#sam's been recast 10 times already. there's only so many times he can have a face-altering accident !!

[angelsdean]

imagine if spn were an actual soap opera. imagine like 5000+ episodes. rewatches would take forever

[hawkland]

For the SPN ask meme - 11,15, 16?

I know we’re all in French translation hell at the moment, but I have some peace at work today so...let’s do this!

11. Which episode do you wish we had gotten (ex. beach episode, body swap episode, human!impala episode, etc)?

Definitely body swap, after hearing Jensen’s Cas voice  during the virtual con on Sunday. It would just be fun and um, the possibilities.

That, or maybe not human!impala but somehow the impala has a personality/starts talking to them KITT-style. Especially if he bitches about Dean’s repetitive music choices--and, of course, how many times he’s been defiled by Dean having sex with an angel in the backseat.

15. Name three things you would change about spn.

FFFFFFFF only three oh hell where to start.

- Definitely the ending, of course. It just...ok if we even accept Cas’s "death” in 15x18, we need to know how he came back more than a 2-word “Cas helped” in Heaven in 15x20. And if Heaven/Dean’s death is gonna happen then there needed to be a scene with Cas giving him so much fucking shit for throwing his life away so quickly after Cas had sacrificed everything for him. Just...I get the suicidal depression interpretation of Dean, I do, but I don’t have to like it as a choice the writers made. I’d prefer that the finale had been about Dean & Sam getting all their people back, especially Cas. And then all working together to make a new free will world a better place. Dean understanding that his life didn’t have to be all about being daddy’s blunt little instrument and protecting Sammy. He deserved happiness on Earth, too. And Cas could be happy without immediately being dead.

- I’d change a LOT about Season 9 (probably onward, too, but I’m only half-way through 10 at this point on my complete watch-through, only seen choice/select episodes after that point.) I just...I loved parts of Season 9, Cas dealing with being human and then also showing him being an actual badass commander of angels against Metatron—like that part of who he is/was that seemed so often overlooked, especially by Dean? It was glorious seeing Dean’s reactions to that. But I hated how contrived it seemed that they made it such that Cas couldn’t stay at the bunker/Dean basically throwing him out on the street right after dying just no. I refuse to accept the way that was handled, Sam or not. I also honestly found Abaddon a kind of weak/boring “big bad”, her death very meh and the whole storyline with the first blade/mark of Cain is...far from my favorite for SPN. I can honestly say I see why a lot of fans may have given up on the show at this point after Season 8 was so very, very much, what with Purgatory and Benny and Naomi and Kevin and just...it was so so good in comparison. But I guess that’s why one of my fic projects at the moment is spinning a big AU from 09x03 onward. Because I don’t like it.

- Not sure if this is a controversial opinion or a common one, but I’d recast Lucifer. I never was really thrilled/convinced by Mark Pellegrino’s performance. Granted I’m still somewhat spoiled because John Glover will always be the ultimate Satan to me, no one else has even come close (though I do enjoy Tom Ellis’ charming Lucifer in a very definite vein.) Mark just wasn’t sexy/menacing/charming/horrible in the right way for me? IDEK? I just remember being underwhelmed by him in season 5, maybe thinking he was a bit better in 7 in Sam’s hallucinations but still. Not enough dark/sexy/disturbing for me (honestly as much as I enjoyed his portrayal of Death, I’d have rather had Julian Richings as Lucifer here. He’s always been part of the creepy-but-weirdly-so-sexy-to-me club.)

16. Which fanfic trope would you force onto Dean and Cas in a canon episode?

Mm, besides body-swap? Kind of hard as one of the things about SPN I love is they gave us so many tropes already. But definitely oh no there is only one bed. Actually make it one bed in a haunted Canadian shack.

[notajinn]

Thoughts on Avengers Endgame

I saw a movie on opening day for the first time. It's been about 24 hours and I want to jot down quick thoughts while I still have better memory of Avengers Endgame.

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW! If you don't want to be spoiled, turn away now.

A quick background to my lead up to this movie. I have always been into games, but I had limited experience with comics for most of my life outside of Sonic, Archie, and the occasional Donald Duck. I loved Batman and Spider-Man, but I didn't make the move to reading comics or really following their scenes beyond the mainstream movies and cartoons.

Which means I went into the MCU at first as someone with only a basic knowledge of comic worlds. Like most people, I was blown away by the first Iron Man. I wasn't invested enough to follow all the movies though, and didn't see another MCU movie until Avengers. I think this was the movie that really sparked my interest in the greater comic universe because it showed that Iron Man was not a one-off fluke, and it managed to balance a whole team of heroes better than many superhero films carried a single one.

The MCU has been with me from before I had much interest in comics, and this arc lasted to this point where I'm very invested in the genre (though more of that is attributed to Ms Marvel than the MCU). In that way, the fact that Endgame is such a celebration of the MCU makes it feel a lot heavier than it is as a film on its own.

That's probably the main takeaway from Endgame; it is extremely difficult to think of as a movie on its own as opposed to a anniversary special. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however.

With that frame setting things up, here are various thoughts in no particular order I have about Endgame.

1.      Valkyrie continues to be amazing. I loved seeing her as a Pegasus Knight in the big fight scene, and the idea of making her the new King of Asgard is something I never expected, but really love.

2.     Because Loki wasn't killed by Thanos' snap, I assume this means he's still dead. So the Loki show is going to be about the alternate universe Loki who escaped with the Infinity Stone? Or a prequel featuring this universe Loki?

3.     It was really 50/50 to me whether Sam or Bucky would become Cap (though I was 100% on both Cap and Iron Man leaving). I feel like in the real world, Sam is a better idea for the sake of representation. In-universe however, I feel Bucky and Steve were far closer and it would have made more sense to pass the Captain title to him. Though there's the question of whether Bucky really wanted it. Was Steve just planning to give it to whichever of the two approached first? If not, how awkward would it have been for Bucky to go up first, ask about the shield, and Steve to then give it to Sam?

4.     I'm glad they mostly dropped the Bruce and Black Widow romance, because it felt really forced

5.     Black Widow was at her best here,  and I was surprised they killed off the original female member of the team. Also given she has a confirmed movie and Hawkeye has a confirmed show, real life knowledge did not really spoil which one lived during the Soul Stone encounter

6.     The fight between Black Widow and Hawkeye was arguably the best action sequence

7.      I feel like they had to forcibly make Thor a washed-up drunk just so we wouldn't immediately defeat no-stone Thanos in the final fight. Honestly it still felt crazy that Cap, Thor, and Iron Man together couldn't take down his non-stone form.

8.     Spider-Man got to use kill mode!

9.     So is half of Peter's school just 5 years older now? I assume that all the important characters will have conveniently been "snapped" so that they don't have to recast for future Spider-Man movies. Although I wouldn't mind this opportunity to have Cindy aged up for her own movie's sake. Especially since an older Cindy would have less of a chance of being put into an awful romance with teen Peter

10.  They could make a whole movie or even series about the people who lived through the Thanos Years trying to adapt to the world being restored. Because that must be a mess.

11.   I thought Carol's little flirting with Peter was kinda funny without being too much as a reference to their one-time relationship

12.   During the funeral scene, there seemed to be another white kid who looked like Peter according to friends I saw it with. I didn't see the second one, so they might just be crazy, but if there's not I wonder who it was

13.   I did not expect them to bring back Gamora though her past form. I'm really curious how this affect Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Will the plot be winning her back? Outside of losing the romance with Quill, how much character development will they say she regained off-screen between movies?

14.   Steve looked great doing Devil May Cry combos with Mjolnir and his shield

15.   This was Quill's first time back on Earth, wasn't it? If so, I would have loved one of the post-fight scenes actually giving that more weight. But instead he's already blasting off again. Maybe Guardians 3 will have a flashback about it

16.   I really wish Quill wasn't treated as such a big joke in these bigger team up movies. I get that he's a comedic character who is severely outclassed, but I'd still like him to get thrown a better bone. I would have loved to see him talk to some of the other humans while on Earth too

17.   I can't believe how quickly and cleanly they killed Thanos at the beginning. I especially love Thor using it as a chance to make up for his mistake

18.  That initial Thanos kill did a great job at subverting expectations, and honestly made me disoriented

19.   Carol was as strong as expected, but they didn't let her solo everything. That was probably the best way to deal with her without powering her down

20.  Nebula was way more important than I expected her to be, which I appreciated

21.   Did Nebula know the Soul Stone required a sacrifice? Is that why she sent Black Widow and Hawkeye? If not, what if that was where she and Sam went? Neither of their deaths would have led to a stone

22.  Steve was so good at using future knowledge to his advantage with his "hail Hydra" remark, and his "Bucky's alive" to past-Cap. I also generally can't believe they reference Hydra Cap given how awfully he was received

23.   Got really worried at the beginning that Hawkeye was going to call his daughter Kate to badly shoehorn Better Hawkeye into the MCU. She still has a chance to get in properly luckily

24.  I forgot Pepper ever got an Iron Man suit. Also I vaguely thought the actress didn't want to return for some reason

25.  I really didn't expect Jane to come back given the actress seems so indifferent to the MCU. If they do go the Jane-Thor route, here's hoping they cast a new actress

26.  If everyone has shrinking/time-travel suits now, does that mean they can all super-size as well? If so, Scott completely lost his gimmick. But then we have characters like Quill who have no powers or real fighting gimmicks, but are still great

27.  How did Thanos and crew so easily jump forward in time just because they had the Pym Particles?

28.  I would have loved to see the full scene of Carol rescuing Iron Man and Nebula instead of jumping forward

29.  Would similarly have loved to see even a flashback of how Bruce and Hulk got to their Professor Hulk state

30.  Fury didn't even help in the big fight. Not even just shooting one guy, or talking to Carol!

31.   After all these years, the music is still so incredibly average and forgettable. You could see the end credits trying SO hard with the main Avengers theme, but it's just so incredibly "okay"

32.  Loved the quiet way they handled the opening

That's all I have right now. Feel free to pipe in if you have points to make about any of my thoughts.

[fuckyeahjamieandclaire]

Posted by Aimee Hicks Tackling any character of any age can be a challenge. Each character comes with their own set of quirks that can force even the most experienced of performers to have to work outside of their comfort zone. The very art of acting, however, is meant to force performers to tackle things that aren’t always easy for them to relate to. The one thing most performers have in common with their character is a similar age range, therefore, providing similar life experiences for the performer to pull from. Then, there are those rare instances where a show has to force a rapid age increase. In some cases, that situation requires a recasting, but many times that’s just not practical. That then puts the performer in the position of having to act out life experiences for which they likely have no real life basis. Some performers can pull it off and others simply fail under the weight of the unknown scenarios. Those performers that do pull it off do their research and put everything they have into delivering realistic quality performances. It is this category where Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe falls and one of the many reasons she was more than deserving of the title of September’s Most Outstanding Actress. She has never given a performance that is anything other than stunningly perfect.

The very end of Season Two showed Balfe’s character Claire Fraser fast forwarded twenty years. She was flawless in her portrayal of her aged character, tackling the role of a mother with an adult daughter with the finesse expected from this talented actress. New viewers would have been forgiven for thinking Balfe was a mother of an adult daughter herself. She was simply so at ease with Sophie Skelton (Brianna Randall Fraser) that the two really came off appearing to be mother and daughter. So, coming into this season, fans already knew Caitriona Balfe was capable of the work. Instead of jumping her right back into the role in which she was last seen portraying, the show backtracked two decades and showed Claire’s journey to the woman fans met at the end of last season. It was remarkable to watch Balfe bring to life all these major life events that shaped who Claire would become.

The first time Claire appears in the season premiere, The Battle Joined (3x1), the story has reverted back in time to shortly after her return. She and Frank (Tobias Menzies) have just moved to Boston for a fresh start. Caitriona Balfe did a stunning job during this episode. No matter what the words were that she was speaking her eyes and body language said so much more. She portrayed the raging conflict within Claire with heartbreaking precision. Claire knew that Jamie (Sam Heughan) was gone, but she couldn’t just turn her heart off and stop loving him. On that same accord, she knew that Frank was right there with her and did care for her and her then unborn daughter. There was this constant back and forth emotional pull that Balfe perfectly nailed. This is particularly noticeable in one scene in particular, when Claire first meets Millie (Kimberley Nixon). The way Balfe chose to play the scene was melancholy, yet hopeful for her future with Frank. As Claire and Millie talked about their husbands, Claire cooked as she would have back in Jamie’s time with this longing look in her eyes as what she was saying clearly referenced Jamie. Then when she spoke of Frank there was a smile on her face, but a look of pained loss in her eyes. This could have just been a typical chat between two wives, but Balfe gave the whole scene so much depth that it was much more impactful then perhaps even the writers had intended.

Moments throughout this episode would continue to build on that. Claire could make herself sound happy and even delighted, but her eyes said so much about her true feelings. That was confirmed in almost every moment that she was alone. Balfe allowed Claire’s pain of loss to feel so palpable that a viewer would have been hard-pressed to not feel what Claire had to endure. On the opposite end of this episode, Jamie was simply just trying to survive his own wounds and heartache. There was some beautiful juxtaposition here where it almost seemed as if Claire was feeling Jamie’s pain through time and space, this was more than physical loss, but a stunning display of two united souls having to endure separation. No matter where they each are they still feel what the other is enduring. Not only was the story written to play to this, but the way Balfe brought it to life was stunning. She didn’t have the same physical injury pain to portray that Heughan did, but the pain that Claire was feeling felt every bit as real as what Jamie was going through.

Claire tried to be happy, she tried to move on from Jamie, but truly letting go of him wasn’t something she was capable of. She tried to build a life with Frank in Boston and raise Bree as their daughter, but even before the red-haired lass was born she still reminded Claire of the love she had lost. There was this stunning moment in the kitchen where Claire was talking about applying for citizenship to the United States and she referred to the unborn Bree as her and Frank’s child. It was one of the few moments where this couple felt as though they were on the same page. Balfe played the moment as one of joy for Claire as she tried to accept her new future. There was light in her eyes and a smile on her face then Frank went to touch Claire’s baby bump and the entire tone of the scene shifted in a split second. The light that Balfe had in her eyes immediately shut down and she stiffened her body to show how involuntary Claire’s reaction had been. For the sake of show, she had to accept Frank as Bree’s father, but her heart was never going to truly permit that acceptance and that moment perfectly illustrated that. Jamie was and always would be, in Claire's eyes, Bree's true father even though she knew she had to allow Frank to be a part of her child's life because to the rest of the world he would be her father. Menzies was terrific in his portrayal of Frank in these awkward moments, but Balfe just dominated.

At the end of the premiere came the much-anticipated birth of Bree. It was a tumultuous delivery with things not going according to plan leading to a much contested C-section birth. This sequence was one of the few times where Claire and Frank really felt connected. That’s because of Balfe, through her superb performance, she permitted it. She and Menzies have always had a strong on-screen connection, but for the troubled relationship to truly come across on screen she had to at times pull back from him. Menzies had to remain open to Balfe as that was what Frank was trying to do. Frank wanted to be open to Claire in hopes that she would open back up to him fully. Balfe was the one that had to play the reserved and cutoff side of things, and she did it brilliantly. That distance made it easy to sympathize with both sides of the relationship because neither character was in a good position and both were suffering in one way or another despite actually indeed caring for one another. But this scene changed that and for this brief moment in time they were united around the joyous birth of this beautiful new life. The characters were connected and the way Balfe had Claire look at Frank was very reminiscent of the first time the audience met the couple way back in the series premiere before Jamie was a factor. They didn’t have a perfect marriage even then, but there was love. For the first time in this episode, Balfe allowed a look of love back into Claire’s eyes when she looked at Frank. Even in the pain of childbirth, or perhaps because of it, she was able to tap into the love she once shared with her husband.

The joy was still there once she was holding newborn Bree in her arms with Frank lovingly by her side. Then the nurse unknowingly struck down their new happy family by asking about Bree’s red hair and in an instant, Balfe took Claire from overjoyed to heartbroken. The look of loss and heartbreak washed over her and the way Balfe played this conflicted emotional moment was truly stunning. She made Claire’s journey throughout this episode feel very dynamic and her powerful portrayal of Claire’s depressed moments made the joyous ones feel all the more powerful. She tackled a tough rollercoaster ride of emotions in the most brilliant of ways.

The trials and tribulation for Claire only grew more intense as in the following episode, Surrender (3x2). It’s clear that the writers know the talent they have in Caitriona Balfe so they picked the most emotionally diverse moments from the book to throw at her. She is a very powerful emotional actress who can dive deep into the intensity of a moment, but she also has a stunning smile that can light up a scene. One of those moments was when young Bree rolled over for the first time. Her smile is so infectious that those watching likely unwittingly had an equivalently big smile over the moment. Of course, given the nature of things going on, the moment was short-lived as she had to deal with Frank and their disconnect issues, but it was still a nice moment of levity while it lasted.

Claire was doing her best to overcome her disconnect with her husband, but that was much easier said than done. Even in their sex scenes together it was clearly obvious that while she felt Frank’s flesh it wasn’t he who was dominating her mind. Balfe’s haunting performance was impactful for its lack of connection, it was obvious that it wasn’t Frank she was with, but instead the lingering memory of Jamie. The chemistry between performers is something that is crucial in any good love story, but this part of the story isn’t about love, but about appearances. Claire’s heart was never going to recommit to Frank no matter how much he wanted it to and no matter how much she wished she could. During this episode Frank seemingly gave up hope of that for the final time. It’s very telling of talent when an actress can be looking at her co-star with locked eyes yet have her character look right through the other person as if they aren’t there. That’s exactly what Balfe did and it made for a stunningly, unexpected, character-defining moment.

That whole situation led to an epiphany for Claire about what she wanted from her new life. The realization led her to finally embrace the fact she wished to become a doctor. Despite the blowback she received from wanting to be a doctor in a then predominantly male-dominated profession, she finally seemed content. When she met Joe Abernathy (Wil Johnson) she actually seemed to genuinely connect with someone for the first time since her return. He was a kindred spirit that understood her and was a true friend. When Balfe had Claire reach out and shake his hand there was genuine warmth in the moment that had been lacking in her life. In context of the hour it wasn’t a big moment, but in the long term storyline for the character, it was an incredibly important turning point. When Balfe clasped Johnson’s hand, it was a firm shake with a glint of warmth in her eyes that gave birth to an epic friendship between their characters.

It was clear how much it meant to her that she had found a place for her in this time. She was a healer in Jamie’s time and that was something she knew she was meant to do. Training to be a doctor gave her life meaning beyond being a wife and mother, the latter of which meant the world to her. Yet, she still needed something that was hers. This wasn’t an easy storyline to bring to life because it required Claire to jump back and forth between happiness and melancholy depression. By the end of this second episode of the season, Claire had found her place as a doctor in training and she had come to an understanding with Frank. Their beds were no longer one and that change seemed to suit her. She was more content by the end of this hour then she had been at any time previous other than at Bree's birth. The way Balfe walked this tightrope of back and forth emotions without giving the audience whiplash and while still being true and honest to her character was astonishing. A lesser actress would have over or underplayed these complex scenes, but she tackled them in such a way that every moment played perfectly on screen.

The following episode, All Debts Paid (3x3), was the culmination of everything that had happened in the prior two episodes. Claire’s marriage to Frank was nothing more than a cover for both of their nearly independent lives. They raised Bree and did their best to put on appearances for her sake. They tried to appear happy for her at home, even though Claire’s eyes always stated differently. Then Bree graduated and was at an age where she could do as she wished, even running off to England with Frank and his mistress if she wished. That latter part was the final straw for Claire. There were a lot of great scenes leading up to this one, including Claire meeting the aforementioned mistress, and they all perfectly illustrated the divide between Frank and Claire but this was when everything fell apart. Bree was her and Jamie’s daughter and there was no way she was going to let anyone run off with her. The fight was ferocious and the red-hot fury in her eyes was intense. Balfe went all in on this scene and what emerged was a level of fierceness not seen since she was forced to leave Jamie behind. Bree was the last part she had left of Jamie and she wasn’t going to let Frank run off with her. The anger was primal, as was the emotion. When Frank confronted Claire about Bree being her constant reminder of Jamie the tears immediately built up in Balfe’s eyes. The way she can jockey around emotions and turn them on and off and amplify them at a seconds notice is nothing short of stunningly beautiful moving art. Watching Balfe wield emotions like a sharp dagger is a sight to be seen and once it has been seen it can’t be forgotten.

Caitriona Balfe’s September tour de force ended on a sad note for Claire. Despite her disconnect with her husband and the divorce battle looming, it still broke her heart to lose him for good. As she openly admitted she did love him despite what he thought, that’s perhaps why she was so angry over the affairs and the divorce request. She could never give him her full heart, but she was still capable of loving him and at times she did. When Claire looked at him and tenderly touched him it was the first time where it really felt like she was open and connected to him. In that moment she gave him what she couldn’t give him in life, a piece of her heart where he will always live. It was sad and poignant and heartfelt all at the same time. When Balfe leaned over so Claire could kiss Frank goodbye her tears transferred to Menzie’s nose and trickled down his face. Who knows if that was meant to happen, but somehow showing Claire’s tear trickling down his face hit hard. Balfe’s performances are always raw, but this one felt so much more.

The whole story of Outlander is a love story where many couples come and go throughout the run of the books and the television series. But the first couple that launched the books was Frank and Claire and seeing the ending of that coupling brought to life on screen felt like a very sad bookend of their journey together. Caitriona Balfe has been very blessed in the co-star department, especially in the two men she was tasked to have her character love. Tobias Menzies and Sam Heughan are consummate gentlemen who are exceptionally gifted actors in their own right. Balfe has impeccable chemistry with each man allowing this odd love triangle to carry all the weight that made it so impactful. She was gifted immense talent to work opposite of and never squandered an opportunity to really dig deep into the emotional connection her character had with both men. Caitriona Balfe is a rare talent who has done proud by the source material and who always does stunning work to bring to life the words given to her in the scripts.

For all of these reasons, and so much more that no single article could ever fully capture, she is more than deserving of the title of the Most Outstanding Actress of September. As is usual for Balfe, every single scene she was in throughout September is worth recognition. And, in September, there were many, and they all didn’t get recognition in this article, so please use the comments to highlight all the other exceptional moments not covered here. She is a very deserving winner and one that simply continues to stun the audience week in and week out. Caitriona Balfe is an acting force to be reckoned with and hers is a name that audiences will be hearing for a very long time.

[meganelizabether]

My top 10 TV shows of 2017, 9-4

9. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

This show has managed to stay flat-out funny, genuinely heartwarming, and important without being heavy-handed. Tackling police work with optimism, integrity and humor can’t be easy, but somehow, the writers manage it every season. Plus, Santiago and Peralta’s relationship is one of the most realistic and happy (i.e. best-written relationship ever eeee fangirling a little here) on television, past and present. While they didn’t make sense as a couple in season one, the writers’ smartly let Jake grow up, and showed how he enriched Amy’s life with his childish joy and unwavering love. Now, they just make sense, and it’s a beautifully simple and magically complex thing to behold (like all good relationships).

8. Glow

I’ve always had a deep loathing for professional wrestling, based entirely on early childhood exposure to its spray-tanned, greasy, ludicrous brand of hyper-masculinity. The people who watched it didn’t seem to think it was funny, which I found very confusing, and the bombastic violence never seemed remotely entertaining. Luckily, “Glow” matches its source material by allowing its characters to be big, bold and ridiculous in and out of the ring, while slowly and delightfully subverting types over the course of the season. The parts are juicy, the characters are messy, and the women are unabashedly themselves. It’s one of the purest things I watched all year, and I can’t wait to see where the next season ends up. 

Also 8. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

One of (few) good things about 2017 was the diversity on television. Shows like Black-ish, Fresh off the Boat, The Mindy Project, Empire, Jane the Virgin and Insecure all got renewed, and as the year draws to a close, I can truthfully saw we’re living in a great age of television. Not only do we have a stunning variety of amazing shows, we have writers of color creating for actors of color, on shows produced by people of color. We have a spectrum of sexuality across all TV genres, written as main characters and not tokens or random friends who appear only on very special episodes. The diversity isn’t just on the surface anymore, and it shows. Some of the most original, important and entertaining stories on TV would never have existed if not for the diverse creators who finally got their feet in the door.

And yes, that is a preamble-apology of sorts for including a very, very white show like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on a fairly short list. Sure, the main characters are Jewish, but so far, the show hasn’t developed a sense of otherness, or tackled any anti-Semitism surely hanging around in 1950s New York (I haven’t finished the season yet, so maybe it’s there?). The moment where Midge (literally) upstages an African American band feels extremely privileged and a bit cringe-worthy as well. Historically, the Palladinos have been pretty tone-deaf tackling, or completely ignoring, issues like race, LGBTQ issues and politics, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

HOWEVER, the show is damn funny; the acting is great, the writing is crisp, the feminism is present and bourgeoning, and I’ll admit it... I’m a sucker for a period piece. It’s like Mad Men, but hilarious (and I do also have to admit that I miss Mad Men, for all its flaws). And we have not yet arrived at a time when I can say, stop with the funny women on TV already. There’s just too many of them. Why not some serious shows about serious women?

7. Dear White People

The movie this Netflix series’ is based on was funny and enjoyable, but it also felt pretty self-contained, so I wasn’t initially sure how this would play out over an entire season. However, Simien and his writing team totally blew me out of the water by taking the relatively broad character sketches from the movie and turning them into people who made me laugh, cry and cheer, episode after episode. Honestly, I can’t remember a show that made me feel so emotionally invested in 11 episodes. Despite losing the star power of Tessa Thompson, recasting Sam White turned out to be a boon for the show. Thompson’s iteration was heavily influenced by her trademark snarky, take-no-prisoners persona, but Logan Browning’s version highlights and deepens Sam’s inherent vulnerability and uncertainty. This adds nuance to her prickly, trigger-happy social activism, and underscores just how much this is an image of White’s own creation. Antoinnette Robinson as Coco was another standout for me--her performance was mesmerizing, beautiful and completely heart-rending. The moments she and Browning share crackle with energy, and it’s hard not to mourn the current state of their friendship. I’m rooting for them, guys, cuz I need more amazing female TV biffles in my life right now. 

Other things I loved:

Marque Richardson as Reggie. He’s hot, he’s angry, and he’s got layers. Richardson does Emmy-worthy work during his run-in with campus police, and in portraying the devastating emotional fallout of the violent encounter. The back half of the season allows Reggie to move from player in a requisite love triangle to fully-formed character in his own right, and I’m looking forward to seeing more Reggie-centric episodes in the future. 

John Patrick Amedori as Gabe. Ah yes, the token white boy... this could easily have been the most basic, nothing characterization, but no, not in the hands of these writers, and not with Amedori’s acting chops. Gabe is cheesy, a bit fumbling, and sometimes out of his depth, but he’s also big-hearted, brave and empathetic. It’s incredibly important that we understand and buy Sam’s attraction and deep connection, and also that his character stand up to her subconscious self-loathing, which the show deftly accomplishes.

“Dear White People” is a show that wears its heart on its sleeve, and that’s a great thing in this era of cynicism and bleakness (I’m not just talking about prestige TV). If you haven’t watched it yet, add it to your queue ASAP.

6. Master of None

This was a solid return for one of our chosen Millennial ambassadors--hilarious, awkward, expansively optimistic, and full of Ansari’s signature TRUTH. Artistically ambitious (the loving ode to Italian cinema in “The Thief”), unabashedly socially aware (Religion, First Date), and full of moments of tender vulnerability (Thanksgiving), the show proves time and again it’s as good as the hype. My only complaint: I’m not on board with Dev and Francesca. She’s cute, he’s cute, they have some cute moments... but I’m not really buying it. Maybe it’s risky to apply too much of the real world to this fictionalized version of Ansari’s life, but I can’t help but wonder if the ambiguity comes from his own failed relationships. Considering how much Ansar’s love life has played into his creative endeavors so far, it’s not that much of a stretch. Hopefully, he’ll continue to channel his life into stories that feel real, not imagined and artificial, even if that means no true love for Dev for a few more seasons.

5. The Good Place

This show never should have made it to network TV, but I’m thrilled it did. It’s a deliciously weird little anomaly, and I want MORE RIGHT NOW. I love Kristin Bell (Veronica Mars 4ever), which initially convinced me to give this pastel, candy-coated comedy a shot, but every actor is a total gem. The timing is impeccable, the pacing is ambitious, and the philosophy is... well, it’s interesting, integral, AND funny. How many shows can tackle the fundamental questions of human existence without breaking a sweat, while playing them for big, completely earned laughs? Not many, that’s for damn sure.

4. The Handmaid’s Tale

So yeah, I have concerns about the longevity of this show. As in, I’m not sure there should have been a second season. The last half of season one felt simultaneously too rushed and too drawn out, giving me pause about the writers’ ability to string Atwood’s material across 13 more episodes. 

That said, the series deserves this spot on the merit of the first few episodes alone. TV this energetic, vital and fully-formed out of the gate is always worth celebrating, and Atwood’s decades-old vision of the future proved prescient and dangerously real. The show inextricably benefitted from 2017′s political zeitgeist, where white women felt the anxiety and panic most women of color have felt for... well, I guess for always. 

This show is arresting and impossible to ignore. The actors, stripped of makeup, naturally lit, and filling the frames with pure, distilled emotions, suck you in and force you to feel what they feel. Sometimes (often), this is incredibly difficult, but others, it leads to feelings of euphoria and triumph. At it’s best, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a perfect distillation of humanity, both its ugliness and its beauty. Here’s hoping the showrunners can pull off another season with equal grace and artistry. 

Annnd I’ll be back before New Year’s with my top three shows of 2017 :-)

[metawitches]

But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media

Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers. I haven’t really been keeping the secret on purpose, but a lie of omission is still a lie, so please, try to forgive me. I don’t think this reveal will come as much of a shock to my regular readers.

The truth is, I have a deep, lifelong love of vampire romance. I’m open minded, and can consider other supernatural romances as well, but werewolves are so packminded that I question their devotion to their beloved. Ghosts seem so thin and superficial. Zombies are interested in brains, but I want more than just a relationship of the mind. Angels and demons both have to leave their beloveds in the lurch when they get called into service by the higher- and lower- powers they serve. A shapeshifter is an inconstant lover in so many ways, how could we ever develop trust?

There are exceptions: Oz from Buffy. The medieval ghosts of Lynn Kurland’s paranormal romance novels. The sentient zombies of In the Flesh. The married angel-demon couple from Midnight, Texas, another Charlaine Harris story. And no one is more trustworthy than True Blood’s own shapeshifter, Sam Merlotte.

As a general rule, witches and wizards are the only other supernatural beings I truly find exciting, with their wide range of abilities to charm or bewitch the pants off a girl, depending on the mood.

Since I’m a witch myself, and wizards are a dime a dozen, can you blame me for looking for a little more variety in my fantasy life?

Bring on the dark, brooding vampires, who are the epitome of devoted, romantic lovers, are immortal, manageably dangerous and adventurous, definitely where they’re supposed to be during the day, gorgeous and who can share their blood. Blood which, if used in small quantities, will heal without turning a human into a vampire, but which can also make the user immortal if desired, so they can share everlasting love with their vampire lover.

What could go wrong? Don’t answer that, we all need to discover some things for ourselves.

I admit, this is a hereditary issue for me. My mother and older sister sat me down in front of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in 1966, when I was 5 years old, to watch the trials and tribulations of vampire Barnabas Collins, of the supernatural Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. Collinsport was a mysterious town on the cold, rocky shores of northern Maine, just like the small towns in coastal northern Maine my mother’s family had lived in for 300 years, until my parents moved us to upstate NY.

With the amount of inbreeding that went on in the small early populations of northern New England, I wouldn’t be surprised if I share some relatives in common with Barnabas Collins. 😉 I certainly share the vampire’s love of night and inability to handle strong light.

(Yes, I live in New Mexico, why do you ask? This is why hats, tinted glasses and long summers with warm nights were invented. True Blood is a Southern Gothic for a reason. The Twilight vampires can keep their rain soaked, cold climates.)

I still have a copy with this original cover.

Dark Shadows ran for 6 seasons, through 1971. Then I moved on to films and book series, most notably Anne Rice. I received 2 copies of her book Interview with the Vampire for my 16th birthday, in 1977, because my friends and family knew me well, and I haven’t looked back since. Though the author clearly favors the character Lestat, tenderhearted Louis will always be my favorite of her vampires. He is, after all, the vampire who was interviewed.

There were other favorites through the years, such as the film The Lost Boys in 1987 and the Dark Shadows revival in 1991. There were viral vampires, such as The Strain and The Passage, descendants of Nosferatu rather than Dracula. Viral vampires are better not mentioned if you prefer your vampires to be romantic. There was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, film and series. Who could resist Angel? He was so irresistible that David Boreanaz has starred in one TV series or another continuously ever since. I definitely resisted Spike, though I know others didn’t.

There was The Vampire Diaries on The CW, which ran for 8 seasons (2009-17) and spawned 2 spin off series, The Originals (2013-18) and Legacies (2018- ). The first 4 seasons of The Vampire Diaries were as good as any vampire media I’ve seen anywhere. I lost interest when the storylines were watered down by splitting the cast to create spin offs and some of my favorite actors left the franchise, but those vampires are obviously still doing it for others.

Over the years, Ann Rice has written more than a dozen books on vampires, plus other series on other supernaturals, some with her son, Christopher Rice. She managed to make a mummy sexy. Her original vampire trilogy was turned into two mediocre films. I also had a fling with Katie MacAlister’s Dark Ones book series in the 00s, a fun vampire soulmate series. Now I notice she’s added a few installments since I last checked in with it about 10 years ago so, yay! Something else to read over the winter.

The big vampire story of the 00s was Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight book series, which my kids and I shared the way I’d shared Dark Shadows with my family as a child. The Twilight films were terrible, terrible things. I recommend skipping them. But as with so much that’s perceived to be originally aimed at teenage girls, the Twilight books have been unfairly maligned. They are full of universal themes and vivid characters.

Bella is a great character for anyone to follow and she has a romance to die for. She does so much more than have a boyfriend and a baby in her books, but even if that’s all she did, it would be enough. Navigating personal relationships is a huge part of life, and for someone from a background of abuse and neglect, like Bella, learning how to have healthy relationships when you are older is a long term challenge.

If it takes a vampire family to show you what real love, care, equal relationships and decent parenting look like, there’s nothing wrong with that. There are very good reasons why Bella’s romance is in love not just with Edward, but with his entire clan. Because of her childhood experiences, she’s in love with the idea of transforming from a human who has difficulty defending herself against the human monsters in her world, who include her parents, into a vampire who can protect herself and her entire devoted vampire family from even the fiercest of supernatural monsters. After a youth full of struggle, she finds her own power and uses it on her own terms to win a war, in addition to conducting an epic vampire romance.

There was a last, forgotten, one and done vampire TV series of the 00s, Moonlight, on CBS, starring Alex O’Loughlin, who quickly went on to become better known as Steve McGarrett in the Hawaii Five-0 revival, and Jason Dohring of Veronica Mars. Moonlight aired during the 2007-08 season, so it was affected by the infamous, endless writers’ strike which killed more than 1 show that year. It was just hitting its stride when the season was cut short.

As a vampire romance noir which explored multiple historical time periods plus the present day, it was sadly ahead of its time for broadcast TV. Plus, though the show had already been completely recast after early sample filming (except for Alex O’Loughlin), the writing still focused too much on the relationship between O’Loughlin’s main vampire character, Mick St John, and the lead ingenue human female, Beth (Sophia Myles), rather than the much more interesting and complex relationship between Mick and his ancient vampire, on again-off again wife and maker, Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon).

The show was course correcting in that direction when it ended after 16 episodes, an unusually short season in those days. I would be thrilled with a reboot of Moonlight that was done right. (It’s currently streaming on cwseed.com.)

Alas, the media deities rarely listen to my brilliant ideas, so we are subject to the slings and arrows and fangs of outrageous fortune. But just 4 short months after Moonlight went off the air, a new vampire romance rolled into town, and it wasn’t shy about telling us what it wanted. True Blood was the answer to all my vampire romance prayers.

Let’s Finally Review True Blood Season 1

True Blood aired on HBO for 7 seasons, for a total of 80 episodes, from the fall of 2008 to the summer of 2014. It’s based on the 13-14 book series The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. The TV series was created by Alan Ball, who was handpicked by Charlaine Harris because she felt he understood what she was trying to do with the books. He stayed on as showrunner for the first 5 seasons, which were all critically acclaimed.

The TV series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who lives in Bon Temps, a small town in rural Louisiana. Sookie sees her telepathy as a disability because she has a hard time turning it off, which makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else or to have normal human relationships. As a result, she’s socially isolated, other than a few close friends and her family- the warm, generous grandmother she lives with, Adele, known as Gran (Lois Smith), and her charming but selfish, promiscuous brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten).

Sookie works at her friend Sam Merlotte’s bar and restaurant (Sam Trammell), where she’s also friends with much married fellow waitress Arlene (Carrie Preston) and fabulous short-order cook and hustler, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Her best friend and Lafayette’s cousin, Tara (Rutina Wesley), begins working at Merlotte’s as a bartender at the beginning of the series. Most of the town passes through Merlotte’s at one time or another, since it’s a popular local hangout.

Sookie’s parents died in a flash flood when she was a child, but other than that and her telepathy, her life has been normal, even humdrum. Until vampires came out of the coffin a few years ago, as far as she knew there was nothing extraordinary about the world. She still has no idea why she’s psychic.

A synthetic blood which can sustain vampires, known by the brand name Tru Blood, has encouraged vampires to take the controversial step of revealing themselves as a species to humans. Amongst both vampires and humans, some have embraced this revelation and some fear what it will mean for the future. Sookie makes her very first vampire acquaintance, with the vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), when he stops by Merlotte’s to try a Tru Blood. Bill is attempting to mainstream, meaning he’s trying to blend in with humans as much as possible, rather than living the full vampire lifestyle, which naturally disregards human manners and customs. Normal vampire ways tend to alienate normal humans fairly quickly. They can even be deadly for humans.

Vampire blood can be used as a recreational drug, so there are dealers who capture vampires, drain their blood, then sell it. Sometimes they kill the vampire in the process. In the first episode, an unethical couple lure Bill into the parking lot to drain him, which Sookie overhears using her telepathic ability. Sookie is surprised to discover how easily some silver and the promise of a tasty snack can disarm a vampire. She rescues Bill and their relationship is born.

Due to the images her telepathy puts in her head, Sookie has never been able to date human men, so Bill is her first boyfriend. His main attraction is that she’s unable to read his mind. Perhaps because they are technically dead, vampire minds are a blank to her. For a telepath who’s always “on”, this is soothing.

True Blood season 1 is a Southern Gothic, paranormal, horror, mystery, romance, urban fantasy, much the same as the book it’s based on, Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark. Though the subject matter is intense, the writing is relatively fast-paced and there’s a dark comedy element to it that keeps the horror aspect from becoming overwhelming. The show isn’t as light and breezy as the books; in addition to the book’s humor it uses visuals and a heightened reality to emphasize the outrageous nature of Sookie’s world. The characters frequently comment on that outrageousness and on the ironies taking place around them.

In season 1, there’s a serial killer on the loose who provides the season long mystery arc. The killer is after young women who’ve been with both vampires and human men. Since Sookie has a vampire boyfriend and is frequently around other men, she eventually becomes one of the targets.

The show’s theme song, Bad Things, by Jace Everett, perfectly encapsulates the mood of True Blood. It’s an upbeat country song that promises an out of control romance, which plays over the opening credit sequence of each episode. Humans and animals experiencing intense situations flash by, while names are superimposed over them. The activities in the visuals aren’t necessarily even immoral, they’re just filmed in a way that makes them feel creepy, until you aren’t sure anymore what’s actually bad and what’s just making you feel bad.

Like an insidious vampire who wants to have his way with us, the opening credits act to lower our boundaries and confuse us, so that we’re disoriented and easily taken out of our normal lives. Whether we’re being glamoured, romanced, drugged or conned, the first step is to convince us to leave our previous concept of normal behind.

The first year I watched True Blood, I thought the opening sequence was the grossest, most horrible opening credits sequence ever made. Now I love it and think it’s one of the best. Is that a good development or a bad one? *shrug* I still can’t watch the maggots though. The vampires haven’t completely taken me over.

True Blood continues to lower our defenses and push our boundaries once the opening credits end. Vampires and shapeshifters are welcomed into normal society. They take part in panels on CNN, discussing legal changes which have been proposed to help or hinder their assimilation. They stop at the 7-11 to pick up a 6 pack on their way home. They have difficulty getting a contractor to come out to their rural home and need a referral from a friend. They are business owners, employers and employees.  They worry about getting blood stains out of their laundry. Possibly a little more often than most of us, but still.

They sleep underground in the graveyard when they can’t make it home before dawn. It’s sort of like crashing at a friend’s house. Okay, that one is pushing the boundaries of normal human culture. There is an entire vampire culture that exists outside of human sight, but we only touch the surface of it in season 1.

Sookie is drawn into this world as she seeks to solve the murder mystery and enlists Bill’s help. She visits a vampire bar run by the ancient vampire sheriff, Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and his vampire progeny, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten). They learn of her telepathy and seek to use her talents to solve their own mysteries.

Shenanigans ensue for 7 unparalleled seasons.

True Blood Season 1 vs The Southern Vampire Mysteries Book 1 (Dead Until Dark)

True Blood season 1 follows Dead Until Dark, the first book in the series, closely, using the same serial killer plot as the main mystery storyline and Sookie’s romance with Bill as the supernatural focus. The book was originally published in 2001 and my 2008 paperback copy is a quick 292 page read.

Neither the TV season nor the book are my favorite of their respective series, mainly because I am emphatically not a fan of Bill Compton and eventually I start to gag over the way Sookie continuously drools over him. But they are both entertaining and introduce the world of Sookie and Bon Temps with enough suspense, heart and humor to draw you into the next book and season.

In season 1, the TV series faithfully recreates Charlaine Harris’ version of Sookie’s world, from Gran’s old but well-loved farmhouse to Eric Northman’s vampire tourist bar, Fangtasia. The series also included mainly the same characters and subplots as the book, with a few alterations. The main difference is that the TV show expanded on plotlines that were only briefly mentioned in the book, such as recreational V(ampire blood) consumption by humans, Lafayette’s off hours activities and the vampires’ struggle for equal rights.

Many of the supporting characters and their backstories are much more developed in True Blood season 1 than they are in book 1. This is an unusual difference between a book and a movie, but it’s not as surprising when you realize that the Sookie Stackhouse novels are narrated in the first person by Sookie herself. Expanding on other characters isn’t a priority for her, even though it could be aided by her telepathy. She’s basically obsessed with Vampire Bill and the murders in this book, whereas she’s known the other characters her whole life. It’s natural for her to have little interest in providing extra details, so she tells us enough, but we don’t get a full biography.

Two characters who go on to appear in multiple books are left out of the TV series, Bubba and JB du Rone. Bubba is based on a very famous real life singer, so they probably figured he’d be distracting, as he typically is in the books. JB du Rone is a sweet man-child who shares some similarities with Lafayette and eventually becomes close to Tara. I suspect the Lafayette we see on screen is actually meant to be a composite character, with many tweaks and Lafayette’s brains.

The biggest change from Dead Until Dark is the addition of Tara Thornton to the cast. In the books she doesn’t appear until the 2nd installment, Living Dead in Dallas. Several major season 1 subplots revolve around Tara, including the set up for the main storyline for season 2, and she’s heavily involved in other characters’ plot arcs as well. Rutina Wesley is such a vibrant presence that it’s hard to imagine Bon Temps without her version of Tara, so this was certainly a welcome change. With Tara comes her alcoholic mother, Lettie Mae, played by one of my favorite actresses, Adina Porter.

Another notable change is the expansion of the storyline for book character Amy Burley, played by Lizzy Caplan. She and Jason become involved with a vampire played the Man in the High Castle himself, Stephen Root, with disastrous consequences, but it’s fun while it lasts. The Amy-Jason-V subplot is particularly effective, with its psychedelic visuals, sometimes subtle violence and obsessive relationships.

The actors and the visuals drive home the multiple abuse aspects of this plotline in a way that would be much more difficult using only words. The genius of True Blood is that the writing, acting, music and visuals come together to make an entertaining, memorable show while showing the dark side of society and how that dark underbelly can bring pain and pleasure. But True Blood wouldn’t exist if Charlaine Harris’ genius hadn’t already given us the snarky, bold, scandalous world they are elaborating on.

True Blood is streaming on HBO’s websites and Amazon Prime. Charlaine Harris has a new book in her current Gunnie Rose series, A Longer Fall, coming out in January 2020. Until then, I’m amusing myself by revisiting Sookie Stackhouse.

Images belong to those who created them.

Book vs Screen Review: True Blood Season 1 vs Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris-But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media-Bring on the dark, brooding vampires. #TrueBlood #CharlaineHarris But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers.

[ramajmedia]

5 Reasons Why Spider-Man Leaving The MCU Would Be Devastating (& 5 Why It Might Not Be So Bad)

When it was first announced that negotiations had broken down between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures and Spider-Man wouldn’t be featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe anymore, it seemed like a bad dream. MCU fans thought it was just negotiation tactics and expected the whole thing to blow over after a few days, especially given the very vocal fan response to the situation.

RELATED: Spider-Man: 10 Ways The MCU Might Still Pay Off Far From Home's Big Identity Twist

But now, it’s looking like the split might be permanent and Spidey might actually be out of the MCU for good. So, here are five reasons why Spider-Man leaving the MCU would be devastating (and five why it might not be so bad).

10 Devastating: He has unresolved plotlines in the MCU

If Spider-Man was leaving the MCU after some sort of natural conclusion, that would be one thing. If Marvel suddenly lost the rights to Thor, for example, it wouldn’t be too bad, because he reached a natural ending to his MCU tenure in Avengers: Endgame and we could live with that being his final appearance. Spider-Man, on the other hand, has a ton of unresolved storylines.

He’s been framed as a murderer, his secret identity has been revealed to the world, he just got together with the girl he likes, he’s still following in Tony Stark’s footsteps – now, all of those storylines will be cast aside and left unresolved.

9 Might not be so bad: Tom Holland is still Spider-Man

The fan outrage over Spider-Man leaving the MCU has mostly come from the fact that we finally got the perfect on-screen incarnation of Peter Parker, and now, we’re losing him. But we’re not really losing him. Tom Holland will continue to play the best screen version of Spidey to date; it’ll just be in Sony movies, not Marvel movies.

There have even been suggestions that Sony still has director Jon Watts signed on for another Spider-Man movie. So, just because he’s leaving the MCU, it’s not the end of the world – we’ll still have the Spidey we know and love from those movies.

8 Devastating: Sony doesn’t understand the character

The problem with Sony is that their executives think they understand Spider-Man as well as Marvel and the simple fact is that they don’t. Sony’s only good Spider-Man movies have been Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, and these were the only ones where they gave Sam Raimi creative freedom.

They enforced decisions on him making Spider-Man 3 and they’re the reason he quit Spider-Man 4. The Amazing Spider-Man movies were Sony’s take on Spidey and they really sucked. Spidey fans have no faith in Sony handling the character. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse might have been an exception, but that was animated and not live-action, so a different team of execs were steering that ship.

7 Might not be so bad: Now, he can cross over with Venom and Morbius

Sony Pictures have been building up their own MCU-style cinematic universe with the obscure Marvel characters they have the rights to. They’ve only released Venom so far, but they have a movie about Morbius the Living Vampire on the way and several others in development, all based on Spider-Man villains.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Tom Holland's Spider-Man Should Meet Tom Hardy's Venom (& 5 Why He Shouldn't)

With Spider-Man back at Sony, he’ll be a part of this universe, and he can cross over with its characters. It seemed unlikely that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Tom Hardy’s Venom would ever share the screen, but now, they can. And the same goes for Jared Leto’s Morbius and all the others on the way.

6 Devastating: He was being set up as the next Iron Man

Spider-Man: Far From Home focused heavily on setting up Peter Parker as the next Tony Stark – not just in terms of Tony’s legacy, but in the MCU as a whole. Spidey was probably poised to be the next character to triumphantly sacrifice themselves and bring tears to everybody’s eyes in a gargantuan battle sequence against a powerful villain – possibly Norman Osborn, his arch nemesis from the comics – in an Endgame-sized event movie a few years down the line.

But now, he’ll never live up to his old mentor and he’ll never become the MCU’s next Iron Man-shaped anchor because he won’t even be there.

5 Might not be so bad: He’s no longer in Iron Man’s shadow

Spider-Man got his own character arc in the MCU, thanks to his solo movies, but serving Tony Stark’s character development was also a large part of his role in the franchise. He got Tony to open up emotionally and think about starting a family. Then, when Tony had that family and the “Time Heist” was proposed to him, he turned the idea down until he was inspired by the chance to bring Peter Parker back to life.

Even after Tony died, he loomed large over Spidey’s MCU story in Far From Home. With Sony taking Spidey back, at least he’ll be out of Tony’s shadow.

4 Devastating: The MCU will now be even more inconsistent

Following the Marvel Cinematic Universe, going from movie release to movie release every couple of months, is a lot of fun. But at the end of the day, when the quality dips and the superhero trend inevitably goes out and the MCU finally ends (like, actually ends, rather than ending its ending with six new beginnings), all we’ll be left with is a gigantic DVD box set with one enormous story to tell.

While there were already a couple of blips in the consistency of this – Bruce Banner getting recast, Spider-Man: Homecoming’s erroneous “Eight years later...” etc. – Spider-Man suddenly being cut out will make it as inconsistent as the DC Extended Universe.

3 Might not be so bad: Sony can do a Sinister Six movie

Whenever the producers of the MCU were asked about Tom Holland’s Spider-Man facing the Sinister Six – the team dedicated solely to destroying your friendly neighborhood web-head – they got all coy about it. There’s a good chance that Sony prevented them from doing this, since the company owns the rights to 900 Marvel characters and once planned their own Sinister Six movie.

Now that Spidey has been dragged back to Sony, at least we’ll be able to see him fight the Sinister Six on the big screen. This arrangement might have very few silver linings, but that’s definitely one of them.

2 Devastating: His MCU character arc is ruined

Kevin Feige has been saying that Spidey’s tenure in the MCU was never meant to last forever, and that they always planned to have him for just a handful of movies, but come on, Spider-Man: Far From Home was clearly just the beginning of Spider-Man’s MCU character arc.

RELATED: 6 Characters We'll Miss From The MCU's Spider-Man (& 4 We Won't)

He was just learning to become a hero on his own before his life was thrown into a tailspin. The MCU’s greatest strength is its character arcs – following characters like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers as they grow and change and strive towards an ultimate goal – but they only work if the franchise is able to finish those arcs.

1 Might not be so bad: He can stand on his own again

What has made Spider-Man such an endearing character for so many years is that he’s just a regular kid. He was bitten by a spider, he acquired superpowers, and he felt the need to use those superpowers to help people. But no one gave him a handbook on superheroism. He had to figure it out on his own.

When we met Peter Parker in the MCU, he was being recruited by Tony Stark. He’d been figuring it out on his own, but we never saw that part of the story. Now that he’s back at Sony and out of the MCU, he can stop being a supporting player and stand on his own two feet again, driving his own story forward.

NEXT: 10 Storylines That Won't Be Resolved If Spider-Man Is Out Of The MCU

source https://screenrant.com/reasons-spider-man-leaving-mcu-devastating-why-not-bad/

[itsfinancethings]

October 25, 2019 at 08:00AM

Pocket-size ultrasound devices that cost 50 times less than the machines in hospitals (and connect to your phone). Virtual reality that speeds healing in rehab. Artificial intelligence that’s better than medical experts at spotting lung tumors. These are just some of the innovations now transforming medicine at a remarkable pace.

No one can predict the future, but it can at least be glimpsed in the dozen inventions and concepts below. Like the people behind them, they stand at the vanguard of health care. Neither exhaustive nor exclusive, the list is, rather, representative of the recasting of public health and medical science likely to come in the 2020s.

David Abney: Drone-delivered medical supplies

Since March, UPS has been conducting a trial program called Flight Forward, using autonomous drone deliveries of critical medical samples including blood or tissue between two branches of a hospital in Raleigh, N.C., located 150 yards apart. A fleet-footed runner could cover the distance almost as fast as the drones, but as a proof-of-concept program, it succeeded, and in October the FAA granted the company approval to expand to 20 hospitals around the U.S. over the next two years. “We expect UPS Flight Forward to one day be a very significant part of our company,” says UPS CEO David Abney of the service, which will deliver urine, blood and tissue samples, and medical essentials like drugs and transfusable blood. UPS is not alone in pioneering air deliveries. Wing, a division of Google’s parent company Alphabet, received similar, but more limited, FAA approval to make deliveries for both Walgreens and FedEx. And in Ghana and Rwanda, drones operated by Silicon Valley startup Zipline are already delivering medical supplies to rural villages. —Jeffrey Kluger

Christine Lemke: The biggest Big Data

There are 7.5 billion humans, and tens of millions of us track our health with wearables like smart watches, as well as with more traditional devices like blood-pressure monitors. If there were a way to aggregate all that data from even a few million of us and make it all anonymous but searchable, medical researchers would have a powerful tool for drug development, lifestyle studies and more. California-based Big Data firm Evidation has developed just such a tool, with information from 3 million volunteers providing trillions of data points. Evidation partners with drug manufacturers like Sanofi and Eli Lilly to parse that data; that work has led to dozens of peer-reviewed studies already, on subjects ranging from sleep and diet to cognitive-health patterns. For founder Christine Lemke, one of Evidation’s ongoing projects, to see if new technologies can effectively measure chronic pain, is personal: Lemke has a rare genetic disease that causes frequent back pain. Evidation is partnering with Brigham and Women’s Hospital on the project.—Jeffrey Kluger

Doug Melton: A stem-cell cure for diabetes

Type 1 diabetes affects 1.25 million Americans, but two in particular got Harvard biologist Doug Melton’s attention: his daughter Emma and son Sam. Treatment can involve a lifetime of careful eating, insulin injections and multiple daily blood-glucose tests. Melton has a different approach: using stem cells to create replacement beta cells that produce insulin. He started the work over 10 years ago, when stem-cell research was raising hopes and controversy. In 2014 he co-founded Semma Therapeutics—the name is derived from Sam and Emma—to develop the technology, and this summer it was acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals for $950 million. The company has created a small, implantable device that holds millions of replacement beta cells, letting glucose and insulin through but keeping immune cells out. “If it works in people as well as it does in animals, it’s possible that people will not be diabetic,” Melton says. “They will eat and drink and play like those of us who are not.”—Don Steinberg

Abasi Ene-Obong: A more diverse global bio bank

A major limitation threatens to hamper the era of personalized medicine: people of Caucasian descent are a minority in the global population yet make up nearly 80% of the subjects in human-genome research, creating blind spots in drug research. Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, 34, founded 54gene to change that. Named for Africa’s 54 countries, the Nigeria-based startup is sourcing genetic material from volunteers across the continent, to make drug research and development more equitable. 54gene is conscious of the ugly history of colonial exploitation in Africa. If companies are going to profit by developing marketable drugs based on the DNA of African people, Africa should benefit: so, when partnering with companies, 54gene prioritizes those that commit to including African countries in marketing plans for any resulting drugs. “If we are part of the pathway for drug creation, then maybe we can also become part of the pathway to get these drugs into Africa,” Ene-Obong says.—Corinne Purtill

Sean Parker: A disruptive approach to cancer research

One of the original disrupters of the new economy is bringing his approach to medical research. The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, established by Napster co-founder and former Facebook president Sean Parker, is a network of top institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering, Stanford, the MD Anderson Cancer Center and more. Its goal is to identify and remove obstacles to innovation in traditional research. For example, all of its scientists share a single Institutional Review Board, which “allows us to get major clinical trials off the ground in weeks rather than years,” says Parker, and at lower costs. Perhaps most important, Parker wants to infuse the project with his market sensibility: “We follow the discoveries coming from our researchers and then put our money behind commercializing them,” he says, either by licensing a product or spinning it out into a company. Since its founding in 2016, the institute has brought 11 projects to clinical trials and supported some 2,000 research papers.

Thomas Reardon: A watch that can read your mind

A man wearing what looks like a chunky black wristwatch stares at a tiny digital dinosaur leaping over obstacles on a computer screen before him. The man’s hands are motionless, but he’s controlling the -dinosaur—with his brain. The device on his wrist is the CTRL-kit, which detects the electrical impulses that travel from the motor neurons down the arm muscles and to the hand almost as soon as a person thinks about a particular movement. “I want machines to do what we want them to do, and I want us to not be enslaved by the machines,” says Thomas Reardon, CEO and co-founder of CTRL-Labs, the device maker. The hunched-over posture and fumbling keystrokes of the smartphone era represent “a step backward for humanity,” says Reardon, a neuroscientist who, in a past life, led the development of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The technology could open up new forms of rehabilitation and access for patients recovering from a stroke or amputation, as well as those with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative conditions, Reardon says.—Corinne Purtill

Jonathan Rothberg: An ultrasound in your pocket

There are more than 4 billion people globally who don’t have access to medical -imaging—and could benefit from Butterfly iQ, a handheld ultrasound device. Jonathan Rothberg, a Yale genetics researcher and serial entrepreneur, figured out how to put ultrasound technology on a chip, so instead of a $100,000 machine in a hospital, it’s a $2,000 go-anywhere gadget that connects to an iPhone app. It went on sale last year to medical professionals. “Our goal is to sell to 150 countries that can pay for it. And [the Gates Foundation] is distributing it in 53 countries that can’t,” Rothberg says. For example, the foundation is funding a project bringing Butterfly iQ to rural Uganda, to scan children for pneumonia. The device isn’t as good as the big machines are and won’t replace them in prosperous parts of the world. But it could make scanning more routine. “There was a time when the thermometer was only used in a medical setting, when a blood-pressure cuff was only used in a medical center,” Rothberg says. “Democratizing [health] happens on -multiple dimensions.”—Don Steinberg

Shravya Shetty: Cancer-diagnosing artificial intelligence

Symptoms of lung cancer usually don’t appear until its later stages, when it’s difficult to treat. Early screening of high-risk populations with CT scans can reduce the risk of dying, but it comes with risks of its own. The U.S. National Institutes of Health found that 2.5% of patients who received CT scans later endured needlessly invasive -treatments—-sometimes with fatal results—after radiologists erroneously diagnosed false positives. Shravya Shetty believes artificial intelligence may be the solution. Shetty is the research lead of a Google Health team that in the past two years built an AI system that outperforms human radiologists in diagnosing lung cancer. After being trained on more than 45,000 patient CT scans, Google’s algorithm detected 5% more cancer cases and had 11% fewer false positives than a control group of six human radiologists. The early results are promising, but “there’s a pretty big gap between where things are and where they could be,” says Shetty. “It’s that potential impact that keeps me going.”—Corinne Purtill

Joanna Shields: AI to read every science paper

Every year, more than 2 million peer-reviewed research papers are published—far too many for any individual scientist to digest. Machines, however, don’t share this human limitation. BenevolentAI has created algorithms that scour research papers, clinical trial results and other sources of biomedical information in search of previously overlooked relationships between genes, drugs and disease. BenevolentAI CEO Joanna Shields was an executive at companies such as Google and Facebook, and then the U.K.’s Minister for Internet Safety and Security, before joining BenevolentAI. A frequent critic of the tech industry’s lapses in protecting young people from exploitation and abuse online, Shields sees BenevolentAI as an opportunity to harness technology’s power for good. “All of us have family members, friends who are diagnosed with diseases that have no treatment,” she says. “Unless we apply the scaling and the principles of the technology revolution to drug discovery and development, we’re not going to see a change in that outcome anytime soon.” —Corinne Purtill

Sean Slovenski: Walmart-ification of health care

Whenever the world’s biggest retailer aims its gigantic footprint at a new market, the ground shakes. In September, Walmart opened its first Health Center, a medical mall where customers can get primary care, vision tests, dental exams and root canals; lab work, X-rays and EKGs; counseling; even fitness and diet classes. The prices are affordable without insurance ($30 for an annual physical; $45 for a counseling session), and the potential is huge. In any given week, the equivalent of half of America passes through a Walmart. “When I first started here … [I] thought, That can’t be true,” says Sean Slovenski, a former Humana exec who joined Walmart last year to lead its health care push. If the concept spreads, repercussions await in every direction. Like Walmart’s merchandise suppliers, doctors and other medical pros may need to adjust to the retailer’s everyday low prices. Still, cautions Moody’s analyst Charles O’Shea: “Health care is multiple times harder than selling food.”—Don Steinberg

Charles Taylor: 3-D digital hearts

For too many people with suspected heart problems, invasive catheterization is necessary to diagnose blocked or narrowed arteries. Doctors must then choose the best method for improving blood flow from a handful of options, including balloon angioplasty and stenting. Charles Taylor, a former Stanford professor, started HeartFlow to help patients avoid invasive diagnostic procedures and improve treatment outcomes. The company’s system creates personalized 3-D models that can be rotated and zoomed into, so doctors can simulate various approaches on screens. In some cases, it can help avoid invasive procedures entirely. “By adding the HeartFlow … to our available resources for diagnosing stable coronary disease, we are able to provide patients with better care as we evaluate risk,” said Duke University cardiologist Manesh Patel, at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting in March. —Jeffrey Kluger

Isabel Van de Keere: Rehab in virtual reality

Isabel Van de Keere was at work one day in 2010 when a steel light fixture pulled loose from the ceiling and fell on her. The accident left Van de Keere, a Belgian-born Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, with a cervical spine injury and severe vertigo that required three years of intense neurological rehabilitation. She practiced the same tedious exercises dozens of times in a row, with progress so slow it seemed undetectable. Now 38, she’s the founder and CEO of Immersive Rehab, a London-based startup whose goal is to change the neurological–rehab experience using virtual reality. By expanding the range and type of exercises patients can try, VR creates more opportunities to harness the brain’s plasticity and repair neural pathways; increases the amount of data caregivers can use to measure progress and adapt programs; and improves the monotonous, frustrating experience of rehab. Feedback from volunteer patients and therapists has been promising; the company is now preparing to run clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe.—Corinne Purtill

[metawitches]

But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media

Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers. I haven’t really been keeping the secret on purpose, but a lie of omission is still a lie, so please, try to forgive me. I don’t think this reveal will come as much of a shock to my regular readers.

The truth is, I have a deep, lifelong love of vampire romance. I’m open minded, and can consider other supernatural romances as well, but werewolves are so packminded that I question their devotion to their beloved. Ghosts seem so thin and superficial. Zombies are interested in brains, but I want more than just a relationship of the mind. Angels and demons both have to leave their beloveds in the lurch when they get called into service by the higher- and lower- powers they serve. A shapeshifter is an inconstant lover in so many ways, how could we ever develop trust?

There are exceptions: Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The medieval ghosts of Lynn Kurland’s paranormal romance novels. The sentient zombies of In the Flesh. The married angel-demon couple from Midnight, Texas, another Charlaine Harris story. And no one is more trustworthy than True Blood’s own shapeshifter, Sam Merlotte.

As a general rule, witches and wizards are the only other supernatural beings I truly find exciting, with their wide range of abilities to charm or bewitch the pants off a girl, depending on the mood.

Since I’m a witch myself, and wizards are a dime a dozen, can you blame me for looking for a little more variety in my fantasy life?

Bring on the dark, brooding vampires, who are the epitome of devoted, romantic lovers, are immortal, manageably dangerous and adventurous, definitely where they’re supposed to be during the day, gorgeous and who can share their blood. Blood which, if used in small quantities, will heal without turning a human into a vampire, but which can also make the user immortal if desired, so they can share everlasting love with their vampire lover.

What could go wrong? Don’t answer that, we all need to discover some things for ourselves.

I admit, this is a hereditary issue for me. My mother and older sister sat me down in front of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in 1966, when I was 5 years old, to watch the trials and tribulations of vampire Barnabas Collins, of the supernatural Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. Collinsport was a mysterious town on the cold, rocky shores of northern Maine, just like the small towns in coastal northern Maine my mother’s family lived in for 300 years, until my parents moved us to upstate NY.

With the amount of inbreeding that went on in the small early populations of northern New England, I wouldn’t be surprised if I share some relatives in common with Barnabas Collins. 😉 I certainly share the vampire’s love of night and inability to handle strong light.

(Yes, I live in sunny New Mexico, why do you ask? This is why hats, tinted glasses and long summers with warm nights were invented. True Blood is a sultry Southern Gothic for a reason. The Twilight vampires can keep their rain soaked, cold climates.)

I still have a copy with this original cover.

Dark Shadows ran for 6 seasons, through 1971. Then I moved on to films and book series, most notably Anne Rice. I received 2 copies of her book Interview with the Vampire for my 16th birthday, in 1977, because my friends and family knew me well, and I haven’t looked back since. Though the author clearly favors the character Lestat, tenderhearted Louis will always be my favorite of her vampires. He is, after all, the vampire who was interviewed.

There were other favorites through the years, such as the film The Lost Boys in 1987 and the Dark Shadows revival in 1991. There were viral vampires, such as The Strain and The Passage, descendants of Nosferatu rather than Dracula. It’s better not to mention viral vampires if you prefer your vampires to be romantic.

There was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, film and series. Who could resist Angel? He was so irresistible that David Boreanaz has starred in one TV series or another continuously ever since. I definitely resisted Spike, though I know others didn’t.

There was The Vampire Diaries on The CW, which ran for 8 seasons (2009-17) and spawned 2 spin off series, The Originals (2013-18) and Legacies (2018- ). The first 4 seasons of The Vampire Diaries were as good as any vampire media I’ve seen anywhere. I lost interest when the storylines were watered down by splitting the cast to create spin offs and some of my favorite actors left the franchise, but those vampires are obviously still doing it for others.

Over the years, Ann Rice has written more than a dozen books on vampires, plus more series on other supernaturals, some with her son, Christopher Rice. She managed to make a mummy sexy. Her original vampire trilogy was turned into two mediocre films. I also had a fling with Katie MacAlister’s Dark Ones book series in the 00s, a fun vampire soulmate series. Now I notice she’s added a few installments since I last checked in with it about 10 years ago so, yay! Something else to read over the winter.

The big vampire story of the 00s was Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight book series, which my kids and I shared the way I’d shared Dark Shadows with my family as a child. The Twilight films were terrible, terrible things. I recommend skipping them. But as with so much that’s perceived to be originally aimed at teenage girls, the Twilight books have been unfairly maligned. They are full of universal themes and vivid characters.

Bella is a great character for anyone to follow and she has a romance to die for. She does so much more than have a boyfriend and a baby in her books, but even if that’s all she did, it would be enough. Navigating personal relationships is a huge part of life, and for someone from a background of abuse and neglect, like Bella, learning how to have healthy relationships when you are older is a long term challenge.

If it takes a vampire family to show you what real love, care, equal relationships and decent parenting look like, there’s nothing wrong with that. There are very good reasons why Bella’s romance is not just with Edward, but with his entire clan. Because of her childhood experiences, she’s in love with the idea of transforming from a human who has difficulty defending herself against the human monsters in her world, who include her parents, into a vampire who can protect herself and her entire devoted vampire family from even the fiercest of supernatural monsters. After a youth full of struggle, she finds her own power and uses it on her own terms to win a war, in addition to conducting an epic vampire romance.

There was a last, forgotten, one and done vampire TV series of the 00s, Moonlight, on CBS, starring Alex O’Loughlin, who quickly went on to become better known as Steve McGarrett in the Hawaii Five-0 revival, and Jason Dohring of Veronica Mars. Moonlight aired during the 2007-08 season, so it was affected by the infamous, endless writers’ strike which killed more than 1 show that year. It was just hitting its stride when the season was cut short.

As a vampire romance noir which explored multiple historical time periods plus the present day, it was sadly ahead of its time for broadcast TV. Plus, though the show had already been completely recast after early sample filming (except for Alex O’Loughlin), the writing still focused too much on the relationship between O’Loughlin’s main vampire character, Mick St John, and the lead ingenue human female, Beth (Sophia Myles), rather than the much more interesting and complex relationship between Mick and his ancient, vampire, on again-off again wife and maker, Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon).

The show was course correcting in that direction when it ended after 16 episodes, an unusually short season in those days. I would be thrilled with a reboot of Moonlight that was done right. (It’s currently streaming on cwseed.com.)

Alas, the media deities rarely listen to my brilliant ideas, so we are subject to the slings and arrows and fangs of outrageous fortune. But just 4 short months after Moonlight went off the air, a new vampire romance rolled into town, and it wasn’t shy about telling us what it wanted. True Blood was the answer to all my vampire romance prayers.

Let’s Finally Review True Blood Season 1

True Blood aired on HBO for 7 seasons, for a total of 80 episodes, from the fall of 2008 to the summer of 2014. It’s based on the 13-14 book series The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. The TV series was created by Alan Ball, who was handpicked by Charlaine Harris because she felt he understood what she was trying to do with the books. He stayed on as showrunner for the first 5 seasons, which were all critically acclaimed.

The TV series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who lives in Bon Temps, a small town in rural Louisiana. Sookie sees her telepathy as a disability because she has a hard time turning it off, which makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else or to have normal human relationships. As a result, she’s socially isolated, other than a few close friends and her family- the warm, generous grandmother she lives with, Adele, known as Gran (Lois Smith), and her charming but selfish, promiscuous brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten).

Sookie works at her friend Sam Merlotte’s bar and restaurant (Sam Trammell), where she’s also friends with much married fellow waitress Arlene (Carrie Preston) and fabulous short-order cook and hustler, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Her best friend and Lafayette’s cousin, Tara (Rutina Wesley), begins working at Merlotte’s as a bartender at the beginning of the series. Most of the town passes through Merlotte’s at one time or another, since it’s a popular local hangout.

Sookie’s parents died in a flash flood when she was a child, but other than that and her telepathy, her life has been normal, even humdrum. Until vampires came out of the coffin a few years ago, as far as she knew there was nothing extraordinary about the world. She still has no idea why she’s psychic.

A synthetic blood which can sustain vampires, known by the brand name Tru Blood, has encouraged vampires to take the controversial step of revealing themselves as a species to humans. Amongst both vampires and humans, some have embraced this revelation and some fear what it will mean for the future. Sookie makes her very first vampire acquaintance, with the vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), when he stops by Merlotte’s to try a Tru Blood. Bill is attempting to mainstream, meaning he’s trying to blend in with humans as much as possible, rather than living the full vampire lifestyle, which naturally disregards human manners and customs. Normal vampire ways tend to alienate normal humans fairly quickly. They can even be deadly for humans.

Vampire blood can be used as a recreational drug, so there are dealers who capture vampires, drain their blood, then sell it. Sometimes they kill the vampire in the process. In the first episode, an unethical couple lure Bill into the parking lot to drain him, which Sookie overhears using her telepathic ability. Sookie is surprised to discover how easily some silver and the promise of a tasty snack can disarm a vampire. She rescues Bill and their relationship is born.

Due to the images her telepathy puts in her head, Sookie has never been able to date human men, so Bill is her first boyfriend. His main attraction is that she’s unable to read his mind. Perhaps because they are technically dead, vampire minds are a blank to her. For a telepath who’s always “on”, this is soothing.

True Blood season 1 is a Southern Gothic, paranormal, horror, mystery, romance, urban fantasy, much the same as the book it’s based on, Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark. Though the subject matter is intense, the writing is relatively fast-paced and there’s a dark comedy element to it that keeps the horror aspect from becoming overwhelming. The show isn’t as light and breezy as the books; in addition to the book’s humor it uses visuals and a heightened reality to emphasize the outrageous nature of Sookie’s world. The characters frequently comment on that outrageousness and on the ironies taking place around them.

In season 1, there’s a serial killer on the loose who provides the season long mystery arc. The killer is after young women who’ve been with both vampires and human men. Since Sookie has a vampire boyfriend and is frequently around other men, she eventually becomes one of the targets.

The show’s theme song, Bad Things, by Jace Everett, perfectly encapsulates the mood of True Blood. It’s an upbeat country song that promises an out of control romance, which plays over the opening credit sequence of each episode. Humans and animals experiencing intense situations flash by, while names are superimposed over them. The activities in the visuals aren’t necessarily even immoral, they’re just filmed in a way that makes them feel creepy, until you aren’t sure anymore what’s actually bad and what’s just making you feel bad.

Like an insidious vampire who wants to have his way with us, the opening credits act to lower our boundaries and confuse us, so that we’re disoriented and easily taken out of our normal lives. Whether we’re being glamoured, romanced, drugged or conned, the first step is to convince us to leave our previous concept of normal behind.

The first year I watched True Blood, I thought the opening sequence was the grossest, most horrible opening credits sequence ever made. Now I love it and think it’s one of the best. Is that a good development or a bad one? *shrug* I still can’t watch the maggots though. The vampires haven’t completely taken me over.

True Blood continues to lower our defenses and push our boundaries once the opening credits end. Vampires and shapeshifters are welcomed into normal society. They take part in panels on CNN, discussing legal changes which have been proposed to help or hinder their assimilation. They stop at the 7-11 to pick up a 6 pack on their way home. They have difficulty getting a contractor to come out to their rural home and need a referral from a friend. They are business owners, employers and employees.  They worry about getting blood stains out of their laundry. Possibly a little more often than most of us, but still.

They sleep underground in the graveyard when they can’t make it home before dawn. It’s sort of like crashing at a friend’s house. Okay, that one is pushing the boundaries of normal human culture. There is an entire vampire culture that exists outside of human sight, but we only touch the surface of it in season 1.

Sookie is drawn into this world as she seeks to solve the murder mystery and enlists Bill’s help. She visits a vampire bar run by the ancient vampire sheriff, Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and his vampire progeny, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten). They learn of her telepathy and seek to use her talents to solve their own mysteries.

Shenanigans ensue for 7 unparalleled seasons.

ETA 4/9/20: True Blood is streaming free on Hulu for a limited time.

True Blood Season 1 vs The Southern Vampire Mysteries Book 1 (Dead Until Dark)

True Blood season 1 follows Dead Until Dark, the first book in the series, closely, using the same serial killer plot as the main mystery storyline and Sookie’s romance with Bill as the supernatural focus. The book was originally published in 2001 and my 2008 paperback copy is a quick 292 page read.

Neither the TV season nor the book are my favorite of their respective series, mainly because I am emphatically not a fan of Bill Compton and eventually I start to gag over the way Sookie continuously drools over him. But they are both entertaining and introduce the world of Sookie and Bon Temps with enough suspense, heart and humor to draw you into the next book and season.

In season 1, the TV series faithfully recreates Charlaine Harris’ version of Sookie’s world, from Gran’s old but well-loved farmhouse to Eric Northman’s vampire tourist bar, Fangtasia. The series also included mainly the same characters and subplots as the book, with a few alterations. The main difference is that the TV show expanded on plotlines that were only briefly mentioned in the book, such as recreational V(ampire blood) consumption by humans, Lafayette’s off hours activities and the vampires’ struggle for equal rights.

Many of the supporting characters and their backstories are much more developed in True Blood season 1 than they are in book 1. This is an unusual difference between a book and a movie, but it’s not as surprising when you realize that the Sookie Stackhouse novels are narrated in the first person by Sookie herself. Expanding on other characters isn’t a priority for her, even though it could be aided by her telepathy. She’s basically obsessed with Vampire Bill and the murders in this book, whereas she’s known the other characters her whole life. It’s natural for her to have little interest in providing extra details, so she tells us enough, but we don’t get a full biography.

Two characters who go on to appear in multiple books are left out of the TV series, Bubba and JB du Rone. Bubba is based on a very famous real life singer, so they probably figured he’d be distracting, as he typically is in the books. JB du Rone is a sweet man-child who shares some similarities with Lafayette and eventually becomes close to Tara. I suspect the Lafayette we see on screen is actually meant to be a composite character, with many tweaks and Lafayette’s brains.

The biggest change from Dead Until Dark is the addition of Tara Thornton to the cast. In the books she doesn’t appear until the 2nd installment, Living Dead in Dallas. Several major season 1 subplots revolve around Tara, including the set up for the main storyline for season 2, and she’s heavily involved in other characters’ plot arcs as well. Rutina Wesley is such a vibrant presence that it’s hard to imagine Bon Temps without her version of Tara, so this was certainly a welcome change. With Tara comes her alcoholic mother, Lettie Mae, played by one of my favorite actresses, Adina Porter.

Another notable change is the expansion of the storyline for book character Amy Burley, played by Lizzy Caplan. She and Jason become involved with a vampire played the Man in the High Castle himself, Stephen Root, with disastrous consequences, but it’s fun while it lasts. The Amy-Jason-V subplot is particularly effective, with its psychedelic visuals, sometimes subtle violence and obsessive relationships.

The actors and the visuals drive home the multiple abuse aspects of this plotline in a way that would be much more difficult using only words. The genius of True Blood is that the writing, acting, music and visuals come together to make an entertaining, memorable show while showing the dark side of society and how that dark underbelly can bring pain and pleasure. But True Blood wouldn’t exist if Charlaine Harris’ genius hadn’t already given us the snarky, bold, scandalous world they are elaborating on.

True Blood is streaming on HBO’s websites and Amazon Prime. Charlaine Harris has a new book in her current Gunnie Rose series, A Longer Fall, coming out in January 2020. Until then, I’m amusing myself by revisiting Sookie Stackhouse.

Images belong to those who created them.

Book vs Screen Review: True Blood Season 1 vs Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris-But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media-Bring on the dark, brooding vampires. Now on Hulu. #TrueBlood #Hulu But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers.

[metawitches]

But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media

Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers. I haven’t really been keeping the secret on purpose, but a lie of omission is still a lie, so please, try to forgive me. I don’t think this reveal will come as much of a shock to my regular readers.

The truth is, I have a deep, lifelong love of vampire romance. I’m open minded, and can consider other supernatural romances as well, but werewolves are so packminded that I question their devotion to their beloved. Ghosts seem so thin and superficial. Zombies are interested in brains, but I want more than just a relationship of the mind. Angels and demons both have to leave their beloveds in the lurch when they get called into service by the higher- and lower- powers they serve. A shapeshifter is an inconstant lover in so many ways, how could we ever develop trust?

There are exceptions: Oz from Buffy. The medieval ghosts of Lynn Kurland’s paranormal romance novels. The sentient zombies of In the Flesh. The married angel-demon couple from Midnight, Texas, another Charlaine Harris story. And no one is more trustworthy than True Blood’s own shapeshifter, Sam Merlotte.

As a general rule, witches and wizards are the only other supernatural beings I truly find exciting, with their wide range of abilities to charm or bewitch the pants off a girl, depending on the mood.

Since I’m a witch myself, and wizards are a dime a dozen, can you blame me for looking for a little more variety in my fantasy life?

Bring on the dark, brooding vampires, who are the epitome of devoted, romantic lovers, are immortal, manageably dangerous and adventurous, definitely where they’re supposed to be during the day, gorgeous and who can share their blood. Blood which, if used in small quantities, will heal without turning a human into a vampire, but which can also make the user immortal if desired, so they can share everlasting love with their vampire lover.

What could go wrong? Don’t answer that, we all need to discover some things for ourselves.

I admit, this is a hereditary issue for me. My mother and older sister sat me down in front of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in 1966, when I was 5 years old, to watch the trials and tribulations of vampire Barnabas Collins, of the supernatural Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. Collinsport was a mysterious town on the cold, rocky shores of northern Maine, just like the small towns in coastal northern Maine my mother’s family had lived in for 300 years, until my parents moved us to upstate NY.

With the amount of inbreeding that went on in the small early populations of northern New England, I wouldn’t be surprised if I share some relatives in common with Barnabas Collins. 😉 I certainly share the vampire’s love of night and inability to handle strong light.

(Yes, I live in New Mexico, why do you ask? This is why hats, tinted glasses and long summers with warm nights were invented. True Blood is a Southern Gothic for a reason. The Twilight vampires can keep their rain soaked, cold climates.)

I still have a copy with this original cover.

Dark Shadows ran for 6 seasons, through 1971. Then I moved on to films and book series, most notably Anne Rice. I received 2 copies of her book Interview with the Vampire for my 16th birthday, in 1977, because my friends and family knew me well, and I haven’t looked back since. Though the author clearly favors the character Lestat, tenderhearted Louis will always be my favorite of her vampires. He is, after all, the vampire who was interviewed.

There were other favorites through the years, such as the film The Lost Boys in 1987 and the Dark Shadows revival in 1991. There were viral vampires, such as The Strain and The Passage, descendants of Nosferatu rather than Dracula. Viral vampires are better not mentioned if you prefer your vampires to be romantic. There was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, film and series. Who could resist Angel? He was so irresistible that David Boreanaz has starred in one TV series or another continuously ever since. I definitely resisted Spike, though I know others didn’t.

There was The Vampire Diaries on The CW, which ran for 8 seasons (2009-17) and spawned 2 spin off series, The Originals (2013-18) and Legacies (2018- ). The first 4 seasons of The Vampire Diaries were as good as any vampire media I’ve seen anywhere. I lost interest when the storylines were watered down by splitting the cast to create spin offs and some of my favorite actors left the franchise, but those vampires are obviously still doing it for others.

Over the years, Ann Rice has written more than a dozen books on vampires, plus other series on other supernaturals, some with her son, Christopher Rice. She managed to make a mummy sexy. Her original vampire trilogy was turned into two mediocre films. I also had a fling with Katie MacAlister’s Dark Ones book series in the 00s, a fun vampire soulmate series. Now I notice she’s added a few installments since I last checked in with it about 10 years ago so, yay! Something else to read over the winter.

The big vampire story of the 00s was Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight book series, which my kids and I shared the way I’d shared Dark Shadows with my family as a child. The Twilight films were terrible, terrible things. I recommend skipping them. But as with so much that’s perceived to be originally aimed at teenage girls, the Twilight books have been unfairly maligned. They are full of universal themes and vivid characters.

Bella is a great character for anyone to follow and she has a romance to die for. She does so much more than have a boyfriend and a baby in her books, but even if that’s all she did, it would be enough. Navigating personal relationships is a huge part of life, and for someone from a background of abuse and neglect, like Bella, learning how to have healthy relationships when you are older is a long term challenge.

If it takes a vampire family to show you what real love, care, equal relationships and decent parenting look like, there’s nothing wrong with that. There are very good reasons why Bella’s romance is in love not just with Edward, but with his entire clan. Because of her childhood experiences, she’s in love with the idea of transforming from a human who has difficulty defending herself against the human monsters in her world, who include her parents, into a vampire who can protect herself and her entire devoted vampire family from even the fiercest of supernatural monsters. After a youth full of struggle, she finds her own power and uses it on her own terms to win a war, in addition to conducting an epic vampire romance.

There was a last, forgotten, one and done vampire TV series of the 00s, Moonlight, on CBS, starring Alex O’Loughlin, who quickly went on to become better known as Steve McGarrett in the Hawaii Five-0 revival, and Jason Dohring of Veronica Mars. Moonlight aired during the 2007-08 season, so it was affected by the infamous, endless writers’ strike which killed more than 1 show that year. It was just hitting its stride when the season was cut short.

As a vampire romance noir which explored multiple historical time periods plus the present day, it was sadly ahead of its time for broadcast TV. Plus, though the show had already been completely recast after early sample filming (except for Alex O’Loughlin), the writing still focused too much on the relationship between O’Loughlin’s main vampire character, Mick St John, and the lead ingenue human female, Beth (Sophia Myles), rather than the much more interesting and complex relationship between Mick and his ancient vampire, on again-off again wife and maker, Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon).

The show was course correcting in that direction when it ended after 16 episodes, an unusually short season in those days. I would be thrilled with a reboot of Moonlight that was done right. (It’s currently streaming on cwseed.com.)

Alas, the media deities rarely listen to my brilliant ideas, so we are subject to the slings and arrows and fangs of outrageous fortune. But just 4 short months after Moonlight went off the air, a new vampire romance rolled into town, and it wasn’t shy about telling us what it wanted. True Blood was the answer to all my vampire romance prayers.

Let’s Finally Review True Blood Season 1

True Blood aired on HBO for 7 seasons, for a total of 80 episodes, from the fall of 2008 to the summer of 2014. It’s based on the 13-14 book series The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. The TV series was created by Alan Ball, who was handpicked by Charlaine Harris because she felt he understood what she was trying to do with the books. He stayed on as showrunner for the first 5 seasons, which were all critically acclaimed.

The TV series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who lives in Bon Temps, a small town in rural Louisiana. Sookie sees her telepathy as a disability because she has a hard time turning it off, which makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else or to have normal human relationships. As a result, she’s socially isolated, other than a few close friends and her family- the warm, generous grandmother she lives with, Adele, known as Gran (Lois Smith), and her charming but selfish, promiscuous brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten).

Sookie works at her friend Sam Merlotte’s bar and restaurant (Sam Trammell), where she’s also friends with much married fellow waitress Arlene (Carrie Preston) and fabulous short-order cook and hustler, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Her best friend and Lafayette’s cousin, Tara (Rutina Wesley), begins working at Merlotte’s as a bartender at the beginning of the series. Most of the town passes through Merlotte’s at one time or another, since it’s a popular local hangout.

Sookie’s parents died in a flash flood when she was a child, but other than that and her telepathy, her life has been normal, even humdrum. Until vampires came out of the coffin a few years ago, as far as she knew there was nothing extraordinary about the world. She still has no idea why she’s psychic.

A synthetic blood which can sustain vampires, known by the brand name Tru Blood, has encouraged vampires to take the controversial step of revealing themselves as a species to humans. Amongst both vampires and humans, some have embraced this revelation and some fear what it will mean for the future. Sookie makes her very first vampire acquaintance, with the vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), when he stops by Merlotte’s to try a Tru Blood. Bill is attempting to mainstream, meaning he’s trying to blend in with humans as much as possible, rather than living the full vampire lifestyle, which naturally disregards human manners and customs. Normal vampire ways tend to alienate normal humans fairly quickly. They can even be deadly for humans.

Vampire blood can be used as a recreational drug, so there are dealers who capture vampires, drain their blood, then sell it. Sometimes they kill the vampire in the process. In the first episode, an unethical couple lure Bill into the parking lot to drain him, which Sookie overhears using her telepathic ability. Sookie is surprised to discover how easily some silver and the promise of a tasty snack can disarm a vampire. She rescues Bill and their relationship is born.

Due to the images her telepathy puts in her head, Sookie has never been able to date human men, so Bill is her first boyfriend. His main attraction is that she’s unable to read his mind. Perhaps because they are technically dead, vampire minds are a blank to her. For a telepath who’s always “on”, this is soothing.

True Blood season 1 is a Southern Gothic, paranormal, horror, mystery, romance, urban fantasy, much the same as the book it’s based on, Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark. Though the subject matter is intense, the writing is relatively fast-paced and there’s a dark comedy element to it that keeps the horror aspect from becoming overwhelming. The show isn’t as light and breezy as the books; in addition to the book’s humor it uses visuals and a heightened reality to emphasize the outrageous nature of Sookie’s world. The characters frequently comment on that outrageousness and on the ironies taking place around them.

In season 1, there’s a serial killer on the loose who provides the season long mystery arc. The killer is after young women who’ve been with both vampires and human men. Since Sookie has a vampire boyfriend and is frequently around other men, she eventually becomes one of the targets.

The show’s theme song, Bad Things, by Jace Everett, perfectly encapsulates the mood of True Blood. It’s an upbeat country song that promises an out of control romance, which plays over the opening credit sequence of each episode. Humans and animals experiencing intense situations flash by, while names are superimposed over them. The activities in the visuals aren’t necessarily even immoral, they’re just filmed in a way that makes them feel creepy, until you aren’t sure anymore what’s actually bad and what’s just making you feel bad.

Like an insidious vampire who wants to have his way with us, the opening credits act to lower our boundaries and confuse us, so that we’re disoriented and easily taken out of our normal lives. Whether we’re being glamoured, romanced, drugged or conned, the first step is to convince us to leave our previous concept of normal behind.

The first year I watched True Blood, I thought the opening sequence was the grossest, most horrible opening credits sequence ever made. Now I love it and think it’s one of the best. Is that a good development or a bad one? *shrug* I still can’t watch the maggots though. The vampires haven’t completely taken me over.

True Blood continues to lower our defenses and push our boundaries once the opening credits end. Vampires and shapeshifters are welcomed into normal society. They take part in panels on CNN, discussing legal changes which have been proposed to help or hinder their assimilation. They stop at the 7-11 to pick up a 6 pack on their way home. They have difficulty getting a contractor to come out to their rural home and need a referral from a friend. They are business owners, employers and employees.  They worry about getting blood stains out of their laundry. Possibly a little more often than most of us, but still.

They sleep underground in the graveyard when they can’t make it home before dawn. It’s sort of like crashing at a friend’s house. Okay, that one is pushing the boundaries of normal human culture. There is an entire vampire culture that exists outside of human sight, but we only touch the surface of it in season 1.

Sookie is drawn into this world as she seeks to solve the murder mystery and enlists Bill’s help. She visits a vampire bar run by the ancient vampire sheriff, Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and his vampire progeny, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten). They learn of her telepathy and seek to use her talents to solve their own mysteries.

Shenanigans ensue for 7 unparalleled seasons.

True Blood Season 1 vs The Southern Vampire Mysteries Book 1 (Dead Until Dark)

True Blood season 1 follows Dead Until Dark, the first book in the series, closely, using the same serial killer plot as the main mystery storyline and Sookie’s romance with Bill as the supernatural focus. The book was originally published in 2001 and my 2008 paperback copy is a quick 292 page read.

Neither the TV season nor the book are my favorite of their respective series, mainly because I am emphatically not a fan of Bill Compton and eventually I start to gag over the way Sookie continuously drools over him. But they are both entertaining and introduce the world of Sookie and Bon Temps with enough suspense, heart and humor to draw you into the next book and season.

In season 1, the TV series faithfully recreates Charlaine Harris’ version of Sookie’s world, from Gran’s old but well-loved farmhouse to Eric Northman’s vampire tourist bar, Fangtasia. The series also included mainly the same characters and subplots as the book, with a few alterations. The main difference is that the TV show expanded on plotlines that were only briefly mentioned in the book, such as recreational V(ampire blood) consumption by humans, Lafayette’s off hours activities and the vampires’ struggle for equal rights.

Many of the supporting characters and their backstories are much more developed in True Blood season 1 than they are in book 1. This is an unusual difference between a book and a movie, but it’s not as surprising when you realize that the Sookie Stackhouse novels are narrated in the first person by Sookie herself. Expanding on other characters isn’t a priority for her, even though it could be aided by her telepathy. She’s basically obsessed with Vampire Bill and the murders in this book, whereas she’s known the other characters her whole life. It’s natural for her to have little interest in providing extra details, so she tells us enough, but we don’t get a full biography.

Two characters who go on to appear in multiple books are left out of the TV series, Bubba and JB du Rone. Bubba is based on a very famous real life singer, so they probably figured he’d be distracting, as he typically is in the books. JB du Rone is a sweet man-child who shares some similarities with Lafayette and eventually becomes close to Tara. I suspect the Lafayette we see on screen is actually meant to be a composite character, with many tweaks and Lafayette’s brains.

The biggest change from Dead Until Dark is the addition of Tara Thornton to the cast. In the books she doesn’t appear until the 2nd installment, Living Dead in Dallas. Several major season 1 subplots revolve around Tara, including the set up for the main storyline for season 2, and she’s heavily involved in other characters’ plot arcs as well. Rutina Wesley is such a vibrant presence that it’s hard to imagine Bon Temps without her version of Tara, so this was certainly a welcome change. With Tara comes her alcoholic mother, Lettie Mae, played by one of my favorite actresses, Adina Porter.

Another notable change is the expansion of the storyline for book character Amy Burley, played by Lizzy Caplan. She and Jason become involved with a vampire played the Man in the High Castle himself, Stephen Root, with disastrous consequences, but it’s fun while it lasts. The Amy-Jason-V subplot is particularly effective, with its psychedelic visuals, sometimes subtle violence and obsessive relationships.

The actors and the visuals drive home the multiple abuse aspects of this plotline in a way that would be much more difficult using only words. The genius of True Blood is that the writing, acting, music and visuals come together to make an entertaining, memorable show while showing the dark side of society and how that dark underbelly can bring pain and pleasure. But True Blood wouldn’t exist if Charlaine Harris’ genius hadn’t already given us the snarky, bold, scandalous world they are elaborating on.

True Blood is streaming on HBO’s websites and Amazon Prime. Charlaine Harris has a new book in her current Gunnie Rose series, A Longer Fall, coming out in January 2020. Until then, I’m amusing myself by revisiting Sookie Stackhouse.

Images belong to those who created them.

Book vs Screen Review: True Blood Season 1 vs Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris-But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media-Bring on the dark, brooding vampires. #TrueBlood #CharlaineHarris But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers.