Episode Reviews
Monday: Angel - Untouched
Tuesday: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - No Place Like Home
Wednesday: Angel - Dear Boy
Thursday: Buffy the Vampire Slayer -Family
Friday: Angel - Guise Will Be Guise
Saturday: Fringe - Brave New World (Part 1)
Liveblogs
Friday: Fringe - Brave New World (Part 1)
Saturday:
Legend of Korra - The Spirit of Competition
Sunday: Game of Thrones - The Old Gods and the New
Meanwhile over on Reads, Mark continues Sandman.
Monday, April 30, 2012
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Dragon Elexus 124p · 673 weeks ago
I thought I'd wait to start this one with this week's post, so here we go.
To be honest, there seems to be less notable male villains that female ones. I think it might be the fact that for all the good villains (or in general, characters) out there, there are a lot of lack-luster, boring and uninteresting ones, and the fact that so many people make these villains male by default. There are definitely a couple that stick out for me, though.
Frollo, from Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame, for example. I haven't read the original novel (I probably should, I know), but I'll always be amazed with what Disney got away with. Hunchback was a movie I didn't really like all that much as a kid, but grew to respect when I was older for its serious tone, beautiful art, and yes, evil villain. Murder, hypocrocy, attempted genocide, child abuse...seriously, this guy was a piece of work. I think he's summed up best in the song "Hellfire" which shows both his depravity and self-righteousness.
I also have to mention the Joker, or at least the more serious incarnations of him. Admittedly, "serious" might not be the right word to describe any incarnation of this Batman villain, but I'm sure you all understand. He doesn't have any real motive besides "causing chaos". So much about him is a mystery, and he'll stop at nothing to break down order and humanity. And that is incredibly terrifying.
dorkyvegan 116p · 673 weeks ago
I swear I notice other characters in this show as well. They're interesting too. BUT ZUKO.
@sab39 · 673 weeks ago
Tauriel_ 109p · 673 weeks ago
(Not my find, sadly - I'm just spreading the word :p )
stefb4 131p · 673 weeks ago
Rot13 for Fuchsia's sake.
Bxnl, abg fcbvyrel *ernyyl* ohg jura V jnf va gur fubjre gbqnl V gubhtug nobhg Gbcu pelvat jura fur sbhaq bhg Nnat qvrq. Naq gura V pevrq va gur fubjre. V NZ ABG HFHNYYL GUVF RZBGVBANY. Jryy...V nz, ohg yvxr abg *gung* rnfvyl. Ohg Gbcu vf gbhtu, naq juvyr fur'f pevrq n srj gvzrf va gur fubj, V qba'g vzntvar ure ernyyl cebar gb grnef, rfcrpvnyyl nf na nqhyg.
Ohg gur bevtvany gubhtug jnf gung fur pevrq jura fur zrrgf Xbeen nf n onol nsgre Nnat'f qvrq, juvpu vf vzcbffvoyr orpnhfr gurl qvqa'g svaq bhg Xbeen jnf gur ningne hagvy yngre.
Spoilers for the latest episode (new character that has been mentioned in Korra) Abg nf onq nf zl Fbxxn-jnf-zheqrerq-ol-gung-thl-gurl-zragvbarq-naq-gung'f-jul-Nnat-jnf-fb-cvffrq-naq-jul-Fbxxn'f-tbar gurbel, juvpu jnf pbzcyrgryl enaqbz ohg fgvyy.
Tauriel_ 109p · 673 weeks ago
Mako meets the fourth Doctor
stefb4 131p · 673 weeks ago
I JUST ORDERED IT YESTERDAY I THINK I JUST LIKE TO TORTURE MYSELF.
Also, crossed off a book on my 'Currently-Reading' list. Bam.
hpfish13 115p · 673 weeks ago
hallowsnothorcruxes 108p · 673 weeks ago
dorkyvegan 116p · 673 weeks ago
ENERGY BENDING!!!!!!!!!!
Just….how gorgeous was that scene? Well, gorgeous and completely horrifying. It was a choice that Aang made that presented just as big of a risk as killing someone (COULD YOU IMAGINE IF THE AVATAR HAD LOST HIS BENDING ABILITY) and came with the responsibility as well. But it’s simply something that was only a small, tiny, minuscule thought in the back of my mind: Could someone lose the ability to bend? I guess this answers it by showing us how it can be COMPLETELY TAKEN AWAY.
oh my god i love this show forever
lol and then LOK is entirely focused around this concept and it is kind of absolutely horrible
Dragon Elexus 124p · 673 weeks ago
I have three entries here, none of which I could go through today without mentioning.
1) Dolores Umbridge
We like villains for different things. Some we like because they're competent, some make us scared, some make us laugh, some have tragic arcs. Some, we just love to hate. Umbridge is one of those.
She's just...ugh. Thinking about her makes my skin crawl. I'd often wished that I could step into the book and give her a healthy dose for revenge. She's so smug and sickeningly sweet and why does she exist (Okay, she exists because of JK Rowling XD).
The thing that I like (or hate- they kind of mean the same thing here XD) about this villain is how she feels very realistic, like someone I could encounter in real life. Folks like Voldemort- well, we can get close approximations in real life, but even the worst dictators and criminals aren't souless monsters that gave up their humanity. Umbrdiges, however, are real. They're the people stuff with prejudice and bigotry, the ones who are so sure that they, and they alone, are real. They don't think critically, preferring to stay within their happy bubble of power. Its people like these who can allow the worst crimes against humanity to happen; the people who are nothing but deceit, but force others to carve "I shall not tell lies" on their arms.
2) Azula
Azula is one of those villains I was drawn to because she was competent. She knew how to get things done, and inspired genuine fear and even respect in the people around her. We first she her smiling as he brother's face is burned off. Later she introduced as casually threatening to throw her ship's captain overboard if she didn't do what she said. Yes, she was evil, and not just "morally conflicted" like her brother, but that's why I like her. I will never get tired of this exchange.
Long Feng: You've beaten me at my own game.
Azula: Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player.
Even her eventual breakdown just made her a more compelling character, instead of invalidating her bad-assery. It made her tragic. It showed that this amazing villain, when you came down to it, was a fourteen year old girl who'd been mentally abused, now in a world without friends or love.
3) GLaDOS
This character, for those who don't know, comes from the video game Portal. Its one of the the best games I've ever played, because creative puzzles, clever dialogue and visually unique design. Also, the original game's only two characters were both female.
One of these was GLaDOS, and it showed one of the best set ups for a villain ever. At first, we don't even know she's a villain. Heck, we don't even know she's a character. She just a voice, presumably as much a part of the game as the instructions telling you "space bar to jump". She's like the voice at a train station that tells you to mind the platform gap when boarding.
But then...things start to change. She cuts out mid-sentence. She apologises for lying, but never makes it clear what the lie was. She cheerfully tells you that the floor in this room will kill you. At the end of the testing there will be cake and grief consoling. You don't know what to make of what she's saying. Is she a malfunctioning computer? Or is she very much functional, and out to play mind games with you?
Despite everything, she's a very rounded, and above all, hilarious character. She runs the gauntlet from terrifying to hilarious, often within the same sentence. She shows a bitter, sarcastic humour, but will often resort to school-yard-bullying insults about your weight. And like Azula, there is an air of tragedy about her, as we discover she may be just as much of a victim as Chell, the human desperately trying to escape her clutches.
Also, everyone should watch this song. It tells you so much about her character, and is unbelievably catchy.
Tomorrow: Favourite Male Hero
Pimento · 673 weeks ago
http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-legend-of-kor...
hpfish13 115p · 673 weeks ago
Pimento · 673 weeks ago
http://inspredwood.tumblr.com/post/22211078430/fo...
KORRA! <3 <3 <3
stefb4 131p · 673 weeks ago
stefb4 131p · 673 weeks ago
redheadedgirl 120p · 673 weeks ago
FANDOM HAS DIVIDED BY ZERO.
stefb4 131p · 673 weeks ago
There's a review on Goodreads that describes perfectly, without being very spoilery (as a good review should be), that I want to post here. This person was able to read the book before release through NetGalley). I just wanted to share it with you all and I hope you think about trying it when it's finally here. I just love the story so much, guys. I just have a lot of feelings, okay?
Review in comment below cause it's long:
stefb4 131p · 673 weeks ago
Now here I am, ready to gush, because I loved Throne of Glass. You want fantasy on the scale of what writers such as Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore have written? Then here's a novel that is the spiritual relative to the likes of the Song of the Lioness quartet and Graceling for your reading pleasure.
Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien, dubbed Adarlan's greatest and most notorious assassin, hasn't had the best year of her life: twelve months ago she was caught by the forces of the King of Adarlan, and ever since she has been working in the merciless salt mines of Endovier. However, all of this changes one day when the Crown Prince of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard, comes to her with a proposition: either she can stay and wait to die in the mines, or she can come with him and participate as his champion in a tournament to become the king's assassin. With options like those, what choice does a headstrong girl like Celaena have?
I know what you're thinking: "Please don't tell me this is The Hunger Games set in a fantasy realm." It really isn't that at all. Beyond the trappings of the tournament, the focus of the story is on the building of Celaena's ties to the greater story at hand -- the intrigues within the kingdom of Adarlan itself, the various conflicts Adarlan has with other countries in the king's pursuit of creating an empire, the various people within the kingdom who seem to have conflicting agendas -- and the world around her. And what a world it is: with connections to Fae origins and magic that may or may not be dead within the realm, it's such a fascinating fantasy landscape, with many layers unfolding in this first installment but also the promise of more to be unraveled in the books to come.
sophiesensation 139p · 673 weeks ago
Tauriel_ 109p · 673 weeks ago
Check this out and prepare to have your heart shattered (a little expansion of that "Korra wakes up from a nightmare" scene...) :'( :'( :'(
Dragon Elexus 124p · 673 weeks ago
Ugh, this is tough.
Firstly, Briar Moss from The Circle of Magic series. I have such a soft spot for street rat characters, I'll admit (its why I find folks like Aladdin, and Bolin+Mako so appealing), but Briar is by far my favourite. He's sharp and witty, but can be really sweet. The image of him carefully giving moss his water, but not letting anyone see him because they'll tease him will stick with me forever.
I really love Danny Phantom from the show of the same name. Since the show was a parody/tribute to the super-hero genre he really epitomised the witty banter and sarcasm that I love, He always had some awesome snark for me.
Um...I can't really think of any others, but I'm sure you folks will remind me of some awesome heroic guys.
Tomorrow: Favourite Female Hero
Pimento · 673 weeks ago
Female pro-benders! :D
cait0716 125p · 673 weeks ago
My boyfriend got into an argument last night about whether or not Joss Whedon always includes zombies somewhere in his projects that eventually devolved into whether or not there are zombies in Toy Story. So now I'm wondering what you all think. Do Sid's broken toys count as zombies? Does Whedon always include zombies, or something that can be read as zombies (e.g., the reavers in Firefly)
hallowsnothorcruxes 108p · 673 weeks ago
Parks and Recreation as Pushing Daisies: “Everything we do is a choice. Oatmeal or cereal, highway or sidestreets, kiss her or keep her. We make choices and we live with the consequences.”
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