American Horror Story: Asylum -2×8- Unholy Night

Well we can take child rape and male prison rape off the list of tortured topics they need to cover.

Lily Rabe is truly rocking it. I bet the Devil enjoys the irony of sitting around listening to Christmas Carols.

I was legitimately surprised by the Arden double-double turn. I thought the Devil would catch him since she can read minds but I didn't think he was playing Jude. And man did she fall for it easily. Also on his front, Aliens seem real not since he's the first sober non-mental patient to see them aside from Kit in the pilot.

Lana should have killed Ollie when she had the chance or at least chained him and called the cops. I'm glad they did a somewhat explanation of how she ended up back so quickly. I wonder if Kit would be so quick to let Ollie live if he knew there was not a shred of evidence left that he's Bloodyface. Even if Lana's preggers it means nothing.

Poor Frank, you can't be a good guy there.

Bad Santa was awesome.

Revenge -2×9- Revelations

This didn't feel like a midseason finale to me. Nothing was resolved - they didn't show us who the guy on the boat is, they didn't resolve the issue of Nolan's money, they didn't really explain the guy from Nolan's past any further, they didn't advance the plot with the initiative. It was a pretty solid "buildup" episode, but in the end I found myself thinking that I would have been better off watching something else.

I don't think that Jack's friend made it. I think he started the rumor that he got him to the hospital in order to draw out the two brothers for...some reason. Still not sure where they're going with this.

Can Emily 'please' get back to doing Revengey things? There are angles they could play - Nolan and Jack both need her help right now, but she's too busy playing detective with her Season 2 love interest. I realize that the writers want him to be this suave, badass, James Bond type, but he's just sooooo boring. I realize that they've sort of written Jack and Daniel out as potential love interests right now, but I don't think that was the right move to begin with, and I don't think that this Aiden character is a viable contender for a long-term love interest.

The Walking Dead -3×8- Made to Suffer

As much as I'm enthralled by The Walking Dead this season, I have to call out the show for replacing one black guy with another again. It's bad enough that it suggests that they're afraid, for some reason, to have more than one, but it also suggests an imagined interchangeability that is really problematic. I hope Tyreese gets a lot more respect from the writers.


I was someone who was calling for Carl's death last season, but this season I'm a huge fan. His courage and resourcefulness and adaptability speak to my Stephen King-conditioned child hero-loving core. Instead of being creepy, the ease with which he does what's necessary plays, for me, like it should: part tragic, part admirable. I really loved him playing leader this week and saving Tyreese's group, while also being careful and smart about protecting his own people. He ditches the hat and he could become one of my favorites.


Loved Glenn repurposing the zombie's bones as a weapon. Badass.

I know they wouldn't kill off Daryl, but I was still panicking during that final scene. I am pleased to have him and Merle reunited, though, and although they did miss an opportunity by giving Merle a reason to turn on the Governor right away, I am kind of happy that they'll have to work together immediately, and that Rick and Co., in going back for Daryl, will have to decide what to do about Merle.

Instead of being annoyed at Andrea for saving the Governor and not being too bothered by the wall o'heads, I'm actually going to consider it an interesting development. This whole time I've been assuming that she's just being dumb, but maybe she'll actually go all-in for the Governor, and be an adversary to the group. I think how shocked she was at the end might make that unlikely, but it'll certainly be a more interesting use of her than one that requires my continued sympathy.

Once Upon A Time -2×9- Queen of Hearts

Wow Gold was a dick this episode. I really wanted him to get more shit for talking Regina into helping him try to kill off Emma and Snow than he did. I realize that wasn't his real motivation, but his "win/win" speech was awful enough that I'm praying Belle somehow finds out about it.

God I love Lana Parilla. She's always great (which keeps me from really hating Regina, no matter what she does on this show), but she was fantastic this episode. Lana deserves an aware for the level of vulnerability she showed. I still don't know how I feel about her redemption though. Even though all of her behavior was above board tonight (I did really believe her when she said she was helping Gold out of concern for Henry and not to keep Emma away), the whole thing still feels way too rushed. Decades of deep evil, cleared up after a couple of weeks? A longer tradition from evil to grey to good would feel better.

I liked Mulan this episode. Figures she'd stop bugging me as soon as he arc was ending. I loved the moment between Aurora and Mulan at the end. If they had shown that much chemistry earlier, I may have cared more about them. And yes, it did seem like they were ready to kiss.

Speaking of things you don't expect to see on family TV, was anyone else surprised by Hook's level of innuendo while fighting Emma? I know he's a roguish pirate, but I wasn't expecting pervy commentary on OUaT. I liked it, but it was a bit of a shock.