davidadams-04768

To one such as Carol, the world has become topsy turvy in light of having just over a year before a rogue planet slams into Earth. Her own elderly parents have taken to travel, welcomed a new lover, and foregone clothing in order to live fully with the time left. Carol feels pressured to live out her days with full abandon, but all she wants is to feel a sense of the predictable old world. She finds purpose (distraction) in a staid office job. Carol soon discovers that what she needs most of all is camaraderie, something that's been lacking in her for most of her life, and she's determined to make connections with those around her.

This episode has satisfactorily piqued my interest in the direction of the rest of the season as Matthew atones for his murderous past in order to enlist the help of the NOLA clan and, hopefully, join the Bishop-Clairmont scion against those who threaten the family. A part of Matthew's plan is to try and find a cure for blood rage, in an effort to save someone dear to them.

Diana sets out to locate the pages ripped from the Book of Life to keep them safe from the machinations of Peter Knox.

The set pieces are arranged and ready for the battles ahead in the back half of the season.

As an aside: I must express my slight bemusement at the writers' use of "you and I" after "between," but that's merely nitpicking since I could find no other fault with the episode.

That these kind of things happen most often to women is telling. The show bares the expectations and constraints put on women, whether rich or poor, famous or ordinary, it doesn't matter. Even today, there are still double standards-from without and from within. But then we see we are all affected by similar expectations, real or imaginary, from others and ourselves. How we react determines our paths and the paths of those in our orbits. I was gripped by the first episode, watching the incomparable Billie Piper, as Suzie, react as her whole world crashes down about her in an instant as a poor choice is made public. Her expressions are masterful. It made me feel every bad decision I've made in my life. We've seen these sort of occurrences in the media before. At times we sympathize with the public figure; at other times, we "hate" them. To feel something, we have to see ourselves in the character. Well, there is as much to like in Suzie as to dislike. In her unraveling, we are confronted by our own. The darkest moments reveal our mettle, and it's up to you to decide if Suzie has enough of her own to find her way from the darkness. For me, there were moments when I hated Suzie and moments when I loved her. She could be confounding, baleful, and petty. She could also be assuring, loving, and generous, in essence...human.

Because I thoroughly enjoyed this new-old film despite, or in spite of, my advanced age of 51. Great, strong actors and a family dynamic with much heart and love. The dialogue is smart and doesn't condescend to the audience. Sure, the plot could be seem as stale as those cookies, but the fun animation, exuberance of the actors, and exciting action make an oft-used plot feel new. Finally, there is no moralizing about a topic du jour, unless, maybe, one thinks an unbreakable familial bond is preaching.

The first two seasons were gleefully Satanic enough to suffer Kiernan Shipka's strange fawning one minute and wooden acting the next, but this season has been asking too much of its audience. Rarely does anyone act as if their lives are in peril. The characters walk around like they each took a massive hit to the head. If that's not enough, we're given two episodes with a musical number, both led by Kiernan (whose voice is the only thing tricky), and both unforgivable. Poor writing has ruined a good show.