(I’m not at all surprised that Crowley is still alive; in the weeks since that episode, I’ve come to suspect there was more at work there, because his death was far too efficient, too quick, and it didn’t ring true.  The question I have is when did Castiel and Crowley ally, and who approached whom?)

Back when I watched Heroes, one of my favorite characters was the character initially known as Horn Rimmed Glasses, who was eventually revealed to not only be an agent but Claire’s adoptive father, and HRG’s most important characteristic was his moral grayness. He did bad things, he was ruthless as hell, but that wasn’t all he was, and his intentions were certainly never really evil. He was morally gray, and I think that’s what Castiel has become in this war. He ended season five resurrected and purified by God, completely certain of his path, but by the time season six began, that had already begun to tarnish and darken as he battled for the future of the human and angelic races. He’d already become ruthless – the way he reached in to touch the soul of the boy using the Rod of Moses was just the first indication; that’s just something Cas wouldn’t have been able to do so easily before, even when faced with the apocalypse.

This ruthlessness has just grown as the season’s gone on, and it’s become more obvious since Sam’s soul was restored. Maybe it’s because with the soulless version of Sam exhibiting his own brand of ruthlessness, Castiel’s was easily overlooked, but I think that’s not the case. Instead, I think Cas is starting to crack. His deals and compromises are catching up with him, and he’s taken his moral grayness all the way to charcoal at this point. It’s overwhelming, and he can’t hide anymore.  He’s going to have to face up to the consequences. Bobby and Sam are doubting him, and while Dean won’t allow himself to, the fact that he has to make himself believe that Castiel made a mistake is just as ominous.

It makes me wonder how the season will end for Castiel. Eventually he’s going to compromise so much that his grace might be beyond repair from anyone other than God himself, and he’s going to fall again. It’s just a matter of when, and given the history of cliffhanger season enders in Supernatural, I wouldn’t be surprised if season six ends with Cas’s status left hanging.

They’re talking about serialized television, and how networks don’t want serialized television anymore – and I think they’re right about that. Networks, in general, don’t want the Lost, or the Dollhouse. They don’t want shows where missing an episode means missing an essential piece of the puzzle – they don’t, in fact, want television where the premise of the show is the puzzle. And the reason for that is because viewers have grown tired of that particular formula – or at least tired of the way it’s dominated in the past several years. It wasn’t that long ago when it seemed like every new show was a serial, a show that was finite and structured like a novel, and as a form, that kind of tv requires a commitment that can get wearying for the casual tv watcher after several years of it.

What really sticks out for me, though, is this quote from Abrams:

“I’m just less personally interested, naturally interested in non-serialized shows,” Abrams said. “I enjoy the investment and the anticipation and the characters and what’s going to happen… To me that’s the thing that always grabs you. I think they want [serialized stories] too — they just don’t know it. When they talk about stories, stories imply time and progress.”

He’s correct, of course. Stories do imply time and progress, but the mistake he’s making is in assuming that the only way for a story to progress is through the serial format, and that’s not the case at all; if it was, no one would write any fiction that wasn’t in the novel form.

I think that Abrams and Whedon have both forgotten about, or are underestimating the episodic format as a vehicle for stories. It’s true that episodic television has a conflict and a resolution in each episode – it could be a case, a relationship dilemma, whatever – but thinking that  this limits progress in a story indicates that the two of them have forgotten that the most engaging, enthralling part of the story is often not the plot. It’s the characters. And it implies that they’ve forgotten that one of the strengths of good episodic television is the ability to carry at least two stories at once: 1) the episode’s conflict and resolution, and 2) the larger arc, the conflict and resolution that will stretch throughout several episodes or even the entire series.

This can be done explicitly, as in the first and best season of Veronica Mars, where Veronica was solving cases on an episodic basis but was also looking for who killed her best friend Lilly. Or in White Collar, where there’s a case of the week, but there’s also the overarching themes of Kate and the music box. Burn Notice, where Michael Westen spends the first several seasons trying to find out who burned him while taking very odd jobs in Miami.

But it can also be done implicitly, and it can be done well implicitly. I’m thinking Criminal Minds here, particularly. The series is about the case, and the case rarely lasts more than one episode – there are exceptions, of course, especially the Foyet arc of last season. At the same time, the cases and the characters’ reactions to the cases provide a vehicle for growth and progress, and it’s shown. Dr. Spencer Reid is far from being the same man we met. Derek Morgan is far from being the same. All of the characters have changed and grown, and even though Criminal Minds is a procedural that practically defines the standard of episodic television, there is a story there, and one that’s grown over the five years they’ve been on the air. The same can be said of shows like NCIS and CSI. These people have changed throughout the shows’ runs, and that makes them their own kind of stories.

It’s fine if these aren’t the stories that JJ and Whedon want to tell – and if movies are better vehicles for what they want to do, then they should focus on movies – but that doesn’t make the form used to tell these stories less valid. It is, after all, the form that stories have taken on television for many years, and it’s one that still has legs.

1. It’s just a fucking tv show.  The world won’t end if you know what happened in Lost/Big Love/Heroes.  Really.  I swear.
2. Most blog posts recapping tv shows occur, you know, AFTER IT’S AIRED.  If you missed it, and are horrified by the very notion of spoilers, stay off the internet.
3. IT’S JUST A FUCKING TV SHOW.

God.  Seriously.

This might explain why I have no real problems with Merlin, the BBC’s latest interpretation of the legend which, frankly, takes the Arthur myth, switches it around, and comes out with something awesome.

Merlin starts off in the reign of King Uther Pendragon, who has ruled for 20 (plus?) years and has banned magic from Camelot for about that long.  The Once and Future King is still a prince, and Merlin is teenaged peasant who happens to have powers that no one has seen the likes of before.  He comes to Camelot, where he has to hide his magic from all but his guardian, the royal physician Gaius, and promptly meets and gets into a completely unmatched brawl with Arthur.  Needless to say, they aren’t terribly thrilled with each other.  And when Merlin is informed by the dragon imprisoned beneath the castle that it’s his destiny to protect Arthur? Even less thrilled.  When he saves his life and is “rewarded” with the position of Arthur’s manservant?  You get the picture.

The dynamic between Arthur and Merlin is what makes the show.  They start out snarky and bitchy, and frankly, they stay snarky and bitchy, but you can see them growing closer together through the numerous near-death experiences until several episodes in, you realize they’re two friends who will literally do anything for each other.

The slash practically writes itself.  Hell, the slash has been snacking on my brain nonstop since I watched the first series right after Christmas, and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.

There are problems, of course.  If you’re a history geek, like me, you too will wince slightly at the tomatoes, potatoes, sandwiches, and sleeveless gowns that no medieval woman would wear in public, but those are little details.  (And technically, the story takes place in “Albion,” which is an old name for Britain, but in this case is technically a complete fantasyland).  Let go of the little details, and you have an awesome, engaging series that appeals to multiple generations.

In short? Totally recommend.

Edit: Christ, I sound pretentious…it’s the NyQuil, I swear.  Less pompously: Merlin is silly, snarky, has terrible CGI and really great acting (Anthony Stewart Head as Uther Pendragon is the most recognizable, but Bradley James and Colin Morgan are both awesome as Arthur and Merlin.  Oh, also for any former or current Heroes fans: Mystery Sock! As Lancelot! It actually works).  It’s compelling and damn addicting, and I may never get my soul back.  It’ll be on NBC this summer.  Watch it.

I’m also likely to pontificate on about my fanfic writing for Merlin, so the two or three of you actually reading this blog should keep that in mind.

1. I have never been so relieved and happy with an election result in my entire life as I was with the one on Tuesday.  I’m looking forward to 2009 – to a president who isn’t actively trying to erode my rights, a president who is extremely intelligent and thinks before he makes decisions, and a president who will hopefully help us regain respect from the rest of the world.  I don’t agree with all of Obama’s stances – for one, I think marriage should be available to all people, regardless of race or sexual orientation – but I do think he was a far, far better choice than John McCain, and he gives me hope for the future.  Also, his running mate is not batshit insane.
2. This week I have developed (renewed?) my crush on Rahm Emanuel.  He’s married, he has three kids, he’s probably shorter than me, and he’s an acknowledged asshole, but none of that seems to matter to me.  In part because of this awesome, awesome video: How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways
3. For reasons that should be obvious, I am really having the urge to watch The West Wing again.
4. My boss has been on vacation for three weeks (well, one week vacation + two weeks unpaid leave).  I’ve kind of gotten used to going it without her and don’t want to deal with her generally panic-stricken, slightly hysterical behavior when she comes back Monday.  Is that bad of me?

But this was the first show I obsessed over, years before Alias and Chuck and…well, really, that’s about it. I had to watch it on the basement tv because as usual, my parents would much rather watch the umpteenth episode of Law & Order than Angela Chase’s angst. But I was 14 in 1994, and I was living Angela Chase’s life in my head, except I couldn’t get away with dying my hair red, and I was nowhere near as gorgeous as Claire Danes. And Angela had a few more friends. But otherwise? It could have been me.

Anyway, I rewatched the pilot tonight, and I was struck with two things.

• Jordan Catalano is extremely cute, and I can see why I wove my escapist fantasy life around him in 1994. In reality, though? I would have had to brain him with something. The boy is the most dimwitted stoner I’ve ever seen on screen. And I’ve SEEN Dazed and Confused.
• Angela Chase’s mother is my mother. She says the exact same thing to Angela that my mother said to me when I dyed my hair red (“Well, we’ll always be able to find you in a crowd” in that special resigned why-did-you-do-this tone of voice).

Will definitely be watching more before the movies have to be packed away. It still holds up and is still great, even if I’m ten years removed from the angstfest that was high school.

Sooo.  Project Runway Season 5 premiered last night, and I sat down to watch it despite the incredible amount of underwhelment I felt throughout season 4.  There were too many veterans in season 4, and those who weren’t veterans (*cough*Christian*cough*) took cocky precociousness and adorableness to annoying levels I was previously unaware actually were possible.  Also, none of them could live up to the awesomeness that was Santino Rice from season 2.  (I actually wasn’t overly impressed with season 3 either, although I still say Alison was screwed over)

This episode was notable for the guest appearance of the fabulous Austin Scarlett (yes, even gayer than his name):

Austin was apparently the winner of this challenge in season 1 (I was a latecomer to Project Runway and saw all of season 1 and most of season 2 in reruns) but I remember him best for saving Jay’s ass by modeling for him in one of the challenges.  And for being flaming enough to set fire to Yosemite National Park all by himself.

I could recap the entire episode, but others have done it earlier and better.  Suffice it to say that I agreed with the judges’ verdicts – Jerry and Stella deserved to be in the bottom two, and I was glad when it was Jerry to go – beyond the fact that he’s too experienced for the show, his design was a mess, like something from a horror flick, and he was delusional enough to think it was awesome.  Stella at least knew her trash bag dress was shit.

Likewise, Kelli deserved to win – the hand dyed vacuum bag skirt was incredible, although I was less fond of the coffee filter top.  Daniel’s blue solo cup dress similarly rocked – it was even more amazing when you realized how he had to do it – and I actually would have worn Kordo’s tablecloth dress.

All in all, an okay start to the season.  I’m not sure who my favorites will be yet – it’s early yet -but I can tell that it won’t be Blayne.  The tanorexic Seattle designer/barista is beating even Christian for annoying, and that takes some doing.  I spent most of last season wanting to bash the fashion elf over his overly hairsprayed head.

Yes, it is a supervillain musical.  Yes, it will kick ass. Yes, everyone must watch it.

Joss has posted the plan of action here.  I’m a geek, so obviously I can’t wait.

(We got soaked again while running back to the car after getting dinner at Pizzeria Uno, but that’s not the point of this post.)

Our first stop, pre-rain, was Best Buy, where Mura got When Harry Met Sally and Cowboy Bebop, and I got…Invader Zim. The entire series, for $25, people. At least two of my college friends would be jealous. Only one is reading this blog, though.

I also got a totally awesome t-shirt at Books Kinokuniya, which is, hands down, one of the most dangerous stores in New York.