Supernatural 8.11 Review: LARP and the Real Girl

It's always a little worrying when Supernatural takes on a case involving geek culture, because despite being a part of it itself, the shows primary characters, Sam and Dean, have nothing to do with that sort of culture and know nothing about it. This often results in the characters, Dean in particular, making fun of such things; he basically thinks he's better than it. And in the start of the episode, it started off that way, a lot of raised eyebrows and knowing looks between the Winchester brothers. There was a lot of exposition too, because, you know, Sam and Dean are oblivious to the world of live action role playing, and so are most of the audience, so I guess this is understandable. Anyway, with the mysterious and gruesome deaths of two LARPers the pair are led to Moondoor, where four factions are 'fighting' to rule the land, and the current Queen is none other than Charlie Bradbury. While I enjoy it when Supernatural brings back recurring characters Charlie's second appearance left a lot to be desired, character wise. She was uncertain and afraid when we first meet her and apparently since then she's LARPed her way into a false sense of security, but hasn't really started living again. Regardless, when she is inevitably captured they learn that one of Charlie's subjects, Jerry, has summoned a fairy named Gilda under his control to hurt his fellow LARPers in an attempt win Charlie's affections. Too bad for him she's into the fairies. The plot was fairly sub-standard but there were enough red-herrings and twists to keep it entertaining overall. Dean's bizarre fascination with the Moondoor and its inhabitants provided the episodes most humorous moments, particularly the ending, without making too much fun of the LARPing community.

Rating: 3/5

American Horror Story Asylum 2.13 Review: Madness Ends

While Lana kept her promise to close down Briarcliff, becoming a renowned television journalist to do so, the fact that it took her so long, and that she only did it to further her career made this episode difficult to watch. During an interview discussing her long career Lana spouts large amounts of exposition about what has happened to her, and the rest of the characters, since she shut down the asylum, and she does her best to play the role of the martyr as she does so. We discover that Kit, unlike Lana, was still a decent human being and went and retrieved Sister Jude from the asylum and invited her into his home. While the gesture was nice and all seeing Kit and Jude play happy family was difficult to comprehend having watched what had happened between these two throughout the season. Not to mention Kit's alien spawn, who not only took Jude into the forest and inexplicably healed her crazy before her death, but who also abduct Kit right before his own death of pancreatic cancer. His children are now a neurosurgeon and a lawyer, respectively, and apparently this is all the closure audiences are going to get from that alien storyline. Lana also took time to take down Cardinal Timothy Howard by exposing his knowledge of Dr. Arden's experiments at the asylum, and while I understand the need for Lana to put a face to the crimes that went on at Briarcliff, Howard wasn't all that bad, and I don't see why his life ended in a suicide, while characters like Jude and even Lana herself got very happy endings. The final standoff between Lana and her son Bloody Face Jr. was underwhelming, Lana was able to convince Johnny that she really does love him and is sorry, but Lana has become such a different character from the one we met at the beginning of the season that when she shoots her son in the head it's not all that shocking that she has done so.

Rating: 2/5

New Girl 2.14 Review: Pepperwood

About time Jess got an annoying jar! Schmidt's a douche, yes, but a lovable and harmless one, and why he should have to put money in a jar all the time over the more often than not cringe worthy behaviour of Jess is beyond me. Regardless, you have to admire her unwavering passion to teach, even if it is teaching creative writing to adults who write about Mer-men and masturbation. She's excited she's had a breakthrough with one of her students, Edgar, but when Nick reads his creative imagery assignments he becomes convinced that Edgar is a murder and decides to go undercover as Julius Pepperwood from Chicago as a new student in Jess's class. Initially Nick's investigation is amusing, but as with Jess, having Nick play the paranoid conspiracy theorist for the entire episode quickly wore thin. Obviously, in the end, Edgar turned out not to be a murderer, only guilty of having a much older wife and owning a mysterious duffel bag. Back at the loft, after an incident in which Winston accidently brushes himself against Cece, he discovers that his roommates talk about this often occurring with him, calling it his 'pogo'. In annoyance, he tells Schmidt the others talk about him too, and in an attempt to rectify what he thinks his pogo is, Schmidt shaves half his eyes brows out forcing Winston to reveal that his pogo is actually his ugly toes. This storyline relied heavily on the insecurities of the characters, and while it was all a bit of fun, a bit more sensitivity and understanding could have been used from the characters in regards to their roommates peculiarities. Plus, Jess and Nick's 'pogos' probably could have been a lot funnier if they hadn't had the Edgar storyline.

Quote of the episode:
Nick Miller - 'Writers don't read. We write.'

Rating: 3/5

Deception 1.3 Review: A Drop of Blood and a Microscope

With Vivan's baby daddy missing Joanna is forced to get information from the Bower's the old fashioned way, which means when Robert Bowers tells her to accompany Julian to the Lyritrol conference, she accepts. What she doesn't know is that it's in the Bahamas, much to Will's annoyance. Despite the fact she's doing her job, Joanna definitely has bad judgement and while she has yet to sleep with Julian again, running to Will because she thinks her ex-lover is a murderer isn't the best move emotionally either. Bowers Pharmaceutical's, now that Vivan's death has been officially ruled a murder; decide to persuade Edward to step down from the company. Although it's revealed Edward has hidden Ben Preswick, Vivian's source from Bowers Pharmaceutical’s and the father of her unborn baby, at a safe house. Edward wants evidence of a Lyritrol cover-up, evidence Vivian promised him, but his decision to maintain his position at the company by threatening his co-board members remains to be seen as a desperate man wanting to protect his family, or a man willing to put everything on the line for Vivian. Whatever his choice, Samantha wanted out of the Bowers and thought she had her chance, at least until a very aggressive Sofia forced her to reunite with Edward, for fear that her daughters would be taken away from her. Mia, having found she missed Vivian that much more since confirming her death as a murder decides to look at photos of trees and is swooped of her feet by an amateur photographer/ attendee of a concert at an abandoned building. He beats up a guy trying to steal her camera, and it is all very romantic for her, unfortunately he paid the guy he beat up, and I'm wondering how long I'll have to deal with this storyline.

Rating: 2.5/5