You're the turtle in my life.
Feb. 5th, 2013 02:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarea
Hmm. I was doing okay with the updates for a little while there, and then... that stopped. Sigh. Okay, so what have I been doing since my last real post? Lots of things!
1) Stressing about work. What else is new, right? Yeah, so that's happening.
2) Over winter break I played the Portal 2 co-op game with my brother, and it was so fun. So I finally played the original Portal and the single-player campaign of Portal 2 and had a blast. It is amazing how much longer the second game is. It's like 3 games in one. But really I love it because Wheatley is so funny. And because puzzle games are my favorite kind.
3) Caught up on a few TV shows: Dexter... The Mindy Project... New Girl.jade_okelani and I also just finished the first season of Nikita. We've been trying to watch Revenge but it's slow going; we want to like it more than we actually do.
Dexter: A pretty strong season, though really, the idea that Dexter is any kind of real dad to Harrison is such a joke. When he's not at work, he's researching killers! When does he actually have any time to spend with him??
I was really impressed with how they handled the whole Deb finding out thing. I didn't think they could convince me/realistically show us that she could accept Dex as a serial killer, but they did it. That first ep when they seem to take it back, but kept having her question all the little details as she thought about it more, was really great, especially the end when she confronts him and he admits to what he is.
I wasn't crazy about the Hannah McKay character. I don't know why they feel like they have to constantly give Dexter love interests. I mean, given what he is, he seems to fall for women too easily. He didn't even really love Rita (ok, maybe a little, by the end), and when they first began their relationship, he had to pretend everything. What he really seems to be drawn to, in men and women alike, are people who understand him. I can see how that would be compelling, but he seems to run into that type of person every season, and it's getting a little old. Also, Hannah simply wasn't sympathetic. I thought the actress did a great job, all things considered, but Hannah was no better than any of the other killers Dexter has offed over the years. What, she's special because she doesn't judge him? Please. Not to mention, they can never really trust one another!!! Even if you accept that she seems to really love Dexter and would put him first, any time anyone threatened their relationship, she'd kill them! Or at least, he couldn't trust that she wouldn't. It'd basically be like consigning Harrison to being murdered! I really, really don't like that she escaped/didn't die at the end. I actually thought it would have been a very fitting way to go out, for her to kill herself the way she'd killed so many others -- but no. That means she can still be dangerous to Dexter and anyone he loves. Or it means they're going to make her his "happy ever after," which I don't like either, due to the aforementioned trust issues.
In the same category of falling for women too easily... Oh, Quinn. Sigh. Why are you such a fucking dumbass? I love Desmond Harrington, and felt sorry for Quinn, but mostly in an I'm-laughing-at-you way. Seriously, getting involved with a stripper? And one who was really, so fucking generic? COME ON JOEY.
I really liked Ray Stevenson's character, but I think that mostly had to do with Ray Stevenson. I've loved him ever since Rome, but my God, he could not be a more different character. Whereas Isaak was all panache, intellect and charm, Titus Pullo was a blundering but loveable meathead. Talk about range! Though he was totally wasted in Thor. You could barely recognize him under all that makeup and scruffy beard.
The last episode was so intense. Okay, the final scene of the last episode. Dexter gives good finale, I'll give them that. I should have seen it coming, with LaGuerta getting closer and closer to the truth -- no one survives getting to know Dexter's secret, unless they are killers themselves and/or his partners in crime -- but it was still shocking. Despite the fact that she wasn't that likeable a character, she'd definitely gotten more tolerable/sympathetic by this season, and she had truth on her side. To see her get murdered in cold blood in pursuit of that truth, by someone who is herself appalled by Dexter's actions, it's just... wow.
I have no idea where they're going to go from here. Either Dexter and Deb's relationship is going to grow even stronger (though I still don't ship them as a romantic couple), or this is going to finally rip them apart, with Deb eaten up by guilt over what she did on Dexter's behalf.
The Mindy Project: If I were as pretty and funny and charming as Mindy Kaling, I'd probably write fanfic about myself, too. :)) I mean, that is so obviously what this show is. It's amazing that it's as enjoyable as it is, given that fact. Maybe it just shows her power. I mean, in the show she's a sweet, quirky, successful, attractive girl that awesome things happen to. Basically the only thing she doesn't have is that she's not married yet, but that's kind of what drives the show, so it's not even a real "negative." She has an obvious love interest in Danny, who I do sort of ship her with, but not strongly. I don't find him particularly attractive, is the problem. Mainly I like the show because it makes me laugh, and I like Mindy.
New Girl: You guys. I am so in love with this show right now. I love Nick. Actually I love all the characters (yes, finally, even Winston), but Nick especially. It has to be Jake Johnson, because the character isn't a type I'd usually go for!! Max Greenfield is genius as Schmidt. He was warbly and charming on Veronica Mars, but not for one millisecond did I actually want him to end up with her over Logan. Not that I'd want Schmidt to, either, but I freaking LOVE Schmidt. Part of it is that, for some reason, on VM he talked like he had marbles in his mouth. I don't know if he did it deliberately, or whether he acquired a speech coach after that, but it's not an issue anymore.
Anyway. I didn't expect to like this show. Like so many people I've spoken to who haven't seen it, I was afraid it'd be too "precious." I actually can't stand stuff like that. Butadelagia recced it, and she hasn't led me astray yet, so I gave it a shot. And I liked it from the very start, which was a bit of a surprise, because it's probably its most precious in those first few episodes. I guess I personally just didn't actually find it annoying, even though Zooey Deschanel certainly seems to epitomize that "type." But she's totally likeable, and to me, her preciousness is more quirkiness that I can actually mostly relate to, or during the times I can't, it makes me laugh. It wasn't until 1x22, though, that I was like, okay, this show does it for me. Now I'm all caught up to everything that's aired, and I totally love, love, LOVE it. It might actually be my new favorite comedy. (Caveat being that Community isn't airing right now.)
One of the things I'm really enjoying is how they're handling the Jess/Nick relationship. It was obvious from the start that they intended for them to be THE canon pairing, but they have taken it very, very slow, and what's been shown has been just the right amount of UST and awww and friendship and just perfectness. They've done so well with it that I don't even mind the /Other stuff that's happened, because the /Other stuff doesn't usually last very long (unlike so many shows, they realize that they shouldn't let the hero/ine be in too long term or serious a relationship with other people), and they've put both characters in a place where you completely understand that they need to be with other people right now, but at the same time still developing their own closeness/friendship. The other genius thing they've done is throw them into obvious situations, oft-used tropes that would have made any other "will they/won't they" couple succumb already, but they don't allow them to. Which is strangely satisfying, because even though there's a part of you that wants to see them succumb, you don't want it to come cheaply. The last episode to air was 2x15, so some of what I'm saying is now moot. :)) But in 2x15, they reinforce what I've said -- they continue to be unwilling to do the obvious thing -- but then made me squee with surprise and happiness. I was shocked by how delighted I was. I literally had not realized how much I shipped this pairing!
I do wonder though, what's going to happen from here? The other reason I really liked them drawing it out is because the first thing that happens to couples on TV when they get together is break up. Everyone knows that. That's what happened with Cece and Schmidt. TV couples are most interesting when they're trying to be together, not when they're actually together.
Nikita: Speaking of obvious pairings... Michael and Nikita. Yeah. I do ship them, but not strongly. Everything between them just happened too quickly, and not in a satisfying way. Also, I don't find Nikita herself very interesting. Maggie Q is fine, so I don't know why I have this utter ambivalence toward her. I guess some of it is due to the fact that I feel like I've seen this show before -- only it was called Alias, Jennifer Garner was way more convincing at kicking ass, and it was much, much better written.
I absolutely love Alex, though. I wish they hadn't made her as young as she supposedly is -- wish she was at least in her early 20s, for pete's sake -- but I love Lyndsy Fonseca (the daughter from HIMYM!) and think Alex's story is so much more interesting. I also love Owen Elliot, but that's probably primarily due to the fact that he's played by Devon Sawa, a girlhood crush of mine. :D So I am totally shipping Alex/Owen, even though I know they don't even meet until S3. >< Anyway, acknowledging my bias, I think Owen is an interesting character, being Mr. Cold-Blooded Assassin until he fell in wuv (seriously, it is such a joke that they cannot come up with ANY OTHER REASON for why an operative would turn against Division).
Knowing what I know about Alex and Owen meeting in S3, I really just want to get through S2 quickly.
Revenge: Yeah, don't have much more to say about this. We keep trying to watch this show and waiting for it to really hook us, but it has yet to do so. We're about midway through S1.
4) Finally finished The Twelve. I am so looking forward to the final book in the trilogy, City of Mirrors. Also, Ridley Scott better hurry up with the film adaptation of this series.
There are so many things I really like about this series, but there are some things that I can't get past, which keep it from being a novel I love as much as I love, say, ASoIaF. ASoIaF is something I love without reservation. I even love its faults. I don't love The Passage the same way. The Twelve was a more satisfying read than the first book, but in some ways, its failings also became even more apparent.
Justin Cronin loves his characters too much. He's too attached to them and isn't willing to make real sacrifices. In the final battle with the Twelve (really, the Ten, since Babcock was killed in the first book and Carter was really Wolgast), only ONE of the main combatants dies. ONE. That is ridiculous, given both the fact that the Twelve are supposed to be, basically, the ultimate enemies, and because the protagonists all put themselves in dangerous situations, willing to die for their cause. AND YET ALL BUT ONE OF THEM SURVIVES. WTF. Seriously?!
Then there's his portrayal of women. Don't get me wrong, I like and appreciate the fact that so many of his heroes are women. But he doesn't really seem to get them. Not one female character is well-rounded. They've each got one characteristic that defines who they are, and that's all they are. Alicia is the strong soldier. Lila and Sara are mother figures. Amy is a girl who communicates with virals and loves Brad Wolgast. Lore is the spunky oiler. None of them seem to have anything else to them. They are that one thing, and one thing only. I mean, sure, Sara turns into a rebel, but what drives her? Ultimately Kate, her daughter. (And seriously, the way Sara thought every single fucking thing Kate did was such a fucking miracle was soooooooooo annoying. I mean, I'm sure a woman/mother in her position would think that way, but there's only so many times I can read the same repetitive thoughts without wanting one or both of them to just die.) I would love to see a truly well-rounded female character, who gets torn between loyalties -- who wants to be there for her family, but who is also a believer in the Cause, etc.
And it may not be just the female characters. Come to think of it, it's kind of a problem with ALL the characters. No one is ever torn. On top of that, they seem ... unknowable. I don't feel like I really know most of them all that well. If you give me a character and a situation, I probably wouldn't be able to offer a solid opinion on what they would do in that circumstance. Not so with, say, the characters from the Harry Potter series.
Another thing I really don't like is the coincidence of it all, how the same people keep surviving and meeting up again and again. Seriously, Sara didn't die in the New Mexico massacre? Both she AND her child survived?! Of all the fucking women in the world, it was Brad Wolgast's fucking ex-wife who goes crazy and survives through the apocalypse and meets the new breed of vampire in Lawrence Grey, so that she's still around when all the other shit is going down with the Twelve and Amy and Viral!Brad? REALLY??? That's the kind of crap that makes the story so much less than it could be. Kill an established character off in their prime unexpectedly. That's how we know the stakes are high. Instead, the virals don't even seem all that threatening, because everyone we know always manages to make it through!
Sigh.
All that said -- probably more important is that it's a good story. I mean, seriously, that's really what counts. And it's well written. It's just not written in a way that captures me completely. I love post-apocalyptic stories, and this one is unique in that it's pretty much the only "realistic" vampire novel I've ever read, which is really interesting. I've enjoyed seeing the evolution of the initial viral creatures from being almost more zombie-like than vampire-like (at least, as depicted in popular culture), to something more like the vampires we're familiar with, wherein they still wear youthful human faces, don't age, etc. I really dig the idea that there *was* an evolution, which makes perfect sense. Though technically, it's not so much an evolution as it is that Grey was just somehow affected differently, which isn't explained. :/ Too many things just sort of happen and aren't explained, imho -- initially I thought that this was because they'd be explained later, but I've come to realize that that's probably not going to happen. It just is. It would've been better, imho, for it to be an evolution (maybe like what's happening now with Alicia), because Grey was bitten by Zero at pretty much the same time as all the others.
(And speaking of the others, why are they so special? Weren't they all infected by Zero? I'm sure Zero didn't stop killing people, so why aren't their more virals like the Twelve out there? And what happened to the bat or whatever it was that first infected Zero? Why didn't it make more Zeroes?)
It was a little jarring to jump back in time to meet Bernard Kittridge and April Donadio -- I mean, it's great that they're Alicia's ancestors and what not, but what was the point of showing us that? Just to show us the immediate aftermath of the viral outbreak? It was okay and all, but didn't actually move the plot forward.
The "hive" thing has always bothered me a little, just as Joss Whedon acknowledged that people complained about the end of The Avengers, that killing the source kills all the bad guys in that line. It's just -- how convenient. In this case, in one fell swoop, they've gotten rid of pretty much all the virals in the world, and Carter seems like he'll go peacefully when it's his time, which just makes it all seem a little too easy. There was really no good explanation for why the hell the Twelve would put themselves in such a vulnerable position. Why would they gather together at the Homeland? To get fed? Surely there was a way to do that without all of them needing to be together forevermore. The pacing with The Twelve was a bit problematic in that it seemed like it was going to be molasses-slow going, what with the first book having only taken care of one of the Twelve, and then there was the failure to find Martinez... and then suddenly they're ALL dead except for Carter. I feel like it could have been done a lot better, less conveniently, and given the fighting humans more of a say in their own destiny, which would have been cool to see.
As with the first novel, I'm hoping that the third/last novel will clarify a lot from what came before. I have to say that the second book did make the first one better in retrospect, so here's to hoping that continues, and when the third book is published it'll take care of most, if not all, of the things I had trouble with. I don't think the way the author handles characters will change, but for me this book is more about the world and the plot more than the actual characters, so I can live with that.
5) My new bed has finally been delivered! It's soooooooooooo woooooooonderfuuuuuuulllllllll, I LOVE MY NEW BED. I had them move my old bed into the guest room, and it's now there taking up basically the entire room, but my guests are going to have a great night's sleep, lol. I mean, that's basically what a guest room is for, anyway! The Salvation Army is coming this weekend to take away the bed that was in there previously. It's practically brand new.
6) Bought these awesome drinking glasses. A couple of years ago, I realized that I really like drinking out of thin glasses. I'd never really thought about it before one way or another, and then I was at dinner somewhere, and they had super thin glasses, and I was enjoying drinking out of my glass so much! There's something about drinking out of thin glass that is very satisfying; it's like the perfect mouthful every time. LOL, I don't know how to explain it. Those of you who've had the same epiphany, you understand. Or maybe I'm just a messy drinker and thin glasses make it enjoyably foolproof, I don't know. In any case, Riedel makes super thin glasses -- it almost feels like you could cut yourself on the edge (though of course, you can't) -- and I'm loving them. They look spectacular, too. Of course, they also feel pretty fragile, so they're probably not recommended for households with young children. (Aside: Riedel also makes specific glasses for water/juice, but I got those too and they're basically just shorter versions of the whiskey glasses, and I prefer the taller ones.)
7) Saw a play! J. and I stuffed ourselves with delicious Italian food, then went to the Green Lake Bathhouse theater and saw "The Understudy." Synopsis: A slick comedy where High Concept meets the down-and-dirty of the entertainment business when Jake, a grossly overpaid Action Movie star, decides to turn an undiscovered Franz Kafka play into Broadway hit. Things begin to implode when Harry, an embittered and idealistic understudy, arrives for rehearsal and discovers the stage manager is his ex-fiancée. I enjoyed it a surprising amount. I normally don't like plays very much -- there's always this stilted play language that from the first moment a character speaks, it's like, "Oh God, play-speak." It starts out like that, but quickly fades into one of the most enjoyable plays I've ever seen. J. and I agreed that the actor who played Jake was particularly good.
1) Stressing about work. What else is new, right? Yeah, so that's happening.
2) Over winter break I played the Portal 2 co-op game with my brother, and it was so fun. So I finally played the original Portal and the single-player campaign of Portal 2 and had a blast. It is amazing how much longer the second game is. It's like 3 games in one. But really I love it because Wheatley is so funny. And because puzzle games are my favorite kind.
3) Caught up on a few TV shows: Dexter... The Mindy Project... New Girl.
jade_okelani and I also just finished the first season of Nikita. We've been trying to watch Revenge but it's slow going; we want to like it more than we actually do. Dexter: A pretty strong season, though really, the idea that Dexter is any kind of real dad to Harrison is such a joke. When he's not at work, he's researching killers! When does he actually have any time to spend with him??
I was really impressed with how they handled the whole Deb finding out thing. I didn't think they could convince me/realistically show us that she could accept Dex as a serial killer, but they did it. That first ep when they seem to take it back, but kept having her question all the little details as she thought about it more, was really great, especially the end when she confronts him and he admits to what he is.
I wasn't crazy about the Hannah McKay character. I don't know why they feel like they have to constantly give Dexter love interests. I mean, given what he is, he seems to fall for women too easily. He didn't even really love Rita (ok, maybe a little, by the end), and when they first began their relationship, he had to pretend everything. What he really seems to be drawn to, in men and women alike, are people who understand him. I can see how that would be compelling, but he seems to run into that type of person every season, and it's getting a little old. Also, Hannah simply wasn't sympathetic. I thought the actress did a great job, all things considered, but Hannah was no better than any of the other killers Dexter has offed over the years. What, she's special because she doesn't judge him? Please. Not to mention, they can never really trust one another!!! Even if you accept that she seems to really love Dexter and would put him first, any time anyone threatened their relationship, she'd kill them! Or at least, he couldn't trust that she wouldn't. It'd basically be like consigning Harrison to being murdered! I really, really don't like that she escaped/didn't die at the end. I actually thought it would have been a very fitting way to go out, for her to kill herself the way she'd killed so many others -- but no. That means she can still be dangerous to Dexter and anyone he loves. Or it means they're going to make her his "happy ever after," which I don't like either, due to the aforementioned trust issues.
In the same category of falling for women too easily... Oh, Quinn. Sigh. Why are you such a fucking dumbass? I love Desmond Harrington, and felt sorry for Quinn, but mostly in an I'm-laughing-at-you way. Seriously, getting involved with a stripper? And one who was really, so fucking generic? COME ON JOEY.
I really liked Ray Stevenson's character, but I think that mostly had to do with Ray Stevenson. I've loved him ever since Rome, but my God, he could not be a more different character. Whereas Isaak was all panache, intellect and charm, Titus Pullo was a blundering but loveable meathead. Talk about range! Though he was totally wasted in Thor. You could barely recognize him under all that makeup and scruffy beard.
The last episode was so intense. Okay, the final scene of the last episode. Dexter gives good finale, I'll give them that. I should have seen it coming, with LaGuerta getting closer and closer to the truth -- no one survives getting to know Dexter's secret, unless they are killers themselves and/or his partners in crime -- but it was still shocking. Despite the fact that she wasn't that likeable a character, she'd definitely gotten more tolerable/sympathetic by this season, and she had truth on her side. To see her get murdered in cold blood in pursuit of that truth, by someone who is herself appalled by Dexter's actions, it's just... wow.
I have no idea where they're going to go from here. Either Dexter and Deb's relationship is going to grow even stronger (though I still don't ship them as a romantic couple), or this is going to finally rip them apart, with Deb eaten up by guilt over what she did on Dexter's behalf.
The Mindy Project: If I were as pretty and funny and charming as Mindy Kaling, I'd probably write fanfic about myself, too. :)) I mean, that is so obviously what this show is. It's amazing that it's as enjoyable as it is, given that fact. Maybe it just shows her power. I mean, in the show she's a sweet, quirky, successful, attractive girl that awesome things happen to. Basically the only thing she doesn't have is that she's not married yet, but that's kind of what drives the show, so it's not even a real "negative." She has an obvious love interest in Danny, who I do sort of ship her with, but not strongly. I don't find him particularly attractive, is the problem. Mainly I like the show because it makes me laugh, and I like Mindy.
New Girl: You guys. I am so in love with this show right now. I love Nick. Actually I love all the characters (yes, finally, even Winston), but Nick especially. It has to be Jake Johnson, because the character isn't a type I'd usually go for!! Max Greenfield is genius as Schmidt. He was warbly and charming on Veronica Mars, but not for one millisecond did I actually want him to end up with her over Logan. Not that I'd want Schmidt to, either, but I freaking LOVE Schmidt. Part of it is that, for some reason, on VM he talked like he had marbles in his mouth. I don't know if he did it deliberately, or whether he acquired a speech coach after that, but it's not an issue anymore.
Anyway. I didn't expect to like this show. Like so many people I've spoken to who haven't seen it, I was afraid it'd be too "precious." I actually can't stand stuff like that. But
adelagia recced it, and she hasn't led me astray yet, so I gave it a shot. And I liked it from the very start, which was a bit of a surprise, because it's probably its most precious in those first few episodes. I guess I personally just didn't actually find it annoying, even though Zooey Deschanel certainly seems to epitomize that "type." But she's totally likeable, and to me, her preciousness is more quirkiness that I can actually mostly relate to, or during the times I can't, it makes me laugh. It wasn't until 1x22, though, that I was like, okay, this show does it for me. Now I'm all caught up to everything that's aired, and I totally love, love, LOVE it. It might actually be my new favorite comedy. (Caveat being that Community isn't airing right now.)One of the things I'm really enjoying is how they're handling the Jess/Nick relationship. It was obvious from the start that they intended for them to be THE canon pairing, but they have taken it very, very slow, and what's been shown has been just the right amount of UST and awww and friendship and just perfectness. They've done so well with it that I don't even mind the /Other stuff that's happened, because the /Other stuff doesn't usually last very long (unlike so many shows, they realize that they shouldn't let the hero/ine be in too long term or serious a relationship with other people), and they've put both characters in a place where you completely understand that they need to be with other people right now, but at the same time still developing their own closeness/friendship. The other genius thing they've done is throw them into obvious situations, oft-used tropes that would have made any other "will they/won't they" couple succumb already, but they don't allow them to. Which is strangely satisfying, because even though there's a part of you that wants to see them succumb, you don't want it to come cheaply. The last episode to air was 2x15, so some of what I'm saying is now moot. :)) But in 2x15, they reinforce what I've said -- they continue to be unwilling to do the obvious thing -- but then made me squee with surprise and happiness. I was shocked by how delighted I was. I literally had not realized how much I shipped this pairing!
I do wonder though, what's going to happen from here? The other reason I really liked them drawing it out is because the first thing that happens to couples on TV when they get together is break up. Everyone knows that. That's what happened with Cece and Schmidt. TV couples are most interesting when they're trying to be together, not when they're actually together.
Nikita: Speaking of obvious pairings... Michael and Nikita. Yeah. I do ship them, but not strongly. Everything between them just happened too quickly, and not in a satisfying way. Also, I don't find Nikita herself very interesting. Maggie Q is fine, so I don't know why I have this utter ambivalence toward her. I guess some of it is due to the fact that I feel like I've seen this show before -- only it was called Alias, Jennifer Garner was way more convincing at kicking ass, and it was much, much better written.
I absolutely love Alex, though. I wish they hadn't made her as young as she supposedly is -- wish she was at least in her early 20s, for pete's sake -- but I love Lyndsy Fonseca (the daughter from HIMYM!) and think Alex's story is so much more interesting. I also love Owen Elliot, but that's probably primarily due to the fact that he's played by Devon Sawa, a girlhood crush of mine. :D So I am totally shipping Alex/Owen, even though I know they don't even meet until S3. >< Anyway, acknowledging my bias, I think Owen is an interesting character, being Mr. Cold-Blooded Assassin until he fell in wuv (seriously, it is such a joke that they cannot come up with ANY OTHER REASON for why an operative would turn against Division).
Knowing what I know about Alex and Owen meeting in S3, I really just want to get through S2 quickly.
Revenge: Yeah, don't have much more to say about this. We keep trying to watch this show and waiting for it to really hook us, but it has yet to do so. We're about midway through S1.
4) Finally finished The Twelve. I am so looking forward to the final book in the trilogy, City of Mirrors. Also, Ridley Scott better hurry up with the film adaptation of this series.
There are so many things I really like about this series, but there are some things that I can't get past, which keep it from being a novel I love as much as I love, say, ASoIaF. ASoIaF is something I love without reservation. I even love its faults. I don't love The Passage the same way. The Twelve was a more satisfying read than the first book, but in some ways, its failings also became even more apparent.
Justin Cronin loves his characters too much. He's too attached to them and isn't willing to make real sacrifices. In the final battle with the Twelve (really, the Ten, since Babcock was killed in the first book and Carter was really Wolgast), only ONE of the main combatants dies. ONE. That is ridiculous, given both the fact that the Twelve are supposed to be, basically, the ultimate enemies, and because the protagonists all put themselves in dangerous situations, willing to die for their cause. AND YET ALL BUT ONE OF THEM SURVIVES. WTF. Seriously?!
Then there's his portrayal of women. Don't get me wrong, I like and appreciate the fact that so many of his heroes are women. But he doesn't really seem to get them. Not one female character is well-rounded. They've each got one characteristic that defines who they are, and that's all they are. Alicia is the strong soldier. Lila and Sara are mother figures. Amy is a girl who communicates with virals and loves Brad Wolgast. Lore is the spunky oiler. None of them seem to have anything else to them. They are that one thing, and one thing only. I mean, sure, Sara turns into a rebel, but what drives her? Ultimately Kate, her daughter. (And seriously, the way Sara thought every single fucking thing Kate did was such a fucking miracle was soooooooooo annoying. I mean, I'm sure a woman/mother in her position would think that way, but there's only so many times I can read the same repetitive thoughts without wanting one or both of them to just die.) I would love to see a truly well-rounded female character, who gets torn between loyalties -- who wants to be there for her family, but who is also a believer in the Cause, etc.
And it may not be just the female characters. Come to think of it, it's kind of a problem with ALL the characters. No one is ever torn. On top of that, they seem ... unknowable. I don't feel like I really know most of them all that well. If you give me a character and a situation, I probably wouldn't be able to offer a solid opinion on what they would do in that circumstance. Not so with, say, the characters from the Harry Potter series.
Another thing I really don't like is the coincidence of it all, how the same people keep surviving and meeting up again and again. Seriously, Sara didn't die in the New Mexico massacre? Both she AND her child survived?! Of all the fucking women in the world, it was Brad Wolgast's fucking ex-wife who goes crazy and survives through the apocalypse and meets the new breed of vampire in Lawrence Grey, so that she's still around when all the other shit is going down with the Twelve and Amy and Viral!Brad? REALLY??? That's the kind of crap that makes the story so much less than it could be. Kill an established character off in their prime unexpectedly. That's how we know the stakes are high. Instead, the virals don't even seem all that threatening, because everyone we know always manages to make it through!
Sigh.
All that said -- probably more important is that it's a good story. I mean, seriously, that's really what counts. And it's well written. It's just not written in a way that captures me completely. I love post-apocalyptic stories, and this one is unique in that it's pretty much the only "realistic" vampire novel I've ever read, which is really interesting. I've enjoyed seeing the evolution of the initial viral creatures from being almost more zombie-like than vampire-like (at least, as depicted in popular culture), to something more like the vampires we're familiar with, wherein they still wear youthful human faces, don't age, etc. I really dig the idea that there *was* an evolution, which makes perfect sense. Though technically, it's not so much an evolution as it is that Grey was just somehow affected differently, which isn't explained. :/ Too many things just sort of happen and aren't explained, imho -- initially I thought that this was because they'd be explained later, but I've come to realize that that's probably not going to happen. It just is. It would've been better, imho, for it to be an evolution (maybe like what's happening now with Alicia), because Grey was bitten by Zero at pretty much the same time as all the others.
(And speaking of the others, why are they so special? Weren't they all infected by Zero? I'm sure Zero didn't stop killing people, so why aren't their more virals like the Twelve out there? And what happened to the bat or whatever it was that first infected Zero? Why didn't it make more Zeroes?)
It was a little jarring to jump back in time to meet Bernard Kittridge and April Donadio -- I mean, it's great that they're Alicia's ancestors and what not, but what was the point of showing us that? Just to show us the immediate aftermath of the viral outbreak? It was okay and all, but didn't actually move the plot forward.
The "hive" thing has always bothered me a little, just as Joss Whedon acknowledged that people complained about the end of The Avengers, that killing the source kills all the bad guys in that line. It's just -- how convenient. In this case, in one fell swoop, they've gotten rid of pretty much all the virals in the world, and Carter seems like he'll go peacefully when it's his time, which just makes it all seem a little too easy. There was really no good explanation for why the hell the Twelve would put themselves in such a vulnerable position. Why would they gather together at the Homeland? To get fed? Surely there was a way to do that without all of them needing to be together forevermore. The pacing with The Twelve was a bit problematic in that it seemed like it was going to be molasses-slow going, what with the first book having only taken care of one of the Twelve, and then there was the failure to find Martinez... and then suddenly they're ALL dead except for Carter. I feel like it could have been done a lot better, less conveniently, and given the fighting humans more of a say in their own destiny, which would have been cool to see.
As with the first novel, I'm hoping that the third/last novel will clarify a lot from what came before. I have to say that the second book did make the first one better in retrospect, so here's to hoping that continues, and when the third book is published it'll take care of most, if not all, of the things I had trouble with. I don't think the way the author handles characters will change, but for me this book is more about the world and the plot more than the actual characters, so I can live with that.
5) My new bed has finally been delivered! It's soooooooooooo woooooooonderfuuuuuuulllllllll, I LOVE MY NEW BED. I had them move my old bed into the guest room, and it's now there taking up basically the entire room, but my guests are going to have a great night's sleep, lol. I mean, that's basically what a guest room is for, anyway! The Salvation Army is coming this weekend to take away the bed that was in there previously. It's practically brand new.
6) Bought these awesome drinking glasses. A couple of years ago, I realized that I really like drinking out of thin glasses. I'd never really thought about it before one way or another, and then I was at dinner somewhere, and they had super thin glasses, and I was enjoying drinking out of my glass so much! There's something about drinking out of thin glass that is very satisfying; it's like the perfect mouthful every time. LOL, I don't know how to explain it. Those of you who've had the same epiphany, you understand. Or maybe I'm just a messy drinker and thin glasses make it enjoyably foolproof, I don't know. In any case, Riedel makes super thin glasses -- it almost feels like you could cut yourself on the edge (though of course, you can't) -- and I'm loving them. They look spectacular, too. Of course, they also feel pretty fragile, so they're probably not recommended for households with young children. (Aside: Riedel also makes specific glasses for water/juice, but I got those too and they're basically just shorter versions of the whiskey glasses, and I prefer the taller ones.)
7) Saw a play! J. and I stuffed ourselves with delicious Italian food, then went to the Green Lake Bathhouse theater and saw "The Understudy." Synopsis: A slick comedy where High Concept meets the down-and-dirty of the entertainment business when Jake, a grossly overpaid Action Movie star, decides to turn an undiscovered Franz Kafka play into Broadway hit. Things begin to implode when Harry, an embittered and idealistic understudy, arrives for rehearsal and discovers the stage manager is his ex-fiancée. I enjoyed it a surprising amount. I normally don't like plays very much -- there's always this stilted play language that from the first moment a character speaks, it's like, "Oh God, play-speak." It starts out like that, but quickly fades into one of the most enjoyable plays I've ever seen. J. and I agreed that the actor who played Jake was particularly good.
