Frustrations that really don't mean that much...

I was watching the latest episode of Lost and yet again, there was a gold moment that demonstrated my frustration with that show. A weird-arse, totally mindblowing concept was introduced to the characters on the show, a bit of a "What the?" moment which should have quickly escalated to a "What the f*ck?? What?? You are so totally blowing my mind. What do you mean, detail in miniature!" BTW, this is how the characters should have reacted.

However, did the characters force more answers out of the person who made the earth-shattering pronouncment? No, of course not. And why? Was there an explosion? (If there was, they still should have question the guy later) Was there an appearance by that black smoke monster thing? (If there was, see above) No, there was nothing. There was... *gasp* cut to an ad break.

Yeah, writers? Just like to let you know that that is extremely lazy writing. You want to keep your audience in the dark? Don't have your characters act contrary to how real people would. They end up looking dumb, and horrors of horrors, UNREALISTIC. There are a million different ways to keep the audience in the dark. You could, I don't know, have an explosion? An appearance by the smoke monster? Or maybe have your shifty character who just revealed this tidbit refuse to say anymore, thereby keeping the audience in the dark AND demonstrating that the character is scared, or untrustworthy, or stupid, or arrogant, or a hundred differnt things.

Stupid show. And yet, I keep watching. Cos the rest of the episode was fricking awesome. When they do it right, it's pretty darn good. Plus, I love me a bit of Desmond.

Musing on Dr Who

For some strange reason, songs by the Brit rock/electric/glam group Muse always remind me of Doctor Who. More specifically, David Tennent's Doctor. I had no idea why this was so, but it was so strong, I could actually picture specific Doctor moments when listening to the band. It was freaky.

Then, I was watching my box set of Season 2 and realised... they were constantly using Muse songs in Doctor Who Confidential, the behind-the-scenes insight into the making of the series. In the first season, in two different episodes, songs by Muse appeared. One was their cover of "Feeling Good", which I think appeared in the episode that introduced David Tennent as the Doctor (it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me... and I'm feeling good - how apropos!), and the other... well, can't remember the other one... oh wait, it was "Apocolypse, Please" and, well, just pick any Doctor Who episode for that one, really - heh.

My next freaky Doctor Who/Muse connection... I was reading the lyrics for "Starlight", which has been mashed with The Killers "When You Were Young" to form an absolutely awesome song ("When you were Starlight" by Team9 - awesome!) and perused the comments to find that someone believed the lyrics perfectly encapsulated the overall story arc of Season 2, the love story between Rose and the Doctor. And they were right! Tragedy and love and lonliness (I'm sure I've spelt that wrong)... it's all there, as well as a whole space theme that just screams Doctor Who...

Freaky deaky Doctor Who/Muse connection number three... well, not so much as it's Doctor Who Confidential again, but this time for Season 3. I reckon there were at least three Muse songs used in DWC this time, which really just cements the whole connection for me.

*sigh*

I'm so doomed for these to be inextricably linked forever in my mind. Just wait until the Season 4 box set is out. I'm sure the link will strike again...

Lions and tigers and custard buns, oh my!

I have been introduced to a new food stuff. Fair enough, this introduction occurred about a year ago, but after much time apart, the forces of the universe have collided and I have re-established the acquaintance. That's right, dear reader. The custard bun has returned!

The yummy nummy Chinese custard bun has again made its way into my culinary experience. After experiencing the phenomena at Yum Cha (an experience in itself... little plates of fried goodness - and chicken feet. Who eats chicken feet? Is there even any meat on them? In which case, who eats bone? Can you even eat bone? Questions for the ages indeed). Anyway, after experiencing them, I fell a little bit in love, but promptly forgot about their sweet goodness. Until the other weekend at the markets.

There is a little shop that sells lots of different kinds of chinese buns and the custard one figures prominantly! So, I purchased one. My wordy, it was as good as I remembered! Crunchy custard on the top, improbably yellow custard inside, surrounded by the softest, sweetest bun eva. Awesome fun dessert times! I would def recommend to all you bun lovers out there. So now I am hooked on the things and must purchase every time I am at the markets. I wonder if London will have anything to compare... I'm sure Vanessa has already done the recon for me...

In other news, Torchwood has arrived on Oz tv. While the first episode was not all that and a bag of chips, Ep 2 has restored my faith in Russell T Davies (not that I really lost it, but I was a bit worried for a moment there). It's a weird blend of Doctor Who and sexromp and procedural and sexy John Barrowman. Yet another reason to stalk... I mean, visit Cardiff.
Still, fun times with the television shows. You gotta love it when you are excited about watching something. The download revolution is quickly changing how we are watching television, so it's nice to find something that, while I'd love to have all the episodes to watch all at once, I am hanging out every week to watch and find out what is happening! Plus, I KNOW that it hasn't been cancelled and, in fact, has been given a second season. Maybe my curse is finally broken! Or, American TV execs are the devil's spawn and don't know what they are doing. Either or.

RIP Ms Mars

So. It looks as if Veronica Mars has been cancelled. It is a sad, sad day. Whatever shall I order from Amazon.com every August now?

We will miss you, Mars & co. Or at least, I will. Especially those episodes that demanded a shirtless Logan. *sigh* True tragedy right there, folks.

Fox strikes again!

What is it about TV shows that I like and the dreaded axe falling? It has happened so many times it can't be a coincidence. Firefly - LOVED that show, cancelled after less than a season. Dead Like Me - nifty little drama about grim reapers, cancelled. Kitchen Confidential - pretty men, great storylines, cancelled. Veronica Mars - not cancelled, but I endure the nail-biting tension of the whole "will they, won't they cancel it?". Wonderfalls - sure, only found out about it after it was cancelled, but the principle still applies!

And the latest casualty? Drive, the new TV show from Tim Minear, him of the school of Joss (and previous cancelled shows, Firefly, Wonderfalls, The Inside...) I've seen the first two eps of this show and while it didn't cast me in to raptures, it did have one redeeming feature - Nathan Fillion was the lead character. Ah, my beloved Nathan, when will you get a show that is not cancelled five seconds after it airs? (Two Guys & a Girl doesn't count... Namely cos I didn't like it that much!)

The premise of Drive was an illegal cross-country car race, where the winner will receive $32 million. We had people coerced into the race (poor Nathan - his wife kidnapped and held to ransom so he would compete... and we will never find out why), a new mother who has husband issues, a stupid blonde woman trying to avenge her parents who were killed in a previous race, a hispanic ex-con who bonds with his never-before-met half-brother in two seconds so they can join forces and race, and some guy dying of cancer (cos there has to be one in every bunch). While it did have the crappiest credits I can remember seeing in quite a while, it wasn't a bad show. It might even have become quite good over time. However, Fox have pulled it from their scheduling after four episodes, which I'm pretty sure were grouped into two two-hour specials. So, because Drive didn't garner immediate huge ratings on the TWO nights it aired, it has been pulled. Seriously, how can you know that soon if a show is going to tank or not? Fair enough, it would have cost a fortune to film, but still. If you are going to give a show a chance, you should at least let it run for 13 episodes, see how the plebs like it and then make a decision.

So, Doctor Who, Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, watch out! The sword of Damacles is perched precariously over you, if only because I like you guys. You have been warned.