Archive for November, 2011
207 – “Pretty Much Dead Already” – Watching Dead
Turns out that the midseason finale went out with a bang. Several dozen, actually! Before we get into the recap, we consider an article from The Atlantic on five ways The Walking Dead can be improved. It’s pretty good, even if you think The Walking Dead is just fine as is.
Then we break down the action as we consider effective Carol pick-up lines, Rick Jr., Glen getting a spinal upgrade, the Dale/Shane group dichotomy, the finer points of zombie walking, and Rick’s record versus undead little girls.
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We love getting your thoughts, speculation, and/or feedback, and try our level best to get as much of these in to our cast as possible, so keep emailing it to us. You can also follow Jim on Twitter, or gab with me on Facebook. Thanks again for listening, and we’ll see you next week!
You can find the Watching Dead theme song on MysterianaMusic.com
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Walking Dead Review – 207 – “Pretty Much Dead Already”
An unequivocably excellent episode to cap the mid-season off. Now, of course the same things that drive me crazy about certain characters are still driving me crazy, but this episode went and took those “bugs” and made them “features”, to use programming parlance. What I mean by that is that negative character traits, which up to this point have seemingly been just annoying and arbitrary, were actually used to move the plot forward, and draw clear distinctions between the various survivors. And for once (you could argue twice, last episode was awfully good, too), the show actually shifted into into high gear and things happened.
It seems like the writer’s theme of “survivors” versus “nice guys” is starting to come into focus as we watch what is essentially a coup. We don’t know how extensive it is just yet, but that’s what’s going to have me hot and bothered for the start of season 2.5 in a few months. Herschel has been over thrown. The survivors might be nice enough about it, moving forward, but if they want to stay they are going to stay… they have the guns and the will to sweep away anything standing in their way. And if they leave, they’re leaving on their own terms. So Herschel is done. Is Rick? Or did his handling of Sophia, when no one else, not even the Mighty Amoral Power Ranger Shane could, do just enough to save his leadership in the eyes of the rest of the survivors?
206 – “Secrets” – Watching Dead
Welcome to this week’s episode of Watching Dead! Some say this was the best episode of the season, and some say one of the worst. What do Jim and A.Ron think? It might surprise you.
We talk about chicken legs, advanced shooting classes, farmer’s ultimatums, the ridiculous, irresponsible way the “morning after” pills were depicted on the show, Dale stepping up, the lethality of shelving, Rick’s rationality, and junk grabbing.
Like what we’re doing? Want to help us out? Consider subscribing to our cast and leaving a five star review for us on iTunes! This helps us out in the rankings and expands us to new listeners! If you’d like to help support our cast, please use our Amazon affiliate link to buy the stuff you’re already buying. It costs you nothing, and helps pay for our bandwidth. Win/win!
We love getting your thoughts, speculation, and/or feedback, and try our level best to get as much of these in to our cast as possible, so keep emailing it to us. You can also follow Jim on Twitter, or gab with me on Facebook. Thanks again for listening, and we’ll see you next week!
You can find the Watching Dead theme song on MysterianaMusic.com
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Walking Dead Review – 206 – “Secrets”
Well, this is the episode where this ridiculous show roped me into another season of watching. Unless they drop the ball really badly, like, say, crash two 737′s into each other over Herschel’s farm, I’m in.
There was a lot of silly stuff, to be sure, and I think we should have been at this point two episodes ago, but bygones. The good stuff is pretty good.
What’s good? The fact that an episode that was largely Darryl free held my attention, for one. The fact that several survivors are getting real about the dangers they’re facing and putting others through (Lori realizing how they’re taking Glenn for granted; Maggie realizing that maybe what’s in the barn isn’t exactly Mom and Shawn; Dale and Shane seeing each other for how they really are; Glenn growing up and carrying a gun). Andrea taking a small, halting step towards becoming someone I wouldn’t want a walker to chew on.
Ep 9 – Bag Ladies
Oh, so many things to talk about this week on The Because Show! We’re happy that it’s mid-November and the holidays are going to be upon us. It’s a great reason to give yourself, or go get, a manicure!
It seems that unique personalized creative nail polish is still one of the hot trends in 2011. Susan mentions one of her favorite blogs: The Nailasaurus a spot that elevates a ladies’ nails to sparkly works of art! How about nail polish inspired by a movie? We’re into it. It’s The Hunger Games Collection, being released by China Glaze next March when the Hunger Games movie comes out!
And not only Thanksgiving but also Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day are just around the corner. Will you shop til you drop? Or opt out this year? Either way works for us. Susan thinks it may be the perfect time to buy a new purse. Her old one is busted.
A good purse is hard to find! The right shape, the right size, the right material, the right closures, the right price – it can be tricky. Amy says your purse is important in the same way your haircut is important: you have to use/see it every day so it might as well be nice. Doesn’t matter where you get your purse, as long as you love it. In fact, Jerilyn found her special favorite bag at Goodwill for 7$. Love!
But for everyday running-around-town use, Jerilyn claims you can’t beat the LLBean XL canvas bag: it can hold everything you need, is fully washable, lasts forever and can be monogrammed!
However. There is a major downside to having a huge purse/bag. Jerilyn reveals her very unfortunate habit of throwing everything in, even things that really shouldn’t go in there.
Like a baked sweet potato wrapped in plastic wrap.
And you know what? That only covers some of the stuff we talked about this week- listen to the show to hear the whole deal. Do you have feedback for us? Go ahead and call our voicemail line at 818-643-1565. Or leave us an iTunes review, we love to hear what you have to say!
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Walking Dead SURVIVAL Review for 205 “Chupacabra”
Hello fellow survivors! It’s time for your weekly review of the survival techniques of our favorite zombie-themed drama on AMC, The Walking Dead!
Scenario 1: Dale finds out that Glenn boned Maggie.
What the survivors did: Dale shamed and scolded Glenn for having the temerity to have about 45 seconds of one-sided pleasure. What was he thinking? What would her father say? Why is he such an awkward idiot with a laughable understanding of women’s biological, sexual, and psychological needs? Etc, etc.
What the survivors should have done: The only acceptable response to this predicament is a high five, fist bump, and a demand for Glenn to describe the encounter in glorious detail. Self-aggrandizing, embellished, not to be believed, and even down right fabricated detail to be sure, but still. Seriously, I do NOT want to hear any shit, Dale. ”But what if Herschel kicks us out?” Doesn’t matter had sex. ”Her father is crazy! For fuck’s sake he’s keeping zombies in the barn!” Doesn’t matter had sex. “She only had sex with you because you’re the only unattached non-elderly, non-rapist in the whole camp!” Still counts had sex! The only way I’m post-hoc cock-blocking a buddy like that is if he’s blind drunk and trying to get down with a cast member of The Jersey Shore. And none of my friends have saved me from a flesh eating zombie. What the hell, Dale? I hate you.
Ep 8 – Keep it in your Pants
This week on The Because Show, Susan recounts some times she saw things she really did not want to see. Also, Jerilyn presents the ‘What Comes Around, Goes Around’ segment featuring recent relevant relaunches, revamps and rereleases. And finally, did Amy really work on The Breakfast Club: The Musical? Listen and find out! Did you want to leave a voicemail message to be played on the air? Then 818-643-1565 is the number you need. Thanks!
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205 – “Chupacabra” – Watching Dead
Welcome to this week’s episode of Watching Darryl Dead! The show picks itself off, and dusts itself off after falling into a well last week, only to derail the otherwise decent episode with an ill advised headshot! Rage along with Jim and A.Ron as we vent along with the listeners about the near tragic stupidity that is Andrea.
Other points of interest; Darryl’s continual carving a portrait of himself onto Mount Badass, Herschel and Rick’s uneasy alliance beginning to unravel, the finer points of guitar-based icebreaking, rag dolls, devil’s advocacy, and some really insightful feedback from our fantastic listeners. Unfortunately, some of the best stuff comes out in our spoiler section, which is roped off with a protective cordon of music, so be sure to switch off if you don’t want hints about what happens next week OR very mild comic book spoilers / analysis.
Like what we’re doing? Want to help us out? Consider subscribing to our cast and leaving a five star review for us on iTunes! This helps us out in the rankings and expands us to new listeners! If you’d like to help support our cast, please use our Amazon affiliate link to buy the stuff you’re already buying. It costs you nothing, and helps pay for our bandwidth. Win/win!
We love getting your thoughts, speculation, and/or feedback, and try our level best to get as much of these in to our cast as possible, so keep emailing it to us. You can also follow Jim on Twitter, or gab with me on Facebook. Thanks again for listening, and we’ll see you next week!
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Walking Dead Review – “Chupacabra” – 205
Tonight’s episode was pretty good, and then it made me as angry as I’ve ever been at a TV show. A hate formed inside me for a character so white hot, that I couldn’t think rationally. I blacked out for the entire ensuing commercial break.
I’m sure you know at what point and at what character this rage was directed at; Andrea shooting Darryl.
Not only has Andrea been a real shit of a character ever since her sister died. Not only is Darryl my favorite character in the show, and not by a small margin. Not only had he just emerged triuphantly from a forrest crucible of character develepment; no, that wasn’t enough. The writers decided to make Andrea shoot him in the most excruciatingly dickhead way they could. First, she appointed herself lookout, wisely replacing the negligent Dale. So that was defensible. But she’s going to waste a bullet and make noise that can be heard for miles, when they’ve impressed upon us this entire season that doing both is phenomenally stupid? And not in a moment of panic, no, she just wanted to show the boys that her gun penis was as long and girthy as theirs.
Walking Dead SURVIVAL Review for 204 “Cherokee Rose”
Hello fellow survivors! It’s time for your weekly review of the survival techniques of our favorite zombie-themed drama on AMC, The Walking Dead! Let’s dig right in…
Scenario 1: Mourning for the tragic murder loss of Otis, the survivors attempt to find meaning in the death of their sweaty, overalls-wearing friend.
What the survivors did: Spend the better part of a day gathering up stones from the property and piling up a life-sized statue of Otis. What, Otis didn’t look like a pile of gravel? Says who?!
What the survivors should have done: You know, when this scene first started, I thought, “finally! They’re digging in and making necessary repairs and fortifications, making the best use of their time.” This quickly turned to cries of “oh what the holy fuck?!” when I realized I was watching a funeral. This is the zombie apocolypse! Death is cheap in this world, it’s life that is expensive and should be celebrated. So, okay. Georgia has a population of almost 10 million people. If we take average US obesity rates, and male/female ratios, and age demographic data, and likely mortality rate of the apocalypse (90%) into account, if the survivors wanted to build a memorial to every fat middle-aged, redneck bubba that has died at the hands of zombies, they’d be making 234,500 piles of rock. While I’m scribbling on the back of this goddamned envelope of mine, the Otis pile contained about 54 cubic feet of rock. 234k of them could make a rock wall 12 feet high and six feet thick, over 133 miles long. I think we all agree that would make a MUCH better anti-zombie fence. So that’s what Simple Jack Shane should have done when someone handed him that rock and asked his dumb ass to make a speech; smashed it into Hershel’s head and led the rest into building the Great Wall of Shane.