X-Men week: 'X2: X-Men United'

First off, I've always hated the title to this film. It makes no sense. The X-Men are a team, why wouldn't they be united?

Anywho, back to business. This is our look back at the cinematic "X-Men" universe. As of this post "X-Men: First Class" is holding steady at 97 percent at Rotten Tomatoes with 35 fresh reviews and one, lone rotten review.

"X2" picked up right where "X-Men" left off with Wolverine searching for answers to his past and who he is. Unfortunately his past is also looking for him in the form of William Stryker, a government official with deep connections. The film uses Stryker and other pieces from the graphic novel "God Loves, Man Kills" where Rev. William Stryker goes on a mutant witch hunt.

The movie version stages a mutant terrorist attack against the president in order to go after Xavier and the crew. To these ends he uses Nightcrawler (played by the fantastic Alan Cumming). Other new mutants included Lady Deathstrike, Pyro (bigger part and new actor from the first film), Colossus and Siren.

This film is also well-known for the film where Wolverine straight out murders people. In an almost shocking amount of killing, Wolverine dispatches many soldiers who are invading the mansion.

Soon the X-Men must team up with Magneto to stop Stryker from killing every mutant on Earth.

Bryan Singer returned as the film's director and did a fantastic job. Many people consider this the best "X-Men" film. A lot of critics would agree; the film has an 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The end is the best part as Jean Grey "sacrifices" herself to save everyone, but unlocks a fiery power inside of herself that everyone knows is the Phoenix force.

I remember sitting in the theater geeking out like crazy at the sight of the Phoenix force.

It's just too bad the good times didn't stick around for the third film...

X-Men week: 'X-Men's' influence

I agree with everything Tim said about "X-Men," especially the spot on casting of Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman. However, one thing I wanted to discuss is how comic book movies were in a slump until "X-Men" restarted the genre.

"Batman & Robin" had been a massive failure and not only ruined the "Batman" franchise, it scared studios away from sinking money into big properties. Ridiculous films like "Barb Wire," "Steel" and "Tank Girl" were the only comic book movies being made for a while.

But when "X-Men" came out and the studio cast real actors like Stewart and Ian McKellan, and were faithful to the characters, it proved that fans and critics would support the genre if it was well done.

The success of "X-Men" brought the "Spider-Man" franchise, "Batman Begins" and "The Avengers" series of films. It also led to "X2: X-Men United," which is one of the best comic book movies ever made.

X-Men week: A look back at 'X-Men'

"X-Men: First Class" opens this week and, at the time of this entry, is sitting at a 100 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes (20 reviews).

The X-Men universe is, to say the least, a continuity heavy place to be. I think they could offer Master's degrees on the history of mutants in Marvel Comics. It's that heavy.

Charles Xavier and his merry band of mutants first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1963, but it took almost 40 years to finally bring them to the big screen. That fact always amazes me, considering the amount of money that could have been made in the '80s and '90s off of the property.

In celebration of the newest film in the franchise, we'll take a look back at that first "X-Men" film.

"X-Men" was released in 2000 and was a longtime dream come true for comic fans. It was especially great because of what could be considered the best casting ever of Patrick Stewart was Prof. Xavier.

I can 100 percent promise that Stewart was at the top of the list of fan dream casts.

It also had a pretty good supporting cast of Ian McKellen as Magneto, Halle Berry as Storm, Anna Paquin as Rogue, Ray Park as Toad, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey and James Marsden as Cyclops.

Each of these actors were known at the time and had some measure of success so people could easily imagine them as the iconic characters.

I do remember thinking at the time that Paquin as Rogue was an odd choice, because by that time Rogue in the comics was portrayed as almost a sexy supermodel.

The biggest question mark was the character of Wolverine. First actor Dougray Scott was cast as Wolverine, but had to drop out because of re shoots for "Mission Impossible 2." I really feel bad for him. Can you believe his luck?

But, stepping into the role was unknown, to us, actor Hugh Jackman.

No one knew who he was or how he could possibly play Wolverine.

All I can say is whoever made that choice to cast Jackman in that part deserves a ton of credit and possible a very nice Christmas card each year.

The best surprises are the ones that come out of nowhere and that is what Jackman did. Wolverine was a highlight of the film and especially Jackman's performance which was spot on.

The film's plot had Magneto trying to turn the world's leaders into mutants, but what he didn't know was the special "turn them into mutants" machine was actually "going to kill them dead" machine. So it's up to the X-Men and reluctant Wolverine to stop them.

At the time it was great, the effects were top notch and people seemed to get a kick out of the script. One of my favorite parts was near the end where Cyclops tries to figure out if Wolverine is really Wolverine and not Mystique in disguise. Wolverine's response of "You're a dick" is one of the best lines in any movie.

The film had a good rating at Rotten Tomatoes with 82 percent with 126 good reviews to the 28 "rotten" reviews.

It was also a success, grossing more than $150 million in the US.

'Game of Thrones:' Lannister's win, everyone loses

Candace and I have talked several times about how Ned Stark is too honorable for his own good. This week's episode cemented that thought.

Ned has finally said aloud what we've all known for weeks, Joffrey is not Robert's son, but Jamie's. He confronts Cersei with the news and tells her to run away with her children. Stupid man, does Cersei Lannister seem like the type to run away from anything. Her plans are likely already in motion.

Unfortunately for everyone, Robert is injured in a hunting accident and is dying. The scene where everyone gathered around him provided a moment of humanity and compassion in a show so full of backstabbing and doublecrosses. Joffrey looked genuinely sad.

The circumstances gave Ned several chances to get his stuff together and take over the kingdom, but he was too upstanding for such treachery. First Robert's youngest brother Renly tells Ned he would have 100 soldiers ready in an hour if Ned supports him as king. Not a great idea, but better than nothing. Second, Littlefinger tells him to make peace with the Lannisters and bide his time, but again Ned won't go for plotting.

It was like watching the one "Survivor" contestant who insists on playing the game clean get voted out the first week, because you can't win "Game of Thrones" without a few dirty tricks.

Speaking of dirty tricks, Littlefinger trapped Ned with his own overwhelming honor. Reluctantly Ned had to count on Littlefinger to back him with the City's Watch until Stannis, Robert's brother, could show up. Littlefinger told Ned he couldn't trust him, but he says that all the time so it's cool, right?

Wrong.

The final scene in the throne room where Ned has walked into trap his men are killed and then Littlefinger puts a knife to his throat and says "I told you, you couldn't trust me" was spectacular. Cersei tore up Robert's last request and calmly took control, as she was no doubt planning for years.

Meanwhile on other side of the world, Dany tried convincing her husband that he should care about the Iron throne, but he only needs to sit on a horse to rule. Whew, the Seven Kingdoms just dodged a bullet, because if Khal Drogo ever decides to cross the Narrow Sea, it will be unimaginable, but luckily he doesn't care...wait a minute, they did what?

That's right. Robert's ill-advised assassination attempt of Dany had Drogo so worked up he vowed to destroy the Seven Kingdoms and give his son the "Iron chair." Jason Momoa was on fire in this scene. His passion and command had Dany breathless and made her fall more in love with her husband. Really, who doesn't want a man who will swear to kill and enslave in your name?

Next week's episode will be a heart-breaking game changer. This signals the point in the story where everything changes leading up to the first season finale.

Everyone else:

• I'm starting to not care about Jon and the Night's Watch, though they're doing a great job of ramping up the suspense about what's coming over the wall.



• Someone needs to slap the crap out of Theon Greyjoy, unfortunately I'll have to wait until season two for that.

My Chemical Romance still puts on the best rock concert ever

Really though. They do.

FINALLY, after buying these tickets on pre-sale for being a member of MCRmy 6 months ago, the My Chemical Romance concert was in LA last night!

They have been my favorite band for years, since the first time I heard Helena, which helped me through the grieving process after losing a good friend of mine to cancer. I have been to their shows before, but NOTHING was as epic as this!

Their new album "Danger Days" is about being nothing but what you are and fighting against conformity. So they have thrown out the script and now every single show they do is different from all the others. No more script. Just rockin' the @#$% out! ...as Gerard put it on stage last night.

Nothing will ever beat the love I have for this band. I fight for them tooth and nail whenever I need to, because that's how important and life saving their music is to me.

Anyway... as always, a fantastic concert. These boys truly know how to outdo themselves. Time and time again. Gerard left the stage after "Bulletproof Heart", the final song of the encore, bidding us all good night with "Whatever you do, don't stop running!"

Oh, and this was the first time EVER I have been crowd surfing. WHAT A BLAST!

Here's a few videos from last night:

"Na Na Na" and "Give 'Em Hell, Kid"

LEMME SEE YOU JAZZ HANDS!

"Mama"

This is one of my favorite songs to see them perform live. It gets CRAZY!

"House of Wolves"

Talk about a crazy mosh pit. LOVE this song live as well.

"Welcome to the Black Parade"

This song is best live, because EVERYONE sings along. EPIC.

"Bulletproof Heart"

This song live... there are no words. TOO EPIC.

"Helena"

Always and forever, my favorite song in this world. I always tear up when I see them perform it live.

"Vampires Will Never Hurt You"

A HUGE SURPRISE. A song from their first album, I have NEVER seen them perform this song live, and the crowd with CRAZY.

Inscaped for May 26

Canceled show + cliffhanger? ARGH

I've been a big fan of "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" all this season.

I watched all the episodes and really loved the chemistry between all the characters, especially Forest Whitaker and Janeane Garofalo.

In fact, Garofalo has been a highlight of the show. Why isn't she acting more?

So I was upset when I heard the news that it was canceled.

Boo!

You know what makes it worse?

Giant cliffhanger ending to the "season" finale Wednesday night.

It basically ended with a dual shot of Garofalo's character being held at gunpoint and a suspect being held at gunpoint.

The shot goes to black and the sound of a gunshot goes off.

Are you kidding me?

The show wasn't getting the greatest ratings in the world so the showrunners had to have known there was a chance they wouldn't get picked up. Knowing that they still decided to go ahead with that ending?

Man, I hate cliffhanger endings.

Season two of 'Glee' comes to a merciful end

To say this season has been uneven would be an understatement. It's actually been more like a roller coaster. There were some really great classic episodes like "Grilled Cheesus," "Special Education" and "Original Song." However, there have also been epic fails like the post Super Bowl disaster.

Even the ratings reflect the downward spiral of the show, as the season began with 11-13 million viewers, but ended with 8-9 million viewers.

Following last week's beautiful "Funeral," the season finale was a chance to end the season on a high note. All things considered, the show was above average, but not an instant classic.

"New York" as the title suggests was all about the kids trip to the Big Apple for nationals. The episode opened with Rachel standing in the middle of Times Square lamenting that she had finally made it. The wonder of the group at being in the big city was well played and provided some nice moments.

The first number was a mash up of "I Love New York" and "New York New York" from "On the Town" and featured the glee club dancing around the city like they were trapped in a classic MGM musical. It was a fun number that felt more realistic than the usual "Glee" let's sing a song about our feelings moment.

The subplot was all about Will's Broadway debut in "CrossRhoades: The April Rhoades Story." This whole storyline fell flat and was really only an exaggerated reason for Matthew Morrison to sing a song from his abysmally selling CD.

Morrison performed "Still Got Tonight" which was OK, but sort of forgettable. The scene would have been more powerful if he sang a song that suited the moment.

Later, in my favorite moment Kurt and Rachel had breakfast at Tiffany's and talked about how they were moving to New York with Blaine after high school. If the characters really leave next year, this would make a great spinoff.

Anyway back to Kurt and Rachel, they followed up breakfast by sneaking onto the "Wicked" stage and brought me to tears with "For Good." I have to admit I love "Wicked" and am completely biased in favor of it, but this was a great number and saved the so far mediocre episode.

After another round of Rachel/Finn drama the time came for New Directions performance at nationals and in true "Rocky" fashion they didn't make it out of the first round and finished in 12th place. This result was not surprising and sets up the "Rocky II" comeback next year.

About Rachel and Finn, who ended up back together by the end of the episode, stop it. I don't care anymore and Finn has become such a d-bag that Rachel deserves better. I was so excited when she said her true love was Broadway, only to change gears after he kissed her onstage and ruined the group's chances of moving on.

After all the melodrama of this season, I really hope "Glee" gets its act together for season three and gets back to being the fun-loving show that I fell in love with two years ago.

The best of the rest:

• Love, love, love that Sam and Mercedes are secretly dating. They may be the only normal couple in New Directions.


• Brittany wants to be a bridesmaid at Tina and Mike's wedding and can't wait to see if they have an Asian baby.


• Again Cheyenne Jackson guest stars and doesn't sing. Really?


• Santana's post nationals, Spanish, Lima Heights rant was genius.

R.I.P. Macho Man

Wrestling superstar "Macho Man" Randy Savage died last week in a car accident.

Sure, he hadn't wrestled in years but he still was one of the best.

I talked about him numerous times in my Wrestlemania recap articles weeks ago.

He had the total package before Shawn Michaels opened the door for everyone else. Savage could wrestle, be a high flier, a tough guy and great on the microphone.

To this day that combo is a rarity.

I remember back in 1992 I got to see Savage live in person at an event in San Bernardino. I remember it clearly to this day.

He was the World Champion for the WW(F)E and was wrestling Jake "The Snake" Roberts in a steel cage. That ugly giant blue steel cage.

When Savage's music hit the crowd went nuts and he ran around the ring clapping hands with the crowd. I didn't get his hand, but I got to touch a tassle on his jacket.

And that was just as good for me.

He won that match and we talked about it for days.

Can't really think of the right words, but WWE did it for me with this awesome tribute video.

Best. Sketch. Ever.

Justin Timberlake was great on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, but this unaired sketch is hilarious and definitely should have made the cut.

Thank God for 'The Muppets'

I was really disappointed when Tim said he got a Muppets trailer before "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." However, we can all enjoy the excitement that only "The Muppets" can bring.

'Torchwood: Miracle Day' marks the return of Capt. Jack Harkness

Jack and Gwen return to figure out why no one is dying. July 8 can't come soon enough.

Now that's a trailer!

I've been waiting months for a "Green Lantern" trailer like this.

PITCH PERFECT.

Inscaped for May 19

In memoriam

It's been a tough past few weeks.

Just like Boyz II Men said "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye."

But, we here at Inscaped think it's only right to give a fond farewell to those we've lost recently.

Upfront highlights

It's that time of year again, when the networks gather together their last remaining advertisers and hock their new schedules. Since every show isn't winner, I'll be discussing the shows I'm most interested in seeing and the ones that fit our Inscaped criteria. And just for fun I'll pick on a couple of awesomely bad looking shows.s

NBC

"Awake" is a high concept drama about a detective living in two worlds. Jason Issacs is Michael Britten, who wakes up after a car accident and is told that his son is alive but his wife is dead, He then proceeds to wake up n anothr world where his wife survived but his son died. He lives each life not knowing which one is real, in order to keep his family alive. Co-stars: B.D. Wong, Cherry Jones, Laura Allen
What I'm liking: Issacs is always interesting and Jones can make the phone book compelling. A unique concept is a rarity.
Why I'm nervous: It's a midseason show, so I'll have to wait awhile. NBC maynot give it time to catch on.




"Grimm" is a fantasy drama about a cop who find out fairy tales are real and he is a hunter known as a Grimm, and is supposed to help keep humans safe from otherworldly creatures.
What I'm liking: The nerd in me can't resist the supernatural, fairy tale angle.
Why I'm nervous: I felt the same way about "The Cape."




"Smash" is a musical about the mounting of a Broadway musical. It stars Debra Messing, Katherine McPhee and Megan Hilty.
What I'm liking: I love Broadway the way I love superheroes, so I'm really excited about this one.
Why I'm nervous: I'm not sure the schedule can handle two quirky musicals.




FOX

"The X Factor" is the best of all the singing competition shows. The British original is one of the highlights of my winter schedule. I've literally been waiting years for it to come stateside.
What I'm liking: Simon returns, thank god and America gets to meet the charming Cheryl Cole.
Why I'm nervous: Paula also returns, meaning Joel Mchale will have plenty of new material.
"Alcatraz" is J.J. Abrams' latest mind-bending time altering drama. It stars Jorge Garcia, Sam Neill and Parminder Nagra as a team investigating mysterious time analomies surrounding the famed prison.
What I'm liking: As a nerd I am internally programmed to love everything Abrams does. The good news is, he backs it up.
Why I'm nervous: FOX doesn't have the best track record with high concept sci-fi.

ABC

"Suburgatory" is comedy about a single dad who packs up his 16 year old daughter and moves to the suburbs after he finds a box of condoms on her dresser. Jeremy Sisto plays George and it co-stars Cheryl Hines.
What I'm liking: I'm excited to see Sisto doing comedy and this will fit in nicely with "Modern Family."
Why I'm nervous: Without the right writing, this show can become a cliche.

"Scandals" is a Shonda Rhimes drama about a media relations expert who left the president's staff to run her own firm helping high powered and high profile types with sticky situations. It stars Kerry Washington, Henry Ian Cusick and Tony Goldwyn.
What I'm liking: A stellar cast with a good premise, it could tell some interesting stories and the format could make for cool guest stars.
Why I'm nervous: It's Shonda Rhimes so they could all end up making out in a broom closet.

I'm aware that I left off some high profile, buzzed about shows, but these are the shows that I'll be watching. "Charlie's Angels" and "Terra Nova" don't seem that exciting to me.

I'm also aware that any show can look good in a two minute clip, so come back and read up as we continue the new fall schedule.

Tokyo Disneyland is amazing

Especially when it comes to meeting characters, including rare ones.

'Castle' takes over comics

Yes, "Castle" rocked the house at Comic-Con last year.

This is something totally new and different.

And look who's name is right there on the left hand side (bottom).

Brian Michael Bendis or Marvel's top writer!

Fans of "Castle" know that Derrick Storm was Richard Castle's main character in many books before he "created" Nikki Heat. Fans will also remember that Storm was killed off in the last book "Storm Fall."

Keen eyed viewers, such as myself, can say that this new story "Deadly Storm" is not one of the books that Castle originally wrote.

The book will be released in September (after Comic-Con!). I wonder what graphic novel will be making an appearance at the big show this year?

"I am honored and humbled to see Derrick Storm join the ranks of some of the greatest heroes of all-time," said Richard Castle, in a press release from Marvel and ABC. "Being a part of the Marvel family is a childhood fantasy come true for me."

"It's exciting to bring the Derrick Storm novels to life for the first time ever" said Axel Alonso, Marvel Entertainment Editor in Chief, said in the press release. "Whether you're new to the world of 'Castle' or a long time fan, there's something for everyone in 'Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm'—and it's the kind of book that reaffirms Marvel's commitment to creating new fans of comic books."

I am SO excited right now. Especially considering that this is somehow supposed to tie into the season finale tonight.

Inscaped for April 21

Had some techincal issues with this one.

Finally posted.

Thanks again to Candace for subbing for me.

'Smallville' goes out in style

For fans of "Smallville" it hasn't always been easy. Seasons six and seven weren't the best creatively or quality wise. However, season 10 has been firing on all cylinders, so the expectations for the series finale were very high.

The year has been focused on Clark Kent's journey to becoming Superman, so this episode needed to feature the final steps in that journey.

What fans actually got was a love letter to their loyalty and to the best the show had to offer. It hit all the right notes and had some of the best, most geektastic moments ever seen on TV.

The show started with Lois still suffering cold feet and Clark and Chloe convincing her that Clark needed her to become the man he was meant to be. This was achieved when Chloe gave Lois Clark's vows and I began the first of many crying jags of the night.

After a few doubts of his own, Clark headed back to his and Lois' apartment where she told him the wedding was back on and gave him her vows to read, which sparked more tears. Candace noted that whoever wrote the vows deserved props and I must agree as they perfectly captured the essence of Lois and Clark's relationship.

Meanwhile Chloe and Oliver also got a nice moment when they discussed transitioning to a married couple and conceded that their relationship would never be like everyone else's. I know that Black Canary is Green Arrow's true love in the comics, but in the "Smallville" universe Chloe and Oliver belong together.

The first hour concluded with Oliver succumbing to the darkness possessing him and Clark saving his friend by reminding him of the hero he still had inside. However, this small victory was undercut by the appearance of Apokolips in the skies and the possible destruction of Earth.

The subplot of Lionel's quest to bring back Lex involved him kidnapping Tess in order to use her heart in Lex's Frankenstein resurrection. This gave Tess one last chance to show off those kickass Checkmate skills, as she dispatched an entire room of Lionel's guards while cutting herself free from a gurney. She then shot her father and left him for dead.

Unfortunately, Lionel had time left to literally make a deal with the devil and offer his soul to Dakseid's for Lex's.

The return of Lex Luthor led to a fantastic scene where he discusses his future with Clark. He lets him know that a man is defined by his greatest enemies and that their story hadn't been written yet. This led to a nerd overload for Candace and I.

Then finally the big moment came when Clark faced down Darkseid in Lionel's body. It was during this fight that the amazing happened. Amid a montage of past clips, Clark realized who he was meant to be and flew.

That's right, he flew and I freaked out. This is where I would include some of the texts Candace and I sent each other during the show, but they mostly consisted of "OMG and I'M DYING," no one needs to read those, they're quite embarassing.

Seriously, words can't do this scene justice, as it featured some of the best scenes of the series and helped strengthen the character's destiny.

After Darkseid's ridiculously quick defeat, Clark headed to the Fortress to reconcile with Jor-El and receive the suit that will become his trademark. Throughout the episode Clark was being counseled by the vision of Jonathan Kent. It was here that his two fathers came together to show the pride they had in the man he would become and I once again cried like a fool.

So Clark, in the suit, jets off to save Air Force One (and Lois) and then deals with that fiery planet situation. the show then jumped seven years into the future with Chloe reading her arrow loving son a bedtime story and Clark and Lois finally about to tie the knot.

I should note that we never actually saw Tom Welling in the Superman suit. All the shots featured him in close up with the cape blowing in the background or were from very far away. I can only think that this has something to do with the upcoming movie. This was the only disappointment of the episode, because after 10 years we deserved to see our hero in the suit.

The show ended with Clark racing off to save the day, peeling back his shirt to reveal a familiar S on his chest as John Williams glorious score played in the background. Williams score was repeatedly used to great effect during the show, hinting at the future we all knew was coming.

I proceeded to pass out from a nerd blackout, amazed at how the show had exceeded my expectations and gave fans one of the best series finales ever.

'Doctor Who' gets the Gaiman treatment

"The Doctor's Wife" gave fans exactly what to expect from a Neil Gaiman episode, a crazy head spinning, steampunk fantasy. But somehow it still worked as an episode of "Doctor Who."

It all began with the Doctor receiving a knock on the TARDIS door, followed by a glowing box he referred to as mail. This sent the intrepid team outside the universe to a junkyard, sentient asteroid known as the Host. The production design on this set was a spectacular steampunk dream.

Of course, it turned out this was just a ploy to lure a timelord to the asteroid, kill him and strip him for parts. When the Doctor figures this out, his wrath is undercut by the sadness of his lost hope. Giving the Doctor hope and then taking it away is a dangerous situation.

The comedy of this episode came when the conscious of the TARDIS was ripped out of the blue police box and placed into Idris, one of the asteroid's inhabitants. Everyone knows how much the Doctor loves his TARDIS, so seeing her personified by actress Suranne Jones, was like watching an old married couple rehashing all their previous fights.

The subplot of this episode revolved around Rory and Amy being locked in the TARDIS with the Host and him messing with their heads. In a particularly haunting moment Amy was confronted by an aged Rory, who seemingly had to wait another 2000 years. She then returned to find him dead below hateful messages carved out for Amy. This turned out to be another trick, thankfully and ultimately the team reclaimed the TARDIS.

While this episode felt slightly off kilter from Gaiman's stylistic choices, it still offered fans some long awaited revelations and dropped a few tidbits about the ongoing story.

The best of the rest:

• Not only did the Doctor steal the TARDIS, she chose the Doctor


• Rory and Amy have bunk beds


• The TARDIS thinks Rory's the pretty one


• The TARDIS doors open outward, thus the Doctor's been opening them wrong all these years

This may be the coolest thing I have ever seen.

Seriously though. Every Supernatural fan needs to watch this.

Inscaped for May 12

'Vampire Diaries': Season 3 bound!

Season 2 of "The Vampire Diaries" wrapped up last night in a dare I say, Winchester-ish way.

As Damon starts to succumb to the delusions and sickness given to him by the werewolf bite he got from Tyler last week, Stefan and Bonnie desperately search for a way to save him. She calls on the spirits of the all the dead witches that she took power from and asked for help. All she was given was one word: Klaus.

Stefan goes searching for Klaus while Alaric watches over Damon. But of course, Sheriff Forbes picks the worst time to finally make a decision and goes after the Salvatores, releasing Damon from his prison. He walks into the crowded Mystic Falls square and starts falling back into flashbacks from 1864. Jeremy finds a wandering Damon after Alaric calls him for help, and takes him into Mystic Grill, followed closely by the Sheriff. Stupidly, she shoots, but Damon uses his vamp speed and the bullet meant for him, kills Jeremy instead.

Elena goes searching for Damon. Thinking she is Katherine, he bites her, then falls to his knees in regret. She takes him back to the boardinghouse waiting for a cure. Stefan finds Klaus and Elijah still at Alaric's. Although Klaus vowed to reunite his brother with their family, it wasn't in the way Elijah expected. Klaus stabs him with the knife, essentially killing him for a second time. And finally, we find out the cure to a werewolf bite is no other than the blood of the first. Klaus. But remarkably, he offers the cure to Stefan to save his brother... for a price.

Klaus wants Stefan to become his progeny. To reawaken the 'ripper' that he used to be. Of course, Stefan agrees. But Klaus refuses to give him the blood until Stefan downs SEVERAL bags of human blood. After doing so, he gives the bottle of blood to Katherine to take to Damon.

Now, after last week's episode, Stephanie and I agreed what we wanting to see Stefan and Damon go full on Winchester. We wanted them to have a Dean and Sam worthy brother scene where they talk about Damon dying and talk about their feelings. Any "Supernatural" fans will know exactly what I'm talking about. At the end of Season 2, Dean sold his soul to Hell to save his little brother's life. Although Stefan may be the little brother of this duo, he just gave up everything to Klaus to save his big brother. Yes, that's right. Stefan Salvatore pulled a full on Dean Winchester.

Meanwhile, Elena and Damon have a finale chat, and Damon confesses his love for her. Now, honestly I don't understand why they made it such an important story point that Damon erased her memory last time he said it, if he was just going to tell her again in this episode. But he does, and Elena kisses him. We all know that I am not a Delena shipper, but this kiss didn't bother me. They both thought he was dying, so why not? Now, I know all the Delena shippers will not see it that way, but there is nothing I can do about their crazy delusions. They all might as well have werewolf bites themselves for all the ridiculous notions they claim happens in this series.

Klaus has Elijah's body shipped in a coffin before he and Stefan leave together...for who knows where.

Bonnie, with the help of the dead witches, saves Jeremy. But they warn her that there is a price for their help. The cliffhanger was definitely not anything that I expected Jeremy walking downstairs with Vicki following him, and Anna meeting him in the living room. I know most people are talking about how Jeremy can now see dead people, which makes sense. He has crossed over, and coming back has left a kind of mark on him. But I don't think it's that simple. It just so happens that the first people he sees are Anna and Vicki? Both passed girlfriends and both dead vampires? That can't be a coincidence. It's more than just he can see dead people, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens to him in season 3. Because FINALLY, Jeremy has a storyline. It's about time.

We have already been told that Season 3 is going to be the 'season of the originals'. I expect that Stefan will get more information out of Klaus now agreeing to become his progeny than anyone else ever would. I am looking forward to his storyline, if they do it right. It can easily get out of hand, but I think Paul Wesley will be able to handle it. Obviously, Damon and Elena will feel compelled to search for him, but the question is if they actually will go look for him.

I enjoyed the episode, and it was a pretty good one. However, looking back at this season, I'm not too impressed. Overall, season 1 is still better. I think season 2 lost focus on what the story is really about. Two vampire brothers. That's why I started watching the show, and I have been very frustrated all season that it veered away from the story between Damon and Stefan, and I am hoping that we finally get back to it in the next season. It looks like the story is going back in that direction because of how packed the last two episodes have been simply about brothers. And not just Damon and Stefan, but Elijah and Klaus as well.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to see where the story goes in the next season.

It's prom time for New Directions

Last night's episode revolved around the most treasured of high school experiences: prom.


Everyone was excited except Mercedes who didn't have a date and in a scene that truly broke my heart, confessed that she just wanted one night to feel like a princess. It was nice of the writers to show that underneath all her strong talk, Mercedes is just as vulnerable as the rest of the group.


She and Rachel decided to have a three way budget date with Sam that was so adorable. By the way, those were some kickass gowns they got from the $5 thrift store bargain bin.


Kurt asked Blaine, who had some bad memories of being gay bashed at his previous school, but decided to face his demons and go. Also, am I the only one who heard Kurt call him Blaine Warbler? Surely, he must have a last name and Kurt knows it? Is this just a cute term of endearment or did they really name the glee club after him?

The prom queen obsessed Quinn looked beautiful, but it was clear Finn wasn't that interested until she made her staircase entrance in the most perfect light imaginable. If prom queen were being awarded just for looks, Quinn was a lock. Of course, there's more to that story coming up.

So Finn, with the most gorgeous girl in school on his arm, spent the rest of the night overly concerned with Rachel and her ridiculous date Jesse St. James. If I were Quinn I would have dumped him on the spot.

Finn has really turned into a giant d-bag this season.

Speaking of Jesse St. James, his reappearance served no purpose except for a crazy good version of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." It's no secret that Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff are best friends. That connection and chemistry makes any duet they sing and instant classic and this acoustic, gospel tinged performance was no different.

Since New Directions was asked to play the prom, Will staggered the numbers so the kids could enjoy themselves. This gave everyone a chance to shine and was a welcome change from the way the songs are usually performed.

Puck, Artie and Sam started with a surprisingly OK rendition of the stuck-in-my-head-like-a-disease "Friday." I must say Sam and Mercedes were kind of cute, but he's too silly for her.

Then Rachel brought things down with a stellar take on Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts." Though this song fit Finn and Rachel's relationship, it's way too sad for a prom, it would bring the dance to a halt.

Luckily Blaine was there with Brittany and Tina to bring things back up with Black Kids "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You." This was the best number of the dance by far and showed how great Blaine would be with New Directions. How long before he transfers to McKinley?

Meanwhile, Finn has continued his turn to the dark side and attacks Jesse for making Rachel feel good for two seconds and have fun without him.

Finally, the big moment the show has been leading up to for weeks, the prom queen results. First, closeted gay bully Karofsky was crowned prom king and then Kurt was named prom queen. This humiliation was made more emotional by the fact that Kurt had been feeling good about going to the prom and not being an outsider. He thought people were over him and no longer cared.

There was also the impact of the scene earlier in the show when Karofsky finally broke down and apologized for his treatment of Kurt. It was the first time the true extent of Karosky's inner pain was shown.

Once Kurt pulled himself together, he went back in and accepting his crown with class and style, showing he would not bow to humiliation and hate. It was a great moment that illustrates "Glee" at its best.

More highlights:

• Sue's list of banned songs that mirrored fans least favorite numbers.


• Brittany dancing with everyone else's dates.


• The continued love of Breadsticks.


• Apparently being in glee club helps you figure out cummerbunds. As a high school band nerd, I endorse this fact.


• The prom was in the gym, very traditional and cool.

Coming up is the trip to nationals and Jesse becomes the club's consultant.

'Castle' keeps getting stronger

And I'm not talking creatively. Stephanie and I talk each week about how great the show is.

I'm talking about ratings.

Here's part of a press release ABC sent out today:

ABC’s "Castle" stood as the No. 1 series in the 10 o’clock hour, beating CBS’ original "Hawaii Five-0" by its biggest-ever margins in Total Viewers (+3.4 million viewers) and Adults 18-49 (+35 percent), as the ABC drama led in their fourth consecutive head-to-head original matchup. In addition, on both counts, "Castle" was the No. 1 TV series in its time period for 6th time in its past 7 first-run broadcasts.
•For its sixth consecutive original airing, "Castle" stood as Monday’s most-watched scripted program. It was also the night’s No. 1 scripted series in Adults 18-49 for the second week running, outdelivering Fox’s original "House."

•Building over the prior week by in viewers (+4 percent) and young adults (+7 percent), "Castle" posted its strongest numbers since March – since 3/28/11.

•The ABC drama surged from the year-ago night by 1.7 million viewers and 24 percent in Adults 18-49. On average, ABC’s "Castle" is enjoying its biggest season ever, building on its performance at the same point last year in both Total Viewers (+7 percent) and Adults 18-49 (+4 percent).

What do all these numbers and percentages mean? The show is doing the best its ever done, especially beating a high profile new show like "Hawaii 5-0" and anything and everything NBC can throw at it ("Chase," "Harry's Law" and "Law and Order: LA").
 
No one can argue that "Castle" isn't a runaway hit now.
 
These ratings and success are just icing on the cake for a show that has been hitting home runs in the creative department since the first season.
 
Next week's season finale is going to be great, especially to see those numbers rise again.

Brief 'Thor' thoughts

Stephanie and I will have full reviews of "Thor" this week on the show, but I wanted to throw a point out there.

There are 46 "rotten" reviews on RottenTomatoes.com for "Thor" at the time of this post. Some of them range from "close, but not great" to "downright crappy."

Before I get too further into this point, it's important to point out there are also 164 positive reviews on the site.

Stephanie made a great point on the last show by saying this film is "critic proof," meaning people are going to see it no matter what any critics say.

I 100 percent agree with that statement, but it still annoys me when people full on have hate for this film.

The character of "Thor" in regards to Marvel comics is almost 50 years old. Crazy to think about the sheer amount of issues and comics has appeared in over the years.

This month, "Thor" went back to the original numbering of "Journey Into Mystery," which he first appeared in No. 83. That is 539 for those who hate math.

In that time, the character has amassed a ton of loyal readers and people who just love the character.

I was thinking about a time when I was 9-years-old playing with friends at a playground pretending to be The Avengers.

These readers and fans have always dreamt that a movie about their favorite characters would be made. Most times we never thought it would happen.

I mean, it took 50 years to bring Thor to the big screen? What was the holdup?

That didn't stop countless people from fan casting. You know when people pick a character and debate who should play them.

I think growing up we always thought Dolph Lundgren would play him.

So, it amazes me when people just can't believe when people love comic book movies.

We love them (well, most) because they were a big part of our lives and we grew up reading these characters.

These movies are our imagination brought to life.

That's why we love them.

Inscaped for May 5

Thirsty moviegoer? 7-Eleven's got your back

I've always had a week spot for Slurpees.

And in recent years, 7-Eleven has gone really nerdy with its Surplee and Big Gulp cups.

Everything from "G.I. Joe," "Terminator," "Wrestlemania" to "Iron Man" have graced the cups.

Plus, the cups are a sturdy kind of plastic making them totally reusable.

It makes sense that "Thor" would be on the cups.

And I have the evidence to prove I've been drinking a ton of Gatorade.



Even better than that?

How about the new Big Gulp cups...

I just got back from my local 7-Eleven and they do have them, $1.99 each.

Why 'Justified' is the best show on TV?

When fans and critics look back on the season of "Justified" the talk will be about one key performance, Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett. She's such a force of nature as the matriarch of the Bennett clan.

In last night's season finale things came to a head in the feud between the Bennetts and the Crowders/Givens. Helen's death, Coover's killing and Dickie's arrest had raised the stakes and it was clear we were headed for a war. The aptly titled episode "Bloody Harlan" opened with Raylan telling Art he wanted to transfer out of the field and teach weapons training to new recruits. Art said he would think about it, but we all knew this wasn't happening since Raylan belongs in the field, and more specifically in Kentucky.

Boyd and Mags had a come to jesus meeting in the church, but Mags had other plans, as she had sent assassins to Johnny and Ava's houses. Johnny blew up his attackers, but Ava wasn't so lucky, because Dickie shot her.


Boyd and Ava have quickly become one of my favorite TV couples, so her shooting broke my heart. Fortunately, Dickie is a bad shot and she should survive, but how will this change their relationship?

Meanwhile, Raylan finds out that young Loretta McCready has runaway from her foster parents with a gun and $300 ready to kill Mags for murdering her father. Raylan doesn't hesitate to go after her, which causes Winona to tell him that she might not be waiting when he gets back. This still doesn't stop him and heads straight for "Bloody Harlan."

Unfortunately, he runs into Dickie and ends up tied from tree while Dickie uses him for batting practice. However, Boyd shows up and saves his life again. I'm convinced that the real love story of this show is between Boyd and Raylan. They can't seem to stay out of each other's lives and as much as they want to kill one another, they know that they're the only ones who truly understand each other.

So, Loretta finally makes it to Harlan and confronts Mags about her father's death and this scene is the definition of Emmy worthy. Kaitlyn Dever as Loretta displayed remarkable depth and control for someone so young. At first Mags lies and says it was Coover, but then when Raylan shows up she tells the truth about poisoning Loretta's father, finally easing the girl's burden.

It was the final haunting scene that really put this show in a class all its own. Raylan tells Mags that Doyle is dead and Dickie is arrested, basically the feud is over. She offers Raylan some of her apple pie moonshine and then goes to shake his hand. While it was obvious that something was up because she got the glasses from two places, I thought she was going to poison Raylan and herself. I never expected her to let Raylan live. When the haunting strains of Bead Paisley's "You'll Never Leave Harlan" began it became such a sad and telling moment.

It is in that moment that Raylan knows he belongs in Kentucky and can't leave. It will be interesting to see how things shake out next season with Winona's pregnancy and Boyd's takeover of crime in Harlan.

If the Emmy voters cared about actually honoring the best shows on TV, Martindale, Walton Goggins and Olyphant would all be nominated along with the show. However, they'll probably just nominate "Grey's Anatomy" instead.

'Supernatural': New preview with Sera Gamble for Episode 20

Many of us have been looking forward to this Castiel-centric episode since Paley Fest when Ben Edlund announced that he wrote and directed it.

A new preview was released for "The Man Who Would Be King" this morning with Sera Gamble and new clips for the episode. Take a look:

Personally, I saw his partnership with Crowley coming from a mile away, way back when Castiel supposedly killed him. Yet, I am still uncertain as to how the boys are going to take it, especially Dean. It's clear that Castiel has been suffering with his choices all season long, and even at some points, has tried to come clean. It's clear that he is terrified about what Sam and Dean are going to think.

Why wouldn't he be? If it's true what some of us have been speculating, that Castiel is responsible for bringing Sam back from Hell without a soul, then Dean is never going to forgive him.

The aspect of this preview that has completely thrown me is that Castiel looks right into the camera at the end of it and says, "Let me tell you everything."

I know I'm not the only fan freaking out about this. Of course, he could just be looking at one of the other characters...but when has Supernatural ever done something quite that simple? Has Ben Edlund broken the fourth wall again this season by having Castiel telling his story to the viewer?

I definitely can't wait to find out.

'The Voice' surprises in second blind auditions

NBC's competition show "The Voice" produced some genuine surprises in part two of the blind auditions.

With each of the coaches having three members of their teams, they were looking to find their last five singers.

The night began with Cherie Oakley trying to impress with Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder & Lead." Since this is one of my favorite "Rock Band" songs I can tell you it's not easy to sing (apologies to my neighbors). Blake Shelton is engaged to Lambert so this was a risky choice. The song requires a certain amount of attitude and a big voice, Oakley had neither and no one turned around for her.

It's worth noting that Oakley was a very pretty girl who probably could've made it to the Hollywood round of "American Idol" based on her looks, but the blind audition took all the flirting out of the equation.

While the concept is original there were a few times that lackluster performers still made it through.

Sixteen year old Raquel Castro was sweet and talented, but lacked control on Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love." I was surprised that Christina Aguilera chose her, although working with someone with such a powerful voice may help Castro learn how to control her skills.

I was equally shocked that Julia Mason was able to impress anyone, let alone a talent like Aguilera, with her warbled version of "Mercy." It must have been the same desperation to fill out their ranks that led Cee Lo to pick sister duo Tori and Taylor Thompson. It will be interesting to see if the coaches can really find something in these rough around the edges singers, or if they will be swallowed up by more talented teammates.

In the night's most surprising moment country singer Curtis Grimes couldn't get Shelton to turn around for his own song "Hillbilly Bone," but Cee Lo chose him and said he looked forward to the challenge of writing a country song.

Call me crazy (pun intended) but I like this pairing and can't wait to see how it works out.

In the second most surprising moment of the night, all the coaches hadn't rounded out their teams, so a few of the previous contestants who hadn't made it through got a second chance.

Shelton chose rock/country singer Jared Blake, while Aguilera who regretted not picking Lily Elise earlier, didn't make the same mistake. Levine, who needed two more singers, ended up with Casey Weston and Oakley.

This time Oakley sang Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which impressed Levine enough for him to push the magic button. This is especially surprising since she seemed to not know many of the words to the song. Though these second auditions were a surprise, contestants are usually told to have two or three songs prepared. Oakley seemed to be flying by the seat of her pants which didn't impress me.

Now that the teams have been chosen, the battle rounds begin. Contestants will sing a duet against each other in a boxing ring shaped stage and the coaches will have to decide who to keep. Helping them with these no doubt tough decisions are industry insiders and legends.

Aguilera has teamed with singer/songwriter Sia, Cee Lo with R&B songstress Monica, Levine with Maroon 5 music director Adam Blackstone and Shelton has enlisted country legend Reba McEntire. Can't wait to see what this eclectic group has to say about the coaches' choices.

In more great news for the show, the ratings rose in its second week. The program garnered a 5.6 share making it first in the 18-49 demographic. However, it still came in fourth in viewers with 12.4 million. That's huge for NBC and bad news for "Glee" and "The Good Wife."

'Glee' gets a case of the Mac

For the first time "Glee" devoted an entire episode to a single album, the classic "Rumours" by one of my all time favorite bands, Fleetwood Mac.

Considering all the backstabbing and inter club dating, I'm surprised it took them this long to discover the similarities.

With so many fantastic songs to choose from, this episode could have been one of the strongest of the season. Yet, it got bogged down in high school drama. While the musical numbers were strong, (and let's face it, how could they not be) the rest of the show was uninteresting and uninspired.

I don't know what's going on with "Glee" this season but it seems to be two steps forward, four steps back. Ryan Murphy needs to be careful, because the show is getting dangerously close to "Heroes" territory.

Sue has become a caricature and half the kids have become unlikeable, which means once the musical novelty wears off, there's nothing left.

About that music, one of highlights of this episode was the return of Kristen Chenoweth as April Rhodes. Apparently her all white stage version of "The Wizard of Oz" was a bust, so she's back to convince Will to take her life story to Broadway.

Fortunately, she also sang a great rendition of "Dreams" with Matthew Morrison. Don't act like I'm the only one who grabbed a blanket off the couch and twirled around the living room, wait maybe that was just me.

In the end all the drama led to the revelation that Sam's family is having a tough time and is living in a cheap motel. It felt like a cheap trick to pull after all the relationship roulette. Especially since Sam has been an undeveloped character so far.

All in all the plot was uninteresting, while the musical numbers were top notch. However, if the show continues to stay unbalanced, it will become stale and predictable.

Musical Highlights:

"Songbird" displayed a vulnerability that Santana rarely shows. Naya Rivera is one of the unsung heroes of the show.

"Go Your Own Way" introduced Lea Michele's rock star side and had me wondering why she wanted that d-bag Finn. She's way too good for him.

"Dreams" was a perfect duet for Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison. Their voices blend beautifully.

The Aquabats make music fun

It's well-know around here that Weezer used to be my favorite band. I loved, loved them throughout my teen years and most of my adult life so far.

There are many reasons I say "used to be." One of the main ones is that 99 percent of the good Weezer songs are a bit depressing.

Nowadays there is already enough going on in the world and my life that's depressing, so I want to listen to music that is fun.

Enter The Aquabats.

I've known of the band for quite some time. But, never heard any of their music.

Until Coachella.

I just happened upon their set and loved it.

They have a taste for the theatrical, which is refreshing. And band members also helped create the wild show "Yo Gabba Gabba."

So, I bought one of their CDs right at the festival.

Then this week I bought the band's newest CD "Hi-Five Soup!"

And I've been listening to it non-stop and smiling all the way through.

Their music is not meant to be taken seriously and I kind of like that. There is enough serious crap to deal with without having to put the same standards into music.

Here are some of the topics of songs in the CD: hugs, pink pants, popping a wheelie, big friends, fighting sharks and having a food fight on the moon.

Seriously.

Some of the standouts of the CD include the songs "My B.F.F.!," "Hey Homies!," "All My Money!"

and "Pink Pants!"

Notice the overuse of exclamation points! I kind of love that.

The sound is very ska-ish with a twinge of pop and funk.

Take a look at their performance of "My B.F.F.!" at Coachella and you get a sense of the addictive fun the band creates.

Great DVD deal

Talk about an awesome deal.

Season one of the short lived NBC drama "Life" for only $5!

And this is no sale item. This is its regular price at Target.

I found it on a back end cap facing the rest of the DVDs. It was alongside collected sets of shows like "Deadliest Catch" and "My Life on the D-List."

Sure, the first season is only 11 episodes, but you can't beat that kind of price.

The set also includes a number of extras including deleted scenes, a blooper reel, audio commentary and four featurettes.

'Game of Thrones' episode three recap

As a newcomer to the "Game of Thrones" world I am constantly craving more information about the characters, but only because they're so well written and acted that I can't wait for the next episode.

This week the long trip to King's Landing finally comes to an end when the royal court arrives at the capital. Ned immediately finds out that the King is broke and $6 million in debt to the Lannisters. He must also deal with his daughters' reaction to the previous episodes events.

Arya is Candace's favorite character and you can see why in this episode. She's the only person who is willing to speak her mind regardless of the consequences. Ned explains that she must control her tongue and arranges for her to begin training with Syrio Forel. Unfortunately, this also gives him a vision of Arya's violent future.

Meanwhile, Dany is becoming more of a khalessi everyday and now that she is pregnant it won't be long before she drops her idiotic, petulant brother. We were also given a glimpse of the more gentle relationship between Dany and Drogo, which is one of my favorite storylines.

The show's most interesting character Tyrion Lannister was at the Night's Watch with Jon Snow helping him figure out how to fit into his surroundings. What makes Tyrion so fascinating is his ability to instantly size up any situation and figure out how to gain from it. Peter Dinklage is perfectly cast and steals every scene he's in.

Now that we are at episode three, you can see the building blocks for the plot twists that are to come. Dany's move toward the Dothraki and away from her brother, Cersei's control of Joffrey and the building war between the Starks and Lannisters.

The way this story unravels and moves amongst the different plots is a testament to George R.R. Martin's writing ability and HBO's talent at adapting stories into series.