I’m exhausted. The combination of real life and work has been overwhelming recently. I’m so looking forward to the weekend when hopefully I can play a little personal catch-up.
In the meantime, I’m going to continue on with this TV meme because gosh darnit, I started it and want to finish it even if it takes years. Which I hope it won’t. 😛
Day 14 – Favorite male character
SO EASY!
PACEY. From Dawson’s Creek, of course. 🙂
I love Pacey so, so much. His journey from the sarcastic and insecure boy in season 1 to the witty and romantic man he became in the later seasons involves some of the most compelling storylines of the show. The push/pull with his dad, his courage in the face of Andie’s mental illness, falling in love with Joey and dealing with the fallout — in many ways he was the true heart of the show. <3
Anyway. Comic-Con recap. Click pics for bigger. Some of them are blurry and/or shaky. I am an amateur.
Thursday, July 22
Comic-Con has invaded downtown San Diego!
You can totally tell when you’re nearing the convention center.
FACT. Lines are everywhere. Luckily, we skipped this one because we picked up our badges the previous day.
We spent about an hour in the exhibit hall that morning but promptly at 11am, we headed upstairs to Ballroom 20 (the biggest room used for TV shows – seats about 4000) to get in line for the USA panels — the first being Burn Notice at 1pm.
Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous to get in line 2 hours ahead of time but SERIOUSLY, if it’s something you want to do/see, it’s necessary. And actually still doesn’t guarantee entrance depending on how popular it is.
We got into Ballroom 20!
OH MAN. Burn Notice was the BEST panel that we attended. Absolutely hilarious. Chris Vance moderated (he also played the evil Gilroy in the last season) and Bruce Campbell (Sam), Tim Matheson (Larry), and series creator Matt Nix were panelists. Some highlights:
— Matt Nix on the writers’ inspiration – “There comes a point where you start reading warning labels as instructions.”
— The bomb squad asked them to cut a voiceover because it wasn’t a good idea to tell the general public how they detect bombs.
— Bruce Campbell talked about how he used to projectile sweat when they filmed car scenes because there was no AC. But of course, the one time that Jeffrey Donovan starts to sweat even a little bit, they install AC.
— Bruce Campbell accidentally revealed that Fiona gets kidnapped in an upcoming episode and said “Never kidnap Fiona. She’s such a little sh*t.”
— During the audience Q&A, a fan asked about Fiona’s terrible Irish accent in the pilot and why it was dropped. Matt Nix simply said it was a narrative choice — it made it hard for the characters to put on different personas if they already had an accent. (I think Gabrielle Anwar’s accent was terrible and he was just too nice to say so).
— Another fan asked how the show ended up being set in Miami. Matt Nix revealed that it was originally set in Newark (I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or sarcastic) and that the network basically told him they wanted a sunny locale and they chose Miami. After being pissed for awhile, he realized they were right.
— Throughout the panel, Bruce Campbell stood up and gave money to people when they paid him flattering compliments.
— Towards the end of the hour, USA network executive Jeff Wachtel interrupted the panel to announce that they greenlit a Sam prequel. !!! It will follow Sam on his last military mission and show how he ended up in Miami. WOOHOO. Bruce Campbell promptly handed Wachtel some money. When asked how he felt about the prequel, he said “USA finally got their sh*t together.” HEISSOAWESOME.
White Collar was up next. The entire cast was there. First thing I noticed is that Matt Bomer is even MORE handsome in person than he appears on TV. How is that even possible?!? The panel started off with an awesome Con exclusive video where the gang discusses their costumes for Comic-Con (for the record, Neal would go as Freddie, Peter would be Darth Vader, Diana as Chewbacca, and Jones as Blade – AWESOME!). Sadly, the rest of the panel was pretty underwhelming. Mostly because Willie Garson moderated and while he was funny, I felt like he didn’t really do a good job with asking the cast questions that got them talking. The best moments were:
— Sharif Atkins doing a cartwheel on stage as he’s introduced
— Creator Jeff Eastin complimenting Matt Bomer for infusing the charm into the character of Neal Caffrey — to which Matt put his head down and looked super embarrassed. WHATACUTIE.
— Marsha Thomason mentioned that she wanted to see Tim DeKay dressed in drag as Beyonce (I can’t remember why she said that) and Tim promptly did the “Single Ladies” hand movements.
— At the end, Matt & Tim sang a censored version of the “Folgers in your cup” song. I think they sing this on set when they’re tired, need to diffuse tension, etc. I took a crappy video…
Our last panel of the day was Psych. Just like White Collar, they started off with a fun video of James Roday and Dule Hill on set. Nestor Carbonell (he’s guest starring later this season) walks by looking for Jack. Dule asks “Why? Are you… lost?” and they proceed to laugh hysterically. OH GAWD. So funny.
After the video, James and Dule walked on stage singing “Shout” with Tears for Fears’s Curt Smith. AWESOME. The awesomeness didn’t stop there though:
— When asked what they dislike about each other, Dule said James’s hair and James said he admires Dule’s ability to stay tan without any products.
— James and Dule were asked to give the first few sentences of their characters best man speeches. James said “he can’t marry you because he’s already married to me” but Dule took the cake by saying “I guess today is the day we all realize what a cold day in hell feels like. In the words of the great Arsenio Hall, there’s a god somewhere!” BWAH.
— There was confirmation that Maggie Lawson and James are in a relationship. AWWW.
— Dule and choreographer Jason Samuels Smith showed off their tap dancing skills at the end.
… And that was pretty much our first day. I actually had a ticket to the Entertainment Weekly/CBS party that night but didn’t want to go by myself (I won it via Twitter and wasn’t able to get another one for Rob) so I skipped it. Maybe next year! I don’t feel so bad for missing the celebrities at the party because we ran into Tim DeKay on the way back to our hotel. YAY.
Sure, the exhibition hall got crowded, the lines for panels were too long, cell/internet service SUCKED balls (which makes no sense, right? you’d think this would be a priority) — but like any other experience, it’s what you make of it. And I had a GREAT time. Even though I definitely feel every bit the 30 year old that I am.
I managed to attend the panels for some of my favorite shows (Burn Notice, White Collar, Psych, The Vampire Diaries – among others), I geeked out over being in the same room as my actor crushes (Joshua Jackson!!! Jensen Ackles!!!), and I did some completely unnecessary shopping (bought t-shirts and toys — which I certainly don’t NEED). But as full as the days were, there was NO CHANCE to see everything. I spent so much time checking out the TV panels that I missed all the big movie announcements (Joss Whedon directing The Avengers, appearances by Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Felton, etc) as well as other awesome moments taking place in or around the convention floor — particularly these two…
Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay from White Collar at the Ubisoft booth playing Just Dance 2. THIS IS AWESOME. Doesn’t Matt Bomer look like he knows all the moves by heart?!
Joshua Jackson held Pacey Con 2010 outside the convention center. He was giving out Dawson’s Creek fanfiction that he had written while the theme song played on a portable radio. He’s even wearing a very Pacey-like bowling shirt. OMGILOVEHIMSOMUCH. I totally wish I got the chance to see this in person.
So yeah. Lots of crazy stuff! Hopefully I’ll get to my Con recaps in the next few days… 🙂
So yeah. I pretty much disappeared. Besides working, Rob and I have been prepping, painting and moving. OMG. It’s an incredible amount of work. In the past week, we’ve painted the entry, great room, staircase, 2nd floor hallway, and master bedroom. And there’s still many more rooms to finish. We thought we would be done with the entire house this weekend but that didn’t happen. We totally got burned out. Not to mention that the movers came last Friday so we’ve also been busy unpacking and trying to get things organized and livable. We’re getting there sloooooowly. Very slowly.
Catching up (a little) with the meme (I’m such a failure at these)…
Day 08 – A show everyone should watch
Friday Night Lights. This show is AMAZING. I think many people get caught up in the football/sports aspect of it and don’t give it a chance. It’s so much more than that. Football provides the framework but this is about small town life in Dillon, TX and the people that make it their home. The characters are likable and real, the storylines are rich with emotion, and the show’s not afraid to take risks (some bad – Tyra & Landry’s season 2 storyline, some good – turning the show upside down at the end of season 3). Catch up on DVD! You won’t regret it.
Day 09 – Best scene ever
From Dawson’s Creek episode 3.22: The Anti-Prom…
Joey: I’ve been meaning to ask you something all night, Pacey. Would you like to dance with me?
Pacey: Yes. (they move to the dance floor) How come this feels so right?
Joey: It was those dance lessons.
Pacey: (he looks at her earrings) Where did you get those? They’re not you.
Joey: Why? Because I’m just a poor tomboy or… Dawson gave them to me.
Pacey: Nah. (raising her hand with the bracelet) See this? This is you. It’s not showy or gaudy. It’s simple. Elegant. Beautiful.
Joey: It’s my mom’s bracelet.
Pacey: I know.
Joey: How do you know?
Pacey: Well, because you told me. Six months ago. You were wearing that blue sweater with the snowflakes that you have. You were walking down the hallway at school. I was annoying you as per usual. You said, “Look, Pacey, I just found my mother’s bracelet this morning… so why don’t you cut me some slack?”
Joey: You remember that?
Pacey: (whispering) I remember everything.
LOVE THIS SO MUCH. The ultimate romantic moment.
Day 10 – A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Burn Notice. Rob started watching this show and I just wasn’t interested. The burned spy premise sounded intriguing but nothing about the cast (specifically Gabrielle Anwar) or the advertising appealed to me. Yes, I’m *that* superficial. Fast forward a few years later when I happen to catch an episode and instantly fall in love with Michael Westen. He’s smart, witty, and unbelievably charming. I’ve only seen season 3 on but hope to catch up with the beginning soon.
Day 11 – A show that disappointed you
Heroes. It doesn’t even get its own photo that’s how bitter I am about this show. Season 1 was so great — an ordinary group of people discovering their powers and figuring out how to go about their lives. But it allll went downhill from there. They ruined perfectly good characters with lame storylines (Hiro’s time travel in season 2 was an absolute snoozefest, Peter in Ireland also comes to mind). Characters were introduced only to let them fall by the wayside (Maya, Elle, Monica). Story arcs were unclear and confusing (only season 1 had a fulfilling arc – after that, I had no clue what the point of each season was supposed to be). What wasted potential.
OMG. Rob & I spent the ENTIRE weekend painting the living areas of the first floor. I AM ^%$#@! BEAT. But it looks pretty good if I do say so myself! Still lots of little touch-ups to do, though. I’ll post some pics once it looks less like a disaster.
Onward with the meme.
Day 05 – A show you hate
No show in particular but basically ALL of those reality shows where someone is trying to find their “true love” — like The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, etc. They’re so cringe-worthy. I get SEVERE second-hand embarassment.
Day 06 – Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Dawson’s Creek 323: True Love.
Awesome payoff for the Pacey & Joey romance arc in season 3. Loved that Pacey laid it all on the line for Joey and she finally showed him that she has feelings in return by sailing away with him on the True Love for the summer. So romantic!
Honorable mention to Dawson’s Creek 615: Castaways. It’s an ENTIRE episode of Pacey & Joey. I don’t know what could be better.
Day 07 – Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Dawson’s Creek 515: Downtown Crossing.
Just thinking about this episode kills me. Joey is walking home at night and is mugged at gunpoint. After robbing Joey, her mugger is accidentally hit by a car. No, I’m not joking. WAIT. IT GETS BETTER. She proceeds to stay with him until the ambulance arrives, somehow meets his daughter at the hospital and LIES to her about her father being a hero. WTF. I wish I was kidding.
As if you didn’t know. Heh. DC premiered when I started college and I associate it with that time in my life — when I was newly independent, away from the comfort of friends and family, and figuring things out for myself. It’ll always be special to me. My #1.
I don’t really read much fanfiction anymore. No time! When I do, though, it’s of the Dawson’s Creek variety. Particularly if it centers around Pacey and Joey. 😀
It’s been awhile but one of my favorite DC fanfic authors is Juliet. I especially enjoyed Shadows of Starlight I, which is her re-imagining of season 3. It takes the best plots and dialogue of the season (Pacey and Joey!, “I remember everything”), gets rid of the bad (Eve, AJ), and fills in with characters and storylines that make sense. It’s an awesome fic. The only problem I have with it is that for some reason, many apostrophes and quotation marks seem to be missing so it’s a little difficult to read. But it’s definitely worth it.
So this TV character “Favorite Moments” meme was MUCH harder than I anticipated. I have the absolute worst memory and I probably have more favorite moments… but I did my best!
EVERWOOD Ephram
1. Amy: I thought you’d be in New York already.
Ephram: I think I’m gonna skip New York this year. I mean, it’s the worst time to go anyway.
Amy: Really? I didn’t know that.
Ephram: Yeah, it’s super humid. Maybe for Christmas.
Amy: Yeah, it’d probably be nice to be home for the holidays.
Ephram: Yeah, maybe, but…
Amy: But what?
Ephram: I am home.
— Episode 1.23: Home Awww. Happy Ephram rules.
2. Ephram (to Madison): I’m going to my car, when I turn around, you’ll be inside and that will be that.
— Episode 2.18: Last Looks I’ve always thought this was a perfect break-up scene. Sad yet hopeful at the same. And Ephram’s face… he made me sad right along with him.
3. Ephram: Amy? I still love you.
— Episode 4.09: Getting to Know You This broke my heart. Ephram found the courage to open his heart to Amy and it was beautiful.
Bright
1. [Amy and Colin are announced as Homecoming Couple but Colin is nowhere to be found. Bright takes Amy’s hand.]
Amy: What are you doing?
Bright: Standing in.
Amy: I can’t go up there, Bright. Not without Colin.
Bright: It’s OK. We’ll do this together.
— Episode 1.14: Colin the Second One of my favorite Everwood scenes. It just captures who Bright is as a character.
2. When Bright gave up sex with Gemma to rescue Dr. Abbott who is asleep on a ski lift. He mutters to himself, “If I die tonight and don’t go to heaven, I’m gonna be so pissed.”
— Episode 1.15: Snow Job Bwah! Bright rocks.
3. Bright renting the Promebago.
— Episode 2.20: Do Or Die. No other reason than it’s classic Bright.
So I know Valentine’s Day is over… but I can’t resist taking a page out of TV Gal’s book and making a list of my Top 10 Favorite Kisses (one per couple). Complete with pictures!
EEEK. Maz and Sarah, you guys are totally right. I completely forgot Veronica Mars in my mid-season TV wrap-up below… oversight, really. I’m still watching but not with as much enthusiasm as I was over the summer when I got hooked. I don’t recognize the characters this season… I loved Veronica and Duncan last season (yes, both separately and together, as twisted as their relationship is) and now, they’re… ehh. I thought Logan and Weevil had so much potential and now Logan is an overexaggerated version of himself and Weevil barely has any screentime so who knows what he’s doing. It’s just disappointing. I had a lot of time on my hands this past weekend so I had an s1 marathon. Gawd, I devoured each disc. It was so engaging. I hope this season turns around. I *want* to love the show again!
Anyway, we recently got Netflix again so I’ve been catching movies I’ve wanted to see for some time…
Serenity
Now I know what the hype is all about. Really, really enjoyed the movie. I only watched a few episodes of Firefly when it was on the air and I have to admit that I was not impressed (being on the Friday night schedule also did not help matters). :/ I think I have the DVDs around here somewhere so I’m going to give it another chance.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Cute, cute movie. And it totally made me cry! For some reason, though, I didn’t like Bridget at all. But in the book, I really loved her story. Maybe it was the actress? Or maybe the story about needing to feel loved just didn’t translate well on screen? Not sure. I do know that the movie totally made me want to visit Greece! One day. When I have lots of money.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Brad Pitt is HOT. (Seriously, he looks SO GOOD for his age). Angelina Jolie is HOT. I watched this movie purely to see pretty people wielding guns. It did not disappoint.
Up next is Crash…
Totally random — the artwork for the Dawson’s Creek season 6 DVDs is atrocious. I mean, really.
