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Mark Baker

Once Upon a Time 2-10: The Cricket Game

Only one episode back, and already the twists are coming fast and furious. Okay, so there was little that surprised me in this episode (thanks in large part to the episode description on my DVR before I started watching where I had the first 15 minutes nailed), but wow, I can’t imagine where they are going to go from here.

Oh yeah, and did I mention I truly feel sorry for Regina. I was tearing up with her at the end. I never would have guessed I’d feel that way last year. Awesome character development.

So, let’s get to it. And let’s start in the Enchanted Forest that was.Read More »Once Upon a Time 2-10: The Cricket Game

Castle 5-9: Secret Santa

Nothing makes it feel like Christmas like a murder. (Okay, I’m actually reading a mystery set at Christmas time right now, and I’ve read plenty of others over the years.) Despite this being season 5, this is the first Christmas episode we’ve gotten of Castle, and it was a fun one. As my roommate will attest, I was laughing at lots of the lines over the course of the episode.

The episode opens in a not so nice way as a family is in a park making snow angels when Santa falls from the sky nearby dead. Talk about trauma for the child.Read More »Castle 5-9: Secret Santa

Once Upon a Time 2-9: Queen of Hearts

I had some expectations going into tonight’s winter finale of Once Upon a Time. Those expectations were met, but we got some interesting pieces of the puzzle along the way. Once again, I am impressed by how the writers of this show are weaving together threads into a coherent whole. I don’t know how long they can keep this going, but the ride is so much fun along the way.

Oh yeah, and they made me feel sorry for Regina. I know. I never thought I would utter those words unqualified last year.

We’re going to start with the flashbacks. There wasn’t much to them, but what was there was pretty interesting.Read More »Once Upon a Time 2-9: Queen of Hearts

Once Upon a Time 2-8: Into the Deep

No, I didn’t forget to do a recap this week. I spent a few extra days with my family after Thanksgiving and didn’t get the episode watched until last night. It was clearly set up for what looks to be some major show downs in the winter finale next week. Or the set up for the second half of the season. (Returning in January. So how can it really be a winter finale?) Or both.

I think I’m going to have to abandon my normal recap one setting and then the other format since the stories were taking place at the same time and interacting thanks to the shadow world. Fortunately, we have Storybrooke Present and Enchanted Forrest Present, so it will be a little easier to keep everything straight. But prepare for some location jumping.

Our story opens with Hook coming down the beanstalk. Read More »Once Upon a Time 2-8: Into the Deep

Castle on ABC

Castle 5-8: After Hours

Castle on ABC

While last week was a bit of an attempt to change the usual formula for the show, last night really change things up. It reminded me in many ways of “Cuffed” from last season, but it was still a well done episode.

It all started with a meet the parents dinner, or at least dessert. Beckett’s Dad has joined Beckett, Castle, and Martha at the loft. Martha has even made her one dessert, death by chocolate. Unfortunately, Martha and Beckett’s Dad aren’t really getting along. He insults her lack of seriousness since she is an actress, and then she turns around and calls baseball boring. (It is, but we won’t go there.) Castle and Beckett are relived to be interrupted by a phone call about a body.Read More »Castle 5-8: After Hours

Castle 5-7: Swan Song

I do not like the mockumentary/found footage style of story telling. It’s a reason I don’t like The Office. So you can imagine my reaction to last night’s Castle. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the actors did a great job of playing their characters as over actors. But the results made me cringe more than laugh. Plus there’s the shaky camera work, a style I hate. Fortunately, the murder was interesting.

And how did we get this set up? Well, the murder victim was the lead guitarist in a band that was just about to make it big, and a documentary crew had been following them for the last few months. Since our vic was the band in many ways, the director feels no one will be interested in this film, but maybe he can savage something by filming the investigation. (And of everyone on the crew, the director is the only one we see, although a few people do talk to the camera people.)

Castle is the first one to start hamming it up for the cameras while everyone else is more interested in shutting them down. Unfortunately, the PR person for the NYPD feels this will be a boost to the department, so they are given permission to film the investigation. As things continue, the rest of the department begins to get into the act. We’ve got Esposito and Ryan fighting to see who can show off more for the camera. Lanie calls Castle and Beckett down for an only slight revelation while wearing a very low cut top and mugging for the camera. Castle begins to tire of everyone’s antics, and only Beckett never really gives in to them. In fact, she is back to her reserved, annoyed self we saw most in season one.

Oh, you want to hear about the murder?Read More »Castle 5-7: Swan Song

Once Upon a Time 2-7: Child of the Moon

As much as I am enjoying this season, I will admit I miss having all the characters in every episode. I fee like we are only getting advancements on some of our stories each week, and I’m greedy. I want more!!!!!

Having said that, this week was enjoyable. I felt like I was often half a step ahead of the characters, but even so, I liked seeing how things turned out.

We spent the majority of our time in Storybrooke this week, so let’s start there. As the episode opens, the dwarfs are about to quit their mining for the day, only Grumpy isn’t ready to go. He takes one more swing at the wall of the mine, and tumbles down into a room. They quickly call Charming, who brings Henry and the Blue Fairy. She confirms they’ve found the diamonds from which fairy dust can be made. She tells Charming to keep the hat safe because they will be using it to bring Snow and Emma home again soon. (Was that the Blue Fairy or a different fairy? I can’t remember right at the moment, but I fairly certain it was. Not that it really matters.)

Sadly, we’re only 3 minutes into the episode. You should never make those kinds of promises so early in an episode.Read More »Once Upon a Time 2-7: Child of the Moon

Castle 5-6: The Final Frontier

A murder at a science fiction convention. Anyone not expecting a Firefly reference or two? I certainly was, yet they still made me laugh.

The fictional show that our murder revolves around is Nebula 9. This cheesy show only lasted 12 episode and that was 10 years ago (Firefly reference in the number of episodes and how long ago it aired). Castle has no use for it, saying he prefers Star Trek, Galatica, and that Joss Whedon show (reference #2). Of course, Beckett turns out to be a fan of Nebula 9, something that Castle can’t stop teasing her about, although he is also begging to see her in the uniform she wore at the time as a fan.

At this convention, there is the “fan experience.” Created by an ubber fan of the show (who bought the rights to it cheaply), this “show” allows fans to pretend they are members of the crew and act out an episode with the original captain, or at least the actor who played him.

And after one such performance, the creator of the fan experience is found dead in a prop on the set.Read More »Castle 5-6: The Final Frontier