Had a brief encounter with an old friend just now. It's going on 6 years since I first came upon him on the Showtime network. Since then, I've spent only about 12 hours each year in his company but he always has made a tremendous *ahem* impression.
I'm truly, deeply moved that he's taken time to tell me that soon we will reunite.
Despite a false start or two last year, he now seems stone-cold certain that he is 'renewed, recharged (and) refocused with nothing to stop (him) from being 'Dexter'.
Here's a new promo for True Blood Season 4-- just in time for Friday the 13th. I've screencapped the whole thing--I don't think I missed anything important. One cliffhanger is answered in a way I hadn't even considered but it makes good sense logically. (Spoiler - scroll down)
SPOILER:
The outcome of the Queen Sophie-Anne and Bill Compton fight seems as if there is no fight! Apparently, their scene picks up where we left off at the end of season 3. Before the Queen can get her claws fangs into Bill--he exits at vampire super-speed!
It appears that a cocky, not-yet-afflicted-by-amnesia Eric walks in on a coven of witches.
Someone or thing attacks Pam in Eric's dungeon with what looks like a silver chain and she tosses said person or thing across the room. Go Pam! Downside: The attacker is black, probably a black man--can't imagine Lafayette trying that but it would be so ironic if he again faced consequences in Eric's dungeon!
We are already getting repeats of what we have already seen in previous season 4 teasers without hardly anything added to enhance the scene.
Example: Jason is tied down to a cot, shirtless, wounded and shrieking in pain.
Sam and Luna are kissing.
Sookie finds a shirtless, amnesiac Eric at the side of the road. OK. Something new happens. She hits him in the face (a 'snap out of it' gesture?)
Other stuff to be found in the quick-jumping 30-second trailer tease:
This gal:
...who casting news told us is Alexandra Breckenridge, True Blood's 'Daisy,' a 'member of a wiccan group founded by Marnie.' In this scene, Bill is about to drop fang and seize Daisy by the throat. Yikes!
Bill has a funny hairdo (I think he is 'undercover'). IMO, no matter whose 'team' you are on, you gotta love the mad acting skillz Stephen Moyer brings!
Alcide is growling which annoys Sookie. (Sookie can be such a priss sometimes!)
Me, I get annoyed by extremely fake-looking background scenery. I'd be more than fine with Mr. 12-pack doing his growly thing.
'The Wrestler' star as well as the vampire queen 'Sophie-Anne LeClerq' on HBO's True Blood opened up about her sexuality during a magazine interview. Asked whether she dates women as well as men, Wood answered in the affirmative. She added, "I'm into anything… meet a nice guy, meet a nice girl…"
Wood has been in and out of a relationship with rocker Marilyn Manson, including an engagement to marry, since age 19. They are not currently together, however.
Wood's fellow actor and co-star in HBO's True Blood, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), revealed her own bisexuality about a year ago.
As you probably know, though True Blood season 4 is in production , it is way too early to be getting many meaty spoilers. Kudos to the cast for finding different ways to cheerfully chat about their character's story arcs in season 4 without really giving much at all away in the way of solid information.
Here are some more snippets from Sam Trammell, (Sam Merlotte), Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton) and Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hamby) that they shared whilst at the recent True Blood Vol. 1: All Together Now Graphic novel promotion/ autograph signing.
Q: Do you know any new spoilers related to season four of True Blood? Sam Trammell said, at the Barnes & Noble book signing event this weekend past for True Blood Vol. 1: All Together Now in re: Sam Merlotte's Season 4 future:
"What's great about this year is that we explore the shape-shifter community a little bit more, so there's going to be a lot of cool mythological stuff that we talk about, shape-shifter rules and what shape-shifters can do and who they are. Sam's [also] got anew love interest ('Luna' played by Janina Gavankar) that's going to happen this year for him. I don't have really good luck with the ladies, they usually die—so hopefully she'll survive."
Very clever. I'm hoping that my spouse does not succumb to the V-day hype and buy me chocolates. Please, don't let him buy stoopid chocolates. Lunch at Berghoff's in the city couple of days ago was perfect. It goes without saying (but) I'll say it anyway: No card, either!
Some of the points made by new-this-year executive producer Chip Johanneson include that through the Lumen arc, 'we've put to bed the Rita question.'
I took this to mean that the Rita storyline is tied up as much as it can be. I wouldn't be surprised if a few loose ends show in the future but for Dexter himself, Lumen has fulfilled that function. Johanneson continued, pointing out that the events of season 5 allow the writers to 'pick up anywhere in season 6.'
Julia Stiles discusses the end of her character's relationship with Dexter.
Though Julia Stiles 'kind of assumed that Lumen would end up dead,' it probably dawned on her as they got deeper into season 5, with the Dexter-Lumen dynamic proving ever-more appealing that perhaps there was another possible ending. Regardless, season 5 ended on a typical Dexter note--the 'big bad' was on Dexter (and Lumen's) table, taking a knife to the heart.
Sadly, Dexter too, took a (metaphorical) knife to his own heart when Lumen suddenly announced that relieved of her darkness (dark passenger), she would be skipping town the following day. Dexter was cool enough to tell her that he was happy for her that her darkness had gone. He continued, assuring her that he would 'carry (her) darkness' for her. Aww. Poor Dex.
Q:..What did Deb mean during her final conversation with Dexter at the party: "You must be [happy] too, now that this is all over.".... What would Deb be referring to?...s A: Sara Colleton: "Deb is referring to the barrel-girls case. It was meant to be purposely vague, and it should make Dexter wonder exactly what it is she means as he can't be sure."
Q: Are we to believe that Quinn did not figure out that Dexter is a killer? A: per Colleton: "Quinn may suspect Dexter has been somehow involved in Liddy's death, but don't think his world view is large enough yet to imagine who Dexter really is."
Q: So bummed to see Lumen leave last night on Dexter! Any chance Julia Stiles will return? Colleton: "That has not been discussed. But she is out there..."
Lumen (Julia Stiles) and Dexter (Michael C. Hall) Image Credit: dextergr.blogspot.com
"Don't be sorry your darkness is gone. I'll carry it for you, always. I'll keep it with mine."
Dexter Season 5 Finale: Were you surprised?
I really wasn't but I was satisfied with it.
Just one small thing is still sort of bugging me:
LUMEN: “First I wondered what was happening to me, then I was wondering how I could possibly tell you.”
Lumen's 'conversion', if you want to call it that, was very hasty--really sudden, especially on the heels of being re-traumatized (kidnapped, beaten, strung up, by Jordan Chase, again).
She told Dexter that she had to leave Miami 'the next day' almost as if she was running from...Dexter? Her Dark Passenger? Both?
It just seems too sudden a send off when they've spent the season developing a deep relationship. Dexter and Lumen just went *poof?* That doesn't feel real to me.
I realize (at least 'till I see the post- finale Stiles' interview whxih I've missed) that the door has been left ajar for another encounter with Lumen but I'm not banking on it unless it is quite fleeting.
What about Det. Joey Quinn (Desmond Harrington) and Deb (Jennifer Carpenter)?
Quinn knows way too much to not be a threat to Dexter. The set of photographs of the body parts bag dump he and Lumen made that Stan Liddy telephoto-ed, that alone is huge.
Dexter knows way too much to not be a threat to Quinn.
It seems however that Dexter has gone with his heart and spared his sister's lover a lot of grief despite the fact that he doesn't like Quinn 'at all.'
"Deb is slowly coming around to the idea of there being something other than black and white and that there is more than just good and bad," Colleton explains. "I think the turning point for her was when she killed that bad guy this season. And she and Dexter had that wonderful conversation over a beer when she says, ‘I didn't feel anything. And I'm surprised that I don't feel bad for having killed a bad guy.' And Dexter sort of floats something out there just as a little test bomb just to see how his sister would react when he says, ‘Well, Dad once told me there are people who deserve to die.' And that was one of my favorite scenes this year. I know our longtime fans got everything going on in that scene and all the layers,' - Exec Producer Sara Colleton
And of course, with that heart-wrenching scene above a shattered plate in which Dexter let Lumen go, it must be noted that Dexter remains one of the most emotionally gripping and yes, even sometimes breathtakingly romantic series on television. Pretty amazing for a darker-than-dark serial killer show. --Kristen
E!Online - Dexter Finale: Deb Finding Out Is "Inevitable"—and More Scoop From the Show's Big Boss
...Dexter’s finally broken a chain of relationships that end in blood and death, partially thanks to Deb learning, with Laguerta’s help, to be merciful and have faith and not just barge around expecting the worst from everyone. So this “clean slate” thing may open up the next season as Dexter actually has the chance to figure out on his own what to do next, and not have his destiny foisted on him by someone else’s death.
So, two things. First, it looks like the "Newmans" are not going to win the butter-eating contest so they can snag a Winnebago and live happily as travelling outlaws. Dang. That looked like it had a ton of comedic potential (j/k--Winnebago jokes wear thin pretty quickly).
EDIT/ Just got a postcard from Montana!
Two, at the end of this post the Ausiello spoiler is spoiled by the E! scoop (again) in that we now know that "Nancy’s second thoughts about her family’s life on the lam lead her to make what could be a fatal mistake" means that somehow she tips off Esteban about her whereabouts. Leave it to Nancy to continue never learning from her mistakes. Mary Louise sure does make her a loveable loser, though.
Sources confirm that Demián Bichir returns to Weeds this season as Tijuana mayor, jilted husband and devoted daddy Esteban Reyes for the penultimate Nov. 8 installment and the season finale on Nov. 15. We just chatted with Demián, and here's what he told us about the coming consequences of Nancy's actions...
According to Demián Bichir, it's anybody's game when his character reappears in Weeds episodes 11 and 12.
He says, "This is a first-come, first-served situation, and everyone is after Nancy and me. Because there's been a murder, and they are digging out a couple of things about Esteban that are pretty much not OK. The whole situation is time-sensitive. It's a timebomb. We'd better hurry up, because this is getting uglier as time goes by. Esteban's pretty, pretty upset about the whole thing. Because you don't run away with my boy—Esteban's not going to sit down and cross his arms and wait for his boy. That's not going to happen."
... Bichir... wouldn't mind if things got heated between Mr. and Mrs. Reyes one last time. He says of costar Mary-Louise Parker,
"There have been some really nice hot scenes with Mary-Louise, and it's really hard to do those scenes unless you have a true partner, a good friend and a generous fellow actor, but she's a great hanky-panky partner."
He continues, in answer to "Does he think that Nancy & Esteban have a future?"
"When I first started working on this show, every time I got a new script I just hoped for Esteban to be alive, but then I realized being alive or dead on this show doesn't mean anything. Even if you're alive, you can be dead, and even if you're dead, you can come back to life. These guys are wacko. That's what I love about the show, and all I can say is that I would love to come back."
Ausiello Gossip tidbit: In episode 8 (airing Oct. 11), Nancy knocks boots with guest hottie Mark-Paul Gosselaar. From what I hear, it’s the kind of scene that DVR rewind buttons were invented for. Meanwhile, in episode 9 (airing Oct. 18), Nancy’s second thoughts about her family’s life on the lam lead her to make what could be a fatal mistake. Read more: Ausiello
Did Desmond Harrington (Quinn) get cheek implants during the Dexter hiatus? He looks radically different. Perhaps he's just using more bronzer? Yeah, that must be it.
Q: Any scoop on Dexter? Ausiello:
New showrunner Chip Johannessen promised he was going to go there with
Deb and Quinn, and, man, does he ever. And quick.
Given that there's not been any hint of sexual attraction (or chemistry for that matter) between Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) and Quinn (Desmond Harrington) this has to be grief sex for Deb and well, it is Quinn. Remember how fast he bedded Trinity's daughter last season? Which come to think of it makes him and Deb doing it a sort of disgusting dynamic.
Am I right that Julia Stiles plays Dex's girlfriend or Harrison's nanny on Dexter this season?
Exec producer Sara Colleton
told us most emphatically, "God no! No no no no no no. It's way too
soon" for Dexter to be thinking of romance. But! Dexter does hire a
nanny—a virtual Mary Poppins who seems almost too good to be true.
(We're keeping our eyes on that lovely Brit.) When an almost
unrecognizable Julia Stiles does finally appear at the
very end of the Oct. 10 episode, we realize why Colleton refers to her
character as "damaged." So, so, so very damaged.
Poor Deb has the worst luck in boyfriends on Dexter. Will her track record improve this season?
Signs point to yes! Who's Deb's (Jennifer Carpenter) lucky guy? Let's just say Batista (David Zayas) and LaGuerta (Lauren Velez) aren't Dexter's only interoffice romance this season. (See Ausiello above.)
Meanwhile, married couple Batista and LaGuerta could become separated—by
prison bars!
"I went out and bought a lot of ordinary products from a home supply store near the museum. I used at least three patterns of movement for each object and made a total of about 300 takes. ... I filmed the relationship between the principles of physics, people and things as a performance." Incredibly satisfying.
Sears (now Willis) Tower as seen from the Kennedy Expressway.
The other tall building around here--the John Hancock has the unfortunate distinction of having been the tallest structure in the USA--then it lost it's title to the World Trade Center. I'm guessing I don't have to say more other than the John Hancock Tower is the tallest man-made structure in the USA.
Just a quick homage to my 2003 Zinc Yellow Mustang GT.
I think I took my last top down ride for the year--that was two in the first week of November.
People hesitate to buy a convertible whilst living in a place like
here with less than ideal--crap--weather for a good chunk of the year.
The answer is a) it's too fun not to, and b) you can do it 7 months of
the year.
I love my car for what it is every. single. ride. A fun machine.
(Repost above from 11/2006)
2.18.10
I realize I don't post _anything_ personal anymore. I remember enjoying interacting with the dozens of people I met online and regarded as friends. Now I think I need to "say something" before I blog and think if I wrote what I feel I'd offend so I self-censor. Conversely, if I don't write what I feel I get no feedback nor satisfaction having gotten it down.
Yes. I suppose I am feeling reflective and conflicted.
Sookie is forced to babysit Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire’s presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes an impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve and Sarah Newlin. Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte’s patrons.
ASAdmin | June 22, 2009
WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC! HBO owns the rights. No copyright infringement intended.
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"Pam Will Kill Me" True Blood S02xE02 "Keep This Party Going"
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: True Blood S02xE02 "Keep This Party Going"
After making up with Bill, Sookie suggests that he take it a little easier on Jessica as she is just a teenager. Bill tries to convince Sookie that a vampire as new as she is not capable of controlling her impulses and that she could be dangerous. En route to the Light of Day Leadership conference Jason becomes fast-friends with an anti-vampire zealot named Luke, but after Jason makes a good impression on Steve Newlin, and Sarah Newlin in particular, Luke’s good-natured friendship turns to bitter jealousy and he tells Jason that he doesn’t belong there. Eric approaches Bill and demands that he and Sookie help in finding a vampire sheriff named Godric, who has gone missing in Dallas. Meanwhile, Tara finds out more about Eggs' past as a criminal and he makes it clear that he is interested in her. After a failed attempt to escape from the basement of Fangtasia, Lafayette is badly injured and asks Eric, Pam and Chow to turn him into a vampire. Fangs bared, they ferociously bite him. Jessica realizes she misses her family after her parents, who think she has just gone missing, appear on TV. She asks Sookie to take her to see her family and Sookie agrees, on the condition that Jessica stay in the car. Although she agrees, Jessica eventually ignores Sookie and drops in on her old family. When her father comes home, he angrily accuses her of putting the family through hell, and even though Sookie tries to stop her, Jessica attacks her father and threatens to kill him for all the times he beat her. But Bill shows up and glamours his way into the house just in time. The episode ends on an ominous note, with Bill throwing Sookie out of the house barking at her that he has to "clean up her mess"
Last night we saw Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer quarrel over his keeping secrets--big secrets from her--and then having fierce, kinky make-up sex that looked pretty real right up to and including Bill's chomping on Sookie's neck, blood flowing like a necklace across her throat.
When True Blood actors said in pre-season interviews that there would be "more sex," I think they were being quite literal. Will more sex and violence, especially when coupled together turn off the audience members that are not the most ardent fans?
I hope so.
There is a vampire overload in American entertainment right now and most of it is dreck. Nothing especially wrong with that as judging from what the top twenty network shows are, most of teevee-show-watching America thrives on dreck.
I would just as soon see a smaller, more cerebral audience for True Blood than to see a bunch of teenagers jumping on the True Blood bandwagon seeking vampires that sparkle--because they don't belong there.
Despite all the hype--especially the viral marketing of True Blood--it's made for a specific demographic that is not put off by vampires biting whilst having sex, (almost)vfull nudity, intense violence which includes buckets of blood--and more sex. And just to mix it up and keep it interesting and fun we get the sheriff of Area 5,1000 year-old former Viking, vampire Eric Northman paying a visit to his dungeon whilst in the middle of having his hair highlighted, foils and all.
We also get Sookie, upon discovering that Bill has turned his first victim vampire as punishment for last season's killing of Fangtasia bartender Longshadow when he was attempting to snap Sookie's neck, enquiring of Bill and new vamp Jessica, "Did you have sex?" To which Bill blurts out "No!" while Jessica throws in "Old"! (as in ew, he's disgustingly old). <big smiles>
Sookie and Bill, afters she stomps off and then comes back another night, end up declaring their love for one another and having frenzied sex. This is not stuff for teenagers, not stuff for the easily unnerved or to be blunt, prudish, nor is it for the squeamish.
The violence in True Blood, though played straight, is in fact done with a wink and a nod. Just pay attention to how ludicrous the storyline gets.
Last season for example, a scene begins with vampire Bill in his dilapidated old mansion--playing Wii-like golf on his big screen. It's funny yes, but also kind of sad as we know that no matter how long he "lives" he'll never play out on the greens.
And so True Blood goes. It's intense, scary, funny, sexy, witty, violent, escapist entertainment for, need I say? Grown-ups.
There is a thread of social commentary running through it which you can feel free to ignore or acknowledge though why would you want to ignore it?
Please though if it offends you, pick up your remote and click over to Animal Planet. Oops, there's sex and violence there, too.
How about Dancing with the Stars or American Idol? They are pretty harmless and I've heard quite entertaining if you are into that kind of thing. And that's really my point. People that are into True Blood and therefore into Alan Balls' work are a bit left of mainstream and we don't get all freaked out by the freakiness. For us, the farther out he goes the more we enjoy ourselves.
Last time I checked that was the point of couch-sitting for 60 minutes whist facing a large plasma screen.
Below there are some hardcore spoilers regarding Nelsan Ellis's "Lafayette," BonTemp's gay, V -selling prostitute and Merlotte's (probably ex) short-order cook.
I'm calling shenanigans on Ausiello and every other critic that has seen one-third of Season 2 of True Blood already and are blabbing about it. I write about spoilers and I don't even want to know what's gonna happen episodes down the line.
However, in their quest to get eyeballs on their websites Ausiello and I'm sure I'll a bunch of others paid and unpaid who are are practically wetting their pants,totally untrustworthy about leaking info three weeks before it occurs on True Blood, a 12-week show on HBO.
I can't imagine that Alan Ball wants that much of his story out of the bag so early in the season.
I'm hoping it's more HBO's publicity department. You know, the ones who've been accused of driving one of the last nails in the coffin of the Los Angeles Times by wrapping Stephen Moyer around last Friday's edition?
How will the experience of being locked in a dungeon and almost dying change Lafayette this season? ELLIS: It certainly humbles him. It shows him there are some situations he just can’t get himself out of no matter how slick he is. He's going to have to suffer the consequences of what he’s done. And I think he reflects back on his behaviour and maybe for a second thinks about changing. What was your reaction (to finding out LaFayette survives?) ELLIS: Thank you! I have a job for next season! That was my reaction. Did (showrunner Alan Ball) explain to you why he let Lafayette survive? ELLIS: Not really. He just said he decided after the bar scene in [the pilot], but he didn’t tell me until the 12th episode. He didn’t really go into any detail as to why he decided to keep me -- not to me anyway.
In an upcoming episode [SPOILER ALERT], Lafayette ingests a lot of Eric’s blood. The homoeroticism in that moment was off the charts. Was that something you were conscious of while shooting it? ELLIS: I wasn’t. I know Alexander said that from his standpoint he thinks Eric is a little drawn to Lafayette. My intentions were that I was completely terrified of Eric and what he can do to me. As far as I know, I hated his guts. It’s funny what the camera picks up... Alan has been making jokes about me and Eric and what’s to come in the third season. I definitely think I’ll be one of his henchmen, but as far down the rabbit hole as that goes, I don’t know.
So we can assume that Lafayette does, in fact, survive to see a third season? ELLIS: I think I’m back for the third season.
Do you think it’s possible for Lafayette to settle down and have a normal relationship with a guy? ELLIS: I don’t know that his normal is the general norm for everybody. I don’t think he’ll ever be normal to everybody’s standards. I do hope though that the dude can find someone that he loves and that loves him back. Everybody should be capable of that -- even Lafayette. (Additional reporting by Jeremy Medina)
EDIT/
If you've watch episode one of season two watch this.
See if you agree that these are the best scenes.
Thanks to RainingXrisi!
Sorry. E! has removed the video but there's some juicy stuff from the interview after the jump!
"In all honesty, this stuff is for the rabid True Blood fangirls who need no introduction to these two, but if you're reading this anyway and you're the type who likes a little metadata with your content, then you should know this is a post about True Blood, which is an hour-long sex, blood, and soap opera Southern Gothic vampire series executive produced by Alan Ball and broadcast by the premium cable network HBO.
These interviews with actors Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Viking vampire Eric Northman, and Stephen Moyer, who plays Southern vampire Bill Compton, were conducted by E! News at the True Blood season-two premiere party at the Paramount lot in Hollywood on the evening of June 9, 2009. For further information, please review our series of informative online articles(lulz) on the topic of True Blood. Season two of True Blood premieres Sunday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on the Home Box Office channel delivered by your cable or direct broadcast satellite provider. Enjoy." Credit: TEAM WWK
Huh. That's the first time I've heard Alexander Skarsgård speaking as himself. I thought he'd have an accent. Isn't he really big in one of those Icelandic or Norwegian countries? Or is that just rumour and/or innuendo?
Also, it's still pretty striking too to hear Stephen Moyer speak as not-Bill. Lovely voice. Anna Paquin as well (not heard in this clip). Not an American in the bunch!
You'll notice in thatwhen writing about True Blood E! (below after jump) really seems intent on making sure the reader knows that "True Blood" has some very raunchy sex scenes. That's because Alan Ball is unafraid of your reaction. But it's not teevee, it's HBO so he can do what he wants. As he did on Six Feet Under :)
Meanwhile, media outlets like E! can grapple with just how do they write about this show they ignored until it became a hit? Hmm.
Anyway, I think True Blood brings out into the open a number of sex taboos on American television, namely sex itself! The Brits are much more casual about a shot of breast or bum--and their language is saltier, albeit at times very hard to understand to my not-Brit ears.
More with Stephen Moyer talking to E! after the jump:
"Sophie-Anne LeClerq," the 400 year-old vampire Queen of Louisiana who makes her appearance in the Alan Ball-helmed HBO series near the end of season two, was honoured last night at Hollywood Life’s 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards.
About Queen Sophie-Anne -
"She's kind of a cross between Patrick Bateman and Paris Hilton. ... she's crazy-- and she's a lesbian!"
(And what about your lesbian love interest?)
"I haven't really met (her) yet. She's not really a love interest. I feed from her."
Wood was presented with the Young Hollywood Superstar award by Patricia Clarkson but prior to that spoke about her role as Queen Sophie-Anne and “her impending lesbian love interest.”
Ever wonder what to do in the all too likely scenario of a bear attack? Uncle Andy's got you covered! Enroll today at WWW.UNIVERSITYOFANDY.COM and earn your degree!
Justin Kirk is very cute n' funny and this vid reminds me of why
I like him a lot on Weeds.
Whatever the reason for U of Andy, It's fun to watch. :)
Update: WEEDS’s resident funnyman and fan favorite Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk) will be teaching a how-to course on everything from “Starting a Band” to “Surviving a Bear Attack” in the hilarious new webisode series, “UNIVERSITY OF ANDY.” WEEDS, SHOWTIME’s top-rated comedy series, returns for a fifth season tonight and will air Mondays at 10p PT/ET. Throughout the season, fans will follow along online with Andy’s lessons in life videos on topics as wide ranging as “How to Survive the Apocalypse” to “How to Hold Your Liquor,” to name but a few of the hot topics Professor Andy will take on. More courses will rollout each week for at least 8 more weeks. For each class, there’s a quiz at the end that fans need to pass in order to eventually get a degree! Golden Globe®-nominee Justin Kirk channels his alter-ego’s, zany and unique take on life lessons for the webisodes. On the show, when Nancy’s (Mary-Louise Parker) husband dies unexpectedly, Andy steps in to fill the void and act as de facto dad to his nephews. His sometimes pot-influenced advice ranges from loopy to downright dangerous, but his good intentions always shine through. To enroll, visit www.universityofandy.com
Though I'm really looking forward to the series premiere of Nurse Jackie and the season 5 premiere of Weeds, on Showtime Monday night (June 8), not everyone has good taste in television shares my opinion. That's OK, as what a dull world it would be if they did right?
Here's a recent question that was posed to Ausiello with his (actually his intern's) answer:
Q: Weeds hasn't been good since Nancy torched Agrestic. Any chance that this season will be worth watching?
Ausiello: I handed your question off EW to intern/Weeds addict Jeremy Medina, who just watched the first three episodes of the new season (premiering June 8). Here's what he said: "... I agree, last season was easily the series' worst -- up until the finale shocker that revealed Nancy's pregnancy. Season 5 starts off with the fallout from that announcement.
Her family is (angry). Even Andy, who loves her. Nancy basically acknowledges she's a terrible human being, but then proceeds to act like even more of one. She dumps Shane off to live with her volatile sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) because he isn't safe at home. She even purposely gets drunk to antagonize her Mexican drug lord boyfriend, simply because it’s the last card she can play in her epic power struggle. What will continue to make the season worth watching is to see if Nancy can win back a shred of dignity. She needs to have some sort of redemptive arc to make the show compelling again. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen."
That's a pretty pessimistic prognostication but I'm wondering if the show may be shifting to more of the spotlight toward Andy Botwin, Nancy's brother-in-law (ex bro-in-law, actually as Nancy is widowed)? His recent series of "The University of Andy" has brought Justin Kirk front and center where he seems quite comfortable. One more U of Andy vid. Watch the 30 min. Weeds and 30 min. Nurse Jackie back-to back staring at 9 pm. Monday night on SHOWTIME. I am.
After the jump:U of Andy - How to Satisfy a Woman video
Learn how to satisfy a woman's physical, spiritual and emotional needs using anticipation, care and patience. Enroll today at WWW.UNIVERSITYOFANDY.COM and earn your degree!
This is certainly a squee-worthy day! In this short Q and A video from SciFi Wire, several True Blood fans ask some great questions about Season 2 and refreshingly, Alan Ball seems quite open in his responses. It's worth a few minutes of your time to check out. Enjoy!
If you are curious about True Blood but are on the fence as you didn't watch Season One, a good compromise (with yourself?) would be to watch Season One's last three episodes which air on HBO2 on June 7 at 7 p.m. on HBO. I still haven't been able to convince my spouse that the show is worth his time (Burn Notice is more his speed) and have told him about Sunday night's airing. I know I'm going to watch it. I also know I'm perfectly content watching it alone and writing about it so either way, it's all good (and his loss, lol!)
The "Season 2 Official Press Release" makes for an interesting read as it provides not only a plot summary and Season 2 Episode 13-15 synopsises(sp) but HBO's official presentation of how they want us to perceive True Blood.
Also, here you'll find release dates on the True Blood DVD Blu-ray and CD.
HIT HBO SERIES TRUE BLOOD KICKS OFF SECOND SEASON JUNE 14 In the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the mystery surrounding the serial killer has finally been solved. But just as things are settling down, deadly new twists threaten Sookie Stackhouse and everyone around her.
TRUE BLOOD kicks off its 12-episode second season SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other new episodes on subsequent Sundays at the same time. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, the show takes place in the not-too-distant future, when vampires have come out of the coffin, thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood that means they no longer need humans as a nutritional source. The show follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and her soul mate, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Alan Ball (creator of the Emmy®-winning HBO series “Six Feet Under”) created and executive produces the show, which is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.
Other cast regulars on TRUE BLOOD include: Ryan Kwanten as Sookie’s brother Jason; Rutina Wesley as her best friend Tara Thornton; Sam Trammell as Sookie’s good-hearted boss Sam Merlotte; Carrie Preston as Sookie’s fellow waitress Arlene Fowler; William Sanderson as Sheriff Bud Dearborne; Chris Bauer as Detective Andy Bellefleur; Todd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur; Michelle Forbes as Maryann Forrester; Alexander Skarsgård as Eric, a Nordic vampire; Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica, a new vampire under Bill’s supervision; Mehcad Brooks as Eggs “Benedict” Talley; Michael McMillian as Rev. Steve Newlin; Mariana Kloveno as Lorena; Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin; and Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry.
June’s episodes: Episode #13 (01): “Nothing But the Blood” Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) Other HBO playdates: June 14 (11:00 p.m.), 16 (11:30 p.m.), 20 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (9:00 p.m.) HBO2 playdates: June 15 (8:00 p.m.), 18 (10:00 p.m.), 19 (midnight) and 21 (3:15 p.m.) A shocking murder outside Merlotte’s has Bon Temps reeling. Meanwhile, Sookie’s (Anna Paquin) relationship with Bill (Stephen Moyer) is tested when she learns about Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), and of his involvement in her uncle’s death. Sam (Sam Trammell) recalls a shape-shifting encounter he had with Maryann (Michelle Forbes) as a 17-year-old. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) gets a sudden windfall that allows him to pay for a leadership retreat with the Fellowship of the Sun. Two adversaries find themselves sharing a mysterious dungeon and, possibly, the same fate. Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Daniel Minahan.
Episode #14 (02): “Keep This Party Going” Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) Other HBO playdates: June 21 (11:00 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.), 27 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (10:00 p.m.) HBO2 playdates: June 22 (8:00 p.m.), 25 (10:00 p.m.), 26 (11:00 p.m.) and 28 (2:00 p.m.) Sookie is forced to cope with Bill’s obligations to Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire’s presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes a favorable impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve (Michael McMillian) and Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp), though not on his jealous roommate Luke (Wes Brown). Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte’s patrons, and Sam proves helpless to stop the revelry. Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.
Episode #15 (03): “Scratches” Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) Other HBO playdates: June 28 (11:00 p.m.), 30 (11:30 p.m.) and July 1 (10:00 p.m.), 4 (10:15 p.m.) and 5 (11:00 p.m.) HBO2 playdate: June 29 (8:00 p.m.) When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric’s (Alexander Skarsgård) help to save her. At the Light of Day retreat, Jason has second thoughts about the sect’s anti-vampire agenda, but Sarah and Steve counter his doubts with flattery and promises. After snapping at Tara (Rutina Wesley) and new employee Daphne (Ashley Jones), Sam decides to cut and run. A bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte’s, where a smitten Hoyt (Jim Parrack) falls under her spell. At another Maryann-hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) interrupted by a swirling, aphrodisiac fog. Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Scott Winant.
Episode 2.04 - Let's Take a Trip Together Airs: Sunday, July 12 Bill and Sookie travel to Dallas to carry out Eric's mission; Jason falls victim to a practical joke; Maryann throws a birthday party for Tara.
Episode 2.05 - Never Let Me Go Airs: Sunday, July 19 While in Dallas, Sookie connects with one of her own; Jason is rewarded for his hard work at the Light of Day boot camp; Eric shares a secret about his past with Bill.
Episode 2.06 - Friend Is a Four Letter Word Airs: Sunday, July 26 Sookie embarks on a dangerous mission to locate Godric; Bill is shocked when a vampire from his past resurfaces in Dallas; Jason must make difficult emotional and physical choices.
Concluding its 2008 run last November, the first season of TRUE BLOOD was a hit with subscribers and critics. USA Today called it “wildly imaginative,” with “one of the best ensembles of the new series,” while TV Guide hailed the show as “graphically sexy and scary, and often wildly funny,” and “a broadly entertaining, deliciously twisted slice of modern Southern Gothic.”
Before the new season of TRUE BLOOD kicks off, viewers will have a chance to catch up on season one. HBO2 will present three episodes per night back-to-back at 8:00 p.m., June 4-6, while HBO will present the first season’s final three episodes back-to-back at 8:00 p.m. on June 7.
“True Blood: The Complete First Season” will be released by HBO Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray May 19; “True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series” will be released by Elektra Records the same day.
TRUE BLOOD was created by Alan Ball; based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris; executive producers, Alan Ball and Gregg Fienberg; co-executive producers, Brian Buckner and Nancy Oliver; supervising producer, Alexander Woo; producers, Mark McNair and Raelle Tucker.
JimmyKimmelLive Matthew Fox appeared on Kimmel's show last night wearing a sling.
Kimmel urged the "Lost" star to tell the audience how he hurt himself,
then rolled the following video as a form of explanation. Turns out the
men had gotten themselves into a staring contest after they both
reached for the same cup of coffee reserved for "gorgeous man." The
contest continued through meals, showers, and rooftop singing before
Kimmel cheated, using his sidekick Guillermo to take Fox out of the contest.
There seems to an an avalanche of LOST previews and sneak peeks being released and/or leaked in the last day or so.
Most of them have much blood, shooting, and explosions.
Today's find by The ODI was a little bit different in that in wandered full on into 'shipper territory. Without rehashing the past 5 seasons too much, there's been a triangle of the girl, Kate (Eve Lilly) and two very different-yet-equally-baggage-laden boys. Jack (Matt Fox) is a surgeon, a pillhead, a heavy drinker and his emotional stability at any given time is questionable as well as his adherence to the Hippocratic Oath.
James "Sawyer" LaFleur (Josh Holloway) is a con man, a murderer, and a serial liar. For Kate's part she too, is a murderer and a thief and like almost every other LOSTIE, has daddy issues.
After a couple of years* of Kate ping-ponging back and forth between Jack and Sawyer, Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) was introduced. At the time, she was an Other--a bad guy--but she turned pretty quickly after realizing that the LOSTIES wanted off the Island as much as she did.
Juliet had a thing for Jack--they went as far as kissing--but Season 4 ended with her and James stranded on the Island together whilst Jack and Kate helicoptered off into the sunset (more or less).
Jack and Kate had a relationship including an engagement back on the mainland and Sawyer and Juliet shacked up together for 3 years as part of the Dharma Initiative. Now the foursome is reunited (sort of) and the push-pull-ping-ponging is warming up for Season 6, which premieres, in 8 months.
IMO, the triangle then quadrangle was one of the least interesting aspects of LOST except for maybe that time when Kate and Sawyer had sex in a cage while Jack watched them on a monitor.
I really hope that we don't get stuck in the same groove but that could well be the case if my death poll turns out to be right and one of the four gets pulled out of the equation.
(in our time--months in LOSTIE time)
I have a couple of screen caps that made me go WTH? What do you think of them? What's happening?
So we have Katie, Jules and Jim.
Kate and Juliet appear to be in the midst of being forced to shoot someone.
Sawyer/James looks to be taking a bullet. Are one or both of the ladies shooting him?
Here it appears that Juliet is in great distress plus WTH is that smokey stuff either going into her mouth or coming out?! This one truly has me stumped.
This is (our hero) Jack, of course. He's in a fire fight and he's lugging an out-of-it Sayid. Is Sayid going to make it? How badly is he hurt?
The promos have told us that John Locke, the "leader" of the Hostiles/Others has stated that he wishes for Ben to kill the never-seen but all-powerful Jacob. Is this a scene inside Jacob's cabin? Will Ben actually go through with it when he's not ever actually seen Jacob? Do you think they are gonna make us wait until next season before we know? (No need to answer the last query.)
This is Frank Lapidis, the pilot that was supposed to have been at the helm of the crashed Flt. 815, who actually did pilot a helicopter onto and off of the Island, allowing the O6 to escape, and he is the commercial airline pilot who brought most of them back--plus some other people who also haven't been given much to do but seem to be obsessed with this big box and what "lies in the shadow of the statue." I like Frank but given how little he seems to do, do you think he's going to be collateral damage in the Season 5-ending episode?
Yesterday, my son came home from high school and he did what he always does. The routine each day after school is for him and me to go through his day, recounting what he did in his classes. When he got to his Engineering class, he mentioned something odd in the instruction that his teacher gave in regard to how my son's class should interact via Internet (Skype) with students from another District 211 high school, Conant H.S., with whom they are collaborating on a major project. His class was told to be careful how they interacted with the Conant High School kids who were just returning to school after the weekend in which they learned that a senior Conant girl and her family had been brutally stabbed by the girl's older sister's boyfriend.
I've been out on the loop on local news and had missed the story but my son had printed out a couple of articles off the nets before leaving school yesterday and I read the story with great sadness. The sadness turn to anger however when I read that already the perpetrator's court-appointed lawyer was "spinning" his client's tale of woe--child welfare case messed up in the system. Take a look at a snap of the man that stabbed an entire family. For one thing he's not a child, he's 20 y.o.--old enough to have made the choice not to stab an entire family because you were pissed at the world. Does he look like he's really suffering or demented? (This is a mug shot from another crime of his.)
My younger son has construed a general notion of what would be his ideal of a justice system that works. He calls it the "iron fist" justice system though he doesn't have all the details worked out--much would have to change. Broadly speaking, we stop going all soft on violent offenders. Ultimately, garbage like the person who essentially killed a whole family would be tossed.
I'm also mad at the sister who had a kid with this guy, a convicted, violent sexual predictor. I know she'll feel bad that she is ultimately the reason why that man was anywhere near her family. I'm just really mad and I can't even blog openly about my feelings about how society makes excuses for the "D'Andre Howards" of the world. A thug is a thug and as such is a threat to society.
It's now up to the only physically unscathed member of this family besides older sis with the murderous bf, the guy in the photo, age 20 that sort of looks like Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters circa his Nirvana era. He was at a good university, editor of the college paper, finishing out his junior year when he was informed on his family's demise. Now he gets to cope with this and hope his mom pulls through all right. Otherwise, he's left only with his dumbass sister who brought the documented convicted felon into her bed, ultimately sending their dad, little sister, and grandmother to their graves. I'm really angry. And sad.
Before going to the Hoffman Estates home where he allegedly stabbed
three people to death, 20-year-old D’Andre Howard went to the suburb’s
police station, authorities said Monday.
Howard was arrested early Friday on a traffic warrant by Hoffman
Estates police, but was released from custody barely an hour later
after posting bail, police said....
The Engelhardt family: Father, Alan, and his wife, Shelly, Laura
(center), Amanda (left) and Jeff Englehardt. D’Andre Howard is charged
with stabbing and slashing three members of
girlfriend Amanda's family.
(Courtesy ABC7 Chicago)
Howard is charged with murdering his girlfriend’s younger sister,
18-year-old Laura Engelhardt; her father, 57-year-old Alan Engelhardt;
and her grandmother, 73-year-old Marlene Gacek.
Howard — the father of the couple’s 8-month-old daughter — also is
charged with critically wounding 52-year-old Shelly Engelhardt, his
girlfriend’s mother.
Neither his girlfriend nor daughter was harmed, authorities said.
Howard and Amanda Engelhardt had quarreled earlier that night at their
Hoffman Estates apartment, but Engelhardt had taken their daughter and
gone to her parents’ nearby home, authorities have said
At Hoffman Estates' Conant High School, senior Laura Engelhardt
would lean against a locker in the morning, ready to make her friends
laugh.
There was a lot to be happy about. Engelhardt was an A student who
had just chosen a college. She enjoyed a close bond with her father.
And in recent days, she began dating a boy on whom she had long
harbored a crush.
When school began Friday, though, she wasn't at her locker.
"I just thought, 'Oh, you get a boyfriend and forget about your friends,' and laughed about it," said her friend Jenny Earl, 17.
Engelhardt, her father and grandmother were stabbed to death Friday
in the family home in Hoffman Estates, authorities said. D'Andre
Howard, 20, a man who had a relationship with Engelhardt's older
sister, has been charged with their slayings.
Rihanna and Chris Brown on Feb. 7Photo by: Lester Cohen / WireImage
Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.
The pair have reunited almost three weeks after Brown, 19,
allegedly battered the "Umbrella" singer on Feb. 8, a source tells
PEOPLE.
"They're together again. They care for each other," says the
source. The on-again couple are currently spending time together at one
of Sean "Diddy" Combs's homes, on Miami Beach's Star Island.
Taking a break from my usual fanwanking I'm going to say the only thing I've said about this case of a guy beating up a girl.
After weeks went by with no word from Rihanna regarding Chris Brown I was pretty sure she'd go back to him. I'd hope not but experience told me differently.
I let a guy beat me repeatedly over a 3 ½ year period. I even married him. Once a man beats a woman he does not stop. He takes breaks. HE DOES NOT STOP.
Rihanna is one year younger than I was when I got into an extremely abusive situation and as "horrific" as her police domestic violence shot is, I had the same type of injuries many times over. The thug that does this to his woman does not stop a beating until he has thoroughly messed her up. Her exterior is a mirror of his interior.
Trust me on this one. Rihanna is NOT stupid. She is allowing herself to be victimized. My guess is at some time in her youth she was victimized in some fashion. Am I saying someone beat her? That is possible but just as possible is sexual abuse, neglect, verbal abuse or some awful combination. She'll stay with Chris Brown until something drastic changes. And when and if she chooses to leave him she'd best have a bodyguard with her when she does.
This upsets me not so much for Rihanna as for kids for whom both she and Brown are role models.
"A Disquiet Follows My Soul" Sci Fi official recap:
Yesssssssssssssss!
Bill and Laura finally were shown basking in the afterglow--though her crazy-big fake bald head made me think of Capt. Kirk in one of his Star Trek encounters for a moment there. But I was happy that they have gotten real (again, is my guess--thinking New Caprica-time). This is a neat Bill and Laura video made by someone well-versed in the whole 4-season arc of their coupling. So yeah, squee.
Adama
believes that Cylon technology will lead to a habitable space, but his
proposal for an alliance is met by fierce resistance.
Not sure I agree with this assessment but everyone is entitled to their opinion, right?
Battlestar Galactica season 4.5 has been crazytown so far, what with the suicide of a beloved character, the disappointing reveal of the fifth/final Cylon and the shocking/random truth about baby Nicky's parentage, but all the weird was wiped away tonight.Jennifer Godwin of E!
For one, the fifth cylon wasn't a big shock--but the reveal of the Final Four last season was a shot to the gut if you were invested in the characters--any one or all of them. I simply love "Chief," now stripped down to "Tyrol" but moved up to one of the Final Five (FF).
Chief acted like a total jerk in tonight's episode, " A Disquiet Follows My Soul," but I still think deep inside he's a good guy.
Cally betrayed him terribly. And he's recently found out that his pre-New Caprica, near-suicidal fears, when Brother Cavil (one of the seven previously-known Cylons--this guy got air-locked) first was featured on the show--were well-founded. Cavil dissuaded Chief that he was Cylon with the quip, "Besides, I haven't seen you at any of the Cylon parties."
Then they found New Caprica, Chief married Cally and the baby came and co-leading the Resistance happened and he seemed OK... I hope the series ends with Chief going out in a some kind of heroic fashion.
Too bad what's become of Gaeta. I know it gives Allesandro Juliani the extra scenes but I hate to see such a character sour so badly.
Here's what Allesandro has to say about Felix Gaeta's newly-minted relationship with veep Tom Zarek ( Richard Hatch).
This episode marks the beginning of an unusual partnership, that of Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta.Actor Alessandro Juliani described the experience of working together: “I’d
never had much to do with Richard over the seasons, but I remember
thinking to myself how strange it was: that I had gone from playing
with a likeness of Richard as a child (an action figure I still have by
the way) to playing with the real live Richard! By the way, he’s a way
better actor than his action figure.”
Bear went on to query Alessandro about Felix Gaeta, a previously upright, straight-shootin' member of the Fleet to "baddie" and Alessandro responded thusly:
...he quickly replied
“Baddie?
Who said anything about being a baddie? I mean, if resisting an
alliance with a race of malevolent, deceitful robot-people responsible
for the genocide of humankind, enforced by a bunch of ‘leaders’ who
time and time again had proven to be completely misguided and
hypocritical in their policies is bad…who wants to be good? If what you
meant to ask was when did I find out that Felix was to assume the
mantle of being the moral center of the show, then I believe it was
during the filming of the now infamous ‘Stump Serenade’ that a certain
Emmy-nominated writer who shall remain nameless first hinted at his
heroic destiny.”
One of the more relevant "You Will Know The Truth clues played out in this, S4 E14,"A Disquiet Follows My Soul."
Clue 23. Video. Adama calls Roslin in her quarters on the Galactica but
she ignores the persistent buzzing of the ancient corded telephone. She
is dressed in her nightclothes, standing over an assortment of
meds.--many colours and shapes of pills. She's deep in thought then
begins to toss the lose ones in the trash, seems to heave a sigh of
relief and finishes by throwing all the bottles of pills in the bin.
Another "You Will Know" SciFi Network pre-Season 4.5 promotion was a part of "A Disquiet Follows My Soul," too.
Tyrol really beat upon poor Hotdog. Geez, what a grump.
Clue 25. Video. Baltar is preaching to the masses who seem to be
less-fringe-looking and more diverse. Baltar yells to the cheers of his
followers, "It is God himself who should come down here and beg for our
forgiveness!" there is a disease aboard this ship and ii is a disease
of denial. the crows cheers. Galen Tyrol has been watching Baltar
impassively but spots Hotdog across the room. Their eyes meet and Tyrol
with obvious purpose, begins to make his way through the crowd to
Hotdog. Hotdog begins towards Tyrol too but nowhere near as
purposefully. The crowds continues it's roaring and cheering at
Baltar's every utterance.
Hard to say if Dualla's (Kandyse McClure) suicide was that of a "beloved character."
She was lovely and certainly loved by her crewmates and Adama but if she had been truly beloved they would have given her more to do with her character. She btw, is the reason when I caught a glimpse of the show in it's first season that I went back and watched the whole season up to that point and continued right on. Kandyse McClure just has the most beautiful eyes ever. It's a bit of a comfort that she has a lot of eye-candy-walk-on scenes throughout much of the series when going back to watch it on DVD. RIP Dualla. :(
I'm not "disappointed" with the reveal of Ellen Tigh as the FF Cylon. She and Saul Tigh being a couple from as long as 2000 years prior is kind of neat and it works with the storyline as the character turned up mysteriously, well into the first season(?) with a cockamamie story about having been unaware of her surroundings (on another ship) for months! Someone took care of her was her story, though she appeared uninjured. So Ellen Tigh being the reveal works on that level. Why she frakked icky Cavil back on New Caprica to get Tigh released from Cylon prison and torture makes no sense to me. How could Cavil have power over one of the sacred Final Five? I need a good explanation but it's too early to call it disappointing.
(Generally, it's my opinion that the late-comers to the show tend to view it on a episode by episode basis instead of looking at it as a story told over four years.)
My hard drive got wiped and though I've recovered a lot of my stills from the show they are completely unsorted --so I shall go see what I can find. EDIT: found some that are good at the SciFi.com site.
SciFiWire spoke with Kandyse McClure the day after S4E13, "Sometimes A Great Notion" aired.
Here's snippet and a link to the source for more.
"It was hard that she wouldn't be there to say goodbye, and that I wouldn't be there to say goodbye." -Kandyse McClure
What was your reaction when you actually got the script and it said something along the lines of "Dualla puts gun to temple and pulls trigger"?
McClure: I was floored. I think I was just as floored reading it as I'm sure people [were] seeing it. It's such a personal and violent and shocking way to go, not only for her, but for the implications for the people around her. Suicide is a difficult topic at the best of times. People see it as being an ultimate act of selfishness on one end, but certainly from the research that I did and the people that I spoke to, there are so many different reasons that people get to that point. But I think for Dee it was just the ultimate act of surrender and the final act of control over her own life. She really wanted to find some kind of peace.
As far as you know, will we learn any more about why she took her own life? In other words, will someone read out loud a will or a suicide note she left behind?
McClure: So far as I know, no. So far as I know, that was it. She couldn't see any way of ever finding any happiness for herself. That's no good. Her husband [Jamie Bamber] is still in love with someone else. He's turned his back on one of the things that joined them together, being in the military and that sense of duty towards the military and his father [Adm. Adama, played by Edward James Olmos] in particular. But I think that was it. It's her final peace. It's a very human reaction to a situation like that. Of course, I imagine that Dualla was not the only one on the ship, and certainly not the first one during the course of the whole saga, to choose that way out. I considered it kind of a strange honor to hold that archetype, to say, "Yeah, this is a very human thing. This is what human beings may choose to do."
Finally, our Six here is very excited that she's about to be a mommy!
Episode titles for BSG Season 4.5
Episode 4.14 - 06 Feb 2009 - Blood on the Scales Episode 4.15 - 13 Feb 2009 - No Exit Episode 4.16 - 20 Feb 2009 - Deadlock Episode 4.17 - 27 Feb 2009 - Someone to Watch Over Me Episode 4.18 - 06 Mar 2009 - Islanded in a Stream of Stars Episode 4.19 - 13 Mar 2009 - Daybreak (1)
I've had many good things happen in my life including wishes and dreams coming true. Recently, a fellow blogger wrote an insightful, moving, humourous, and thought-provoking blog post about wishes. I tend mostly to cut straight to the chase of a topic but Brett never seems in a hurry to get his thoughts down in print and his Grant a Wishpost was no different.
Brett thoroughly explored what a wish means to him by breaking it down into components and linking important members of his biological family to the attributes.
He began with his grandfather, who he described as "a self-made man who granted wishes his entire life."
Brett recalled his memories of his grandfather and in doing so reminded me of my own grandfather, known as "Frank," who was also very much a self-man man. He was a man who in his 101-year life went from a 14-year-old cook out in the wild west of British Columbia to a Sargent with the Toronto police department. Of course there were many, many places in-between. Also like Brett's granddad, Frank built many things with his hands and would have appreciated the quality of Craftsman tools. Some of his creations include the cottages at Maple Lake and many of the original furniture pieces in them or that were in them.
Brett wrote too of his grandmother who he credited with bestowing empathic abilities--a truly golden gift in my opinion, as I was given it as well. He went on to credit his mum with instilling a love of reading which in turn garnered him a wide life perspective as well as spoke of his dad encouraging Brett's freedom to chose what he wanted to do in life. Besides empathy, he credited his grandmother with an understanding of potential in others and in his grandfather’s drive to help people, an example of and a desire for improving the world around them.
And just as if he had a large, lovely ribbon Brett tied together the things that his loved ones had given him.
He spoke of his grandfather at the tender age of 16 building a working motorcycle from scratch so he'd be able to get to town and find better work. He shared that his grandfather's interest in finding a better way to accomplish things never waned. Brett said that if his grandfather found a more efficient or effective way of doing things he adopted them and integrated them into his own repertoire.
The theme of continuing improvement to realize a dream tied together much of what Brett said about his family and he shared that he believes it "important in life to try and improve upon those talents
and gifts that we receive from our parents and grandparents."
With this in mind, Brett approached Sears, saying that as he shops for the important people in his life this holiday season, he planned on focusing on "finding those things that will
help them realize their potential, realize how to master their own
situations in life, and realize their own dreams and wishes."
Brett summarized his essay (it was so much more than just a blog post) with looking beyond his immediate family to the world of blogging and what he calls his "extended blogging family" with this: "I see in Sears and in the
Grant a Wish program the opportunity for people looking to explore
their creative side and work in blogging or podcasting or even learning
how to do video, I see an opportunity." Brett advised people that were scouring the store shelves in search of the perfect gift for that special someone to "look at the products on the shelf, and think how those products might
be used by the people that receive them to un-tap their potential. If
you can do that, if you can even get a little close, you will probably
Grant a Wish to the person you love and I believe that the gift that
they receive will not go to waste."
Brett summed up his post with these thoughts: "Maybe you can provide some inspiration to someone that might just
change the world, and if that’s true, then you will have changed the
world a little bit for the better yourself!"
Update: January, 2009 Dom Monaghan ("Charlie Pace" on LOST and Evangeline Lilly ("Kate Austen") also on LOST ring in the New Yearin snowy togetherness.
Update/11.08.07***Below I was afraid of this given the "uncertain" way Charlie's last scenes were on LOST the last time we saw Dominic Monaghan playing him. Oh well. I'm sure someone's happier now. It doesn't sound like it's Dominic.
When does Lost come back on, anyway? Is it in November or am I thinking of the Battlestar Galactica mini on the SciFi Channel?<squee> Inquiring minds need the scoop!
Dom Monaghan and Eve Lilly of LOST. I don't have a credit--a magazine is the source I believe....maybe, not sure. Sorry. Did they get married this past summer (2007) like they were 'spose to before...
SPOILER ALERT!!!
I love to write in ALL CAPS. heh.
So yeah... Dominick Monaghan, according to what I Google, is makin' a movie about a serial killer--Dom's the serial killer. Bound to be more fun than Lost --they never gave him enough screen time, IMO.
" LOST stars Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly are apparently done according to Page Six . Dom was spotted at El Coyote in Los Angeles "crying, holding and kissing" another woman. Are they sure that other woman wasn't Elijah Wood?
Nelson Aspen reports, "They were right in the middle of the room, they weren't interested in privacy. They looked very intimate. They were nursing margaritas, leaning in, chain-smoking, having intense conversation."
LOST co-stars Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan have reportedly castaway their love and split up.
The handsome pair began dating over two years' ago after meeting on the set of the desert island drama.
The British actor - whose rocker character Charlie was killed off in the show - was spotted crying in the arms of another woman at a LA restaurant last week.
Onlookers at the El Coyote eatery also said the pair spent a lot of time kissing and cuddling.
A source told the New York Post newspaper: "They were right in the middle of the room, they weren't interested in privacy.
"They looked very intimate. They were nursing margaritas, leaning in, chain-smoking, having an intense conversation."
Evangeline and Dominic got engaged earlier this year after the Lord of the Rings star proposed during a holiday in Hawaii.