Supernatural, one more time

I liked the second episode better than the first.

Leaving aside the wendigo and the grue, which wasn't all that bad, I again found myself very much liking Jensen Ackles. I liked the M&Ms, the white meat comment, and the way he "spoiled the moment" at the end. If I were a writer on Supernatural, he's the character I'd be writing for. And if this series catches on, it'll be because of him.

Dan and I are zipping through the last season of Smallville via the immersion method (DVDs) and I just learned from a commentary that Ackles was the runner-up after Tom Welling to play Clark. I like Welling just fine, but I'm almost sorry Ackles didn't get the part.

Surface, as in what lies beneath the

Watched Surface last night.

I was sort of turned off by the Jaws-like opener, and it went downhill from there. Monsters lurk beneath the surface. Are they aliens? Sea monsters? A previously undiscovered species? The Loch Ness monster with a huge flashlight?

Will the archetypal characters -- the gutsy single mother, the curious kid, the older professor-type, and the tough fisherman -- figure it out before the monsters take over the world?

Will I tune in next week and find out?

Probably not. Man, I'm harsh.

More about Supernatural

I've been trying to put my finger on what didn't work on Supernatural, and I've got it.

We had no opportunity to get to know and like the characters. In the first few minutes, we got burning women on the ceiling. Attention-getting, sure, but if you can't connect with the characters, there's no buy-in.

I think that Jensen Ackles (did I spell that correctly?) is worth a second viewing, though.

Supernatural premiere not all that super

I think the testosterone level on this show is a little too high for me. And ... is it me, or is this show not all that scary? I was yawning through the second half, and glancing at the clock. But that could have been because of a long day at work, so I'll certainly watch episode two next week.

Jensen Ackles, lately of Smallville, was my favorite part of the premiere episode. His character, Dean Winchester, is definitely a cutie pie, and a much better part for him than that of Lana's emasculated boyfriend. Jared Padalecki, who played Sam, was okay, but didn't do much for me. Maybe he's not my type.

At the end, Dan said that it was better than Point Pleasant. But then again, nearly everything is better than Point Pleasant. (Sorry about that, Marti Noxon.)

Guest book: September

I don't have a guest book on my site, so I thought it might be fun to put one here every month. Please feel free to check in, write a comment, and say hi. What am I doing right? What am I doing wrong? What would you like me to write about?

Lines are open!

Pray for New Orleans

I write about television and science fiction, not the state of the world. I try hard to stay non-political when it comes to reviews and articles (although my political leanings tend to creep in, because I'm giving my opinion.) Maybe I have no right to speak... but fuck it. I absolutely have to say something about the current situation in New Orleans.

A few years ago, right after graduate school, I took a temporary job in southern Mississippi. I spent a good bit of my off time in the beautiful Gulf coast cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, because it was gorgeous there; there was a lot of fun stuff to do, like casinos and shopping and miniature golf and driving down that beautiful coastal highway. And I vacationed in New Orleans, touring the French Quarter and the Garden District.

I don't care where you are politically; if you're honest with yourself, you must admit that what is happening right now should not be happening. And it's clear to me that with one party in charge of all branches of government, there's only one place to lay the blame. I find it hard to believe that this would be happening if New Orleans were, say, Kennebunkport, and the residents white and middle-class, instead of black and poor.

For several years now, I've been ashamed to be an American. My level of shame has just overflowed, like the levees of New Orleans.

I promise I won't post anything else that's political. Or I'll try. If there's a major earthquake here in California and the level of response is like the current one, I may go back on that promise.

Threshold: Pilot

"It was like a forest, but the trees were made of glass."

Emboldened by the success of Lost, last season's phenomenon, all of the networks are jumping on the bandwagon this fall with their own science fiction dramas. Most of these efforts will sink ignonimously beneath the waves. Threshold may very well be the one that makes it.