Pretty Little Liars (2010-present)

Four friends band together against an anonymous foe who threatens to reveal their darkest secrets, whilst unraveling the mystery of the murder of their best friend.

I used to LOVE this show.  Like I would camp out every night it was on, break out the popcorn and glue my eyes to the screen like a fangirl for an hour.  Now the episodes are just disappointing.  Four seasons later we still don't know who killed Ali or who the entire 'A' team is.  I understand the show needs to retain some mystery but I would enjoy it much more if I knew I was actually going to get a piece of the puzzle each week.

A quick summary for those who don't watch regularly:

Ali and four of her closest friends did everything together in quiet little Rosewood, PA.  Being oh so manipulative (well as manipulative as a 7th grader can get anyway) Ali made lots of enemies until finally one day she went missing.  A year later her body is found and a funeral is held.  The four friends receive texts from 'A' after the service.  Is Ali still alive???

[The logical answer is no.  They found her body (I think twice as of season 4 right now) so obviously she is NOT sending texts from the grave.]

But A threatens to bring all the girls' secrets to light if they don't do what A wants.  A long series of events leads us to find out how-ish Ali was murdered and we're still figuring out whodunnit.

These girls are only in high school but still, shouldn't someone have figured out what happened by now??  Everyone has to keep what they know a secret because telling someone means A might find out and then ambush them with more threats.  But if you've been watching the show thus far then you know that A always knows EVERYTHING, regardless of who the girls tell or don't tell.

Then because it's ABC Family there's drama within the drama.  Foster kids, divorces, cheating on spouses all make a regular appearance on Pretty Little Liars.  No one in Rosewood is perfect but they all want to appear that way.

That is the one bone to pick I've been having with this show lately.  There isn't any mystery anymore.  The only thing that matters is who is having a relationship with whom and how does so-and-so know this other person?  This season is at the heart of the really boring detective work so I'm not very impressed with the storylines.

They have this poor character, Emily (the lesbian--so she's got more than enough drama there) fighting for a swimming scholarship, slightly addicted to pain killers and constantly in and out of the hospital.  No wonder her doctor called child services!  Well and the fact that she's a horrible liar.  She bruised her shoulder after dodging a car and landing on rocks but told her doctor that she fell off her bike.  WHAT?  What kind of lie is that?? But she HAD to lie because of course, the doctor MIGHT be A...you never know...

So that's how I'm feeling about the show right now.  Who knows, it could get better, the next season is supposed to be the last so they might pick it up a bit.  I really hope they do because this show could have a really great ending, if they play their cards right.

3 stars because I still watch it every week so someone on the advertising committee is doing something right.

Doctor Who (2005-present)

The further adventures of the time travelling alien adventurer and his companions.

Ok so lately I've been really into sci-fi stuff.  All my friends were on a Doctor Who binge and I was feeling out of the loop so I decided to join in.  I didn't know what I was getting myself into.  This is one of the best shows I have ever seen in my life...it's up there with Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer...two of my favorite shows ever.  I can watch re-runs all day, every day.  It's official...I'm a Whovian :)

But the best part about Doctor Who?  The fact that it is such a HUGE part of British media and it's almost a way of life.  I feel like I have just opened a door into something amazing and brand new.  Being American this show really didn't have an impact on my life or childhood in any way so when I finally did get involved it seemed crazy that people have been dedicated to this show for almost 50 years!

I don't want to go into details about the show at all, mostly because it's too complicated to explain, but also because I didn't know what I was getting into until I watched the first episode and that was the best possible introduction I could have had.  The writers really knew what they were doing when they set up that first episode (because as usual the Netflix summary didn't do the show justice).  There was enough action to keep me entertained, the humor was witty and ultimately made me want to watch another episode.  I especially love the chemistry between the Doctor and Rose's mom.  That is GREAT writing!

My advice to anyone interested in this show is to just watch it.  Find the time to sit down and let the time travelling doctor do the rest.  You won't regret it!

5 stars!!!

Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County/The Hills (2004-2010)

MTV follows eight teens living in Laguna Beach nearing the end of high school and beginning the next chapter of their lives/After high school graduation, "Laguna Beach" alumna Lauren sets out to live on her own in Los Angeles and work as an intern at Teen Vogue.

Don't watch this show.  Just don't do it.  This is the kind of MTV trash out there for when you have the flu or need a pick me up because you feel stupid.

So ultimately it's the perfect show(s) to watch during finals week study breaks.  Laguna Beach focuses more on the group of seniors and juniors who are beginning the next chapter of their lives.  I only watched season 1 because that's the only one on Netflix, but it wasn't totally bad.  I've seen worse reality tv.  The season was short enough to keep me interested but not too short that I feel like I missed anything.  It was more of a window to see how 'the other half' lives.

Since I didn't totally hate it I decided to continue on and watch The Hills.  I am already regretting it.  Thankfully the seasons are short so I can get through them pretty quickly but the drama is just ridiculous.  The show follows the most boring person in existence, Lauren Conrad, and documents her and her friends' lives.

That being said, I don't dislike Lauren, but at this stage of her life everything was pretty messed up.  Her BFFs were backstabbing her all over the place and all she can do is cry about it.  I spend every episode shouting at the tv, "GIRL YOU GOTTA CUT THE DEAD WEIGHT AND MOVE ON! THESE PEOPLE ARE BRINGING YOU DOWN AND YOU'RE LETTING THEM! WAKE UP AND GET YOUR LIFE BACK ON TRACK!!!"

But then she forgives them all and buys them really expensive presents so they still like her.  Example 1:  her boyfriend cheated on her so they broke up.  He moves to LA and they get back together. She buys him really expensive golf clubs and a few months later they break up.

Example 2:  her oldest friend's birthday is coming up.  Lauren buys her a diamond bracelet.  Her friend hooks up with a guy Lauren really liked and went on a few dates with.  WTF?

I can't believe this girl is just sitting back and taking this crap.  She needs to cut herself off from these people and move on to better ones.  But at least one good thing came out of it:  a bestselling book series.

Props girl for getting these stupid people out of your life and making money off of their drama.  That's the way to do it!

Since I'm still reviewing the show(s)...2 stars, this is for when you are bed-ridden or feel like killing some brain cells.

*New Show Alert* How to Live With Your Parents (for the rest of your life)

When you move in with your parents after your divorce, you tell yourself it's not forever. Polly is a single mom who's been divorced for almost a year. The transition wasn't easy for her, especially with the economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she turned to her parents for a little help. Polly and her daughter Natalie have moved back home with her eccentric parents...

Above is just paraphrasing a really complicated storyline into a few sentences.  The idea of this show is that a divorcee takes her daughter and moves back in with her parents until she can get back on her feet.

Since this show is a classic set up for a lame sitcom I can see why it doesn't yet have the credit it deserves.  This show is really witty, entertaining and full of surprises.  It has all the classic elements of a primetime sitcom without the cheesy bits that make you cringe and change the channel.

I only heard about this show through hulu.com so I didn't know what to expect when I first watched it.  The main character is Polly, played by Sarah Chalke (who I recognized as Stella from How I Met Your Mother).  Her face was the reason I decided to give this show a chance.  Not that I liked Stella, but whenever I see a familiar face on a poster or tv commercial I have to spend at least a little time investigating and seeing what everyone's up to now that they're moved on from their last project.

Yep, I'm THAT lame...

But anyways that's how I find hidden gems like this show.  It's a carefree comedy with little substance, so if you're looking for hardcore drama you're not gonna find it here.  It's light-hearted and has (some) family values so it does pull the heart strings.

I think the best part about this show is that it's totally normal.  Polly works at a grocery store and tries to raise her daughter differently from the way she was raised.  Nobody agrees with their parents on everything so that's where the comedy kicks in, but there are so many aspects of this show that are relatable and accessible to a variety of viewers that I think it's only a matter of time before it either takes off or gets cancelled.

I call this the Firefly effect.

Firefly is a show I rated in an earlier post.  It was a tv show no one understood at the time of its release, but after it got cancelled gained a massive following...enough to make a movie about it.

So there's no beans about it...this show is destined for greatness.  Watch it before it becomes popular so you can say you liked it first!  (All episodes so far are available for free at hulu.com)

4 stars...and counting!

Continuum (2012-present)

A detective from the year 2077 finds herself trapped in present day Vancouver and searching for ruthless criminals from the future.

So this show sounds like nothing I would watch willingly.  But ever since I discovered Lost Girl and other shows like it on Syfy-type networks I have been giving more futuristic shows a chance, and so far I'm glad I did.

Continuum is about a cop from the future who gets sucked back in time with some crazy people.  She has to find her way back to her time, but only after she stops the bad guys.

I know...it sounds REALLY lame.  I almost didn't want to watch it after I read the synopsis, but season 1 is on Netflix so one thing led to another...and now I'm halfway through the season.

It's not bad.  The main character is pretty badass.  She has a super-suit from the future that makes her the modern day equivalent of Wonder Woman. Things slow down a little bit after the suit gets fried but the plot is strong enough to keep me intrigued.

Also she looks a lot like Emily Deschanel, and since Bones used to be one of my favorite shows that doesn't hurt either.

I don't have much to say in the way of complaints.  Each episode is different and provides enough backstory that I'm not totally lost when a future event is referenced or some type of future technology is being explained.

It does take place in Canada so some procedural stuff is different from what I'm used to, but that's easy to ignore.

Overall I can't wait to finish out the season and see what happens.  I'm pretty sure it's renewed for a second season that may or may not be out right now...I'll have to double check on that.  But if it is out there, I will definitely be watching it soon!

4 stars (I would have given it 5 if there was more of a wow factor, but still a decent show to pass the time)

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

It's been a while since I could finish a book, let alone review it, but I recently finished this one so I thought I would give it a go.

Artemis Fowl is a book series that I remember seeing a lot when I was a kid and I always meant to read it but never got around to it.  When I recently found it for free on Amazon Kindle I decided to finally see what all the fuss was about.  Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out the big deal about this book.  It was ok at best and the points of view kept changing which made me very confused.  Once I got all the characters' names straight it was ok, but up until then I had no clue what was happening.  A one-word description of this book for me would be 'meh'.

Artemis Fowl is a genius kid who is both a lovable and extremely annoying character (in my opinion).  His IQ is off the charts and his home life is horrible so he decides to kidnap a fairy.  Apparently this poses a great challenge to him and his butler...maybe it's because I was a normal kid with a normal IQ but this doesn't sound like the best option to me.  For some reason or another Artemis wants to earn his family's good name back which leads him to want to kidnap a fairy.

I see all kinds of holes in this plan.  First, the fairies are meticulous about not letting humans see them or even really believe in them so they would just try to cover the whole thing up even if Artemis's plan succeeded.  Second, wouldn't he just sound crazy and boyish saying he captured a fairy and got all this gold from them?  People would continue to tarnish his family's name and add to it that the youngest Fowl is schizophrenic.  Lastly, who is he trying to impress?  In the whole book no one person or group of people is specifically mentioned as being the enemy.  For all we know some random hobo could have said Artemis's father was a meanie and this could have sent Artemis into a sudden plot for revenge.

But this is a kids/young adult book so none of that really matters.  If I was reading this when I was 12, I wouldn't have noticed any of that stuff.

Anyway, Artemis kidnaps a fairy, holds her ransom and some intense battling of the wits goes down.  He comes out on top, but it is inferred that in future adventures this will not be the case.  But since it was the first book in the series the kid genius had to win.

Almost everything is summed up in this book.  His home life is fixed, his good name is back (apparently) and everyone lives.  

The only thing left unfinished is the fact that the fairies get mad they were played so they retreat and I'm assuming come back in later books for revenge.

I mentioned that Artemis is lovable but annoying.  Half the time he is a super cute kid who just needs a parent.  His dad is dead and his mom is suffering from a broken heart.  She doesn't leave her bed, so poor Artemis is pretty much on his own.  The scenes with him and his mom are heartbreaking because sometimes she is so delirious she doesn't even know who he is.  This is his resolve for everything he does. He hopes that somehow his actions will bring his mom back to him and they can have that loving mother and son relationship again.

The other half of Artemis is extremely annoying.  He is a classic know-it-all.  I mean he has reason to be, he does know most everything and hasn't met a problem he couldn't solve.  But sometimes hearing everything from his point of view made me root for the fairies to win...and I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to.  But every character has to have a flaw so I can live with that.

As I mentioned earlier, had I read this book when I was 12 I would probably have continued on to read the whole series.  The book wasn't bad, it just lacked a certain entertainment factor for me.  Everything was predictable and there was no twist in the plot.  Artemis planned to capture and battle the fairies, which he did.  He planned to win the battle and he did.  I was waiting for something spectacular to happen, but I was disappointed.

So overall, I would recommend this book to any 12 year old kid that would be interested.  It was written for a certain age group and I believe that's why I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would.

3 stars

Lost Girl...the game!

So I know I already posted about my latest fav tv show, Lost Girl, but they just came out with a game app based on the series!  After I freaked out and had a mini-fan girl moment I downloaded the app to my phone and started playing immediately.

The game lets you create your own character and decide what their Fae power is...of course being the super fan that I am, I made my character a succubus.  You get to design their hair, clothes, face shape, skin color, etc. It's like designing a very very basic Sim character (there are only like 8 choices for each category...4 for men and 4 for women).

Once you design your character, you run through a quick tutorial.  Places you can go, people you can talk to, etc.  Most of the game is a hide-and-seek scenario.  Someone tells you to go find something and you earn that something by playing mini games.  Mostly I spy type games which is ok, I don't hate them, but the other mini games are much cooler.  Sometimes you have to unscramble wires to get access into a building, other times you have to find the correct lock combination and break into a vault.

And you also get to fight bad guys.  So far I've only fought street thugs, but it's still early in the game so that will hopefully change.

One complaint I do have about the game so far is that it is energy-based.  You only get so much energy to start with (right now I have about 100 energy points) and once you're out you have to wait an allotted amount of time before you can do anything.  And it's not like playing mini games doesn't cost energy.  Some rooms I have to look in cost as much as 45 or 50 energy points, so I play two games and I'm stuck waiting a half hour to advance in the game.

Ok, one more complaint...some tasks you have to do require you to look in the same rooms more than once.    Which is fine, but when that room costs 50 energy points to look in to begin with, if I have to go in there 5 or 6 times that could take a while just for me to find whatever I need to find.

Side note:  Lauren so far is kind of a bitch in this game.  She's the one who keeps saying she needs all this special stuff but all of it takes like FOREVER to find...it's very annoying.

Other than those few small quirks, this game is pretty entertaining for a phone app.  I can play it while I'm waiting for class to start or as a quick study break.  In the beginning the tutorial is pretty helpful (I never felt lost or confused about where I had to go) and you level up pretty fast.  I've only been playing sporadically for a few days and I'm already level 9.

All in all, for a free game that is just meant to be a mini distraction it is pretty great.  I don't think I'll get too bored with this game or delete it from my phone very soon, if at all.  Be warned, it takes a long time to download and should only be played on wi-fi connections, so if that poses a problem for you keep that in mind.

I definitely recommend this game to anyone who is remotely interested in it. It's free and very entertaining.  And if it gets you to watch Lost Girl then I am all for it! (Seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix!!!)

Warehouse 13 (2009-present)

After saving the life of the President in Washington D.C., a pair of U.S Secret Service agents are whisked away to a covert location in South Dakota that houses supernatural objects that the Regents, an Authority above and outside any government, have collected over the centuries. Their new assignment: retrieve any lost objects and investigate reports of new ones.

I freaking love this show!  I never used to be into shows on the 'B' networks like Syfy, but after discovering Lost Girl I decided to venture out and try another one: Warehouse 13.  The main characters are Pete and Myka; he's  a light-hearted comedian and she's a hard-ass.  Together they collect artifacts all over the world and keep them in a warehouse so no one will be in danger.

They are aided by Claudia, the tech-wiz, Artie, the old guy, and various others that come and go between seasons. This show is everything I want it to be and more.  The characters are genuine, the missions are dangerous and thrilling...and at the end of every hour all gets wrapped up nicely (bow not included).

Now for some background:  

Pete and Myka are ex-secret service agents who are called to warehouse duty by a higher government power.  They both agree to do one mission before requesting a transfer.  As usual, they don't get along in the beginning and it's hilarious, but in the end they save the day, the world and each other.  Turns out they were both looking for a family and the warehouse crew fit the bill.

This show is so different from everything else on tv that every week really is an adventure.  The best part is the show's writers.  They use real people/things in history and their flaws to create artifacts which now-a-days are out to destroy the world.  Example: Alice from Alice in Wonderland/Alice through the Looking Glass was a girly lunatic who slowly went insane and killed a lot of people.  Her mirror/looking glass became an artifact that trapped her soul and can possess people if they stare at it for too long.

Since seasons are only 13 episodes long (12 in the story arc, 1 holiday special) there isn't too much detail to go into because even in season 4 there are still big unanswered questions.

So long blog entry short:  this show is great and I can't wait to see where it goes. The only complaint I have for this show is the fact that Myka can't pick a hairstyle.  Season 1 she's pretty...after that she dyed her hair and straightened it and then curled it again...if you look it up you'll see what I mean.  But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying this hidden gem of a show.  So sit back, relax and enjoy! (all the seasons are available on Netflix and Syfy.com)

So I couldn't stop myself.  Look at the hair for yourself...I'm pretty sure you'll see what I'm talking about:

  Myka Season 1 (pretty right?)


Season 2 (color is too dark, but still ok)


Season 3...WTF happened????? She looks like a drowned rat!*

*Side note:  I hate her new hair but you should still watch the show, I just have slight OCD with things having to stay the same forever in tv land...maybe that's just me?

Chuck (2007-2012)

When a twenty-something computer geek inadvertently downloads critical government secrets into his brain, CIA and NSA assign two agents to protect him and exploit such knowledge, turning his life upside down.

I am rediscovering this show and it is still AMAZING!  I watched Chuck when it first came out in 2007 and was loyal until season 4.  After everything went down, some characters did some things that I didn't agree with so I stopped watching.  I did watch the end of the series though and I cried (which means a lot because I didn't know what was going on but the acting was so good that I got the jist of what was happening and why it was sad).

Sorry to be so completely vague but this show is totally awesome so I don't want to ruin anything in case you can find the time to watch it.  And you should really try hard to find time.  Just watch the pilot, it WILL suck you in.

So Zachary Levi plays Chuck, a computer nerd working at a best buy equivalent, whose life gets turned upside down.  His bestie from college sent him some secret government files which suddenly makes him the most highly sought after government asset.  Enter Sarah and Casey, his handlers from the CIA and NSA respectively.  The chemistry between this group is great. Chuck's girlish screams in the face of danger give this show a new twist in the classic spy story.  For once the hero that saves the day is your average guy who fears guns and gets nervous around a pretty girl.

There is also great acting between Chuck and Sarah...their cover is boyfriend/girlfriend so no one would give their relationship a second look.  But the fact that Chuck has only had one previous girlfriend ever in his life is evident when he and Sarah have to do things like go on dates...or makeout in the broom closet :)

This couple is one of the cutest and most loving couples on tv.  It's obvious that they both love each other but because they are co-workers Sarah doesn't want things to go too far...especially since things did go VERY far with her last partner and that didn't go very well at all.

Casey is a whole different story.  He is the classic spy who is obsessed with guns and violence.  He doesn't hesitate to shoot and is always comically angry.  His dry sarcasm makes every episode worth watching.  Chuck is so genuine and Casey is so...not...that their chemistry is freaking hilarious!

All of the side characters are cool too, but there are so many that I won't go into detail here. The main troupe is great, they alone should be enough reason to give this show a shot.

So I babbled a lot in this entry, but here's a recap:  Chuck is a nerd who becomes a 'spy' and gets new awesome government friends and they go on awesome missions together and save the world.

In short, WATCH THIS SHOW! (please!) IT'S AWESOME!

Alias (2001-2006)

Sydney Bristow is an international spy recruited out of college and trained for espionage and self-defense.

That's it.  I quit.  Alias was slow to begin with but this is ridiculous.  In the last season, I don't know what happened but the characters don't mean anything anymore.  Half the cast is dead or moved away and the only one left is Sydney.  Of course.

So Sydney is the main character and she's a spy.  Her boyfriend proposes to her and she tells him that she's a spy so she doesn't have to lie to her husband.  He accepts her and still wants to be with her but the organization she works for finds out she told him so he is killed.

The rest of the series is her avenging his death.  She hates the leader, Sloane, but continues to work for him (and now the CIA) to take him down.  After she does she goes to work with the CIA for real.  Stuff happens and seasons move on...eventually she falls for her CIA handler, Vaughn.  They get engaged and then hit by a car.  This plot is halted for a LONGGGGG time.  And that's when I stopped.

Jennifer Garner (Sydney) was never my favorite actress and she was even ok for a while kicking butt and taking names.  But as the seasons went on she got more and more BORING.  Her and her problems just seemed less and less significant.  Examples:

Oh I miss my fiance!! (acceptable)

Oh I hate my boss because he killed my fiance! (acceptable)

I really like my CIA handler but that's not professional :(  (uhhhh.....)

My dad lied to me! (ok you're losing me)

I have a sister! (why is this a problem?)

It's this kind of lame-ness that stops me from wanting to actually watch the show.  Honestly it doesn't even look like the cast enjoys what they're doing.  Maybe that was just part of their acting technique but they should at least be able to feed off each other. These actors said their lines and walked away.

One high point was the makeup and costumes.  Every time Sydney went on a mission she had the BEST outfits and hair.  Props to her stylist and makeup artist!!

Other than that I don't have much else to say about this show.  I'm not really into spy shows to begin with so maybe that's why I wasn't quite as receptive to this show as I could have been.

Overall, 3 stars.  I understand where the writers were going with the concept but I don't think it ever got there.  And they could have picked a better leading lady.