First Word

The final episode of my favorite show this season, Little Big Lies delivered a great ending. ( Spoiler alert: don't read if you want the big surprise ending ).  I hadn't quite figured out why the five women involved in the end were so closely tied in story line except that they were feuding. How the show actually connects the dots at the end was absolutely perfect. Now it makes sense why the police interviews focused on all five. The stories leading up to the murder left open many possibilities. What I hadn't considered was that Perry could be Jane's assailant. As Perry's abuse toward Celeste escalated, it became obvious that he was probably the one to get the proverbial ax. Other reviewers presented numerous scenarios, but I kept thinking it was going to involve Perry. Additionally, the abuse of Ambella started to point toward the twins whom Celeste was convinced had not been witness to their father's abuse. As I connected the themes behind the stories, ...

Big Little Lies Rating: ***** Big Little Lies starring heavyweight actresses Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley is yet another great limited series from HBO. As always I look at TV shows and movies from the viewpoint of storytelling. What impresses me about this show is how each woman’s story is woven together and somehow linked in the murder that we have yet to discover who is the victim. As you watch the show unfold you’re aware that their stories are tied to the murder, but the tension and mystery lies in the question: which woman did it and to whom was it done? I will find out the coming weeks, as many audience members will as well. I love two things about this story: the way it’s constructed around the mysterious murder and the individual women’s stories. The first layer is the murder and we see the rest of the story in flashbacks. A police interview of outsiders looking in on the women’s stories is used almost like a narrative to retell wh...

In an unevenly paced and poorly written season, one of my favorite series came to an end -- True Blood created by Alan Ball. I was completely disappointed in the finale. It dragged, lacked any action, and the closure was disappointing. We got a sappy happy ending for one of the campiest, funniest shows around that produced such great lines as "Sookie's precious fairy vagina." The show established Bill as Sookie's true love (huh? She had way more chemistry and emotional resonance with Eric), and then showed how he really "loved" her to want to set her free and give her a vampire-free life. They had "kind of" tied up the feelings with Eric in the previous show, but instead of letting the two characters truly wrap it up when Eric saves her one more time they just skipped it. What happened to the love triangle and Sookie loving them both? Those loves scenes from Season 4 all went for not. In the books, Eric and Sookie had the passionate love affair....

Well! Finally something to get excited about -- Eric and Sookie reunited in the Season 7. I bet over at MyFutureLover on YouTube the videographer had a party LOL. She finally had a reason to "Ship Sookie and Eric" after like three seasons. Let's face it boys and girls, vampire fans ... Eric and Sookie as played by the wonderful Alexander Skarsgard and Anna Paquin have all the chemistry. The tenderness and connection between these two was evident. You don't feel the same sparks when Sookie and Bill are together -- sorry you just don't feel it. I don't care if they're married in real life. They don't ignite the screen the way Eric and Sookie do. It was the first time in many episodes you were able to see the real love beneath the surface as they had thrown these two characters in separate directions for quite some time. Now we have Eric on the verge of death with Hep V, and with the season winding to a close, I'm not thinking anything wonderful will...

All right I'm going to protest because frankly this episode's opening of Jason and Eric hooking up (sorry for spoiler) was just plain ole gratuitous! It was the chance to get hunk no. #1 and hunk no. #2 naked, and it offered no other value to the story line. Why (and maybe they will explain later) they had the vamp sex connection with a vampire in which if my memory serves me at all they never exchanged V ... no clue and really turned off. I don't mind sex in context. I do MIND when it's just a sex scene to serve nothing apparent. That said, the teacher (again sorry for spoiler) literally disintegrating between Arlene's thighs was almost too priceless and a great campy scene a la classic True Blood . Shall we take that as one massive and bloody menstrual cycle (wink from the writers maybe)? And did Eric have the disease or not? I was a little confused but I think he did ... which for the final season explains where Eric is headed or not headed; but I would still...

Welcome back my campy True Blood characters as June 22nd marks the beginning of the end of this truly unique vampire show that even from a non-vampire lover such as I managed to be absorbed  season after season. I have read that the sexy Viking vamp Eric Northman as played by the red-hot Alexander Skarsgard (my future daughter-in-law and I had quite a conversation about sexy men, and we had a mutual meeting of the minds that Skarsgard AKA Skarscandy wins! Well, she did have an admiration for Tatum Channing, which I can feel her on). I did ask Kirk for a hall pass should I run into Skarsgard and his eyes narrowed and he scoffed, "No! You're too pretty! He would probably go for it." LMAO ... maybe ... ;). Last season sadly went down the tubes as creator and executive producer (and master storyteller) Alan Ball stepped down and his directing team and head writers stepped up. The story line took on this discriminatory hate theme that ended with our favorite vamps locked aw...

Want to stir the media and fanfare for a show? Have a prominent and popular actor show his junk to America and beyond. Alexander Skarsgård aka Eric Northman on True Blood put it all out on display for the viewing public on the season finale. I have Google Alerts set to his name (I'm a fan), and bam! The press and fans went crazy. What is it about a guy showing off nature's blessing (yes, he's blessed), and we just can't stop talking about it. A woman shows her breasts. Who cares. A guy shows his junk, and here we go. Male nudity has always been this strange forbidden thing. We can look at naked women all we want -- and that's okay and business as usual. But a man shows us what's in the pants, and we just lose it. OMG! He's got a ... no! Penis! Who knew! Oh no wait! Did I say penis? The very word just causes an uproar. In other countries, nudity is no big deal. We come into the world in our birthday suits and guess what else? We leave this world in birthday ...

Spoiler alert : some people hate spoilers so don't read this if you haven't seen the True Blood Season 6 Finale. Now I don't usually write spoilers, but hey! They made my favorite character Eric Northman catch fire in Sweden while he sunbathed. Many of you maybe wondering if he really died or not since we didn't actually see his demise into a pile of goo. I'm thinking our show's writers kept that window of possibility open that they did not kill off this immensely popular character played by the sexy Alexander Skarsgård. As for the rest of the finale ... sorry fan boys and girls! Ugh, it was absolutely terrible. The six-month later shift felt wrong. It was more like what? What? And what? Sookie and Alcide? Really ? When did that happen again? And I thought Eric had glamoured Alcide (season 5) into zero romantic interest in Sookie. Now Sam is mayor and Arlene owns Merlotts? What? Huh? And the most important question, why? Oh, and now we have a rapidly spreadi...

As many of my followers know, I love the HBO series  True Blood ; but many of you may have noticed I am not doing episode reviews this season. A friend of mine was watching an episode with me and made a comment that completely cemented why the show hasn't captivated my interest as much this season -- Sookie. He said, "Isn't the show supposed to revolve around her? It's all about vampires." I affirmed, "Yes, it's supposed to center on her." In the beginning, the show did, in fact, center on Sookie. After about the fourth season, it lost its focus. This season's storyline with Warlow was intriguing with the fairy/vampire hybrid and ability to walk in the sun. The Sookie/Warlow romance became just about 1/4 of the show and took a backseat to the Vampire "Internment Camp" story line that became the primary story that affected everything else. In fact, we saw more of Bill and the internment camp scenarios than anything else. When Sookie a...

You can count on my Monday morning reviews of True Blood to start. The 6th season got off to an interesting start in rapid-fire pacing and action. Sookie and Eric in the 5th season finale watched as vampire Bill melted and re-emerged as something else. Judging from the show's theme, we are going to find out this season what that something else is. Other story lines continuing included Alcide's initiation as pack master and Andy Balfour having to face the results of his unprotected sex with a fairy. Now we have Alan Ball out as head writer (I noticed he retained the title as executive producer) and Raelle Tucker in his place. I thought the storytelling was a little more focused. We stayed on the action longer with Sookie, Eric and the gang as they escaped a major explosion and headed for the ocean where some emotional confrontations went down. Now the big question in the air: What is Bill? Is he Bill Compton or Bill-ilth? Eric signed back Sookie's house, and a tenderness wa...

The movie Disconnect is coming out soon. It is about true disconnect -- our ability to disconnect with technology from each other and desensitize ourselves from true human interaction. The Smart Phone and email and texts take us away from human interaction. The computer and Smart Phone make work ubiquitous so we can't ever truly escape the office. My fiancé Kirk Donnelly said employers love it when employees have home offices where the lines between work and private life blur. He's right. I'm never but a room away from my work. I am reachable 24 x 7, which is not good for work-life balance. You have to make a concerted effort to turn off your phone or leave it behind if you want true downtime. At the same time, the Internet and email have given rise to a generation of haters -- people who hide behind the computer screen and feel no social consequence from being completely devoid of good manners or sensitivity to other's feelings. What consequence is there to mean-spi...

It's Valentine's Day ... love day! In honor of all great lovers, I thought I would pick my favorite lovers in literature and/or film and television to tell you why they are fabulous -- or more like they have that all-elusive "chemistry," which my boyfriend and I have actually tried to put definition on. We finally concluded "chemistry" is simply something magical and undefinable that exists between two people and not just between the sheets. So, let's begin with my all-time favorite vampire and the fairy. Eric and Sookie (True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse Series) The two blonds -- you can't beat that they look great together. Eric as portrayed by the Swedish sexiest man alive Alexander Skarsgard is tall, blue-eyed, sex-on-a-stick and just delicious to gaze upon. Sookie is pretty and feisty (although this season Anna Panquin's pregnancy seemed to dampen her down a bit). In Season 4 we got to watch our lovers go for it all full blast complete...

Wow! Last night's True Blood Season Finale just kicked bad-ass. My two favorite enders: Andy Bellfleur become a new father four times over and Bill's final transformation into evil-doer for Season 6. It was absolutely intense to watch Bill's slow descent into villain, and the show delivered when he drank Lilith's blood, turned into a puddle of blood, and rose from the blood into the next evil-doer on the level of Russell Edgington, who by the way received his just ending. Yes, Russell just got a major ray zap of Faery power volts and that ended him nicely. Well done Alan Ball and crew -- you really did a masterful job to wrap up the season with a little pop, sludge and cry! Then we had poor Luna who had skin-walked her way right in front of the TV cameras only to face the mic, throw up blood, and keel over in what appears to be her untimely demise. And of course, Sam who flew into the mouth of the vile female chancellor only to take over her body and explode out -- yeah...

This week's episode finds the citizens of Bontemps all merging together in their story lines toward the Vampire Authority and the imminent Lilith Apocalypse. We have Sam and Luna as two white mice scurrying around the Authority to find Emma. We have Jessica being hauled off to turn Jason (as there is an edict to make as many vampires as possible). We Sookie's realization she's "betrothed" to some vampire spirit. Then we have Russell and Steve Newlin wreaking havoc all over the place and on a mission to find a faery. The convergence of the story lines was rather unexpected but a nice twist on the season that in some ways appeared to have each story locked in bubbles. The entire Authority story seemed to me to drag on much too long, with my favorite vamps all stuck in this government-like, sacred complex. Sticking Eric Northman in one place for too many episodes seemed much too boring to me. I wanted to see him do more this season. He is now finally on the loose wit...

It's the shocker of the decade ... I actually missed last Sunday's episode of True Blood and didn't see it until last night. A day before the next episode. I was traveling without access to HBO! Oh man! Total withdrawal ;). All right so let's get down to business here. What did I think of episode 7? Well, I am loving the vampire storyline for sure. The "V" trip on Lilith's blood was excellent. The vampire feeding frenzy in the New Orleans club where the betrothed sang "You Light Up My Life" absolutely priceless. Just hearing that awful song -- perfect -- and then Russell Edgington jumping on stage just rocked it. The rest of the episode I have to sadly say whatever. Sookie realizing she can deplete her magic to be human ... whatever. Sam chasing criminals ... whatever. Werewolf wars ... whatever. I did like Tara's humanity showing with her relationship with her mother, and Pam's coaxing that in 100 years she wouldn't even remember th...

How is it I missed the chance to comment on my favorite show's last episode? First, I have a lot on my mind. Second, I just forgot LOL. OK, back to Bon Tempe and the myriad story lines going forward in a season that got off to a fantastic start and veered a little and then for some reason kind of started losing me a bit. Now as a publisher and writer, I try to review the show from the writing and storytelling angles. I have enjoyed the Bill and Eric storyline and the romp with the Authority. I especially appreciated that finally they showed Eric still wants Sookie when he glamoured our resident werewolf Alcide into not having romantic feelings for her. Go Eric! And I must say, the "heat" between Sookie and Alcide ... not there! Sorry! The other favorite storyline is Tara's rising into her vampiric skin. She's going to come round just you wait and see. We've had hints of her settling in, so to speak. Then we have poor Hoyt's personal self-desctruction. What...

Ah, it's Monday which means Sunday night has come and gone with a healthy dose of True Blood . I usually watch the episode twice in one night to get a really good recap for you. Last night, I was tired and only watched one. So, this might not be as "enthusiastic" as it could be if I paid closer attention. OK, I thought that at least Sookie got some better time, but the whole drunken make-out session with Alcide with her two great loves Bill and Eric watching, and their decided lack of interest in it ... not ringing true. It was less than a week ago in show time that Sookie and Eric declared their undying love. What happened here? Both have forgotten their strong feelings? This whole season love story wise with Sookie and Eric is a total numb void of non-reactions and non-reflection. I can tell you from experience (especially since I have my own love life in action and this is a not-so-subtle message to my guy), love doesn't die like that ... not real, true, connected,...

I am telling you, Season 5 of True Blood is hitting them right out of the ballpark. Finally! Instead of focusing on non-vampire-related story lines, Alan Ball reigned it back in. Now we're cooking with bloody good, silver-infused torture! Oh yeah baby rock that storyline with the Authority and torture no less. What creative and demented minds came up with the silver concoction to torture vamps into submission? Yeah, you writers knock yourselves out. I am duly impressed. Now add the nice touch of finally filling in the blank of how Pam and Eric Northman met in San Francisco, 1905, and you've just got this one being hit out of the ballpark. Anything Pam and Eric ... all good. Now follow this up with Tara's insane outrage at having been turned against her will, and you've just got the makings for a fantastic, hyper-fueled romp into True Blood land. I had driven home last night after nearly eight hours in the car and not feeling well, but I tell you this episode managed t...

So last night I came home from an errand. I now park in a parking garage, and my space is very tight. I managed to bump my neighbor's car. I was not pleased because I have nothing on my insurance record in like six years. Now my bumper corner is in need of repair ... well, I had a pretty good day yesterday and I shook my head. I decided my cup is half full ... maybe the guy who fixes my car will change my life! You never know. I had a brief chuckle that maybe he's my Prince Charming or something (for the record, highly unlikely), but that made me laugh and cheered me up (I hope I already met my prince ;). Well, so then I had insomnia really bad last night, which I was hoping I had licked. Guess not. I didn't fall asleep until 2:00 a.m. I ended up eating Ruffles and re-watching the season premier of True Blood and looking for the clues indicated by the reviewer Unreconstructed Fangirl provided in her show analysis. Um, didn't find all of them ... did Pam really tilt he...

Last night the long-anticipated True Blood Season 5 started with some fantastic and fast storytelling. Alan Ball, who is still at the helm of the campy vampire show, pushed every single story forward from the conclusion of Season 4. I don't think the season opener missed a single beat. From the pick-up where Sookie shoots Debbie and Eric and Bill go on the lamb from the Vampire Authority, it moved from scene to scene and from continuation to continuation. I have to say I think it was the best season opener I've seen so far. The only story line not ringing true is the Eric-Bill sudden alliance and friendship. Eric's sudden loyalty to Bill ... huh? Eric hates Bill. He's normally very cool toward him and the "not without Bill" statement just fell on the side of ... huh? The animosity disappeared when exactly? Additionally, Eric's blithe reaction to Sookie's fear and his statement that "she dumped both of us" and his ignoring her peril ... not r...