at all anymore, ever. What is a shame really ;-)
Season 4 started yesterday in America and I just watched it, I was disappointed. The first half hour I was constantly trying to remember if they showed something in the last episode of the previous episode that could explain what was happening right now. But I couldn't.

They started with a whole new storyline without a single leap to it. I find it a bit strange. It's hard to wrap my head around it. and I missed the sex vibe. So hopefully a better episode next week. Because so far it has always been good. Ok, last season had some lesser episodes too, so I really hope they won't slip even further down the slope.

If you like some real fantasy series that is for once not about zombies or vampires, then this is your series. I give this series still an 8.5/10 even though it had a bad season start.

And then last but not least, and then I'm off playing some more FFXIV, Castle. 

I am a huge fan of police and detective series. Not only on TV, but also in books. I have almost the complete series of the Belgian writer Aspe and I have a ton of first edition novels of Agatha Christie! So it's only natural that one day or another I was going to give in to watching Castle. The first years I didn't want too. In the beginning, when I still was capable of going to work I always said: "I have enough series that I follow, you can't follow everything". Turns out, you can ;-) So, like 5 months ago I got my hands on the first 5 seasons of Castle. That meant a couple weeks nothing else then Castle on TV. Even my boyfriend started following. We both got quite attached to the series. I like this concept better then The Mentalist. A crime writer that helps solving crimes and then uses it as inspiration for his next books. That is just genius. 

The casting for that series is perfect. Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Stana Katic (Beckett) have a wonderful dynamic going on and sometimes you can see the fireworks coming out your screen. The stories are always perfect. I have never had that there was a lesser episode.
I can only say good things about Castle really.

And therefor I give it a quotation of 9.5 /10 (It's still not Da Vinci's Demons level)

So if you are looking for a good police series. Don't even doubt. Watch Castle. And if you have already seen it, watch it again. and if you can't get enough of Nathan Fillion, watch Firefly (a series I will discuss in a later blog.

But now my arm is literately hurting from writing so I am off
'till my next blog!!

Dracula 2

Review:

It's now 18:39 Saturday evening here in Belgium when I start writing this evenings blog. I went outside today to find a "Snuggle" (blanket with sleeves) for a friend. Something I was glad to do, then I can go ride my awesome scooter again. Of course it started raining. Pouring down from the heavens. Sigh... Completely cold and without "Snuggle", they were all sold out, I came home. Taking off those wet closed, make some coffee, put my own "Snuggle" on and put Dracula s01e03 on the TV. Last week I told you that I didn't like the first episode at all, I called it even obsolete. Because the second episode was better and all info you needed to start the series was to find there. So I snuggled ;-) into my blanket and started watching with the hope to see an even better episode .

Well,... Yes it was again better. The story really starts to pick up, the visual effects are no longer fail. And oh my god, that love scene, that building up music with an very exquisite climax at the right moment. They managed to make that romantic moment on screen go outsides the boundaries of the television. You could feel the love, the happiness, the passion, the romance...
Wonderfully done.
I am going to keep it short for now because I have some more series to watch on this rainy, cold Saturday evening. 
Just one more thing. DO WATCH THE SERIES. I NOW APPROVE 

'till my next Blog! /Big Kiss

Atlantis

Description:

Atlantis is set in the city of Atlantis: a mysterious ancient place; a world of bull leaping, of snake haired goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants. It’s into this strange, compelling realm that the young Jason arrives and an amazing adventure begins, bringing to life the vast store of Greek myths and legends.

Source: BBC

Review:

Couple days ago when I was surfing the net, I saw somewhere the title of the new series Atlantis and I checked out the first six episodes in the past 2 evenings. (The seventh episode airs tomorrow night on BBC One at 20:25)

After seeing the first episode I had not really an idea where the series was going too. It starts off with a normal random guy that is in a miniature kind of submarine and suddenly gets lost. I had a bit "Bermuda triangle" feeling with this. And then poof he's in a different world... On that moment I wondered if this would become a new stargate type series. Traveling world, ending up in different era's.
I discussed this a bit with my boyfriend but also from him I got the feeling this was not what he had expected. We were a bit disappointed. I don't really know what I had expected, but the first episode did not really impress me.

But of course curious me, and my 3 episode rule, I kept watching further. While my boyfriend went back to work working on one of his 3D projects and only listening with one ear. I started watching with full focus.
First observation, I was completely wrong if it came to what the story line was about to be. No this series was just a comedy series in the Greek ages, a bit of the Merlin and Xena, the Warrior Princess type of series. Comedy with a bit of history. Always nice to watch. Only the costumes are a bit poor in my opinion. Or maybe that is because I'm becoming spoiled by costume drama's like Da Vinci's Demons (where a blog soon will over follow) I just find the costumes a bit cheap. But I love the creativity with the story line  Taking Myths and showing the birth of it. Because where for us they are myths, there it hasn't happened yet.

I realize that this last part might have been a  bit of a spoiler but I am very enthusiastic about this series and I can not describe it in any other way. The series is really good, because of the good story, the good acting. And making it still funny. It has from everything equally as much. Everything a good series needs.

If you are looking for a good laugh series that is light, but might enlighten you here and there, then this is definitely the series for you to watch.

And now my quotation: I give this series an 8/10 because I really am disappointed in the costumes, the production could be slightly better in my humble opinion. But everything else is just fantastic. So I find an 8 well deserved!

'till my next Blog! ;-)

The Vampire Diaries and The Originals

Description:

Family is power. The Original Vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together, always and forever. Now, centuries have passed, and the bonds of family are broken. Time, tragedy and hunger for power have torn the Original Family apart.

Review:

The Originals. What can I say about The Originals? More than "I absolutely love it". I have watched the original series The Vampire Diaries, but this series is more grown up. The first year that TVD came out I had the feeling that the series was more a teen drama series. It didn't really catch my attention. A couple years later a friend tells me that the series actually has grown up and that I should definitely give the series a chance. So I get the series and I start watching. Halfway season one I notice that the series indeed starts changing. It's starting to get darker. I like it. And the series keeps on growing. And then The Originals get introduced. I loved the storyline about The Originals and the casting was masterly. You really believed that they were very powerful that you should be really scared of them when you meet them alone in the dark in some random ally. And then there was Silas and bit by bit the teen drama started to sip back into the series. Luckily the makers from TVD got the great idea to make an off-spin and give The Originals their own series. For me this meant that they basically took away my favorite characters and gave them their own series. I still follow TVD, and I'm not saying it's bad now. If you had that feeling, my apologies. I still really like the series. But I prefer the bit more grown up series in this genre.

The Originals moved on to another city, a new setting, but still with the same old back story. Fighting a war! At first they want to make you believe that the war is all about that baby in Hailey's belly but it soon shows it's true purpose. I like the twists in this series. They are not too big or to small, but just perfect, just so you would believe it. There hasn't been much episodes out yet from The Originals at this moment I just watched episode 6 of the first season. But still, so much has happened already. The story moves fast but not too fast. You cannot keep following if you miss an episode. And for me that means that it's a good series.

If you haven't seen The Vampire Diaries until the end of season 4 and you are still planning to do that, don't start watching The Originals yet. Or you WILL get SPOILED.
At the other hand, if you are really curious about The Originals but don't care much about The Vampire Diaries, you can perfectly start following the series. Everything you need to know gets explained.

My boyfriend thinks I should quote my series. Do you think the same? Let me know in the comments below. :)
And to humor him. The Originals definitely deserves a 9/10 so far. And The Vampire Diaries deserves a nice 8 because it has grown throughout the years, but is now a little less again. But the curve can always go up again.

'Till my next blog xXx

Homeland, Revenge and Witches of East End

Since I will discuss several series tonight I decided not to attach a description of the subjects.

Review:

Homeland... Does anyone actually like Homeland? I guess someone does, they just signed the contract for a fourth season. If I'm totally honest - and you will discover in the future if you keep reading my blog that I am a very honest person that always says what she thinks - I must admit that I don't really like Homeland. But Still, I follow it every single week, without never skipping one. I don't know if it's my addiction or just because the series is better than I want to believe. Who will say, because I don't know. So every week, I'm ready in my couch for watching Homeland. Always horribly annoyed by the intro and that headache giving intro music.
I said in a previous blog that I quote on 6 things. And choice of music is one of them. Well, I'm sorry Homeland fans, but for me it get it big Zero.
But of course there are other things that make a series. You have the storyline for instance. I find the main concept of homeland actually very good. A soldier that gets turned. Goes undercover in his own world (well kind off previous world). He goes back to his family, he's suddenly the role model for everything in America. And while everyone is praising him, he plans an attack on America. But then, twist oh twist, he turns against the ones who turned him. Are you still following?
I don't know, it's my feeling that they didn't think this through, this whole workout from the storyline. Sadly though, this series could be really top. But then again, it must be since it has 4 seasons already and a series like Stargate Universe just gets cut of like that.
But the real reason I keep watching every week, is because every week I hope the series will have a turn for the better. But I'm still waiting...

Enough rambling about Homeland. Let's take a look at Revenge, shall we?
The title of Revenge says it all. This series is all about revenge. Revenge of one girl. When I first decided to give Revenge a try I had no clue what to expect. In the beginning I really looked a bit skeptical towards the series. Some of the people that were chosen came right out The bold and the beautiful (not for real, just my opinion) But all prejudice aside, I kept my 3 episodes rule and I actually started to get intrigued. Now every week I look forward to what revenge plan Emily Thorn (Emily VanCamp)  will pull out of her sleeve and which one will be the unfortunate to undermine her plan, on purpose or not.
What else can I say about Revenge? If you like a series with loads of drama, bit of a smile here and there, beautiful scenery, evil women and Twist in a twist in a twist. Then Revenge is definitely the series that you are looking for.  If you have watched it, let me know what you think of it in the comments.

Witches of East End. Before I give you my opinion about WoEE (easier then to have to write it out all the time)  let me sketch first what this series is about. Setting is nowadays with a single mother and 2 daughters end their 20's. Suddenly something happens and the two girls discover that they are actually immortal powerful witches.

Does this ring a bell? Girls, end in their 20's living at home, suddenly powerful witches? Well ye, maybe not everyone will make the link. But everyone that ever saw/followed Charmed should see the link. Because that was basically the pilot of Charmed. So only because of that (and I'm not kidding) I checked it out.
The first episode was only so and so but then it actually came better. at this present time there have 5 episodes aired. And like it's supposed to be when you are a real series addict. I haven't missed a single one yet. The first episode was a bit boring, because they didn't really explain anything. They were avoiding the subject. But now that the girls now that they are all powerful witches the fun is beginning. And aside from the begin plot this series has absolutely nothing to do with Charmed. And that made me really happy. Only one small thing that bugs me, and that is the same like from in revenge. Some characters seem to have run away from The Bold and The Beautiful. But then again maybe that is just me. I would love to hear your opinion about this.
What else can I say, there is a love triangle relationship going on with the youngest daughter. It's between her, her fiancé and his brother. And I get the feeling that we will see quite a lot more of that in the coming weeks.
This series is for people who love to see magic on TV, with a little bit of drama but also nice magical humor. For total for this series at this time I would give it an 8/10. But maybe that might still change.
Keep reading my blog in the coming weeks for more updates.

Supernatural

Description:

This television drama is about two brothers, Sam and Dean, who were raised by their father, John, to hunt and kill all things that go "bump in the night" after his wife, Mary, was murdered by evil supernatural being when the boys were young. 22 years later the brothers set out on a journey, fighting evil along the way, to find their recently missing father who, when they finally meet up with, reveals he knows what killed their mother, a demon, and has found a way to track and kill it. Meanwhile, Sam starts to develop frightening abilities that include death visions, visions of people dying before it actually happens. These visions are somehow connected to the demon who murdered his mother and its mysterious plans that seem to be all about Sam. When their father dies striking a deal with the very same devil that had killed his wife, the brothers, now alone and without their mentor, are determined to finish the crusade their father started. But disturbing revelations about Sam's part in...

Source: imdb.com

Review:

For years I planned to watch supernatural and for years people told me that I shouldn't watch it because I can't really handle spooky stuff, getting nightmares and such. So I never watched it. Until I came to a point couple weeks ago that I had no series left to watch. Because normally I watch the series that come out the day after, and then one at the time older series that I haven't seen yet. Sometimes those series might have ended, others have still running seasons. But now I had not of the latter. So I scouted IMDB for series I could watch. And there I got interested by The Secret Circle (See upcoming review TSC) and Supernatural. I went to YouTube and I checked out the trailers from both series. I was surprised to see how normal Supernatural looked like. My boyfriend noticed that I was getting the Supernatural series and warned me again for nightmares. But I said that I don't believe I have anything to worry about. At this moment of writing I just finished watching season 1.

You have to know that this blog is MY opinion and that this sometimes might not stroke with what you think. I hope you understand that =)

I was a bit disappointed at first in Supernatural. It was like looking at such supernatural series made by amateurs. I did not find it so scary at all, you could see through all of that and it bothered me a bit. Since everyone always warned me about it. But since I really didn't have anything else to watch, except then maybe for Vermist (Flemish missing persons police series), I watched Supernatural on empty moments. Sometimes in dull episodes I played some WoW. But then, the last 3 episodes suddenly changed. Suddenly they came on a point in the story line that I really started to get interested. It finally got my attention. The fact that I had to get through 18 not always the greatest episodes was instantly forgotten. And that season finale... Well Done!
I would write out what I like so much about season finale, but then I would write spoilers. And since not everyone that is reading this has already seen this series.
But it was basically everything together. The Storyline was fantastic, the twist plot was masterly. The acting was very believable and I was really sitting on the tip of my chair wondering how this would wind out. And the visual effects were good in place. Not too much so it was believable. I just liked the whole of it.

So for so far I would say, Watch it. It's not as creepy as it looks :)

Off watching the second season.  'till my next blog!

Dracula

Description:

Series introduces Dracula as he arrives in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There's only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: Dracula falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.

Source: NBC

Review:

On Friday 25/10/'13 the first episode of Dracula aired. I had heard about it already and I had seen that it would be with Jonathan Rhys Meyers who also starred in the Tudors and I have a soft spot for historical series. I love the costumes, I love the way they were living in that time. Everything was just so much simpler. So when it came out I sat in front of the TV with some snacks and some cola, ready to begin. But Oh my,... It was boring I couldn't keep my attention to it. Long tedious conversations that after a while you almost fell asleep. The highlight was the couple seconds of wireless electricity it seems. After that episode I concluded that this was one of the most underwhelming pilots ever. But I have a rule. I give every series at least three episodes to convince me. Unless someone tells me that I just need to bite through the first x amount of episodes.
So this Friday we had the second episode of Dracula. Even though it bored me to death last week I was still curious and I was hoping that this episode might be better. And it was! The best way to describe it would be: "The second episode makes the first obsolete" Everything you need to know to be able to follow the series is explained in the second episode. I am not going to go much into detail because I do not want to post spoilers. But what can I say, nice scenery, nice conversations and a good ending of the episode. The storyline finally has wakened my interest.
And I promise, I will keep you updated on how it goes further