I wanted very much to feature something from one of the two post-hiatus episodes of Fringe, but I truly can't find any worth excerpting. The storyline is getting exciting, but there's no dialogue that pops out. This is probably why I could never love Fringe that much. I just never get a visceral reaction to anything in it.

So anyway, this means I'm back to my old standby: the excerpt goldmine, Supernatural. These are Castiel's exposition scenes about what happened immediately after the Apocalypse was prevented. From one of season 6's jewels, The Man Who Would Be King:

(Spoilers!!)


( And of course, I remember the most remarkable event. Remarkable because it never came to pass. It was averted by two boys, an old drunk, and a fallen angel. )

***


( Explaining freedom to angels is a bit like teaching poetry to fish. )

***


( Angels are soldiers. They weren't built for freedom. They were built to follow. )

***

Poor Cas. Such a tragic character. :(

Although I do get why he had to go, story-wise. With such a powerful character around, Sam and Dean wouldn't have any pressing need to grow. Why would they even need to fight when they have a full-powered angel at their beck and call who can easily win their battles for them? On a previous episode, Cas was able to burn about a dozen of Lilith's minions with a single flash of light.

But I love Castiel (and Misha Collins, the actor who plays him) so much that I'm still hoping the writers will bring him back. With his powers greatly diminished, of course, or else we'll be in the same dilemma. Maybe 100% human? (Though he'd be a useless character then: a baby in a trench coat haha!) I really doubt they'd do the fallen angel angle again, if ever.

Let me add too, that I want Castiel back as Castiel. Not a Leviathan Jimmy Novak (Castiel's human vessel) clone. Because I fear that this is what the writers mean when they said that Misha Collins will be back before this season ends.

***

There are a whole lot of Destiel scenes on this episode, too, but I wanted to concentrate on Castiel for this one. I'll say this for Dean, though: I admire how much he tried to believe in Castiel up until the very point when Cas betrayed himself. True loyalty, that.

Excerpt of the Day Project

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Don't you just love long weekend holidays?! I do! :)

I was going to go food-tripping in Ongpin/Binondo with some officemates today, but I was too lazy to get up early. What do I do with the holiday now? If I stay at home, I'll just gorge on food and Buffy the Vampire Slayer the whole day. And I've been doing exactly that for the entire weekend. I don't want to be slacking off for the whole year.

I remember at the company I previously worked at, the boss (Lawrie) would give us Ang Pao (red envelopes with money) on Chinese New Year. It wasn't a lot, about 100 or 200 pesos, but it was very thoughtful of him to follow tradition, especially since he wasn't even Chinese (or Asian, for that matter). I sort of miss that guy. Even if there were people better than me at design, I've always been one of his favorites because we both came from the same multinational company. Heee! Not that we even interacted then, he was already Project Manager and I was entry-level staff on a different team. XD

Okay, I'm out! Maybe I'll go be a water dragon and swim for a bit.

[EDIT:]

Ended up in Binondo anyway. Melai called as I was getting ready to go out and said they'd wait for me there.

I went the wrong way from the Carriedo LRT station (towards Quiapo instead of Ongpin), and got lost. I was afraid of asking random people for directions because 1) I didn't know where I was going specifically, and 2) I didn't want to look like a n00b because that area is crazy scary!!! Had to call for Melai to come and fetch me back at the station, which I thankfully found my way back to with the help of a friendly elderly policeman. Arrived in time for the huge Chinese lunch at Ying Ying's, and then went for tea at Cafe Rosso after.

Kunwari post-Sherlock party. :D

I don't have words for The Reichenbach Fall. It's just too damn beautiful.

There are a lot of gorgeous scenes in this episode, so it's hard to choose which to excerpt. For a change, though, I am not excerpting anything Sherlock/John-sy, because those scenes are heart-breaking. Especially John's bits. </3

I ended up choosing these three shorts, for the (fallen) angel and Judeo-Christian lore references, which always delight me when used out of religious context.

(Spoiler!!!)


( You're on the side of the angels. )

***


( I owe you a Fall, Sherlock. )

***


( You want me to shake hands with you in hell, I shall not disappoint you. )

***

Oh, and I love how in this BBC version, they didn't use outright the Reichenbach Falls as the setting for the final battle between Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty. They really know how to defy everyone's expectations. This series' writers are amazing!

Any word on the possibility of a third season?

Excerpt of the Day Project

So. I am watching the latest Supernatural, Time After Time, a full week after it originally aired, because my life sucks. But it is only the opening credits for Guest Stars and I'm already squeeing:


It's KRYCEK!


And Logan Echolls / Josef Kostan!

♥

I love this show's guest stars. It's like a who's who of my favorite geek series actors. Just a few weeks ago, there were Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters, who played Cordelia and Spike in Buffy, together in the episode Shut Up, Dr. Phil. And let's not forget the previously recurring roles of Mitch Pileggi and Steven Williams (A.D. Skinner and the second Deep Throat in The X-Files) as Samuel Winchester and Rufus Turner. If they ever bring in the Cigarette-Smoking Man, or Nathan Fillion, I'll be a minion forever. But I digress. This is supposed to be an Excerpt of the Day post, so I should excerpt. :D

(Spoiler warning! But not really...)

In this episode, Dean gets transported to the 40s and meets Eliot Ness, who, he finds out, is also a Hunter. They work together to hunt the "monster" who brought Dean to the past. But first, Dean needs more era-appropriate clothes.



Eliot: (Introduces Dean to shop owner.) Ezra Moore, Dean Winchester.
Dean: Hey.
Ezra: Who is he, some farmer clown?
Eliot: He's, uh, from the future.
Dean: Yeah. Gas costs four bucks. You get cheese out of a spray can. And president is a black guy. I could go on.
Ezra: Paint me impressed. I assume you need some clothes.

***

Of course, I have to get caps of Dean, post-makeover, because everyone needs to see this:


Eliot: (Whistles at Dean.)


Dean: Awesome!

Amen to that. Excuse me while I turn to jelly.

Excerpt of the Day Project

Sister's (Jade's) birthday yesterday, but I still can't get over there not being any cake! Still over-over-ate, as per usual, and now I think I'm sweating pansit.

albatoudilandau, I gave her the Oryx and Crake sequel (forgot the title, Year of the Flood, I think) because I just read your comment this morning. But we have interchangeable libraries anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter that much. Only, I get to read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy first. Hehe. :)

Using my Z icon, because it was his birthday, too.

***

Stole a few minutes of internet time at my cousin's to download materials for sideline job. Snuck in torrents for Sherlock and Supernatural on the side, with explicit orders a request for my cousin to not turn her laptop off overnight. I hope they're done by the time I get home later.

***

Apparently, the workers digging away at the Ortigas Extension for whatever damaged the PLDT lines leading to our village. No ETA on when phone and net will be back. Noooooooooooooooooo

Went to see the new Guy Ritchie Sherlock movie, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows during the weekend. Comparisons with the BBC's Sherlock is inevitable, of course, seeing that they've been released almost on top of each other for the second time.

I like the series more, myself, mostly because, while I like Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law (together and individually), the dynamic/chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock and Martin Freeman's Watson is a thousand times more powerful than theirs. I don't know if it's the script, or just the innate rapport between the actors. The Cumberbatch-Freeman pair just makes me melt! Also, I like my Sherlock clean, thankyouverymuch. (Why does Downey!Sherlock always have to look so dirty, anyway?!!!! Ugh.)

But I appreciate both versions making the sexual subtext between Sherlock and John more blatant this time around. (Did I really hear Watson call Sherlock "Hon" in the movie? Or was it just my imagination?) Although on this aspect as well, I tend to be more kilig with the BBC version. They elicited more of an "aww I want to hug you boys," than outright laughter. Downey!Sherlock's bumbling (subtextual) attempts to foil Law!Watson's wedding and honeymoon are verging on the slapstick. The references from the Cumberbatch/Freeman camp are quiet and sweet (awwwwwww... ♥♥♥).

Plot-wise I have no problem with both, but I also prefer the mystery approach BBC took, than the more action-oriented movie version. Probably because the more intellectual(?) direction doesn't include so much dirty Sherlock. But that's just me.

One other thing worth noting is that BBC's modern version of Sherlock feels more like the novels than the movie does, even though the movie was set in the correct time period, costumes and all. It can't just be because of the all-British cast, can it? Is it the lack of dirt?

***

The Reichenbach Fall (BBC Sherlock season 2, episode 3) is out, but I have been DSL-less at home since Friday, so my chances of being able to watch it soon is slim. Same goes for the new Supernatural, which I heard is amazing. (And also Fringe, which returns after the holiday hiatus. But I don't care so much about this series.)

Sorry, Excerpt of the Day Project on hold until I have net at home.

I had to sit on the new Sherlock episode (The Hound of Baskerville) for a couple of days before I could post a reaction, because I couldn't get over the boys shooting a dog (spoiler, highlight to view). But that's just me. Barring that, it was a good episode. I was rather more entertained with A Scandal in Belgravia, though, but that's probably just because of Irene and Mycroft, plus having to wait months for the new season.

I won't be excerpting any plot-spoilers for this one, just some cutesy-patootsie Sherlock/John stuff (don't I always?).

But. SPOILER WARNING, anyway. Just in case.


( You being all mysterious... )


( No double room for the boys... )

I wanted to excerpt the LQ and making-up parts, but I couldn't decide which stills to cap. It's much better to watch those scenes unfold anyway.

***

I think I'm beginning to like John Watson better than Sherlock this season. He's just so sweet! He always acts like a jealous girlfriend, I swear! And Martin Freeman's performance is perfect. His reactions and facial expressions in close up are feasts to the eyes.

On the other hand, Benedict Cumberbatch sometimes gets too over-the-top. I mean, he's great with the logical Sherlock portrayals, but the panicky Sherlocks are very uncomfortable to watch. I couldn't help wincing when he was pretending to have been in an accident to get in Ms. Adler's house on the first episode, and then on this one, with John, after he saw the hound. It's just too caricature-y for my taste. He still looks hot, though! (With those cheekbones!) And that's partly what's important. Hahaha! ♥

***

Meanwhile, how is it that Sherlock was not able to infer that "Greg" is Lestrade's actual first name when John referred to him as such? He's able to squeeze out a lot of detail from a paper napkin, but not get this? *rolls eyes*

Excerpt of the Day Project

I was too tired for an Excerpt of the Day yesterday, so I'm posting something very special today. It's from one of my most favorite novels: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

This isn't exactly a spoiler because it happens at the very beginning of the book (also near the very beginning of time, if you subscribe to Creationism). It is the night after Man was expelled from Eden, and the serpent and the Angel of the Eastern Gate are discussing the events:

( Funny thing is, I keep wondering whether the apple thing wasn't the right thing to do, as well. A demon can get into real trouble, doing the right thing. Funny if we both got it wrong, eh? Funny if I did the good thing and you did the bad one, eh? )

Aziraphale and Crowley (or Crawly, as he's still called in this bit) are two of my most beloved characters in fiction. No matter that they only appeared in just this one book, though they're so entertaining they really should be in an epic fantasy. It is because of them (and this novel) that I can never look Judeo-Christian lore with a straight face ever again.

They also have great chemistry, in spite of being almost the polar opposites of each other. Or exactly because of it. Their love affair, while (arguably) not explicitly shown anywhere in the novel, is practically canon. They're supposed to be working for opposite sides of the Good vs Evil war, but they're closer to each other than to their so-called allies. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is. I guess it's inevitable though: an angel and a demon tasked to watch the earth would be spending more time getting acquainted with each other (and humans) than with the rest of the heavenly/demonic host. Actually, Crowley says it best: "Aziraphale. The Enemy, of course. But an enemy for six thousand years now, which made him a sort of friend." Awww. ♥

Excerpt of the Day Project

(Spoilers!)

Today's excerpt is from the fresh Supernatural episode that came out last Friday, but I only saw today.

So. The Winchester brothers are back, after the holiday hiatus and the Bobby cliffhanger. It's three weeks after where they left off. Nothing is explicitly shown of what happened to Bobby between the hospital scene and the "One week later."

This excerpt is actually not so much a spoiler, and not even of big consequence to this particular episode. I have the scene stuck in my mind though, because it's pretty baffling. (Plus, most of the rest of the episode is just your normal Monster of the Week thing.)

Presenting the Excerpt of the Day:



Dean: Man, thanks for drinking my entire beer.
Sam: I didn't touch your beer. Mine's right there. (Shows Dean his bottle.) You probably drank it without noticing.
Dean: (Stares at his empty bottle.) Right.

***

But wait! Not 30 seconds previously, when Dean picks up his beer, it's almost full:



In that short span between Dean picking it up and him finding it empty, he's never shown drinking, and the camera only leaves him for a few seconds at a time.

( Theories. )

Oh well, I guess we'll just have to stay tuned to find out. The more important question to ask though is this: Why is there still no Cas??!!

Excerpt of the Day Project

All righty! My deliveries were done by 3PM, but I went straight home after, instead of making the rounds of home stores.

Waiting is just so tiring...

***

Does anyone know any interior contractors in the Quezon City area? Particularly those that do kitchen and bathroom installations? I'm having a difficult time finding any. None of the ones listed on the net are replying to my messages.

Had to rush to the condo today because I woke up late, so I grabbed the first book I saw, which turned out to be Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.

I'm a huge fan of the Wheel of Time series, but I am not a fan of Brandon Sanderson. I am turned off by all his internal monologues. It's one of my pet peeves. I don't like characters taking whole scenes self-analyzing in gory detail. Because honestly, does anyone ever do that in real life? It's the exact opposite of Jordan's style, which have characters actually doing stuff and have us (the readers) discovering things about them from there, rather than having his characters internalize and spoon-feed their motives and insights to us.

Well anyway. Like it or not, Towers of Midnight was the one thing that tided me over for the hours I spent waiting in my empty condo, so it's where I'll be getting my excerpt for today.

(Spoilers ahead.)

( Mat's letter to Elayne. )

***

I'm reminded of one of my favorite WoT scenes of Mat and Elayne, when they were in Ebou Dar and Mat loaned Elayne his foxhead medallion. Now THAT was a perfect example of Jordan's showing and not telling. Sadly, I can't excerpt it just now because I'm too lazy-ass to dig out my WoT books to find it. Maybe next time. I'm up for another re-read anyway, since the final book will be out soon. :D

Excerpt of the Day Project

Yuck. Tomorrow, I have to wait potentially the whole day at my empty condo to receive deliveries (fridge, microwave, induction cooker, range hood, AC, fan). I hope my stuff arrives early, but I'm not optimistic. The guy did say that they could come as early as 8AM and as late as 9PM. :/

After this set, other big-ticket items left on my list are a TV, a dining set, a small sofa or ottoman or divan, and a bed. Plus the contractor work for built-in kitchen- and bedroom cabinets, and mirrors for the wall. And then it's all decorative stuff from there. I hope I've budgeted enough for everything. I really want to be able to get SM Leasing to look at my unit by February, or March at the latest.

Meanwhile, I got 50+ raffle stubs at SM Appliance Center for my purchases (and racked up a lot of points on the Advantage card, yay!). It took a long time filling those coupons out! I hope I win something. :)

***

If my deliveries get in early, I will probably go to SM North to look at their stock. Or maybe Trinoma. The glass-and-chrome dining table I liked at Our Home in Megamall was sold out.

On hindsight, I should have bought my appliances from these Quezon City malls to save on delivery fees. I was charged P450 for Megamall to QC delivery. Or is that the minimum for SM nowadays? (Western, where I got my AC, only charged P200.)

(Spoilers!)

After what seems like years waiting for the continuation of Sherlock's pool scene cliffhanger, we are finally presented with the second season pilot: "A Scandal in Belgravia." A fitting beginning for the year, and very worth the wait.

There are too many juicy scenes worth excerpting that I had trouble choosing which ones to do first. I ended up with two of the most kilig slashable Holmes/Watson scenes. Amazingly, none of the two even has Sherlock on it!

( The first is John on a date with some girl. )

***

( The next is John with Irene Adler. )

***

Pop Quiz:

Do you think Sherlock is
A. Straight
B. Gay
C. Asexual
D. Bisexual

Discuss.

Excerpt of the Day Project

(Spoilers aplenty.)

I'm not as fond of Supernatural season 6 compared to 4 and 5, but this is one of my favorite episodes. Mostly because of Castiel and Dean's funny dialogue (I would like to say banter, but Cas is just too clueless for deliberate witty repartee XD). Here are a few, taken from just the first 15 or so minutes of the ep:



Bobby: I'm thinking maybe it's about time you made a call.
Dean: Why's it always gotta be me who makes the call, huh? It's not like Cas lives in my ass. Dude's busy.
(Turns, sees Castiel has materialized behind him.)
Dean: Cas, get out of my ass!
Castiel: I was never in your...

( More Dean/Castiel excerpts... )

***

And then of course, there's the Jefferson Starships gag, which is not Destiel but still super-laughtrip:

Dean: What the hell? What has teeth and a spike?
Bobby: Never seen that in my life!
Dean: What, so Eve's making hybrids now?
Bobby: Looks like.
Dean: Question is why... what does she want with the... what do you call this?
Bobby: Well congrats, you discovered it, you get to name it.
Dean: (Thinks.) Jefferson Starships.
Dean: Because... they're horrible and hard to kill.

***

Next EOTD is Sherlock S02E01: A Scandal in Belgravia. If I remember to get caps instead of just squeeing on the third rewatch.

Excerpt of the Day Project

I have a new project to kick-start my journal-writing for the year: I'll be posting quotes, transcripts, and screencaps of juicy bits and noteworthy scenes from books, TV shows, movies, songs, etc. Maybe it will work better to make me post more frequently than LJ's Writer's Block feature.

I'm hoping to make this a daily thing. Let's see if I make it. :)

***

Of course, for my very first Excerpt of the Day (EOTD), I'm featuring nothing but the very best: one of the greatest Mulder and Scully scenes from the X-Files. I've been a solid Mulder/Scully shipper and X-Files fan since forever, and this scene is one of the reasons why.

The pair is in Mulder's car, unofficially watching Tooms's house:



Mulder: They're gonna put an end to the X-Files, Scully. I don't know why, but any excuse will do. Now I don't really care about my record, but you'll be in trouble just sitting in this car. And I'd hate to see you carry an official reprimand on your career file because of me.
Scully: Fox...
Mulder: (laughs) I... I even made my parents call me Mulder. Mulder.
Scully: Mulder. I wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you.
(Longish pause.)
Mulder: If there's an iced tea in that bag, it could be love.
Scully: (Looks in bag) Must be fate, Mulder. (Hands Mulder a cup.) Rootbeer.
Mulder: Oh!
Scully: You're delirious. Go home and get some sleep.
Mulder: Here, take my sandwich. I only had one bite. You're gonna want it later, believe me. And you'll call me if anything happens. Immediately. I'll be here.

***

They're so sweet! I mean, each and every line from that is a jewel. ♥♥ I think their dynamic is why I never really went for the Mulder/Krycek slash, too. Mulder and Scully are the OTP of a lifetime. Krycek doesn't stand a chance. :)

I really miss this show. The writing was very good. I just wish the story didn't go kappfft at the end. I'm still waiting for another mythos movie, by the way. Just saying.

Excerpt of the Day Project

Ang gandaaaaaaaaa. ♥♥♥♥♥

Mahjong session with Aireen, Fungi and Lolo yesterday. Had to slum it out at my unfurnished place because no one else wanted to host. XD



The Cabillos couple (Aireen and Lolo) won big. Or at least they would have won big if we played for stakes. Haha!

I was looking for my 2011 New Year's Resolutions post, and found out I didn't make any. Amazing.

Oh well, it's been a pretty boring year, anyway. Off the top of my head, the most non-ordinary things that happened were the No-Temples tour in Bangkok with Des and J (shopping heaven!), the Boracay holiday with the bosses (free fun!), and the one-month mid-shift gig (horrible). I hired four new members for our department, and lost one at the end of the year. Squall turned eleven. I got a brand new condo unit in QC. Gained ten pounds.

This year, I'm keeping my resolution list short and simple:

1. Stop whining about my weight, online and offline. I know it's annoying for everyone, me included. Which doesn't mean I'll stop obsessing about it, because I don't think I can right now. But I'll obsess about it in silence.


2. Wear more girly shoes. Sorry, feet.


3. Learn to drive for real. (I do have a driver's license but I don't even know how to start a car. XD)

That's it! Happy New Year, everyone!

I bought a 1HP airconditioning unit yesterday, on sale at 50% off. Lucky, yes? Aside from that, I didn't get to buy anything else for the condo.

***

Meanwhile, I discovered a not-so-expensive denim brand that carries long-legged jeans: Wrangler! Trouser-shopping has always been the bane of our family's existence because most affordable brands have a standard leg length of only 28" or 30". It got especially worse when the skinny-jean trend boomed, and leg lengths got even shorter. So it was double lucky that I found something that fit me well, and was on sale!

I'm still on the lookout for a local brand that sells them long, though, since Wrangler is still in the over-1000 pesos range, even on sale. My sister suggested Harvard, but I haven't seen the brand anywhere yet.

***

The plan was to use my 7-day vacation leave to get appliances and furniture for my condo. But I ended up vegging out at home, marathoning Supernatural. What can I say? Three hot guys >>>> RL.

***

One of the many reasons I'm currently in love with Dean Winchester / Jensen Ackles:

( He reads... )

***

I'm thinking of taking another day off tomorrow to go to the Home Depot and at least do some canvassing. I get the feeling I'll just stay home and go on another Supernatural binge though. :/

Meanwhile, those people on home makeover shows who are able to set up great interiors with a single trip to a furniture store, are they for real? Or is this just one of those reality show tricks?

Squall under the Christmas tree:

(His eyes are glowing like a Jefferson Starship's! XD)

That photo was taken before the arrival of presents. Now that there are gifts under the tree, he visits more often. Must be something he smells wafting from one of them. :D

****

This year, I got my Christmas shopping done quickly and fairly stress-free. Thanks to ebay.ph! Hahaha! My gifts are fairly generic, but very cute, and very useful. I think it took longer for me to wrap them up than actually buy them. And I was marathoning the latest season of Supernatural while wrapping, so I didn't actually get bored with the chore either. I should do this every year!

Jessee, our outgoing Production Manager, treated us Department Heads to a videoke night at Chicago Metrowalk last Friday.


Arnie, Jessee, and Mich (J arrived late, and I took the shot, so we aren't in the photo)

I love going to karaoke places with only a few people, one of which doesn't even want to sing. More opportunities for mic-hogging! Hehehehe. At one time, Jessee found Monsoon on the list and went: "Look Joyce, there's a Tokio Hotel song for you!" I messed up with singing that one, sad to say. It was in English, and I guess I forgot how the English version goes. XD I did sing a flawless rendition of Alive, even if the version they had didn't have any lyrics. What can I say? Eddie Vedder trumps Bill Kaulitz always! Of course Jessee sang his regulars: The "daylight comes and me wanna go home" song, Rape Me, etc.

The staff made a major booboo: they mistakenly served us food that another room ordered. And we didn't notice because Jessee thought we had ordered those, and we thought that he had. So we ate it. And so ended up getting charged for it. *sigh* If Jessee weren't paying the bill that night, I'm sure J and Mich would have raised a racket over it. I'm still bothered about it though. It must have cost a lot. Crispy pata and sisig and cheese sticks don't come cheap at places like these. And on top of the food we really had ordered, it was just way too much for just five people to finish.

Anyhoo. I enjoyed the singing and Tanduay ice and food, but I really wish Jessee weren't leaving. He's fair and level-headed, and in my humble opinion, one of the few managers who actually listened to our opinions, even if we don't speak in North American-accented English. :(

Misha Collins: "Oh, ye of little faith. If i say i'm going to post a photo of myself naked on a horse, i am damn-well gonna do it. http://twitpic.com/7u4r5u"

So amusing on different levels! You just gotta love the guy. XDDDD
Confession: I viewed the photo full size, hoping for some high-res pr0n. Alas.