Category Archives: Television

TV Time: Castle 5.09

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Title Secret Santa

Two-Sentence Summary While investigating the murder of a Santa impersonator, Castle and Beckett prepare for their first Christmas as a couple. Romantic reunions, new traditions, and expanding families appear on the horizon as the holiday spirit descends on the 12th Precinct.

Favorite Lines
Ryan: Jenny says to me, “It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without kids.” She wants to try. But I come to work; I watch the news every day…It seems like the world’s falling apart. How am I supposed to bring a kid into that?
Esposito: World’s always falling apart, bro. Since the beginning of time. But having kids, raising a family…That’s what keeps it together.

My Thoughts I was excited for “Secret Santa” from the moment I found out Castle would be doing a Christmas episode this season. And I can honestly say that this episode didn’t disappoint. Were some things different than I was expecting? Yes. Did I get the epic “Caskett gift exchange” I’d been dreaming of for years? No. But I got something that was quite possibly even better: an episode filled with the warmth that makes Christmas such a special time of year, like a mug of hot chocolate on a snowy winter evening.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.09

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Title Queen of Hearts

Two-Sentence Summary In this season’s winter finale, Emma and Snow go head-to-head with Cora and Hook in order to get back to their loved ones in Storybrooke, and Emma discovers some interesting side-effects of being the product of Snow and Charming’s true love. Before they can get back, though, Henry must convince Regina to undo Rumplestiltskin’s deadly spell on the portal, which is designed to kill Cora and Hook but could end up killing Snow and Emma instead.

Favorite Lines
Emma: Your mom, she’s…She’s a piece of work, you know?
Regina: Indeed, I do.

My Thoughts This was truly the perfect midseason finale. It left the audience with some excellent new questions, raised the stakes for the second half of the season, and resolved important story arcs with major questions being answered. What I liked the most about it, though, was that it did all of these things in an organic way. Each plot development also came with character development. Though the hour raced along, it was grounded in beautiful interactions between characters we have come to care so much about as well as stunning performances from the leading ladies who make this show so consistently powerful on an emotional level.

One of those leading ladies was Jennifer Morrison, who showcased incredible layers of vulnerability in “Queen of Hearts.” Morrison played Emma’s self-doubt with an understated sadness; when she said that optimism skipped a generation in her family, I felt the broken heart underneath the humor, and that’s when Emma feels her most real.

I also loved Emma’s interactions with Captain Hook. Their dynamic is so interesting because it can go from surprising depth (their interactions in Rumplestiltskin’s cell) to cheeky innuendos (Hook’s sword fighting dialogue) without feeling forced. But my favorite thing about the two of them in this episode had to be the fact Emma bested Hook by taking advantage of his compulsion to turn their fight into a twisted kind of flirting.

I really enjoyed Hook as a character in this episode, especially after worrying that his character would become irredeemable after taking Aurora’s heart. My favorite thing about him so far has been his moral ambiguity, so I didn’t want him to become Cora-like levels of pure evil. The explanation for him being able to take Aurora’s heart was smart; I’m happy that this power is canonically reserved for our three main villains. Also, it felt wrong that Hook would be so willing to take a heart after what happened to Milah, so I really appreciated the writing choice of having him give Aurora her heart back.

Speaking of hearts, Aurora and Mulan finally felt useful and well-written in this episode! Aurora’s selfless streak brings out a strength in her that she didn’t have initially, and even Mulan felt more complex and interesting once she was given more to do as a character. The moment when Mulan put Aurora’s heart back in was surprisingly intimate and lovely, and I found myself hoping that this isn’t the last we see of these two princesses now that their motivations aren’t overshadowed by Emma and Snow’s.

I’ve loved seeing Emma and Snow work as a team so far this season, and that continued in a really beautiful way in this episode. I liked seeing Snow’s knowledge of Fairytale Land come in handy once again when she got them out of the cell (even though I did want to scream, “The ink is on the scroll!” at them for the longest time). But I was most impressed with seeing Emma truly become her mother’s daughter at exactly the right time.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.08

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Title Into the Deep

Two-Sentence Summary After Henry suffers intense burns and Aurora is captured by Cora, Charming willingly subjects himself to the sleeping curse in order to communicate with Snow. Lives are endangered, alliances are tested, and one broken family struggles to keep their faith as both good and evil race to get back to Storybrooke.

Favorite Line “And if there’s one thing I know about your grandparents…They always find each other.” (Regina)

My Thoughts “Into the Deep” was one of the strongest episodes of this season (so far, at least). There was a tightness to the plotting and character interactions that had been missing in other episodes as the writers sometimes struggled to balance multiple plotlines and a growing cast of characters. This episode worked because it was about the people we have cared about since the pilot: Charming, Snow, Henry, Emma, Regina, and Rumplestiltskin. By focusing the plot on these characters and their interactions, this episode’s stakes felt higher and its emotional moments felt more resonant. The plot progressed, the characters deepened, and all of this was done with the beguilingly earnest sentimentality that has been Once Upon a Time’s calling card from the start.

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Son of a Nutcracker!: My Favorite Christmas Movies

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It’s finally here! The turkey is eaten, the shopping is underway, and the tree is ready to be decorated. It’s Christmastime once again, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a time when the joy of giving, the peace of a winter’s night, and the beauty found in simple moments with people you love aren’t just cliches. The holiday season is my favorite time of year, and it’s my hope that I can share some of the happiness I feel during this time with all of the people in my life—including all of you that read NGN.

As I get ready for my first viewing of one of my favorite Christmas movies tonight, I want to share with you my list of 10 must-see Christmas films and holiday specials. These aren’t necessarily the best or the most popular, but they’re my personal favorites—the movies I come back to every year when I want to get into the holiday spirit.

1.) Love Actually: If you don’t like at least some aspect of this multi-storyline romantic comedy, then you should probably check to make sure your heart hasn’t been replaced with stone. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sad, sometimes silly—this is a movie that celebrates the unashamed romanticism of the holiday season with some of the best British actors around. (Hugh Grant’s adorable Prime Minister is a personal favorite of mine.)

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TV Time: Castle 5.08

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Title After Hours

Two-Sentence Summary After a disastrous first meeting between their parents, Castle and Beckett’s frustration with each other is heightened while protecting a witness to the murder of a priest. Stranded without guns, wallets, and phones, they find themselves caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with the Irish mob.

Favorite Line “Catholic school is like combat. Unless you’ve been there, you don’t know.” (Ryan)

My Thoughts I found myself pleasantly surprised by this episode. Going into it, I had very low expectations. I was just biding my time until the Christmas episode airs (December 3), and I thought this would be a cheesy filler episode, stuffed with TV “meet the parents” clichés. Sure, it had some of the cringe-inducing awkwardness I was worried about, but ultimately this was another strong episode in what is turning out to be a standout season for this show. It had fun twists, great banter, strong performances from the supporting cast, and an unexpected amount of genuine emotion running throughout.

I was glad to get the disastrous dinner party out of the way as soon as possible. I’m not a big fan of watching situations turn sour for the sake of comedy, but I liked that this conflict came from what felt like real differences rather than manufactured ones. While it became something a little over-the-top by the end of the scene, I liked that there was a believability to what was going on because after five seasons we’ve gotten to know all of these characters and have an idea of how they’ll react when paired in new combinations. It’s nice to see character continuity extended to even the supporting cast.

Speaking of supporting casts, how fantastic are Susan Sullivan and Scott Paulin? I loved watching them bond over their children being in danger. They seamlessly moved from tension to understanding to warmth in a way that only top-notch actors can do. When she gets the chance to go for the gusto, Sullivan can rip my heart out like no one else on Castle. She only gives us brief glimpses behind Martha’s theatrical façade, and the fact that her dramatic skills are dished out sparingly makes them all the more powerful when we see them. The moment where she quietly, honestly shares her fears about Castle’s safety with Jim was beautiful, as was the reveal that both Castle and Beckett have told their parents they feel safest with each other. There was something genuinely heartwarming about that scene, something that has stayed with me for the more than 12 hours since the episode aired.

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.07

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Title Leslie vs. April

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie is thrilled to learn of April’s passion for creating a new dog park in Pawnee, until she discovers that this park would be built on Lot 48, which she has been working for years to make into something worthwhile on her own. Meanwhile, Ben helps Tom look for Rent-a-Swag investors and makes a big career move of his own; Andy hits a snag in his police academy enthusiasm; and (in case you haven’t heard by now) Leslie meets Joe Biden.

Favorite Line
“You don’t let anything happen to him. You understand me? He is precious cargo!” (Leslie, speaking to Biden’s security team)

My Thoughts
Even without Joe Biden, this was a solid episode of Parks and Rec. With Joe Biden and his fabulous cameo, it was one of my favorites of this season so far. For the last few years, I’ve been amazed at how this show can operate at such a consistently high level, and it doesn’t show any signs of falling short of its own high standards anytime soon. “Leslie vs. April” may not have had as many ensemble moments as the best episodes of this show, but it did have plenty of moments of genuine laughter, character development, and earned sentiment.

Let’s start with the reason this episode was so highly-anticipated: the presence of Mr. Happy Warrior himself, Vice President Joe Biden. All politics aside, I think Biden did an excellent job in his scene, especially when you consider the fact that Amy Poehler most certainly ad-libbed a lot of Leslie’s reactions to meeting her ultimate celebrity crush. Leslie’s obsession with Biden has always been one of my favorite little character quirks of hers, so I had high expectations for this meeting from the moment I first heard about it. As it usually is with this show, I was not disappointed. It was awkward, it was hilarious, and it was played to perfection by everyone in the room.

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TV Time Quickies: Once Upon a Time 2.07 and Castle 5.07

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Thanks to a much-needed mental health (aka shopping) day off yesterday and a never-ending battle with allergies, I’m a little bit behind in my recapping/reviewing duties this week. As such, I’m going to combine my reviews for this week’s Once Upon a Time and Castle episodes into one neat little recap package, summing up five observations I had about each episode in addition to my usual two-sentence summary and favorite lines.

Enough of my rambling; let’s get on with the shows!

ONCE UPON A TIME 2.07

Title Child of the Moon

Two-Sentence Summary As Ruby faces the first full moon since the curse was broken, she becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation and the target of an angry mod, led by King George, who is determined to get revenge on Charming in whatever way he can. In flashbacks to the Fairytale Land that was, Red finds her mother and learns to control the wolf, while the princesses inhabiting present-day Fairytale Land experience a shock when Aurora reveals that Henry spoke to her in their shared nightmare.

Favorite Line “I’m sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation.” (Belle)

Five Fast Observations
1.) Red/Ruby is definitely one of my favorite Once Upon a Time characters. Hers is a story about learning to love yourself for everything you are, both the good and the bad. This is such an important and empowering kind of love to represent on this show. The real monsters of Once are the ones who use their power to knowingly cause harm to others. Red is fascinating because she could so easily have become such a character, but she instead learns that just because she has the power to become a monster doesn’t mean she already is one. In fact, she’s probably one of the most inherently warm and selfless characters on the show.

2.) I like that this episode focused on the beauty and depth that can be found in platonic love. It’s so rare to see a completely platonic relationship between an attractive man and woman on television, and that is exactly what we saw in this episode between Charming and Red. You can tell how deeply they care about one another and have faith in one another, but never once did I feel like there was anything but respect and friendship between them. It’s also rare to see female friendships depicted as deep, positive relationships in the media, but this episode showcased two incredibly positive examples of female friendship: between Red and Belle and between Red and Snow. Once Upon a Time does a great job of showing that romantic love isn’t the only kind of love to exist and have power, and “Child of the Moon” showed that both platonic love and self-love can be incredibly powerful.

3.) “I didn’t save you. You saved yourself,” might be one of the most important and influential lines these writers have ever written. With so many girls, families, and young women watching this show, it’s a big deal to have a Charming tell this to Red. This show is not one for subtlety, and in this case it’s a very good thing. There’s no doubt that Red is the one in charge of her own journey, but she also doesn’t have to take that journey alone.

4.) While the main cast all gave incredibly strong performances this week, I have to admit that I was disappointed in the acting by the guest actors in the flashbacks. The line delivery was incredibly stilted in the werewolf hideout. This cast excels at taking dialogue that could be cheesy and making it resonant, but this week’s guest actors gave surprisingly flat performances.

5.) I found myself incredibly moved by the running theme of light and darkness as displayed in each character. Besides the main storyline of Red struggling to balance the good and destructive forces within herself, Regina and Rumplestiltskin were both able to show moments of total humanity with Henry, and Charming’s dark side was heartbreakingly shown by Josh Dallas when George tossed the hat into the fire. Love is able to bring out both our best and our worst selves, and the line between them is often dangerously fine. It’s a credit to the actors that they are able to tread that line so convincingly.

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.06

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Title Ben’s Parents

Two-Sentence Summary Ben and Leslie’s engagement party—and Leslie’s homemade unity quilt—are almost ruined by the open hostility between Ben’s long-divorced parents. Meanwhile, Chris’s emotional state goes into a tailspin after the engagement announcement, and Tom starts to wonder if Jean-Ralphio is a good choice for a business partner if he wants Ron to invest in Rent-a-Swag.

Favorite Line “Ann, you are such a good friend. You are a beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful muskox. Thank you, ox, for keeping this ship afloat.” (Leslie)

My Thoughts For as much as I loved last week’s episode (and will be watching Ben’s proposal on a continuous YouTube loop for the rest of my life), I think this was my favorite Parks and Rec episode of the season so far. Every single character had at least one strong moment, and the guest stars were fantastic, as is usually the case with this show. “Ben’s Parents” had all of my favorite things about Parks and Rec wrapped up in one fantastic half-hour: an abundance of Ben/Leslie love, Leslie being her wonderfully determined self, interactions between all of my favorite characters, Champion, Jean-Ralphio, lots of Tom Haverford, and amazing guest star appearances.

The side plots in this week’s episode were especially strong. I don’t know why, but I laughed embarrassingly hard at almost everything that came out of Chris’s mouth from the beginning of the episode until the end. I especially loved April and Andy’s tactics for balancing his emotions (the “Dave Matthews Band” exchange was a standout moment in an episode filled with them). Champion licking Chris’s tears was another great touch, and kudos to Rob Lowe for not breaking character at all while it was happening.

Tom’s storyline was also a very strong one. I don’t know if I’ve admitted this here yet, but Tom is—besides Leslie and Ben—my favorite character on Parks and Rec. I love absolutely everything about him, and just when I thought I couldn’t love him more, this episode happened. His initial Rent-a-Swag pitch to April and Andy was classic Tom; I loved that little bit of Entertainment 720 style reappearing (along with Jean-Ralphio). However, I also was happy to see Tom grow up in a major way by the end of this episode. The real Tom Haverford underneath all of the flashy bravado has always intrigued me, so I appreciated such a big focus on his character development this week. That’s something I really love about Parks and Rec; every character develops and has their own stories to tell.

The main plot reminded me what a dream team Ben and Leslie really are together. These two are such a perfect match. Ben’s pessimism about the party was hilarious (“Well, if there’s anyone who can bring my parents together, it’s… no one!”), and I love the way Leslie’s determined optimism pushed back against that. Leslie is never one to take no for an answer in any aspect of her life; if she wants something to happen, she makes it happen through sheer force of will and hard work. That’s something Ben needs, and something I love that he appreciates about her. There was something surprisingly sweet and very surprisingly hot about the way Ben was so obviously hot and bothered in the face of Leslie’s indomitable will. He wants her the most when she’s being nothing but her slightly pushy, passionate, stubbornly hopeful self, and that’s such a great thing to see. Ben loves Leslie for everything that she is as a person, and theirs is probably the healthiest, most realistic love story I’ve ever seen on TV.

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TV Time: Castle 5.06

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Title The Final Frontier

Two-Sentence Summary After a fangirl is murdered at a sci-fi convention, Beckett’s own nerdy past is revealed through her love for the short-lived TV series Nebula 9. As fans and the cast of the show alike appear connected to the murder, Beckett and Castle explore a world of D-list actors, alien costumes, and real laser blasters.

Favorite Lines “You’re right, okay? It was a stupid show. It was cheesy and melodramatic. I mean, a handful of academy cadets on a training mission and suddenly the earth is destroyed and they’re all that’s left of humanity? I completely understand why you hated it, but, Castle, I also understand why people loved it. It was about leaving home for the first time, about searching for your identity and making a difference. I loved dressing up like Lieutenant Chloe. She didn’t care what anybody thought about her, and I kinda did at that time. I mean, she was a scientist and a warrior, and that was all in spite of the way that she looked. It was like I could be anything, and I didn’t have to choose. So don’t make fun, okay?” (Beckett)

My Thoughts I run a blog called Nerdy Girl Notes. One of my latest posts was essentially a love letter to a science-fiction character. My Facebook photo albums are filled with pictures of me dressed up as fictional characters, waiting in line for midnight releases of movies or unleashing my fangirl tendencies on Halloween. This was a Castle episode about fandom in all of its convention-going, costume-wearing, life-changing glory.

Did I like it?

What do you think?

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.06

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Title Tallahassee

Two-Sentence Summary As Emma and Hook climb a beanstalk to retrieve a magical compass that could be the key to getting back to Storybrooke, we learn about Emma’s past as a thief, how she ended up in jail, and how it all connects to the mystery of Henry’s father. Meanwhile, Aurora and Henry are both plagued by eerily similar nightmares brought on by their time under the effects of the sleeping curse.

Favorite Lines
Emma: Don’t think I’m taking my eyes off you for a second.
Hook: I would despair if you did.

My Thoughts I had been waiting for this episode since I saw the pilot, eagerly anticipating the time when we got to take a closer look at one of the most interesting and important stories Once Upon a Time will ever tell: the story of how Emma came to have Henry at 18 years old while in jail. This episode answered so many important questions about Emma, while raising a surprising number of them as well.

My one major gripe with this episode was the really poor quality of the special effects in terms of the giant and his lair. I can usually ignore the bad effects because I’m so engrossed in the story, but these were distractingly bad. I think I was especially bothered because they distracted me from Jorge Garcia’s guest role as the giant, which was something I was really looking forward to.

However, the chemistry between Emma and Captain Hook was almost blinding enough to make me forget the bad green-screen work around them. Jennifer Morrison has incredible chemistry with any actor she’s paired with on this show, and her sparks with Colin O’Donoghue rival hers with Sebastian Stan (my personal favorite match for her in terms of chemistry, and probably hers, too). I’m really enjoying the lovable roughish side of Hook; he’s a delicious mixture of the traditional Disney villain and Jack Sparrow, with the eyeliner, love for rum, and buckets full of flirtatious charm. The scene with him tying the bandage on her hand was all kind of wonderful, and their entire dynamic throughout the episode (with them both challenging each other) had me seeing some immense potential in a possible Hook/Emma pairing.

The most interesting part of the Hook/Emma partnership in this episode, though, was the way it worked to show Emma’s development as a character when viewed in conjunction with the flashbacks. When she left Hook handcuffed in the giant’s lair, it showed that she’d learned her lesson about trusting bad boys, no matter how attractive they may seem. There was a hardness to Emma in that moment that really spoke to how much hurt she still carries with her from Neal’s believed betrayal; her resolve was both sad and empowering, and I give Morrison a lot of credit for being able to pull that dichotomy off convincingly.

Morrison had to bring her A-game as an actress to make this episode work on both a plot level and an emotional one, and she did that and more. It wasn’t until this episode ended that I really found a full appreciation for what she’s done with Emma as a character throughout the course of the show so far. She’s given Emma such a believable hardness and jaded view on the world and on relationships in particular that it was almost like a shock to my system to see her so young, happy, and in love in these flashbacks. Morrison may not have looked 17, but she certainly convinced me through her performance. Her smiles, her relaxed body language, her expressive tone of voice, and the brightness in her eyes were all so different from any way we’ve ever seen Emma before. There was something so relaxed, open, and youthfully reckless in Morrison’s performance, and the way it contrasted with the detached and cautious way she plays adult Emma proves that Morrison is an acting force capable of holding her own against any of the talented members of this cast (if last season’s finale didn’t already prove that to you).

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