Multifandom:

51 TV Writers Reveal Their Favorite Scenes... to have written, and as I knew a considerable part of these, I realised again I watch a lot tv. Damon Lindelof cracks me up with his description of the “WE HAVE TO GO BAAAAAAAACK!” (yes, I added all those extra A’s in the script)" scene from Lost (though seriously, I can see why that particular scene and the concept change it meant felt so liberating to him at the tme). And all my "love for fannish underdogs" buttons are pushed by the fact that Jane Espenson chose not a scene from any of her Buffy episodes, not from BSG, not from Once upon a Time, but from Torchwood: Miracle Day, especially since what she picked was actually my favourite thing about MD (which I didn't love the way I did Children of Earth but thought wasn't the worst thing ever, either, better than season 1 had been actually, just a regression after the narrative height of CoE), a sequence involving Gwen and Jack. Here's ( Jane E's spoilery description. ) Since I adored that sequence (I'm weird like that), I'm thrilled to bits she chose it.

The Hunger Games:


The trailer for Mockingjay Part II is out. Since nowadays trailers manage to give away key twists, I was most impressed this one manages to avoid it. If you've read the book, you know what some of the scenes we get glimpses at actually are about, the context certain lines are said in, but the trailer accomplishes two major misdirections without actually lying at all. Kudos, trailer cutting people! Also, this one is going to leave me an emotional wreck. Oh, Katniss. Oh, everyone.

Awesome British Actors:

Stuff like this is why nobody needs to RPF Ian McKellen/Patrick Stewart; they're doing it all by themselves, thank you. :) (Oh, and re: the subject of Ian McKellen's latest movie, while I hadn't felt the need for yet another Sherlock Holmes in theory, I'm of course looking forward to watching Ian McKellen playing him in practice.)

I still don't seem to have my sensible review writing brain back, but you try this while going with your mother through luggage lists while simultanously engaging in far more sinister real life business. Thus in brevity:

DW: Night Terrors: the name Mark Gattis as the episode writer didn't exactly feel me with confidence (no, Mark, I'm still not over last season's dreadful Victory of the Daleks, and your Sherlock finale was so-so at best - can't you stick to acting?), but the episode was thoroughly unobjectionable. Also not very inspiring. A nice standalone in which the Doctor was Doctor-ish and Amy & Rory did engage a lot in the Companion sport activity No.1, i.e. running. I had the distinct impression of having seen the episode before, at least twice, once on Sarah Jane Adventures and once on DW itself (as Fear Her), but never mind, in the Whoverse you're bound to repeat yourself. However, I couldn't help but feel that this is the kind of standalone episode which Moffat used to get when he was the guest writer as opposed to the headwriter, and that he would have made it exceptional (as well as genuinenly scary) if he wasn't busy producing and spreading himself thin. But maybe that's my inner grouch speaking; like I said, it was a nice avarage DW ep and an okay effort.

TW: The Gathering: no Immortals swinging swords showed up (and that was your Highlander joke of the day), but otherwise we've rarely seen so many of the regular ensemble in one spot. ( Some more spoilery bits and pieces. )

*whistles Sergio Leone composed tune*

( Once upon a time in America )

To say anything above cut would be spoilery in this case, so, without further ado:

( We are all angels )

In which Jane Espenson writes in RTD world. Naturally, this is the one for m/m action and f/f friendship!

( mortal man, mortal needs )

One of the best summaries of the Murdoch/his papers/politicians affair online so far.

Fanfic recs:

Merlin:

You are a runner and I am my father's son: post season 3 tale which satisfies various of my fictional cravings, most of all that it doesn't treat Arthur's love for Gwen and Merlin as competitive or mutually exclusive but in addition and support of each other. *waves OT3 flag* (The only complaint I have is my usual one in Arthur-finds-out tales, not particular to this one. Sooner or later I'll probably get around to writing my own version so I do something constructive instead of just murmuring to myself that what Arthur needs to deal with most in such a case isn't "Merlin is a sorceror and lied to me" or even "what I thought about magic was wrong" but "if what I thought about magic and magic users is wrong, what does this mean regarding the many people to whose death I actively or indirectly contributed?") Also there is hilarious Gwaine and an imaginative use of one particular bit of Arthurian myth.

X-Men:

A summer so late in coming: in which Charles and Erik, post X3 (the tag scene to that film makes it possible), and due to a certain change in New York State law, get their happy ending at long last. Of sorts. It's the kind of story that can easily go wrong and treacly if unbalanced but here it's just perfect, with the bittersweetness very appropriate to the characters.

The Raven, the Rooks and the Lantern: a Narnia crossover, in which young Charles and Raven go through a certain wardrobe.

Review:

Jane Espenson writes about the first episode of Miracle Day: ( choice quote, not very spoilery but just to be on the safe side I cut: )

You said it, Jane.

Aka my reward after packing and walking one last time.

( It's like New Jersey )