(no subject)

[ebonlock]

First thanks moonlightnrain for pointing me at this:

Then a big thanks to my friend D- who sent me a signed copy of Stephen Colbert's "I Am America, and So Can You!" along with a Wrist Strong! bracelet. Of course Pye has already made off with said bracelet, as plastic bracelets are his favorite toy EVAR. Literally he's racing around the apartment with it in his mouth as I type this. My cat is a complete headcase.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my impromptu holiday off, I have to admit. I'm watching "You Are What You Eat", another BBCA reality series that I'm addicted to. But soon I'll be finishing off the last two episodes of season two of Dexter.

I don't think it's quite as coherent a season as the first, but I have found myself really enjoying the twists and turns. I've also loved getting to meet Agent Lundy (who I have a raging crush on), and watching Deb's Electra complex bloom into her first real grown up relationship. Indeed I've adored Deb this season, whereas the first I mostly just wound up annoyed by her.

Watching Doakes melt down in the face of Dexter's superior intellect and calm outmaneuvering. And I like that Dexter's finding out that he actually does have feelings, a conscience, and people he cares about and wants to protect. Watching the interplay between hostage Doakes and Dexter is just fascinating, especially when Doakes really understands for the first time just what Dexter is. And the revelations about dear old Harry are just fascinating. Left off last night with Dexter realizing that he was the cause of Harry's suicide, watching it hit him was just fantastic.

I have to say the Lila freak out really didn't strike me as all that unexpected, she was screaming "I am batshit!" right from the start. Her stalker routine wasn't too terribly surprising, I just hope Dex was paying attention when she told him the story about setting her ex-boyfriend's house on fire and killing him. I didn't find the whole subplot where Dexter confronts the guy who murdered his mom and left him so utterly broken too terribly interesting, but his attempts to stay one step ahead of an actually worthy foe, Lundy, is well worth waving off the other stuff.


This one was definitely better than the last, which isn't really saying all that much, but I'll take what I can get. I liked the way people were split up during the emergency situation (a quarantine false alarm), as it led to some fun interpersonal moments. Watching John squirming around Teyla, and literally climbing out of the window and up the side of a building to escape was a hoot. Keller continues to underwhelm me as a chief physician (and is it just me or is she a scifi knock off of Dr. Elliot Reid from Scrubs or is it just me?), but I admit that part of it is the fact that OMG I miss Carson. But setting that aside I rather liked her and Ronon hooking up, mostly because Ronon and pretty much anyone hooking up is adorable beyond words. You literally expected him to duck his head and gruffly mumble, "You're pretty."

Radek is always adorable, I mean there's just no two ways about that, but his pigeon wallpaper on his tablet just about did moonlightnrain and I in. And then the moment when Sam takes off her jacket and you can see the lightbulb go off over Radek's head that she is a WOMAN and has BREASTS was one of the funniest things I've seen in ages. I was literally howling. Also can't wait for the transcript for his scenes in the ducts, cursing his head off in Czech to be posted with the translations. I'd love to know what he was muttering the whole time.

Of course the real story, IMHO was going on in the botany lab. I loved the subtlety of the scenes between Rodney and Katie, how it slowly became apparent that Katie had been dating the guy for a year and yet didn't know the first damn thing about him. Watching her become slowly aware of who she'd been dating, his very real faults, and her own willful blindness all this time was astonishingly entertaining. I've never been at all impressed by the actress playing her, but I have to admit she did a nice job with what the writers had given her in this one. It was also interesting watching Rodney for the first time completely unable to act, and just falling apart. Give him a computer and some tools and regardless of how grim things seem he can hang on and get the job done. Take those away from him and he descends into despair. It was almost a nod back to "Grace Under Pressure", he doesn't trust anybody else to save him, even now. He's got to be the one getting the poor bastard out of the bad situation, it's not just his job it's who he is, take it away from him and he lays down to die.

And I loved how everyone kept saying, "Rodney will save us", it's just the assumption that if there's a problem he's somewhere doing something about it. Indeed it wasn't until John figured out that Rodney was trapped that he flew into action.

But the end was probably my favorite bit, where Rodney recognizes that he was just asking Katie to marry him because he likes the idea of marriage in general, and that ultimately he's not ready for it. Indeed, admitting flat out that he's still a work in progress as a human being was a major step for him. And I have to think Katie's last "Bye" was really, "It's over", and frankly it should be. Thank god the series writers actually made the smart choice here.

Right, now I'm getting back to Dexter!

Comments

[slian-martreb.livejournal.com]

Carter/Zelenka is actually a canon ship now (or at least canon UST from Zelenka's side) and I may very quiety explode from glee at any moment.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

It would be glorious on a variety of levels, first that he'd be so over Elizabeth (a UST that never made the slightest bit of sense to me 'cause...jeez, Elizabeth?), second OMFG the cute, third if the two of them hooked up we'd never ever have to worry about hearing the wretched Jack/Sam piano UST theme from hell.

But it would have the side benefits of making Radek happy (always to be wished for) and making Rodney's head explode with jealousy...which would just be funny :)

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Mouth Strong!
I'm glad to see you. It was very quiet and I was worried you'd moved back to Buffalo because you missed the snow.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

All I can say, and it's from the bottom of my heart, fuck the snow.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

1. Signed Colbert! Oooooh, made of win.

2. Ohhh Dexter. Yeah, the first season played out like a big 12-episode movie, almost, but the second felt a lot more episodic. There's a lot of extraneous shit in the second season (um... Lila... even though I appreciate why the character's ultimately important), but there is SO much good stuff that it totally makes up for it. Lundy and Deb (YAY!), Lundy chasing Dexter, Dex 'n' Doakes (oh god, those scenes are amazing -- just you wait till "Left Turn Ahead"), and Dex struggling with actually having feelings, like you said. Not to mention some of my absolute favourite scenes in the series. Doakes confronting Dex at the Everglades cabin. Dex explaining to the copycat killer how things SHOULD be done, and how he doesn't NEED to kill, but he's totally going to anyway. ("It's very empowering.") And this one montage-of-sorts in "Left Turn Ahead" with Dex nd Deb, that feels almost like something out of Six Feet Under. You'll know it when you see it.

And of course, um... when you finish, if you're interested, I has fanfic. Sigh. :)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Just finished. I have to say the ending seemed a bit too...contrived. It was too neatly wrapped up with Lila taking out Doakes. And the scene in Paris made no freakin' sense. Dexter wouldn't have gone all the way to France and then attacked her in her own place, I mean it would be way too easy to track him there and tie him to the murder. And where would he hide the body? Get it out of the apartment building she was living in? It just seemed really off.

But, um, fanfic you say?

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

The scene in Paris I actually didn't mind -- I guess we're supposed to figure at this point that Dex can pretty much think himself out of any situation, and the only part important enough to see was him killing her.

But I definitely agree about the ending being contrived. The fact is, I predicted what would happen (Lila killing Doakes, Dex killing Lila), and the fact that I was RIGHT pisses me off a little, because usually these writers are good at surprising. And as happy as I was to see Lila bite it, her death was just... eh. I wrote about it here if you're interested.

But yeeees, fanfic! I has it! If you are interested, here is where it lives:

Be Not Proud -- Dexter kills the "guy he picked up in a bar," and Doakes listens. Missing moment from season 2.

The Sky Fell While We Were Talking -- Rita deals with Dexter, post-Lila. A love story, if you squint.

Water Through a Rusted Pipe -- Post season 2, Deb asks Dexter a few awkward questions, and Dex experiments with truth. (There's a follow-up to this one in the works, because that conversation is NOT over.)

Any feedback is, of course, appreciated. Especially since Dexfic is eating my brain nowadays. :)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I really liked all 3 fics, but I have to say my favorite, where I thought you got the voice just right was "Water Through a Rusted Pipe". And damn your Deb is dead on, I mean I heard every single word that came out of her mouth in the actress' voice. Sheer fucking brilliant!

And I have to say that "The Sky Fell While we were Talking" really is the most romantic thing I've read in ages. I did like the fact that the series actually allowed Dex to start feeling real emotions (although kinda screwed up and in his own weird way) for both Rita and the kids, and that you nail that here. It's also one of those fics that fills in a missing scene that I really needed in the series.

I've started a new memories section for Dexter fics and yours are going in first, if you've got recs, though, I'm all ears. Also did you catch the vid I recommended here? (http://kikimiserychic.imeem.com/video/jZk3a8AO/kiki_miserychic_dex_ramalama_bang_bang_tv_video/) It's all season one but it is one of the best fanvids I've ever seen, period. And I can't listen to the song without thinking of Dexter now...

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Whoa -- thanks! Like, thanks millions! Your comments made me bounce up and down in my chair a little, which means I'm a geek, but whatever. I'm glad "Water..." worked so well for you. I'm happy with the way it turned out so far, but it's not finished. Dexter made so many missteps in that conversation that it's almost impossible for Deb not to have noticed... so yeah, I'm working on a continuation, which is absolutely draining me.

As for recs -- yes, I has them. :) My two absolute favourites are these:

Dexter, Dissected -- this follows book-canon, not TV-canon. I don't know if you've read the books, but in case you haven't: this Dexter isn't a fucked-up guy who THINKS he's a sociopath... he actually IS one. So he's a lot darker than TV-Dex. And he and Rita have just gotten married.

Ask Me How -- this bridges the gap between the first and second seasons. Dexter deals with the inner aftermath of killing Brian, and the narrative voice is so spot-on and utterly brilliant that I can't even stand it.

I'll keep ya posted if I find more awesome ones.... :)

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

PS -- No, I can't get the vid to load! Do you have it saved or anything??

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you can download from Imeem, but I'll check that out tonight. If I can save it I'll send you a copy because it is just masterful. I can't even imagine a better vid for Dexter.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Oooh, awesome. I love well-made fanvids, rare as they are.

Speaking of which, have you seen the one set to "Tranquilize" by The Killers? It's a season 2 character study, and it's pretty awesome. :)

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Ha! Ramalama Bang Bang available here: http://www.angelfire.com/crazy/ramalamabangbang/ramalama_bangbang_.wmv

Also highly recommend you check out the creator's other vid recs 'cause she's got some impressively good taste: http://kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com/

And no I hadn't seen "Tranquilize", but damn that was good! Thanks for the rec!

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

I'm a little obsessed with Tranquilize. It gives me chillies. :)

Ramalama Bang Bang was awesome! I need to check out her Firefly vids... oooh....

[kirylyn.livejournal.com]

I think if I had a time machine, I'd go back and not only stop Lucas from EVAR doing the prequels but ALSO stop him from changing the original movie!!

HAN SHOT FIRST!!!

I had purchased the anniversary WS VHS tapes but never got around *watching* it.

was at a friend's house when he was playing Ep IV and I nearly spit out my lunch. WTF????

HAN FIRED FIRST!!

makes me afraid to look at my Indy movies on DVD to discover what horrors Spielberg inflicted on them

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

You're so right, those should've been stopped as well. And I think the shovel to the head plan would've been the most appropriate response.

[silkblade.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to seeing the second season of Dexter. I watched the first over Christmas. I recently read the book it was based on and have the second downstairs.

And Troian loved the "Labs are Vital" bracelet I brought home for him (it's just like those blahstrong bracelets). For a little while anyway. Now it's just sits on the floor, a sad and forgotten little toy.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I really liked season 2 of Dexter but it definitely wasn't as strong as the first. The first stuck pretty close to the first book and held together like a well written novel. The second becomes a lot more episodic, though still well done.

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure if you recognized him, but that's the same comedian who killed us with his KFC bowl routine. I think I may have a new favorite comedian. :)

I can't decide if my favorite moment was Radek's pigeon or John having memorized Rodney's password (or really, just the fact that Rodney had trusted him enough to *give him* that password. I mean we all know he has porn hidden on his laptop...). But at least there was a favorite moment to choose from, unlike that hideous S3 ep we sat through.

I'm watching some SGA right now, finishing up my art review for my incredibly smart and talented editor, and then hacking away at this monstrosity of a script.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

And at the end of the script I get some fic from you, right? :)

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

Sure! But script first. He wants to get to first base sometime soon....