Supernatural 11x11 "Into the Mystic"

This week's episode was structured pretty classically. Supernatural death in the opening. Brothers investigate (although this time the first death was from years ago instead of the actual death they're investigating), they think they've found the thing and killed it, then whoops, another death, it's something else after all! If you look back on past episodes, this sort of thing happens a lot.

The monster in question for this week is an evil banshee. It was pretty obvious based on the screaming tendencies; I'm just surprised they haven't done a banshee on this show before. Unless they covered one of the non-evil ones they mentioned and I'm just not remembering it. This one looked a bit like a floating medusa. Anywayz, the banshee in question brings them to Oak Park, a senior community. They meet Mildred, a flirty resident, and a supposed maid named Marlene, who wasn't actually around for any of the deaths, but looks gosh dark suspicious, so she must be related somehow.

Turns out, she's not Marlene, but rather Eileen, the daughter of the couple who died in the opener, out for hunter revenge on the banshee that killed her parents. Boy, Sam does some serious heart-to-hearting with her while they wait for Dean to go get some gold blades to help kill the evil banshee. Oh, and apparently her dad was part of the Men of Letters, because it's easy to have them pop up all over the place even though there were no hints at their existence until a few years ago. Yeah, yeah.

So, yes, Dean goes back to the bunker to get the gold blades, because apparently that's not something they usually carry around in the trunk. There, he runs into Casifer (I believe this is the moniker that everyone has pretty much decided on), who is in the bunker supposedly looking for information on Amara, but who knows what he's really up to. Instead, he gets an unexpected heart-to-heart from Dean. It's just heart-to-heart city this week on Supernatural! Dean tells him all about his odd attraction to Amara, and how he's not sure he can fight it. Oh gosh, give Lucifer some good intel, why don't you? I guess Cas is one of the only people Dean ever seems to confide in.

Back to the banshee! They're going to use Mildred as bait since she has a bad ticker and they come after people with weaknesses. But, when the banshee shows up, she actually goes for Dean instead. So Dean starts bleeding from many places, and banging his head against the wall, until Mildred traps the thing and Eileen stabs it. Bye bye, banshee! Does this mean Eileen will go off and study law like her mom was doing before she died? Nope, she's a hunter, it's what they do. Does it mean Dean will get himself some Golden Girls-style lady action? Nope, because Mildred suspects his heart belongs to another. Dun dun dun!

Sam wonders why the banshee went after Dean. Like, why would he be weak? Weak in the heart? Lots of heart stuff happening this week, so it must be. Just what will Dean do about this attraction? And why, again, does he feel the need to hide it from his brother? Sheesh, with the man drama already. They're always hiding stuff from each other, and it never ends well.

Random Thoughts:

- I didn't really talk about it above because it's more of a tidbit than a plot point, but Eileen was not only a hunter, but a deaf hunter. It was fun to see her and Mildred signing about the boys being hot. Like, why don't more people talk about that?

- Casifer killed a fellow angel at the beginning of the episode, too. Angels can see that he's actually Lucifer inside. But, still no indication whether Castiel is still in there too, or if he's stuck down in the cage.

- What is Crowley going to do with this information about Lucifer? He doesn't seem to be a big fan, so not sure what he's doing right now. Suppose we'll find that out soon enough.

- The real question is what does Lucifer actually want? Does he want to get rid of Amara? And if he does, what does he want after that? And can he? All questions to be solved later.

Quotes:

Casifer: I'm here to save you all. Lucifer Ex Machina.

Dean: Maybe we should make a reservation.
Sam: Ha. We should be so lucky to live long enough.

Sam: Turns out Harold was stealing the other residents' Viagra.
Dean: I know. Real dick move, huh?

Mildred: You two are too cute to be FBI.

Mildred: Not bad. Honey, it's almost as gorgeous as you are.

Dean: Your hand is still on my knee.
Mildred: I could move it up.

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

Baked French Toast Casserole

I don't know about you, but if given the choice, I will almost always choose French Toast over Pancakes or Waffles. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it must have something to do with the bread-y nature of French Toast?

What can make French Toast even more decadent? Making it into a rich casserole dish that is, let's face it, easier to do overall. No having to cook individual slices of bread on your frying pan. Instead, it's all in a nice casserole dish, ready to head into the oven after some preparation and sitting. Yes, you do have to let this sit for a while to allow the bread to soak up all of the eggy mixture. But is it worth it? Um, duh.

Now, if you know Paula Deen (whose recipe this originates from), you know she doesn't skimp on the heavy ingredients. This has not only half and half, but also a whole stick of butter and a cup of brown sugar. Yeah, it's not for those on a diet. That said, it's rich enough that you can be pretty satisfied by just having a small amount rather than eating up huge swaths of it. I did omit the corn syrup called for in the topping, and actually reduced the butter a bit, and it still turned out rich and decadent anyway.

One thing I would also recommend is perhaps using Challah bread or even a Texas Toast bread. I used a regular French loaf from the grocery store, and while it certainly worked, it didn't soak up as much of the egg as I would've liked, and I think a thicker bread like one of those two might work a bit better, personally. Speaking of soaking up the egg, this will have almost a bread pudding consistency. If you don't like that, you can probably reduce the amount of eggs and dairy mixture and get it how you like it. I think this is probably a fairly adaptable recipe for whatever you like best!

Baked French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 loaf (13-16 ounces) French bread
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• For the Praline Topping:
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cooking Directions

1. Slice French bread into about 20 slices, close to 1-inch each. Arrange the slices in a 9x13 baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk until blended but not overly bubbly.
3. Pour the mixture over the bread slices, making sure they're all evenly covered. You can spoon some in between the slices to double check.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours/overnight.
5. When it's ready (when the bread has soaked up most of the egg mixture), preheat your oven to 350F and make your praline topping.
6. Combine the butter, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix together well. I just used a fork.
7. Spread your praline topping evenly over your bread and bake for about 40 minutes, until puffed and golden. 

Adapted from Paula Deen

Supernatural 11x10 "The Devil in the Details"

Winter hiatus is over already? Man. I remember when they used to feel long, and now they just whiz on by as if there was no break at all. As you may recall from last time, Sam got trapped down in the cage with Lucifer after he went there to ask him how to beat Amara, thinking it was God who sent him there. Meanwhile, Dean was up with Amara, who the angels tried to smite.

First off - did said smiting work? In a word - no. Duh. Obviously. That would get rid of the big bad at the midseason mark, and not once has this show ever done that. So, no, she's still around, gobbling up paper-pushing angels with names that rhyme with Castiel. Which gives Cas a chance to chat with her for a few moments. Instead of eating up his grace as she did the other aforementioned angel, she instead does a silly little thing to make sure Cas is in the same location as Sam and Dean - namely, in Hell - to "send a message." I Am Coming. Oh good. We didn't know.

Meanwhile, down in the cage, Lucifer is basically trying to mind game Sam into saying yes to him again, to be his vessel again. So I guess even though he said yes once, he has to say it again now that he's not possessing him anymore? Boy do these possession rules get hazy, which we'll talk about more later. So, Lucifer is showing Sam some of his past memories, which is the best thing about the episode. Because, one, we get to see Teen Sam in the guise of Colin Ford again, which we haven't seen in a long while, and two, we get to have to show at least acknowledge that Sam was not the only one to fall into the pit. Oh poor Adam, we see you, yet only Michael gets mentioned by Lucifer. You just never get any respect.

Anyhow, Lucifer is basically telling Sam that he's lost his spark and/or mojo, in that in the past he would have been all up for sacrificing himself or others for the greater good, but now all he cares about is saving his brother. Which, he's not wrong there, Sammy. In the end, though, Sam does NOT say yes, for once doing a smart thing, we think. Which means Lucifer will just beat him to death, right?

Wrong-o, duh! You know Dean's found out where he is by now, and he's found his way into Hell after a brief chat with Billie the Reaper, who gives him a witch neck brace thingamajig that basically will make Rowena Crowley's slave. Which it does, just in time for her to do a spell to lock Lucifer back up in the cage. Oh, but only if he doesn't have a vessel first. We must say that loud and clear for all to hear. Dean and Castiel end up in the cage with ole Luci as well, just as Rowena says the spell and the go kapoof out of there. All seems to be well!

Or does it? Because it turns out Castiel is not the one who came back out of the cage. Rather, it was Lucifer inhabiting Castiel's body/vessel/wait whaaaaat? I'm going to rant about this in the random thoughts section, so go there for more detailed thoughts on this. While Dean and Sam ride off none the wiser, CasLuci or whatever people will be calling this new thing goes to chat with Rowena, supposedly to thank her, but really to snap her neck since she's apparently the only one who knows how to open the cage again. Really? She's the only witch in the entire world who can figure this out? Okay. Whatever. And whatever again. Goodbye Rowena, I wish I cared more about your death, but I don't. And is it really your permanent death, anyway? People never stay dead on this show.

Random Thoughts:

- Aw, Colin Ford! I was wondering if they'd ever be able to use him again. Alas, I don't think they'd use him with Dylan Everett, because he looks older than him. Which is a shame because they're the two best young versions of the Winchester brothers.

- Okay. We need to talk about this. Just how in hell can Castiel say yes to Lucifer? He's an angel. Already in a vessel, no? I know that it was sort of created for him, or something, because Jimmy died, and I don't even know anymore. The rules are so fast and loose now, it's just like they wanted to give Misha a chance to play Mark Pellegrino's version of Lucifer. And whatever happened to Lucifer needing a perfect vessel? Now anyone can just go around saying yes? Why not have Rowena get some other schmuck down in there and be done with it already? It just does not make any sense to me, and it will still seem like a cop out no matter what reasoning may or may not be given.

- I did like the trips down memory lane. And the subtle nod to the Amelia storyline being a bad idea with Lucifer saying it was Sam's biggest mistake. Touche, touche.

- Seriously, though, with the mentions of Michael and no Adam being tortured? Come on, now. Come on.

Quotes:

Castiel: You're suffering from smiting sickness.
Dean: That's a thing?

Lucifer: Assbutt. I still don't get that.

Lucifer: Snappin' necks and cashin' checks, it's what I do.

Crowley: Don't worry about Sam.
Dean: Oh I'm sorry have you met me?

Sam: Let's say you gank her, then what?
Lucifer: Move to LA, solve crimes.

Rowena: You're welcome. Anyone?
Dean: Bite me.
Crowley: I can make her do that.

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

The Shannara Chronicles - The First Four Episodes

First, I must admit that I haven't read the Terry Brooks series The Shannara Chronicles is based on. As I understand it, the TV series starts off with the second book in the series, featuring Wil, Amberle, and Eretria, who are our three leads on the show. That said, I don't think you really need to have read the books to appreciate the show, especially if you are a fan of fantasy.

Right now, you can view the first four episodes of the series online and on the MTV App on Roku (and I'm assuming other devices?), which I just finished this morning. Now, you always have to give a pilot a little bit of leeway. There is a lot of information to present to the audience in a very limited amount of time, all while having the pilot episode itself follow its own plotline as well. It's tough, people, trust me. I've written some myself, and they are probably the hardest thing to write well in the screenplay realm. So, the pilot itself was, you know, just okay.

I mean, there was a lot of stuff to tell us. Learning about the Ellcrys tree and its history. How Allanon is the last druid and has just awoken from a long sleep. That Wil is half-elf and has these mysterious elfstones from his father that have some kind of significance he doesn't yet understand. Eretria is a rover who seems trustworthy, but... not so much. And all of this is taking place in a fantasy world that is really our world, just many centuries in the future where humans have evolved into different subspecies.

Got it? I've read some reviews where they say it's a bit confusing and a lot to catch up on, but is it really? These are some fairly common ideas passed down through the history of fantasy series'. A trio on a mission to save the world. Good versus evil. A naive boy who is thrown into a hero's quest. A girl with a destiny. And the Han Solo type who gets pulled along for the ride with the others, despite claiming she is only out for herself. It's classic. It's not that surprising (so far), but it definitely has potential.

That being said, these first four episodes were mostly just a lot of set up for the journey these three will go on together to save the world from the evil demons returning from the underworld, excuse me, The Forbidden. Not until the end of episode four do they actually set out, the three of them, on their journey to take the seed of the Ellcrys tree to some blood something or other to have it be replanted. It all sounds hokey when you say it like that, but it makes sense in the show, okay?

The Shannara Chronicles is an interesting show for MTV to take on, their first fantasy show (unless you count Teen Wolf, but I don't since that takes place in the modern world). It doesn't seem like it would be an MTV show, but more suited for, like, Syfy or something. Nonetheless, it doesn't feel like your typical MTV show either, in that they don't bombard you with what music is playing at certain times, or try to get too showy. Which is good, because that wouldn't fit the tone of the series. The production design is great. These special effects and whatnot must be costing them a pretty penny. It definitely is geared toward a more young adult/teen audience, but that feels appropriate for the story. I mean, come on, you have your love triangle all raring and ready to go right off the bat, here.

So let's talk about that triangle a little bit. While I enjoyed Amberle's introduction because it showed her as a very strong person who doesn't need to be taken care of, after that point she becomes a little too much like a damsel in distress. Hopefully that's just short-lived and she will soon kick some butt again, because I think Poppy Drayton certainly is the best actor of the three so far. That's not to say that Ivana Baquero isn't good as well, because she does a good job at being the snarky girl with a secret soft side, she just hasn't had much to do other than that so far either. Which brings us to our plucky and naive Wil, played by Austin Butler. I've liked him in other things, but I'm not 100% convinced he was right for this one. Something about the way he is talking feels like he's trying too hard or something, I don't know. Perhaps I'm just used to seeing him play more of the smarmy guy rather than the innocent, naive one? Hmm. Time will tell, I suppose.

That's been a little bit of rambling, hasn't it? In the end, the question is this: will I keep watching? And yes, I will. I want to find out what happens next, and despite my misgivings about his acting ability, I sure do like to watch Austin Butler's pretty face. On a side note, my favorite scene so far was when he was tied up at the rover camp and the kids were making fun of his ears. I like the angsty stuff, I guess. What can I say? ANYWAY, if you like classic fantasy and good versus evil, you should give this a chance. As with any show you are interested in, always give it 3-4 episodes before you decide whether to keep it or toss it. By then it should find its footing, and things in The Shannara Chronicles just now seem to be taking off.

Homemade Bath Fizzies

I'm trying something new on the blog. Perhaps a new series, depending on time and all that. Recently I've found myself with a lot of free time, so I've had a lot more time to work on my writing as well as do some crafty stuff. This past Christmas, I decided to make some gifts rather than buy everything. 

And these Lavender Bath Fizzies were just one of the things I made, that I thought I would share with all of you. They're suuuuper easy! Seriously. You only may have a hard time finding one of the ingredients in an actual store, but you can always order online, of course.

I mean, you could go and spend anywhere from $5-10 for one bath bomb at Lush, or you could just make a bunch on your own for likely a lot less. Once you have the ingredients, you can make seriously a LOT of these. You're going to need some kind of mold for them. I used a brownie bites silicone mold because they're easy to pop the little fizzies out of. You'll also need a glass bowl (as to not have the lavender smell permeate your bowl) and a whisk for mixing, and a spray bottle with some water in it (you don't need a lot). The citric acid is the one thing that can be difficult to find. I got it at a specialty food store, but you can get it online. Essential oil you can find at Michael's or other craft stores, as well as the lavender buds. You can also use a different scent rather than lavender, but this is just a classic bath fizzy situation.

Homemade Lavender Bath Fizzies

Printable Version

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup corn starch

1 cup citric acid

lavender essential oil (a few drops)

water (in a spray bottle) 

lavender buds (optional) 

food coloring (optional)

First, whisk together the baking soda, corn starch, and citric acid.  

Next, spray your concoction a few times with some water, and mix it up with your hand. You'll know it has enough water when it holds its shape when you squeeze it.

After that, put in your drops of essential oil (go based on how strong you want it) and your lavender buds (about 1-2 tablespoons, depending on how many you want).  

Next, press your mixture into your silicone mold. Make sure to press down so they are tightly in there. Let that dry for a couple hours.

After a couple hours, you can pop them out, and they're ready to go. Store them in an airtight container until they're ready to use. You can put them in a mason jar, or a decorative bag, or whatever you like.

And just so you can see they really work, I tested one for you - they really do fizz up and make your bath smell deliciously of lavender!

In Photos:

First, whisk together the baking soda, corn starch, and citric acid.

Next, spray your concoction a few times with some water, and mix it up with your hand. You'll know it has enough water when it holds its shape when you squeeze it.

After that, put in your drops of essential oil (go based on how strong you want it) and your lavender buds (about 1-2 tablespoons, depending on how many you want).

Next, press your mixture into your silicone mold. Make sure to press down so they are tightly in there. Let that dry for a couple hours.

After a couple hours, you can pop them out, and they're ready to go. Store them in an airtight container until they're ready to use. You can put them in a mason jar, or a decorative bag, or whatever you like.

And just so you can see they really work, I tested one for you - they really do fizz up and make your bath smell deliciously of lavender!