The CW & Netflix Making a Deal

I’ve been reading a lot lately about the deal that The CW is hammering out with Netflix.  Variety and several other websites have done articles about the deal in the last several days, and there’s a few points that all of you that watch the shows on the network (including Supernatural, Arrow, and The Flash) need to know.

• The deal would be “exclusive” to Netflix.  With the exception of The CW showing the “rolling 5” on their website and other media (apps, etc), Netflix would be the only place to watch the shows.  In other words, no more watching shows the next day on Hulu…. which is a real bummer to me, since that was where I watched next day stuff whenever I missed it for whatever reason the night before.
• Netflix would have the newest complete season just weeks after the finale.  This is a big deal.  You would then be able to stream whole seasons of shows like Supernatural, Arrow, Vampire Diaries and The Originals in less than 2 weeks from their finales.
• The Hulu contract expires in October.  Hulu wasn’t willing to re-up their contracts without being able to stream all episodes in a stacking deal, but the network wouldn’t agree to that, so Hulu bowed out.

Five years ago, when The CW and Netflix first became friends, The CW didn’t have nearly as much bargaining power as they have now, but with the popularity of their comic book super hero shows like Arrow and The Flash and the longest running genre show on television… Supernatural (starting Season 12 in October) they’ve got some major pull at the bargaining table.  So, when they unveil the deal later this week, I’m sure both parties will be happy with the outcome.

But will the viewers?

T’s Summer Binge-Watch Guide: Firefly

First off, if you haven’t already watched this show and mourn with the rest of us over it’s loss… well then, I may have to personally revoke your geek card.  Seriously.

However, you can earn it back and become one of the coolest geeks around… a Browncoat, by immediately going and watching this very under appreciated television show.  Like NOW!  After you watch it, you’ll both thank me… and curse me, but I can live with that.

The biggest mistake Fox ever made was cancelling this show.  The biggest mistake any other network (yeah, I’m screaming at you SyFy) ever made was not picking it up and running with it yelling “Finders keepers, losers weepers” at the top of their lungs.  Joss Whedon is a freakin’ GENIUS!

I’m sad to say that I didn’t find this little gem until a few years ago.  My husband (and fellow geek) at the time was shocked to learn that I had never even heard of it.  He could (and still can) sing all the words to The Ballad of Jayne … and did pretty often, at the top of his lungs…. but that’s not why we’re getting divorced.

Premise of the show:  The only thing I need to tell you about the premise is …. Cowboys in space.  But, I’ll go a little farther … The crew of the Firefly class space ship, Serenity, are like a family… a family that does anything for money…. well almost anything.  They’re the good guys in a classic good vs evil scenario.  Yeah yeah, I know I had you at Cowboys in space.

Primary Cast

Nathan Fillion … Captain Malcolm Reynolds

 Gina Torres … Zoe Washburne

Alan Tudyk … Hoban “Wash” Washburne

Morena Baccarin … Inara Serra

Adam Baldwin … Jayne Cobb

Jewel Staite … Kaylee FryeN

Sean Maher … Dr. Simon Tam

Summer Glau … River Tam

Ron Glass … Shepard Book

Pros:  There’s way too many to list here.  But, I’ll start with the great story, the great chemistry of the cast, and the crackin’ dialog.  Some of the best lines ever on television came out of this show.  One of my favorites is the “Big Damn Heroes” line … well, really this whole scene is my favorite in the show….

Cons:  There really isn’t any…. well except there’s not enough of it.  But at least (after a huge fan campaign) they gave us a movie to wrap everything up nicely.

The show is available to stream on both Netflix and Hulu, and some episodes are on Youtube.  The movie, Serenity, is available on Amazon.  There were 14 episodes in all, but Fox showed them out of order.  And, you shouldn’t watch those 14 episodes without watching the movie (just my advice, but you should probably take it).

A little trivia about the show, Neil Patrick Harris actually auditioned for the role of Simon Tam.

I leave you with some of the best moments from the show….

After you watch Firefly, feel free to praise me or curse me in the comments.  =)

The Diary Of A Con Noob

 

I’m an introvert with a crap-ton of social anxiety issues.  I have my own little set of crazies…. but, I own my crazy.  So, I generally avoid the things that cause me issues… like large events with tons of people.  That’s how it is that I’d never been to a comic con… until today.  Today, I walked into this large event with a ton of people and wanted to yell… “MY TRIBE!  I’ve found my tribe!”  Today, I hung out with my tribe at the River City Comic Expo in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I’m such a comic con noob, that my daughter just informed me that I shouldn’t refer to it as a comic con.  That it is in fact just called a con.  Thanks, Randi.

There were so many great costumes, and I could appreciate all the hard work and love that went into each and every one of them, even if I didn’t know who all of them were supposed to be.  There were little kids that looked so very cute as little Deadpools and Twilight Sparkles, and there were whole families dressed up, like the family dressed as the Teen Titans…..there was even a group of friends dressed as the monks in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  These were all my tribe.  We all hung out together today, and were just all weird together.

I had my picture taken with a real celebrity.  That’s me up there in a fan owned ’67 Impala.  The car’s name is Bela, A Great Thief, and she was actually used in an episode of Supernatural.  When the CW wanted to make a back door pilot for a spin off of The Show….of course, I’m talking about the Bloodlines episode… but knew there would be entirely too much red tape if they tried to get the real Baby across the border to shoot in Chicago, they called up Supernatural Super Fan Stefany Torres who had found and had restored a beautiful ’67 Impala…. made to look exactly like Baby.  And, of course, Stefany allowed them to use Bela as a stand in for Baby.  Because, that’s just what this famdom does.  It was such a pleasure to meet Stefany today, and other Supernatural fans that I met all over that large event center.  I was wearing my Arkansas Chapter of The Women of Letters t-shirt (along with a crap-ton of other SPN gear) so I was easily recognized as a fan.

I also had my picture taken with a Wookie and Cap’n Tight Pants himself!

There were even some friends dressed as Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible!

I found a few pieces of “merch” (thanks again Randi) that I just had to have… so I bought ’em, and found some freebies too.  And, I brought them home like trophies that I will proudly frame and hang on my wall, or wear like a badge of honor on my t-shirt occasionally to work.

But, let me assure you that my crazies stayed safely locked away today… because I wasn’t in a giant room, at a large event, with thousands of strangers.  I was with friends…. friends that understood my weird, ignored my crazies, and accepted me as one of their own.  As a part of their tribe.

OUAT Stars Welcome Baby #2

Team Skatronixxx would like to congratulate real life couple Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas on the birth of their second child!

That’s right, baby makes four!  The couple’s second son, Hugo Wilson was born on June 1st joining his big brother, 22 month old Oliver Finlay Dallas in the nursery.

The real life Snow White and Prince Charming first revealed Ginnifer’s pregnancy in November.  The couple met while working together on Once Upon a Time, and were married in April of 2014.

Congratulations to the happy family!

T’s Summer Binge-watch Guide: 21 Jumpstreet

I’m sure that like me, most of the shows you’re addicted to are in hiatus for the summer, and like me, you’re pretty bummed about it.

Don’t be.

Take this opportunity to find some old classics.  If you don’t have time to search for something to watch, don’t worry…. leave it up to me.  Summer bingeing has been my self prescribed therapy for any number of ails, including Hellatus, for awhile now.

So, may I prescribe for your summer hiatus woes…. 21 Jumpstreet (the original television show)?  The show that launched not only Johnny Depp‘s career into the stratosphere, but a fledgling network (Fox) too.

Premise of the show:  Baby faced cops go undercover into high schools to fight crimes… rape, drugs, gang violence, murder, etc.

Primary Cast:

Tom (Tommy) Hanson …  Johnny Depp

Doug Penhall …  Peter DeLuise

Judy Hoffs …  Holly Robinson Peete

Harry (H.T.) Ioki …  Dustin Nguyen

Capt. Adam Fuller …  Steven Williams

Pros:  There’s a lot of funny sprinkled throughout great drama.  They attacked every major problem teenagers faced… then and now.  A lot of their topics are still pertinent today.  Now, there’s a few times where the technology of the late ’80’s & early 90’s is totally laugh worthy (i.e. the cell phone that looks like a huge brick), but for the most part, it’s easy to over look those things.  There’s episodes like Orpheus 3.3 that shows off Depp’s acting skills, when Hanson has trouble dealing with a “lost” 3.3 seconds that he can never get back.  There’s glimpses of a ton of big name stars before they were big.. like Brad Pitt, Jada Pinkett Smith (back before she married Wil), Josh Brolin, Christina Applegate, Vince Vaughn,  and The Walking Dead’s Michael Cudlitz.  I had a lot of fun playing “Oh that’s that guy/girl from that show/movie”.  Some of the best moments involve Hanson and Penhall going undercover as The McQuaid Brothers…

Cons:  The show was cancelled without getting a clear ending.  But, since there wasn’t a “cliff hanger” ending and each episode pretty much stands on it’s own, no clear ending doesn’t really affect your enjoyment of the show as a whole.

The show is not available to stream on Netflix, but it is on Hulu.  There are some episodes available on Youtube as well.  There’s 103 episodes in all, and it spawned a spin off show called Booker starring Richard Grieco.  (BT-dubbs, if you find Booker available anywhere to stream, please let me know!)

A little trivia about the show… star Holly Robinson Peete sang the theme song and the shouted “Jump”‘s in the song are done by Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise.

After you watch, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the show!

Supernatural Fandom Has Wayward Daughters

It began as whispers that blew across The Fandom like a gentle breeze fanning a spark into a glowing ember, but it soon became a raging wildfire that blew like hurricane force winds.  There’s no stopping it now…. and who would want to?  Stop it that is.

Of course, I’m talking about Wayward Daughters.  Like most works of true brilliance, it began as a tiny little idea.  An idea for a spin off of The Show featuring the strong female characters of Sheriff Donna (played by Briana Buckmaster) and Sheriff Jody (played by Kim Rhodes)… but it morphed into so very much more.

The Wayward Daughters Academy, a movement started by fans Riley and Betty (follow them on twitter @WaywardAcademy) included a petition signed by fans asking The CW for the spin off I mentioned.  Now though… it’s so much more.  It’s a movement (from their twitter page) that is Empowering women, supporting girls, uplifting each other and dedicated to furthering positive representation.  They boldly ask you #WhatsYourWayward and encourage you to be #WaywardAF.

The living breathing embodiment of Wayward Daughters… the sexy symbols of the movement…. are BFF’s Kim and Briana who are the best of role models for women everywhere.  I follow both of them on twitter and tumblr… and I get words of encouragement sprinkled with some of my favorite curse words from them both everyday.  I used to say that I loved Kim Rhodes because she said f**k as much as I do.  But, that’s not the only reason.  Along with Briana, she is one of the most inspirational celebrities that I can think of in ….. well…. ever.  And as for Briana’s and Kim’s friendship?  That’s true #RelationshipGoals right there.

Currently, there is a t-shirt campaign going on through Creation Stands, raising money for Random Acts and to build a Free High School in Nicaragua for young women (which is a RandomActs Dreams2Acts initiative).  Check out the campaign here.  And by all means, buy a shirt or bag while you’re there.

 

Webster defines wayward as:  not going or moving in the intended direction, following no clear principle or law – unpredictable, even ungovernable.

Well then.  There you have it.  By Webster’s definition, I am sooooo #WaywardAF.  And, Kim told me I was last night on tumblr too, so it must be true.  You should all… women everywhere… step out of the box that society has tried to stuff you into for your entire life, define your own space, be your beautiful self, never change to suit someone else.  In short, be #WaywardAF.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go buy a t-shirt.

 

 

*you can get more info on the RandomActs Dreams2Acts initiative here*

**This… THIS… is another reason why I’m so proud to be a fan of The Show**

Supernatural ‘Finale’ SN11 EP23 – ‘Alpha And Omega’

SN11 EP23:  Alpha and Omega

Written By:  Andrew Dabb

Directed By:  Phillip Sgriccia

*A special thanks to the creator of the gifs used in this article:  tumblr user –  It’s Okay, Sammy (Michael)

Wednesday, before The Show aired, I was contemplating things I might say in this review.  I considered the fact that it might have to be an obituary posted here in place of an actual review, because I was absolutely sure that The Show was going to kill me.  I’m still alive… but only hanging on by a thread.  Once again, I’ve done some reading on social media (because I like to get other opinions… even if they’re wrong), and I know that a lot of people are b!tching and whining about this episode.  I guess they didn’t watch  the same Show I watched.  The whiners are all up in arms because their favorite character wasn’t featured enough, or their “ship” didn’t sail… or was sunk all together.  I guess I will never understand why these people continue to  watch a show that they dislike so much.

But, all of that aside… This was an awesome finale!  Once again, I watched with my daughter and Lucy.  Before Showtime, I had a detailed phone conversation with another fan who is a great friend of mine (and bt-dubbs a famous author….hi Taryn Elliot!).  We discussed the new character that was supposed to show up and what we thought she might do and be.  Of course, I’m talking about Lady Toni Bevell (played by Elizabeth Blackmore)… we were sure she was either a hunter or a Woman of Letters (nailed it), and I said it would be great if when she met The Boys, she ran down a laundry list of all their worst screw ups … i.e. The Apocolypse, letting Lucifer out of his cage… etc.  (nailed that too!)  But, I’m not sure I like Lady Toni.

At ALL.

There were a lot of things that I liked about this episode.  I liked that Love (specifically familial love) saved the day instead of a big fight.  I loved Dean playing the role of psychoanalyst and family counselor for Amara and Chuck…and the list goes on and on.  But, most of all, I loved that the biggest hero of the whole episode was a little old lady feeding pigeons in the park.

Oh we got our tear inducing brotherly hugs and good byes…

And, ya know what… it wasn’t the hug or the “chick flick moments” comment or the tears in both their eyes that made me reach for a tissue.  It was when Dean looked at the keys in his hand then went to give Sam the keys to Baby.  That’s the trigger for me every single time.  Dean giving up Baby’s keys just makes it all so …. final.

Dean mended Amara’s and Chuck’s sibling bond, and Amara gave him a little parting gift in return.  I have to admit… I screamed at least 5 times (only pausing to breathe) and I’m pretty sure my neighbors are never going to speak to me again.  But, c’mon… Mary Winchester as a parting gift?  That’s worth the  awkward moments at the mailbox from now on.  Don’t worry about Sam.  No really.  Come on fellow addicts… uh… fans… we all know that Sam’s okay.  Because, if he’s not, Chuck help Lady Toni when Dean gets a hold of her.  But, realistically… there’s a Season 12 coming, and Jared Padalecki signed on for it, just like Jensen Ackles did.  So, we know that Sammy’s okey dokey.  Let those words comfort you throughout Hellatus.  And, if you’re a Trenchcoat Angel kind of girl, don’t worry about Cas either… Lady Toni only sent him “away”… she didn’t kill him.  He’ll be back in Season 12 too. (Misha Collins signed up too, ya know)

Speaking of Season 12… there’s some questions that will still need some answers come October.  First… where is Lucifer?  Is he going to be a thorn in The Boys’ sides?  Second… what about Rowena and The Book of the Damned?  Is she going to get away with that…again?  Thirdly (is that a word?)… what about Mama Winchester?  Does she have all her marbles?  Does she just magically recognize Dean?  And how long will she be sticking around?  Because, I really wouldn’t wanna be in Lady Toni’s shoes with Mary and Dean on her @$$… seriously.  Mama Winchester was a bad@$$ in her day… and nobody wants to come between a mother and her child.

Well, I could go on and on and wax poetic about The Show all day…. but I have a Hellatus Survival Kit to put together.

CBS Plans ‘MacGyver’ Reboot For Fall

I learned about this on Thursday, and I’ve been silently fuming ever since.  If you haven’t watched the trailer for the new show yet, you can watch it below.  Go ahead… go watch it and come back.  I’ll wait.

Waiting…

OK, now that we’re all on the same page… What in the hell is CBS smoking?  I watched the original series when I was a kid.  I loved it!  I had a huge crush on Richard Dean Anderson… so much so that when he played Col. Jack O’Neill on Stargate: SG1, I watched it too.  I recently binged watched them both again on Hulu.  Ya know, just for nostalgia reasons.  Yeah, that’s totally why.

Why mess with a good thing?

And, why in the hell can’t anyone in the entertainment business come up with an original idea now days?  It’s all reboot this and remake that.  Oh, and when they do have a new and original idea they all suck!

If you’re going to reboot a series that deserved better than what it got, then d@mmit give us that Firefly reboot that we’ve been begging for since 2003!

The premise of this story is that a young MacGyver (played by Lucas Till, X-Men franchise) joins his deceased father’s best friend and partner, Lincoln (played by George Eads, CSI) and they form the Phoenix Foundation.  If you’ll remember from the original series, that’s the place that MacGyver worked.  However, what the makers of this reboot forgot is that the show didn’t start out with Mac working for Phoenix.  He originally worked for some unknown agency that they hinted was the CIA or some other acronym agency… then Pete Thornton (his friend) talked him into going to work for the Phoenix Foundation.  Mac didn’t start it… he just worked there. (I only remember all of this from my recent binge watching activity that was all for science.  Honest.)  Maybe the big wigs at CBS should’ve done some binge watching of their own.

Worst of all?  Richard Dean Anderson isn’t even involved in this one.  He IS MacGyver.

I can see a slight resemblance, but the kid is still no RDA.  The only thing that might save this version is that Executive Producer, Henry Winkler (who was also the EP on the original)… yes, The Fonz… is going to be steering the ship.

The Originals SN3 E22 – ‘The Bloody Crown’

SN3 EP22:  The Bloody Crown

Written By:  Diane Ademu-John & Beau DeMayo

Directed By:  Matthew Hastings

I didn’t get to watch  with Lucy this time.  I was late getting home on Friday night and she’d already watched without me.  So when I talked to her on Friday night, the first words out of her mouth were, “Have you watched it yet?”.  I told her that I hadn’t, so being the good friend that she is, she told me that she wouldn’t give me any spoilers, but that she hadn’t been impressed.  After watching it, I had to agree with Lucy.

Oh, don’t get me wrong… it had it’s tense and emotional moments, but overall it just left me saying… “meh”.

To be honest, last week’s episode would’ve made a better cliffhanging finale.  I was so d@mn excited to see Rebekah (Claire Holt) in the previews for this episode last week that I may have built my expectations way too high.

Klaus’ sacrifice was quite unexpected and very emotional.  It reminded me slightly of The Winchester Brothers, Dean in particular, who always feel the need to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.  But, it shows the growth in this character.  In the past, Klaus would’ve fought to save one of his siblings…. would have killed for them, but I doubt he would’ve been willing to die for them.  However, Hope is an entirely different story.  Becoming a parent will do that to you.  It changes your perspective on everything.  Klaus has grown as a … well… I was going to say person, but since he’s not human….hmmm…. man (that’s a safe one) since becoming a father.  It’s made him downright lovable.  Don’t get me wrong, he was always likable even when he was a villain, and he’s always been hotter than my grandma’s homemade salsa.  But now, I’m invested in what happens to him, and that’s the mark of a great character and a great actor.  Joseph Morgan has taken Klaus from likable villain to lovable dad.  And, that’s the remarkable part about this episode.

Don’t get me wrong.  This wasn’t a bad episode per se … it just wasn’t the big spank-my-ass-pull-my-hair-and-tell-me-I’m-a-bad-girl finale that I was expecting.

But, I knew they were going to have to do something to jump the story line at least 3 years forward, because they gave us a clue in The Vampire Diaries.  Remember?  When Caroline said she had went to New Orleans looking for help from Klaus and he was nowhere to be found.  She had taken the twins and run to Louisiana and hadn’t found the help she’d been seeking.  Well, now we know it’s because he’s behind a brick wall with Cami’s dark object knife buried in his chest and the rest of his family is sleeping in coffins with their minds in some sort of magical time out while Hayley searches for a way to cure them all.  To be honest, I’m thinking that Elijah and Kol are going to be ready to kill each other for reals when they finally wake up.

BT-dubbs, remember what I said a few reviews ago?  That they’d finally given us Haylijah which meant one of them was probably going to die.  Well, I’m not one to tell you, “I told you so,” buuuuttttt……..

Hopefully, the season premier in the fall will gimme that whole hair pulling thing I was talking about earlier and make me want the cigarette that I was hoping I’d need after this finale.

The one I didn’t really need that is.

Supernatural SN11 E22 – ‘We Happy Few’

SN11 E22:  We Happy Few

Written By:  Robert Berens

Directed By:  John Badham

OK, so my daughter is home from college for the summer, and she joined Lucy and I to watch The Show on Wednesday night.  The three of us were huddled up on the couch ready for The Battle Royal that was scheduled for the night.  It was a championship bout, winner takes all.  First, in the red corner was the upstart challenger, The Darkness… Sister of God… Amara!  In the blue corner was … well… everyone else.  Let’s get reaaaaaady to RRRRRUUUUUUMMMMMBLE!

They didn’t immediately throw everyone into the ring and let ’em duke it out.  There was a little bit of story stuff beforehand.  I particularly liked the scenes with Lucifer being all Emo teenager hiding in Sam’s room playing his music too loud until his Dad (Chuck/God) was willing to give him the apology he’s been waiting for ….well…. ever.  And, Sam and Dean playing “Dr. Phil” trying to work out the problem.  That’s right… use your “I feel” statements.  ‘I feel’ like this was probably the best thing all season.  I loved watching The Boys and Casifer going around and rounding up all of their ‘help’ for the bare-knuckle brawl for the Championship Title.

But, then they got down to the business at hand.  Chuck said that he was going to transfer The Mark to Sam; that’s when Lucy and my daughter sucked in enough air to bend the sides of the house inward.  I was just like… Really?  Ya’ll didn’t see this coming?  Somebody had to take The Mark to lock her up.  And let’s be real, it IS Sam’s turn for the sacrificing crap.  (Yeah, I’m aware that I just pissed off all the Sam girls out there.  Now, ask me if I care.)

So, back to the Championship Bout…. It didn’t exactly go as planned.  Amara kicked major ass once she realized they weren’t going to kill her, they were going to lock her up again.  She even knocked Chuck for a loop.  It was Dean that finally slowed her down when he pleaded with her “don’t do this”.

Now, I have a theory, and I’m gonna share it with all of you.  I think that Chuck/God left the “Chuck” vessel and went into Rowena to make good his escape from Amara so that he could come back and fight another day.  We’ll see if I’m right next week.

What do you think?  Tell me in the comments below!