Once Upon a Time 1.10: "7:15 A.M."

So I've been a BAD Once Upon a Time blogger, haven't I? Never fear I do plan on catching up (eventually...). When we last saw the residents of Storybrooke, Henry and Ava (a.k.a. Hansel and Gretel) had been reunited with their father, and a mysterious stranger (Eion Bailey) rode into town on a motorcycle (oh the scandal!). Henry (Jared Gilmore) has a brief encounter with the nameless one (sorry I can't help being dramatic) outside his house, properly freaking Regina (Lana Parrilla) out, much to my amusement. The ever-savvy Henry is clearly suspicious and the Stranger isn't exactly forthcoming with details -- clearly he's there with a purpose, but what exactly remains to be seen. Before riding off on his bike the Stranger warns Henry that "a storm's coming" -- in more ways than one, hmm? Laying on the symbolism a little thick there, writers...

Meanwhile Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) has made zero progress in regards to Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) previous advice about forgetting David (Josh Dallas) since he chose to stay with his "wife" (the jury's still out as to whether or not this marriage is legit). It turns out that she basically has David's schedule memorized, which includes daily visits to Granny's Diner at promptly 7:15 every morning. She just wants to look at his gorgeous face, dangit! (Girl, I know eactly how you feel.) And they are so adorable together it KILLS me. If only there was a magic cure for the heartbreak of unrequited love...

We return to Fairy Tale Land just in time for Charming's wedding to Midas's daughter (Anastasia Griffith). Snow White's been living the life of an outlaw in the woods, occasionally brought supplies and news by Red (Meghan Ory). The most criticial thing to note about this exchange is that Red is about five hundred times classier than Ruby, her Storybrooke counterpart. Seriously her costume and hair are amazing! Disappointed, though, that the writers didn't use this opportunity to provide some depth to the Ruby/Red character -- she's still by far the most under-utilized cast regular. So apparently Snow White and Charming have both been moping around since their first meeting (awww). Snow approaches Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) seeking a cure for her broken heart, and he provides her with a potion that he promises will do the trick. Meanwhile the king is concerned that Charming's heart isn't in his upcoming marriage (blackmail can do that), and against his fake father's wishes Charming sends a note begging Snow to come via BIRD.

Seriously, what the heck is it with Snow White and BIRDS?! If all of this stems from the animated film, Disney did the girl no favors! The lost bird twist in the Storybrooke timeline didn't really work for me either -- Mary Margaret risking a severe storm in order to return a friggin' bird to the wild? I mean really? (Clearly I am not a bird person...)

Back in Storybrooke, Regina asks Emma for a favor (WEIRD) -- she wants her to investigate the Stranger. Emma, I'm afraid, isn't exactly subtle, but whatever -- there's chemistry between the two of them because Eion is freaking ADORABLE. And I love how aggravated she gets at his unflappability. After agreeing to have drinks with him, the Stranger reveals that his mysterious wooden box contains an old-fashioned typewriter. Personally I'm glad the writers didn't drag that mystery out. Here's my theory -- perhaps the Stranger is the author of Henry's storybook! Maybe he's an original Grimm brother? LOL! Thoughts?

After receiving the Prince's birdgram in Fairy Tale Land, Snow sneaks into the castle to meet him where she is promptly arrested (chick really thinks things through). Turns out it's in prison that she met one of the dwarves of legend -- Grumpy (Lee Arenberg), a surprisingly lovelorn, emotionally sensitive individual considering his moniker. (LOVED the fact that he was whistling the "Working Song," that was a nice touch!) Anyways, to make a long story short, Grumpy and Snow bond in prison (her in with the dwarf gang!), the escape and are caught again, and this time the king steps in, blackmailing Snow into telling Charming she doesn't care for him or HE'LL KILL HIM (seriously this king is a piece of WORK). The best thing about this latest wrench in Snow & the Prince's road to happiness is the Josh Dallas angst factor. This guy just kills me, he's so blatantly in love with Snow he can't hide it at all. Their chemistry is absolute perfection. When he picks her up and twirls her around (before she stomps on his heart and all), the joy on his face just blew me away. *swoon*

Back in Storybrooke, David has to rescue Mary from falling off a cliff during her whole bird-rescuing venture (yes, really). The pair seek shelter from the storm in an abandoned cabin in the woods where Mary Margaret reveals she still harbors feelings for David -- feelings he clearly reciprocates and almost acts on until Mary drops the little bomb that his wife, the woman he chose, is buying pregnancy tests at the grocery store. David you beautiful, noble, IDIOT you can't have BOTH. *sigh* I really want you to choose because I don't want you to be that guy, the guy who cheats (nevermind the curse). Mary Margaret and David resolve to forget each other -- yeah, we know that's gonna last.

I found the juxtaposition of Fairy Tale and Storybrooke scenes ending this episode really rather fascinating. Snow's taken refuge with her new dwarf friends, heartbroken over what she assumes is the finality of Charming's loss. Little does she know that Charming has thrown off the wedding and is on the hunt for his true love (Josh Dallas on a horse = WIN). Snow (oh ye of little faith) drinks Rumple's potion, wiping out her memories and feelings for the Prince (STUPID GIRL). Now when the season opened, Snow and the Prince were married, so we know they got together in Fairy Tale Land -- I just think it is interesting that the road to happiness in their previous lives is proving every bit as rocky as their cursed existence in Storybrooke.

Mary Margaret and David's resolution to avoid each other lasts all of five minutes (basically) when they accidentally run into each other and end up sharing a passionate kiss. I'm not even gonna try to hide it, I loved that kiss (in full view of Regina, no less!). Just thinking out loud here...I'm starting to wonder if Mary Margaret and David's biggest obstacle to their happy ending is their own innate sense of honor, skewed by lives their true inner selves don't recognize because of the curse? David knows he's not supposed to be with Kathryn, but because his is, he's reluctant to make a clean break, but he wants to be with Mary Margaret...and so the vicious cycle continues. I'm probably over-thinking things... (heck that's why I blog, hmm?). *wink* I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode!

This Means War

Yesterday Kaye and I went to see This Means War. The above poster pretty much sums up my initial reason for being interested in the film -- Tom Hardy and Chris Pine in suits? Yes please. The set up: Tuck (Hardy) and FDR (Pine) are two of the CIA's top operatives, as close as brothers -- best friends on and off the field, and when it comes to work a deadly team. As the film opens Tuck and FDR are on a covert assignment in Hong Kong, a simple "acquire the device" (don't you love how in these types of films non-specific "device" is enough to be threatening?) from a generic Nordic-looking bad guy with the nicely menacing name of Heinrich (Til Schweiger). :) Their mission becomes anything but covert as bullets fly and bodies drop from tall buildings, etc., including Heinrich's brother. Collins (Angela Bassett), Tuck and FDR's boss, makes the decision to sideline the pair and assign them desk duty until Heinrich is stopped, since now he has vengeance on his mind (as opposed to just terrorism I guess).

Away from the life-and-death intensity of field operations, Tuck and FDR are bored (Pine and Hardy are hilarious in their first desk duty scene), which gives them time to focus on their personal lives. Tuck, having been married before, longs for a genuine, workable romantic relationship. The covert nature of his job and the secrecy that it required led to his divorce, and forces him to be something less than the father and hero he'd like to be in the eyes of his young son (John Paul Ruttan). FDR is perfectly happy to hang out with his BFF when he's not hooking up with random women, but ultimately he supports Tuck's decision to enter the dating field. Tuck's first online date is with Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a career savvy but lovelorn professional desperate to get out of the rut her life's become. Sparks fly with Tuck -- but sparks fly equally hot when, following their first date, Lauren wanders into a HUMUNGOUS DVD RENTAL STORE (seriously, what is this, 1995? who can go to rental stores like that anymore, aren't they all closed??) where she meets FDR. Both men want her -- and when they discover they're dating the same woman, well, it's war. *wink*

Now for some people I suspect whether or not they like this movie will depend on whether or not you can set aside the rather flippant attitude of the leads towards relationships/sex (particularly Lauren and FDR, though they both come through in the end). This is not a necessarily morally sound film in that respect, but it does have some interesting and solid things to say about friendship and long-term commitment and what it takes to really make a relationship work. I love spy-centric action films, and on that score This Means War delivers in spades. With direction by McG, it's small wonder -- he executive produced two of my television favorites, the short-lived Human Target and the recently concluded Chuck. This movie is like those two television shows on speed -- more spectacle, bigger explosions, and like Chuck unexpected moments of heart when it comes to relationships.

Tuck and FDR's friendship is the core of the film and Pine and Hardy play off each other too perfection on-screen. Hardy's career is on fire -- I was telling Kaye back when I first took notice of him as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (which I loved), I wouldn't have necessarily pegged him for big-screen stardom. But ever since his appearance in Inception his Hollywood career seems to have exploded -- last year there was Warrior and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and this summer he follows up This Means War with a sure-to-be-stellar turn as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (can. not. WAIT.). Out of the pair of agents, Hardy's character is the one I immediately liked because he was so nice, came across as so solid and dependable and vulnerable, and the accent didn't hurt either. *wink* Absolutely delightful. :)

Pine on the other hand -- oh my word the man was hilarious. I haven't seen him in anything since his turn was Kirk in the Star Trek re-boot, and I have to say FDR and Kirk are remarkably similar. In fact, FDR is everything Kirk was -- brash, cocky, self-confident, full of himself -- multiplied by a factor of ten. FDR is the player, unlike Tuck more than happy in his single status and the freedom that gives him to play the field. I loved how FDR, in the moments when he's focused on Lauren (as opposed to one-upping Tuck) that Pine lets viewers see his character soften, become vulnerable, realize he wants a relationship instead of yet another transitory fling. (I AM SUCH A SAP! But it's his EYES! Chris Pine's brilliant blue eyes melt me into an incoherent, babbling puddle of goo!!!) You know FDR is changing when we see him watching the James Cameron Titanic...by himself (arguable that he's changed or in need of an intervention, depending on your view of said film).

The "bromance" between Tuck and FDR is without a doubt the movie's greatest strength. But my second favorite aspect of the storyline has to be how the pair goes about trying to sabotage each other -- folding their desire to spy on the other's interactions with Lauren into their current directive to bring down Heinrich (which of course leads Heinrich to the leverage he needs to get at the men responsible for his brother's death). Everyone in their orbit at the agency becomes either "Team Tuck" or "Team FDR," and their proprietary attitude towards their useless intel is for the most part quite funny.

I haven't said much about Witherspoon -- I generally like her and she's her usual appealing romantic comedy self as Lauren. She can do vulnerable and broadly comedic equally well, which works to her advantage here. It is interesting how this movie inverts gender norms in film, i.e. Lauren is the one in the position of "power," if you will, since she has two equally appealing men vying for her attention. This was perhaps best illustrated in the post-sleeping together scene between Lauren and FDR -- she's the one awkwardly running out of the bedroom the next morning, leaving FDR to puzzle over her sudden exit. :P

As far as the rest of the cast goes, Chelsea Handler is completely annoying as Lauren's married best friend Trish, and Giver of Generally Horrible and Immoral Advice. I'm just not a fan. But she does bear an uncanny resemblance to Reese, so much so I initially thought they were supposed to be playing sisters. She does have one gem of a moment, though -- when she counsels Lauren to quit focusing on who is the better man between Tuck and FDR, but to instead decide who makes her the better woman, the best version of herself. When it comes to the man Lauren chooses, that nugget of wisdom certainly holds true for how she impacts him. :) It was also fabulous to see Rosemary Harris as FDR's grandmother -- I just love her, she adds a touch of class to any project.

This Means War is a hilarious twist on the spy/caper genre, full of laugh-out-loud moments and non-stop action. If you have any reservations about the film, take the rating seriously as some of the humor is on the crasser side (a lot of that due to Handler's character now that I stop and think about it). That aside, if you just want to be entertained by Pine and Hardy in sharp suits, well they deliver in spades. *wink* I'd love to see more films of this type from both men. While I'm quite partial to Pine (the eyes! the eyes!), Hardy was a revelation here as I would never have suspected him to have such an affinity for comedy. A surprisingly enjoyable, funny, fresh take on a genre I adore.

I can't stop laughing about this...

Ever since a preview for Psych's return on February 29th came through my Facebook feed, I haven't been able to stop laughing:



Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger?! OMG I LOVE IT. Best Psych episode title OF ALL TIME.

Review: Thief by Linda Windsor

Thief (The Brides of Alba #2)
By: Linda Windsor
Publisher: David C. Cook
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6477-5

About the book:

Sixth-century Scotland comes alive in a tale that sings with beauty, danger, intrigue, and redemption.

Caden O'Byrne is a disgraced mercenary with a death wish and one slim chance for redemption -- to find the long-lost daughter of the woman who healed his battle wounds. But Sorcha, kidnapped long ago and raised by Saxons, wants no part of his mission. A lovely minstrel with a heart for the helpless and a habit of lifting purses to finance her good works, she has her own problems -- a debt she can't pay and betrothal to a man she cannot love. Then a treacherous murder sends Caden and Sorcha fleeing for their lives. Will they find a second chance together?

Review:

After a failed coup -- orchestrated by his witchcraft-practicing wife -- Caden O'Bryne is banished from his homeland and family. Alone and disgraced, he survives as a mercenary soldier of fortune, longing for the day when death will grant him a hoped-for oblivion from the sins of past. Serving under Mordred, King Arthur's nephew, Caden wins royal favor when he saves the high king from death by a Saxon's blade. Brought back from the brink of death and demonic visions by a desperate call for mercy on the name of Christ, Caden resolves to make the most of his undeserved reprieve. Hoping to repay the kindness and hospitality of the woman who nursed him back from the brink of death, Caden travels deep into Saxon-held territory in search of her lost daughter Sorcha, kidnapped as a child. Caden finds Sorcha faster than he'd dared to hope, but the flame-haired scop (entertainer) is loathe to leave the only life she's ever known, saddled with commitments and a convenient, though undesired, betrothal. Caden and Sorcha are forced to join forces in order to survive when common enemies frame the pair for murder, sending them fleeing for their lives. With only a fledgling faith between them and a desperate hope for redemption, Caden and Sorcha soon realize that accepting the gift of grace, freely given, may be their greatest challenge in their fight for a future free from fear and regret.

Healer, Windsor's first novel in The Brides of Alba series, was one of my favorite reads of 2010 and with Thief she's surpassed herself. Simply put, I love everything about this book! Here Windsor continues the thesis she set forth in Healer -- shining a light into the Dark Ages of history and revealing the vibrant faith of the early Christian church in sixth-century Scotland under the rule of Arthur of Dalraida, the only historically documented Arthur of legend. As is per the norm in Windsor's historical fiction of this ilk, Thief is saturated with rich historical detail and research, lending everything from the setting, clothing, customs, and speech the ring of authenticity resulting in a wholly absorbing reading experience. Where Healer focused on the tension between the Christian church and still widely prevalent pagan belief systems, Thief delves deeper into the Church's attempts at peaceweaving or arranged marriages between Christian princesses and pagan princes, fostering peace between warring factions and planting churches in previously unreachable territory. Through Eavlyn, the princess in question in this case, Windsor explores a secondary aspect of her thesis -- reclaiming the history of the study of the stars within the context of Christian faith.

In conjunction with this rich dose of history, Windsor once again spins an unforgettable love story against the backdrop of a time of danger and turbulent social and political change. Through Caden's association with Mordred, and the latter's interest in Scotland's historical pagan religions vs. dictates from a far-off Roman Church, Windsor hints at the discord of Arthurian legend. Like her best couples, Caden and Sorcha are passionate, wounded souls in desperate need of redemption -- what sets this pair apart are the sparks that fly whenever they meet. Caden and Sorcha are two of Windsor's most passionate creations, their love all the more powerful thanks to a simmering realization that it is a gift from the God who saw them through their darkest hours. Windsor is a master at penning a swoon-worthy love story, but what sets Thief apart is the completely organic, authentic manner in which she incorporates faith, proving the two are most definitely not mutually exclusive -- indeed it is a passionate illustration that faith is the bedrock that enhances relationships, romantic or otherwise.

Thief is a rollicking, non-stop adventure, a romance stitched together with a thread of faith that speaks to the author's passionate confidence in the transformative power of a life whole-heartedly sold-out on the promises of a God who never fails to answer when we call. I cannot wait for the next volume in this series -- Rebel -- coming this summer!

******

And just for fun, this is how I pictured Caden while reading Thief -- Chris Hemsworth (film still from the upcoming release Snow White and the Huntsman). Small wonder I loved this book so much, hmm? *wink*

Pan Am 1.12: "New Frontiers"

This may come as a shock, but I pretty much loved this episode of Pan Am (the drama, not necessarily the morals -- ha!). Definitely one of my favorites of this show's short run -- somehow everything just worked for me. The episode opens with Kate (Kelli Garner) practicing pick-pocketing skills under the watchful eye of Richard (Jeremy Davidson). Apparently that is how the CIA trained their freelance spies in the '60s -- hey, how about we practice picking pockets in Central Park? Great weather! Richard wants Kate to lift some microfilm from the pocket of a courier in Rome -- the Italians are granting the US access for the operation, and thanks to Richard, Kate and crew have an invitation to an exclusive party. Awesome moment #1 -- Kate and Richard being all flirty while she tries to lift his wallet. I LOVE THEIR SCENES!

Dean (Mike Vogel) is desperate to win back Colette (Karine Vanasse) but she isn't giving him the time of day -- and while he totally deserves the cold shoulder I actually felt rather bad for him in this episode...he wasn't all Ken doll perfect (well not quite). *wink* Colette drops the little bomb that she's put in a for a base transfer to ANOTHER CONTINENT (note to Dean: THAT is sending a message). So he's all stressed and on edge heading into this flight, which is only made worse by the arrival of a last-minute passenger who is handsome, charming, and oddly enough has NO luggage. (That sort of cracked me up -- times have certainly changed haven't they, in regards to airline security!)

The lone passenger, Omar (Piter Marek) is everything Dean wishes he was at that moment -- handsome, calm, cool, collected, and oh-so-very-charming -- so Dean decides he MUST be the passenger responsible for a smuggled cache of cigarettes (in Dean's defense, Omar's lack of luggage works against him). Despite his unorthodox entrance, Omar charms Colette (much to Dean's chagrin) and the sparks fly between the two of them. He talks Colette into showing him around Rome and she agrees (seriously who can blame her?), and this is where things got AWESOME. The whole relationship was wildly reminscent of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, only the royalty role is reversed when Dean is humiliated by the revelation that Omar is a prince who went AWOL on his family and responsibilities to "see the world." Before his departure Omar invites Colette to be his date to a White House dinner -- just marry him already, Colette. If anyone on this crazy show deserves a Roman Holiday-esque romance it's you. *wink*

Turning our attention to the rest of the crew, Maggie (Christina Ricci) can't keep Amanda's (Ashley Greene) kiss from Ted (Michael Mosley). She tries to tell him that maybe, just maybe, all is not as it seems in his whirlwind romance it rather blows up in her face -- Ted is very much a man's man and just can't wrap his head around the idea that Amanda may be more interested in women than men. Apparently sensing Ted's reservations Amanda agrees to sleep with him, and it doesn't go well to say the least -- nothing is shown, there's just a whole lotta AWKWARD in the aftermath. At this point I was yelling at the TV for Ted to wake up already because he is in deep denial about Amanda's turnaround as regards him and her desire to marry.

Meanwhile Laura's (Margot Robbie) world is rocked when she discovers that the impulsive nude photographs she was so proud of just a few months prior were SOLD AND PUT ON DISPLAY (seriously who didn't see that coming? yeesh...). She's humiliated and panicked, going so far as to go to Ted's to ask for a loan -- where it is glaringly apparent to Amanda that the pair have feelings for each other (DUH). She ends up loaning Laura the cash to buy the prints, and later suggests to Ted that they have an open marriage so he can be be with Laura all he wants (to Ted's credit, at least by the end of this episode, his WHAT THE HELL face is pretty priceless). The photograph issue remains unresolved for Laura as on her return trip to the gallery she's recognized and praised for her "bravery" (some say brave, I say stupid) and learns that friggin' Andy Warhol wants to buy the pictures. This whole section of the episode is soap opera INSANITY, the best part being Ted's valiant efforts not to appear completely clueless. :P

Maggie's adventures in Rome take an interesting turn when George Broyles (Darren Pettie) approaches her with an offer he's sure she won't be able to refuse -- become a partner in his Pan Am smuggling operation or he'll reveal that she was the source behind the revelation of Dean's earlier affair with Ginny, the mistress/secretary of a Pan Am vice president. This is an interesting moment, because I've felt since the beginning of the show that Maggie was the least-developed of character of the four female leads. However, I was happy to see that she finally shows some positive character growth by owning her actions and refusing to cave to Broyles's blackmail threat.

This episode ends with the horrific event we've known was coming since Kennedy's Berlin wall speech -- his assassination. All of this week's drama -- Laura's photographs, Ted's shock about his fiancee, the breach between Colette and Dean -- pales in comparison to the news spreading through the country from Dallas regarding the president's condition. My mom's talked about what it was like to get the news, so it was interesting to see the total shock and disbelief play out in our characters' lives -- news traveled in a much slower manner, almost unrelatable by today's standards with the "instant gratification" of 24-hour news cycles. Overall a solid episode in what has been a bumpy ride this season.

Christmas at Downton preview

Okay Dan Stevens is ADORABLE in this video:

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks to my friend Ruth for finding this absolutely perfect card. :)