TV Show Review: Once Upon a Time - Season 6

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Wonderfully developed characters in a still magical story

Cons: So far, magic covering any cons

The Bottom Line:

Magical intrigue

Characters continue to

Grow in great season

“I Killed You.”  “Did You Really Think It Would Be That Easy?”

When asked my favorite TV show currently on the air, I answer without hesitation Once Upon a Time.  Yes, the show has changed significantly since it started, but all good shows of this kind need to grow and change.  I still find the show, well, magical, and season six was no exception.

If you are new to the show, you will be lost here.  There’s no way to avoid it with a show of this kind.  The basics?  Every fairytale character you know is real and is currently living in the town of Storybrooke, Maine.  They originally arrived there via a curse, and they’ve faced several more over the years.  As they have faced multiple threats, families have grown and relationships have changed.

And, honestly, that’s one of my favorite things in the show.  These characters are growing and are not the people they were in season one.  That adds a richness to things that makes every moment mean so much more.  And it’s another reason not to jump in here.  You won’t fully appreciate what we do get to see this season.

As the season opens, our heroes are trying to welcome a lot of new visitors to town.  The residence of the Land of Lost Stories have arrived, and are now getting on with their lives and their stories.  At the end of last season, Regina (Lana Parrilla) tried separating herself into her two halves, Regina and the Evil Queen, before crushing her Evil Queen part.  It didn’t quite work out as she has planned, and it isn’t long before everyone learns that the Evil Queen is back, ready to exact her revenge on Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David (Josh Dallas).  Naturally, their family, including daughter Emma (Jennifer Morrison) jump in trying to keep that from happening.  However, Regina’s half-sister Zelena (Rebecca Mader) is drawn to the Evil Queen side and might not prove to be an ally to our heroes.

While the season still aired in two parts, the season didn’t have two distinct story arcs.  Some characters from the Land of Untold Stories would pop up for one episode, some for more, and some would play a large piece in the overall arc.  This season, we get to meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Hank Harris and Sam Witwer), Captain Nemo (Faran Tahir), and Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz) and Jasmin (Karen David) as well as a new version of Jafar (Oded Fehr).  (No connection to the Jafar of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, unfortunately for fans of that show.)

The season had actually opened with Emma getting a vision of her impending death, something that begins to play out more in the back half of the season as we get a new threat.  Honestly, I had negative flashbacks to another show when this storyline was fully introduced for the mid-season cliffhanger, but the way it played out was actually well done and erased my concerns as the show built toward the ultimate battle between good and evil.  Who will survive?

I already gave you my big draw to this show – the characters.  I love them, and I love spending time with them.  This show sucks me in each week, and when things are over, it’s hard to believe it’s been an hour already.

Of course, the storylines help with that.  I still find them compelling.  Yes, they are repeating themselves at times, never more so than in the season finale, but I still enjoy it.  I even get what they were trying to do with the season finale, but it still felt like too much of a retread to me.  My only real complaint for the season.

The actors are at the top of their game, and I love watching them on screen.  They have these characters and their relationships down, and the chemistry between them no matter who is on screen in wonderful.  Praise, as always goes to the two standouts – Robert Carlyle, who plays Rumpelstiltskin, and Lana Parrilla.  She is clearly having a blast playing both halves of Regina this season.

Before the season is over, we get a musical episode.  I will admit it took me a couple of times to fully enjoy it, but it works, and it certainly works well in a series about magic.

Speaking of magic, this show is filled with special effects.  There are usually a couple of episodes a season where things don’t work, but for the most part I buy what they see.

Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, the creators of the show, felt that the journey for most of the characters ended here at season six, so the season finale feels like a series finale in many ways.  It does wrap things up in a wonderful way for everyone…until the final few minutes which set up a season seven that will be missing much of the cast we know and love.  I am intrigued by this new direction.  I am withholding full judgment until I actually see it, and I hope my faith is rewarded.  If not, we will have to pretend the final few minutes of this season didn’t happen because I really could have lived with this as a series finale.

All 22 season six episodes are included in this set.  Naturally, they are in wide screen and full surround as are most shows today.  Extras on the set include deleted scenes, bloopers, one audio commentary, and a behind the scenes look at creating the musical.

For me, the magic and fun of Once Upon a Time have continued in season six.  Any fan of the series to date will continue to enjoy watching their favorite characters in these episodes.

Season Six Episodes:

1. The Savior

2. A Bitter Draught

3. The Other Shoe

4. Strange Case

5. Street Rats

6. Dark Waters

7. Heartless

8. I’ll be Your Mirror

9. Changelings

10. Wish You Were Here

11. Tougher than the Rest

12. Murder Most Foul

13. Ill-Boding Patterns

14. Page 23

15. A Wondrous Place

16. Mother’s Little Helper

17. Awake

18. Where Bluebirds Fly

19. The Black Fairy

20. The Song in Your Heart

21. The Final Battle Part 1

22. The Final Battle Part 2

Book Review: Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett (Detective by Day #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and mystery filled with humor

Cons: Romantic sub-plot is weak

The Bottom Line:

Looking for reward

Day gets involved in murder

A must read debut

Hit and Run Murder

Earlier this year, I started reading the Chicks on the Case blog, and through that I decided I wanted to read at least one book by all of the Chicks.  (And yes, I’ve still got one I need to get to plus more books by the authors I’ve already read.)  Kellye Garrett is the last of these ladies to have her debut novel published.  Hollywood Homicide came out about a week ago, and it is wonderful.

Dayna Anderson, Day to her friends, has retired from acting after a successful career of one commercial campaign for a fast food company.  As you can imagine, that didn’t line the pocketbooks forever, and she is hard up for money now.  Making matters worse, her parents are going to lose their house unless Day can find a way to give them the cash they need.

Which is why the billboard catches her eye.  The LAPD is offering a $15K reward for information leading to the arrest of the driver of a hit and run.  The young woman who had been hit died at the scene.  Day realizes she and her friends had actually driven by the scene not too long after it happened, so maybe they know something.  This isn’t the worst things an actress in Hollywood has done for money, and it should be easy money, right?

Spoiler alert – it isn’t easy money.  If it were, this would be a short story and not a novel.  Of course, Day’s lack of experience as an investigator plays into her lack of ability to solve the crime quickly, but her stumbles and dead ends were completely realistic.  Not that I would be much better about solving the crime than Day.  In fact, at one point, I thought I had the killer pegged only to know I was wrong half a chapter later when Day decided that person was the killer as well.  The ultimate solution is surprising and satisfying, and we get some fun twists along the way.

Meanwhile, the characters are wonderful.  They are quite an assortment, yet they all come to believable life.  I know there is more to some of them than we see here, and I can’t wait to get to know them better as the series unfolds.

My biggest complaint was with the romantic sub-plot.  It all felt very Jr. High to me.  Yes, it does play into the plot of the mystery, so I see the need for it.  This is a very minor complaint overall, and I’d probably behave more like Day does than I care to admit, so I can’t criticize too loudly.

Do note that the content is pushing the edges of the cozy sub-genre in a couple of scenes.  It’s nothing too graphic, and the scenes are played for laughs.

These aren’t the only scenes that are played for laughs.  There are plenty throughout the entire book.  As much as I am a Southern California Hollywood loving guy, I had to laugh at many of the correct observations made about my part of the country.  The light tone made the book that much more enjoyable.

Hollywood Homicide is not only my favorite debut so far this year, but one of my favorite reads of the year period.  Do yourself a favor and get this book today.  You’ll be very glad you did.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

TV Show Review: Legends of Tomorrow - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Action with plenty of time hopping fun

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Time travel action

Great characters, lots of fun

Enjoyable show

“Stein’s About to Kill Sara in the Library!”  “With the Rope or the Candlestick?”

Of the superhero shows on the CW, most people seem to be less interested in Legends of Tomorrow.  Personally, I don’t see it.  It certainly has a different tone, one that is lighter overall, but I really enjoy this improbably time traveling crew.  And that didn’t change in season 2.

As season two picks up, the legends have scattered and tried to get on with their lives in the present.  However, historian Dr. Nate Heywood (Nick Zano) has discovered a time anomaly that could destroy the world as we know it.  With the help of Oliver Queen (guest star Stephen Amell), he reunites the team Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), Ray Palmer (Brandon Roth), Dr. Stein (Victor Garber), Jefferson Jackson (Franz Drameh), and Mick Rory (Dominic Purcell), and they head back to 1942 to protect Einstein and stop the Nazi’s from detonating an atomic bomb.

While back in time, they meet the Justice Society of America.  However, their trip ends in a disaster that brings Amaya Jiwe (Maisie Richardson-Seller) to the crew thanks to her desire for revenge.  It also shows the team that they are fighting a new threat, the Legion of Doom – a trio made up of Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), and Eobard Thawne (Matt Letscher).

Now the Legends must race through time in an effort to stop the Legion of enacting their plan, which involves a spear that could permanently change time.  Can they stop these villains before time runs out?

Quite often, time travel can make my head hurt if I think about it too much thanks to the anomalies it will introduce.  Honestly, I don’t worry about that too much with this show.  They usually acknowledge any anomalies themselves if the crew isn’t trying to fix these problems in the first place.

Plus, the show continues to be fun.  Yes, it is definitely the most over the top of these DC Comics shows, and some of the acting reflects that.  But honestly, I don’t really mind.  Things are light and fun, and the trips through time are a pure delight.  Oh, I know this isn’t real history (Civil War zombies, anyone?), but the various settings are fun.

The characters are all given arcs again this season.  Obviously, we get to know the two new characters the best, but over the course of the season, Sara finds herself taking on a new leadership role when Arthur goes missing, Ray tries to be a hero without his suit, Rory deals with the loss of his partner and spending so much time around heroes, and Stein must face some unexpected consequences of their time hopping.

And the actors are all up to the task.  Yes, as I said, the acting is a little over the top at times, but it fits the show perfectly.  The most obvious is Dominic Purcell, who eats the scenery in his scenes in a completely delightful way and gets some of the best lines.

Any superhero show needs lots of special effects, and this one is no different.  They all look real to me.  Considering the number of effects in this show and the limitations of a TV budget, that’s saying something.

The season consisted of 17 episodes, and they are all included in this set in their native wide screen and full surround.  Extras include the obvious deleted scenes and gag reel as well as the shows 2016 Comic Con panel and a documentary on this shows part in the big four episode crossover from early December.

If you are looking for a show that best captures the feel of a light, popcorn summer action flick, this is the show for you.  Stick Legends of Tomorrow – Season 2 into your player and enjoy.

Season 2 Episodes:

1. Out of Time

2. The Justice Society of America

3. Shogun

4. Abominations

5. Compromised

6. Outlaw Country

7. Invasion!

8. The Chicago Way

9. Raiders of the Lost Art

10. The Legion of Doom

11. Turncoat

12. Camelot/3000

13. Land of the Lost

14. Moonshot

15. Fellowship of the Spear

16. Doomworld

17. Aruba

August 12th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Last week was small, but this week was even smaller.  Honestly, I'm trying to figure out how I watch so much TV during the year since I feel like I'm barely keeping up with the little bit I"m watching this summer.

American Ninja Warrior – There is a reason some of these big names are big names.  Jessie Graff was the fourth finisher over all.  Amazing.  And I loved her reaction to how far she got.  And Drew was a beast!  I do wish we had a few more finishers.  I’m not saying everyone needs to finish, but if only one person finishes, maybe the course was too hard?

Suits – Who’s surprised that Mike’s secret it coming out so quickly?  Not me, that’s for sure.  I’m happy, too, since it would be a recycled story if it dragged out for a long time.  I’m certainly curious where they are going with this because clearly there is something behind it.  But how does it connect to the client who wanted this dropped?  That’s the big question.

Movie Review: Garage Sale Mystery - The Beach Murder

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good mystery, fun sub-plots

Cons: Usual Hallmark cheese

The Bottom Line:

How does surfer drown?

That’s what Jenn must figure out

In this fun movie

“It’s Probably Nothing.”  “It’s Never Nothing with You, Jenn”

Amateur sleuths need a way to keep getting involved in murder.  Some people have a very large family and an abundance of friends.  But if you have a shop that can help bring in new ways to get you involved in murder, too.  That’s how Jennifer Shannon gets involved in The Beach Murder.

Jennifer (Lori Loughlin) has a new customer who is interested in vintage surf boards.  That’s because Anne’s husband Steve (David Paetkau) is obsessed with all things surfing, being an avid surfer himself.  Jennifer and Anne (Chiara Zanni) have become friends thanks to the many boards that Jennifer has been able to add to Steve’s collection.

However, things take a tragic turn when the police call to say that Steve’s body has been discovered on the beach.  It appears to be an accident, but Anne isn’t buying it.  Steve was a championship swimmer and a former lifeguard.  She just can’t believe he drown accidentally.  And Anne’s questions make sense to Jennifer, who begins to find things that make her question the official results as well.  What really happened to Steve?

Of course, we know Steve was murdered.  If he weren’t, there would be no movie for us to watch, or at least a very boring movie.  I had figured out the how earlier than Jennifer did, but coming up with the who was still a lot of fun.

The rest of the gang is around with a couple of sub-plots.  At Rags to Riches, the second-hand store that Jennifer owns with her best friend Dani (Sarah Strange), they are caught in the middle of a couple who is fighting by selling off each other’s things.  Meanwhile, on the home front, Jennifer’s son Logan (Connor Stanhope) is attempting to go out for the school play because of his crush on the lead actress.  Both are fun.  Yes, the mystery could use another couple more suspects to sustain a full movie on its own, but any fan of the series will be engaged thanks to these subplots.

Of course, this comes with my usual Hallmark movie warning.  The acting is adequate, but certainly nothing spectacular.  That’s hardly surprising since this is the first of four movies in the franchise we are getting this month, and this isn’t the first Garage Sale Mystery movie of the year, either.  Then again, some of the lines the actors have to say aren’t the best either.  Just keep that in mind when you sit down to watch and you’ll be fine.

I was smiling the entire way through the movie, and I’m sure any fan of this movie franchise will feel the same way about The Beach Murder.

This movie is part of the Garage Sale Mysteries Collection Three DVD set.

August 11th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

We've made it to Friday and you know what that means - Book Beginnings and Friday 56 time.

This week's book is Hollywood Homicide, the debut mystery from Kellye Garrett.


                                                                  

This is the first in a new series.  I finished the book earlier this week.  Assuming I can get my review written, I'll be reviewing it on Monday.  I really enjoyed it.

Here's how the book begins:

He stared at my resume like it was an SAT question.  One of the hard ones where you just bubbled in C and kept it moving.

Jumping ahead to the 56% mark in the book, we find this:

If this were some cheesy TV show, the screen would have cut to black so the network could spend the next five minutes trying to get you to buy toothpaste you already bought anyway.  It wasn't.  Instead, Emme came back.  "Ben's calling the police.  They won't use their sirens."

Seriously, if you like mysteries, you really need to give this book a shot.  I hope you'll come back on Monday to see why I feel it is worth your time.

Dressed to Confess Winner

I just pulled the winner of Dressed to Confess.  And the book goes to...

...Autumn!

Please be sure to check your e-mail and get back to me so I can make sure you get your prize.

Book Review: Cat About Town by Cate Conte (Cat Cafe Mysteries #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Charming characters and setting, great mystery

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

New sleuth and her cat

Charm their way into your heart

Solve great mystery

Cats, Clues, and Killings

The instant I heard about the Cat Café mysteries, I was on board.  After all, a mystery set on a summer resort island off the coast of Massachusetts?  How could the book go wrong?  Cat About Town is that series debut, and it lived up to my high hopes.

Maddie James is back on Daybreak Island for her grandmother’s funeral.  Thanks to an understanding business partner and owning her own business, she has taken extended time to be with her family, especially her grandfather, who is understandably taking the loss hard.  She’s even staying with him, and she’s picked up a stray cat she found at the cemetery.

However, Maddie’s grandfather is facing more than just his beloved wife’s death.  Frank O’Malley wants to buy his house, tear it down, and turn the location into a centralized rental location.  Frank happens to be the president of the local chamber of commerce, and is used to being able to throw his weight around to get what he wants.  However, the house has been in the family for generations, and Maddie is immediately as upset as her grandfather at the thought of selling.

So, Maddie goes to confront Frank.  When he repeats his veiled threats, Maddie begins plotting ways to stop him.  However, that becomes unnecessary when Maddie’s new cat leads her to Frank’s body during the start of summer food stroll.  With the police considering Maddie and her grandfather as prime suspects, Maddie feels the need to find some new suspects.  It seemed that many people didn’t like Frank, so there is no shortage of them.  But who killed him?

You might be wondering how the cat café comes into play.  Heck, you might even be wondering what it is.  That unfolds as the book progresses, so I’m not going to spoil anything for you here.  I will say it isn’t what I expected, but I’m okay with that.

The book starts out strongly with Maddie getting hints of the trouble brewing.  There are several explosive scenes before Frank is killed, and once Maddie finds the body, we are really off and running.  The clues and twists kept me guessing until the very end.  I didn’t know who the killer was until Maddie figured it out, but once she did it made perfect sense.

Maddie is a warm and friendly main character, and it’s hard not to fall in love with her right away.  Her grandfather is charming, and their relationship is wonderful.  There is the beginning of a love triangle here.  I have a feeling I know which way things will go, and fairly quickly, too, but I’m anxious to see if I am right.

Then there’s JJ, the cat that Maddie rescues.  If he doesn’t completely melt your heart, there is something seriously wrong with you.

I also loved the island setting as much as I thought I would.  It’s a wonderful way to enjoy a vacation for free.  This is the kind of town you visit and wish you could stay.  Thanks to the series, now you can, getting an insider’s eye to what life is really like on an island dependent on tourists.

Cat About Town is a fun book that will leave you anxious to find out what happens next to Maddie and the rest of your new friends.  Snuggle in with your favorite cat and get lost in a wonderful debut.

Enjoy the rest of the Cat Cafe Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book

Pin Review: Casey at the Bat - Storybook Classic Collection #12 - 2017 Disney Store Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: A rare character in two scenes

Cons: Both scenes from book not short

The Bottom Line:

Casey and ego

Parade through two scenes on pin

Both based on the book

Casey is the Final Pin in this Series

It’s summer, and that means baseball season.  And what better time for the Storybook Classic Collection to feature Casey at the Bat, right?  That’s what someone figured since they wrapped up the series with this character.

The front of this pin is mostly light blue.  Casey’s leaning on a bat and several of his fans are crowding around.  He’s obviously glowing in their praise, letting his ego grow.  The title is over the top of the picture in red, and the illustration is outlined in a dark blue.

The pin opens just like a book, and inside you’ll find a full color illustration of Casey walking up to his fateful time at bat with several bats over one shoulder.  He’s doffing his cap at the cheering crowd.  The colors in this picture are still simple, but they are great at capturing Casey in action.  This is also the pose they used for the related ornament, which wasn’t always the case in the series.

And the pin must definitely be based on the book Disney release and not the animated short.  Why do I say that?  Because neither of these pictures appeared in the short at all.  Since I didn’t grow up with the book, that bothers me a little.  I wish these pictures were from the cartoon.  But this is a storybook series, so that’s my fault.

Like the rest of this series and any of Disney’s heavier pins, this one has two posts in the back to use to attach it to your lanyard if you want to do wear it.

I do like getting these rare shorts and characters in pin form, so for that reason I’ve enjoyed the Storybook Classic Collection.  Casey at the Bat is no exception.

Check out the rest of the Storybook Classic Collection.

Ornament Review: Casey at the Bat - Storybook Classic Collection #12 - 2017 Disney Store Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Perfectly captures the character

Cons: Not as good as some others in the series

The Bottom Line:

Casey takes a swing

In this good ornament just

Not quite as detailed

Does This Casey Ornament Hit a Home Run or Strike Out?

We’ve reached the final ornament in The Disney Store’s Storybook Classic Collection, and they’ve picked another rare character to close things out.  We are ending with Casey at the Bat, an ornament based on a segment from Make Mine Music.

Again, I had to rewatch this part of the movie since it’s been years since I sat down to watch the 1940’s package features.  The story is about Casey, a baseball superstar.  His team is down by two runs going into the bottom of the ninth.  By the time Casey comes up to bat, there are two men on base.  The crowd is going crazy since they assume the game is in the bag.  Casey is likewise so confident that he lets the first two balls go by.  And then he swings at the third pitch, and misses to everyone’s horror.

The ornament captures Casey before his comeuppance.  He’s walking up to the plate with multiple bats over his shoulder.  And his cap is doffed as he acknowledges his fans.

It’s a great moment – that isn’t actually in the short.  I had to watch that scene twice because I thought it had to be.  I mean, it fits the character so perfectly, I’m shocked it isn’t actually there.  I’m guessing it was an illustration in the book that have also been the inspirations for these ornaments, however.

While the moment itself isn’t in the short, it doesn’t capture the character overall very well.  The details we get, down to the lavender shirt look just like he does in the short.

Since the ornament is just him, I do feel like it is a bit simple.  When you look at some of the other ornaments we’ve gotten in the series, they are so detailed and really works of art.  I’m not saying this ornament is bad looking, it’s just not the best in the series.

Casey is walking on grass, and that grass forms a circle that is the base of the ornament.  It’s nice and flat, so you can set it out to be displayed year-round if you like.  There is a red, white, and blue banner around the base, and that is a touch I love.

This ornament comes with a yellow green ribbon through the loop instead of The Disney Store’s traditional red.  I assume the attempt was to coordinate with the ornament better.  When you pick up the ornament by the ribbon, you’ll find that it tips a little bit to the side.  It’s noticeable, but once you get the ornament in the tree branches, you won’t really be able to tell.

So the Storybook Classic Collection isn’t finishing off with the strongest entry in the series.  Still, those who like the Casey at the Bat short will like having this in their collection.

Check out the rest of the Storybook Classic Collection.

Original Price: $19.95