The season five finale of Steven Universe felt like a perfect encapsulation of what makes the show so great -- it made a case for its themes and worldview while acknowledging just how difficult it can be holding to those views. Steven, and the family of Crystal Gems he's built, have often struggled to navigate … Continue reading We Need To Talk
Category: Television
(Review) Twin Peaks, Season 3: Parts 1 and 2
Grade: B I was beyond excited about the news that Twin Peaks would be coming back for a third season this year. For those of you who have never seen it, you missed a hell of a ride back when television just wasn't doing that kind of thing. David Lynch and Mark Frost told a … Continue reading (Review) Twin Peaks, Season 3: Parts 1 and 2
(Writing) Episodic Pacing
I LOVE the rhythms of episodic storytelling. There's the anticipation of setting the scene, the cold open that makes the play for your attention and emotional investment right away, and the momentum that builds through a number of scenes, action set-pieces or conversations that build to a climax that ties the entire episode together through … Continue reading (Writing) Episodic Pacing
(Writing) Marvels of Character
One of the benefits of holding myself to a regular writing schedule is being able to quickly identify the things I should be working on. The first couple of chapters of THE CULT OF MAXIMUS feel a little boring to me, and that's mostly because my main character -- Officer Thomas Beck -- is so … Continue reading (Writing) Marvels of Character
Take a Trip to Wayward Pines
There is a town in Idaho you can only get to by car accident. After you wake up in the hospital, you're patched up from your injuries and given the location of a hotel you can stay at while you recuperate. A few days later, a realtor comes by and gives you a house. Then … Continue reading Take a Trip to Wayward Pines
(Storytelling) The Breath of Life
I watched the series finale of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland a few days ago, and I have to say that the ending of it kind of encapsulated what was wrong with the series as a whole. There were a number of surprisingly dark moments but they paled in comparison to the writers' commitment … Continue reading (Storytelling) The Breath of Life
My Wildly Inaccurate Oscar Predictions 2013
As almost every cinephile knows, the Academy Awards will be held this Sunday, capping off a few months of hype and speculation about which movie will be crowned the best movie Hollywood made all year. Whichever film takes the honor will have quite esteemed company, joining the ranks of Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, The … Continue reading My Wildly Inaccurate Oscar Predictions 2013
My Love Affair with Parks and Recreation
I gave Parks and Recreation a miss when it premiered on April 9th, 2009, because I made the mistake of thinking that it was just trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice. The mockumentary-style comedy was becoming a thing after the success of The Office, and it just felt like NBC wanted something that … Continue reading My Love Affair with Parks and Recreation
Literary Television Episodes
When I first discovered the Internet, one of the things that I immediately took to was the many different ways you could use it to disseminate information. Stuff like Wikipedia is great, and the fact that I could theoretically find out how to make just about anything by looking it up is stupendously awesome. If … Continue reading Literary Television Episodes
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 