Monthly Archives: November 2014
A Supernatural Starter Guide
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Tuesday, November 11th marks the 200th episode of Supernatural. The episode, titled “Fan Fiction,” is a huge milestone for any show, but particularly one on that is broadcast on a network that some parts of the country don’t even have access to. Continue reading
Doctor Who S08E12 Recap: Death in Heaven
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The two-part season finale of Doctor Who brings excitement, but also sadness that we won’t be seeing any new episodes until Christmas. The reveal from the first half of the season finale that Missy is the Master was shocking, and we wanted to tell everyone we know, whether they watch Doctor Who or not. As Death in Heaven begins, our excitement is mixed with sadness as we are reminded about Danny’s death. Somehow it feels like we may not get the happy ending that we normally crave. We are focusing our idealistic hope on the Ninth Doctor’s exclamation, “Just this once, everybody lives!” (S01E10).
Doctor Who Audiobook Review: The Forever Trap
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Written by: Dan Abnett
Narrated by: Catherine Tate
Length: 2 hrs 23 mins
Unabridged audiobook
Publisher: BBC Audio
Released: October 2008
Available as an Audio CD from Amazon or as a download through Audible audiobooks
The Forever Trap is a Doctor Who story written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Catherine Tate. It is part of the New Adventure Series, published by BBC Books. The Forever Trap is an original audiobook and is not available in a printed format. The storyline revolves around the Doctor and Donna becoming inadvertent residents of The Edifice, a luxury apartment development in space, through a hard-sell approach by a holographic salesman. What appears to new residents as a well-apportioned apartment based on their specific desires devolves into danger and warfare as their time in The Edifice continues. The Doctor and Donna attempt to determine what has brought them there, and for what purpose.
Monster of the Week: The Griffin
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Griffin mosaic, Acropolis of Rhodes, ca 200 BCE
…but the Griffin hath a body bigger than eight Lions, and stronger than 100 Eagles, for certainly he will bear to his Nest flying, a Horse and a Man upon his Back, or two Oxen yoked together as they go to Plow, for he hath long Nails on his Feet as great as Horns of Oxen, and of those they make Cups there to drink with, and of his Ribs they do make Bows to shoot with.
—John Mandeville, The Voyages and Travels, 1357
The Griffin (also Griffon, Gryphon, or Grype, among other variants) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion, and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. Depictions of the griffin date back to 3rd millennium BCE Egypt and earlier, but are also found in ancient Greece, India, and elsewhere around the world. It is said that the feather of a Griffin can cure blindness, and poison will change color when served in a cup fashioned from a Griffin’s talon. Continue reading
Constantine S01E02 Recap: The Darkness Beneath
4Who made the mine owner? Say the black bells of Rhondda. And who robbed the miner? Cry the grim bells of Blaina. —Idris Davies, Gwalia Deserta, 1938
Y Ddraig Goch
Although set in the Welsh tract of Pennsylvania, the second episode of Constantine, “The Darkness Beneath,” might just as well have been in Wales itself. The mining town of Heddwich (Heddwich iw lwch is essentially Welsh for “RIP”) has a dragon for a town symbol, as John points out while gesturing toward one of many Welsh flags on the walls of the local bar. Miners have been dying, and the latest one was barbecued in his own shower, so hey, maybe there’s a dragon about? Constantine later even refers to Heddwich as a “Welsh mining town.” Perhaps all of the flags made him forget he’s now living across the pond. Continue reading
The Hoot Owl of Death
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Birds of omen dark and foul,
Night-crow, raven, bat, and owl,
Leave the sick man to his dream—
All night long he heard your scream.
— Sir Walter Scott
Throughout many cultural traditions, Owls have been considered harbingers of bad luck, ill health, or death.
In most Native American tribes, Owls signify death. The call of the Owl is considered an unlucky omen. Some tribes believe the hoot of an Owl indicates that someone is going to die. Owls are known as messengers and companions for the gods of death. As a messenger of death, the Owl is not evil, but it can be foreboding. They carry messages from beyond the grave and when tribal taboos are broken, Owls deliver a supernatural warning. Owls are associated with ghosts among some Native American tribes because it is understood that the bony circles around an Owl’s eyes are made from the fingernails of ghosts.
The Walking Dead S05E04 Recap: Slabtown
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Since the start of Season Five we have been enjoying the reunion of our beloved, and not-so-beloved, cast of characters on the Walking Dead. Sure we have our favorites, but characters like Sasha and Tara still help round out the cast. Maybe we have some sort of childhood-driven complex, but we just like it when everyone’s all together. We feel safer with the group, despite Rick telling Carl in the episode “Strangers” (S05E02): “No matter how many people are around or how clear the area looks, no matter what anyone says, no matter what you think, you are not safe.” The departure of Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita, along with Glenn and Maggie—oh, and Tara, in “Four Walls and Roof” (S05E03) makes us feel a little less secure. Though the return of Daryl at the end of the episode made us feel a lot safer. Not safe like sleeping in the backseat of your parents’ car safe, but still pretty content. We were sure hoping that Daryl was going to have Beth with him, because who doesn’t love it when good things happen to boring people? Actually we came to appreciate Beth in Season Four, and we don’t want her to be left out by the group. It does seem like most of them, including her sister Maggie, seemed to have moved on without her. We thought it might be helpful for Beth to learn “How to Cope When You Feel Left Out.”
Constantine Episode 2 Gallery
Doctor Who S08E11 Recap: Dark Water
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Clara has something to tell Danny
“Dark Water” is the first part of the Season Eight finale of Doctor Who. The twelfth Doctor has had some great performances this season and has brought interesting complexity to the relationship with companion Clara Oswald. When Peter Capaldi was announced as the new Doctor, we were pretty excited because it seemed like an older actor was about due for the role. He has surpassed our expectations so far, and a big two-part finale, written by Steven Moffat, creates a lot of anticipation.
The Supernatural Fox Sisters 
