Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off show Angel, have become a new obsession of mine. I started watching Buffy very skeptically, not expecting very much. I thought it would be a cheesy teen drama directed towards teen girls with a small element of horror. However, as I started watching it, I started realizing that the show was actually pretty entertaining. This opinion further developed and by the end of the second season I realized that it was an amazing show and that I was officially hooked into it. Lost will forever be my favorite show, but I am completely shocked to say that I think Buffy makes for a close second (especially if I can pair it with Angel). Nothing else (besides Lost) has connected with me emotionally like Buffy has. As a male, I'll admit I feel a little embarrassed to say this since I perceive the main audience for Buffy is female. But, why be embarrassed? Buffy is amazingly well done for a TV series and contains moments of absolute television magic.

I think the main thing that makes Buffy great is its characters. Joss Whedon has a way of making his characters very dynamic and complex and Buffy is chock full of incredible characters. This list includes Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Anya, Spike and more and more. I feel like these characters are real people going through real problems. Even though the various monsters and magic are interesting, the characters are what make this show. The show isn't afraid to take these characters to different and dark places, and it is always fascinating to see how the characters will act in these situations.

Now, no show is completely perfect, and there are several weak episodes, but there is a level of consistency that is remarkable from season 2 to the very end. I watched the whole series recently for the first time, and I did it rather quickly. So, in a week or so, I'm going to start watching the whole series over again, hopefully getting even more depth out of the episodes. I'm especially interested in my new take on the first few seasons since I wasn't as convinced of Buffy's awesomeness the first time seeing those episodes. I actually already started watching the first season, but I have stopped since I'm trying to finish my first run-through of Angel (which is awesome in its own way).

My point of this blog post is to start what I think might be an interesting look into one of my favorite TV series of all time. As I go through the episodes again, I desire to comment on them in this blog. I'm not sure if I will go through every episode, or just the ones that stand out to me as excellent. The main thing I'm going to try to do as I go through Buffy again is keep track of the episodes that I especially love and make a definitive list of what my favorite episodes are in order. I love making lists, so this idea appeals to me. Also, it might give me even more appreciation for this awesome series. We'll see where this goes.

Relections on Lost (Part 1)

The final season of Lost starts a week from today, and I thought it would be fun to reflect on what has been my favorite show, and what I anticipate will always be my favorite show. There is so much to think about as we head into the big final season, and I figured the best idea would be to give my general impressions of each season and what I think are the significant parts that may prove to play a big role in the final season. So, without further ado, here is my discussion of season 1…

SEASON 1

I believe each season of Lost focuses on a particular theme. The theme of season 1 is The Castaways. The season focused mainly on the characters that found themselves on a mysterious island after a major plane crash. Flashbacks were used as a device to delve into the pasts of these characters to see what haunts them. Each character has their own personal demons that they must face on the island, and the first season is basically showing what these demons are and the castaways initial attempts to face these demons.

I think that one of the main purposes of the island is facing your demons. The island is a place of potential redemption for those that seek it. But, before this redemption can occur, the individual must get rid of their addictions and baggage from their past. The island can be a blank slate for those that choose it. You can let go of all the things that have weighed you down, and feel free to live a new life. However, for our castaways, this is easier said than done. Most of them hold on to their issues, not allowing themselves to partake of the redemption that the island holds for them.

Let’s look at some of these castaways and their own personal demons that haunt them. There is Jack, the leader of the castaways. His addiction stems from a desire to always fix everything. I believe that this comes from an early experience Jack had as a kid where his father told him he doesn’t have what it takes to be a hero because he can’t handle failure. These words haunt Jack throughout his life. He becomes obsessive about proving his father wrong and tries to become the hero. His role as leader of the castaways is proof of this, he is once again trying to be the hero, and whenever he fails, such as when Boone dies, he doesn’t handle it well, and starts obsessively wanting to fix things even though some things are just not fixable. He feels that revenge against John Locke is the way to fix the situation with Boone. Jack is even literally haunted by his father on the island as he keeps seeing a vision of him. This tendency of Jack’s I believe will be pivotal in the final season. In fact, in detonating the bomb, he was once again obsessively trying to fix all of the mistakes he made as leader, in this instance by making it so they never happened in the first place.

Kate’s addiction is running. She is always running from her problems instead of facing them. This is best shown by her running after killing her father instead of facing the consequence of jail. On the island, she has the perfect opportunity to stop running, face her problems, and have redemption. However, she still feels she has to run and even tries to get a place on the raft so she can once again run away. Sawyer is addicted to conning. He became the very man that he hated, the man Sawyer who was responsible for the deaths of his mother and father. He let his fixation on this con man consume him until he became a con man himself. He can’t let go of his anger at this man who ruined his life and his desire to get his revenge.

The bottom line is that every one of the castaways comes to the island with their own emotional baggage. The purpose of the island, I believe, is to get rid of this emotional baggage and live a life of freedom. These castaways were chosen for some reason to get a sort of second chance at life. They messed up in their pre-island life, but they can transcend their pre-island selves. The island is a place of reflection on those haunting pasts (thus, the flashbacks) and a place where you literally come face to face with those things that haunt you. You can either forfeit the opportunity and keep your emotional baggage, or you can accept it and receive the redemption that you seek. The story of John Locke is one in which he accepts this new chance for a brand new life. He gets the chance to be able to walk again, and he feels he has a real purpose now. Of course, it isn’t as easy as waking up and all of a sudden being able to walk- he has to face his own demons and he struggles with his issues, but he is truly trying to embrace the idea of redemption and new life.

The classic struggle between Jack and Locke, Man of Science vs. Man of Faith, is a huge symbol in Lost. They are the two approaches to using the island. The man of science relies on himself for change. He tries to become the hero, and struggles to give up any part of himself. The man of faith, however, lets the island guide and direct his path. He lets go of his own demons and becomes saved. I believe the dharma initiative and the others are a good characterization of science vs. faith as are the Man in Black and Jacob. The island does have scientific properties that can be tapped into, which I believe are of primary interest to the Dharma Initiative. However, there is also spiritual energy, the same that is able to heal Rose and Locke. If you truly become a man of faith, you can tap in to this spiritual energy and be healed and enlightened. If you doubt and rely on science or yourself, then you are left on your own. Locke’s legs give him trouble when he doubts. Ben ends up with cancer because he relied too much on his own abilities than the islands.

This is Jacob’s desire- to bring people to the island who are sick and to heal them. But, to be healed, they must have faith. These addictions and demons that the castaways bring to the island can be eradicated if they just put themselves aside and truly embrace the ability of the island to heal them. Jacob can’t heal them unless they fulfill their end of the bargain, which is why so many castaways continue to struggle even when they are on the island. Another component to this is the Man in Black who is the tempter. He is cynical and does not have the same faith in humanity as Jacob, so he tempts the castaways in order to keep them away from the healing that can be theirs. He is the smoke monster and takes forms of symbols and people that haunt the castaways and keep them away from the healing that could be theirs if they just had faith.

I think this dichotomy of faith vs. science is going to play a huge role in the final season. I think that the final season will be about redemption- the castaways finally facing their demons and becoming truly healed. The alternate reality that will be caused by the hydrogen bomb exploding will show the castaways that their lives were riddled with problems and those problems will only get worse as they are away from the island. The island is the true place of redemption, where they can deal with and conquer their problems and receive true redemption. The season will end with them either returning to the island to receive this redemption or somehow reversing the events that caused the alternate reality.

American Idol Season 8: Adam vs. Kris

I couldn't be happier about the fact that we have a Adam vs. Kris showdown for next weeks American Idol season finale. I think that the two best contestants of the competition made it to the end, which is awesome (except perhaps with the exception of Allison Iraheta). What is even more awesome to me is that Adam and Kris are very different musically, almost at two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. They have really put a unique stamp on American Idol that none of the previous contestants have done.

Kris Allen is the classic underdog story. He came into the top 13 almost by what seemed like a fluke. I thought he was one of the weaker contestants selected for the top 13. But, week after week, he proved why he was in the competition and continually improved. He is unique to American Idol because of his superb song arrangements that have really made the songs he has performed his own. He may not have the most technical voice, but he infuses his performances with heart and always gives an honest, soulful performance. Kris knows what music he wants to play as an artist and has been showing america this each week int the competition. The judges basically called it as a Danny vs. Adam finale from the beginning, but Kris was able to slowly break up that pre-ordained finale and has provided for an interesting variable in what could be considered a predictable season.

Adam Lambert is the best technical singer American Idol has ever had. He has never hit a bad note throughout the whole competiton. He is able to reach high notes that seem impossible, and then hold them. His voice does not even seem human sometimes because of the way he is able to use it. He is also the season's most polarizing contestant- you either love him or hate him. I think it would be hard for even the haters to deny Adam's awesome vocal ability. The qualities that turn people away from Adam are mainly his high, screechy vocals- which to his fans are more proof of how amazing his voice is. His greatest strength though, aside from his voice, is his stage presence. No matter what, he is always able to give entertaining performances and to push the envelope. Whether it be a haunting ballad or a rock anthem, Adam commands the stage and leaves the fans wanting more. For many this season became more about "what will Adam do next?" then the actual competition itself.

So, there you have it. Two of the most unique and gifted vocalists to ever grace the Idol stage are going head to head next Tuesday night. I am really excited to witness their final performances and see who gains the edge and wins the Idol crown. I am definitely rooting for Adam because he has had no missteps in the competition as far as I'm concerned, and he has truly impressed me with his incredible voice. But, if Kris Allen does win (which I think is very possible), I will be happy for him and will really cheer for the underdog breaking up the preordained final two and going on to win. I don't think I've ever been this pleased with both contestants for an American Idol finale (I have strongly supported Kelly, Clay, Fantasia, Blake and David Cook and not really liked their top two competitors). Good luck to both, and hopefully, despite who is actually named the winner, they both have successful careers, because they both deserve it.

My Take on American Idol Season 8

We have a top 8 in American Idol, and it is a fairly strong group this year with some definite standouts. In my mind, there are three really great contestants, all of whom I am rooting for this year. The first of these three is Kris Allen. He has really grown on me throughout the competition. When he made it into the top 13 I was a little skeptical and not sold at all on his vocals. Ever since, though, he has improved from week to week and established himself as a strong competitor. He has a clean voice and some talent at not only guitar, but piano as well. His standout performance for me was last weeks "Ain't No Sunshine". It was a brilliant arrangement and he made the most of it. He did not do so well this week, which I'm really hoping doesn't get him kicked off, because he really does have potential as a recording artist.

The next contestant I love is Allison Iraheta. She is brilliant and I absolutely love her voice. It has a very distinctive tone and she always sings brilliantly from week to week. She is also spunky and has a great carefree attitude that is refreshing in this competition. She is a rock singer who is really making her mark in the competition. I am sad that she has been in the bottom 3 a couple of times because she is really a lot better of a vocalist than most of the competitors in the competition. I really hope she continues to shine and can at least make it to the top 5.

But...the best contestant by far this year is Adam Lambert. There is just something special about him. He is a born performer that is extremely entertaining each time he is on that stage. He seems to go back and forth between crazy, rocking performances and soft, more restrained ballads. I love both sides. Some people criticize his vocals for being screechy, but I like those moments because they show how versatile his voice is. His best performance to date for me was last nights "Mad World". It was stunningly beautiful. A magical idol moment that does not happen often where a contestant truly defines him or herself as an artist. Simon even gave it a standing ovation, which in my memory has never happened. It may be my favorite idol performance ever, and Adam may be my favorite idol contestant ever (with strong competition from David Cook). The main reason I keep tuning in from week to week is to see what Adam does next.

The other contestants range from good to terrible. I really liked Danny Gokey at the beginning, but I find myself getting tired of him (similar to how I felt about David Archuleta last year). I found his voice unique and interesting at first, but after several performances, the novelty has worn off. I'm still waiting for a real breakout performance from him, and I don't feel like it has happened yet. I can't really get into Matt Giraud, even though he gets a lot of praise from the judges. He reminds me of Chris Richardson, who I also didn't care for. He just inserts way to many runs for my taste, which messes with the melody of the song. I really like his piano playing abilities and there are moments where I like his voice, but then he tries to hard to do all of these runs, and it just ruins it for me.

I liked Anoop at first, but he is proving to not be very consistent. It seems that he only does well when he tackles a ballad. Whenever he attempts a more upbeat song it falls flat and he isn't able to show off his personality. I don't think he can win this show just singing ballads, or become a successful recording artist only singing ballads. He needs to figure out how to make a more upbeat song work, or he won't be around much longer. I have never understood the appeal with Scott MacIntyre. I think he is a great person and I love his personality. He is perhaps the funniest of the idol contestants this year. But, his voice is just not on the same level as any of the others. His performances are very cheesy and there is nothing that stands out. Also, I think sometimes he tries to hard to hit a lot of big notes and they just end up falling flat. I hope that he is out of the competition soon.

And finally, there is Lil. Lil is the contestant who I have liked the least in the whole top 13. What is even more frustrating is she seems to be a favorite of the judges. To my ears, she has not given a good performance yet. She does not know how to make the right song choices, and seems to only be able to do copycat, kareoke performances. I also feel that she has a little bit of an attitude problem and I cringe everytime she starts to speak. She does have a voice, but she shouts the big notes and is flat for the other notes. I don't think there is much she can do that will make me change my opinion of her. If I were making the decisions, she would be the next to go followed closely by Scott. Then, we would have a real contest.

So, that is how I feel about the contestants this year. Tonight I have a big fear that Kris will be leaving, even though there are many other singers that I feel are worse than him. I think the bottom three will consist of Kris, Anoop and Scott. This will lead to Kris being the one with the lowest votes with his only hope as a judges save. I really hope I'm wrong. If it were my choice, the bottom three would be Lil, Scott and either Anoop or Matt with Lil going home, but I know that won't happen. Oh well. At least I know Adam is safe, and that has to mean something, right? I really hope Adam can win this whole thing, if not, America will have made a horrible error. Please, be smart, America!

Ranking Group 1 of The Top 36

What a terrible night for American Idol! I was really looking forward to the actual competition starting and getting to see the standouts in the large group of 32. So far, there is really only one standout for me: Danny Gokey. I have heard a lot of internet buzz that his performance last night was not as good as the judges made it out to be, and I agree to an extent. I think there have been way better performances at this stage of the competition in past seasons, but after such terrible performances one right after the other, I was ready to stand up and cheer Danny on. I think the judges felt much the same way. So, as will be the tradition from now on, I will rank the performers based on how I felt they did last night. So, here they are, starting with the worst:

Below Average:

12. Casey Carlson

Yuck. There is absolutely nothing I liked about her performance. She murdered a song by a great band, The Police, and tried to make up for it with weird facial ticks. I was not impressed at all, and I think she will be long gone once the results come out tonight.

11. Stevie Wright

Her performance was equally terrible as Casey's, but I feel that she is redeemed slightly by not covering such an iconic song. Performing a Taylor Swift song in a singing competition doesn't make much sense to me, and Stevie just proved that she is not mature enough of a performer to make it on this show. She was out of tune and out of place on that stage. Sorry, Stevie.

10. Steven Fowler

Why did this guy get another chance? He forgot the words and now he murdered a Michael Jackson classic. He never got into the song and it was just oddly off throughout the whole thing. I also hate people who use the excuse that they only feel comfortable performing with an instrument- then you probably shouldn't be on American Idol. Sorry, Steven!

9. Jackie Tohn

I don't know what rubbed me wrong during this performance, but I just couldn't stand it. Maybe it is because I hate Elvis and I hate "A Little Less Conversation" even more. But, song choice aside, I'm always bothered when contestants put singing to the side and focus on "Getting Paula on her feet". Paula is always on her feet, so that is not that great of a task to shoot for. But, her outfit was weird and I don't think she showcased her vocals well at all.

Average:

8. Brent Kieth

Just a very forgettable performance of a song I've never heard of called "Hicktown". I have a bias against Country singers, but I just don't think he did very well. Nothing about the performance stands out, it was just an average country bar performance. I don't think we'll be seeing any more of Brent.

7. Ann Marie Boskovich

I was holding out high hopes for her, and I think I enjoyed her performance more than the judges did. Her problem was that she tried to tackle a song that was too big for her. I remember "Natural Woman" being performed by Kelly Clarkson and she nailed it. This didn't have quite the same impact. There were some good notes, but overall a fairly bland performance.

6. Anoop Desai

Even more frustrating was Anoop's rather lackluster performance. I was really rooting for him, but his performance left me unexcited. I really hope to see more of him, but based on that performance, I don't know if he can be saved. It has to get better than that, dawg.

5. Michael Sarver

Another very average performance that doesn't really stand out in my mind. He is a likable guy and sang a well-liked, fun song, but it was just bland. He only places higher than Anoop because he met my expectations for him while Anoop didn't. There isn't much more to say here.

4. Tatiana Del Toro

It is physically painful to put her so high on my list. She was the most annoying contestant I've ever witnessed during Hollywood week and I was apalled that the judges let her through. But, she was much more subdued and managed to give a decent performance. I feel that she is desperate for fame, and this is her sneaky plan to weasel her way into the finals. I worry that she is secretly a genius and is going to somehow plot her way to the finals. I think I've gone a little far, but she did do better than expected.

Above Average:

3. Alexis Grace

I was not as big a fan of her performance as Simon was, but I do see a lot of potential. Out of all the girls, she was BY FAR the best. She definitely deserves to move on. I wish the judges wouldn't emphasize how she should "dirty herself up". If she is a talented singer, that is all that matters and she should just be herself. But, I think she has some soul and could be a good addition to the top 12.

2. Ricky Braddy

Who is this guy? I feel bad for Ricky because if he had more screen time during auditions and Hollywood week, he would have a much better chance of moving on to the top 12. He gave a great performance of "A Song For You", which was nailed by previous idol contestant Elliot Yamin. Ricky could be a dark horse, if only he could somehow make the first step to being in the top 12.

1. Danny Gokey

I thought he nailed "Hero" by Mariah Carey (which, by the way, is a song I usually dislike). I love the soul to his voice and how he transitions from a rock sound to a cleaner sound. There were also some great hard notes that I thought he hit perfectly. It wasn't too great, but it was good enough. I think this is a good strategy because you don't want to hit America with your best performance before you are even in the top 12 (I'm talking about you David Archuleta). He needs to start solidly and build up so that he has a strong fan base and the potential to win.

Predictions: Every week I will give my prediction of who will move on/be voted out. This week, I am going to stick with my ranking and predict that the three moving on are Danny, Alexis, and Ricky. I am most nervous about Ricky because of his lack of screen time before this performance and because he performed so early last night. I think numbers 8-12 on my list (Brent, Jackie, Steven, Stevie, and Casey) have absolutely no shot. Anoop could steal the third spot by being an early favorite. Tatiana could steal the third spot by surprising the public and having Vote for the Worst support. But, I'll stick to my guns and say that the three moving on are Danny, Alexis and Ricky.

The good news is that, depending on who makes it, Anoop and Ricky (and maybe Taitiana?) will probably get another chance during the wildcard round. But, yeah, interesting start to American Idol, and I sincerely hope it gets better from here.

A Note about upcoming shows to be reviewed...

In a little while, I will start writing posts about three new shows. The nature of these reviews will be different than the Heroes and Lost ones I've been doing, so I thought I would put up this quick note of how it will work.

I am going to start reviewing three reality shows: Survivor, Amazing Race, and Survivor. But, what I'll do each week for these shows is rank the contestants each week to show who I think is closest to winning the show. In the cases of Survivor and Amazing Race, I might wait a couple weeks to do this so I can get used to the characters and have a better idea of how to rank them.

In regards to American Idol, I will start recapping this upcoming week. There are 36 finalists at this point and they will perform in 3 groups of 12. Each night a group of 12 performs, I will give a recap of their performances and rank them according to who I think it most likely to move on to the next round. There will be 3 moving on from each group, and then the judges will choose three wildcard picks, leading up to our top 12. So, expect that Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. I like to have that up before the results come in so I can see how accurate my predictions happened to be.

So, that is the nature of some reviews that are coming up. I hope this makes sense- I look forward to talking about these shows and giving my insight to who I think has the best chances of winning each show. I love reality tv.

This Place Is Death (S5, E4)

Welcome to another fun Lost recap! This was yet another fascinating episode and I loved every minute of it! It started with Jin's experience in the "Rousseau Era". Jin goes on an adventure with Danielle Rousseau and her crew. They have a run in with the smoke monster, which ends up killing a woman traveling with them and then dragging a man down into the Others' temple. One of the greatest scenes was all of the adventurers grabbing onto this man who is being dragged by the smoke monster and then seeing his arm pop off as he is taken under. All of the other people in Rousseau's group decide to go in after this man, but Jin urges Danielle to not go with them because she is pregnant. As they are standing there waiting for the crew to return, another flash occurs and Jin is taken to a new time period.

This time he explores a camp and sees two dead bodies. Then he hears a man and woman talking and sees Danielle and her husband pointing guns at each other. The man is urging her to put down her gun and Danielle is freaking out that her husband has been infected by the smoke monster and is not her husband anymore. Her husband convinces her that he is still her husband and she starts lowering her gun...only for her husband to pull the trigger on his gun pointed at her! Luckily the gun doesn't work, and Danielle goes ahead and shoots her "husband". Danielle then sees Jin and assumes he has been infected too and starts shooting at him. Luckily, Jin is saved by another flash...but he ends up with another gun pointed at him.

This time, though, the holder of the gun is Sawyer, and when he sees that it is Jin in front of him, he is excited to see him and they embrace. It is a great scene showing how far their friendship has developed throughout the course of the show. The castaways then make their way with Jin to the Orchid where John is convinced he can leave the island and convince the oceanic 6 to come back. They get more rapid flashes as they go, and Charlotte starts losing it. She collapses and starts talking about memories that happened a long time ago as if they are occurring right then and there. One notable thing she says, though, is our episode's title. She tells Jin not to bring Sun back to the island because "This place is death!". The castaways leave Charlotte and Daniel behind and proceed to the Orchid, which disappears as they travel to a time period where it didn't exist (right after Juliet happily exclaims that they are lucky they are in a time period where the Orchid still exists).

In one of her crazy rants, Charlotte told Locke to go to the well, so that is where they go, and John proceeds to climb down the well. Jin gives him his wedding ring before he leaves and tells him to convince Sun not to come back to the island by telling her that a dead Jin washed upon the shore and this is his ring for proof. Locke swears that he won't bring Sun back and then climbs down the well. Another flash occurs and the well is gone for the castaways, leaving them wondering if John was able to get down there in time. We are able to see that Locke falls down the well when the flash occurs, and ends up breaking his leg upon impact. He is given instructions by Christian Shepperd that he was supposed to move the island, not Ben, so now he has to make up for that mistake by moving the island now. So, John has to get up all by himself and move the big wheel and we'll see where that leads him possibly in the next episode!

Also on the island, Charlotte can't handle the flashes any longer and ends up dying. But, before she does she tells Daniel that she used to live on the island with the Dharma Initiative. She says that a man told her she would die if she ever returned to the island, and that man looked a lot like our very own Daniel Faraday! Very interesting. Does this mean that a flash will lead Daniel to a Dharma Initiative past where he tells a young Charlotte not to come back to the island where she will die? Or, is there more to Daniel than we already know?

Off the island, Sun storms up to Ben with a gun and almost pulls the trigger until Ben tells her that Jin is still alive and he has proof. Ben then drives Sun and Jack to the place where he has this proof for Sun. After a dramatic stop of the car where Ben loses it a little bit as Sun and Jack are discussing which one will shoot Ben, they arrive at the church where Ms. Hawking is. Ben pulls out the wedding ring Jin gave Locke and gives it to Sun. Ben says that Jin gave it to Locke before Locke left the island- so now we know that Ben and Locke talked to each other when Locke got off the island. We also see Desmond, who has come to see Daniel's mother, who is the very same Ms. Hawking they are all there to see. They arrive and Ms. Hawking exclaims that Ben was supposed to get all of them in which Ben responds that this is the best he could do on short notice. Ms. Hawking says that it'll have to do, and that is where the episode ends, leaving us wanting more.

I love this show so much! I'm curious to see where Locke ends up after he moved the wheel on the island. I also want to see how Ben can get more oceanic sixers to join his cause and allow them to return to the island together. Also, I'm curious if Ben can return to the island himself. He said he couldn't since he moved the wheel...but now we find out he wasn't even supposed to do that in the first place. And, Locke moved the wheel too, but it is clear that he is not only allowed, but supposed to come back to the island. So, I'm sure many of these things will be answered in the next episode- I can't wait!