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.

The Vampire Diaries -4×7- My Brother’s Keeper

Somehow, Matt and Jeremy became my favorite characters. And there need to be more Caroline/Stefan scenes. I like when the characters are allowed to interact with people who aren't Elena.

Caroline and Hayley were having a contest for who could wear the shortest, most inappropriate dress. Since they both lost their dignity, neither should win, but I'll give the edge to Hayley for sporting a glorified slip. And in red! Slutty!

I don't usually mind the triangle, but c'mon writers. Jeremy almost kills his sister, and everyone focuses on romantic drama? Stefan forcibly pushes Jeremy down the path that almost results in the kid killing his sister and everyone focuses on romantic drama? Elena has to move out of her childhood home and everyone focuses on romantic drama? I know there's something in the water in Mystic Falls

What Stefan did to Jeremy. Well, well. He's no better than Damon trying to sacrifice Bonnie or Abby for Elena. Did he really think turning Jeremy into a Hunter would help him get his girlfriend back?

There are few things I love about this show more than Damon making fun of Jeremy. No, he doesn't really have the right, but it's always hilarious.

Also? I really like the idea of Caroline and Klaus, but not when he's acting like he lives on a planet inhabited by care bears and unicorns. Next, he'll be talking about the time he snuggled with a koala while exploring New Zealand. There's a lot of potential there, the world Klaus can offer Caroline and all he can teach her, and how much he can learn from her about insecurity and guilt and stopping hating himself.

American Horror Story: Asylum -2×7- Dark Cousin

There were so many things going on in this episode. All traumatizing to me.

I hate rape scenes. HATE THEM. I figured it was coming 2 episodes ago but I still wasn't prepared for that. The people on the internet who are still shipping her with Thredson(and describing that scene as a sex scene and not rape) after that scene need to be in an asylum themselves.

Lana has the work luck ever.

Sister Mary Satan continues to entertain the ever loving shit out of me. I love her machinations. From smacking down Arden to knowing all along who Bloody Face was. And that showdown between her and the Angel of Death gave me goosebumps. I want more scenes of them together. Lily Rabe was doing the damn thing this episode. This role is so much better for her than last season.

Oh, and the real Mary Eunice is still in there screaming to be saved. Somebody help her! I bet it will be Sister Jude in the end.

Can't wait Santa Ian Mcshane next week!

Modern Family -4×9- When a Tree Falls

I really love the visual gags they come up with on this show like Cam as a cat in a tree!

As a Say Anything fanatic I loved that Phil pulled a Lloyd Dobler to get Claire back, but of course Phil being Phil he uses Olivia Newton John instead of Your Eyes.

I seriously thought gloria's water had broken. At first when the Costco manager said that if she really was having a baby or a turkey, i thought she was going to throw something at him.

The Walking Dead -3×7- When the Dead Come Knocking

With one episode left to go, the verdict is in for me: This half-season was fantastic. They fixed the biggest problem of the show in a major way, and that is pacing. The conflict between Rick's gang and the Woodberries has been set up pretty much perfectly, which even makes suffering through Andrea's scenes seem worthwhile. I don't think I've ever been as giddy about this show as I was during the last 5 minutes of this episode. Previously, the inter-human conflicts have seemed to distract from the zombie mayhem, but the Governor and his troupe have been set up so well as adversaries that I can't wait for this to go down. Loyalties are going to be put to the test on both sides. The outcome is completely unpredictable to me.

Episode was great, with one exception. I thought the concept of a hermit camping out in the red zone, seemingly oblivious to what's going on (asking for a badge?) was patently silly and the scene didn't seem to add anything other than some blood and guts.

I really liked the character moments at the prison (Carol reunion, Carl/Rick heart-to-heart) and I almost wish there was more of it. I'm terribly worried about the people left behind. That parting shot of them felt really foreboding to me. Those four (plus Axel) presumably going up against Merle and a bunch of mercenaries? Does not look good in the slightest. There's some people there I really, really don't want to die.

Revenge -2×8- Lineage

I usually enjoy flashbacks so I can get more backstory, but almost an entire episode taken up by flashbacks and all we really learned is that Victoria had a jealous selfish insecure bitch monster of a mother (no surprise), how Aiden and Amanda met, and Daniel wrote bad poetry? None of that is really a surprise. I mean, most college freshmen write bad poetry so that's pretty par for the course. Conrad has been planning for Daniel to join the company since birth so no surprise that he burned said poetry (even though by 2006, we had these cool things called computers where you could store things like poetry). I think we've known from the beginning that Victoria is a schemer so her revenge plan on her mother was no surprise either (nor were the circumstances that caused her to want revenge).

The only other things we learned were that Amanda helped Ashley but Ashley didn't know who she was, Nolan dated another one of his CFOs, and the Porters were always boring. If next week is the winter finale, I want to see some fireworks to balance out how little action we got this week.

Ashley was an idiot. What did she think she would do with an MFA in art history ANYWHERE?

Once Upon a Time (2011) -2×8- Into the Deep

I liked that Granny's savvy enough to want to keep paying customers well, and preemptively called for the diner to close. She's heard that tone of Regina's before and Granny wasn't gonna take chances!

For a minute, I was concerned that David wasn't sitting down to pick his finger; I didn't realize they were in the same space as where Henry was on the cot. It would've been poor David's luck to get gung-ho and not think about after the spell took over. Speaking of luck, I'm beginning to think like Snow- they are cursed to small periods of happiness because they believe in each other so strongly. That's why they are constantly torn away from each other, because they do find each other in the end.

Ginnifer Goodwin needs a frickin' Emmy. She plays such a range of emotions most every week! The scene with Emma about blame, the scene in the Fiery Room with David, her 'welp, nice to meet ya, Mulan' 'tude as she readied to freakin' kill Mulan! Snow is on par with Granny as far as badass grandmas go, imo. Mulan's almost acceptance of Snow's choice was interesting. Aurora is her line in the sand; Storybrooke is Snow's. Of course, Mulan didn't know (and could probably care less) about David's situation, but Mulan has been shown to be pragmatic, mostly. I have to agree with Mulan about one thing: they are doing a hella lot of walking. I get tired thinking about how much walking they do in one episode (in Enchanted Present.) It's always in a time crunch too, so I kinda feel part of where Mulan was coming from- we traipse to place X, you talk to someone from your world, we traipse to place Y to find object J and you talk to someone in your dream again. We have to haul ass to place Z and find Object T...

IA that the Aurora heart-snatch was out of left-field to me. I can understand that the three big images of the series have the knowledge, but Hook? Really Show? Also, you can give control of the heart to whomever you wish, as seen with Hook letting Cora control Aurora? Granted, we've only seen folks who want to directly control the folks whose hearts have been removed,but this seems...too easy(?).

I know that the magic diamonds have just been found, show-wise, but shouldn't the fairies be a little more involved in watching over the town, as well as David and Henry as they are the folks who can help them regain their powers? Something I was just wondering. Plus I love Grumpy and Astra(?).

American Horror Story: Asylum -2×6- The Origins of Monstrosity

I am so glad that Zach Quinto and Sarah Paulsen are apparently freinds in real life, because to play a scene like that with someone you didn't know/trust---brrrr. It made the aversion/conversion stuff look like Tuesdays With Morrie.

It's great that they really went for broke there because, really; how much are we going to buy a serial killer like Bloody Face if he isn't throughly invested in his craziness? It's like Liberace in earth tones--just doesn't work. Go big or go home!

Thredson's story of going to medical school in order to understand what was wrong with him was another great mirror to the religious characters. Thredson gained insights but no peace from his study of the mind. Jude and Mary Eunice both ran to the church to be "safe" from sins, their own and others, only to discover that there isn't a safe place as long as you're lying to yourself. Mary's resentment that the Church didn't magically heal the pain of her past left her vulnerable to possession. Jude's terror at being found out as a hit and run driver has driven her into corner after corner. Whatever the Monsignor's secret is, it's bad enough that he's letting Arden run wild through patients' bodies and souls.

And speaking of the good Monsignor...

Is anyone else having trouble making this track? Last week it looked like M was quite aware of Arden's past--sardonic Nazi smoking and all. But this week it was clearly established that he only met Arden in 1962--two years before. And he also had no idea what the doctor was doing until he saw Shelley and Spivey. So what was that housekeeping call about? If he had no clue about the doc's doings, why would he think to call and warn him?

The Walking Dead -3×6- Hounded

That was awesome. As soon as Rick started squinting and heading for the fence, I'm going "I hope she remembered the formula", and she had. I like Michonne. The look on her face when the walkers bypassed her, all covered in zombie goo, all surprise, relief and realization. It was a nice shoutout back to the Atlanta days too. It took some serious stones to walk up to that fence with zombies all around it. And only Michonne could limp in, carrying a shopping basket and still look badass as hell. I look forward to her meeting up with everyone and Hershel will be happy to have an actual surgery to do. Too bad she has to tell them about Meryl, Glenn and Maggie though. Daryl's going to be conflicted: yay, my brother's alive vs crap, my brother's still an asshole.

Did the Governor spend all that time with Andrea so she wouldn't wonder why Meryl left so soon after Michonne? Or did Michonne ever cross her mind again after the gates closed? Geez, Andrea. Wait till you meet your future stepdaughter.

Andrew Lincoln was freaking amazing, the way he sold Rick's breakdown. I couldn't bear to watch and I couldn't bear to look away. I kept thinking it was a delusion but I was kind of hoping it was real, and there really was somewhere safe that wasn't Woodbury. I loved that Rick hung up, accepting that Lori was gone and there was no haven, and he still had family to protect. And Glenn and Maggie to retrieve. Somehow. Fingers crossed.

The Vampire Diaries -4×6- We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes

Even as a hallucination, Katherine is awesome.


Hayley so has it going on for Tyler, it’s not funny, and I think Tyler might be feeling it too. I like Caroline and Tyler, but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the broke up, but damn it, if they put Caroline with Klaus, I’m gonna need to get prescribed an anti-nausea medication.

Shane must be Silas, and this story has me interested. Obviously he is immortal without being a vampire. What does he want with Bonnie?


I love Jeremy to pieces but I am SO mad at all of the crew for killing random hybrid dude and was very glad to see somebody call them on that shit. Go Ty! I can't believe Caroline went along with it. I felt like that required a major personality transplant in just about everybody but our natural born killer vamps, like Klaus. Seriously, Jeremy. WTF

I really liked the Elena/Stefan break up. I liked that it wasn't so much about Damon but how much they've grown apart. They are different people than when they met and would be even without Damon, but Elena's feelings for him make their problems harder to ignore. I'd like her to be alone for a while, work on herself and accepting who and what she is, rather than jump into a new relationship

American Horror Story: Asylum -2×5- I Am Anne Frank (2)\

Good Lord, this show is brutal. Of course Sister Eunice would dump monster!Shelley at an elementary school lol.

I had to look away during the surgery bit.

I didn't understand the Anne Frank story. Was she faking or not? She acted like she didn't know the guy who was supposedly her husband and then changed her tune when she saw the picture with the baby. Also, why did the flashbacks look like home movies?

Sister Jude had time to go to the hair salon? I wonder when she's going to see Arden without his shirt on.

I knew Thredson was Bloody Face. I wish she'd just run out the front door. What I don't understand is how he plans on eventually letting her go. If he doesn't let her go then how can she write his story? Also, if he continues to kill women as Bloody Face what was the point in framing Kit? They're still going to be looking for this guy since she'll know that Kit is innocent. Even if Lana is killed he's presumably going to kill again so they'll know they didn't get the right guy.

Is Alma pregnant with Kit's child or an alien? Did Grace get a chip? It sucks that Kit is taken away right as he finally has someone to talk about the abduction experience with.

Alma seemed pretty calm considering she's been spending the last few months separated from the world with only aliens and the occasional captive for company.

Modern Family -4×8- Mistery Date

Phil: Lets go upstairs and start the halftime festivities.Phil's storyline had me LMAO the entire way through.I kept thinking Phil was going to figure out Ferris was gay any minute but nope. That's our Phil!


I thought Phil's reaction to being kissed was great. I was kind of expecting for the awkward moment of the episode to be when Cam and Mitch showed up at Phil's, but I'm glad it didn't go that way. Way to subvert my expectations, show!


I loved the photo booth tagline stuff., Especially at the end.....it seemed genuine Rico/Nolan rather than Manny/Luke.

Great episode overall.

Revenge -2×7- Exposure

I'm really confused about how Nolan letting Daniel get his hands on David's check will protect Emily. Wouldn't they trace ownership of the shares either way to be able to make a claim on them? I really hope they address the fact that the check was made from David's personal funds at some stage because it's seriously unrealistic otherwise.

Really sick of how Emily's been treating Nolan especially in this episode. The guy basically risked the fortune he spend his entire adult life building to protect her and minutes after finding out she tells him to make sure he clears his afternoon because she'll need his help.

Also, a little confused about the role of Helen in all of this. Emily mentioned the investors lunch still being held and the initiative knowing about it and sending one of their own but to what end? Didn't Daniel only let the investors at the house know they were meeting while at the party?

I'm confused as to why they made a point to point of Kara was off her meds when the entire time she's been on the show she's looked totally drugged up on anti-psychotics.

The Walking Dead -3×5- Say the Word

Daryl's the greatest. It was awesome watching him take charge in the beginning, and then he was so sweet with the baby. He added a little levity to a scene that was pretty grim, with Carl listing the many, many possible dead people they could name the baby after. Didn't seem like that many until you hear all their names.

Glad to see Michonne actually get something to do, and I actually think the conflict between her and Andrea was written in a way that made sense. From what Andrea could see, Michonne really wasn't making sense and really didn't have a good reason to be suspicious. Bet Andrea regrets that decision now! The fight was the right mixture of sick and genuinely entertaining, so it wasn't so over-the-top that everyone's cheering seemes ridiculous.

Still liking scientist guy, and still finding Merle really entertaining.

Rick better calm down soon, not that his rampage wasn't cool to watch.

Glad to see Glenn at least cared about T-Dog.

Once Upon a Time (2011) -2×7- Child of the Moon

While I would have liked more forward progression with the main story of the season, I understand why they had to do this episode now. Ruby's nature had to be addressed (and it's awesome that she now gets to wolf out in Storybrooke), and it had to take place within a month of of the premiere, show-timeline-wise. Meghan Ory is all types of awesome. The way she's able to play so many aspects of Red and have them coalesce into a coherent narrative is really impressive. The bonding between Ruby and Belle was nice (but poor, deluded Belle, thinking she actually knows something about fixing people -- no, girl, just no). Josh Dallas said in an interview that he really enjoyed playing a platonic relationship between a man and a woman, and as a viewer, I have to concur. It's really lovely to see how much these characters care about one another.

So, was Rumpel really doing something out of kindness (or guilt, which I could possibly buy, as he probably sees Henry as a bit of a proxy for Bae)? Or does he know more than he's letting on? Does getting Emma and Mary Margaret back benefit him in any way?

It's good to find out that King George really is the bastard they've made him out to be. David did the right thing by not shooting him, but I wouldn't have judged him too harshly had he gone through with it.

And Granny the welder -- is there anything that woman can't do (except for maybe make lasagna)?

ETA: those casting people need some awards. Annabeth Gish as Red's mom -- wow.

The Vampire Diaries -4×5- The Killer

Damn, just after I just finish saying that Klaus' "keep him alive for the cure" would give the writers leeway to make Connor's stay long, they up and kill him. He was a serious bad ass and I'm gonna miss him. But I have to give the show credit, they know how to do their twists/shocks.


The Stefan and Damon scenes were by far the highlight. They are just great together. I'm curious to see how things play out when Klaus returns. Will they pretend that Damon doesn't know about the cure?

I'm really liking April. A genuine innocent. Not a Special Snowflake, just a sweet, nice girl who I actually want to root for.

How would April and her father have known Connor from some long ago time? That was odd. Was Connor once in Mystic Falls? Was he a relative of Bonnie's? It's hard to figure since they really have not connected April or her father to anyone. April's father said a bigger evil was coming, and the death of the council was the beginning. I thought Connor blew up the house, but apparently he may have been taking marching orders from the Professor. I wonder if Connor thought he was blowing up a house full of vamps? Or did Connor just kill the Council to prevent them from killing the vampires that he needed to kill to make his tattoo grow?

The hybrid dying in the grill was one of the few times I've had to look away from the screen on this show, so bravo effects team.

Relieved the Tyler/Hayley/Caroline drama was cleared up and it was clear there was no cheating. The whole "freeing the hybrids" thing could be interesting especially since Klaus thinks he has a hold over Tyler when he really doesn't.

I love Professor Shane helping Bonnie to regain her magic, but I can't help but think he has a bigger agenda.

Jeremy now has the mark of the hunter is now compulsion proof, faster and stronger. Also, the ring may not work anymore. Certainly, I would not be inclined to test it if I was him. And he actually did the right thing when he realized April was being compelled. Go Jeremy!

Modern Family -4×7- Arrested

The first five minutes had me rolling. Episodes like these are what made me fall in love with this show. So many funny quotes I can't think of at the moment (the fookin gross, everything Luke, Lily was funny, Phil & Haley, Gloria and her money quote, etc.)

I also liked that, for a change, a sitcom character's indiscretions had lasting consequences. Great "dad" speech from Phil, and it was nice to see Claire totally backing him up.