New Amsterdam 1x01: Pilot Episode

A man who can't die... I have never heard that premise for a TV show before. Seriously though - John Amsterdam needs to get together with Jack Harkness and hang out. Jack would probably like him. A lot. I'm just saying. They can share death stories.

Okay, so here are the things I don't like about this show:
1. "You won't die until you find your soulmate." That... is stupid. And very, very Hollywood.
2. Eva, John's partner.
3. I wish there were aliens.

John goes to visit an old lady he once had a thing with. He did not have Jack's foresight and neglected to make up a story about being the son of the man the old lady used to love. That would have been a good idea.

I like John Amsterdam and his show... he's interesting. But I'd like this show even more if it wasn't just a straight version of Jack Harkness playing at Law and Order. Overall, though, I really do like this show and I'll keep watching it. It's an interesting and different take on a guy living forever. In Torchwood, Jack has to deal with the people he loves dying before he does... in New Amsterdam, John is spending his immortality looking for the love of his life so he can become mortal. It's corny, but different and I guess potentially less angsty.

Basically, I'm going to watch the rest of the episodes this show has had (first season and it may or may not get renewed, thanks a lot, WGA - oh, and also it's on FOX, who cancels everything) and every episode is going to be comparing it to Torchwood. OK?

Music watch: The Decemberists and Death Cab For Cutie were both featured in this episode. (OMG SELLOUTS)

"Sarah, The Bachelor isn't science fiction."

I don't care. The Bachelor is as equally realistic as any of the other shows I watch, so leave me alone.

I really like this bachelor. Probably because he is British. Everyone keeps talking about how he moves a little fast - he's already kissed like, all of them - but I think it's just because he's from Europe. As much as that's stereotypical, I think it's true. That doesn't mean I agree with that approach, but whatever.

Robin is obnoxious and I don't blame any of the other girls for despising her. Ashlee is brain dead. Shayne makes me laugh. Kelly is slutty. Chelsea is funny. Noelle is adorable and I want her to get more time with Matt because she seems really sweet and nice, and she's from Colorado.

Okay, so here's what I just noticed: this stupid drama with Robin takes away from them showing what one-on-one time Matt and Noelle are having.

Robin is kind of... confusing. "I don't have a lot of good girlfriends so I don't know how to respect you." WHAT? That makes no sense. Use your brain.

If any more of these girls sing to him, I'm going to kill myself.

So did Matt and Amanda even talk about anything on their date...? Kind of didn't seem like it. Watching them try to dance was funny though.

These two on one dates are so ridiculous. They only have them to intensify stupid drama. And Marshana is playing right into their hands.

Marshana (is that even her name) annoys me so, so much. I'm not racist, I just think she and Matt have ZERO chemistry, and I hate watching them together. I'm so annoyed that she got the rose although I'm not surprised at all, because Holly is kind of boring and Marshana is actually intelligent.

I loathe Ashlee. She is two years older than me and acts like a middle schooler. There is no way she is ready for marriage and I hate listening to her talk.

I'm really surprised right now because it seems like Matt really has all these girls pegged, more than I would ever have guessed. I thought he was more going for who he thought was hot, but I think I was wrong.

Kelly is totally going home this episode. I'm just saying. I think Ashlee will go home too, which is would be great.

WOOO! I WAS RIGHT. No more Kelly and no more Ashlee. And I'm really glad Noelle is still around.

Ashlee is saying the most ridiculous things. "I want someone to see me as more than a songwriter." And then, "I wrote a song for him and everything! That's more powerful than words can say!" This reminds me of a that line from Flight of the Conchords when Murray says "I'm not very good with words, so I've decided to use lyrics" and Jemaine says "Well, they're also words."

I hope Marshana goes home next week because I'm so done with her drama.

hey did you know "torchwood" is an angram of "doctor who"?!

Apparently I need a spoiler alert because I talk about episodes that haven't aired in the USA yet, except I thought putting the episode titles would be enough for that. But just to let you know: I talk about the rest of the episodes in series three of Torchwood so if you haven't seen all of them, don't read the parts of this post that talk about episodes you haven't seen yet.

I wasn't planning on talking about the rest of the Torchwood episodes I watched yesterday (I finished out the season - thanks internet) because, I don't know, I didn't feel like it I guess... but I've been thinking about it a lot which means it does deserve a post after all.

First thing I have to say is that this season was a lot better than the first season. Some episodes were kinda eh (like Meat, the most disgusting and retarded episode of any show ever) but for the most part? Quality. Especially in the second half of it. Before this, I'd only watched Torchwood because it was based in the same universe as Doctor Who, and I felt obligated. But now, in my mind Torchwood has been relegated to a show I watch because it is a good show in and of itself. I've even put it in my Favorite TV shows on Facebook. That's how serious it is.

One last thing before we get to the episodes: whenever a Torchwood soundtrack comes out, I need it. I don't really remember the music from the first season, but in these last few episodes the music was gorgeous. I'm completely in love with it.

Day in the Death
Alright, I hated Owen in the first season. He got better this season, and I thought what they did with his character was a fascinating way to go and really could only have been done on a show like Torchwood. I mean, the guy was dead for half of the season. This episode was a really effective way of exploring his trek towards insanity. I was paying attention to the way he was acting about it all, and most of the time you couldn't see him breathing or whatever. Except for at the end when he was with that old guy, and getting upset about not being able to give him CPR because he "doesn't have any breath" as he starts to hyperventilate. But everyone has noticed that and me pointing it out isn't any special revelation. That was the only oversight I noticed. Also, I felt bad for Tosh, but who didn't.

Something Borrowed
Okay, this episode was pretty ridiculous, and seemed more like a comic relief kind of interlude after some pretty intense episodes and leading up to some pretty intense episodes. My favorite part was when Owen and Jack are trying to deal with Gwen at the beginning right after she realized she was "pregnant." Some people would probably argue that it was cliche to play the hormone card in this situation but you know what, I can't blame Gwen at all for how spastic she was acting. Her job is stressful, and she got bitten by an alien and woke up almost 9 months pregnant on the day of her wedding. If that isn't an excuse to yell at her boss then I don't know what is. Anyway, I liked Jack's reaction at the beginning.

What I did NOT like were all the stupid allusions to Jack and Gwen supposedly being in love. I'm sorry, but they do not belong together. They have no chemistry, and they're both with other people. I don't care what anybody says. Jack, you can't have a harem. You already have Ianto. Don't get greedy. And Rhys isn't really that bad. I always feel bad for him. He puts up with a lot, and he really loves Gwen even though she's cheated on him and lied to him and put him through all this crap. Just leave it alone, Torchwood writers.

From Out of the Rain
Jack was in a traveling circus. HAHAHA. Um... that's really all I have to say about this episode. The guy with the hat was creepy. I was glad that little kid didn't die at the end, but the rest of his family did, so that's still pretty depressing.

Adrift
I loved this episode. I thought it was really interesting and also extremely disturbing. But stories like this one fascinate me - people being taken from their world and transported to another one. I'm even writing a story like that right now. The fact that Jonah aged forty years in what was only seven months for his mother is extremely heartbreaking. I actually cried in this episode, which has never happened during Torchwood before... when the mom goes to see Jonah, and he's talking to her, and the look in his eyes on his scarred face was so, so sad... like he was begging for her to see him the way he was and to love him despite what he is now. I thought at first that maybe it would be all right then, but then he started screaming... I thought I was going to have nightmares about that. I didn't, but still. It disturbed me. They said the scream lasts for twenty hours. All I could think about after that was 1) that is horrifying and 2) how does he draw breath? Doesn't he need to? Anyway, good episode. (I'm not even going to comment on the Jack/Ianto scene.)

Fragments
This is my favorite episode of Torchwood. Period. I love back stories about anybody, I love finding out why the characters are the way they are and how they got there, and this was just awesome for me. I was kind of confused as to how they got out of that bombed building relatively unhurt. I mean, you'd think Owen would be all screwed up now, since when he gets hurt he doesn't heal, but he was just fine... whatever, it's sci fi, it doesn't have to make sense. Okay, Jack's story about how he started working for Torchwood was really interesting to me. I had been wondering how long he had been working for them. This means he was definitely working for Torchwood during the Battle of Canary Wharf. For some reason this seems weird to me. Also this means he was working for an organization that was basically corrupt, the one that wanted to "eliminate the threat of the Doctor." Which is the most ridiculous goal ever, but whatever.

I liked all the direct references to the Doctor... usually they kind of dance around it, which is stupid, because most people who watch Torchwood also watch Doctor Who, or at least know about it. I don't really have anything to say about Tosh's and Owen's back stories, other than they both surprised me. Ianto's story was pretty amusing, and for the rest of my opinion there, see previous post about the dinosaurs. The most memorable line for me from this episode: "We don't need a butler."

Exit Wounds
Okay, so I knew that Tosh and Owen were going to die. I still cried. When Owen started raging around that nuclear place, and Tosh tells him to stop, and he asks why, and she says "because you're breaking my heart." That's when I started crying. It was sad. BUT, did you guys (mainly my dad and sister, who probably won't read this for another week or two because the finale hasn't aired in the US yet) notice when they were talking, and Tosh said something about covering for Owen when he first started working, and she pretended to be a medic? And she had to deal with a space pig?

There she is... with the space pig, and someone we haven't seen in kind of a while! I loved that. Tosh met the Doctor. I want the rest of the Torchwood people to meet him.

As for the rest of the episode... I thought the guy who played Grey was a terrible, terrible actor, and I just wanted to punch him in the face whenever I saw him. I did like seeing Captain John Hart again. I think he is a great character. Hopefully he'll be around some more. I'm curious as to whether it's relevant that he and Jack have the same initials.

Also, can we talk about Jack being buried alive for 2,000 years and how completely effed up that is? I'm sorry, but that makes me sick to my stomach. I don't like that at all. And he didn't deserve it - he was a kid when Grey got lost, he didn't do it on purpose... I don't know. That storyline was sort of weird. But this is now the third show I watch that had some character get buried alive, two of said characters not being able to die. Sark/Adam in Heroes, Jack, and those two people on Lost that no one cared about and only got buried alive because of the creep factor (well, that's my opinion anyway).

So the rumors are now that Martha and Mickey are going to be joining Torchwood next year. And guess what, it's probably true. It makes sense. The doctor and computer specialist positions are now open, and that's what Martha and Mickey do (respectively). I've also heard that Jack won't be around as much, although I hope that isn't true, because what's Torchwood without him. I mean... really.

Torchwood 2x12: "Fragments"

"Dinosaurs? Had 'em for breakfast. Had to. Only source of pre-killed food protein after the asteroid crashed. ...Long story."

Okay... so Jack was there? Did he miss the fact that the "asteroid" was a spaceship?



Maybe Jack found out if Adric was right.

P.S. This episode was awesome.

Doctor Who 4x01: "Partners In Crime"

Major, major spoiler alert.

As soon as I found this online, I called my family at home and told them they could watch it on the computer. They were all like, "we'll watch it when it comes on TV." I don't understand this because if I had a TV, I would watch it online AND on TV, but whatever... I wanted them to be excited too, but I can deal with it.

Same new theme song from Voyage of the Damned... it sounds cool but I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I think it's really funny how the Doctor is pretending to have Donna's job and getting the same exact information as her.

I am kind of curious what the Doctor really does when he's by himself. I mean, obviously he doesn't just sit around. And I wonder how long he's been by himself at this point, how long since Martha left. Not that it really matters, because obviously... he can time travel. But how long for him, is what I'm wondering. And what's it like for him having adventures by himself?

HAHA... "You be health, I'll be safety." Oh my. I liked the Doctor's reaction to that one.

"I've met cat people. You're nothing like them." HAR HAR, GOOD ONE DOCTOR.

The Doctor has a new gadget... what is that thing? Probably homemade, like his timey wimey detector. Goes ding when there's stuff.

Oh my gosh, the Adipose are the most adorable aliens ever. They're waving at her!

Well. That was the most depressing thing I've ever seen in my entire life*. The Doctor looking up and no one being there. Wow. I'm going to go cry now.

HAHA! I love when they found each other. That was awesome.

Wow, that sonic screwdriver has some range on it.

I like this sonic screwdriver battle they're having.

Where is Torchwood on this little baby alien invasion thing? They seem to have dropped the ball big time on this one.

Donna's moving into the TARDIS... literally.

Oh my gosh. The Doctor is having a DTR with Donna. He is SUCH A GUY.

AHHHH!!!!! ROSE! ROSE ROSE ROSE ROSE!!! But she's just an image.... I knew it was her before she turned around, I recognized her outfit from all the set pictures I saw. I LOVED that they played the Doomsday music as soon as she turned around... I thought that was perfect.

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SEASON, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I love Donna, and I can't wait for Rose to be back... man. This is going to rock.

*No, it wasn't. That would be Doomsday. Nothing even comes close to that.

Battlestar Galactica 4x03: "He That Believeth In Me"

Well, I love this show, and it was awesome to see it again, and I was sad when the episode was over because I didn't want it to be over.

I am slightly upset that Starbuck is holding a gun to the President's head at the end of it. Other than that, I thought this episode was cool.

Obviously we, being from Earth, know that what Kara saw really was Earth. And she saw Saturn and some other stuff that are all recognizable to us. So I think that we can say that we know she's right. The question is, how did she get there, how did she get back, why was she gone two months, and how did her ship get all new and shiny? What does everyone think? I don't really have any theories. Something I just read... remember when Kara risked everything back in whatever season it was for Roslin's visions about the Arrow? What happens now, when the tables are turned? Come on, Madame President, have a little faith. Kara's always come through for you before.

I feel bad for Starbuck. She's my homeslice.

I think Baltar's new situation is hilarious, albeit kind of sad. He's going to end up believing all the weird things they're saying about him being some kind of prophet. I do think he was kind of on the way to redemption, but now he's going to have an entirely new set of problems. I'm very relieved he shaved and cut his hair though.

I really liked the way they filmed Tigh's vision of shooting the Admiral.

I didn't see the preview so I don't know what's going to happen but apparently Xena is back.

"He looks like a man, but he's a legend."