Goodbye '09, Bring on the '10s

So I've been in Maine for Christmas break and although I am very grateful to get to be with my family the fact that I'm here means two not so fun things for my blog: First, since we live on an island covered in trees (and currently being hit with the first Nor'easter of the season) there are very few places that can get internet (our neighbor's house is one of them, but shhhh...don't tell anyone that we borrow it from them). And second, pretty much all the shows I watch are off for the holidays. I did finally finish BSG and HIMYM, so that's pretty cool. I've been reacquainted with Firefly, Arrested Development, Lone Gunman, and a few other shows. I've gotten to watch a few of my favorite movies, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Blades of Glory, and Speed Racer. And I've gotten to spend time with my three little brothers and my parents, which has been pretty awesome!!!

Well, after I found some internet and got on sidereel.com I looked for something to commemorate a great 2009 and I found an article on the top 10 shows that got cancelled too soon. Of course they mentioned the scare that came with getting Chuck renewed and the disappointment that came with the cancelling of Dollhouse (the first of which I obviously rejoiced greatly for and the second I was cursing FOX along with other Whedonites, so they are big deals, don't get me wrong), but there was one thing really caught my eye, and that was a show that had seriously been one of my favorites: Pushing Daisies!!! The story of Ned, the pie maker that can wake the dead and his dead girlfriend, Chuck, who he can't touch cuz it'd put her right back into the dead "young tourist Charlotte Charles" status from whence she came, and the absolutely adorable Olive Snook, an employee of Ned's who harbors a serious crush on her boss. The characters were absolutely incredible and they had a story line to match. In addition to that it was pretty much Tim Burton on television. Pushing Daisies rocked and it was totally cancelled in it's second season.

**side note** I've had this theory for a while and this show kind of falls in line with it. I believe that shows that started the same season as the strike pretty much don't have a chance in survival...but that's a different story...back to Pushing Daisies. **end side note**

Yeah, I pretty much love that show! I adored Ned and all the flashbacks to the Longborough School for Boys and his sad stories that came with his powers. I loved the Chuck/Vivian/Lily/Chuck's dad relationship. Can't forget Emerson Cod and his search for his daughter and his relationship with the dog trainer lady. And I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adore Kristin Chenoweth...yeah, I love Pushing Daisies...great show!

K, so that's all I have time for, so happy new year, we're done with the naughties and onto the tens! Weirdly awesome!!!

~Manda

K, Joss is doing this right!

So he says that Dollhouse won't live on in any other media forms cuz he's said all he needs to say, but still, that's too bad. Finally, after it's gotten cut, he gets to take his show in the directions that he wants and do what he wants (something that if he had done this on a cable network would've most likely have happened from the beginning, but who knows.)

I just finished watching the latest episodes and oh my goodness!!! Yeah, there were things that weren't my favorite, but when you have to push all you wanted to do and say over the course of seasons into just a few episodes, that sort of ends up being the case.

The second episode, "A Love Supreme", was amazing! I'm glad they got to air the two together because the first one was a little frustrating and felt too stand-alone. I loved the training scene with Echo and Paul. I also loved that Paul was the one that Alpha was actually after and that he imprinted himself with Paul. I loved pretty much all of it!!!!! Awesome!

For some reason it all felt Buffy-y in a way. I'm not saying that Echo acted like Faith, cuz there is no way she did, she was Echo, and I'm not saying that it felt full of girl-power-y vampire-slayage. No,it was the intense emotion, the fact that Paul kept himself at a distance with Echo even thought it was highly apparent that feelings were mutual between them, the high action, the scene with Alpha and Echo fighting, the absolute can't-go-on desperation when she heard Paul's voice. All that, to me, felt reminiscent of my favorite show in the whole world! And of the parts of Buffy that it did feel like, I kept getting reminded of season five when Tara is crazy, Dawn is a pain, but needs protection more than anything, the unrequited love of Spike for Buffy, Buffy going catatonic, the Winnebago, yeah, the end of season five (after a few times watching it tho, it's so incredibly dumb and frustrating the first time through). It was also a little like the last two episodes of season seven in that way, highly intense, highly emotional, you get to know the characters better in those episodes than at any other time in the show...(k, thought: those were both series finale set-ups...duh Amanda...silly me, that's why it feels like Buffy! Oh wow, took me long enough to figure that out!) but yeah, that's what it felt like...pure Joss!

Well, can't wait for next week...and now I really want to crack open my Buffy DVDs again and remember why that show is pretty much always number one! But alas, I now have to go to work...too bad! hahahaha...Well, let's enjoy this awesome end to Dollhouse!

~Manda

Some Joss related stuff to check out

Ok, so a few days ago I was really not wanting to go to sleep so I was trying to see what was up with Joss Whedon with the airing of the last episodes of Dollhouse beginning to air. As I was looking around I read this article on sidereel.com where the quotes felt totally out of context so I decided to check out the original interview (or first see if I was going to be able to find it.) I found the original article that the sidereel.com article was based on and at the bottom of the page was the original interview the article had been taken from. The original article felt much more Whedonesque, and the interview was great! They were both pretty long, but totally worth the time and I highly recommend checking them out if you have the time (or are like me and really just don't want to go to sleep). The original article can be found here and the interview is at the bottom.

Enjoy!

~Manda

SECTIONALS!!!!!

Ok, did last night's Glee rock, or did it rock?! I'm thinking it kinda rocked!!!

Ok, so everything unraveled!!! I mean, EVERYTHING!!! Finn found out about Quinn and Puck, Will (kind of) left Terri, Will and Emma kissed, Sue was found out....crazy good! And then the music!!!!! When Will said "you can't always get what you want" to Finn I just about squealed with delight knowing what they were about to pull out for Sectionals. And Mercedes's ballad gave me chills and I thought it couldn't get any better...and then Rachel sang. Her performance still sends shivers down my spine. Her energy was incredible! I don't think I've ever seen a television show that felt that much like being at a live performance in my life! It was incredible!!!! I was just about cheering with the crowd when she lifted her arms, in a very Rachel style, and the rest of the kids came down the isles. It was great!!!! And you know what I loved even more than that? Oh yes, Finn and Rachel has just become a real possibility! He now trusts her more than anyone else in the glee club!!! Woohoo moment for Rachel/Finn (and Quinn/Puck) fans!

I was happy about the Will/Emma kiss, but I really don't see him actually leaving Terri for Emma. It just about kills me to say this, but I have a feeling that Emma will be the "other woman" and Will will end up going back to Terri and breaking Emma's poor fragile heart...I kind of hope I'm wrong.

So...I love Glee...and now have to wait till April for the next installment. But guess what, I think it's gonna be worth it!

~Manda

Oh, and P.S. if you like Glee and like Idina Menzel you had better check this out!

The beginning of the end

Gah....you ever get that feeling that no matter what you do you just never have enough time for everything and thinking that makes your stomach hurt? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that feeling is called finals! It's disgusting! And yet, with this ever constant painful time crunch, what do I revert to in the middle of the night and the early hours of the day? Oh yes, I find solace in a little bit of TV watching! Healthy? Probably not. Smart? Nope again. Does it make any sense? Nuh-uh. But does it make life oh so much easier? You betcha!!!!

Well, I really don't have enough time for just any television, just the important shows, i.e. the beginning of the end of Dollhouse. (And that's only 84 minutes of television, so that's not too bad, right?) And oh my, was that a good decision (y'know, watching that 84 minutes of television). If you saw it you should know what I mean.

Summer Glau's Performance of an uber creepy, pretty, adorable genius was awesome! And the doublemint Tophers....how great was that?! The Bennett/Topher dynamic kinda rocked too!

I am busy and don't have a ton of time to blog, so I'll just leave it at that. But if you enjoy Dollhouse you should seriously consider catching up on the newest episodes if you haven't...I have a feeling we'll see some extreme Joss genius in the final days of Dollhouse.

~Manda

Suit-Up!!!!

When I get stressed I do probably the worst thing possible! I start a new series. If I hate it then it's the perfect solution: I get my fix and don't end up wasting too much time. When I love it...well, then there's a problem, and I currently have a problem.

I am Amanda, and I'm a television junkie. It's a sad state of affairs. Now granted, I do have standards, but times of stress are probably my biggest weakness to the alluring nature of the one-eyed monster. I have recently discovered (during a time that I should be focusing on all things educationally musical) the joys, the pleasures, nay, the insane AWESOMENESS that is How I Met Your Mother.

I started watching it for who knows what reason, but I had heard from multiple sources that it is "legen-wait-for-it-dary"! And it is....oh yes, it is! I knew I'd love Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris from what I had seen of them (mostly through the Whedonverse), but it's even better than them! It's a sitcom with a laugh track that I actually enjoy! It's amazing! No...it's awesome!

Well, I just wanted to share that little insight of my life with you. I love How I Met Your Mother. I can't wait to see all of it! (Just learned what a "slap bet" is....awesome!) That's all, gotta get back to Quando Men Vo and Beethoven's 6th Symphony...wish me luck!

~Manda