Going into this project, my big fear was that it was going to taint my relationship with my most beloved show. Here is one of the few things I had been a true fangirl for long before the blog and if our critical consumption has taught me anything, it's how tenuous those media relationships can be when placed under scrutiny.
So far I can say that I'm pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up. There's a lot that's wrong with the show, but they are failures that seem to have arisen mostly out of overshooting - the show is ambitious and when it stumbles, it's almost always because it tried to do too much. I respect that. This season is a prime example of that. There was a lot going on and in a few places, that meant that potentially compelling stories got trampled in the noise.
Trey apparently learned how to make breakfast in jail, so he's doing that now. He may be new to the Cohen household, but he must already know that every episode starts with breakfast. (S: Key part of his rehabilitation. Delicious breakfast foods are the best way to start a crime-free day.) Ryan comes into the kitchen, quickly followed by Seth and then Sandy. Kirsten shows up long enough to pick up a phone call from Julie and leaves again. Seth helpfully explains to Trey that Julie is Marissa's mom. "So, Ryan's mother-in-law?" Trey quips. Sandy is surprised that they are back on again and that he's the last to know. Ryan insists that nothing is going on for about one second, but then crumbles under the power of Sandy's eyebrows (I guess).
It’s been nearly two months since I last wrote a Gotham recap, but it still feels like this one came around far too quickly. I know Sweeney and Mari have been feeling really guilty about asking me to recap this show with them, and all I can say is…
We open on Spencer, who has fallen asleep at Ezra's desk, and is drooling all over the Ali Diary. Ezra walks in, wakes her up and asks what she's doing. She's confused, just as anyone would be to realize that they're in their pajamas, at school, and this is not an actual dream. She tries to leave but he creepy stops her and tells her the path she's on is dangerous, then the bell rings and she uses it to make a break for it. Ezra creepy stares after her. But I guess he's used to people fleeing his dead-eyed stare.
SHHHHH.
Coma-makeup!Spencer is changing in the girl's bathroom.
SHHHHH.
Coma-makeup!Spencer is changing in the girl's bathroom.
Mallory: We start off with what is basically my dream come true: Sandy Cohen offering up chicken parm for dinner. Kirsten is too preoccupied talking to Carter about Newport Living magazine to appreciate Sandy’s chivalry. Seth and Ryan swoop in to grab their chicken parm and get back to a “very crucial Playstation game,” but Sandy traps them into a family dinner. He puts his foot down hard about the family dinner - I’ve never seen anyone seem quite so intimidating while wearing a lavender cashmere v-neck.
Marines: I almost hate to say it but not really: it's the eyebrows.
Sweeney: The eyebrows explain it all.
Marines: I almost hate to say it but not really: it's the eyebrows.
Sweeney: The eyebrows explain it all.
The Tenth Doctor and his Converse take charge of the TARDIS, and fiddles with various things on the console. He flicks a switch, and the engines start up, and he grins. It's pure Tennant "OMG THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD DREAM COME TRUE" and I love everything about it. Outside, Rose hugs Jackie and Mickey goodbye and runs in with what's clearly an empty pack on her back.
Marines: At least she's graduated to proper goodbyes with her family now. The sadness on Mickey's face as he watches her walk into the TARDIS and Jackie just walking away, sending her girl back into danger? I want to hug them both.
K: Same, girl, same.
Marines: At least she's graduated to proper goodbyes with her family now. The sadness on Mickey's face as he watches her walk into the TARDIS and Jackie just walking away, sending her girl back into danger? I want to hug them both.
K: Same, girl, same.
GUYS. I was not expecting this when we decided to start recapping Dollhouse. This customary dance is not only for finishing a thing, but for also for such a pleasant experience.
We've mentioned pretty much all of this throughout the recaps, but I think it's safe to say that this has been the show most improved by the recapping process. It's one thing for a show to simply withstand the scrutiny (Firefly, Veronica Mars) but I truly think this show is BEST when examined closely. When you think about what that means for plot, writing, world building and characterization? I'm just amazed by what Joss Whedon created here and pretty sad I spent so much time thinking this wasn't good.
I have no idea what I did this weekend, except discover that procrastinating the watching of Gotham is an amazing way to make a weekend absolutely disappear. Somewhere in the procrastination fever dream of my weekend, I watched half a season of X-Men: The Animated Series because I was sick and decided to extend my Gotham-vacation.
I don't ever wanna go home!
But alas, even the best vacations must end.
Let's do this.
But alas, even the best vacations must end.
Let's do this.
Hahahahaha. Spoiler alert: that was not a thing we learned in 2014.
Our continued knack for ignoring the constraints of time meant a lot of things for this previous year, but mostly it meant a hell of a lot of blogging. 2012 was the year of figuring out what we wanted this space to be, 2013 was the year of all of the ideas and 2014? 2014 will always be remembered as the year we wrote all the things.
Sweeney: That's also an accurate summary of our emails across the years. We had a lot of, "DID YOU SEE HOW MUCH STUFF WE PUBLISHED?" / "I KNOW, WEIRD." / "NO BUT REALLY, LOOK AT ALL THE POSTS!" exchanges in 2014. We (and it helped that "WE" got bigger this year) wrote all the things.
Our continued knack for ignoring the constraints of time meant a lot of things for this previous year, but mostly it meant a hell of a lot of blogging. 2012 was the year of figuring out what we wanted this space to be, 2013 was the year of all of the ideas and 2014? 2014 will always be remembered as the year we wrote all the things.
Sweeney: That's also an accurate summary of our emails across the years. We had a lot of, "DID YOU SEE HOW MUCH STUFF WE PUBLISHED?" / "I KNOW, WEIRD." / "NO BUT REALLY, LOOK AT ALL THE POSTS!" exchanges in 2014. We (and it helped that "WE" got bigger this year) wrote all the things.
I'm absolutely certain that last episode was the last one I saw during my first watch. If I recall correctly, Fox didn't air this episode, so THIS IS EXCITING! Snow status activated.
Stephanie: I'm jealous! Can I be a kinda-snow because I don't remember what happens?
Sweeney: It's a white Christmas around here! WINTER HAS COME.
Mari: Felicia Day! starts us off in some clearly combat sort of scenario.
Stephanie: I'm jealous! Can I be a kinda-snow because I don't remember what happens?
Sweeney: It's a white Christmas around here! WINTER HAS COME.
Mari: Felicia Day! starts us off in some clearly combat sort of scenario.
First, there is a mini-episode that connects The Parting of the Ways with The Christmas Invasion, which you can watch here. Mostly it's Rose asking this new Doctor who he is. It's a single shot, tight scene that looks like it was filmed like this: Hey. No one move! Read this script real quick! We're gonna shoot it in five. And I mean that it in the nicest way possible, as I think this was aired to benefit charity... Point is that the acting is a bit off and it is a strange introduction to David Tennant's Doctor. I watched this and at the end yelled, "BRING BACK ECCLESTON."
Kirsti: Whereas, you know, I watched it after I'd already seen all of Ten and I squealed.
Kirsti: Whereas, you know, I watched it after I'd already seen all of Ten and I squealed.
My history with the OC is that I watched obsessively in high school, but I can’t remember how many seasons I got through. All I really remember is rooting for Anna, and I’m pretty sure her time here has come and gone. (M: SADLY.) I do know the basics of the main drama-makers here.
We open at what I assume is their high school, though everyone is a good seven years older than I was in high school. They must be a bunch of idiots.
Seth is reminiscing about how last year was so much better, even though his list of last year includes “possible illegitimate daughter”, but I get too distracted by Seth’s sweater vest and the fact that I think Ryan is wearing bell-bottom jeans to really pay close attention.
We open at what I assume is their high school, though everyone is a good seven years older than I was in high school. They must be a bunch of idiots.
Seth is reminiscing about how last year was so much better, even though his list of last year includes “possible illegitimate daughter”, but I get too distracted by Seth’s sweater vest and the fact that I think Ryan is wearing bell-bottom jeans to really pay close attention.
We open with someone knocking on the window of Ryan’s bedroom; it’s Seth, pulling the awful “wakey wakey” routine that is just giving me flashbacks to my mum on school mornings, or the cleaning lady at uni bursting in at ungodly hours. Seth reminds him that when Summer left to go to Italy he refused to let him fester away in his room, and that he’s only returning the favour. Ryan reminds him that no, he didn’t, but Seth is having none of it. He’s helping anyway.
Mari: There are very, very few instances in which someone waking you up is helping, but okay Seth. Continue.
Sweeney: Unless the building is on fire, you're not helping.
Mari: There are very, very few instances in which someone waking you up is helping, but okay Seth. Continue.
Sweeney: Unless the building is on fire, you're not helping.
Marines: I understand that we have a little less reason to celebrate here, since Series 1 was only 13 episodes, but some of those first few (or 7) were rough....
Previously: Paul broke into the Dollhouse with Alpha-in-disguise. — Omega Sweeney: Picking up shortly after her and Victor’s run-in with Alpha at the end of the previous episode (SORRY IT’S BEEN...
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