Holy Mr. Roboto! CHUCK's BEEN RENEWED!!!! I know I have a zillion other things to post about -- SPN and Lost finale's most notably -- but I just read this online and could not be happier!

CELEBRATING MUST ENSUE!!!!

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OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS.  Lost has made my brain hurt every week this season but last night's finale? The cells finally melted and leaked out my ears.  

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD AND ALL THAT IS HOLY.  Spoilery spoilers from spoilstown follow for anyone who has not yet had their brain melted by last night's season finale.

( Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' )
I'm sure I'll think of a zillion other things later, but those were kind of the big ones for me -- the ones that have been imparing my brain function all day and contributing to the dissolving of brain cells.  What did you guys think? Anyone have any other comments/thoughts/theories???

On a completely unrelated note, I feel like somehow the universe rewarded me last night with a gift I didn't see coming -- the KRIS and ADAM IDOL FINALE OF GREATNESS!!!!  Seriously, I could not be any more excited! I think that this will perhaps be the most awesome finale Idol has ever and will ever have.  Because there is no bad option here folks -- if Adam wins, it's awesome and I won't worry because Kris will still definitely get a record deal; and if Kris wins, it's awesome and I won't worry because Adam will still get a record deal (and will likely have Simon as his personal mentor/advocate).  Can you imagine the hotness and insan-o amazingness we are in for here kids? I almost can't wrap my mind around it!  

I don't know if any of you read Jacob's recaps on TWoP, but here is how he summed up the KRIS/ADAM FINALE OF EPIC WIN:

"I've been saying it's the best season ever since auditions, and you didn't believe me. Can you possibly join me now? Because check out your Top Two: KRIS and ADAM, which is the equivalent of winning two new cars in a raffle you forgot you entered. One of them goes really fast, changes from one just-invented color to another, gets its satellite radio from an unknown star, and takes you to wonderful, frightening lands of the future. The other has automatic transmission, sleek lines and touchable faux-leather interior, and always smells like heaven. And the biggest dilemma you face in your life is: which car am I going to drive today? That's a lot like having no problems at all."

I could not have said it better myself.

And last note: WOOT! It's SPN FINALE TONIGHT!!!  I'm on PINS AND NEEDLES!!!  If anyone wants to IM me and flail together, I'm "SeluciaV" on AIM too.  See you cats later!!!

TV character meme!

Snagged from the fabulously fun celtic_flicka .

+ post a list of 10 TV shows you watch/ed.
+ have your friends list guess your favorite character from each show.
+ when someone guesses your favorite character, bold the title.
+ when guessed, tell us why you like that character.

1.  Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Spike (correctly ID'd by tlace ).  Spike should have been a six episode arc of badness and instead became one of the cornerstones of the proverbial "Scooby gang" on BtVS.  Always witty, dangerous and seductive with a gleeful penchant for mayhem, Spike showed us the other side of vampire love -- the kind that happens WITHOUT benefit of a soul-giving curse.  He was the epitome of danger and madness and mayhem but he never completely lost touch with his inner poet, the "bloody aweful" William.  Plus? He brought the sexy like no other. I wager that you really wouldn't notice a house falling down around your ears if you were lucky enough to ...ahem...take him for a ride.  ;-p

2.  Veronica Mars: Logan (correctly ID'd by celtic_flicka  ).  My favorite woobie/OPJ of all time! Jason Dohring made so much out of a role that could easily have skewed one-note.  Instead, he gave us this gloriously complex gent that was one part softhearted romantic, one part sexy bad boy, and one part arrogant jackass.  He loved Veronica even when she wasn't worth loving, and was always her knight in shining (or sometimes tarnished) armor. Logan will forever hold a special place in this gal's heart!

3.  Lost: Sawyer (correctly ID'd by celtic_flicka  ). As selfish as he could be at times, Sawyer has evolved into the man I always knew he wanted to be.  I'm a sucker for bad boys with heart (see also #2), and Sawyer is no exception.  He's really taken charge as the de-facto leader of the folks left behind on the island and I'm adoring his relationship with Juliet. Kate schmate I say now!  Plus he's just sexy as all get out.

4.  Bones: Hodgins (correctly ID'd by falulatonks ).  Though not as tall and lanky as my average TV  crush, there is nothing remotely average about Jack Hodgins.  He's brilliant and creative and romantic and COMPLETELY  SMOKIN'  HOT.  The way he pursued Angela and was all wonderfully romantic and schmoopy?  SWOON.  The way he mentored Zack and made him his BFF even as they competed for that coveted "King of the Lab" crown [and even after the stupid writers and their stupid contrived plot lines made him the apprentice to a lame serial killer]?  Adorable.  He's witty and sometimes a little crazy, and all of his talk about secret societies and government conspiracies completely endears him to me.  But even in his wackiness, he's loyal and earnest and even sometimes noble.  If you don't know Hodgins, go out and watch the Season 2 episode "Aliens In A Spaceship."  It's the first ep of Bones I ever saw, and it was the episode that completely cemented my love for Hodgins. I dare you to watch it and not to love him too!

5.  Grey's Anatomy: Baily (correctly ID'd by tlace ) Baily has always been the most amazing, kick-ass person on GA. She's a fabulous doctor, totally brilliant, and perfectly manipulative (in a good way by inspiring a weird mixture of love and fear). She navigates the murkey emotional waters at Seattle Grace with aplomb and brokes no shit  -- from anyone.  And yet for all her fierceness, she's soft and wonderful with children, is a great mom, and is absolutely the best friend you could ask for in a time of crisis or struggle.  Chandra Wilson is, and always shall be, THE BOMB.

6.  Pushing Daisies: Ned (correctly ID'd by tlace ) *sigh* J'adore the pie maker.  Kudos and major props to Lee Pace for bringing this wonderfully sweet and melancholy man to glorious life.  Burdened by a wonderful/horrible gift, Ned had learned to live life quietly and alone, never allowing himself to trust that anyone he loved would stay by his side.  But after bringing the delightful Chuck back to life, Ned learned not just that he was loveable, but that he had never been alone at all.  All of the supporting characters are too fabulous to pick a favorite, but I can't imagine loving PD if it weren't for sweetly romantic (and often unintentionally hilarious) Ned.

7.  Chuck: Chuck (correctly ID'd by celtic_flicka) How do you not love Chuck Bartowski? SERIOUSLY.  He's goofy, adorable, smart, sweet, hot and HILARIOUSLY funny -- plus he doesn't shirk the duty being the Intersect placed upon him (even when terrified and/or stuck in the car) and absolutely adores his big sister.  It's been so wonderful to watch him grow as a person and to overcome some of the personal insecurities he's held since getting kicked out of Stanford and getting stuck at the Buy More.  Chuck is more awesome than Awesome and you cannot help but root for him to get everything he wants (and deserves).  God I hope we get a Season 3! [BTW, Honorable Mention to  tlace for also correctly guessing that Casey was my second fave. Nobody does gruff and hilarious quite like Adam Baldwin. :-)]

8.  How I Met Your Mother: Barney (correctly ID'd by celtic_flicka ). I wish I could pick everyone (except for Ted) from this show because I love them all so dearly.  But if I've got to pick just one, it's got to be the legen - wait for it! - dary Barney Stintson.  In many ways, Barney is the complete oddball of the group in that he's a cynical womanizing prick more often than not.  But that Armani exterior belies a sweet and gentle heart, one that loves his friends fiercly, and is loyal to a fault.  Watching him fall in love with Robin ("I caught feelings bad!") has been an absolute treat.  And it has to be said -- Barney would never be this awesome played by anybody but NPH.  (And while I support his lifestyle - and though he's not my traditional type at all - can I just say that if he ever wants to consider switching teams, I'd like to offer myself up as his test subject.  I'm just sayin'.)  

9.  Supernatural: Dean (correctly ID'd - natch - by tlace , my good SPN fairy) Even more than the other wonderful characters listed here, I could write an ode to the wonder and beauty of Dean Winchester.  He's definitely an alpha male, but he's got such a gentle soul and good heart that you cannot help but love him.  Jensen Ackles plays this role MASTERFULLY and it still irritates me that he's getting no Emmy (or Golden Globes) love because he's frakking BRILLIANT yo.  He's funny and determined and passionate and dedicated and utterly and completely beautiful beyond words.  (And you have never seen a strong man cry quite so beautifully!) But it is his love for and loyalty to his baby brother Sammy that really gets me RIGHT HERE.  I firmly believe that Dean can and will save the world -- and look spectacular while doing so.

10.  Psych:  Shawn (correctly ID'd by falulatonks ) As I said to Rachu, the only way it wouldn't be Shawn Spencer would be if I could count Shawn and his BFF Gus as one being (which you really almost can).   But still.  James Roday plays Shawn perfectly -- in the hands of any other actor, Shawn would be an annoying, shiftless, slacker.  And while Shawn may not be perfect, he loves Gus dearly and treasures their friendship (even as he often abuses it).  Roday makes him completely loveable and goofy while also completely attractive.  His comedic timing knows no equal, and he's a brilliant physical comedian too -- which is good because the boy rarely has a serious moment, particularly when Detective "Lassie" Lassiter is around  However when he does go serious, prepare to have your heart completely melted -- particularly if it has anything to do with his not-so-secret love for the fair Juliet.  One of the best (and most underrated) characters on TV.  Can't wait for the new summer season to begin!

Guess away!

*** ETA: Lord, you ladies know me so well!!!  It will be interesting to see if anyone figures out my #10. If anyone knows, it would be falulatonks . Rachu, are you out there???  

I don't have time to do every meme I see, but after I saw this one on celtic_flicka's journal I wanted to play too! I've never done an icon meme but thought this one would be fun for a first outing. So here's how to play:

1. Reply to this post, and I will pick six of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon glee.

Here are the deets on the six icons celtic_flica chose for me:

( Icon fun for you and me! )

So there you have it folks!  Icon love extreme. Care to play and share your icon joy too???


Edited 97 times for stupid LJ formatting issues. SORRY GANG!

I know we're only half an hour into the ep, but I have to tell you, the whole use of this storyline is cracking my ass UP people!  The commentary on the writing, the way the fangirls all love how emotional Sam and Dean are, their less awesome story lines, their EPICLY awesome story lines.... but the thing that has given me the most joy? 

THE BOYS ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT SAM/DEAN SLASH.  

That may be one of the best moments ever in the history of television.  It's like those times when the boys ask "why does everyone think we're gay?" only WAY, WAY, WAY BETTER.

What do you guys think? I'll be posting (read: gushing) more later, I'm sure.  :-)
 

Here's how it goes:

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.

2. List (and upload, if you feel like it) 5 songs that start with that letter.

3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

The ever-so-lovely falulatonks gave me the letter “N” what seems like a zillion years ago (before I seemingly fell off the face of the planet), and I am finally ready to post my selections. Keep your fingers crossed that my links all actually work -- and if they don't, please let me know so I can beat up on my computer and try to fix it.  :-)

1. No Tomorrow, Just Tonight - The Crash Motive. My favorite band that almost achieved greatness. I cannot even tell you how sad I am that they've broken up! *SOB* But this track is one of my absolute favorites from their debut CD. “Let's go all night 'til we see the light stripped down to who we are with it. We'll never hurt, we'll never hide, from anything inside. Promise we will never grow old 'cause we've only begun to wake up.” I swear -- everyone should own both Consequence and their follow-up EP Just Cause You Never Saw It Happen Don't Mean It Won't because they are both fantastic records from beginning to end.

2. Naive Orleans - Anberlin. My beloved boys from Florida! This one is from their 2003 release Never Take Friendship Personal. “And I've finally found that life goes on without you. And the world still turns when you're not around. And I've finally found that all your actions write the melodies to the songs that we sing. And you just sing along out loud, yeah.” This is just the tip of the proverbial musical iceburg that is Anberlin.
 

3. Never Running Out - Athlete. Like just about every decent band I love these days, Athlete is a band my brother found and turned me on to last summer. They've got a little Coldplay, a little Blue Merle, and a little something extra all mixed together to make this vibrant, all-encompassing sound. “It seems like everything we build you tear it down again only to replace it with something bigger still. And it's never running out, it's never running out. Like all of these ideas, it's never running out.”
 

4. No Handed - Trouble Over Tokyo. TOT is actually one amazing British lad named Toph who plays every instrument on his record to create an amazing and intricate sound. Based in electronica but with the warmth of beautiful orchestrations, every song on his full-length album Pyramids is GENIUS. And he also has what may be the simplest, most creative artist website out there. Seriously! You should check it out. “I could be glorious, I could be smart. You don't know how amazing I am, you don't know the half of it. I could be terrifying, I could be grace. You think you know me but you've haven't seen my face.”
 

5. Noticed - Mute Math. IMHO, Mute Math is one of the most unique (and wholly underrated) bands in alternative music: they totally rock but they also have this very eclectic, dreamy synth-pop sound. Sometimes they remind me of The Police (when they were awesome) or classic U2, but with a very modern sensibility. And while their music is ridiculously good, it’s their poetic, confessional lyrics that really get me. This track, which is about that moment when someone awakens your heart and soul, is no exception. “Careful when you open, it's easy to be broken; in the strangest fashion you start a chain reaction. When you look my way something's pounding away, and I wonder if I ever felt this before.”

And because I'm terrible about following rules and there were too many good songs to limit myself to only five, I give you……


ALLI'S BONUS TRACK!: Not The Same (Live) - Ben Folds. Though the original of this song is also amazing, this live version is absolutely haunting in the simplicity of Ben's lone piano rendition paired with the complexity of the amazing crowd sing-a-long. I saw him live a few weeks ago and got to actually be a part of this sing-along and it was nothing short of magical. It gave me goosebumps, made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and made me strangely emotional. It was an unforgettable moment! To give you some context, this song is based on someone Ben knew that once went on an LSD trip, climbed a tree and then found god. “You see 'em drop like flies from the bright sunny skies. They come knocking at your door with this look in their eyes. You've got one good trick and you're hanging on you're hanging on to it.”

So are you game? Ask me for a letter and share some of your favorite tracks!!!

And look for some other posts on some other topics in the not-too-distant future because I’ve missed chatting with you guys and damn it, I just need to make more time in my crazy schedule for LJ!!!!

And I return to complete my epically long posts about SPN Season 1! I’m sure you think I died (or forgot), but no – it was just life kicking my sorry ass. But I’m back and excited to finally tackle the last four eps of the first season and regale you all with even more reasons I LOVE DEAN WINCHESTER and LOVE THIS SHOW. Before I dive in, as I have just finished Season 3 (and am getting into Season 4!), I just want to take a moment and say:

Thank you SPN for FINALLY giving me my Bon Jovi rock out!!! Dean, my love, they DO rock. And not just sometimes – ALL THE TIME. I’ve seen them live. Trust me on this one.

And now that I have that off my chest, let's down to it, shall we? Again, for the uninitiated, spoilery commentary is ahead:

( I'm the one who burned the doll and destroyed the spirit, but don't thank me or anything. )

( Vampires! Every time I hear it it gets funnier. )

( I like to say, salvation was created for sinners. )

The cliffhanger wasn’t much of a cliffhanger, but it was enough to get us (finally!) to:

( Storm's a comin. And you boys? And your daddy? You are smack in the middle of it. )

So, though disjointed, those are my thoughts on the last bit of Season 1. It’s been kind of hard to go this far back now that I’m in Season 4, but it’s also been nice to remember the moments I connected with in that first season that made me fall in love and want to keep watching each week. There was a lot of good stuff in Season 1, but quite a few episodes that fell just short of the mark. But it laid the groundwork beautifully for Season 2, which was strong and consistently awesome. I think the show really found it’s rhythm there in Season 2 and I can’t wait to talk about all of the brilliant moments!

I'm still planning to go back and comment on the last four eps of S1 and then general discussion of S2, but I started watching S3 last night and just have to ask:

* Is Ruby going to grow on me? And please tell me that if she's not, I'm not going to have to put up with her all season because she annoys the shit out of me right now.

* Will we ever see Jo again? I miss her. Alona Tal is awesome and underused and I thought she was a GREAT match for Dean. I suspect I am bound to be disappointed on this front, but wanted to ask just the same. If she doesn't come back, consider me seriously annoyed on this front too.

In case I haven't said it enough lately, these tiny things aside, I ADORE THIS SHOW!!!

______

I am BEYOND STOKED that Hugh Jackman is hosting the Oscars! He's kicked butt hosting the Tony's, so I have faith he will be just as awesome at the Oscars. I mean, if nothing else, we get to look at this for several hours:



I think tlace posted this same photo on her site a few days back and I cannot help but drool every time I see it.  I mean, having Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the same movie as a ripped Ryan Reynolds (I'm still not over him in Blade: Trinity) is basically an orgasm waiting to happen in my world.  But this is not why I brought it up.  I just am beyond giddy that we'll have someone who is charming and elegant and funny and witty and FUCKING SEXY AS HELL hosting the show WHO MIGHT ALSO DO A MUSICAL NUMBER.

I swear, it's like the Academy lifted the idea straight out of my dreams.   I CAN'T WAIT!!!


...... I am SO ready to go home now.  

It's a sad day for fans of Supernatural. I just read on Yahoo that Kim Manners, Director and Co-Executive Producer for about a zillion episodes of SPN (along with The X-Files, Charlie's Angels and quite a few other network hits) passed away on Sunday from lung cancer. He directed a number of my personal favorite SPN eps including "Scarecrow", "Heart", and "In My Time of Dying" and was very involved with just about every aspect of the show.

Eric Kripke (SPN's creator) said "Everyone at Supernatural is walking around in a daze, shocked and absolutely devastated. Kim was a brilliant director; more than that, he was a mentor and friend."

The whole story can be found here: movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.eonline.com/81147-

Kim Manners, you will be missed.  May you rest in peace.

____________

On a slightly lighter note, there is a photo included in that article that I wanted to share with you all -- it's Kim talking to Jensen with Jared in the background.  Look at Jared's face and the way he's standing and tell me doesn't at least make you crack a smile.  :-)

I love SPN so much now that I wanted to go back and finish sharing my thoughts on Season 1 before diving into my thoughts on Season 2. This has been SO MUCH HARDER THAN I ANTICIPATED -- because I just finished the finale of Season 2 like 10 minutes ago and I'm just.....adjsrkj;glfjlashj;adj. Which means, in a small way, it PAINS me to go back to Season 1 when all I want to do is talk about Season 2! But that will come soon enough.....

Before I get into specifics, I have to start by saying again how completely and utterly in love with Jensen Ackles -- and his alter ego Dean Winchester -- I have fallen. He finds a moment to shine in every single episode, and he makes the most of everything he's given. The depth of the emotion he conveys and the absolute and utter sincerity he brings to this role completely humbles me. And having watched the bonus features on both discs and learning more about both actors, I'm even more enamored with both of them now -- with their relationship as brothers on the show, which just gets me right in the heart, and with their personal relationship as complete BFF's off the show. It has enhanced my enjoyment of the show so much! And one last thing: in Season 1, though I liked Sam/Jared, I wasn't nearly as crazy about him as Jensen/Dean. After watching Season 2, my love for him has grown by leaps and bounds. And though I don't think I shall ever love him the way I've grown to love Jensen/Dean, he will forever hold a special place in this gal's heart.

Now on with the show! Again, I suspect it goes without saying, but spoilery raving will follow:

( That fabric softener teddy bear. Oooh! I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down. )

( I miss conversations that didn't start with 'this killer truck.' )

( Because nothing says 'sorry' like a tuna casserole. )

( Demons I get. People are crazy. )

( You got a funny way of showing your affection. )

( What would Buffy do? I don't know, but, Ed, she’s stronger than me. )

( Because I'm the oldest... which means I'm always right. )

And now, dear friends, I've got to take a breather and get some sleep. But I promise, I'll be back soon to share my thoughts on the last four eps of Season 1 -- particularly the finale and the "Previously On's" of insane rock brilliance. :-) Then I can move on to thoughts on Season 2 right around the time my Season 3 DVD's arrive on my doorstep -- hooray!!