Top 5 Alias Smith and Jones Episodes

                                                         The Fifth Victim

Heyes and Kid join a poker game and soon the players start dying.  After Heyes is shot,  

Kid is determined to find the shooter.

This episode has a good mystery, interesting side characters, and of course the angst at seeing Heyes shot.  It reveals some things about Heyes too.  Heyes is not a bad person but he’d really rather not get involved in other people’s problems.  He worries about himself and the Kid and that’s about it.  He is more than ready to ride out of town once people start dying.  If he hadn’t been shot, they would have.  

Their bond really shines here.  Kid is so determined to find the person who nearly killed his partner, that he puts himself up as bait.  But, once it’s clear that Heyes is going to be okay, he’s not interested in putting himself in danger anymore.  And when the sheriff is thinking that Kid is the shooter, Heyes covers for him without actually being sure of what happened because he knows Kid and Kid would never hurt him.

Smiler with a Gun

Heyes and Kid join a man named Seth and a stranger named Danny Bilson at a gold mine in the middle of the desert.  But, once they find their fortune Bilson strands the other three there.  Now they must make it back and get their revenge.

This one is odd for reasons beyond the show’s control.  It guest stars Roger Davis as the titular smiler with a gun who would go on to take over the role of Hannibal Heyes after the passing of Pete Duel.  It’s a little weird seeing them on screen together like this.  Roger Davis is very good in this episode by the way.  He exudes evil in a way that not very many villains on this show do.

This episode is darker than the usual AS&J story.  Between seeing them struggle to make it across the desert with very little water through Seth succumbing to the elements through Kid actually killing Danny Bilson, it’s a somber but well written affair. 

21 Days to Tenstrike

Heyes and Curry join a cattle drive.  The men start dying one by one and the boss refuses to go to the police until they deliver the cattle to Tenstrike otherwise he’ll lose everything.

Can you tell I prefer the mystery episodes to the con episodes?  This is a fun murder mystery with a ticking clock to it.  Heyes and Kid need to solve the case before they reach Tenstrike or risk the law finding out who they really are.   The guest cast is strong with Pernell Roberts and Steve Forest.  There’s a really wonderful bit where Heyes watches Kid get into a fight with one of the other men and then tends to his wounds afterward.  

The only knock against this episode I’d give it is I think the ending is a bit underwhelming.  But, up until then it’s a very fun tale.

How to Rob a Bank in One Hard Lesson

Heyes and Curry are lured in by two women and an old acquaintance, Harry Wagoner,

who wants Heyes to rob a bank for him.  To ensure he goes through with it, the women hold Kid hostage

and let Heyes know that they will kill him if Heyes doesn’t follow through with the robbery.  Heyes has to

figure out how to both free Kid and make sure they don’t ruin their chance for amnesty.

This is a great Heyes episode.  He shows off why he was the most successful outlaw in the west. 

It’s a way better showcase than the Pilot was.  This episode shows off his intelligence, his love for Kid,

and his determination to stay on the straight and narrow.  He can easily rob that bank.  He just doesn’t

want to.  This is the first time, maybe the only time, we see him get really violent when he tries to beat

Kid’s location out of Harry.  Even going so far as to nearly drown the man.  We see him struggle all

episode with how to both save Kid and make sure that money stays where it belongs.  

The stuff with Kid, sadly, isn’t as interesting.  He tries to escape a few times and fails.  The younger

woman who has him is a compulsive liar to the point where by the end of the episode,

we still don’t know what the truth is.  This is Heyes’ time to shine all the way through and shine he does.

The McCreedy Bust: Going Going Gone

While trying again to steal back the Cesar bust for Big Mac McCreedy, the boys have to kill time in a

little town with a big bully who insists that no one in town is allowed to carry a gun. 

Heyes is happy to comply.  Kid is not.

Technically, this episode is part of the ongoing McCreedy saga but it’s really about Kid Curry.  We’ve

seen in the past, his reluctance to part with his gun.  It’s his safety net.  It’s the one thing he’s

completely confident in, aside from Heyes.  He says he feels naked without it and he won’t remove it for

no better reason than someone says he has to.  Heyes is worried about causing trouble and Kid swears

he’ll be as meek as a mouse but he won’t remove his gun. 

There’s a wonderful subplot about a preacher who lost his faith and latches on to Kid because he thinks

Kid is a strong believer in nonviolence.  At one point, Heyes pleads for Kid to back down if not for him then

for the preacher.  

This is also the first time we see Heyes and Curry really fight with each other.  Heyes doesn’t see the big deal with

removing his gun.  Kid is stubborn and he knows it.  We find out that he told Heyes when they first started

trying for amnesty that they should split up because he believed Heyes would make it but he wouldn’t. 

That says so much about how he sees the both of them.  Heyes has his quick and clever mind and Kid

has his speed and his gun.

The Wasted Potential of The Strangers

I have a love/hate relationship with The Strangers.  On the one hand, it’s a gorgeously shot, suspenseful as hell, home invasion film.  It builds tension like few mainstream horror films do.  It’s use of soundtrack is perfect and the production design is fantastic.  On the other hand, I have major problems with the script.  It spins its wheels for a good 2/3s of the running time and the characters are maddeningly passive to the point where it almost seems like they don’t even want to live.  As soon as the plot kicks into gear, it doesn’t know what to do between that time and the ending.  But, that setup is so good and so unsettling that it’s impossible for me to write the film off.  Instead, over the last 13 years, I’ve lamented all that it could have been.

The atmosphere is flawless.  It’s lit in such a way that feels like you’re in an unfamiliar house alone at night.  It captures that uneasy feeling you get in that situation.  The ranch-style house feels so real and lived in, that I feel like I’ve been there myself.  The first 20-25 minutes are a masterclass in suspense.  Knocks on the door, the phones disappearing and going dead.  A strange girl outside who seems confused and won’t leave.  All of it builds and builds and drives protagonist Kristen, to absolute terror.   It’s all wonderful.  And I could watch it over and over again.

And then, the other lead character, James, comes back into the picture.  After that, it more or less becomes a subpar slasher movie.  The titular strangers move inhumanly fast.  The couple is armed with a gun and still don’t manage to even slow their attackers down, much less defeat them.  They make one dumb decision after another to the point where they’ve split up and Kristen decides to just chill outside on the pateo with her head buried in her knees, knowing there are three people out there who have been terrorizing her and her boyfriend all night.  Not only that, but she knows they can get inside the house.  I know some allowances have to be made for horror characters.  Their bad choices drive the plot, and I certainly don’t know how I would react in such a situation.  But the choices James and Kristen make stretch believability too far.  And I don’t mind that they lose.  I mind that they barely try.

Perhaps I could forgive that, if the rest of the movie were scary.  But, the last hour fails to live up to that first 25 minutes.  Sure, the climax is difficult to watch and it is effective, but it’s not enough to make up for the boring middle of the movie.  The suspense is all but gone and instead we’re treated to some jumpscares and scenes with the strangers staring at James or Kristen while they are unaware.  The first time that happens, it works fantastically.  The 5th?  Not so much.  The only other real moment of suspense is when James’ friend shows up at the house unexpectedly.

I think it would have worked better as a short film.  Much the way When a Stranger Calls works better as a short film.  Bryan Bertino has this problem in most of his films.  Wonderful setup and poor payoff.  Watch The Monster to see what I’m talking about.  

When I watch The Strangers, I can’t help but compare it to Vacancy, which came out just a year earlier.  The plot is pretty similar and it follows similar beats.  Strange knocks, etc.  I won’t argue that Vacancy is an underrated gem.  It’s not. But, where I think it succeeds over The Strangers is in it’s protagonists.  Vacancy’s protagonists, Amy and David, are more fleshed out as characters. The problems they’re having in Vacancy are clearly spelled out and dealt with.  In The Strangers, we know that Kristen turns down James’ proposal but not why, beyond a vague ‘I’m just not ready.’  There is a deleted scene that explores this a little more but since it didn’t make the final cut, I’m not counting it.  I do like the shot near the end, lingering on their held hands and showing that Kristen is still wearing the ring, though.  Still, character development is all but nonexistent.

Amy and David show a will to survive that I just do not see from Kristen and James.  The latter two mostly meander around for a while until they’re caught.  The former two fight.  In that respect, I suppose Vacancy is a little more Hollywood with it’s happy ending.  And perhaps The Strangers is more realistic. I’ll even argue that The Strangers is a more frightening film.  But, Vacancy has a more satisfying story from start to finish.  

The Strangers is a good movie that could have been a great one.  I like the actors, the direction, the cinematography, the soundtrack.  All that’s missing from it is a better script.  The characters are weak and the story can’t sustain itself for 90 minutes.  It’s a shame because it had the potential to be one of the greats in it’s genre.

In Defense of Remy Hadley


When I was in high school, House MD was my favorite show. My week revolved
around it. I poured over spoilers, devoured countless fics, and obsessed over all the little moments.  A decade later, I decided to revisit it. I still love it but I find that I love different aspects about it. Coming at it from an adult perspective now, I’ve re-evaluated the story arcs and the characters.  And one that’s stood out to me is Thirteen and the way fandom perceived her at the time vs. the way I found her actual portrayal looking back on her now.

At the end of season 3 creator, David Shore, significantly reduced the screen time of House’s team, Chase, Cameron, and Foreman.  At the time, that was half of the cast and prior to this they regularly averaged more screen time than Cuddy and Wilson. The idea was to bring in an all new team for House. Understandably, this was not a popular move with a lot of fans. I was never one of those fans. In fact, I’d rather they have gone one step further and cut them entirely instead of spending the next two seasons trying to shoehorn Chase and Cameron into a story that no longer needed them.  Foreman fared better than they did.  

One of the new characters was Dr. Remy Hadley, aka Thirteen.  Oh, Thirteen, how you took a beating from the fandom. I think opinions on her have softened in the years since she first entered Princeton Plainsboro, but at the time, a lot of fans were rough on her.  She was accused of being a Cameron clone, a Mary Sue, boring, and that’s not getting into the attacks on Olivia Wilde as an actress. But, in the end, Thirteen ended up being the best female character on the show.  Maybe David Shore was enamoured with her (another charming theory by angry fans), but if that’s the case, I’m fine with it. Because she turned out to be a well rounded character. You see, House had a woman problem.  MadTV succinctly described it as ‘a show for women who like abusive men.’ I don’t think I’d go that far (not until S7 anyway) but their track record for female characters on the whole was not great. Cameron and Cuddy had moments of greatness but were frequently dragged down by mooning over House.  Cuddy’s character was wrecked over and over again starting from about season 4 until she was driven from Princeton by an act of extreme domestic violence. That act was committed by our ‘protagonist.’ Yeah. Cameron, in particular, was defined by her relationship with men. Her dead husband, House, and Chase.  Her exit from the show wasn’t even about her. It was a by-product of Chase’s story. And Chase went on to have some of the best character development of the series. Even my beloved Amber was killed off in the name of House and Wilson’s manpain.  

Then there’s Thirteen.  Love her or hate her, her story was always her own.  Wilson told her she was the only one who House had never really been able to suck into his crazy House vortex.  That might not be completely true but it’s more true for her than any of the other fellows. Maybe not Park and Adams but, they weren’t around that long.  Her story paralleled House’s in some ways but she wasn’t wrapped up in him. Once the ‘mystery’ around her is revealed in ‘You Don’t Want to Know’, her story kicks into gear.  Her arc involves her coming to terms with her Huntington’s diagnosis. When we first meet her, she refuses to even get tested. She doesn’t want to know whether she’ll live or die.  At the end of season 4, she gets her worst fear confirmed and from there, she goes through the grieving process. She acts self-destructively, gets into drugs and picks up a different woman every night.  She believes nothing matters and she’s angry, so she acts as recklessly as she can. This is all in the first few episodes of season 5.

She finally has her breakthrough in ‘Last Resort’ where she realizes that she doesn’t want to die and she starts to actually deal with her illness.  From here, she slowly changes. She opens up enough to have an actual relationship with Foreman. She socializes with her co-workers. She teases them and laughs when they tease her back.  She’s actually a fun and charming person. I love watching her travel from denial to acceptance in seasons 4-5. Not to say that her life is perfect once she comes to term with her diagnosis or that her disease is her only problem.  Foreman’s an ass (he always was) and breaks her heart. She loses her brother to the same disease that will one day kill her. She ends up serving jail time for euthanizing him. She screws up with patients and friends and strives to do better.

Her story is about a very troubled woman struggling to find peace with herself.  Even before the Huntington’s was confirmed, she’s known her whole life that she had a 50-50 shot of having it.  It was always hanging over her head. But, she does find that peace. One of the strongest episodes of
Season 8 is ‘Charity Case.’ Thirteen is the bright spot in the episode. She’s found love and happiness. She’s not the same woman we left in season 7. She’s noticeably lighter.  She has a new perspective on her life. She knows she doesn’t have a long life to live but she’s going to enjoy what life she does have. She won’t come back to work for House even though he wants her.  She only wavers because she feels guilty about being a trained doctor and not using those skills to save lives. Her temporary doubts are not about House. She found what she was looking for. She’s even reached a point where she can counsel House and Wilson late in the season when they’re both
dealing with Wilson’s own terminal diagnosis.  Of the women on the show, Thirteen has the clearest and most complete character arc. The most House free arc too.

Now that I’ve talked about what an independent character she was from House, let’s talk about her relationship with House.  The show is about him, after all. One common criticism I remember being lobbed at Thirteen was that she instantly understood House.  And well, yeah. She kind of did. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Sometimes that happens in life. We find a kindred spirit who we just get.  Thirteen and House had that kind of relationship. She didn’t always understand him. Even she admitted to that, but she had a pretty good track record.  I’ve mentioned how Thirteen parallels House’s story and that’s true. I’m not saying that she’s anywhere near as interesting or complex as
House is, but they have plenty in common.  They both have a tendency toward self-destruction, being reckless, and they’re both plagued by health issues. Hell, they even learn the same lesson in the end. Enjoy the time you have with the person you love.  (Again, it’s more complicated than that
with House, but that is a part of it.) House and Thirteen end up connecting in a way that was unique for House. I fully believe that he cared about all of his fellows and had different relationships with each of them, but I think Thirteen is the only one I would call his friend.  You need only watch ‘The Dig’ (a highlight of the craptacular season 7) for that. House occasionally talks to her about personal things. He didn’t often do that with his fellows. Sometimes with Cameron but that always had her pushing him and making things tense. Thirteen didn’t have that problem. He supported her at some very low points in her life.  She said it herself in ‘Charity Case.’ He was a friend to her.

Her fear after getting out of prison was that she would die, suffering without control of her mind or body and no one would be there to end her suffering.  House offered to euthanize her. I’d like to think that someday (if he’s still alive) he’ll make good on that offer. He let her go in ‘Charity Case’ because he knew that she would be happier that way.  He wanted her to stay and he typically fights tooth and nail to keep people he cares about in his life. But, he put Thirteen’s needs above his own. His relationship with her was healthier than most of his relationships.  It wasn’t co-dependent or abusive. House pushed her out of all her denial and she brought out a slightly normal side to him. Someone who can have just a normal friendship. I love his relationship with Wilson but it was so not normal.  House loved Wilson, Cuddy, and Stacy, but he could be terrible to them too. Because of his own insecurities. He didn’t have those insecurities with Thirteen. They were just two people who instinctively understood each other. They cared about each other.  I think their friendship added something to the show that no other character besides Thirteen could have brought.  

Thirteen was not a perfect character.  Boreteen was aptly named for that relationship.  The perils of Thirteen in season 5 got tedious. Her instant brother was clearly a retcon (even though I liked the story) and her bisexuality was mostly shallow and exploitative.  But, for me, the good in her character outweighed the bad. She wasn’t static or one note. She changed and grew. She found that peace that House was forever striving for. She laughed and cried.  She was sullen and bubbly. She fell into House’s orbit but easily broke free when she wanted to. She earned her place in the show’s history and I’m glad she was there.

              Who's Piloting This Thing? 

Part 1: Due South

Due South is a Canadian/American production about a Mountie named Benton Fraser who comes to Chicago on the trail of his fathers killers and for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, remains attached as liaison to the Canadian consulate.  He partners up with a loudmouthed, terribly dressed, fiercely loyal, a little morally gray, American detective named Ray Vecchio.  And later, partners with a hot tempered, insecure, deceptively moral, American detecive with experimental hair, named Ray Kowalski.  It's a long story and it's not important right now.

What is important is that Alliance Communications CEO, Robert Lantos, teamed up with CBS president, Jeff Sagansky, to first conceive of and develop the project.  The two of them approached writer and rapist, Paul Haggis to write it.  Haggis initially thought the concept was a terrible idea, but since he's a rapist, who cares what he thinks?  The pilot aired on April 23, 1994.

This was back in the day where pilots were 90 minute movies of the week.  I miss those days.  It felt more like the pilot was an event.  The series begins with its inciting incident, the murder of our protagonist's father, Robert Fraser, by an unseen assailant.  We then get to know Benton Fraser a bit before we're properly introduced, as his colleauges remark about how odd he is.  About how far he'll go in the name of justice even over seemingly minor crimes.  This is an aspect that, for better or worse, is slowly done away with over the course of the series.  Throughout this episode and the majority of season 1 (except for the debut of Buck Frobisher) Fraser is considered weird, even among other Canadians.  So, it felt less like a 'look at those wacky Canadians' show.  The whole 'look at the differences between Americans and Candadians' is mostly limited to Fraser and Ray specifically.  While they do develop into well rounded characters, they tend to come off as stereotypes of their respective countries.  By the end of the series, all Canadians are portrayed as weird and kind of kooky.

We're introduced to Fraser via 'big damn hero' moment and the show quickly establishes him as a very skilled officer.  He's instantly likeable with his confidence and integrity.  We don't get much time, however, before he's informed of his father's murder and that's what will be taking up his time and energy for the remainder of the episode.  We meet Bob's good friend, Gerard, and he appears to be only interested in helping.  But, we the audience, aren't gonna be snowed.  The guy just looks evil.  Fraser and his helpful wolf sidekick, Diefenbaker, begin their investigation.  They find a string of dead caribou who have drowned on dry land.  It is a striking image and it is a curious enough mystery to keep viewers interested.

At about the 15 minute mark, we finally reach our American destination.  Fraser knows the killer is now in Chicago and gets himself assigned to the Canadian Consulate.  A staple of the series...just not so much in season one.  The inspector is only seen one or two more times in this season before replaced with the far more involved Inspector Thatcher.  And this Brighton appears to almost be setup as a potential love interest for Fraser.  She's never seen after this episode.  Probably for the best.  This is a story about a Mountie and his Rays, after all.

Fraser's, and our, first impression of Detective Ray Vecchio is not a postive one.  Ray is rude, dismissive, and disliked by the rest of his precinct.  He has a less than stellar record.  He's a lazy and borderline corrupt cop.  He's been worn down by everything.  He's lost sight of why he bothered to become a cop in the first place.  But, he is a good man.  Once Fraser reveals that the 'dead mountie' is his father, Ray spends the rest of the episode making it right.  He goes out of his way to find Fraser again so he can apologize and work the case with him.  We see right away Ray's flaws but quickly after, we see his strengths.  His loyalty toward Fraser is something that never falters throughout his run on the series and beyond.  Fraser's loneliness is a major theme of the show that only comes to the forfront occasionally but it is always brimming in the background.  It's highlighted here as he's alone in a strange city, no family, no friends aside from Diefenbaker and Ray just doesn't take that for an answer.  He takes Fraser home.  He makes him family.

The loud crowd of the Vecchio house must be terribly overwhelming for someone who grew up in such a sparse and sterile familial environment.  Fraser's discomfort but gratitude to the Vecchios and Ray is a nice balance for his character.  He's just not used to this kind of thing, but Ray is proving to be a worthy friend.  We meet Francesca here in this brief scene and her role will only grow as the show goes on.  The show is a little lighter for the next several scenes.  Ray and Fraser bonding and bantering.  A highly enjoyable and memorable scene at a bar where Fraser reveals tha he's not licensed for a fire arm in the states and thus is unarmed.  We get the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

The episode takes a sharp dark turn when Ray is injured while saving Fraser from a bomb and is hospitalized.  Fraser, defeated, is going back to Canada.  Before he goes, he does manage to come across and aprehend the killer, but Gerard kills him.  He tries to play it off as revenge for Bob, but if he knew Fraser at all, he should have known that wouldn't work.  Fraser absolutely believes in the law.  He believes in justice.  And he is not, under any circumstances, a murderer.  Gerard knows the jig is up and confesses to Fraser that he arranged Bob's murder but coerces him into silence by threatening his father's reputation.  After some reflecting, Fraser says 'nah, screw that.'  He lets Gerad know that he's not letting it go and prepares to make his last stand at his cabin.  And then Ray shows up in winter gear that looks like mine from when I was a toddler.  Because Ray Vecchio is the unsung hero of this show.  I firmly believe that without his character, the show wouldn't have garnered the fanbase that pushed the show on and on through not one, but two cancelations.

So Fraser and Ray make the stand together.  The action here is a lot of fun.  Explosions, gunfire, sleds, and snow mobiles going over cliffs.  This climax is strong.  Tense but still fun.  And when they triumph, we see that even Fraser has limits.  He's willing to leave Gerard to bleed in the snow a little longer in favor of getting help for an injured Diefenbaker.  Fraser is exiled back to Chicago for turning in one of his own.  Gerard goes to prison.  Dief recovers.  Bob is suitably avenged.  Ray sticks with Fraser.  And a guy who scammed Fraser out of a $100 pays him back.  Maybe Fraser's kindness and Canadian values (she says with sarcasm) can make a difference in the Windy City after all.

This is a solid pilot that highlights the strength of Fraser and Ray Vecchio and their partnership.  Aside from from brief scenes with Bob and Francesca, there are no other regular characters featured in this episode.  And as much as I enjoy those characters, they aren't critical to the show.  It's a fairly standard opposites attract dynamic but Fraser is such a unique character and Ray subverts his stereotype just enough to be interesting and fresh.  We get a real sense of who Fraser is and that's the core of the series.  Ray's development will have to wait but he's still a likable character here. 

The story worked.  The mystery was strong enough.  But, this is a buddy cop show.  And buddy cop shows don't survive on their stories which usually end up recycled from each other anyway.  See this series' 'Heaven and Earth' compared to Starsky and Hutch's 'The Psychic.'  They survive on the buddy aspect.  And Due South managed to hit that out of the park...twice.  I've heard some DS fans don't recommend starting with the pilot and it all comes down to personal tastes.  I enjoy the pilot immensely.  I think it sets up the two lead characters and their dynamic very well.  It captures the humor and the drama that the show was, for the most part, pretty good a balancing.  So, saddle up your traveling shoes.  You're bound to walk away these blues due south.

I'm not going to quote 'Jolene.'


So, after a surprisingly sensitive and thoughtful look at grief and a goodbye to Dolls last week, this week was probably inevitably underwhelming.  Dolls gets a few mentions, but not out of grief, out of practicality.  Nobody's bankrolling them anymore.  But, what about that blood oath that the Earp girls, Doc, and Jeremy signed?  Is that void without Dolls?

The point is, Wynonna and Doc are quite chipper this week considering they just lost Dolls.  Doc, I suppose, is understandable seeing as how he, um, re-connected with Kate last episode.  And I never bought into the Doc and Dolls friendship as much as I feel I was meant to.  But, what's with Wynonna?  She hasn't been this openly flirtatious with Doc since 'I See A Darkness.'  Is it that she lost one man she loved so she's trying extra hard to cling to the other?  They share a somber moment about Alice when it's revealed Doc built her a cradle before Wynonna had decided to give her up.  Even through Wynonna's own guilt about it, I appreciate that Doc (or anyone) has never condemned her for it.  I like the little momens and mentions of what they lost.  Alice hasn't taken over the show, but her parents are not going to forget her and they are going to break this curse for her.  Although, Wynonna may not want to mention her to the revenants.  They may not be able to leave the Ghost River Triangle, but they could hire someone to track down Alice for them.  Just a suggestion.

While I'm on a roll, Nicole, I don't think the best hiding place is just chucking the ring out in the middle of the woods.  The woods that Bulshar hangs out in.

Even though Michelle escaped and we're creeping ever closer to finding out what Waverly's heritage is, a lot of this episode felt unimportant.  Like, Wynonna being locked up.  Just stalling so she can't get back to the homestead in time.  I'm glad Jeremy seems to be getting a love interest.  Perhaps now the show can start treating him more seriously.  His crush on Doc is cute but give the man someone he has a chance with.

I'm concerned about Doc making a deal with Bulshar.  I thought he'd gotten beyond the point of screwing everyone over to help himself.  I'm sure the absolute certainty of knowing you're going to hell is a strong motivator, but maybe making choices like this are why you were sent there in the first place.  I'd rather Bulshar use Alice against him than his fears of damnation.  I will wait and see how the season plays out before I make my final judgments.

I like Zoie Palmer.  I liked her on Lost Girl.  I liked her on Dark Matter.  But, I'm not a fan of these 'outsider tricks/curses/manipulates everyone into thinking they're their best friends and always have been' plots.  I've seen it on other shows and I've always found it obnoxious and tedious.  I don't like plots where I'm just waiting for the protagonists to catch up to things I already know.  But, again, we'll see how it plays out. 

This was a middle of the road episode.  Not bad, but I think anything would have been a letdown after the emotional catharsis of 'Colder Weather.'

Earp Thoughts: Colder Weather

Sometimes, I wonder what the real Doc Holliday would think of this wonderfully stupid show...

Anyway, this week we say goodbye to Xavier Dolls.  I'm not gonna talk about the behind the scenes reasons for this.  I just want to talk about the show and how they handled it.  Badly.  The answer is badly.  In the episode where he died, Dolls barely had any screen time.  We were quickly told that he was dying and he knew it and then he sacrifices himself mostly off screen at the end.  Wynonna doesn't even realize he's dead until the rest of the group brings her attention to it.  Very much an afterthought to the supposed male lead.  Not that he's been treated like the male lead since season 1.  It's strange.  If you look back at the early episodes, a lot of it was Wynonna and Dolls.  He was the main love interest.  Wynonna didn't really form a deep emotional bond with Doc until the end of season 1.  Wynonna and Dolls had classic endgame written all over them.  After a lot of setup for a rich character, Dolls sort of faded into the background and his death was equally half-heartedly done.

The latest episode, Colder Weather, was the most attention Dolls has received since the season 2 premiere.  We got to see in character reactions to his death.  We even got an acoustic version of the theme song, as Katherine Barrell replaced Shamier Anderson in the credits.  This felt like a true tribute to a main character.  It strikes me as too little too late.  Where was this when he was around?  I'm also not a fan of posthumous character development.  Thanks random Black Badge guy for telling us more about Dolls now that he's gone and no longer a factor.  Maybe Anderson will pop up again on the show someday.  At least for a cameo.  But, for now, this seems pretty final. 

As for the rest of it, for a show with such mediocre to terrible writing, they did a surprisingly good job portraying grief here.  They touched on things that many shows skip over, such as what to do with the body?  What kind of funeral/wake would the deceased want?  I appreciated these details.  There was genuine thought and heart put into this episode and to how the characters dealt with it.  They all handled it in different ways.  Anger, sadness, denial, putting a brave face on, and even some laughter.

Wynonna's anger was very in character.  How ironic is it that she condemns Jeremy for doing essentially the same thing she did to Waverly for nearly her entire life?  Wynonna is impulsive and she lashes out and that was turned up to 11 here.  It was a strong reminder that Melanie Scrofano continues to be the best actor on this show. 

Now for some brief thoughts about the non-Dolls portions of the episode.  As someone with a long fascination with Doc Holliday, he has always been my main draw to the show.  I'm always up for hearing more about his past.  Bringing Kate in is appealing.  At the same time, it seems similar to bringing in Rosita last year.  Hopefully, this relationship will feel a bit richer.  I also can't help but fear she won't make it to next season.  She's looked to have ax over her head from her first appearance.  This is Kate.  Presumably Kate Fisher/Elder and she deserves better than to be Rosita 2.0.  Let's save that fate for the obvious Dolls replacement, Quinn.  The solution to losing a corner of your love triangle is not to just shove another random guy in there.  Truly, it isn't.  Don't do it.

I will close by saying this is one of the stronger episodes of the series.  They put put a real effort into a story about loss and grief.  And I think they did it well.  Last week's episode may not stick out in my mind, but years from now, when I'm looking back on the series, Colder Weather will.

A Healing Rant about Supernatural

Warning, this post contains potential spoilers for season seven of Supernatural.  It also references Ausiellos blind item from a few months ago.  You have been warned.

With Misha Collins status up in the air, I'm getting more and more pissed about all of this.  First of all, the way the news was broken sucks.  The day before the finale a press release confirms him for season 7, then immediately after the finale (which sets up a potentially huge story for him) we get Sera Gamble saying "LOL, JK you guys.  He's not a regular anymore.  I can't even promise he'll be around beyond the premiere."  And apparently, the press release was purposefully released to throw viewers off.  This is exactly why no one should ever believe anything until it happens onscreen.  FYI, twists and cliffhangers are not the be all end all of storytelling. 

If cutting Misha as a regular is simply a budget issue, then fine.  That makes sense.  He's not used as often as a regular ought to be anyway.  Paying him for the time he actually works would be cheaper.  But, there are too many hints suggesting Castiel is not long for this world. 

By now, every Supernatural fan should be used to characters being brought in and then promptly killed off.  It can be annoying because it ruins the potential that some of these characters have (Pamela, Gabriel) but it's pretty standard.  There are very few who have made it this far (Bobby, Meg, Crowley, and unfortunately Lisa and Ben).  It makes the Supernatural universe very small.  I like my TV worlds to be full.  For crying out loud, they brought back Jo and Ellen after years only to kill them off in the same episode.  What was the point of that?

Look, I was one of the original viewers.  I eagerly signed up to watch the Sam and Dean show.  It was right up my alley.  Two brothers, a hottie for me to gush over (That's Dean btw), a horror show with loads of mythology, and a road trip show.  Sounds perfect for me.  And it was...for a while.  But, I soon came to realize that I can't stay interested in a show with only two relevant characters who hammer out the same issues over and over and over again.  And then once more for good measure.  The first two years was a fantastic build up to finding the demon that killed their mother.  Along the way we had Sam's psychic abilities dealt with, more daddy issues than I could imagine, and a lot of humor and heart.  But, then after that, the show seemed to falter.  Season three bored me.  I should have cared but I was starting not to.  I made myself get through it though.  I had learned all I could about Sam and Dean.  It was clear that they had nothing new to say about them because they just kept repeating themselves.

Then season four came along and with it we got a whole new wave of stories and characters.  Most importantly we got an angel named Castiel, played perfectly by Misha Collins.  We got new mythology.  We got a huge storyline and we got to see Dean form a connection with someone other than Sam.  Castiel is a brilliant character.  He's funny but not in a snarky way.  He's brave.  He tries so hard to be loyal to his Father.  He is taken with Dean.  He's learned about free will and he's given up everything because he believed in Dean.  He was a breath of fresh air when the show desperately needed one. 

I fell in love with him.  He passed Sam and Dean as my favorite character.  I adore him.  He’s been on the show now for three years and he’s brought so much to it.  He’s built up a whole new fan base totally devoted to him.  This is a show that is dependent on its hardcore fans.  This is not a show that casual viewers keep on the air.  This is a show with an extremely passionate fan base and the show is well aware of that.  There have been whole episodes about that.  Getting rid of a character as popular as Castiel played by an actor as popular as Misha Collins is foolish.  I don’t know why they would be willing to take such a big risk when the ratings are already dwindling.  I know there are plenty of fans who want nothing more than to go back to the Sam and Dean road trip show, but there are also plenty of fans who are only sticking around for Cas.  It’s rare on this show for an outside character to become so popular (maybe because they kill everyone else before they get a chance), but Castiel has done it.  Why throw away such a rare thing?  It’s like the writers want us to know that Sam and Dean are not allowed to keep anyone else in their lives except each other and I guess Bobby.  If they try, those people will die.  It’s like they’re afraid that any other bond such as Dean and Cas will somehow diminish the Sam and Dean relationship.  That’s just ridiculous.

It’s also lazy.  Shows need to evolve and this one has.  It’s gone too far to go back.  After stopping the apocalypse, how is hunting a wendigo supposed to be exciting or interesting?  After getting to know Team Free Will, how can it go back to Sam and Dean in a car?  That unwillingness to explore anyone besides the two Winchester brothers and killing off nearly everyone before they have a chance to develop at all is lazy writing.  Why bring them in at all?  Castiel seemed to have made it through the rain, and if he goes now, it definitely won’t be because the fans wanted it. 

You know what else is lazy writing?  Leaving season six on that cliffhanger only to kill Cas off in the season seven premiere.  If that happens, it just proves to me that the writers had no intention at all to make this into a storyline (and it could be a good one).  What they wanted was a) shock value and b) a quick way to get rid of Castiel.

For now, I am trying (and failing) to remain optimistic about his future.  I’m also taking comfort in laughing myself silly over all the Godstiel jokes.  I have to admit, they’re quite creative, even though feel guilty for laughing.