Category: By Guests

Kathy Sees Criminal Minds S8:5 “The Good Earth”

But I refuse to watch the next episode, “The Apprentice”. The premise turned me off–an unsub who mutilates puppies, then escalates to prostitutes. Um, I don’t think so.

Anyway, back to “The Good Earth”. (Synopsis here, if you’re interested.)

Hotch being…Hotch

After really enjoying “God Complex” last week, “The Good Earth” was kind of a let down. It had a huge ick factor (wood chippers are never used for actual wood chipping on this show) and it was pretty much physically impossible for the unsub to do what she was doing without hulking out first. Actually that might have been fun to see, because the rest of the show wasn’t. It had a little bit of mystery, but mostly it was about the unsub and less about the team doing their profiling jobs. The bright spot is that at least the team speculated at what she was doing before she did it, not after, as a lot of the episodes have done and I have complained about ad nauseum. read article

Peggy Bechko: Writers & Readers’ Responses

The reader’s response is not something a writer might necessarily focus on when he or she is writing. More likely is the focus on character, plot, action and putting it all across.

Still, that reader’s response is something we all need to keep tucked away at the back of our minds when writing. Something that seems perfectly okay to the writer might really throw a curve for the reader. read article

Kathy Sees WALKING DEAD and HOMELAND

And explains why she’s not gonna watch either of them again.

For your viewing pleasure.

My #2 and #3 shows, Supernatural and Criminal Minds, are getting long in the tooth (and short on fresh ideas), thus I’m compelled to find a couple more shows to latch onto while these take a nosedive wind down their last seasons. My #1 show, Sherlock, isn’t coming back until next year. I’ve got to find my TV crack somewhere. So I decided to try two of the hottest shows around, Walking Dead and Homeland. Guess what? I’m still looking.

First, WD. Not much to say here, considering I couldn’t get through the first episode. I did learn that I don’t like zombies, and this show is too gooey for me. I’ve already been called on the irony that I’ll watch Criminal Minds (creepy in it’s own right) like it’s my job, but not WD. I can’t explain it, other than if the BAU starts dealing with the zombie apocalypse, I’ll bow out. My daughter, who watches WD like it’s her job, recommended I read the books. I think I’ll heed her advice. read article

And Now a Few Words From Invisible Mikey

LB’s good bud and one of our favorite bloggers (InvisibleMikey) has a spot-on recommendation for our TV viewing:

Sidse Babett Knudsen on BORGEN (No, that isn’t an adjective related to STAR TREK. Sheesh!)

UNconventional – by Invisible Mikey

Ah, politics.  The fakeness, lies and weasel-words.  The facade of assumed importance.  The grand parade of lifeless commodities.  During the weeks the political conventions are broadcast I feel as if quality TV, normally one of my maintenance drugs, is only available from secret labs run by chemistry students.

Just in case you also want to avoid the convention broadcasts, here’s a hidey-hole I discovered.  There’s an award-winning series from Danish TV about a female Prime Minister and politicians who have to choose between family life and serving a nation.  It’s called Borgen, and it’s one of the best political drama series ever made.  Superbly written and performed, it’s a less preachy, more plot-heavy, European version of The West Wing. read article

Peggy Bechko on Selling Out

Well, she doesn’t really call it that ‘cuz she’s a classy lady. Whereas we…hey, you know. Here, from Peggy’s blog, are her thoughts on writing to sell:

Should Writers Write For the Market? – by Peggy Bechko

Yes. read article