Switched at Birth: Relationships Going Sour?

Angelo may have been absent from this installment, but this series is otherwise back on track for each character having their own storylines taking place. John and Regina had a very small moment, though her project re-decorating the car wash's office and waiting area will probably come back in a bigger way before long. Similarly, Ty being redeployed was probably inevitable and will likely be a major event for Bay just like the first time, especially now that he has admitted that he loves her. The more thought-provoking love situation, however, would probably be Daphne taking issue with Jace's lack of morals. The Coto event could have been just some summer fun, and his Independence Day antics were with business intentions, but the kid definitely has a dark side. In the past, Daphne has gone for that type, but perhaps she's already catching onto what probably won't end well...

Switched at Birth "As the Shadows Deepen" (S02E18): Maui, Kansas isn't doing well and is planning to close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until Bay comes up with some ideas for themed days to bring in more business. [I hope we see her try to implement more of them.] She starts with Deaf Day getting Daphne to help spread the word.

facebook.com/SwitchedatBirth

Then, Emmett helps her get a 16mm print of Deafenstein online, but they receive Spankenstein instead. [there's no sign for Rocky Horror?!] Their only option is to project the DVD, but when you add that to the food, games, and deaf karaoke, the crowd seems pleased. Well, most of the crowd. Travis gets drunk and upset that no girls like him, but he asks out Mary Beth and she accepts. [I wonder how that date will go... though I'm sure Bay will tutor her a bit.] Plus, one guy makes a rude comment about deaf people, so when Jace and Daphne later find his wallet, she takes the cash as a donation to Carlton. [I didn't like how this was pretty much condoned.] Jace plans to then steal from the guy, but Daphne puts a stop to that.

Daphne and Jace make out in a parked car, and a policeman shows up, so Jace pretends that he has diplomatic immunity. [I can't believe how easy that was!] Later, the pair are at a cafe and learn that Chef Jeff is engaged to a woman he was dating for four years, meaning that he cheated on her with both Melody and Daphne. Jace tells Jeff's fiance about this, angering Jeff and Daphne. [why bring back Jeff? What purpose does that serve?]

Kathryn finds out that Toby is on the waitlist for WU, so she asks John's father to make a call and see if Toby could get higher up on the list. As John and his father don't speak, Kathryn tries to get the men to let go of their anger, which results in the men actually having a conversation. [please don't tell me the guy will become a recurring character...]

Nikki and Toby want to see her father's killer, but they need someone 21+ to chaperone them, so Toby asks Regina. [how handy that must be...] They go, but Nikki chickens out at the last minute, leaving Toby to talk to the man, who is remorseful. However, he also says that Nikki's father was a drug dealer. [whaaa...?!?!?] He tells Regina, who says that he should tell Nikki before she learns from someone else... only his fiance won't believe him. [interesting that she won't believe Toby...]

Under the Dome: Running Low on Supplies...

It is about time there was looting! Maybe I've lived in more bad areas than Stephen King, but with no power, limited supplies, and very few law enforcement officers, nobody has started stealing stuff until now? Sure, small towns tend to have nice people and all, but it seems implausible and contrived that people would start stealing food the same time others would be hoarding medicine. Add in the fact that the water supply dwindles at the same moment, and the drama to ensue is more movie-of-the-week than anything else. Of course, nothing has come of Barbie's cigarette purchase a few days ago yet, which was done solely because he knew there would be a run on the cancer sticks. Similarly, Joe and Norrie being the first ones to start going through the homes of those who may be outside the Dome seems odd... surely a true criminal would have thought of that? Or, again, perhaps I just can't fathom how "good" the people in small towns must be...

Under the Dome "The Endless Thirst" (S01E06): Angie hits Junior with a snow globe to escape, and eventually gets to the diner where she tells Rose about the past few days. Elsewhere, everyone else is wondering why the missile didn't even crack the Dome, and nobody has an answer. [well, it is difficult to explain!] However, the frequencies are now jammed for both the radio station and the police walkie-talkies. Dodee builds a contraption to try locating the power source for the Dome, and she and Julia learn that it's Norrie and Joe. The teens admit to their strange seizures, and Julia keeps Dodee from telling anyone. [and then Julia turns to Barbie for comfort? hmmm...] It also seems that, if Joe and Norrie touch the Dome together, the frequencies unjam.

Alice becomes delusional from not taking her insulin and steps into the road, causing a semi-truck to crash into the water tower when it swerves to avoid her. [how very unfortunate.] Linda and Barbie (who is now officially a cop assistant) then realize that the lake is contaminated, so there is no more water source for the town. BigJim knows of a secret well and barters some of his propane for access, although the gruff guy wants quite a bit of the gas. [how could someone use as much as this guy wants?] Meanwhile, Alice's condition is grave, as there is no more insulin available. Norrie takes matters into her own hands and looks up the addresses of the other diabetics in town to try and steal their supplies. [I don't know if I would have even though of that!] She manages to get one bottle, though she feels bad taking it from a kid. This is only the beginning of the stealing around town, however, as after store owners decide to take batteries and propane instead of cash (and only allowing people 2L of water each), everything on the shelves begins to be stuffed into backpacks. Next, a pair of brothers busts into Rose's diner to rob the freezer, killing Rose and knocking Angie unconscious. Barbie puts an end to it, but when Linda's car has slashed tires, he lets BigJim take the girl to the hospital.

James Bridges

However, BigJim brings Angie back to his place, asking her to keep quiet about the kidnapping in exchange for promising that Junior will never touch her again and that she can have all the food, money, propane, water, and guns she needs. [I don't know if I'd agree to that...] While this may put an end to Angie's issues, the town's biggest concern is also being solved: it begins raining. And, because it's evaporated water in a micro-climate, it has been filtered and is drinkable. [what luck!]

Little People, Big World: Around the Farm and in Costa Rica

When Little People, Big World premiered ages ago, the episodes spent a lot of time showcasing how the Roloffs manage to do everything that others do. After a while, however, it became more like every other reality family. "Welcome to the Jungle" brought the series back to its roots, however, as it depicted how emotional it can be when Matt just isn't as able-bodied as the rest of the family. Another aspect which really came out on vacation is how Amy's role has changed as a mother since the family first came on the scene back in 2005. In both episodes, she struggles with the fact that she's not as needed as she once was, and although she's still there to provide love and support, she has time to work on her own projects once more, including returning to the workforce. However, although the focuses on parenting and ability were once a great focus for the Roloffs, these specials had very little time devoted to the Jeremy, Zach, and Molly, which left audiences a little unbalanced.

DCL

Little People, Big World "Breaking Down the Walls" (Special): Amy tries hard to get Jacob to talk about his life, dreams, schooling, and more. He doesn't have much in the way of aspirations, so Matt challenges him to maintain a B average to be eligible to get his driver's license. He does raise his physics grade, and he is able to start driving. [his attitude toward Amy on the way to the DMV made me sad.]
 
Matt builds a wine cellar with a tasting room on the farm, and wants Amy to help with this and other projects he has for the property. She would rather return to teaching however, and we see her interview at an alternative school, where she pitches a diversity class. [lots of "ums" but I thought the questions were fair.] She's told to go write up a more formal proposal for the course, and she is very excited to be offered the job. [as much as I love to teach about diversity, throwing "what does diversity mean to you?" at middle schoolers is a bit much.]

Little People, Big World "Welcome to the Jungle" (Special): It's March, and Matt wants a big family trip. Because Molly is studying Spanish, Amy suggests a Spanish-speaking country, and they settle on Costa Rica. It'll be Matt and Amy, their four kids, plus Tori and Audrey, Jeremy's girlfriend of 19 months. [I love watching people rush to take off for trips! it's some sort of morbid pleasure I guess.]

The first adventure is kayaking, but Matt is late getting to the van and then has issues sitting in the kayak for very long, forcing him to get into a boat instead. They see mangroves and iguanas on the outing. They next day, the plan is to hike in Manuel Antonio National Park. Matt tries to do it, as it's only about 3 miles long, but he can't keep up and gives up after a while, waiting for the family and enjoying some coconut. They see monkeys, rodents, and more iguanas. They have a beach picnic, and then Matt takes the boys fishing while the girls go shopping. [and Molly gets a random haircut?] That night, Zach and Jeremy take their girlfriends for a romantic dinner while Matt and Amy do the same.

Next on the agenda is donating a bunch of stuff to a school and playing with kids, as part of a service project. Then, it's on to a jungle adventure, with jeeps, ziplines, ropes to cross, waterfalls to rappel, and even some plunging. [I looked up this activity, as it seemed pretty neat to me. I'm nearly certain this is it, and it seems very reasonable and safe.] Matt makes an effort to follow the family, but it just becomes too steep and he has to turn back. On the bright side, he is able to do some off-road driving and watch the group finish the adventure. [above picture.] The final activity is horseback riding, for which Matt has a custom saddle. [he's never ridden a horse but had a saddle made? seems a bit strange.]

Mistresses: Savi as a Mother

More information about the ages and relationships of the girls comes out when it is discovered that, when Savi was eight, her mother had an affair, and Joss is the product of that relationship. Being a forever irresponsible woman, Janet often left Savi to care for Joss, and the big sister went to great lengths to protect her half-sibling. Because Janet promptly moves to another continent days after being introduced, the character exists almost purely to explain the relationship between the sisters and to indicate Savi's motherly instincts and compassion. Dedicating the bulk of an episode to this basic information, however, might not have been the best use of the drama's time. After all, it kept much from happening with April, and although a few events occur in Karen's life, they exist mostly as set-up for future problems.   

Note: This series is going on hiatus for three weeks, and will then air its final four episodes on consecutive Mondays. 

Mistresses "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" (S01E09):
Savi: She has flashbacks to her mother the night before the woman rolls into town. Savi still can't bring herself to open the paternity results, but gives them to Joss for safekeeping after she realizes that neither answer will truly help anything at this point. [I followed that but don't agree. plus, is she just going to pretend that the results never arrived?] 

Joss: She is very happy to see her mother again, and eagerly shares about her homelessness and "girlfriend." As Joss doesn't have much tying her down, she volunteers to accompany Janet to Brazil after the woman announces her upcoming move to Rio. The morning after a big going-away party, however, Janet leaves without her, causing Joss to realize just how much Savi has always done for her. 

ABC/Peter "Hopper" Stone

Karen: After filling in the group about Elizabeth, she thinks about hiring a PI. She's sidetracked when Paul asks for her help, but she can't forget her first priority after she is sued by Elizabeth over "the wrongful death of Thomas Grey." Karen may be caught in her lies about Thomas's state of mind because she references a treatment date when Thomas was allegedly on vacation. [that sucks. let's hope that's not the case!]

April: She finally tells Lucy about her relationship with Richard, but she may still not be over Paul, with whom she chats once more. [I was betting that fake-sick thing would blow up in her face, but I guess not...]

Giveaway Winners: Game of Thrones & Falling Skies

While at Comic-Con 2013, two giveaways were running, one for a Game of Thrones book, and another for a Falling Skies bracelet. Both have ended, we've contacted the winners and gotten their addresses, and now it's time to share those names with you!

One thing I wanted to be sure to point out is that we check the entries against the actual posts/likes/shares/follows. So, if you claimed that you "liked" us on facebook but don't, you were removed from the pool of potential winners. Similarly, if you said you left a comment on the post but didn't, you weren't eligible to win in that case, either. We have several more giveaways coming up in the near future, so be certain to read the directions like our winners this time around did!

Cake Boss: Paul's Submarine Send-Off

Paul is moving on from baking to sales, at a bakery supply company. It may not have the creative side where Paul excels, but it could also be a more steady income with more conducive work hours to raising his family. This should allow Ashley to stand out more for her work and less for her ongoing feud with her former competitor, though it was still very generous of Buddy to help out Paul in a time of need. Paul's final project was an interesting one, with lots of detail and a combination of reality and fantasy. Similarly, Mauro's cake this episode incorporated both the legacy of a family as well as a young teen's wishes, resulting in a masterpiece to please all. However, with neither project really facing any big difficulties, it seems that an overly complicated cake will pop up next episode!

The Cake Boss "Buttercream Submarine" (S06E14): The Navy invites Buddy to the submarine base in CT, and then ask him make a cake for a ball. Paul has been on a submarine, so he's a leader on the project, his final one for Carlo's Bakery. [good riddance! not that I'm anti-Paul, but the drama between him and Ashley is beyond annoying.] There's some argument over the ocean floor... Buddy wants colorful coral, even if black caverns would be more realistic. The cake also has a propeller and a moving periscope. [I really liked the look actually, and the squid and whale were okay, but the mer-man??]

DCL

Mauro needs to design a bat mitzvah cake that has purple and blue animal print, with rosettes on the bottom tier, and is both topsy-turvy and round, as mom and daughter have different ideas. [that's a lot to meld together! I think some of the sophistication died out, but it was still perfect for a thirteen-year-old.]

Falling Skies: Lourdes is Caught

This is, once again, an episode where nothing really happened. Tom returns from Boston via speedboat, Lourdes sets off a bomb and gets caught, and the destructive device that's been under construction is in danger because those who worked on it have died. Yes, there's plenty that could have been unraveled about those topics, but that's not where the episode spends its time. Tom's journey is largely missing, and the future of the WMD is an afterthought. Even Lourdes' plans and actions play second fiddle to the bulk of the episode that follows Charlestonians stuck in rubble here and there, and those who are out to rescue them. Fraggle Rock's "Marooned" episode did a better job at depicting mortality than Hal and Maggie asphyxiating. At least Cochise made a full recovery.

Falling Skies "Journey to Xibalba" (S03E09): Tom returns and shares the news that Anne and Lexi are in danger, and they'll be going after Karen to get to them. Weaver also listens to Tom's latest adventure, but others are concerned that he might have been bugged. There are bigger problems, though, as Lourdes sets off a bomb. [so I guess she's truly evil and not just mind-controlled?] Pope and Tom find Cochise badly injured, but he can regenerate if left alone. [but none of the rest of his species can do so?] There are many injured and trapped people, including Hal and Maggie, whom Ben and Matt rescue. Kadar is also stuck, and very concerned that they won't be able to get above ground.

James Dittiger

Things come together again after Tom and several others put together that Lourdes is the mole. Although the WMD-like device has been buried and its engineers killed, Kadar will likely be able to operate the device.

Newsroom: Twitter as a Source...

Military politics was the big theme for this episode, which is sensible when one recalls that the season is really a flashback to explain the incidents leading up to the Genoa broadcast. Still, it is enjoyable to see non-op storylines, like Jim on the campaign trail. I wonder if I'm alone in being surprised that so many reporters set up their own cameras and such? It seemed a little surreal to have everyone blabbering out the same press-release facts as well, but I can relate to that... it can be difficult to add much perspective to a bland story with no new facts. Similarly, Neal had little new to say about how OWS is going, though he does make an example out of Mac being the 1%. I'll leave that alone, though, before I start a debate that will rival the many that overtook Facebook when Occupy Wall Street was big...

The Newsroom "Willie Pete" (S02E03): Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum are all candidates supporting the military in one way or another, but none really say anything when a gay soldier in Iraq pitches a question during the September 23rd, 2011 debates about whether homosexual soldiers will be treated any better in the future. [I didn't think this point was made well... more explanation or time could have been given to it.] Jim, in particular, tries hard to get information out of Romney's people (or a one-on-one with the candidate himself), but he continues to be left out in the cold, whether the topic be health care, jobs creation, or Iran relations. He finally isn't alone, however, and another reporter asks about Romney's change in stance on abortion - on April 9, 2002, he supported a woman's right to choose, but now wants to repeal Roe v Wade. [I actually have no problem with someone who changes their mind on a topic after a number of years. you learn more, your own life influences you, you meet more people with varying circumstances of their own...] Jim attempts to lead a revolt against not having access to Romney, but all that does is get two journalists and himself kicked off the bus. [the stolen turkey sandwiches made me laugh.] 

Meanwhile, in New York, Jerry brings Mac with him to talk to Sweeney, but she's still a little skeptical of the man's circa March 9, 2009 story. After he explains that that they used "white phosphorus," but it was Sarin gas, she asks him to write down as many names as he can of the people who were with him. Jerry is permitted to work on finding someone who will corroborate the story, but it's a slow process and Mac was about to pull the plug on the research when translated tweets reveal the same details. [I didn't understand why the translations were being faxed in this day and age, though...]

HBO

Nina Howard finds out why Will didn't do the 9/11 broadcast and wants to spread the story. Will tells her the truth and asks her not to be "a mean girl" about it, and she agrees. The two then makes plans to go out, but Will still isn't over the fact that someone in the newsroom leaked the information. [we also learn the contents of Will's hacked voicemail to Mac, which included "I've never stopped loving you. You were spectacular tonight..."] It was Sloan, who turned down a date with Nina's book agent before Will actually "got sick." [in all honesty, who gets married on 9/11? I kinda feel like that date is off-limits for such festivities...] She makes Don go with her to tell Will the truth, but Charlie has figured out that it couldn't have been anyone on staff, because Nina knew that Charlie removed WIll, which the staff didn't know. So, Charlie and Will go to Reese with the admission-of-hacking recording, and he openly says that he told Nina and will tell others, as he wants it out there. [he's such a terrible guy!] Turns out, they can't even blackmail him, as the admission never recorded. [...WHAT??!?] Mac calls Nina to thank her for not running the story and asks her if she remembers Will's voicemail. Nina only tells her the part about how Will thought she did a great job with the coverage. [I'm more than over Mac and Will, isn't everyone??]

Smaller stories: Maggie gets her medical stuff in order to leave for Africa, and Mac warns her about the side effects of malaria pills. [what was the point in doing that? adding frenzy was not necessary.] Maggie is told she must also cover a human interest story in Uganda while she's over there. [I thought that was more than fair.] Sloan has moral issues with suggesting a certain stock. Mac wants the blog to be better, but Neal wants OWS to get more coverage. [I thought he put it well with the $1200 shows comment!]

SDCC 2013: The Tweets

Here's a collection of our tweets (@TheTalkingBox) from Comic-Con 2013! Be aware they are in reverse-chronological order. And, as we pointed out a couple of times, several tweets got eaten by the internet while we were there, so there are, sadly, a few gaps beyond Wednesday, when I was just over-excited and not thinking about sharing the experiences.

Sunday, July 21:
On the ground. #SDCC seems so surreal... I was trading swag 4 hours ago but now I'm almost home. 6 or 7 hours of shows on DVR... what first?
20 minute flight delay. Comic-Con just doesn't want me to leave! #SDCC 

That's a wrap, folks. We're headed to pack up the last swag bits and shuttle to the airport! More pics to come later! #SDCC 

Got an autograph from Jymn Magon on my #ducktales DVD set and I'm fighting back tears I'm so excited! #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

Gadget was the only character that stayed from the initial Rescue Rangers pitch. #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

We just had another #ducktales sing a long. I had goosebumps. #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

Someone in the room is dressed as a Beagle Boy! #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC 

Just saw the original pitch for Goof Troop! #DisneyAfternoon #SDCC

#DisneyAfternoon starts off with panelists statements. Voices in action! #SDCC

If anyone is there, good luck! RT @thenerdmachine Lets give away 10 Intel Core i7 Extreme processors right now at #NerdHQ Thanks @IntelEdge

That said, now in the room where Disney Afternoon will have its panel in 25 min! What was your favorite DA show? #SDCC

It always feels like you were walking forever to get to another #SDCC event, so when you arrive it's shocking to see it's only been ten min.
Did an hour on the floor, had some lunch, now back to the floor. Next panel at 2. #SDCC
A LOT of #Ducktales original gameplay was required to make the treasure locations match in easy, medium, and hard. #SDCC 

The #Ducktales game is banking on parents purchasing, not kids, as they don't know the characters. #SDCC

#Ducktales panel now featuring piano music in a special arrangement than what the credits feature. It was incredible. check YouTube! #SDCC

Special guest in the #Ducktales panel: Eric Bauza, Gizmo Duck! #SDCC 

If you played #Ducktales, you remember the pogo stick! Here's the look of Scrooge! ow.ly/i/2Fosi #SDCC 

The whole room just stood and sang the #Ducktales theme song! Magic! #SDCC

Also, for those who didn't check out my schedule, I'm doing Disney panels all day! www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/07/my-20… #SDCC 

Saturday, July 20th:

The girl who plays Charlie has REALLY white teeth. #Revolution #SDCC #Revolutioncon #WBSDCC (ridiculous hashtags!)

Seems that #Revolution is trying too hard this #SDCC with more hash tags than necessary... #Revolutioncon #WBSDCC 

This means that we will have #Revolution up next, which loyal followers know we love to hate! #SDCC 

Wait time was two hours WITH an appointment, so left and just sat in #6bcf #SDCC 20 Jul

Time to donate blood. It's a #SDCC tradition!

I'm always surprised that people don't know that voice actors usually don't sit around and all tape together... #SDCC #TheAwesomes

We're talking about #AllThat in here! Kenan can't compare it to #SNL to #TheAwesomes, but loves his job. #SDCC
Making fun of Real World and Kevin Smith. Such a funny panel! #TheAwesomes #SDCC 

#TheAwesomes just made fun of #walkingdead fans who aren't caught up. Love it. #SDCC

I actually really liked #TheAwesomes. On to the panel part, with Seth Meyers and Kenan Thompson, among others. #SDCC

We spent some time on the floor, but now seeing The Awesomes. Pretty good so far... #SDCC

Awesome! thanks for announcing! RT @jbtec Hey @TheTalkingBox there's definitely a Simpsons Futurama crossover...

Showrunners need clear visions. For #ER, it was "doctors are heroes." #SDCC 

Nice comparison of a showrunner to a start-up CEO. #SDCC 

Inside the room for Inside the Writer's Room. #SDCC

Now in line for the television writers' panel at 1130. Not as short as I was hoping... #SDCC

It's always interesting when more questions are for the producers than the actors. #BatesMotel #SDCC 

#Lost fans in the house! #BatesMotel #SDCC 

The most difficult scene for Vera to do in the first season was the admission of incest. #BatesMotel #SDCC

Norma's brother might show up in season two of #BatesMotel. #SDCC

Shelby dying was the original end of the first season of #BatesMotel. Then, network ordered four more episodes. #SDCC
Freddie has arrived. He speaks Arabic and Spanish, and spent the hiatus translating legal documents. #BatesMotel #SDCC

Friday recap for #SDCC: ow.ly/n9l9q #FallingSkies #RogerRabbit #Catan #AssassinsCreed #Marvel

#BatesMotel fans very excited for next season. Too bad Freddie Highmore isn't here. #SDCC 

Game on! #BatesMotel #SDCC

It appears everyone in line got into #6a so if you wanna come see #BatesMotel, you can probably get in. #SDCC 

I'm always amused by people who wait until the morning of each day to plan their panels... #SDCC #n00bs

I suspect we're having tweets lost in the internets again this morning... #SDCC

Autograph raffle ticket line today is enormous. Allegedly it has been cut off already. blame he who kills off all his characters... #SDCC

Have joined the line for Bates Motel in eighty minutes. should get in but it's growing quickly! #6a #SDCC

Later start than planned this morning, but starting in #6a so hopefully line doesn't suck yet. on shuttle back to #SDCC!

ANOTHER giveaway is up! This time, enter to win a #FallingSkies item! ow.ly/n3wja

there's a lot of posts going out with #SDCC going on, but be sure to check out out #GameofThrones giveaway! www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/07/givea…

Friday, July 19th:
So this party is just a club, essentially. sponsored by Magic:The Gathering. Taking a shuttle to the hotel. #SDCC
The DJ is playing "Let's go to the Mall." Seriously. #SDCC

Just noticed that quite a few updates never posted, especially during #fallingskies panel...

Hitting up to hospitality suite, because that's something at #SDCC I've never done before. Don't care about chips, dip, salsa, and M&Ms, tho

Can't stay for the entire thing, but in the first part of a panel on body image and women's issues in entertainment. #SDCC

Charles Fleischer (voice of Roger Rabbit) is really funny, guys. #RogerRabbit #SDCC

Noah Wyle made an #ER joke and the audience clapped. Five seconds later, Wheaton got it. #FallingSkies #SDCC

Wheaton's questions will focus on the theme of family. #FallingSkies #SDCC

Looks like I'll get to head to the fulfillment room after all. Let's hear it for #FallingSkies ! #SDCC

#FallingSkies panel will be starting late, apparently... #SDCC

Any predictions for the #FallingSkies panel? I hope for great swag! panel prizes have been weak this year... #SDCC

Next up is the #FallingSkies panel. Hoping for better than last year! Also, I hear there is now a line for #6bcf. #SDCC

Big minority superhero movie in the pipeline. #SDCC #MarvelSDCC any predictions?

More female team comics coming! #MarvelSDCC #SDCC

Don't forget about our photo stream! as current as WiFi allows! thetalkingbox.smugmug.com/Events/Co… #SDCC
It's gonna be a good year to be a Nick Fury fan. or a bad one, depending on your perspective! #MarvelSDCC #SDCC

Marvel panel heckles fan wearing Batman shirt. #SDCC #MarvelSDCC

There are technical difficulties, guys. sorry for the lack of tweets. #6bcf didn't let me access 4g. Better now and ready! #SDCC

Looked for line for #FallingSkies at 430 but walked right into #6bcf. Just saw a lengthy and phenomenal preview of Assassin's Creed IV #SDCC

This means I'll also see a Marvel panel! That's always a #win! #SDCC 

Well, I didn't make the finals but it was a good time. I like that adaptation, actually. Will be back later for party. #SDCC

I start in the Star Trek Catan tournament in ten minutes! #SDCC

we've got a #GameofThrones #GoT giveaway going on, so head on over and check it out! ow.ly/n3ulW 

Friday morning #SDCC update: yes, the #HallH line is as bad as you're reading. I have strong thoughts, will save for later. giveaway soon! 

Thursday, July 18th: 

change of plans. because line for #HallH is already 600 people deep, going to bed to distract husband less, who gets up soon to join! #SDCC 

stood in a line for a long time to attempt seeing #BlackSails. didn't work out. very draining. some write-up coming. #SDCC 

Learning why lightsabers wouldn't work is sad. #SDCC

Was never a #Eureka fan, but the writing process was fascinating! #SDCC

Now time for the Science Of Science Fiction! #SDCC also, just popped in fourth battery...

Spent some time in exhibit hall and now in a panel for anime. Broad interests for the win. #SDCC
in a session examining how to use comics to teach a freshman-level English course. while I love this stuff, only like 60 people here. #SDCC
Now catching the second half of the panel on how superheroes empower us and heal us. #SDCC 

Surprise! Special #Reign preview! #SDCC #b20 

Aimee Teegarden was drawn to the scifi aspect of #starcrossed. #SDCC 

Flashbacks in #starcrossed will show why the Atrians are on Earth. #SDCC 

No prize tickets given for either #Intelligence or #starcrossed in #b20. #SDCC 
#starcrossed pilot very teen. Expected that, but still. Three actors and a bunch of producers on panel. #SDCC 

Next panel will be on the CW's midseason drama #starcrossed. Early thoughts: www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/05/looki…

#Lost joke! #SDCC #Intelligence 

Both Meghan Ory and Mary Helgenberger would Gabriel's power to be smart. #Intelligence #SDCC 

#Intelligence star Josh Holloway a technophobe. #SDCC 

Just saw #Intelligence pilot. new CBS drama where a guy has a computer chip in his head. Previous thoughts: www.thetalkingbox.com/2013/05/looki… #SDCC 

#b20 first panel starting very late due to line still coming in. #SDCC 

First poster! Double-sided #reign #batb ow.ly/i/2E0K2 ow.ly/i/2E0N2 also, made it into #b20. #SDCC

#b20 folks around me getting antsy about not getting in by 10, but we started under the tents so I think it's just moving slowly... #SDCC 

Just popped in my second phone battery. Good thing I have four this #SDCC!
Also, we will try to keep our photo stream current as much as WiFi allows! thetalkingbox.smugmug.com/Events/Co… #SDCC 

Sitting next to a lifer in line for #b20. She's been going every year since childhood, thanks to an uncle. sweet! #SDCC 

#SDCC costume highlights so far this morning include Alvin, of The Chipmunks, Louise from Bob's Burgers, a Sailor Scout, Mario and Luigi. 

Up first, starting at 10 AM, will be the new CBS drama, #intelligence, followed by the CW's #starcrossed
Got in line for ballroom 20 about fifteen minutes ago and have a great position! #SDCC #b20
 

Wednesday, July 17th: 

such a busy day that I forgot to tweet very often! Don't worry, will do better tomorrow! #SDCC 

Badge lines at T & C still inside. Room about half-full right now and people pouring in! #SDCC

TCA Summer 2013: Thursday and Friday

Picking up where we left off, Thursday morning began with BBC America. The largest presentation for that network was, of course, Doctor Who, which is celebrating FIFTY YEARS on the air! The Doctor and his Companion were present, as well as the producer, so questions from the journalists varied widely, from "Why is Matt Smith leaving?" to "what's the casting process for the twelfth Doctor?" As someone who is largely ignorant of the Doctor Who phenomenon (I actually just learned what the Police Box was at Comic-Con!), I was unable to fully appreciate the session, but it did help that An Adventure in Space and Time immediately followed, as that is a show about the making of Doctor Who.

I was actually rather intrigued by the two other series that BBC America brought: Atlantis and Broadchurch. The former will run on Saturday nights this fall while the latter begins on August 7th. The former is period, of course, with an interesting take on mythological characters such as Medusa and Hercules. The latter is more of a mystery with a lot of trauma mixed in.

After that, the Discovery Networks had their presentations, which are always a mixed bag. There's something for everyone, but I don't know that there's someone who likes everything. TLC opened with their second season of Secret Princes, a series of which I was only barely aware existed. I was very intrigued at the Austin, TX location, which actually wasn't discussed much. Then, it was on to Velocity's Patrick Dempsey documentary miniseries about Racing LeMans. I covered Velocity's panel last Winter, but ultimately decided that it wasn't for me, so I did not have high hopes for the presentation. Next was a horrifying session with Investigation Discovery called Surviving Evil. I classify it as "horrifying" because it is literally reenacting scenes where someone was in a terrible situation but managed to survive. It was rough to see just the clips and hear some basic comments about the stories, so I can't imagine tuning in for a series like this! Similarly, The Unexplained Files (Science Channel) were not intriguing for me, either.

Next up was OWN, which disturbed journalists as well. Kym Whitley is the focus of the reality series, which actually is going to start its second season before too long. Whitley "inherited" a newborn when a mentee abandoned it at a hospital, so this series focuses on how Whitley and those close to her come together to raise the child. Not only do many take issue with the fact that children too young to understand should not be exploited, but the average maturity on this series is probably in the tweens. The Discovery Channel was last, promoting Man, Cheetah, Wild, the story of a guy who lived amongst cheetahs for a year. It has an audience, but I don't think it's very wide...

HBO took up the afternoon with a sizable executive session before moving on to projects about Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson (another fellow the TCA doesn't love). Comedy Hello Ladies was seen, plus films Seduced and Abandoned and Clear History. The latter brought Larry David, whom the critics tend to enjoy, though the product itself is a bit random.

The evening event was hosted by BBC America at the SoHo House. The ride over there wasn't too bad, though the directions to the actual event after you disembarked were a bit confusing. It was fun to take photos with a Dalek and Police Box, though! The food wasn't anything too special, though there were themed cupcakes. The most disappointing part of the night, however, was how difficult it was to interview the talent. I spoke with several people the next day and all but one shared my experience. I was able to get a good one-on-one, though, so look forward to some scoop about Atlantis.

Friday began with a breakfast with Sean Combs (Puff Daddy / P. Diddy), who was there to promote his new TV Channel, Revolt. I actually had done some research on the network and had two prepared questions but the timing of the session did not allow for questions and I didn't want to try the scrum. I intend to reach out to the network, though, as I think it's a promising project.

Next up were the Viacom networks. Although TVLand pulled out, NICK and MTV still presented. I was caught a little off-guard that NICK now has a Nick Mom programming block, and that Tia Mowry (-Hardrict) is starring in Instant Mom. I don't like the concept behind the series (Examiner link), but I think I'll give the screener a try anyway, as the kids seemed pretty cute and well-written. MTV had Generation Cryo, which features a family of half-siblings in search of their sperm donor, and Nurses, about traveling nurses. Neither really spoke to me.

Starz did not bring Black Sails, like many had anticipated, but they did have The White Queen, which seemed to have varying degrees of approval in the room. I hadn't seen the pilot, but the idea that the series alternates between three different women's points of view seemed interesting. I took some notes and may develop an article. AMC brought Breaking Bad for a final appearance, with a mini-announcement that a two-hour documentary on the making of the show will come with the final boxed set. Hell on Wheels showed up to promote its third season, which many thought wouldn't happen, given the issues that the drama has had with showrunners and the like. They rounded out their panel with Low Winter Sun, a new series set in corrupt Detroit. (more on that.)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was in the house to promote the new network that he's part of, Pivot. The channel launches in just a few days and features original series, syndicated programming, a topical series, a variety show, a talk show, and more. Many of the questions were directed toward Meghan McCain, who handled herself and the issues beautifully. Finally, Lifetime brought Witches of East End, which is based on a novel and features quite a few different twists to a supernatural program. Anticipate me ruminating on this one more in the future.

The evening event was at Universal Studios, which was 80 minutes away by bus during Friday night rush hour. It was a bit rough, but the ride back only being 30 minutes certainly helped. While there, The Hub wined and dined us (though the food certainly did not taste like the Wolfgang Puck cuisine that had been advertised) and tried something different - they had three fifteen-minute panels taking place simultaneously. I attended the one for SabrinaL Secrets of a Teenage Witch and was actually able to get in two questions, so you can look forward to some chatting about that, too. (or not, as the series is a bit ludicrous.) We did get front-of-line action on the new Transformers ride, but it did not impress me all that much. I did, however, get my photo taken with a transformer!

Next up: NBC, which condensed down to a single day of the tour...

Cake Boss: Bribes and Bibles

note: Recaps and Remarks are going up later than usual due to Comic-Con and TCA.

I was never a fan of voting being a popularity contest. In middle school and high school, it almost has to be, as there really is no power behind those positions so there's nothing you can really use as a platform. But, in adulthood, one would hope that elections could be more than that. Apparently not, as this episode depicts a woman trying to buy votes with a custom Carlo's Bakery cake. It's sad and annoying, but, then again, it's for a group where the common denominator is facial hair, so it probably doesn't really matter. The title of the episode would fit both storylines better if it was called "Bribes and Bibles," rather than "Hair Raising," but the lack of alliteration this season continues to disappoint.

Cake Boss "Hair Raising" (S06E13): A member of the Gotham City Beard Alliance (which competes in beard and mustache competitions) is running for President and wants a cake that grows facial hair to impress her cohort. [facial hair as a hobby... I've never heard that one before!] So, Buddy asks Ralph to do a balloon mustache that can be pumped up.  [ewww! didn't that styrofoam get all over the cereal treats? those things are sticky! and styrofoam is so full of static!] The woman is very happy with the cake [exceeds expectations?? what was she hoping for?] Mary wants Ralph to kiss her so she can see how kissing someone with a mustache is different, and although he avoids initially, he does go through with it. [awkward much?? his reaction that it was like "Christmas and puberty all at the same time." was also odd.]

DCL

Buddy Jr. is having his First Holy Communion, and WifeLisa has a black-and-white theme, but she's still skeptical of black fondant on a communion cake. [why not flash back to Sophia's communion cake? or Mary's kids' communion cake, for that matter?] Fortunately, the stenciling and rosary beads keep it from seeming grim, though most of the bakery workers agree that Buddy may have gone overboard with decoration. [that stenciling is such a time-consuming process! but what was with the gaps? also, I agreed about the busyness of the cake!] Joey bakes loaves of bread to give out at the celebration, though WifeLisa finds that to be a strange gift. [I found it very appropriate. however, I did not like those huge centerpieces!]

Futurama: Imagination?

What do you do at the end of the run of your series? With Futurama, the answer is apparently, "whatever you want." In the most recent two episodes, one is a collage of cartoon spoofs while the other has the Professor acting uncharacteristically to reincarnate a character. Looking ahead to the remaining six episodes, titles include "Assie Come Home," "Game of Tones," and "Stench and Stenchibility," illustrating that the most original writing may not be coming. That said, these types of episode do make for some lighthearted fun and they're not necessarily as raunchy as some of the Bender-centric episodes tend to be. "Saturday Morning Fun Pit" made interesting choices with the treatments of Scooby-Doo and G.I. Joe, as opposed to so many other classic options out there. I found the former to be done pretty well, but the parodies of the latter fell flat. With "Calculon 2.0," it seemed all too easy for the RobotDevil to hand over Calculon's soul, plus the extreme peculiarities of the Professor bringing the robot actor back to life seemed over-the-top and confusing. Or perhaps it recalls some of the character's very early tendencies, from seasons I did not watch?

Futurama "Saturday Morning Fun Pit" (S07E19): Nixon's head wants to watch cartoons at 8am on a Saturday morning, so he tunes into Futurama and Friends Sturday Morning Fun Pit. First up is a Scooby-Doo spoof, with Bender as Scooby, but called Bendee-Boo. [I didn't get it at first, actually.] Fry plays Shaggy, Hermes does Fred, Leela acts as Daphne, and Amy is Velma. Add in the vehicle being the Mystery Express and throwing Bendy Brew instead of Scooby Snacks at the guys, and you're set. In typical Scooby-Doo fashion, the bad guy is the only new person the gang meets, this time George Takei, the owner of a kabuki theater, acts as a ghost wearing a mask. [I feel like that mask was more lucha libre than kabuki...] Well, there's the obligatory guest appearance as well, with not only the Harlem Globetrotters but also a clone team of Larry Birds. [what happened to the clones of Fry, Bender, and the ghost??]

After there's some revolt against cartoons not containing lessons, Nixon tunes into Purpleberry Pond to see "Princess Purpleberry Meets a New Friend." [is this a Brickleberry thing?] This is one of those cartoons heavily relying on merchandising, as there are frequent cereal commercials featuring the purple cereal and its inevitable reiterations, adding more colors and whatnot. The show itself has purple characters meeting Lord Loquat, an orange Fry, for the first time. [watering plants with maple syrup??] Leela is the only one to accept him immediately, but when they all do, that's the lesson. [haha. I remember those cartoons... the ones with no real conflict. how odd they were!]

photo credit: Futurama TM and © 2012 Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

If it's not one thing, it's another. The people are angry about violence in cartoons, so Nixon fixes G.I. Zapp to run in reverse (vacuuming bullets and the like) and voicing over some of the (very obvious) words and phrases. The series even includes a PSA before the channel turns to six hours of golf. [haha, I remember that switch! also, amusing that ACRONYM is set to stand for "A Criminal Regiment of Nasty Young Men."]

Futurama "Calculon 2.0" (S07E20): It's been a year since Calculon's death, but the Professor thinks that they could restart him if they had both the body and the soul. Bender becomes a gravedigger and Fry goes to RobotHell to make a deal with the RobotDevil. It's easier than expected because RobotDevil can't stand the chattering Calculon, and, after a few hokie things, the Professor is successful at reincarnating Calculon. [this whole sequence was odd and seemed severely truncated.] Bender and Fry immediately try to get him his old position on All My Circuits, but the President of the network doesn't think it works anymore. He's actually been largely forgotten, and even his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been replaced by that for Robert Wagner. [haha, dig at FOX.]

Calculon decides to move on to stage acting, but he's received terribly, so he wants to give up completely. However, Fry, Bender, and Leela help him get back on track with it by getting him an audition for his old show, but as a new character. In disguise, he winds up getting a role as Calculon, purely based on his physical similarity. [annoying, but that's the way the world works sometimes!] He's an obnoxious ignoramus who won't listen to any advice until Leela tells him that he's just a grade-B actor who was forgotten shortly after his death. Of course, it soon doesn't matter, as he's killed a second time, though he does regain his star and his ability to torture the RobotDevil!

Mistresses: Heartbreak

note: Recaps and Remarks are going up later than usual due to Comic-Con and TCA.

Welcome to an episode where a lot happens and every character has at least one serious issue. As a primetime soap, drama is no surprise in this series, but the coincidences of heartbreak among the main characters is terribly coincidental. April learns that, not only did her beloved husband fake his death, but he chose to live with another woman rather than her. Karen finds out that her former patient's spouse knew about their secret relationship. Savi is told that, if the baby is Donovan's, she must choose between keeping her offspring or keeping her husband. And, Joss is left shocked when her seemingly only friend decides that she can't keep the relationship going. I don't know that I could order those rough concerns, but certainly April and Savi are at much more intense turning points than Karen and Joss. Or, are you more sympathetic to those ladies' plights?

Mistresses "Ultimatum" (S01E08):

ABC/DANNY FELD

April: Paul shows up, claiming that he faked his death. April initially shoos him, as Lucy is on her way home, sick. He says that he'll text her and she should get in touch when she can, so she meets him at his motel, demanding to know what's going on. [not only do I despise this man for faking his own death, I loathe him for returning and talking about why he did it!] He lost his job before their last Christmas together, and he couldn't find another position for three months. Then, he had the fling with Miranda, and when he couldn't figure out how to get out of the mess when she became pregnant, he decided to kill himself so that April would have something (his lief insurance money). He's been living with Miranda and Scotty ever since. [first, jaw drop! second, why no explanation of what identity he's been using ever since?] He didn't know that Miranda came and hit up April for money, but when she was supposed to be visiting her mother and that turned out to be a lie, he figured that she came to see April. April isn't sure what to believe, and calls Karen and Savi about it. [was it Savi's place to then notify Joss?] April decides to have Miranda and Peter meet her at the same time so that the truth can come out. As one might expect, the situation is awkward and angry, with April upset that she got "the money" while Miranda got "the man." [I'd really like to hear more about how Paul came to this breakdown. also, has he been completely unable to work since his "death"??]

Karen: She runs into Harry, who tells her that punching Donovan didn't actually start mending things. He also shares that he's not sure that he'll be able to get past the fact that the baby might not be his. [intriguing idea to have him admit these things to Karen, before he talks to Savi.] She then finds out that Sam is seeing her business partner as a therapist, causing her some paranoia. Karen and Sam talk, and he admits that he may be in love with her, hence how he'll do anything to see her. [I'm so sick of this pair!] Karen goes to Thomas's wife, as she's back in the country. She's well aware of the relationship Karen had with her husband, which the therapist doesn't deny. [that sucks.]

Savi: She has a doctor's appointment for a six-week check-up and invites Harry to come, but he says he'll wait for the next one. This causes her to wait for hear the heartbeat, but there is good news: her blood pressure is down a bit. At the office, Savi asks Donovan to relinquish all rights to the baby, even though she does not yet have confirmed paternity. [how awkward! was she able to raw up those papers herself, or does somebody else now know about the situation as well?] Back at home, Harry tells Savi that if the baby is Donovan's, she'll have to choose between her husband and her baby, as he couldn't take being a family with someone else's offspring. [that sucks but I pretty much agree.] She asks him to fight for them as a couple, but he says that he has no fight left. [what do you even say to that?]

Joss: After running into Sally and her "friend," Story, Joss forces Alex to unfriend her ex so she can have some closure. [as someone who has been in the same relationship since before the dawn of Facebook, I can't really understand this problem, but I also don't believe in unfriending at all, so this is clearly a circumstantial situation.] However, Joss and Alex wind up making out on the couch, and then become more intimate, leading Alex to admit that she has feelings for Joss, so their friendship must end. Joss is shocked and turns to Savi for advice, though she winds up getting it from Olivier, who suggests that she's "plucky" enough to make it work. So, she takes the idea and runs with it, telling Alex that not being friends isn't going to work for her. Olivier also learns of Alex's sexuality after he wants Joss to come along on a meeting about a hotel, as the realtor is the demographic clientele. [I thought that seemed pretty contrived, although I guess it could become a longer arc.]