Hi, flist! Some of you may wonder about the lack of activity around here lately, and I thought I should probably let you know that I no longer intend to write any Supernatural reviews. In fact, I have quit watching the show altogether after The Purge, and there is little chance that I will return to the show (or the fandom) in the future. It is no secret that I have not been happy with the show for a long while, but the writers’ treatment of Sam’s possession storyline was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. I have lost all connection to the story and the characters – well, to the version of them that is presented to us by the current team of writers at least – so there was really no point in continuing with the show.

( I would do it again.Collapse )

In the meantime, I kind of drifted into the Stargate SG-1 fandom. Watching the show may have started as a light-hearted distraction, but it turned into a genuine passion surprisingly quickly, and I enjoy being in a fandom that has mellowed considerably with time, resulting in a pretty relaxed and hate-free atmosphere. Granted, Stargate is not the deepest science fiction show that has ever captured my attention, but at the moment I appreciate its overall optimistic tenor, as well as the family dynamic between the somewhat flawed but positive characters, more than I can say. I admit, I have grown a little weary of stories about anti-heroes, dysfunctional relationships and moral ambiguities, and I think I am going to indulge in some lighter, more upbeat fare for a while. Well, for the most part anyway.

As for the future of this journal, I am honestly not sure what will become of it. I originally started this blog in order to post my fanart and my Supernatural reviews, but now that I have ceased both, I am not sure if I will be able to generate frequent new content for it. I mean, I am not one for posting about my personal life, and while I recently developed a taste for making gifs, LJ is not really suited for publishing them; that’s what Tumblr is for, after all. That leaves writing, but I do not really anticipate getting into a similarly extensive writing project any time soon. That is not to say that I no longer write. Stargate does tickle my muse quite a bit – at the moment, I am up to over 50.000 words of meta/observations about the show – but those writings are not really intended for public consumption. Still, I definitely plan on keeping this journal for the time being. Who knows when it might come in handy again!

In case anyone is wondering why I am so late/behind with my reviews lately: Real life is somewhat stressful for me at the moment. I mean, between my boss deciding to move our offices closer to his home (and thus 50 km further away from mine) and a four-hour increase in my weekly office hours, I am stuck with 10+ hour workdays at the moment, and that leaves me with little energy for review writing.

Moreover, in order to cut down on time and gas costs, I will have to move closer to our new offices, so I spend my weekends looking for flats, calling potential landlords, negotiating with realtors and inspecting appartments, which cuts into my weekend time as well. It probably does not help that I am completely caught up in a Stargate SG-1 marathon - a show I find happiness inducing and relaxing (both of which Supernatural is not at the moment, at least not for me) - so what little free time I have is often spent indulging my current obsession with the show.

So, all in all, my writing time is severely limited at the moment. I am still watching and reviewing, of course, but I will probably be unable to keep to a weekly posting schedule. I hope you will all bear with me. Things should go back to normal, once I will finally be able to find a new place.

Andrew Dabb’s Road Trip unites Dean, Castiel and Crowley on the common goal to get rid of Sam’s unwanted 'passenger' and finally resolves the uncomfortable situation that has been driving the brothers’ storyline all season long. The outcome of the resulting argument between Sam and Dean has always been fairly predictable, but for once I think it is an absolutely necessary step for the brothers to take, so I am not at all upset about it. Overall, I enjoyed Road Trip more than I thought I would; it is definitely a step up from the previous episode.

( I’m not gonna stop you.Collapse )

Sorry, this review is so late, again. To tell the truth, I felt little motivation to write about Holy Terror, mainly because I barely managed to stay awake during the episode. The majority of the plot consists of angels posturing, scheming, torturing or killing each other, all of which does not exactly constitute as exciting TV for me. There is precious little time spent on Sam and Dean, and in what little time with them we are given, Sam himself is hardly ever present at all. Overall, Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner delivered another lacklustre script with canonical problems and a plot-over-character approach. At the very least, though, the final moments of the episode should provide the season with some forward momentum.

( There is no more Sam.Collapse )

As usual, I am taking off to spend the holidays with my family. So, I wish all my friends a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Sadly, livejournal has become somewhat quiet over the course of the past year, but that makes me all the more grateful for the friends that are still around. I hope you all have a peaceful holiday with your family and friends!



By the way, my review for Holy Terror is in the making. I just didn't get to finish it, because I was pretty sick these past two weeks. But I have some time off between the years, so I am confident that I'll get it out before the winter hiatus is over.

Rock and A Hard Place by Jenny Klein is one of those episodes, where I find one half of the story immensely enjoyable, while the other half is a constant source of frustration for me. In this particular case, the frustration part mostly pertains to Dean’s characterisation, which I feel is rather poor and does the character a huge disservice; the enjoyment part, on the other hand, relates to Sam and Jody’s interaction, which I guess is no surprise to anyone who knows me even a little bit. Given my mixed feelings for the episode, I could not claim that it is an overall winner for me, but the final scene between the brothers at least compensates for some of the shortcomings of the script.

( Or this is just the way I am.Collapse )

I daresay it does not get more old-school than Bad Boys, except for, you know, actual episodes from the early seasons of the show. Adam Glass ticks all the right boxes for a classic Supernatural episode – a good old-fashioned ghost hunt, Wee!chester flashbacks, gory deaths, a salt and burn, Sam being choked and Dean being thrown into a wall, Dean connecting with kids, parallels between the ghost story and the Winchesters’ story – and the end result is a largely enjoyable trip down memory lane, both for the characters and the viewer. It is no secret how much I miss the old days of the show, so unsurprisingly Bad Boys firmly positions itself as my favourite episode of the season so far.

( Sometimes you have to do what’s best for you, even if it’s going to hurt the ones you love.Collapse )

I am sorry this review is so late, but unfortunately I have computer troubles at the moment and the damn thing just won’t let me write (or do anything, really) for more than an hour or so, before it powers down again. So, until I find a way to fix my computer, I might be tad behind with my reviews. Handwritten notes only get me so far, I am afraid.

Okay, that was perfectly – boring. Heaven Can’t Wait by new writer Robert Berens is not a bad episode per se, it is just not relevant to my interests. I mean, monologue-ing angels and squabbling demons are just not my idea of fun, and the Castiel centricity of the plot does not help either. Obviously, the fact that the episode has no Sam-and-Dean time to speak of impacts my enjoyment of the episode as well, and since I do not even find the brothers’ individual storylines particularly engaging (or illuminating, character-wise), there is just nothing that captures my attention. So far, it is probably my least favourite episode of the season. Well, the least interesting at any rate.

( That sounds like a real case, Dean. I should be there.Collapse )

Dog Dean Afternoon by Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder is a rather silly episode, that borders on (and sometimes crosses over into) the embarrassing and crude, and as such I have my fair share of problems with it. However, there is also an interesting casefile, amiable Sam and Dean interaction and some minor developments on the Ezekiel front, so the episode is not a total loss. In some respects, it even has an 'old-school' vibe, which I always appreciate, but sadly much of that appreciation was buried under the more ridiculous parts of the plot.

( He was possessed by something he couldn’t control. It was just a matter of time before it completely took over.Collapse )

Robbie Thompson’s Slumber Party is one of those wacky episodes I have to come to associate with Ben Edlund’s comedic work on Supernatural, you know, humorous, but with dark overtones; nonsensical, but highly entertaining. Like many Robbie Thompson episodes, Slumber Party features Charlie as Sam and Dean’s geeky sidekick, and while I have to admit that the episode failed to entirely charm me the way previous Charlie centric episodes did, I still loved to see her back. Overall, even though there are moments in the episode that bothered me, I still enjoyed it as a whole.

( There is nothing worse than adventure.Collapse )

I really don't do memes often, but I thought I'd snag this TV meme from llywela13.

Bold all of the following TV shows of which you've seen 3 or more episodes.
- Italicize a show if you're positive you've seen every episode.
- Asterisk if you have at least one full season on tape or DVD
- If you want, add up to 3 additional shows (keep the list in alphabetical order).

( The list of doomCollapse )

I’m No Angel by Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner puts its focus on Castiel’s struggle with his new status as a human being as well as on his attempts to evade the faction of the angels that are out for his blood – and as such the episode is of little interest to me. While there are at least some enjoyable, domestic Sam and Dean moments in the episode, there are also problematic moments where Dean’s handling of Sam’s current status is concerned, but, well, given the writers of this episode that was probably to be expected. So, overall, this is a rather short and not particularly deep review. It is just not the kind of episode that inspires the meta-writer in me.

( I lied. I do that.Collapse )

So, ever since I got my own Tumblr account, I felt tempted to try my hands at gif-making, and this weekend I finally caved and experimented with different programs and techniques. I have to say, it really is fun and far less difficult than I imagined. Well, at a beginner's level at any rate. I have no doubt that some of the effects I have seen on fancier gif-sets require more time and professional programs to achieve. Of course, making gif-sets is not the same as making wallpapers, but it has been a long time since my creative muse last decided to stop by, and I am glad that I finally feel motivated again to create something.

For anyone interested, you can find my first two gifsets HERE and HERE. As I said, nothing fancy, but I am quite happy with them for a first try.

While the season opener took a look at the immediate aftermath of the S8 finale for the Winchesters and the fallen angels, Devil May Care by Andrew Dabb follows up with an exploration of the demonic side of things. The episode not only gives Crowley, Abaddon and Kevin a spot in the limelight, but it also confronts Dean with the consequences of his actions in Sacrifice as well as I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here. Overall, Devil May Care is a solid instalment in the new season. It may not be as much of an emotional rollercoaster as the season opener, but it is still a fairly entertaining episode.

( Are you with me?Collapse )