Hannibal is My New Favorite Show

*Delicious Spoilers Ahead*

So...I'm a Fannibal

I knew this was going to happen and I tried to resist it. When the promos for Hannibal first started airing I was like "Yessss this looks good!" I started watching it, but for some reason when I got to the episode (1x06) where Abel Gideon is first introduced I got super squeamish. I guess it was the fact that Abel Gideon  blinds a woman by pressing his thumbs into her eyes. *Still Shuddering* So there was this long period where I put off watching the show. I mean loved everything else: the characters, the acting, the writing, and yeah I could just keep going. 

Anyways, a couple of weeks back I started getting spoiled on the internet and by my brother and there are only a few things I hate more than being spoiled, so I re-started Hannibal, gory scenes and all. Though I will admit that I had to turn away from the screen in that episode (2x02) where the guy rips himself out of the dead human mural and then jumps to his death, and I almost threw up when Will remembers Hannibal stuffing Abigail Hobbs' ear down his throat. Yeah, the show is totally gruesome and not for the weak-stomached. I find the character interactions more interesting than the disturbing crime scenes anyway.

                         

I think my favorite aspect of this show is Hannibal's role as both a friend to Will and a kind of consultant to the FBI. I like the whole killer-right-under-our-noses feeling and Hannibal is absolutely sinister in that role as he toys with everyone around him. But poor Will Graham, our main protagonist is the one who gets the brunt of Hannibal's mind games, ending up in jail at the end of season 1 for Hannibal's crimes. Hannibal's creepiness is accentuated by the fact that his motivation is just idle curiosity and as he later claims he was just "curious what would happen". Though right up till Will's incarceration, Hannibal tries his darndest to be Will's BFF, which would be pretty adorable if you can ignore the fact that Hannibal is a cannibal who is framing his supposed friend (Will) to take the fall for his own crimes. Despite that, I still love Will and Hannibal's scenes! Whether the two are friends, or at odds or creepily enough killing buddies their scenes together are always captivating. I was a little worried that the writers were going to make Will irreparably dark.

I still can't get over the Season 2 finale. Even though I had been spoiled I was still surprised to see how everything went down! Will sets everything into motion by calling Hannibal and saying "They know" (Just like Hannibal called Garrett Jacob Hobbs in the pilot episode!!!). Hannibal basically dispatches all of the main characters in the last 10 minutes of the episode: Jack, Alanna, Will and even Abigail Hobbs who returns from the dead. This is one of those finale where the spoiler: "Everyone Dies" rings true. Who lives? Who dies? I'll have to wait several painful months to find out! AGHGHHHHHH! One thing about the episode though: why did it take so long for the police and ambulance to get to the scene? Jack and Hannibal's fight scene is fast-paced and brutal. Alanna is pushed out the window by a confused and scared Abigail. I thought Hannibal's treatment of Will was especially tragic. He guts Will and then proceeds to kill Abigail right in front of him as punishment for betraying him. Hannibal walks off leaving his home filled with people in various stages of dying all at his hand. A super dismal finale, but totally fitting as the show is about a cannibalistic psychiatrist.
                   

Falling Skies

*Spoilers up til the end of the season 2*

All About Alien Invasions = Right Up My Alley

I'd been told numerous times by my sister that this show was for me. Ever since I finished Merlin, I'd been experiencing some withdrawals and was pretty reluctant to starting a new show. Finally, my sister's insistence wore me out and I conceded.

I began watching the show and liked it well enough despite the just-okay acting and sometimes-dragging plot. How could I not like it? Its about an alien invasion! There's also alien-robots called Mechs, skitter-y aliens called Skitters and the boss aliens called FishHeads. Yeah, the show likes its little nicknames. Anyway, the second season of the show ends with revealing another alien type that we have never see before!!! What is it? Is it with the rebel skitters? Or with the Overlords (FishHeads)? I don't know! I'm going to go watch some more right after I write this.

Let's talk about the characters: the main character is Tom Mason along with his three sons (Hal, Ben and Matt). Tom is Captain Weaver's second in command of the 2nd Massachusetts. In the first season, none of the characters really stood out to me, so I couldn't say that I had a favorite character. In the second season I realized I had two favorite characters, Ben and Pope. Ben is super suspicious and kinda weird, but I couldn't help rooting for him. I wanted him to end up on the right side if it ever came down to him choosing the humans or the skitters. Pope, is the most morally ambiguous character on show; he's the guy that would save you and then turn around and shoot you in the back if it serves him better. Again, you can't help but hope that he'll end up with the good guys.

The second season also ended with Hal being possessed by a tiny alien bug. Can't wait to see that play out. Oh a side note, Karen has to be the creepiest of all the Harnessed-Kids, Rick (RIP) comes in second. I think I'm ready for the 2nd Mass. to move out from Charleston. The second season really picked up the speed plot-wise let's hope the third season can maintain that speed.

Merlin Season 5 Episode 12/13: The Diamond of the Day

*Spoilers*

This is Why I Hate Finales

Okay, so I finally finished Merlin after starting it more than a year ago. The reason it took me so long to finish Merlin wasn't that I couldn't get into, but rather I wanted to prolong the inevitable. As soon as I started watching Merlin I fell in love with the show, the characters, the magical premise and the amazing acting; I was totally infatuated with the show that I forgot about one key aspect: the ending. Despite having read many Arthurian legend re-tellings it wasn't until after the fourth season that I was struck with the realization that all the re-tellings have one thing in common: King Arthur's tragic end. I halted my viewing process immediately, yeah I know it seems a little silly, but I hate finales, especially sad finales. So began my long avoidance/denial stage. Finally, this summer I forced myself to sit down and finish the series. One episode away from the end, I was about to close the TV, but it was 2:30 in the morning and I was way too caught up in the action, and the nerve-wracking need to know how everything was going to go down, so I watched on. The lack of sleep and the heightened emotions (I'm not going to clarify whether I'm talking about the character's heightened emotions or my own) were making me a little crazy, which is probably the only reason I continued watching. 

I'm having watcher's remorse right now (If there's no such thing as that, there should be). The first part deals with Morgana sending a creature after Merlin to take away his magic now that Mordred has told her about Merlin being Emrys. Morgana succeeds, Merlin is magic-less and totally help-less. When Arthur declares he is going to Camlann (where he is prophesied to die) to meet Morgana's army, Merlin makes up an excuse of needing to gather medical supplies for Gaius. Arthur disappointed, turns away and prepares to head out, meanwhile Merlin enlists Gwaine's help to travel to The Crystal Cave in an attempt to regain his magic. Fast-forward: Merlin gets his magic back after talking to his father's ghost while Morgana is planning an ambush on Arthur's camp at Camlann. Merlin uses his regained magic skills to communicate telepathically to Arthur and warn him of Morgana. Arthur heeds Merlin's warning. He readies his men with a inspiring speech and the battle begins.

The second part, shows Merlin in the guise of the old sorcerer joining in the battle. With impressive lightening bolts, Merlin takes out Morgana's army, but not before Mordred stabs Arthur with his very own dragon's-breath-forged sword. Arthur quickly retaliates by delivering a fatal blow with Excalibur before collapsing. Merlin comes upon the injured Arthur and takes him away from the battlefield to heal him. When Arthur comes to, Merlin, in his own form reveals that "I am a sorcerer, I have magic". The rest of the episode deals with Merlin and Arthur traveling to the Lake of Avalon to cure Arthur, while Arthur deals with Merlin's reveal. Gwaine and Percival on the other hand are trying to kill Morgana and Leon steps up to be Gwen's right-hand man. I love the realizations Arthur experiences when he witnesses Merlin's magic in action; Arthur finally understands just how many times Merlin has saved his life without him ever knowing. Gwaine and Percival's plan backfires on them as Morgana uses a Nathair on Gwaine to find out Arthur's location. Gwaine is left to die in Percival's arms as Morgana sets out to kill Arthur. I hated Gwaine's death so much. It was so unnecessary, like this episode wasn't sad enough already, but no they just had to kill the most sunny-dispositioned knight, just because. Morgana catches up with Merlin and Arthur, but is dispatched quickly when Merlin runs her through with Excalibur. Arthur is fading away quickly when he tells Merlin to stop. He utters "thank you" before slipping away. Okay, this next part is so annoying, Merlin finally calls on the dragon to transport them to the Lake of Avalon. WHY THE HELL DOES HE WAIT SO LONG TO CALL THE DRAGON? Okay, that's out of my system ( I'm still feeling a little bit of the crazy symptoms). They get to Avalon, but it's too late. Merlin sets Arthur adrift on a boat on the Lake of Avalon with the dragon claiming that Arthur will rise again when Albion needs him. The series ends with Gwen being crowned ruling queen and old-Merlin walking the streets of modern-day England, waiting for Arthur to return one day.

The end was just as sad as I thought it would be: Arthur dies and Merlin spends the rest of his life waiting for him to come back. *Sigh* I thought since the creators of the show mixed things up from the original legend the ending might also be changed, but no such luck. I mean, Gwaine was supposed to be Arthur's nephew, Uther was supposed to die when Arthur was a baby, Lancelot doesn't die...I could go on. Anyway, I thought this was a tragic but fitting end to an amazing story about friendship and loyalty. Merlin and Arthur are definitely among my top bromances.