Lost Girl - season 2

Since season 1 began way back in September 2010 I have to admit to being slightly obsessed with this show.  Not that I live week to week to see what happens or anything.  Before I go into season 2 so far lets take a little look back to season 1 for those of you out of the loop.

 

Lost Girl is a supernatural drama which focuses on a succubus (bear with me) called Bo.  Not knowing why her kiss literally sucks the life out of people could get a girl down, that is until Bo realises she is part of a underworld of beings called the Fae.  Still with me?  The bottom line of season 1 is that Bo, a bisexual, is in the centre of a love triangle involving a Fae police detective, Dyson, and a rather sexy human doctor, Lauren.  Season 1 sees a lot of Dyson action but season 2, now that is all about the lovely doctor and our sexy heroine.

Of course we can’t forget Bo’s human best friend either, Kensi, the funniest character on TV bar none.  As sexy as Anna Silk (Bo) and Zoie Palmer (Lauren) are, Ksenia Solo’s Kensi is comedic gold.

Season 2 kicks off with a travelling circus and continues on with episodes involving witches, werewolves, characters inhabiting one anothers bodies and all manner of Fae goodness.  However, it is learning Lauren’s back-story that keeps us hooked.

What we know is that Lauren is enslaved to The Ash, the leader of the light Fae.  What we don’t know is why or how this happened.  When a new Ash is elected in episode two the plot thickens.  It is clear that he sees humans as objects to be owned and Lauren is in for a tough time.  Episode six however, It’s Better to Burn Out Than Fae Away, is where it all kicks off.

The Morrigan, leader of the dark Fae, employs Bo to do an investigation and in return promises her information on freeing Lauren.  When Bo is successful the Morrigan gives her a small box and says it’s the key to saving Nadia.  Who?  Exactly!  Turns out Lauren has a girlfriend.  So who is this Nadia and does Bo have a right to be peeved that Lauren never brought her up?  Well yes, I think she does.

Lauren explains that Nadia is in a coma, she has been for 5 years.  While in the Congo the doc and her photographer girlfriend came across an illness, turns out it only affected Fae and our hero doctor found a cure.  However, Nadia also got ill and The Ash offered the doc a deal.  He will give her all his resources to find a cure for Nadia but only if she enslaves herself to him.  I know, nasty stuff but lets all swoon together at Lauren’s loyalty.

When Lauren and Bo open the box given to them by the Morrigan it contains a nail.  What does that mean, who the hells knows, but I am hooked!

It’s actually really moving as Lauren is truly torn between the two.  Having spent 5 years as a slave and coming up empty on a cure for Nadia, she genuinely cares for Bo.  Good lord these writers love a good triangle, issues anyone?

It turns out that the nail is the Morrigan’s way of telling our ladies that Nadia isn’t ill, she has been cursed.  Why and by whom we don’t know yet but I have two theories.  Either she did something to piss someone off or, more likely, The Ash saw how talented Lauren was in finding the cure for his people, and set her up to become his slave.  

This season’s big bad is the Garuda, basically a creature of immense strength that feeds off anger.  Lachlyn tells Bo that he is a Naga and his venom is all that will kill the Garuda, he asks her to be his champion and she agrees.  In order to deteat their enemy they must band together and take him on with Bo leading the way.  Lachlyn however knows that the Garuda will be most vulnerable if he thinks he is indestructible so he gets Lauren to extract a sample of his venom and allows the Garuda kill him so he thinks all the venom is gone.

In the meantime we see Nadia acting a bit odd, she is trying to suss out Bo and at one point our suspicions are confirmed when we see Nadia cut herself and taste her own blood, she’s not herself, to say the least.  Nadia has been taken over by the the Garuda!  Bo comes over to Lauren’s when she gets home to find Kenzi has been assaulted by Nadia.  She Lauren and Nadia all seem to realise what’s going on at once and Nadia asks Bo to kill her, which she does.  Nothing kills a flame like killing your ladies girlfriend whom she enslaved herself to try to save.  Bo slinks off and Lauren is heartbroken, she thinks about leaving the place together but ends up going to help Lachlyn with his plan.

The writers place Bo in some pretty interesting scenarios, like going undercover at a school as a sub teacher and being the sexiest teacher ever seen.  They also know what they have in Bo’s best friend, Kenzi, the funniest character on TV with the best one liners I have ever heard.  

The final two episodes are the battle between the group and the Garuda.  Bo, Lauren, Kenzi, Trick, Dyson, Hale and Ciara are all focused on the battle ahead when Dyson gets a vision from the wolf spirit and thinks it is he who is chosen to fight, typical man eh!  He was wrong and Ciara gets it in the guts, her death and that of Nadia means our love triangle is back on track, now both Dyson and Lauren are free agents.

Bo asks the Nain Rouge (an observer of events) what she need to do to win the battle and she is told she must unit dark with light, in other words she needs a dark fae on her team.  Bo decides to enlist Vex, I love Vex, he’s a great recurring character and will no doubt come in useful in a battle.

Bo discovers that Trick is her grandfather and I love this, it was kind of obvious, but it was well done and now we can see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Trick’s power comes from his blood and Bo discovers she can control people with hers.  she asks the Fae members of her team to allow Lauren to inject them with her blood, this will make the circle stronger and eliminate any anger within the group, the Garuda’s food source if you will.  However Vex spills the blood as he is being injected and so the circle is not complete.

So where is the Gaurda?  Well he has kidnapped Trick to try to fool him into rewriting the laws he wrote to end the war.  His hide out is of course an insane asylum, where else?  Hale’s sister Val joins the team and off they all go to save the world.  They split up to look for Trick, Bo takes Kenzi and Lauren with her, lets hope she is playing favourites.  When Dyson and Vex meet a few bad boys Vex is injured and as they run back into Bo, Lauren insists she must stay with Vex in case he goes into shock.  Bo is all “I’m not leaving you” and kisses her, awwww.  Kenzi also gets herself hurt and it ends up with Lauren trying to hlp her and Vex with Hale and Val there for moral support.  Eventually Lauren realised Vex didn’t take the blood and forces him to do so, immediately every fae in the group gets an injection of power, especially Bo – go Lauren.  She also realises that Hale can save Kenzi with his sirens call, by cauterizing the wound.  Nice to see someone brought brains to the party.

Eventually they all end up in the Garuda’s layer and he takes over Trick as he did Nadia.  He tried to rewrite the laws himself but Vex holds him off while Bo injects him with the venom.  He heads off but Trick seems lost, Bo however gives Trick her grandmothers life force which he had given her to take if the darkness within her became too much.  Trick is fine but that darkness does kick in and Kenzi has to sever the ties between the group to free Bo from it.  However at the very end we see Bo looking into a mirror and her eyes seem like some darkness remain. 

There are a few things left to sort out.  Kenzi come to the rescue and got Dyson his love back from the Norn, but in doing so something spilt on her arm and at the end of the finale it looks like something is going on with her arm.  However, as I said, the writers definitely left the season with Bo more into Lauren than Dyson.  Last season ended with Dyson giving up his love to save Bo but this season ended with some sexy looks between our ladies and although Dyson suggested to Lauren that now the Ash is dead she could leave, there is no way his manipulation will make Lauren walk away.

Next time I'll tell you something about the third season of the Lost Girl. Until then, I strongly reccomend you to watch the both seasons of this show.

TV Show: Switched at Birth

I'm always impressed when a TV show can overcome a ridiculous premise and turn it into something special, which is the case with ABC Family's newest drama, Switched at Birth (premiering Monday at 9pm). Despite an awkward idea that would be better suited for a Lifetime original movie (two families learn that their now teenage daughters were accidentally switched at birth ... and one of them is DEAF!), the show has heartwarming and relatable characters, creating a TV show that makes viewers feel like a part of the family.

Bay is the artistic daughter of John and Kathryn Kennish, a well-to-do family in Mission Hills, Kan. Daphne is the athletic daughter of struggling mom Regina Vasquez and occasional lagabout Angelo Sorrento. But Bay is also the daughter of Regina. And Daphne's the biological progeny of John and Kathryn. Thanks to a little hospital mix-up, the two kids got switched at birth.

But you probably figured that out already.

Now, ever since John and Kathryn invited Regina and Daphne to live in their guest house, the whole clan is together for the first time. The great news here is that, after a few first-season bumps, everybody gets along (at least most of the time), and thus gives audiences a really encouraging look at how a seriously blended family can go about things. Bay and Daphne consider the parents who raised them to be their true parents, even though they're literally a stone's throw away from their birth moms. They also enjoy hanging out with their birth folks.

For families who've adopted kids or are adoptees themselves (particularly in this era of open adoptions), Switched at Birth tells us that love doesn't necessarily need to be divided between members of a family. Rather, it multiplies if allowed to do so.

It's also cool to see a show that deals with hearing impairment with such deft humor and refreshing sense of normalcy. Daphne is deaf. And there are lots of other deaf characters on the show too: Emmett, Daphne's best friend and Bay's one-time love interest, can't hear and refuses to speak; and deaf Oscar winner Marlee Matlin plays recurring character Melody. Travis is Daphne's newest beau. None of them are token figurines playing, simply, their disability. They're fully fleshed-out people—at least by teen drama standards—going about their business as anyone else would. And I love the fact that, when two hearing characters hold a conversation in the midst of a deaf one, the hearing characters still often sign—a common courtesy, really. No one's trying to exclude anyone else here, no one's trying to keep secrets.

OK, some of them are trying to keep secrets—just not by refusing to sign. This is, after all, a teen soap opera. And it's on ABC Family. So screenplay writers, when they sign up to work for the channel, are likely ordered to write in a full quota of secrets, deceptions and cons.

Switched at Birth contains some really nice messages about the bonds of family and friendship, even in the midst of trying circumstances. As such, it feels at first like a well-meaning series. But when it comes to talking about certain kinds of morality, this ABC family goes not deaf, but dumb.

Are the "switched at birth" premise and the prominence of deaf characters gimmicks to help make the show stand out? Yes, but the magic of Switched at Birth is that it takes those gimmicks and treats them in a realistic and serious manner. Nothing is as simple as it appears on this show, and neither is the show itself. Now that Life Unexpected is gone, Switched at Birth has officially taken its place as my new favorite heartwarming family drama on TV.

Book review: The Lying Game

Emma Paxton hasn’t always had the best life. After her mom abandoned her when she was young, Emma has been shuffled from foster home to foster home, never getting too comfortable or finding a real family. When Emma’s latest foster brother shows her a video of a girl who looks exactly like her being strangled, Emma is shocked. Who is this girl who looks completely identical to her? Could Emma have a sister she never knew about?

Emma turns to Facebook and finds a profile of a girl named Sutton; Emma’s sister, and twin. Emma sends her a message and the girls make plans to meet. When Emma arrives at their meeting place in a park near Sutton’s home, Sutton is nowhere to be found.  But when Sutton’s friends see Emma and drag her to a party assuming she’s Sutton, Emma has no choice but to play along.  Emma tries to convince Sutton’s parents that she isn’t Sutton, but no one believes her. The next morning Emma receives a text telling her that Sutton is dead and that Emma should continue pretending to be Sutton…or she’s next. Emma is shocked, but vows to herself that she will solve the mystery of Sutton’s death, and convince everyone that she isn’t really Sutton.

But solving this mystery isn’t easy. Sutton has many frenemies; many possible suspects. She’s worshiped at school, but also is known for her bitchy demeanor.  Even her best friends and sister Laurel find it difficult to stay on Sutton’s good side. Emma is completely lost in Sutton’s world trying to fit in and understand the many rocky relationships in Sutton’s life all while  attempting o figure out who killed her sister.

Sara Shepard has done it again! I worked my way through this book in a day, completely engrossed in Sutton’s head (as the book is told from her perspective) and Emma’s new world. I love how the story was told. As I said, Sutton narrates the story. She knows she is dead, but has no idea what happened. In fact, she doesn’t remember much about her life at all.  As Emma takes over her identity Sutton slowly begins to remember things about her past, and about when she was strangled. I thought it was very clever for Shepard to write from Sutton’s perspective, because without it, all we know is a very mean g irl who I would probably have no sympathy for. Because Shepard allows us into her thoughts, I’m able to accept her a bit more, and root for Emma to find out who killed her sister.

I also quickly fell in love with Emma as a character. She’s had such a rough past, but she has an amazing attitude. She is so genuine, and only wants to find good friends and family. She has so much faith in other humans, exhibited by how she didn’t even think twice about meeting up with her sister, a complete stranger. She has such good intentions and such a big heart; you can’t help but adore her. It’s so much fun watching her try to fit into Sutton’s shoes- shoes she clearly doesn’t fit in. There are a few funny moments where Emma is nice to someone who Sutton wouldn’t normally be nice to, and Emma has to backtrack and say something bitchy to “get back into character.”

I really enjoy how Sara Shepard’s books always feature many characters. Of course, Emma is the main character, but we also meet Sutton’s family and friends who all play a big role in the book. I couldn’t relate to Sutton’s friends, but then again, I don’t think as readers we were really supposed to identify with them. Those friends represent the side of Sutton that Emma is yearning to learn more about; the mean girl Sutton.

Shepard’s writing style is so distinct. Even though this book and PRETTY LITTLE LIARS are completely different, Shepard’s clear  and fast-paced writing shines and is unmistakable. Her writing really allows the reader to paint a clear picture of a setting or a character. Every Shepard book I read, including this one, allows me to perfectly set up the scene in my head, as if I’m watching a movie.

And once again, I love a good mystery. I loved the on-edge feeling and chills I got while reading this book. This book truly got a reaction out of me. Shepard expertly sets up the mystery with just the right amount of suspense; everyone is a suspect, anyone could have killed Sutton. At one point in the story, you’ll think that just about everyone could be the killer.

Shepard writes another page turner. Once you get into this one, you’ll finish it quickly. I see big things in store for this series. There are so many different directions Shepard can take these characters and storylines in. Can’t wait until the sequel NEVER HAVE I EVER comes out!

Read more on http://jessicalawlor.com/2011/01/book-review-the-lying-game-by-sara-shepard/

The Lying Game

The Lying Game centers on Emma (Alexandra Chando), a well-meaning teen who's been bounced around the foster system her whole life and is overjoyed to discover that she has a long-lost twin sister, Sutton (Chando again). Despite having an idyllic life with her wealthy adoptive family, Sutton's angry with her parents for what she sees as their deception over the details of her adoption, and she sets out to locate the girls' birth mother. At her sister's urging, Emma agrees to swap identities for a few days while Sutton tracks a lead, but when she doesn't turn up at their arranged meeting place, Emma's stuck keeping up the charade. She's unsure how long she can fool Sutton's parents and friends, and she fears that doing so will keep her from discovering the truth about her biological family.

Dramatic and suspenseful, The Lying Game is based on a series of novels of by Sara Shepard, who also penned the best-selling books that inspired another ABC Family teen drama, Pretty Little Liars. Once again, Shepard's multi-dimensional characters translate well to the small screen, enticing viewers with their scintillating secrets and unpredictable motives. If you look a little deeper, you'll even find a few examples of warm relationships, like those of Sutton's parents and the one that her sister, Laurel (Allie Gonino), strives to have with Sutton's stand-in, Emma.

Because the show is geared toward teens, you can expect the requisite romance, betrayal, and cattiness of a "normal" TV teen's life. But the content feels a little exaggerated (and thus its silliness is exposed), since down-to-earth Emma usually observes, rather than partakes in, the unbecoming behavior. And the good news is that the content is fairly mild for the teen set, with minimal violence and marginal language ("hell" and "ass," mostly), and only kissing and some physical contact within relationships. That said, the chilling suspense and pending sense of danger require a certain sturdiness from viewers.

TV Series: Elementary

Sherlock Holmes may hail from two centuries ago, but “Elementary,” this latest incarnation of the old chap, produces the the season’s best new broadcast drama.

Jonny Lee Miller plays Sherlock exactly as we would expect to find him today. He’s brilliant, exasperating, self-obsessed and altogether ideal for the sort of show CBS has virtually perfected: a “procedural” in which a crime is solved each week by troubled good guys while their larger psychological issues roll ominously across the broader sky.

The show’s boldest innovation is transgendering Sherlock’s loyal assistant, Watson. Dr. Watson here is Lucy Liu, and she plays the character as anything but a novelty act. She enters the picture as a caretaker assigned to shadow Holmes while he emerges from drug rehab. Since she used to be a top-level surgeon, taking this much more menial gig clearly indicates she has issues of her own. Naturally it takes Sherlock about five seconds to start digging them out and begin needling her about them in a way that’s all the more annoying because it seems so completely matter-of-fact.

His real mission is driving away this annoying baby-sitter, and it almost works.But she’s smart, perceptive and curious, too. And just when she’s about to walk, she gets reeled in by the irresistible lure of helping Sherlock figure out the hows, whats and whys of an offbeat murder case he’s probing as a police consultant.

The challenge for the writers will be to create murder cases intriguing enough to match the fascination of the Miller/Liu partnership and the viewer’s inevitable curiosity about where it will go. It’s a formidable dramatic test, one that by all indications will be worth watching
.

Another difficulty will be to define the relationship between two characters this smart and this flawed. While all the laws of TV tradition say they will inevitably head toward romance, “Elementary” at the very least may not take a traditional path.Or maybe it will.

And last, an important footnote to fans of the brilliant PBS series “Sherlock.” Yes, Miller’s portrayal here will remind you of Benedict Cumberbatch’s there. But Miller, a little more reflective and brooding, also makes this one his own. TV has plenty of room for two superior Sherlocks.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tv-review-elementary-article-1.1168722#ixzz2KuOwsAfG

Gossip Girl Books

Yesterday I was talking about the TV series Gossip Girl. Today I've decided to say something about the books that have been an inspiration for the TV show. So, if you love drama, teen romance, or the show Gossip Girl, then you will love these books written by Cecily von Ziegesar. It all takes place in New York, mainly the Upper East Side, and follows the lives of the rich and fabulous students of two prep schools in Manhattan. There are many characters in this series but the two that are featured are Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf, the queen bees of the Upper East Side.

The series begins with Serena van der Woodsen returning to school after mysteriously escaping to boarding school for several months. No one knows why she disappeared but they are all desperate to find out. We find out quickly that Blair is not happy to see her best friend return because it has been rumored that Blair’s boyfriend, Nate, is in love with Serena. Blair is also bent out of shape that her one and only best friend left town without telling her. Wouldn’t you be angry if that happened to you?

The book series and the television show have similar concepts but there are many things that are different about it. In the book series, Blair and Serena smoke cigarettes on a regular basis but on the show they are never seen smoking. The book series also features many cuss words, but the show does not have cussing at all. The entire nature of the book series is more edgy and adult than the TV series. I personally love the show better than the book series. The books are entertaining but the show has much more depth than the books. Also, my favorite character, Chuck Bass, is a main character in the show but is barely mentioned in the book series. So overall, I prefer the television show.

Even though the book series is not as good as the television show, I still strongly recommend the book series. It is very entertaining and much more rebellious than the show, if you are looking for something more edgy to read. Fans of the show and those who are not fans of the show can both enjoy these books.

The Gossip Girl Books in order are :

1. Gossip Girl
2. You Know You Love Me
3. All I Want Is Everything
4. Because I’m Worth It
5. I Like It Like That
6. You’re The One That I Want
7. Nobody Does It Better
8. Nothing Can Keep Us Together
9. Only In Your Dreams
10. Would I Lie To You
11. Don’t Forget About Me
12. It Had To Be You (prequel)
13. I Will Always Love You

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, originally ran on The CW for six seasons from September 19, 2007 to December 17, 2012. Narrated by the omniscient blogger "Gossip Girl", voiced by Kristen Bell, the series revolves around the lives of privileged young adults on Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York City.

Welcome to New York's Upper East side where the wealthy and connected mingle at benefits and try to deal with their always dramatic love lives, not to mention picking colleges. Blair Waldorf is the so-called toast of adolescence in her world; she and her friends, Kati Farkas and Isabel Coates, go to a prep school and fancy parties with their rich parents. Blair is envied by her adversaries because she is thought to have the perfect life, not just because of her gorgeous boyfriend, Nate Archibald, but because she's also planning on getting into her dream college, Yale. With everyone worried about college(or procrastinating on worrying, which everyone seems to be doing), and junior year dragging along, her seemingly perfect life is interrupted by her ex-best friend, the beautiful Serena van der Woodsen, coming back into town after getting kicked out of boarding school. Serena comes back into her life, and into the eyes of Blair's boy friend. When everything Blair knows starts to fall apart, everyone will realize that her life is far from perfect. Will life in the the Upper East Side redeem itself of what it's really supposed to be? Or will the false facade reveal that the rich have the same problems as the not so rich (Jenny and Dan Humphrey), if not more. And just maybe Jenny and Dan are all the more happy with their simple, not so expectant lives.

TV Show: Lost Girl

Lost Girl is a Canadian supernatural crime drama television series, that premiered on Showcase on September 12, 2010. The series was created by Michelle Lovretta, and is produced by Prodigy Pictures, in association with Shaw Media. It follows the life of a succubus named Bo, played by Anna Silk, as she learns to control her abilities, helps those in need, and discovers the truth about her origins. 

The supernatural world so often turns out to be fundamentally dualist - good and evil, light and dark, friendly and chaotic, heroes and villains. Everyone who turns out to have strange abilities ends up facing off against one side, and so, either explicitly or tacitly, casting in their lost with the others.

One of the reasons Lost Girl has made such a big impression on me is because the Syfy show does what so many genre programs fail to do these days: It has fun with its premise. 

Bo, Kenzi and their pal Dyson (a human-looking Fae who can shift into werewolf mode) have weekly adventures, of course, but no one is saving the world here. Truth be told, that's kind of a relief. Saving the world and/or defeating powerful forces of darkness can be a grand experience, of course, but too many Big Bads these days don't seem worthy of the title. Anyway, whatever happened to the kind of show that wove energetic weekly stories into a pretty interesting mythology and added dollops of clever dialogue, sex appeal and girl power? 

Lost Girl strikes a nice balance between escapism and emotional realism through Bo, who's trying to fit into an underground community of otherworldly creatures called the Fae as she investigates weird crimes in a big city. Lost Girl doesn't really go in for navel-gazing and self-pity, and though there are occasional smidgens of angst, they usually arise from Bo's complicated (and sexy) relationship with Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried), who's also a local cop. 

Bo, you see, tends to suck the life out of the humans she fools around with. But one of the things I love about Lost Girl is that Bo does not regard her life as a tragedy. Being a succubus makes things tricky on occasion, but she's learning to control that aspect of herself, and, as played by the capable Anna Silk, she's vulnerable without being riven by the self-esteem problems. Bo is a sexually confident woman who is happy to share her bed with either men or women. She's even adept at using her power to get what she wants: Her touch can make people wildly attracted to her, which makes questioning suspects a little easier. 

When she discovers the Fae community, Bo not only begins to get a few clues about her own mysterious past, she discovers that sleeping with Fae folk won't kill them, and her love life becomes pleasingly convoluted. When injured or "hungry," she needs to feed, and Dyson usually obliges by hooking up with her.

To keep things interesting, Bo is also attracted to Lauren (Zoie Palmer), a human doctor who works for the Light Fae. Bo hasn't picked a side between the Dark and Light Fae; she and Kenzi regularly run afoul of both sides as they investigate cases or "help" humans. The relationship between Bo and her loyal best friend, con artist and thief Kenzi, is one of the best things about "Lost Girl": Here are two women who like each other and themselves, and who are getting by on a mixture of moxie, wit and eyeliner. There aren't a lot of female friendships worth watching on TV, but I could watch these two discuss men, breakup sex and trolls all day long. In true sidekick tradition, Kenzi usually gets all the best lines, which Solo delivers with the perfect blend of wryness and warmth. 

But don't expect Lost Girl to be perfect: Bo's universe can seem constricted at times, the weekly clients and monsters aren't always interesting and occasionally the storytelling has abrupt moments.

 

And that's what makes Lost Girl, which is lighter and less ambitious than "Buffy," a worthy iteration of the identity issues at the heart of that show. "Buffy" was the tale of a girl who felt isolated by her special power, yet who found ways to not only build up her self-confidence but also create an entire community around her. Lost Girl gives us a woman who knows who she is, but isn't quite sure of where she fits in, and like most people in their twenties, she's having enjoyable, surprising and scary adventures as she figures it out.

If I make you curious about this TV show, feel free to watch it... It won't be a waste of time especially if you love the TV series about the supernatural world.

 

 

Book vs TV Show: The Secret Circle

Back in the time, during my first year in university when I was having some free time, I did read The Secret Circle books. I actually loved The Secret Circle trilogy by L.J. Smith! So, when I saw the books was being turned into a TV show, I was intrigued. Would I still love these books? 

First of all, I have noticed that they changed...well, almost everything. The circle is a coven of witches, and there are supposed to be twelve of them. Twelve. The previews very emphatically state there are only six in the coven. I’m actually hoping the writers play around with that from the pilot, and I noticed they were very vague with character names, aside from Cassie, the main character, as well as Diana, Faye, Adam, and Nick. Those are the most central characters, but all the others are key as well. The manner in which the show deals with Cassie’s mom is total crap, as are the parents. It hints that Diana’s dad is some sinister... something trying to control the coven. Which is stupid, because then why wouldn’t the parents have their own coven? The parents in the actual books aren’t present and grandmothers are most influential.

It’s hard to imagine the series are able to plumb the depths of the books, especially with half the coven missing. Each person has a distinct personality and a different talent and power they bring to the circle. Additionally, the parents being involved means the entire plot of the series is thrown off.

 

Fot those who have't read the books yet, I invite them to do this because I can say that it won't be a waste of time. For those who haven't seen the TV series yet, they should watch them. Maybe they will see the differences between the books and the TV series and so they will be able to give their opinion about it.

http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/blogs/2011/09/lj-smiths-secret-circle-ruined-for-television 

Book vs The TV Series: Pretty Little Liars

Maybe not all of you have read Sara Shepard's books, the 'Pretty Little Lairs' series and so you maybe not know that the both was jaw dropping, filled with details. So, maybe this is the reason why the TV show lacked to incorporate many of the key details the books did. I will try to mention some of these.

Firstly, one of the main characters Emily, is a strawberry blond competitive swimmer, and therefore has a tint of green in her hair. However in the TV show, the creators put Emily as a dark brunette, obviously lacking the signature green tint.

Another point worth mentioning, is another main character, Spencer's, hair color, and appearance. Spencer was made in the book to have long blond hair, just like her best friend Alison (who was murdered in this series). It is known if you read the books, that Spencer and Alison shared a lot of physical traits, and they always had a competition for who had more boyfriends, who was a better sports player, etc. However in the show, the creators showed Spencer as a again a dark brunette who appeared to look a lot more serious than she sounded in the book. Also she looked a lot like her sister Melissa. If you did not read the books, but just saw the show you are most likely thinking that sisters should look alike. You are right but Spencer is not Melissa's true sister. In one the books Spencer goes through a whole crisis where she finds her real mother, and then sees why it is she doesn't look like the rest of her family. This little key detail of her hair color leads into a big part in the story.

It is little key details like these that lead me to say that the creators of the Pretty Little Liars TV show did not do a very nice job of recreating the characters to the best of their ability. However, they did do a great job in recreating the settings that this story takes place. It will be interesting where the TV show goes from here.

Read more on http://www.cambio.com/2011/03/26/pretty-little-liars-the-show-vs-the-pll-book-series/

A short review regarding the 1st season of 'The Vampire Diaries'

Even if we all know that the tortured lives of vampires have been thoroughly explored in recent decades, it doesn't mean that any new show about vampires will be, at least to some extent, derivative. And now that the genre is further to the forefront of the American pop culture consciousness than ever, thanks to the ongoing success of the Twilight book/film franchise, people are even more familiar with the tropes of vampirism.

The big question is: does The Vampire Diaries offer anything new in its story of a teen girl in love with a boy who doesn't want to be a monster?

The truth is that The Vampire Diaries is not particularly about Elena (Nina Dobrev), the 17-year-old girl who attracts Stefan's attention. At the center of Diaries is Stefan, his capricious decision to return to his hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia (the name was changed from the book for legal reasons), and the dramatic ramifications this decision has not only for Elena but for all the people around her. 

Stefan's decision affects his own circle as well Nina's. His returning home draws the curiosity of his malicious older brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder). Damon immediately recognizes that Stefan is fixated on Elena only because she's a "dead ringer" for Katherine, the girl the brothers fought viciously over long ago. Damon has promised to inflict a lifetime of misery on Stefan, presumably because of the outcome of this fight, and Damon, who unlike Stefan doesn't shy from feeding off humans, has the strength to do make it happen.

For those keeping score, many traditional tropes are present here, but tweaked to serve the story. Stefan can't enter a house uninvited, providing two good acting moments for Wesley as he stands outside Elena's door. Sunlight turns them to ashes, but the brothers have magic rings that protect them in daylight. They have unnatural strength and speed (Stefan is always just there when Elena turns around, which is nicely creepy), but the show emphasizes that human blood gives superior strength; Stefan, who feeds on animals, is vulnerable to Damon because of it.

The supporting cast shows significant promise: Steven R. McQueen, playing Elena's younger brother Jeremy, stands out in particular, giving us a very adolescent boy whose coping skills aren't quite as good as his sister's. Katerina Graham, as Bonnie, Elena's best friend, is just frothy enough to be a nice counterpoint to an Elena who's still somber over the death of her parents the previous year. Sara Canning, as the aunt juggling an unexpected family and her own budding academic career, has potential.

My opinion is that you should see the TV series if you didn't until now. Maybe you will read the book too and you'll see how the action is taking place in the book and how in the TV show. Those in love with the eternal impossible love between a vampire and a young human girl should defintely see the film. Also, the Twilight fans should expect to major changes in this show, the vampires are not as they are in the Twilight movies...

Please read the full review on http://scifi.about.com/od/thevampirediariesnews/fr/VAMP_pilot-review.htm

The Vampire Diaries - carte vs. film. Câteva mici diferenţe...

The Vampire Diaries (Jurnalele Vampirilor) este un serial de televiziune care a creat o adevărată isterie în America și nu numai. Creat și dezvoltat de Kevin Williamson și Julie Plec, serialul are la bază romanele omonime ale scriitoarei L.J. Smith. După cum, cel mai probabil, ştiţi, serialul îi are drept protagonişti pe actorii: Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert), Paul Wesley (Stefan Salavtore) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore).

Atât cărţile cât şi serialul pornesc de la aceeaşi premisă: doi fraţi vampiri se îndrăgostesc de aceaşi fată. Chiar dacă punctul de pornire este acelaşi, cei care au citit cele şapte volume ale seriei (printre care mă număr şi eu) - şi care poate chiar sunt fani ai scriitoarei L.J. Smith - nu se vor putea abţine să nu puncteze marile diferenţe care există între acţiunea ce se desfăşoară în cele şapte volume şi cea din film. În următoarele rânduri voi încerca, pe cât posibil, să punctez câteva mari diferenţe care există între cartea Jurnalele Vampirilor şi serialul cu acelaşi nume. 

Un prim lucru pe care un cititor al cărţilor l-a remarcat, ar fi problema culorii părului Elenei. Chiar dacă în cărţi este descrisă ca fiind o adolescentă a cărui păr este de culoare blond, nu puţini au fost cei care s-au declarat extrem de surprinşi dar şi nemulţumiţi când au văzut că producătorii serialului au decis ca personajul Elenei Gilbert să fie interpretat de o actriţă brunetă.

De asemenea, numele oraşului unde se desfăşoară acţiunea diferă de la carte la film. Dacă în carte acţiunea are loc în Fell's Church, producătorii filmului au ales să numească oraşul Mystic Falls. 

Atât în film, dar şi în carte, după moartea părinţilor Elena rămâne în grija mătuşii sale. Diferenţa dintre carte şi film ar fi că în film mătuşa Elenei se numeşte Jenna, iar în carte aceasta poartă numele de Judith.

O diferenţă mai semnificativă dintre carte şi serial ar consta în faptul că în carte Elena are o soră, Margaret, în vârstă de patru ani, iar în film, după cum mulţi deja ştiţi, protagonista are un frate mai mic, Jeremy. 

Dacă în carte părinţii Elenei de abia au murit, în primul episod al serialului aflăm că soţii Gilbert sunt decedaţi de trei ani.

Un alt lucru pe care l-am remarcat la citirea cărţilor a fost faptul că în serial Elena află că este adoptată şi se menţionează că este descendenta lui Katherine, în carte nu se explică nicăieri de ce Elena seamănă atât de mult cu Katherine.

Diferenţe ar mai fi şi în prietenii pe care Elena îi are în carte şi cei pe care îi sunt alături în film. Producătorii serialului au decis să o păstreze doar pe vrăjitoarea Bonnie ca fiind prietenă a protagonistei. Deși atât în carte cât și în film Bonnie are puteri magice, diferența ar consta în descendența acesteia. Astfel, în carte autoarea o descrie ca fiind descendentă a druizilor, iar în film arborele genealogic al familiei Bennet are ca punct de pornire vrăjitoarele din Salem. Și dacă tot am pomenit de numele de familie a lui Bonnie, trebuie să menționez că în carte aceasta poartă numele de McCullough iar în film, tocmai ce vi l-am spus, Bennet. Tot în ceea ce o privește pe Bonnie, am uitat să menționez că și culoarea părului acestia a suferit mici modificări: dacă în carte este roșcată, ei bine, în film este o tânără afro-americană, după cum bine știți deja. Ce era să uit să menționez, faptul că în carte prietena cea mai bună a Elenei este Meredith Sulez, care de asemenea are un rol important de-a lungul cărții. Însă, în serial acest personaj  nu există.

Alte mici diferențe pe care le-am remarcat sunt: numele de familie lui Matt, fostul iubit al Elenei, în carte este Honeycut iar în serial Donovan. Un alt aspect important în ceea ce îl privește pe Matt este faptul că Vickie, sora lui din serial, nu este sora lui în carte.

Legat tot de numele de familie, Tyler poartă numele de Smallwood în care, pe când în serial numele său de familie este Lockwood.

Dar astea au fost doar lucrurile mărunte ce diferențiază conținutul cărții de acțiunea serialului. În carte întreaga poveste este total diferită. Chiar și celebrul triunghi amoros dintre Stefan, Damon și Katherine este cu totul altfel. Să nu mai zic de întregul fir epic al cărților, povestea originală de la care a pornit serialul, după părerea mea,  este si ea foarte, foarte diferită.

Cred că producătorii show-ului de televiziune au ales doar anumite părți și personaje ale poveștii inițiale și au decis să construiască un scenariu diferit, mai comercial. Dar despre asta am să vă povestesc într-o altă postare.

Oricum, țin să subliniez încă de pe acum că mie personal îmi place mai mult serialul decât cartea. De ce? Pentru că are mai mult suspans, are foarte multe întorsături de situație, are și povești de dragoste printre care și faimoasa poveste dintre un nemuritor și o nemuritoare și are bineînțeles și un strop de dramă, crime sș mai ales sânge, ar fi fost culmea să lipsească tocmai acesta dintr-un serial cu vampiri.

Pentru cei care nu au citit încă cele șapte volume, vă îndemn cu drag să le citiți. Nu cred că va fi timp pierdut. După ce veți citi și cărțile veți vedea marile diferențe care există între firul narativ al acestora și scenariul filmului. 

Pentru cei care au citit și cartea, voi ce părere aveți de serial? 

A short introduction

Even if sometimes it is hard to introduce yourself because you know yourself so well that you do not know where to start with, I will try to see what kind of image you have about me through my self-description. I hope that my impression about myself and your impression about me are not so different. Here it goes.

I like to think that I am a person who is positive about every aspect of life. There are many things I like to do, to see, and also to experience. For example: I like to read, I like to write; I like to think, I like to dream; I like to talk, I like to listen. I like to see the sunrise in the morning, I like to see the moonlight at night; I like to feel the music flowing on my face, I like flowers in spring, rain in summer, leaves in autumn, and snow in winter. I like to sleep early, I like to get up late...