Being Human: Chasers

After watching Being Human UK on Hulu I was so sad to see it end. I liked this show so much, even after the entire cast changed, although I definitely preferred the original cast. It was so exciting to find the book series based on the original cast, so I've been ordering them each one at a time to make the experience last as long as possible. I don't order the next book in the series until I'm finished with the previous book. Not only does it make the experience last longer, but it gives me something to look forward to as I await the arrival of the next book. 

Mark Michalowski does a great job in keeping the characters true to their TV images. Chasers centers mostly on George, but Annie and Mitchell's reactions and support figure largely in the story as well. Mitchell and Annie had some situations to work out in the story also and it was great to be reading about the paranormaly unique flatmates once again as they helped each other avoid making life decisions that they might have regretted.

It's bittersweet that I am now finished reading Chasers and am well into the third and final book in the series, Bad Blood.

Fear the Walking Dead: Season One

This show started out slower than The Walking Dead because there wasn't that sense of urgency, confusion and terror that Rick's experience after waking up from his coma caused. When Fear the Walking Dead begins, we viewers are already seasoned pros and watch with confident knowledge of the what the future has in store for these people as the cast sits by cluelessly waiting for the government to solve this temporary inconvenience. By the season's end, the cast has been kicked in the face with the horrific reality that they're on their own in a cruel, bloodthirsty world.

At first, I didn't care for any of the characters in this show. They're either annoying and selfish or bossy know-it-alls. But a couple of them have grown on me in their ability to except and adapt to their drastically changed lives. As our marketing and advertising corporations are always drilling into us, the world is made for the young. Fear the Walking Dead also favors youth as the younger generation seems to be handling this upturned world much better and more logically than the adults. 

I'm thinking after all the adults are killed off Chris and Alicia repopulate the world in a new spin off of this spin off.

Penny Dreadful: Season One

I like the mysterious darkness of this show, especially set in the Victorian era. I'm still three episodes shy of seeing all of Season One of Penny Dreadful. However, after seeing most of Season One, I can tell that eventually every main character on the show must have sex with every other main character on the show. The only downside of this show is all the time wasted on sex scenes that have little or nothing to do with the story. Sometimes it seems like whenever two characters are alone in a room, they are bound to have sex. 

Vanessa's poor mother dropped dead on the spot when she walked into Vanessa's room while she was having sex with an invisible (to her anyway) demon. Now, that sex scene actually contributed to the story. Obviously, Dorian has sex with most everyone he meets, but why is Ethan having sex with Dorian? Why is that even in the story? Must be because they were the only ones who happened to be in the room. 

Frankenstein, his monster and Sembene are the only ones who haven't had sex on screen yet. That must occur during the final three episodes of the season.

Penny Dreadful: The Seance

Taking advantage of the free Showtime weekend on Hulu, I watched the first two episodes of Penny Dreadful. In the second episode, Vanessa (Eva Green) does some channeling during a parlor seance at a party. The medium who was hired to conduct the seance is even shocked at the anger and malevolence that flows forth from the beautiful, reserved Vanessa and when Vanessa climbs up onto the table and the evil spirit contorts her body into unnatural positions, the party fun is over.

Eva Green is such a great performer, it was a thrill to behold the frightening scene. I've blogged about her in the past, but here's a nice excuse to talk about her some more! I'm going to have to buy the DVD's because I'm not adding Showtime to my Hulu account even though it is only $8.99 a month. It is a good deal considering all of the good movies and original series that Showtime has to offer. But there are already too many tempting movies and TV shows on Hulu that would take me three lifetimes to watch! Why add more?

I am looking forward to catching up with the rest of Penny Dreadful. It's a hauntingly creepy show with beautiful costumes, great scenery and Eva Green.

Dark Shadows: Interrupted Voyage, Continued

That Barnabas Collins is so clever! I was afraid he was doomed to burn at the stake, mistaken for a demon from hell by the blood thirsty residents of Salem, but he not only saved himself, but the soul of an innocent man trapped under an evil witch's spell.

 As I mentioned in a previous post,  I received Interrupted Voyage for Christmas which is a 2012 reprint of the original Dark Shadows Digest book published by Hermes Press, written by D. J. Arneson and illustrated by Joe Certa. The original was published in 1970 by Gold Key Comics.

Calandra, a witch who is extremely expert in the practice of black magic has taken the fiance of Annabella, a distant cousin of Barnabas' as her slave in Salem, Massachusetts, while poor Annabella's ghost haunts Collinwood waiting for her fiance to die and join her. Her sad story lures Barnabas into volunteering to help her find her fiance, Michael, and free his soul from the evil witch.

The display of powers Calandra uses during the story are pretty cool, yet evil. She casts spells that enslaves Michael, that show her Barnabas' past as a vampire and even brings Angelique back to Salem as a weapon to kill Barnabas. Of course, Barnabas outwits Calandra and barely escapes Angelique to bring the story to a happy ending.

Dark Shadows: Interrupted Voyage

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Original-Series-Digest/dp/1613450192

For Christmas I received this book which is a 2012 reprint of the original Dark Shadows Digest book published by Hermes Press, written by D. J. Arneson and illustrated by Joe Certa. The original was published in 1970 by Gold Key Comics. I've just finished Chapter Eighteen of the twenty four chapter book and it's a really good story starring Barnabus Collins. He's not a vampire at the time of the story, but he's in constant fear of Angelique popping back into his life and reimposing the dreaded curse.

I'm hoping she eventually turns up in the story which takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. Being Salem, there is an evil witch in the story who already has plans to destroy Barnabus in self-defense as he tries to help his distant ghost of a cousin, Annabella free her fiance's soul from the witch's possession so they can be together in the afterlife.

Although it's not looking very promising for Barnabus as the suspicious and superstitious townspeople don't like his looks and are planning to burn him at the stake as an unwelcome stranger who they assume must be Satan! Talk about jumping to conclusions. Apparently, the people of Salem weren't as welcoming to tourists and strangers as they are now!

Being Human: The Road

I just finished reading The Road by Simon Geurrier and was very happy with the story and the way Geurrier was able to portray the characters on paper pretty close to their TV characters. I liked the show so much as a late discoverer of the series on Hulu earlier this year. I was disappointed as the actors left the show one by one until the entire cast was eventually replaced. I did like the new cast of characters, but still missed the originals. Rarely is anything ever as good as the original!

The novel covered a few days in the lives of Annie, George and Mitchell as they worked together to unravel the mystery and solve the problem of Gemma the ghost who took up residence in the flat for no apparent reason. Reading the book was sort of like reading a lost episode. It definitely would have made a good episode within the TV series. I'm now patiently waiting the arrival of the second book in the series, Chasers by Mark Michalowski, and hope to enjoy it at least as well as The Road.

Scream Queens (2015): Mommie Dearest

Jamie Lee Curtis kicks the asses of the serial killers when they attempt to make her the next victim, sending them fleeing the scene, was so great! Using the Psycho-like shower scene as a prelude to the attack was a hoot too, since her mother (Janet Leigh) was in the original Psycho movie. Dean Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) is kind of nutty, but she was pure confidence and badassness when she found herself confronted with three masked attackers and said, "Bring it on," before methodically overpowering all of them.

Usually, I find Emma Roberts (Chanel Oberlin) has all the great scenes in Scream Queens, but Jamie Lee Curtis definitely owned Mommie Dearest.

Being Human UK: The Final Broadcast Revisited

I think when a TV series is in its final season and the writers know in advance that the series will be ending, it should be universally understood that faithful viewers deserve some closure.

After seeing an additional scene of The Final Broadcast on Blastr, it becomes apparent that the trio are trapped in a dream-life created by the devil. At the end of the scene they resolve to find a way out to save the world for real as though the show will continue with a new season.

Yes, it's nice to know the team is alive and well and committed to a higher purpose, but I still think the series finale would have been better if the three died as heroes, saving the world and sent to heaven like the original flatmates.

Being Human UK: The Last Broadcast

I loved this show! It was so well done and the story is so unique and addicting. I was sad when the original cast members left, but the new cast grew on me too. It's too bad the show had to end, but I really enjoyed how it all wrapped up. The story line never got old and I never saw what was coming. I truly thought Alex, Hal and Tom would die as heroes that saved the world. Now we know why Alex's door never presented itself!

Being Human UK: Season 4 - Annie Saves the World

What a great way to end Annie's story line! I'm so sad that the last original flat mate is gone, but Annie's happy ending provided, at least, some compensation. The implication that she is now free to join her beloved friends who she deeply misses, delivering baby Eve to her parents perhaps, was a sweet finale, as though her brave sacrifice to save humanity from evil vampire domination wasn't enough.

Even though the original flat mates are no longer on the show, the story, character development and the writing is so great that I'm sure Season 5 will continue to satisfy my addiction to Being Human UK.

Being Human UK: Season 4

I realize this show has been off the air for years, but I just started watching it on Hulu this year. Everything about this show is so well done that it's addicting. Even with three fourths of the cast changed, I'm still addicted to the show. It's like a great book where you can't wait to finish it to find out how it ends, but at the same time, you want to read it slowly to make it last as long as possible. I consciously avoid reading anything online that might spoil the ending for me.

Even though I really like Tom and Hal, I'm still missing George, Nina and Mitchell. They were such great characters and all were so attached to Annie and she to them, which was a characteristic of the show that I was really drawn to. It's kind of sad waiting and hoping that Tom and Hal can develop the same relationship with Annie that George and Mitchell had with her. 

I was disappointed that Nina ended Season 3 pregnant, but Season 4 began with the baby in the crib and Nina dead and gone. Although I'm glad I was spared witnessing Nina's death by vampires, it was a sudden loss to the show. There were great opportunities for stories surrounding the birth of the baby; is it human or is it wolf? 

As in real life, there's nothing to do but move on.

Monster HIgh Dress: Morticia Addams

Here's my latest gothic creation, a dress inspired by Morticia Addams of The Addams Family TV show. As you can see by the photo, Clawdeen Wolf, a student at Monster High models the dress in all of her unholy glory.

Even with help from my two cats, my photography skills aren't great, but I am happy with the dress.

Being Human UK: Season 3, Episode 5

I don't think I can express how much I LOVE this show. It just keeps getting better, which raises it above so many other shows that are only as good as the first season and it's downhill from there. This episode achieved a perfect balance of comedy and chilling horror, as George is terrified at a knock at the door after he and Nina abduct a resurrected and apparently amnesia plagued Herrick from the psych ward at Barry, bring him home and barely prevent Mitchell from staking him.

"It's the Jehovahs!" George fears as though no one worse could be at his door. However, Wendy the hilarious social worker has come to interview Nina about taking in her confused "Uncle Billy" who she's identified as such to the hospital attendant who catches her and George sneaking Herrick out of the hospital. No simply slamming the door in the face of Wendy as though she were only an annoying Jehovah! Comedy ensues as Nina squirms her way through lie after lie to convince Wendy that Herrick is truly her sweet Uncle Billy.

Following traditional gothic treatment of madmen and women, Nina, against Mitchell's stern opposition, stashes Herrick in the attic. When there isn't a tower available to lock up your crazies, an attic will do. Unfortunately, the attic at the former bed and breakfast where the happy foursome attempt to "be normal" as George likes to say, already has an evil secret in residence. Mitchell's documented evidence of terrifying violence and killing sprees, yet also his guilty pleasures become one more of Herrick's toys in the attic as he finds it and reveals it to Nina.

As Mitchell's scarred and broken soul reaches out to Annie's pure and loving heart for comfort he spews out a typical line of many abusive and violent partners professing that his love for her is eternal and he can't live without her. Always a precursor to pain and doom.

Being Human UK: Season 3, Episode 1

I'm so happy George and Nina are together! When Nina left George and became involved with crazy Kemp, I was afraid she would die in the chamber like the other werewolves. Thank goodness she didn't!

It was so cool the way Mitchell passed through the door to purgatory with the poor old man that died in the hospital. Saving Annie was very brave and selfless. Lea tried to make him out as totally selfish and evil. I like how this show portrays people as complicated individuals with good and bad traits and, as Mitchell explained to Lucy in the finale of the second season, all made in God's image, whether good, bad, human or not.

Annie's narration at the end of the episode was joyful and full of hope as the four friends celebrated being together again. She said they were safe together, sheltered from the monsters of the world. Like The Walking Dead, Being Human UK sometimes shows humans at their worst performing way more evil acts than what would typically be expected of the undead.

Being Human UK: Season 2, What a Finale!

Season 2 started out kind of sad with Annie feeling a little lost and lacing in purpose, George and Nina on the outs and Mitchell's inner struggle and secret identity as vampire king causing him stress, but it sure picked up and got exciting! George tries to tranquilize his wolf, but putting the wolf to sleep makes it seep out at random times affecting his personality and causing random outbursts or profanity and violence. That idea didn't work!

Annie met some other ghosts, even a baby! She finally found her inner strength when she was faced with her fear of being tricked to go through the door, but overcame those forces several times over. Mitchell "went dry" and stayed strong convincing the other vampires to join him after Herrick's death by George. 

All of those accomplishments went out the window when Nina was tricked by Lucy and Kemp to persuade George to submit to "being cured" at their facility which actually kills werewolves rather than cure them. Lucy seduces and uses Mitchell to get close to George, while Annie wants Kemp, a former priest, to exorcise her from the flat so she can move on through the door. 

Learning of Lucy's betrayal and her involvement in blowing up the vampire meeting, Mitchell falls off the wagon big time, then helps George and Nina escape the werewolf killing facility, losing Annie, as Kemp has her sent through the door against her will. 

The exciting ending has Lucy and then Kemp track the three supernaturals to their new place in the country, where Kemp totally lost what was left of his mind and kills Lucy (thank goodness, she grated on my nerves) and attempts to kill Nina until she escapes by punching him in the balls and breaking free. Annie saves the day (yes, Annie!) by bursting through the door and dragging Kemp back with her. 

Afterward, she speaks to them through an unplugged TV hilariously explaining that she didn't know where she was but she had to fill out forms. The horror!

Vampire Daisy and the vampire Mitchell mercifully saved from execution in an earlier episode, in the final scene, bleed themselves in the snow in a ritual that resurrects Herrick with a howl of energy and victory. It would seem that the new world order is coming after all!

Scream Queens: Mystery of the Hag

Dolls are creeping up all over the place. First, I posted about the movie Parasite Dolls, then I learned that the worry dolls in the movie are widely known and available, which led to my post on worry dolls.Tonight I watched the latest episode of Scream Queens (Episode 3) in which the college students find an empty house off campus to use as a haunted house, already equipped with a room full of dolls, apparently stolen from around the neighborhood by a mysterious hag. 

What does the hag want with all the stolen dolls? Did she really steal the Kappa baby like Grace thinks? Is she connected to all the murders and why were all the bodies in the house with the dolls? Such a mystery!

Scream Queens (2015-)

A horror-comedy that stars Jamie Lee Curtis the queen of scream herself. Does anything get better than that? Well, yes, because the show itself is just as good as the trailer promises. Maybe even better. A serial killer stalking a sorority house isn't a new idea, but the cast and the bloody comedy make it unique. In the first episode where we're introduced to "the Chanels," Emma Roberts (Chanel #1) didn't even have to speak as she angrily stomped down the posh hallway of the sorority house followed by her Chanel underlings with a spoiled-rich-girl-been wronged frown on her face. I was cracking up. Something about the way the fur on her shoulders waved back in the breeze of her angry stride. I wonder how many time they had to try that scene before the girls could finish with a straight face. 

When Dean Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) orders Chanel to accept any girl who wants to rush, Chanel is presented with a group of misfits, which reminded me of The House Bunny, especially the girl with the back brace (Hester Ulrich played by Lea Michele), but there's no Hugh Hefner or Playboy bunnies and Kappa Kappa Tu has a reputation for popular rich girls, not misfits. There's no Emma Stone, although most of her characters would fit right in.

The show is packed with comedy led by Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts and Neicy Nash who plays Denise Hemphill the mostly useless security guard. She may be inept as a security guard, but she's top notch at comedy. 

Rich, useless, frat boys attempt to face off with the serial killer by fighting chain saws with baseball bats. One boy has both arms lopped off with a chain saw and we see his arm holes spurting fountains of blood before he hits the ground adding horror to the comedy.

You can see the show Tuesday nights on Fox, on Fox Now or where I saw it, on Hulu.

Dark Shadows on Hulu: Have More Episodes Been Added?

I was disappointed a while back when I streamed the last Dark Shadows episode available for streaming on Hulu. The last episode available left Victoria Winters trapped in 1795 locked in a jail cell waiting to be hanged as a witch. I thought Hulu should have at least offered enough episodes to get Vicky back to her own time and wrap up the story line. 

Then while searching through my favorites for a different show, I happened past Dark Shadows and the "watch next episode" was displayed. Sure enough, when I clicked on the next episode Vicky was on the run after Peter helped her escape her unjust sentence. What a treat!

There can never be enough Dark Shadows!

The Walking Dead: Season 5: Conquer

I was really afraid this was the end for Glenn. Of all the near death situations he's been in, I didn't want him to be killed by that weasely worm, Nicholas. It would have been better if Nicholas and Gabriel both got the ax. Gabriel is the most selfish, weakest loser they've come in contact with. Plus, he killed two walkers without getting a speck of blood on his white shirt. His only talent. He's supposed to be a shepherd, but he only thinks of himself and doesn't learn from his mistakes, even mistakes so horrific that he can't live with them. After leaving Alexandria's gate wide open, he was going to commit suicide-by-Sasha with no consideration of what that would do to her vulnerable grieving mind. You have to hand it to Maggie for not kicking his ass.

Season 5 was Carol's season. She gets better with each season. Carol started the season by rescuing the group from Terminus, and ended it with her superior strategy techniques in Alexandria. The terrifying threat she made to Sam was like a creepy fairy tale, only true! Then she confronted Pete the wife beater with a casserole in her arms and knife at his throat. That was great! Then she puts on an attitude of meekness and sweetness at the town meeting. 

What a season finale too! I was so shocked at Reg's torturous death at the hands of that nut Pete and poor Deanna helplessly holding Reg in her arms as he died, that I sobbed harder than when Rick and Carl were reunited with Judith at the season's start.

I want to see Season 6 so bad, I'm tempted to get cable again. I was pretty spoiled introducing myself to The Walking Dead after Season 4 was already posted on Netflix, so after becoming hooked during the very first episode of Season 1, I power-watched all four seasons. Luckily, my daughter's friend bought Season 5 on DVD and lent it to me after watching it herself. 

Season 6 begins on October 11. Even that small length of time seems like an eternity! Never mind having to wait until the season ends and comes out on DVD. A year from now?