TV Show Review: Heroes Reborn

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Some entertaining storytelling, great characters/effects

Cons: Some pointless stories and characters

The Bottom Line:

More hero drama

With same disjoined plotting

Most can just skip it

Just Like You Remembered It – For Good and For Bad

I was one of the loyal few who stuck with Heroes until the bitter end – mainly because I knew it was going to be the bitter end.  As a result, I was going to skip Heroes Reborn – that is until they cast Zachary Levi in the show.  I had to give it a chance to see him in another role since I was such a huge fan of Chuck.  This show reminded me exactly what the strengths and weaknesses of the original series could be.

Our series opens several years after the events of the Heroes series finale.  Evos, as those with abilities have become to be known, were living among us normal people until a horrible disaster strikes and Suresh (guest star Sendhil Ramamurthy) takes responsibility in the name of all evos.  Suddenly, they are now enemy number one, and must go into hiding to avoid being tracked down as part of a government program.

Our story opens a year after this horrible attack and follows Tommy (Robbie Kay) and his mother (Krista Bridges), who have spent the last year moving from place to place to hide his ability.  Then there’s Luke Collins (Zachary Levi) and his wife Joanne (Judith Shekoni) who are hunting down all the evos they can to kill them.  Over in Japan, Ren (Toru Uchikado) and Miko (Kiki Sukezane) have made a startling discovery about who she really is.  Then there’s the young girl in the far north with a strange ability (Danika Yarosh).  In the familiar faces department, we have Noah Bennett (Jack Coleman), who doesn’t remember anything from the past.

What no one realizes is that our world is facing annihilation, and these evos are our only hope.  Will they be able to work together to save the world?

As you can see, the old formula of having a variety of characters eventually coming together for one mission is still in place.  At times this was entertaining since the stories were so scattered it was hard to see how everything would come together.  And other times, it was just as frustrating because it seemed like the stories were distracting more than anything else.  Usually, this frustration came when I felt we’d begun to get some traction on our story the previous week only to have very little forward progress the next.  Heck, there was one story that still felt like it was just filling time on the show when everything ended.

A few of the old characters did pop up for a few episodes, which was fun at first.  I actually began to dread that since I didn’t like what they did with many of these old friends.

I already mentioned being a fan of Zachary Levi thanks to his days on Chuck.  It was interesting watching him play a very different character.  I thought he was great.  Likewise, I enjoyed seeing Robbie Kay outside of Once Upon a Time, where he made an awesome Peter Pan.  The returning cast slipped into their characters perfectly, and the rest of the new cast were just as great.

It continues to amaze me when I see how far TV special effects have come.  I bought everything I saw on the screen week after week, and since this is a fantasy/sci-fi show there are plenty of effects.

When the show was on point, it was still fun.  The fantasy filled with some very creative powers works.  Unfortunately, the plot still wanders with sub-plots and characters that could have been trimmed or cut altogether.  One week I’d love the show, and the next I’d be bored.  In other words, it was just like the old Heroes.

Oh, and can we mentioned that they left us with a bit of a teaser cliffhanger even though this was supposed to be a 13 episode event series?  Yeah, not impressed.

The 13 episode event series is captured on four DVD’s or three Blu-rays.  Extras include two featurettes and some deleted scenes.

Die hard fans of the franchise will want to watch Heroes Reborn.  The rest of us can skip this in favor of something that is consistently entertaining.

End of volume

Episodes:

1. Brave New World

2. Odessa

3. Under the Mask

4. The Needs of the Many

5. The Lion’s Den

6. Game Over

7. June 13^th – Part One

8. June 13^th – Part Two

9. Sundae, Bloody Sundae

10. 11:53 to Odessa

11. Send in the Clones

12. Company Woman

13. Project Reborn

Book Review: Adam Raccoon in Lost Woods by Glen Keane

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great moral worked into a fun story and pictures

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

A hike in the woods

Gives lesson on following

Book still entertains

Distractions Illustrated

For some reason, Adam Raccoon in Lost Woods sticks out in my mind as the first Adam Raccoon book by Glen Keane.  I have no idea if that is correct or even what order they were released, but I think it was the first one my brother ever owned as a kid.  Either way, it is the strongest memory of Adam Raccoon for me, and I found recently that it still holds up well today.

If you’ve missed these picture books, they were published in the Christian market back in the late 80’s.  They were written and illustrated by Glen Keane, son of famed comic strip artist Bil Keane of Family Circus fame.  Glen obvious inherited artistic talent from his father since these books are in addition to his career working for Disney animation.

This book finds Adam thrilled because today is the day that he gets to go for a hike with King Aren.  When the lion shows up at his door, Adam is all set, he just needs to grab a few things to bring with them.  Despite King Aren’s insistence that Adam doesn’t need any of this stuff for a walk in the woods, Adam is sure he can handle it.  Does he really need a television, tennis racket, fish bowl, or ball?  What might having these things on the hike mean?

As you can see, this series is correctly title Parables for Kids, with Aren obviously representing Jesus.  It’s not hard as a kid to figure out the point of the story.  And yet, it’s one we miss so often.  I reread the book on a recent trip up to visit my niece and nephew, and as I did I was struck by how quickly we get distracted from following Jesus by all these things in our lives.  Kids seem to have an easier time with the concept, but adults certainly need this lesson.  Or maybe I should say I do.

And yet, the book never preaches.  In fact, Adam trying to hike with everything he brought with him is actually pretty funny.  The book does get a little spooky near the end, but not for long.

The illustrations that go along with the story are wonderful.  They are full of great color and detail that will hold the interest of the kids as adults read to them.

I enjoyed this book as an adult just as much as I did as a kid.  And it’s obviously a favorite of my niece and nephew because when I asked them which Adam Raccoon book they wanted me to read them, they both wanted this one.

These books can be a little hard to track down today, but if you find a copy of Adam Raccoon in Lost Woods, pick it up.  You and your kids will enjoy the story while being reminded what is truly important in life.

Now, to actually go out and live that way.

April 9th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Here's my weekly TV thoughts for the week.  But major warning - there are spoilers below for this week's Arrow.  If you haven't watched it yet (it did air Wednesday), don't read on.

Seriously, don't blame me if you get spoiled at this point.

Once Upon a Time – I’m trying to figure out if Hades ever loved Zelena or if he was using her the entire time.  I definitely think he is in modern times.  Heck, I think the entire thing about why the Underworld looks like Storybrooke is a lie to get her to fall for him again.  I was so pleased with Belle’s reaction to the news from Gold, although he has a good point about her falling in love with his beast as well.  They are going to have some interesting interactions in the weeks to come.

Dancing with the Stars – They definitely save the best two performances for last.  The National Anthem?  I had goosebumps.  Absolutely amazing?  And that final dance from a deaf man?  If I didn’t know, I never would have known.  The elimination was a fairly easy and obvious choice, but it will be interesting to see who is next since the remaining couples are within four points of each other (if I’m remembering scores correctly).

Castle – A very good Esposito episode.  I suspected he was being played, but I was so hoping he wasn’t.  But I loved watching him reacting to things.  And the subplot involving Lucy and Linus (Peanuts reference anyone?) the AI Castle had in his home was so funny.  So glad Beckett is back where she belongs.

Agents of SHIELD – So we spent all episode trying to avoid the flash forward only to fall completely into place but for different reasons than we thought originally.  I don’t know, none of it quite seemed cool enough to me to make it worth watching.  Seriously, I’m going to stop watching this show any week now.

Arrow – (Seriously, Major Spoilers Ahead!) I had Lance right, just the wrong Lance.  I was so sure it was Captain Lance all season that I’m going to have to wrap my head around it being Laurel.  Heck, I’d already mentally said goodbye to the Captain.  I know this majorly messes with the comics, but I think they’d already done that this season over on The Flash, too.  Either way, I hope the story from here justifies it.  I always hate it when a character dies.

Survivor – I’m trying to think if there has ever been someone to not go to tribal until after the merge before.  And then to be voted out your first time there.  Ouch!  But Nick was annoying me.  Not as much as Debbie.  I really, really want to see Debbie gone.  She’s actually just as arrogant, she just hides it much much better.

Legends of Tomorrow – I knew that sounded too easy.  There is no way that even kidnapping one little kid would change the timeline so much.  It would end the show, after all.  I’m hoping they have a plan to extend the show next year or it will just be boring if we are after the same villain with no hopes of stopping him.  Anyway, I loved so many parts of it, like them picking teams.  And that cliffhanger ending?  I sense some serious trouble in our future.

Big Bang Theory – Not that I didn’t enjoy the drinking game revelations (those kind of things are always fun), but I think I would have enjoyed seeing Sheldon experiencing the great outdoors a bit more.  On the other hand, Raj as the overinvolved friend was so funny.  And such a sweet moment between the parents to be (until Raj jumped in, of course).

The Odd Couple – I’m glad the show is back.  It’s not the best sitcom ever, but I certainly had fun with it this week.  A smile and a few laughs and a pleasant way to pass 22 minutes.

Rush Hour – The American cop talks too much.  Still, it was fun with good action, a few good laughs, and a twist or two to the story.  My expectations aren’t high, but they are meeting them and I’m having fun.  As if I needed another new show to watch.

Amazing Race – If he hadn’t grab the wrong bag and had to go back, they might have had the lead they needed to win.  Ouch!  Team Ultimate is in third, but that’s okay.  They don’t need to win every leg, and they are definitely still going strong.

Book Review: The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Stronger characters and a gripping plot

Cons: Definitely not a cozy; for audio version, the narration

The Bottom Line:

Bosch must face his past

With court case tied to new case

Third in series shines

Past is Prologue

When I listened to the first book in Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series, I was surprised at the major stories in his background that effected who he was.  It almost felt like jumping into the middle of a series even though I knew it wasn’t.  Now, with The Concrete Blonde, the third in the series, we get to revisit some of that history.

Four years ago, Harry Bosch shot a man in the line of duty.  The man was a suspected serial killer dubbed the Dollmaker, and, despite warnings to freeze, he was reaching for something under a pillow.  Now, the man’s widow is suing Bosch and the LAPD in his wrongful death.  The trial is getting publicity in the wake of the Rodney King trial and riots.

However, the LAPD has just been sent a note that appears to be from the Dollmaker.  It teases the location of another body, and Harry quickly recognizes all the signatures of the killer.  Did he shoot the wrong man?  Is this a copycat or a partner?  How will this affect the trial?

While this is only my third Harry Bosch book, I have already listened to all of Michael Connelly’s Mickey Haller books.  Those are legal thrillers, and we spend as much time on the back and forth in the courtroom as anything else.  I bring that up here because we spend plenty of time in the courtroom as Harry up against a strong lawyer who wants to win money for her client.  Those scenes, as always, were fascinating to me, and it’s interesting to see this early look at author Michael Connelly doing it so well.

The other part of the book is police procedural, which is what you’d expect for a police detective.  During the evenings, Bosch is out working hard to figure out what is going on with this new body.  That part of the book was just as fascinating to me.  I thought I had the case wrapped up way before Bosch, but it turned out I was dead wrong on who the bad person was.  The climax was brilliant and left me cheering.

This is the first time I felt like we saw some real character growth from Bosch.  Because of his ongoing relationship with a woman he met in the last book, he’s actually coming out of his loner shell.  I appreciated that, and I look forward to seeing more growth in future books.  The rest of the cast was also strong.  We got to see different sides of some of the regulars, which I appreciated, and the new characters held their own with this impressive cast.

I do want to make one thing perfectly clear.  This is NOT remotely one of the cozies I normally read.  There is a lot of language (which I know is realistic but I still felt went a little overboard) and some violence.  The serial killer in question sexually abused the women before he killed them, so some of the detail they get into is quite uncomfortable.  Some of the victims are prostitutes, so we get a glimpse of what that does to the women.  While I do recommend the book, keep that in mind before you pick it up.

As mentioned before, I once again listened to the audio version of the book.  The narrator is Dick Hill, and I must say I liked the book despite his performance.  All three of the books I’ve listened to that he’s done he’s gone out of his way to be overdramatic, giving us the sighs and coughs that are included in the narration but are out of place in an audio book.  Then there are the ticks he gives a couple minor character’s speech for no reason I can find that makes it hard to listen to.  Finally, there is a note to Bosch that he reads in a way that made me scratch my head.  Fortunately, as the book went along, he toned his overdramatic narration down.  I’ve always said that a narrator can make or break a book, and, while his narration doesn’t prove that, it certainly shows how influential it can be.

With his third book, Michael Connelly is clearly finding what works best for him in his novels.  The Concrete Blonde is the best of the first three Bosch novels.  I can’t wait to see where the series goes next from this foundation.

If, like me, you are hooked on these books, you'll want to read the rest of the Harry Bosch mysteries in order.

This review is part of this week's Friday's Forgotten Books.

April 8th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

It's that time of the week again - Book Beginnings and Friday 56 time.

By now, I'm sure you know what to expect when you stop by here, teasers from cozy mysteries. This week, I'm going in the opposite direction, I'm pulling a couple of quotes from A Girl's Guide to Landing a Greek God by Bill Fuller.

                                                          


Yes, this is a fantasy romance (in that it includes fantasy elements).  Something completely different.  I got pulled in because this is a twist for the publisher who has always done mysteries in the past.  It was slow to start, but I think I'm hooked enough to read the other two books in the series when they are published.  Review to come soon.
In the meantime, here are those promised teasers.  Here's how it begins:

As the ancient pipe organ at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church belched out the first few notes of "The Wedding March," Angie Costianes of Astoria, Queens, the daughter of a man who'd jumped off a bridge and a woman she often wished would follow suit, fought off a last-minute attack of the dry heaves and sashayed toward her destiny.

Since I read an eARC, here's a very short teaser from the 56% point in the book:

So he jumped off the cliff.

I told you it was short.  Kind of makes up for that first sentence this week, doesn't it?

I'm hoping the rain cooperates with the LA Times Festival of Books this weekend.  Or at least on Saturday.  It can rain on Sunday since I'll be doing a mud run that day.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Book Review: Rest in Peach by Susan Furlong (Georgia Peach Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and a fun mystery

Cons: I did figure things out before the end

The Bottom Line:

This small Georgia town

Hosts second page turning book

That’s a charming read

Delicious Sequel

Last summer, I completely enjoyed the first book in the Georgia Peach Mysteries.  It definitely left me hungry for more, so I was anxious to pick up the sequel.  I’m pleased to announce that Rest in Peach is just as good as the first.

It’s been nine month since we last visited Nola Mae Harper and the small town of Cays Mill.  During that time, the internet business she’s started to sell items made from my family’s peaches has really taken off.  She’s planning to open a store in town next to her friend Ginny’s restaurant, and she’s currently working on cleaning and remodeling the space to make it what she needs.

However, the rest of Cays Mill is buzzing about the Peach Cotillion.  They still take this age old celebration of young ladies being presented to society very seriously.  Nola has managed to tune much of it out, but she still gets drawn in to the drama when Ginny gets into a fight with Vivien over a dress.  It seems there was a mix up and both of their daughters ordered the same gown for their big night.

The unthinkable happens a few hours later when Vivien is murdered in the dress shop.  Thanks to the local gossip mill, news of Ginny’s fight with Vivien is all over town, so the sheriff zeros in on Ginny as the prime suspect.  Despite Nola’s plans to stay away from the case, Ginny’s attempts to clear her name draw Nola into the mystery.  What secrets will she uncover on her way to the truth?

The book starts off with a bang and the pace never really falters.  We are always learning something about the victim or the suspects that kept me turning pages.  I must admit that I figured out what was going on before the end, but I still enjoyed watching all the pieces fall into place for Nola.  I was certainly never board as there were some twists that I didn’t see coming on the way to the wonderful climax.

Another thing that kept me turning pages was the characters.  Both returning characters and new characters are strong.  Nola gets some great characters growth in this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing that continued in the next in the series.  I was a bit surprised that some of her family members were in the background more in this book, although seeing more of them would have just slowed down the plot.  And the new characters?  They are quite interesting, and I wouldn’t mind if one or two stuck around for future books.

Of course, being a culinary book, we get three peach themed recipes.  For the sweet tooth, there’s a peach cobbler cupcake that I am quite anxious to try.  On the healthy side, we get a peach pecan salad.  Thirsty?  There’s a non-alcoholic peach punch recipe included as well.  All three sound delicious.

If you have not had the pleasure of meeting these characters yet, fix that today.  Rest in Peach is a delightful mystery.  Grab some peaches, sit back, and watch the pages fly by.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Thursday, April 14th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 4/14.  You will have until midnight on 4/19 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 4/20.

Ornament Review: Wall-E - Disney/Pixar Legends #5 - 2015 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute character with fun sound added.

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Wall-E again beeps

His way into your heart with

This fun ornament

Revisiting a Great Character

When Wall-E came out in 2008, Hallmark released an ornament of the character, and it proved to be one of the sleeper hits of the year, still earning a decent amount of money on the secondary market.  After seven years, Hallmark finally returned to the character in 2015 with another cute ornament, this time part of the Disney/Pixar Legends series.

This time, the ornament is tied much more closely to the film.  It features Wall-E in all of his yellow orange glory.  But instead of tied up in Christmas lights like the first one, this time Wall-E’s holding out the shoe with the little bit of plant growing out of it.

For a robot, Wall-E has always been cute, and so it’s not hard to see why he appeals to Pixar fans.  This ornament captures that perfectly, with his eyes looking up and out at us.  There are dirt smudges (painted on) that help sell his character as well.  In other words, this is a must have for any fan of the character.

But wait, it gets better.  This is one of Hallmark’s magic ornaments, and it features sound.  In this case, the ornament features a few sound clips of Wall-E from the movie.  Since he is a robot without a huge vocabulary, they are all short.  There are four of them, each just a couple of seconds long, but they add to the fun.  The ornament needs two button batteries to operate, and they fit into a compartment on his back.

Of course, if you are a big Wall-E fan, you would want to have this ornament out to enjoy year round.  Hallmark has made that easy since he’s standing on what passes for his feet, so he’s nice and stable and would be perfect for any desk or other display.

If you are looking to display him on your tree, you’ll be delighted to learn that he hangs level.  Okay, so he tips forward ever so very, very slightly, but he still looks straight and you’d never be able to tell.

I mentioned earlier that Wall-E is part of the Disney/Pixar Legends series.  You’ll find the 5 in a Christmas tree on the underneath part of the ornament.

This ornament has proved to be popular as well, so if you are a fan of Wall-E, now’s the time to track him down.  Who knows how long it will be before Hallmark gives us another ornament of him.

Looking for more magic?  Here are the rest of the Disney/Pixard Legends ornaments.

Original Price: $17.95

Book Review: Killer Takeout by Lucy Burdette (Key West Food Critics Mysteries #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters, full story to keep you entertained

Cons: Climax a little rushed

The Bottom Line:

Deadly Fantasy

Hayley must juggle in case

Fun getaway read

Fantasy Fest is Looking Like a Nightmare This Year

I must admit that I’d never given much thought to visiting Key West, Florida, until I started reading the Key West Food Critic Mysteries.  (I came so close to a visit over New Years since I was in the South Florida area for work until I looked at prices.)  As a result, I really look forward to my virtual visits through this series.  Killer Takeout is the newest in the series, and it’s another fun visit.

Each year in October, Key West hosts Fantasy Fest, a week and a half long party leading up to Halloween when adults come to participate in various events and parades.  Costumes are encouraged, although many of them venture toward the adult side of the spectrum (to put it mildly).

This year’s Fantasy Fest is turning into quite a busy week for Hayley Snow.  In addition to her regular restaurant review for the magazine where she works, Key Zest, she’s also covering some of the events of the week for work.  Her mother and her mother’s fiancée are in town, planning a wedding at the end of the week.  And everyone is keeping one eye on the weather forecast as Tropical Storm Margaret is forming in the area and might be heading their way.

Into this mix, a little murder falls.  Hayley’s co-worker Danielle has been crowned Fantasy Fest Queen, a contest based on fund raising for AIDS Help.  However, Caryn, one of Danielle’s competitors for the title, is not taking her defeat well.  When Caryn collapses during the zombie bike ride, the police begin to look at Danielle as a killer.  Can Hayley fit finding a killer into her already busy schedule?

Hayley’s busy schedule also means that there is never a dull moment in this book.  The mystery is the main focus, but these other sub-plots keep us turning pages just as quickly.  I did feel that the climax of the mystery was rushed as a result of the various sub-plots, but by the end everything has been brought to a satisfying conclusion.

I love these characters.  Really, I do.  If I were to visit Key West at some point in the future, I’d be looking all over for them since I just know we’d become best friends.  That continues here, with the regular cast being their normal charming selves.  A sub-plot involving Hayley’s work life shows just how much she has grown in the seven books in this series.  The new characters are just as strong and interesting.  But I have to give a special shout out to Miss Gloria, Hayley’s 80-something houseboat mate.  That woman is a hoot!  I just love her.

And, of course, we get recipes.  There are six recipes, and there is something to make you drool.  I’m not a big fan of seafood, so the Key West Boiled Dinner doesn’t appeal to me, but I really want to test out the Strawberry Cake and Coconut Cake recipes.  Yum!

While there are references to previous events, nothing in this book truly spoils earlier books, so if you are new to the series, feel free to jump in here.  Once you do, you’ll want to backtrack and spend more time in Key West.

If you need a vacation but can’t get away right now, this series is perfect for you.  Killer Takeout will keep you turning pages and leave you feeling like you’ve had a tropical getaway.

Looking for more escapes?  Here are the Key West Food Critics Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Tuesday, April 12th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 4/12.  You will have until midnight on 4/17 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 4/18.

TV Show Review: The Odd Couple (2015) - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs and enjoyable characters

Cons: Amusing but not must watch

The Bottom Line:

Another remake

Amusing, enjoyable

My introduction

“You Created Your Own Arch Villain – Door Man.”

I didn’t watch a lot of TV growing up, so the classic shows I love I found in reruns after I graduated from college.  Most of those, I discovered by watching Nick at Nite (you know, back when they had all actual old classic shows on and not shows that ended in this decade).  However, I never started watching The Odd Couple.  Furthermore, while I’ve seen several of Neil Simon’s plays, I haven’t seen that one.  So my exposure to the concept has been the recent remake TV show on CBS.  While I know many people hate it, I have actually found it amusing.

The setup is fairly simple.  When Felix Unger (Thomas Lennon)’s wife kicks him out, he moves in with his college roommate, the divorced Oscar Madison (Matthew Perry).  While the two have remained friends, they are very different people.  Oscar is a slob who hosts a sports radio show from his apartment in New York City so he can go to work in his underwear.  He never picks up after himself, despite his assistant Dani (Yvette Nicole Brown) and manager, Teddy (Wendell Pierce), constantly coming over for work.  Felix, on the other hand, is a neat freak who wants everything in its place and no dust on anything.  In fact, it is his obsessions that drove his wife to kick him out.

Over the course of the twelve episodes in the first season, Felix tries to help Oscar ghost write a baseball player’s autobiography, Oscar dates Felix’s doctor, the two friends attempt to prove who is the better athlete, and Felix can’t quite decide what to do about his attraction to their attractive but depressed neighbor Emily (Lindsay Sloane).

Being a fan of Friends, I planned to tune in to see what Matthew Perry was up to.  When I found out that Lindsay Sloan was in it as well, that was another reason to watch since I enjoyed her on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  Yes, I feel they are essentially playing the same characters they already did (Lindsay especially), but that’s okay because I am enjoying watching both of them again.

Now let’s be honest, this is not the best sitcom on TV.  In fact, I have a feeling its ratings held last year because of its placement between The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men.  However, I found it fun and amusing.  Some of the jokes were predictable, but the cast always made me laugh.  The unexpected jokes were definitely good.  I always enjoyed watching it, and I since I don’t watch Two and a Half Men, I didn’t have that to keep me glued to CBS for the half hour.  I stuck around because I actually wanted to watch it.

Being a modern sitcom, the jokes revolve quite a bit around sex.  Naturally, I enjoyed the show more when it focused on something else like the two guys driving each other crazy.

The main cast was great at bringing their characters to life.  Dave Foley appeared in a few episodes as a friend of Oscar’s, and I was glad when I realized he wasn’t a series regular.  I don’t know what it is about him, but I often find his characters to be very annoying and not at all funny.  On the other hand, Geoff Stults appears in several episodes as a former baseball player, and I found his character and her performance very funny.

The one thing that tripped me up the most was the main character’s names.  I know they are sticking with them because they are The Odd Couple, but who has names like Oscar and Felix any more.  They were definitely the most dated aspect of an otherwise modern sitcom.

Season one featured 12 episodes, and they are all present in this set.  Extras include cast interviews, outtakes, and deleted scenes.

This remake of The Odd Couple is not appointment television, but it is enjoyable.  Season 1 certainly made me curious to go back and watch the older versions of the characters to see what I am missing.  And I’m looking forward to seeing these characters show up again in season 2.

Season 1 episodes:

1. Pilot

2. The Ghostwriter

3. The Birthday Party

4. The Blind Leading the Blind Date

5. The Wedding Deception

6. Heal Thyself

7. Secret Agent Man

8. The Unger Games

9. Sleeping Dogs Lie

10. Enlightening Strikes

11. Jealous Island

12. The Audit Couple 

Ornament Review: Humphrey the Bear - Art of Disney Animation #8 - 2016 Disney Store Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great sculpt of a lesser known character

Cons: Many won’t know who he is, slight tip

The Bottom Line:

A little known bear

Captured in fun ornament

True DisNerds rejoice

Another Rare Disney Character Gets His Ornament

The popular Disney characters get lots of merchandise, which isn’t a huge surprise.  If it sells, Disney is going to produce it since they are in business to make money.  One thing I’ve loved about the Art of Disney Animation ornament series is that it has allowed the lesser characters a chance to step into the spotlight.  Take for example, the latest ornament in the series, Humphrey.

Wondering just who Humphrey is?  I must admit I had a vague idea of who he was, but had to look him up myself.  He’s a bear who started out playing supporting roles in various shorts the company did.  He starred opposite Donald and Goofy, for example, before getting his own series of shorts.  Unfortunately, only two shorts were produced before Disney stopped making short subjects period, although that hasn’t stopped Humphrey from showing up from time to time.  He’s even the spokesbear for the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World.

Once I’d read that, I remembered that I’d seen his two shorts solo, and one of them forms the basis of this ornament.  Inspired by “In the Bag,” the ornament finds Humphrey picking up trash under the watchful eye of park ranger J. Audubon Woodlore.  Woodlore is standing on a stump holding the lid of a trashcan with Humphrey in the foreground holding a spear and a bag full of paper litter.

Now if you are thinking the set up for this ornament (and the short it is based on) sounds familiar, you aren’t alone.  When I watched the shorts and saw this ornament, I couldn’t help but see the parallels to Yogi Bear.  However, this isn’t a case of Disney copying someone else’s idea.  Humphrey’s two shorts came out before Yogi ever premiered.

And for fans of this bear, this is a must have ornament.  The two characters are captured wonderfully, and there is just enough else to remind us of the scene as well.  And yet, it is all packed into an ornament.  Granted, this is slightly larger than some ornaments you could buy (as are most ornaments from The Disney Store), but it would still look good on your tree.

And when you go to hang it on your tree, you’ll appreciate the red ribbon already attached for you.  It does tip slightly to the back, but it isn’t super noticeable, especially when you get it in the middle of branches.

Or, you can choose to display the ornament year round.  The ornament comes with a nice flat base the characters are standing on, which allows you to put it out to enjoy on any flat surface.  And in a touch I love, the base has edges that look a bit like they are the trunk of a tree.  It’s subtle, but it definitely gives that impression.

Humphrey is definitely not a familiar Disney character, but I am thrilled to have him in my ornament collection.  Anyone who is a fan of this almost forgotten character will delight to have him as well.

Looking for more animation Christmas magic?  Here are the rest of the Art of Disney Animation ornaments.