Under The Dome- Season 2 episode 5

Barbie meets up with Rachel, appartently Rachel is willing to talk. He tells her about Melanie. And that she died in the 80s. And that she found the mini-dome. And that Sam was there and knew Melanie.

Sam returns home to see his place wrecked up. By Junior, who is still there. Junior is looking for his mom’s journal. Lyle betrayed him Junior confesses that he got an email from his mom and that she’s alive.

The townsfolk are divide those against Jim, and Jim’s supporters (Julia’s new enemies). I’m noting that a vehement Julia opposer is an “angry black man” archetype. Speaking of UtD’s use of tokenism, Carolyn appears on screen for about 20 seconds ..and volunteers her services to represent Big Jim. 

Julia says that the trial will be fair and impartial… but her gpood intentions don’t mean much where the crowd quickly wants to play judge, jury, and executioner on their own. Phil shoots down a man running at Jim, Rebecca tries vainly to tend to the man. They pronounce him dead. To Julia, Rebecca confesses that Barbie wasn’t involved as Jim had implied. Julia tells Phil to fork over the badge, Barbie backs her up and he accuses them of being drunk on power.

Dome kids bring Melanie to touch the dome. But nothing happens.

Junior finds some pages of the journal and surmises that the theory was that the “4 hands” (he, Norrie, Joe and Angie) have to die. He freaks that he could be the next target and heads out to warn the others. So now, Sam knows that he knows. 

Rebecca and JIm, back in their neighboring cells and Rebecca asks if he’d ever seen a man die before. He has. And he says so. Rebecca confesses that she didn’t have it in her to inflict suffering like that. A drunken Phil shows up and is going to free Big Jim, but he says that he’d have no where to hide and public opinion would mean his head. They decide to “win the crowd over.”

Dome kids brouhaha: Norrie tells Melanie what an immature and vapid twat she thinks Melanie is. Joe chases after the fragile and crying Melanie… and they kiss. A pissed off Norrie catches them and starts a shoving match. Norrie falls in a bush and scrapes her arm… this somehow gives Joe an idea.

Back across town where Barbie and Julia are handing out supplies: Barbie opens a package when there is an explosion. More supplies KO’d, Big Jim’s plan? Definitely. Julia tries to calm the crowd, Phil shows up to antagonize the situation. He says the generator wires were frayed and that it was Julia’s negligence and incompetence. Barbie comforts her …and then they make out. Last ep she thought that Barbie was an up and coming mass murderer, after him being a love interest -he did murder her husband- then she tries to make him Sheriff…. waffler. 

At some point that I forgot to mention, Sam was getting Junior drunk so that he could kill him. But he has a change of heart when a drunken and sleepy Junior says “you’re the only family I’ve got”

Carolyn catches Phil looking in on the place where he moved the food so it wouldn’t explode. He takes her hostage and Barbie saves her after shooting Phil through the shoulder. He should recover quickly. Julia is fully healed -she was shot that same way only 5 or 6 days ago! 

Julia meets with a woman, Andrea, who was handing out food, turns out her husband was a survivalist. Basement filled, cabinets overflowing. Enough food to last everyone a while. Andrea hosts a big meal at the diner, Julia lets Jim out of jail. The power of FORGIVENESS. Julia is such a twit. Jim tells someone to “enjoy the food” like he had any damn thing to do with it.

Rebecca says to Jim that they should “give Julia a chance” which sounds ominous. Alien girl gives Rebecca blood samples from the Dome kids. Barbie decides he’ll be the Sheriff. Norrie tells Joe to get bent after he says that he loves her and Junior and Sam find a tunnel inside Angie’s locker (that makes no sense).

More woes for the WoC- Rebecca is still under Big Jim’s thumb, Carolyn is finally awake on screen for over a minute and she’s a damn hostage, This show also glorifies “purity” and “goodness” in ways I can’t fully articulate yet. Any woman employing logic or science is regarded as nuts while those who are trusting to the point of naivete and immaturity are glorified (Melanie and Julia in particular). 

These characters have no personalities. They make decisions seemingly at random. With the possible exception of Barbie (who is a straight white male action hero… and there’s no way that he’s not some wish fulfilment stand in).

Julia is probably the worst judge of character on earth. Aside from that, a couple episodes ago she was going to kill Big Jim only to immediately change her mind and save him, she decides to put him on trial then says “fuck the trial -let’s forgive!” She was briefly looking like a love triangle would be in her future… but that’s fallen by the wayside after she goes right back to trusting the man that she thought was capable of mass murder YESTERDAY. Junior and Sam: they’re going after Lyle, but Lyle can bring Sam’s transgressions to light. Sam definitely killed Angie. He probably killed Melanie, only to take care of her and be nice to her when she turns up again. Big Jim won back the favor of the town through dubious tactics after trying to repent and contemplating suicide a couple of episodes ago. He’s quick to throw Rebecca under the bus but then acts as if he needs her in the grander scheme of things. Rebecca has witnessed Jim’s deceit but still goes along with his plan, plotting against Julia who saved her life (after trying to fight her and lock her in jail) and then she gets up and leaves to help the Dome kids with their science project. And Joe doesn’t mention Angie ever and makes out with the alien. Norrie understandably pissed (and erratic behavior is very teenage) but then she let’s Joe take a blood sample to help Melanie?!? What?!?! Fuck all this.

this is Mike Vogel playing guitar on set between takes while filming this episode.

Under the Dome- Season 2 episode 4

Rebecca and Jim (now on his way back to the darkside) are deciding who of the townsfolk are not work the resources. I repeat. This is less than 3 weeks in. Everyone’s just hysterical because they can’t check facebook.

Melanie gets a name. Norrie acts more civilized towards her now that she might be a person, Norrie teases Barbie when he shows up in last night’s outfit. The kids tell Barbie about the emails they received. They head back to where they got the signal so that Barbie can try to contact the outside world (unlike Norrie; who checked twitter).

Junior breaks out Lyle, but cuffs him.

Barbie is not impressed that Melanie knows the combo to Angie’s locker or that she thinks she went there in 1988.

All of this seems kind of moot since Rebecca is jumping over the hypothetical need to “thin the herd” and is planning to infect the town with swine flu.

Barbie and the kids go through microfiche, Junior presses Lyle for info about his mom. Why he went to her funeral, how she knew about the pink stars. Lyle says she thought the dome would follow her and spare Junior.

All of this pales in comparison with the fact that Rebecca is about to poison the town to see who survives.

Even Big Jim thinks that she’s nuts but she’s so damn type A that I don’t think he can handle it. Why is the science woman so crazy and Julia who quickly falls for the woo woo is seen as pure and good? Religion good, science bad? Well, there have been bad religious freaks; the Rev and Lyle. (Lyle who is helping Junior sort through what Junior’s mom said would happen next.

The kids and Barbie go to the spot where they had previously found the mini dome. Melanie flashes back to the 80s (where she kisses Sam, who obviously know who she was, then) they had found a “meteorite,” Melanie had picked up the mini dome egg and some one pushed her, she got knocked out. And died.

Rebecca projects that everyone in town will be starving to death in 2 weeks and resorting to cannibalism, which seems swift… but whatever.

Barbie finds the meteorite and Melanie’s story is validated.

Big Jim is really going to kill all these fuckers.

But Julia and Sam stop him. Then he calls the a slut and a drunk (respectively).

But he doesn’t even have the virus, Rebecca does.

Julia and Sam run off in pursuit and Lyle gets the drop on Junior and escapes. Honestly that pair up was the insane leading the crazy, so it’s probably for the best.

Rebecca’s plan is to poison the Holy Water, but she reconsiders (maybe seeing baby Alice, maybe that the virus mutated) Julia jumps Rebecca from behind, Rebecca responds to her  like she’s a bothersome dog… which was pretty funny. Sam and Julia lock away Big Jim and Rebecca saying that they will let the town decide their fate.

Dome kids and Barbie find Junior knocked out cold and speculate that Lyle killed Angie and maybe Melanie. Barbie shows up at Julia’s to warn her but Julia says “not tonight” and slams the door on him. Barbie sees Sam and retreats. Sam tries to kiss Julia bet she pushes him away. Smart move since we see scratches on his shoulder consistent with marks that a dying Angie would have left.

Julia’s “I thought I knew you!” attitude towards Barbie (who killed her husband) is dumb. I’m glad that she took some space over starting a romance with Sam. A rare moment where I liked Julia.

Joe ditching Norrie to hold hands with Melanie is terrible. Norrie reminds me a lot of myself. Maybe not, maybe just as more of a “real teenager.” She doesn’t know how to express what she’s going through, she’s had to grow up too fast, she wants to be a good friend but doesn’t know what to say. Someone with a sweet disposition and kind words looks more appealing then the more caustic teen. But I like Norrie, I like that she’s trying to make friends with Barbie rather than seeing him as a random adult who helps them and I like that she’s purposefully distrustful. 

I don’t get Rebecca. I wish she’d find a happy medium because they could use someone more practical than Julia to help out. Julia is living in a dream world. And staying with a murderer. I bet Barbie saves her and they hook up again. 

Newsday- Nintendo, Fred Williamson, Summer TV +more

Mario Kart 8, work and training for a 5k has eaten my blogging life. I didn’t pick up my comics yet this week, so I figured I’d tell you what’s on my mind.

Penny Dreadful, which I have been loving is renewed for season 2! After 4 episodes! FINALLY a show that I like doesn’t get axed with plotlines hanging around everywhere!

Fred Williamson, AKA “the Hammer” ex-football player and total badass has a new movie called The Last Hit Man. Written, directed and starring Williamson, with Franco Nero and Gary Busey. I got to meet Fred Williamson at TerrorCon over the weekend. I attended his Q&A where he said he turns down 4 or 5 movies every week (every WEEK) because the black characters are written as spoofs or goons or idiots who die in the first 5 minutes. Kudos to him for being uncompromising and making it work on his own terms, but shame on Hollywood for presenting the choice as “don’t work” or “degrade yourself”. It’s a damn shame. 

He’s also in his 70s and will still kick your ass.

Under the Dome is back on June 30th, Stephen King himself  releases/reads the intro to snowball some hype. We have to wait until July 9th for Extant- Halle Berry fronts this scifi CBS show… about a woman impregnated by aliens after a trip to space. +3 for diversity, +1 for Spielberg, +2 for women in science… but impregnated by aliens? yeesh. Apocalypse/saviour baby plots are not my fave. Raped by aliens is not good. 

TRUEBLOOD’s final season kicks off in a couple weeks. Rumor mill says there will be a same sex hook-up (“from non-gay characters”) in ep2. Honestly, I can’t imagine this will be handled in a mature fashion most of the gay characters have been bogged down with tropes on tropes. Every one is still hoping that Alexander Skarsgard is involved. Honestly, I think his little brother is cuter. Which is why I’m counting the days til July 11th when Bill Skarsgard returns as Roman on Netflix original series “Hemlock Grove”. 

Official season 2 trailer, anyone?

Absolutely no one anywhere can wait for the new open world Zelda. But we have to. 2015.

 

 

31 Horrifying Days- Day 17: Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Stephen King will write anything. He’ll write about an off the rails writer who kills his cheating wife, a haunted hotel, alternate dimensions that little a little boy can travel to via some old whiskey that a blues musician gave him. He’ll write about a travelling side show of Romani who curse a glutton or a town that gets an indestructible dome dropped on it. He’ll write about a clown in a sewer or a teenage telekinetic. Werewolves, creepy kids and zombie pets. He’ll write about a killer dog, a killer car… and if that’s not enough: a slew of killer Mack trucks and other machines run amok.

Specifically, the plot of Maximum Overdrive is that a meteor passes close to Earth and all the machinery takes on a mind of it’s own. Gas pumps, electric knives and tractor trailer trucks… Who recruit construction and military vehicles to try to destroy a groups of people taking refuge at the truck stop. 

It sounds like a 5th grade writing prompt, but it’s based on the Stephen King short-story “Trucks”.

Stephen King usually won’t launch into a scientific explanation for his work, he just throws his characters into these crazy situations and lets them fight their way out. So “a meteor did it” is about as logical response as… 

Well… no.

But! The characters!

 

Laura Harrington (Devil’s Advocate) and Emilio Estevez (Repo Man) play the lead. a couple of sweaty badasses who band the rest of the stragglers together. Harrington’s Brett is hitchhiking through while Estevez’s Bill is working as a short order cook at the Dixie Boy diner. He’s a recently paroled and his boss forces the ex-cons to work longer hours for no pay. Brett and Bill try to keep everyone calm (while outside little league coaches are being bludgeoned by projectile soda cans from soda machines, people are hypnotized by arcade games and hacked up by electric knives) while devising a way to make the trucks leave or get themselves out of there.

What’s weird and NEVER happens in media?

Nope, has nothing to do with the cars taking on lives of their own. That has happened. (Herbie: The Lovebug, Cars, Cars 2, Christine)

When Brett breaks down and starts crying he says to her “If I put my arm around you, would you stick me with that thing?” -“that thing” by the way, is a straight razor. And she quickly corrects him that you don’t stick someone with it, you kind of slash. And then she says it would be alright and they hug.

And I know some of you might be like “What the french toast are you saying, SkeletonGrrl?” here it is. They were flirting. But he didn’t just assume that she would want him all up on her. So he fucking asked her. Unlike so many films/books where crying women are treated as hysterical children and scooped up into some big man’s arms, Bill recognized that this is weird and terrifying and instead of assuming that she needed him to comfort her he respected her and asked if that would be appropriate. Holy shit.

Holy fucking shit.

Anyway, they appease the trucks with fuel, but then when the stop runs out they have to go on the run (with the now refueled trucks… not a good plan) they destroy a few and escape on a boat someone attempts to explain this away …something about UFOs and Russian weather balloons… whatever.

Among other cast mates, Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson) plays a nagging newlywed, the young boy scout Deke is played by Holter Graham (who voices video games recently “Red Dead Redemption” and “Star Wars Old Republic”)

Is it scary? No. It makes no sense. It’s more action than anything and it’s a really fun 80’s flick with badass characters and evil Transformers that don’t transform. 

4.75/5

 

31 Horrifying Days- Day 4: Thinner (1996)

Visually, this movie has that creepy thing happening where everything looks clean, shiny and bright… but it all looks a little too good to be true. Billy Hallbeck might be the poster child for gluttony. The overweight lawyer’s appetite doesn’t stop with Doritos and fine desserts, he’s  pompous, self absorbed and money hungry. He’s just won a big case when a “gypsy caravan” comes to Fairview. After a date with his wife, she’s giving him road head to distract him from thinking about food when he runs over an old “gypsy” woman, the old woman dies and Billy feels no remorse, his status ensures that he doesn’t see jail time and he feels no remorse for his actions. On the way out of the court, he’s approached by a long haired old man named Tadzu who touches his face and says just one thing: “Thinner.”

And Billy does get thinner. First 2 pounds a day, then 4… then more. 40 pounds in 2 weeks. And it only becomes more rapid.

His wife who has tried to put Billy on every fad diet is at first pleased, but quickly becomes concerned. She asks him to see his doctor, who tells him “Your blood work is 5 by 5” (was that really a 90s phrase?! Faith Lehane said that all the time)

Billy gets more and more manic, constantly shovelling food down his throat to slow the effects of the curse, he checks in on his friend who helped cover up the accident and finds he is turning into a lizard man. His wife tries to check him into a clinic but he goes on the hunt for the caravan. He find them. They are not so forgiving. 

Tadzu laughs in his face while smoking hot Gina Lempke (Kari Wuhrer, Anaconda, “Sliders”, Maria Hill in “Avenger’s Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” and the upcoming Sharknado 2:the Second One) chases him off with a slingshot. He keeps pursuing them as he drops pounds and starts losing his grip, he increasingly holds his wife responsible “Was I giving myself a blowjob?”  He becomes so thin that he is frail and sunken and enlists “Criminal Minds” actor Joe Mantegna to coerce the gypsies into lifting the curse.

The Roma relent… eventually. But there’s only one way out of the curse: pass it on. Will Billy die clean or with blood on his hands? Will he accept responsibility for his actions? For most writers, the outcome would be assured but with Stephen King behind the source material… 

So fucking obviously: “Gypsy” is an ethnic slur. And in this film the caravan are very much a scary and magical other. Which is classist, racist and bigoted. “The white man from town” AKA Billy is a parody of yuppie culture. So there are other exaggerations, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that they are completely stereotyped and repeatedly called what is an ethnic slur. Yeah, yeah, someone’s gonna tell me that no one was PC in 1996. More valid, the fact that Billy and the other lawyers are terrible people who are greedy assholes and probably bigots and racists. 

Also, the overweight main character who lives in a house full of chips and is a gluttonous asshole who can’t walk up a flight of stairs? Offensive.

But is it scary: Yeah, a little? It’s actually a bit creepy. The special effects make up and eerie lighting enhance the mood. It’s never really possible to root for Billy. He’s not a good person. And there’s no reason to feel bad for him. So as the tension ramps up… you’re never really hoping that Billy gets out alive but somehow you still get caught up in the fast pace of the film. Mostly this is due to Robert John Burke (“Rescue Me”, 2 Guns) and his crazy eyes, he and his cursed friends convincingly manic behavior keeps the intensity and creep factor alive more than the story itself. 

3.5/5

Under the Dome- Episode 13

Season finale time! Episode 13:

Linda, Norrie, Carolyn, Ben and Joe are at Ben’s house standing around the mini dome. The butterfly has hatched and Joe thinks they need to get it out.

Junior is licking the dome and trying to communicate with the dome and is asking why it wants him to kill his father.

Julia is trying to convince Angie that she has to save Barbie.

The butterfly is crashing into the minidome walls and making black spots, coincidentally it starts getting crazy dark outside… the dome is covered in black spots!! Junior yells out, “What are you trying to tell me?!”

Barbie is getting smacked around by Jim and insisting that he’s not going to make it easy on him. 

Linda radios in that she’s found another dome (STUPID)and it starts screeching, she says it’s police property and if anyone is going to touch it, it will be her. She does… it shocks her… she flies across the room. 

Junior’s so mad that he was “deceived by Angie” (bastard). 

“That’s enough, lovebirds, it’s go time.” Angie and Julia rescue Barbie from the holding cell. Deputies show up to stop him and a kick ass fight scene ensues, culminating with Angie nailing someone over the head with a fire extinguisher. GET IT

Joe and co steal a radio and he radios a “secret message” to Angie. She, Julia and Barbie come rushing in. Junior points a gun at Barbie, Julia explains the situation. They put their hands in the dome and it breaks… but the butterfly is dead… until Norrie touches it. They watch it fly around with wide eyes and hopeful grins. Then the butterfly hovers around Barbie. Joe says, “I knew it, you’re the monarch.”

Big Jim, Linda, Phil are looking for Barbie and everyone. Linda tells them that they think the egg is a generator and that it can bring down the dome (Big Jim’s worst fear).

Townsfolk are trying to get right with Jesus.

Jim goes to PREACH that the Lord will not give them more than they can handle. Vows Chester’s Mill will have its new dawn.

Junior refuses to accept the Barbie is the Monarch. Barbie, to his credit, thinks that insects are a strange way to choose a… whatever…

THE EGG ITS DOING SOMETHING as in, possibly exploding. Then Julia picks up the egg and it stops. Barbie decides that she’s the monarch.

Julia… who was stuffed into everyone else’s storylines, and was of her own merit not incredibly interesting or deep… is the monarch… 

 

Okay.

Phil meets up with Big Jim, who had an idea come to him at church. A GALLOWS. He needs to show how serious they are about law & order. Phil agrees… to avenge Dodee. Big Jim, the swine, the sick bastard raises his glass.

Linda is in the barn and reads “the pink stars are falling in lines”

Jim nearly collapses. He’s stunned. He asks linda to meet him at his house. 

Norrie asks Julia what they should do next. No one knows what to do. Junior says take it to the authorities. Then they have a face off with Junior about who shot who and he says his dad would never hurt a woman *scoff* He takes aim at Julia and goes to get the egg, she tosses it to Angie and they run away. Junior tackles Barbie.

Linda arrives at Big Jim’s and he shows her his dead wife’s paintings… of pink stars and a black egg.

they make and apparition of Norrie’s mom.

Linda validates Big Jim’s violence by saying that if she saw the dome coming that his family is important. (Why Big Jim would be important be this fact… I don’t know. Is it’s biological it would be just her and Junior… and Heaven forbid it just be the wife who is important.)

The kids + Julia don’t know what to do with Barbie captured by Junior in the fight. Norrie asks the egg what to do and Alice, well not Alice, the bringer of the dome, those who are still learning how to communicate with humans, says that the dome is there to protect them and they must earn the light by protecting the egg. If they fail, it’s the end for all of them.

Big Jim makes an announcement over the radio that Julia Shumway has a dangerous weapon (the announcement ONE DAY AGO was that Barbie was wanted for trying to killher)

Junior says that Julia and the kiddos are trying to assassinate Jim. Big Jim rants to Junior that this dome is their destiny. Even Junior is looking at him like he is crazy. He admits he has killed people and that the Rennies were chosen. The pink stars are shining down on Junior. 

Julia takes responsibility and tells Norrie, Joe and Angie to go somewhere safe (what did happen to Ben in all this?)

Junior and Big Jim go out to the very speedily built gallows and are ready to hang Barbie. While Julia debates throwing the egg into the water.

She does and the water glows purple, pink stars shoot out.

Big Jim makes a desperate plea that this means the hanging has God’s blessing. The stars eat away at the black spots and light bathes the town. 

Big Jim shouts to Junior to pull the lever to the floor and hang Barbie.

And…

That’s it. Well, that didn’t wrap anything up. So Barbie might or might not be hanged (and if he’s not hanged, Junior will be viewed as a hero, even though he’s an abuser and kidnapper), Big Jim and Junior are painted as integral to …uh, aliens (probably aliens) and their plot to save this shitty town with a dome… But why?

On the other hand, Angie got to crack someone over the head with a fire extinguisher. I wish it was Junior, but still. I also wish that when Big Jim and Junior hugged that he had stabbed him… even though, again, that would make an abusive asshole the hero, which is gross. Weird cliffhanger. I’ll be watching next season to see how everyone makes out (even though my favorite character is dead), if barbie lives and cheering for someone to kill Junior.

Hopes for next season: Angie pays Ben some attention. Norrie keeps being smart and rad. Linda stops waffling and makes better decisions. The “aliens” make their reasons for coming more clear. Phil on the right side. Annnnnddddd… a dead Junior. Sorry, Alex Koch.

Under The Dome- Episode 12

Purple egg, doing purple stuff!

Big Jim is hunting down Dale Barbara. The whole town consents to house sweeps.

Dodee hears the military on the radio again. “Barbie is the only one inside with the necessary expertise”. Angie’s psyched about killing Big Jim (the dome said so) and Jim’s after Joe’s Monarch. When the butterfly hatches, the monarch will be crowned. Carolyn emerges! She sees the kids with the minidome egg. She doesn’t trust Big Jim and knows he will be searching houses so they decide to hide it at Ben’s HOORAY Ben’s okay!

Dodee tells Jim what she heard on the radio. Linda tries to convince everyone to keep Barbie alive.

Barbie sneaks up on Angie and he explains that it wasn’t really him, Angie instantly believes him. Barbie knows that Julia is in trouble if she wakes up and he asks Angie for help saving her. Angie gets to save someone!

Angie and Barbie go on a rescue mission. She smokes a cigarette and prepares to be a badass.

The military is looking for an egg. Dodee remembers seeing it now (at one point it zapped her and she had amnesia). Dodee goes to keep the radio on and Big Jim hears that the military saw him murder the rev… Dodee unfortunately walks in just in time to hear it (and see Jim destroy the equipment). Dodee is immediately suspicious that Big Jim really killed everyone that he blamed on Barbie.

Dodee tries to convince him she can still be on his side. She can help get the dome down. Jim decides that the dome can’t come down and pulls a gun, Dodee says “You’re a sick bastard. And one day everyone’s going to know it. And they’re going to smile when you die.”

She gets shot (oddly, seemingly the same place that Julia got shot; point blank range but everyone gets hit in the shoulder). Jim sets the radio station on fire.

Phil thinks Barbie is burning down the station.

Ben’s guarding the egg.

Angie is wearing her candy striper outfit, acting as if she is volunteering and tries to confront him about his dad lying. “Did Big Jim tell you what to do if she woke up?” she pulls out puppy dog eyes and says “I just need someone to talk to, you’re the only one who knows what I’m going through.” She tricks him into leaving Julia with an soulful “I need you.” SUCKER

“Mr. Rennie, let me tell you how much a lawyer knows about illegal searches.” Carolyn takes none of this crap when they come to search the barn, Big Jim and his vigilantes get violent (not kidding) and Norrie shows up to protect her mom.

Linda and Phil find Dodee dead, Phil is beside himself and obviously blames Barbie (knowing that barbie is violent- which is accurate, and believing Big Jim’s tall tales).

Angie kisses Junior to distract him and tastes cigarettes on her lips (am I supposed to think that  the rest of the town smoked all the cigarettes and the only person with any left is Barbie because he was hoarding them somewhere around episode 2) and figures out that she is duping him. Junior manages to call in that Barbie is at the clinic, Barbie sends Angie off with KO’d Julia and Linda shows up, slaps the cuffs on Dale Barbara and Phil hits him while he’s cuffed.

Norrie knows that they should have killed Big Jim when they had the chance. They know that Barbie is a goner. Big Jim tries to get Joe to tell him where the egg is. Says he’s “impeding a lawful investigation” which Norrie cracks up about then calls him a “loser trying to scare kids.” Jim goes into Norrie’s cell and threatens her, Norrie attacks him.

Linda’s on the walkies putting out an APB for Angie. Linda actually doesn’t think that Barbie hurt Julia, but calls him out for murdering her husband.

Ben gets mind freaked by the egg.

Norrie and Joe get lead by Barbie. Norrie and Joe tell Barbie not to tell Big Jim anything, that they will be okay. Big Jim starts saying all the terrible things that will happen to Angie, Norrie, Joe and Julia for siding with him. Barbie agrees to confess as long as everyone gets off scot free (but Big Jim is untrustworthy)

Big Jim send Junior out to find Angie and Julia. Junior asks “What’s so important about finding Julia?” since big Jim’s whole reasoning for wanting Julia kept an eye on was that Barbie was going to finish the job. Junior is starting to believe that Jim is a bad guy.

“The creepy sphere’s gone crazy man”

Julia wakes up. Angie tends to her. Julia remembers a woman she’d never seen before shooting her. Angie snuck around, doubled back and hid in a storage room at the clinic (the last place they would look) very cleverly and then tells Julia that Big Jim said Barbie shot her. Julia is horrified. Barbie is standing before Chester’s Mill as Big Jim recites “his crimes”.

The egg turns red.

Julia knows that they will kill Barbie. The butterfly comes out of the cocoon and Barbie decides to plead NOT GUILTY.

AHHHHH the drama!

Ben got his face of the milk carton and twitter explodes with hopes that he is the monarch!

So much, what can happen? What will happen to the kids now that Barbie broke his promise? Will Chester’s Mill go mob mentality and stone Barbie to death?

Best episode in a while. All my faves came back from obscurity. Carolyn stood up to Big Jim and was a good mom, Norrie stood up to Big Jim and was a good daughter, Phil (played by Nicholas Strong: so much good acting!)  got some meaningful screen time as he looked for justice for Dodee…. poor Dodee. DAMMT!

Angie got to do some cool action chick stuff and show off how smart she is. Norrie got to be a punkass who’s tired of being screwed over.

But I am so mad that Dodee gets shot and actually dies. No halfassed surgery? No one to suck the air out of her chest? UNFAIR

Under the Dome- Episode 11

Joe thinks one of the constellations is “them.” Angie, Joe, Norrie and …Junior (ick). Norrie has a melt down that she doesn’t want to be a part of the dome conspiracy/secret society. They decide to tell Julia about it (of course!)

Linda is confronting Big Jim about paying off Maxine. He’s all “you owe me a damn parade” about smuggling propane in “charge me with conspiracy to keep the lights on.” Big Jim tells Linda to investigate Barbie instead. Julia needs closure with Peter… she wants Barbie to show her where he buried the body. Big Jim tells Linda that no one’s heard from Julia’s husband (which isn’t unlikely anyway, since he died on dome-day.

And then a knock at the door: It’s Maxine!!

And she shoots Julia! (in a rare unexpected moment)

Barbie calls in the shooting to Linda. (hey didn’t Phil get shot once)

Junior’s trying to get back with Angie. “It’s undeniable, our lives are braided together.” Angie is panicked and tells him off, says she’s leaving as soon as the dome is down. She reminds him that he held her against her will almost killed her. So then he says that he’s not gonna be part of their minidome-team, he won’t get rid of the dome, he’d rather die than be apart from her.

A tornado starts forming at the top of the dome.

Linda is trying to get across town and “carjacks” …Phil! Yay Phil didn’t die off camera. Joe comes by (to tell Julia about the minidome) and Barbie calls him in to drive while he helps Julia and they get to the hospital.

Maxine shows up with Big Jim. He tells her that he knows she’s the one who shot Julia, and she as good as threatens Junior. Big Jim has a big boo-hoo about how Maxine wants to hurt him.

Dodee is doing radio stuff, the receiver starts working again. Outside: authorities know that Dale Barbara is inside the dome. Dodee is interested and suspicious.

Angie shows up at Junior’s and he points a gun at her (good way to show you aren’t a nut) she tells him that he’s causing a tornado.

Julia flatlines. Barbie is doing surgery on her and starts sucking air out of her chest (what??)

Angie says they need Junior, he says “you need me Angie.” she resentfully agrees and as soon as he saves her life (tackling her so a blowing crate thing doesn’t slam into her) the tornado stops. (what?)

Joe thinks that Barbie is the monarch because he saves Julia, maybe he’s supposed to save everyone (okay… better than Junior being the damn monarch)

Max finds her dead mother washed up on shore. If she was mad as hell before.. oohhh look out every one.

Big Jim goes and finds Barbie, they form an alliance to take Max out. He says they take her alive… Big Jim says no. (Big Jim also admits that he needs Barbie’s help, he also tried to sell Barbie out that morning). Barbie makes a symbolic speech “blah blah… knock Big Jim off his throne.

Joe meets up with the minidome-gang and says that Barbie is the monarch because the storm stopped when he saved Julia. Junior says that it was him deciding to come back that stopped the storm.

Linda FINALLY shows up at Julia’s house. Phil tells Linda that Barbie was the “collections agent” for the bookie and they theorize that he killed Peter and Julia found out (which is true, except Julia didn’t care and Max shot her not Barbie, if he did shoot her, why would he call it in and then hide her body?)

Barbie and Big Jim try to sneak into Max’s place but they end up with guns to their heads.

“Jim killed my mother, Barbie. Bet he didn’t tell  you.” too true.

“It’s a good thing you’re handsome, brother, because you sure are thick sometimes.” She blackmails him into being with her, again. Barbies explosives… explode. He gets the upper hand.

Phil tells Linda about the fight club at the cement factory. She steals his car.

Barbie “breaks up” with Max, Big Jim shoots Max and a guard dead and then goes for Barbie, but he talks too much and Barbie punches him in the throat! Hooray!!

Dodee tells Big Jim that the military knows Barbie’s in the dome, and that he’s the one they are looking for. Big Jim charges Barbie with killing every one that he, himself, killed and puts out an APB and state of emergency in Chester’s Mill.

The minidome gang all go touch the dome (outside doesn’t look like a nuke went off anymore) they see a man coming toward. It’s a creepy Big Jim, dying on the other side.he’s bleeding and then they are all holding knives. Junior lets go and the knives and image go away. Junior runs off to find his dad.

Angie thinks they have to kill Big Jim!!!!

….So to sum up, Maxine was a deranged lunatic blackmailing Barbie into loving her (as Junior did with Angie) but instead of becoming an integral part of the story, a la Junior, Max gets shot and killed. While Angie is forced to cooperate with her abuser… explain to me how this is fair and not portraying women as worthless?

Way to dash all of my hopes. I was really hoping Max would get her revenge and kill off Junior. Bummer.

Linda… why would Linda believe Big Jim? INVESTIGATE… and why is Big Jim the one to declare that Barbie is wanted and that Chester’s Mill is in a state of emergency?

Why after working with Barbie and trusting him to be a deputy do you instantly believe he’s a cold blooded murderer? (well, he sort of is… whatever)

The big question still unanswered:

Where is Ben?!

Oh… wait,

Who is the monarch?

Only 2 episodes left!

The 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech post

Lately I’ve been watching Under the Dome, right? That shows, like 40% of my blog hits. It’s crazy. This show is problematic beyond all belief. You can read the recaps if you want to know about the plethora of problems… but specifically, for my point today: All of the people of color have disappeared, or frequently do not appear and no one seems to notice, or they show up here and there to do a favor for a white lead and then fall off the screen. Dodee shows up here and there (all though, she was absent during the meningitis episode and no one noticed) has gadgets and special talents to save everyone’s ass (but no story of her own), Phil was missing for 2 episodes, showed up long enough to have one line and get shot, then disappeared for 2 episodes. Carolyn’s wife died, and she’s been grieving off camera for 2 episodes. And Ben, who was written as a wacky side kick for Joe, has been absent since standing up to Angie’s abusive and unstable boyfriend… for three episodes. Carolyn and Ben used to be in every episode. They were not the most well formed, multidimensional characters (which was shitty enough), but they were there… and now they are not there. WTF? Where are you?

Have you seen me?

I’m actually really worried about Ben. If Junior killed him and threw him in a ditch we should have at least seen him go down fighting.

The only PoC who gets any screen time is Linda, a cop who’s defacto sheriff (and she frequently gives her authority to Barbie, a white male).

No. really. It’s jacked up.

I saw 3 movies over the weekend… of the three… there were two PoC. As minor characters. And they were in the same film.

The comics I’ve been reading lately have been doing a better job at being diverse (The Movement, The X-Men, Lazarus) and looking like an actual microcosm/representation of a city. But I’ve been reading some good comics.

By and large, people of color are hugely under represented in the area of science fiction, superheros, fantasy and speculative fiction. Most of this is due to institutional racism that has been impacting fandom for decades upon decades. And because PoC are stereotyped into non complex roles and are only shown as background players.  Women of color are often highly exoticized and are often only used to further the white male protagonist.

Pretty much because the writers who are accepted into the archaic sci-fi boy’s club write a bunch of wish fulfillment garbage and can’t even be bothered to talk to someone who isn’t of their general social description.

It’s terrible.

Erasure is racism. Just admit it.

Links! from people who write better than me and will enlighten you so you don’t shoot your mouth off like an over privileged asshat as often, please:

Fangs for the Fantasy: What will you do in a dystopian?

Dennis R Upkins: Geek Culture is for White People

Under the Dome- Episode 10

10 days Under the Dome.

There’s been fire, a plague, nervous breakdowns, riots, renouncement of constitutional rights, deaths and more deaths, contaminated water supplies…

And now: a fight club

Our show opens: The egg has a visitor. A caterpillar. It will turn into a MONARCH BUTTERFLY. Off to find the fourth hand/someone else having seizures.

Dodee has been following them around. Sneaks a peek at the minidome.

Barbie goes to see Big Jim he needs “to talk about Max” they need to get rid of her “insurance policy” so they don’t have to sweat her blackmail threats. Big Jim surmises that whatever she’s got is off the coast on a small island. Max busts in and makes threats on account of Big Jim not wanting to find her chocolate and conditioner. Please.

The minidome shocks Dodee and Joe, Norrie and Angie rush back to find her out cold. They rush her to the hospital where she’s forgotten what happened and she thinks its from the generator at the radio station. Angie asks about the seizures, someone had one at her 10th grade dance.

Julia is looking for Barbie and finds Linda and Linda asks her about the woman who gave a tip about propane deliveries. Linda shows Julia the footage with Max and Duke. Linda finds a safe deposit box key in Duke’s hat.

Salt is better than cash if you want to get in to the cement factory. What’s at the cement factory? A fight club.

And a new part of Chester’s Mill we hadn’t heard about,

Apparently more people in town owe Max money. If she’s going to be trapped in this hell hole she’s going to live as well as she can.

Angie comes clean to her brother about how she was kidnapped and why she thinks Junior is the fourth hand. Norrie is all for beating his ass after they try to unlock the mini dome.

Speaking of getting his ass kicked, he gets punched down as he tries to enter the fight club… where Barbie is the main event. SHOCKER!!

The woman that’s been so polite while Big Jim investigates turns out to be Max’s mom, and she’s well armed. Claire got pregnant with Max at 16 and turned to prostitution to support her family. Neither will forget the “Real Chester’s Mill” the back stabbing, the nefarious plots, a magnet for the worst of humanity… like Junior.

Angie, Joe and Norrie went and saw Junior’s mom’s studio and he creeps out of the shadows and Joe tries feebly to attack him.

After taking some hard hits, Barbie gets the upper hand and taunts the man instead of kicking him while he’s down… to Max’s dismay. She knew he’d throw the fight, so the town loses their shirts while she cleans up.

Julia and Linda find a confession from Duke. He vowed to keep drugs out of Chester’s Mill and payed off Maxine to keep her drugs out of there. Julia breaks into her husband’s deposit box, finds a letter and says she needs to talk to Barbie.

Big Jim has Claire hostage on a boat. And then she falls in. Big Jim just drives the boat away. +1 to Big Jim’s body count.

Max: “I won. You… umm.. helped me win.”

Barbie: “What if you don’t get it? Don’t get your whiskey, don’t get me?”

Max: “I’ll burn this whole place down.”

Julia is waiting for Barbie. Barbie comes in bloody and beat up and ready to confess (which he almost did, back in the MOAB episode). Julia knows her husband pulled a gun on Barbie. She also knows it was never loaded. Her husband was committing suicide.

Linda visits Big Jim and summons him to the station.

The mini dome explodes into pink stars when all 4 hands are on it.

So… Junior is necessary and his secret is out but he’s mostly forgiven… Barbie’s secret is out but he is forgiven.

Which is BS.

But now Max has nothing to hold over Barbie… she’s probably not going to last long.

Dodee got 30 seconds screen time. No Carolyn. No Phil. No Ben. AGAIN.

WTF is that? Minority characters get the boot when they can’t advance the plot of… the murders and kidnapper… and the oblivious/boring… white people. #fail

Last time we saw Carolyn she lost Alice. And while I know grieving takes time… I’m sure she would check on her daughter.

Last time we saw Phil he had gotten shot when Big Jim went after Ollie’s well. He’s not dead… but where is he?

Last time we saw Ben he stood up to Junior when he told Ben to leave Angie’s diner.