TV Shows I Like

Hello there! How's it going? Good I hope.

I'm actually feeling awful.

Oh, what's wrong little guy?

Well it all began when you arrived... 

Oh you joker you! Anyway, as I was saying before, I wanted to go into detail as to why my favourite TV Shows are my favourite TV Shows, so I'll do just that! 

Now, since we've last spoke the favourites have shifted slightly. What? No! Not in that way, you dirty minded person, they've shifted positions. You see, I've grown rather fond of a particular show, and I think I love it more than Number 1 ... that's right .... Number 1 is beaten.

So here's the revised list:

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Breaking Bad
3. Dexter
4. The Walking Dead
5. Doctor Who

Now I understand how you might be feeling upset but that's no need to start throwing things!

I'm going to throw a chair!

No you're not.

I'm going to throw it right now!

You can't throw anything, you're just very small text.

Oh, so you're sizeist! 

Yes, now quiet now midget. Okay, as I was saying you might think I'm crazy for moving the ultimate Breaking Bad to the number 2 spot, but I have my reasons, I swear.

You see, as much as I love Breaking Bad, and I think it's awesome and badass and how all the characters are connectable with all their own struggles and dilemmas and whatnot. How the themes are interesting and cool and how the story is atmospheric and emotional, it just doesn't get to me the same way Buffy does.

Maybe it's because I haven't watch Breaking Bad in a while, or maybe not, it's coming back in less than a month so we'll see then. BB made me want to watch more and more, it's one of those shows, but after a while I'd get tired and have to break. That's not the case for Buffy. 

With Buffy I can watch for hours without stop, it's amazing. It's an absolute joy to watch. I've grown to love all the characters and they actually begin to feel like friends, as silly as that sounds. They're the kind of people I'd like to hang out with, they're all so funny and reliable, especially Xander, what a hero.

I'm on Season 4, so I've just begun to watch Angel too, but I've only watched the first episode so I can't give an opinion yet, from what I've watched it seems edgier than Buffy. 

You see, the thing I love about Buffy is that when the characters are feeling happy, I'm feeling happy, and when they're feeling sad, so am I. You begin to laugh with their hilarious jokes and share in their heartbreaking ... heartbreak. It's an odd sensation and it is evoked a lot of the time. 

You see I get this with other shows too, but not as often as with Buffy, this show is different, which is why it's stealing the title from Breaking Bad, sorry Walt.

I still prefer Breaking Bad.

No you don't.

I know! God I know!

Hm, it seems I've explained the reason as to why the Top 2 are in the Top 2, now for the rest! 

Number 3, Dexter, (which funnily enough has a new episode out today, which I plan to watch after this post) is a great show. For those who haven't watched it yet, I recommend it. It's on the European Netflix, as are all the shows in list above excluding The Walking Dead, which is on the American version.

It follows the life of a serial killer who kills serial killers, as was thought of him by his father. This is the whole morale dilemma of the show, should you empathize with a killer, even one that is only trying to good? 

My answer is yes. I support a death penalty for killers (and rapists) as I think it is only fair. Take a life, then you should be prepared to give your own, so to me Dexter is doing nothing wrong.

However, the law is the law, and Dexter is breaking it, which is bad, also most people aren't alright with murder of any kind so there's that.

The thing I like about Dexter besides from the whole morale dilemma, is that I like Dexter himself. Just because he kills, doesn't make him a bad guy. He's an excellent father, a faithful brother (to Debra, the other main character who I really like) and a great friend (most of the time).

He has struggles which he has to face and is usually put under an inordinate amount of stress. Most of the time the main cause of his stress is the various top-class serial killers that he has to face. 

Dexter is a great show for creating a great villain. In fact, The Trinity Killer  and The Ice Truck Killer are two of my favourite bad guys of all time. Overall Dexter deserves the No. 3 spot.

In fourth we have The Walking Dead, a zombie show. You may wonder why it's not my favourite show if TWD game is my favourite game. This is because the game is better, in my opinion. That game connected with me big time, and I'll go into that more in the games post. 

I still love the show, it's a great show, it's just not perfect. It's becoming a little tedious. The first season was amazing, it's probably my favourite. The second was lacking, with a big finish, if I remember correctly. Then the third came along and became a little predictable, with the season sort of dragging on a bit, with a disappointing finale.

Hopefully next season will break the pattern it's creating but for now it's staying in No. 4.

Finally, we have Doctor Who, which I have been watching since 2006, when David Tennant became the Tenth Doctor, my personal favourite Doctor. It's not that I don't like Matt Smith, it's just I've always found Ten (The Tenth Doctor) more interesting, with his whimsical humour, insistent technobabble and his hidden anger. He was mysterious and cool. Oh, and I think Ten and Rose are one of the greatest couples of all time. David Tennant made me love Who.

The Matt came along, and at first I was hesitant to like him. I remember thinking to myself 'As If anyone could replace my buddy David!' but I now I think Matt was the best guy to do it, and I'm sad he's leaving. 

Doctor Who is pure escapism, similar to Buffy, and it has fun, exciting stories with fun exciting characters. I've loved it since the age of 8, which is awesome now that I think of it. Oh, and I can't wait for the 50th! Going to be so much fun! 

Well, that covers them all and so concludes my TV Shows post! I like writing these as it gets all these thoughts out of my head. The next post I write may not be about the other topics I said I'd discuss, but rather something else I want to write about, but I'll get to Movies, Games etc. eventually.

That's it. Have a pleasant day/night.

Things To Expect

Hello, my name is David or Dave but not Davy.

Isn't that intro clever? I think it is. Ever since I came up with I've been like to myself, 'Hey, maybe I am a genius after all', but that could be just be the voices again.

Do you mean us?

Shut up you! I'm trying to update my 'blog' here. Oh God, have I mentioned I hate that word? It sounds so silly. I prefer 'Online Journal', so that's what I'm going to call it. Am I not sophisticated?

You are not.

Nobody asked you! Go away.

Make us.

Later. Anyway, as I was saying ... what was I saying? I don't even know. However, I know what I planned to say! I thought of it all by myself. You see, on this online journal, I am going to be talking about books, films, TV shows, songs, fandoms etc etc. So I thought to start, I'd list out my top 5 favourites from each of those categories? What do you think?

Go for it. It'll be amusing to laugh at you and your 'taste'.

Okay then, I will.

Books

1. Skulduggery Pleasant Series
2. The 'Gone Series'
3. His Dark Materials
4. Harry Potter Series
5. The Wardstone Chronicles

Films

1. The Dark Knight
2. Taken
3. The Grey
4. V For Vendetta
5. Django Unchained

TV Shows

1. Breaking Bad
2. Dexter
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Doctor Who
5. The Walking Dead

Games

1. The Walking Dead
2. The Last of Us
3. Portal 2
4. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
5. Fallout 3

Songs

1. You - Keaton Henson
2. Remembering Jenny - Christophe Beck feat. Anthony Stewart Head
3. Revenge of the Sith OST - John Williams
4. The Last of Us OST -  Gustavo Santaolalla
5. Sweetheart, What Have You Done To Us? - Keaton Henson

Fandoms

1. The Last of Us
2. Skulduggery Pleasant Series
3. Star Trek: Into Darkness
4. Doctor Who
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

So yes! That is the list! That is what you can expect on this online journal! In fact, I think to begin with I shall do a post about each category and what they contain in detail. Yes, that's a good plan! Isn't that a good plan? Isn't it!?

No, I hate you and your stupid plan.

Well, at least you're honest. Okay, so the next post will be one of the above categories in detail. Which one, you ask? Well, that's a spoo-oo-ooky mystery! I am so mysterious! Ooooh!

That is it, have a pleasant day/night! 

The Last of Us

*warning 'The Last of Us' spoilers below*

At approximately 18:00 on the 1st of July, 2013 I finished the 'The Last of Us' by 'Naughty Dog'.

I consider this a great sadness. I loved playing that game and of course I love the game. It made my eyes swell more than once and it is officially my second favourite game of all time (The Walking Dead is my all time favourite). Still, 'The Last of Us' comes very close, and I am so sad it's over.

The game brought me around 14 hours of pure joy as I traversed the infected (the infection happened as the parasite cordyceps mutated and began to affect humans, leading them to become mindless monsters seeking only to murder)  America on 'Hard' difficulty because I love a good challenge! (Like a Boss). It was so much fun, and now the multiplayer is bringing me even more fun, it's just an all rounder! In fact, the multiplayer is the most atmospheric multiplayer I have ever multiplayed.

You see, Joel and Ellie are two of the most perfect video game characters ever created. They actually have character. They have flaws and struggles and have a special place in my heart. Joel is a middle aged man who has been in this mess since the start. He has become bitter and empty since the death of his daughter at the hands of a soldier on the first day of the infection. He is getting by in a safezone as a smuggler alongside his friend that is a girl - Tess.

Joel and Tess come across the 'Queen Firefly', Marlene. (The Fireflies are a group of politically radical freedom fighter like people) who is injured. In her care is a young girl called Ellie. Marlene is meant to be taking Ellie across to a Firefly camp but can't due to her injury. Joel and Tess agree to take Ellie to the camp instead, since they are smugglers. Thus begins the touching adventure of Joel and Ellie (as Tess does her own thing eventually).

Ellie is a charming, happy-go-lucky, intelligent 14 year old girl who attempts to befriend Joel. She happens to annoy the bitter man but does not annoy us. Eventually she grows on him. However, Ellie is special . The reason she needs escorting is because she has an immunity to the infection, leading to the belief she can lead to a cure.

After reluctantly agreeing to take her across the country to the safezone, he eventually grows to love her like a daughter and she grows to love him like a father. The two become very close and it only makes the journey all the more traumatic and heartbreaking.

After the traumatic and heartbreaking journey, they reach a safezone, injured both physically and emotionally. Joel was knocked out by a Firefly as he tried to save Ellie. He wakes up, Marlene and a Firefly goon before him. He asks to see Ellie, she refuses. 

She tells him she is in surgery, and that the surgery may lead to a vaccine but it will also kill her, as the mutated cordyceps is in her brain. Naturally, Joel is heartbroken. After losing his daughter, he has finally found someone to fill the void in his heart that her death left, and now she is going to be taken away. He cannot lose Ellie. He refuses to accept it and when Marlene leaves, he kills the goon and continues to kill many other Fireflies to reach poor Ellie.

On the way, he finds (well, you can find it, it's a collectible) a recorder that explains how the Fireflies have found 12 others with immunity to the infection. Eventually he reaches Ellie, finding her on a surgery table about to be operated. He kills the doctor and escapes with her in his arms. 

As the elevator opens, Marlene appears, gun in hand. She approaches Joel and pleads with him, asking him to 'Do the right thing'. Joel looks like he is considering it, but as Marlene is putting away her gun, he shoots her. Marlene asks to be spared, but Joel replies 'You'll only come after her' and kills her.

Ellie wakes up on the journey back and asks what happened. Joel partly lies and tells her the Fireflies have dozens of immune people, and that they've actually given up on a cure. That they didn't her after all. Ellie seems disappointed.

Later, Ellie seems subdued. It appears she is suffering from survivor's guilt. She tells Joel of how she lost so many people to the infection, and is waiting for her turn to die. She wanted to find a cure to honour the people she lost. She asks Joel is what he said earlier was true, he replies 'Yes'. Ellie seems unsatisfied, but replies 'Okay', at which point the game ends.

There is a debate as to whether or not Joel was right to lie to Ellie. 

I believe he was right, and here's why.

Almost everyone you meet in the TLoU tries to murder you. They don't converse with you, they don't attempt to reason with you, they just shoot at you straight away. They are all murderers (with the exception of a very small few). 

Joel's daughter, Sarah, was murdered by a person, not by infected, an actual person. That wouldn't, couldn't leave Joel. He has no reason to believe or trust humanity, he and Ellie owe them nothing.

When Joel meets Ellie, he grows to love her like a daughter. He found something in this world that is sweet and innocent, someone he could love and care for, someone who filled the void in his soul, and he damn sure wasn't going to let her die for a vaccine (not even a cure, a vaccine only prevents infection, and could only be use on non-infected) that they might not even be able to make to save a humanity that has only ever caused him pain, that has taken everything away from him and Ellie.

He had every reason to save Ellie, a good, pure, innocent little girl from death for a lost cause.

As for the lie, Ellie had suffered enough. She is only 14 years old. She has been subject to psychopaths, cannibals, infected, mass murder and so much worse.

She was suffering from heavy survivor's guilt as so many of her loved ones had died to an infection that it appeared only she was immune to. She wanted to find a cure to the infection that had caused so much pain.

Ellie is a good person and would of sacrificed herself to at least try and find a vaccine. It was not her choice that Joel took her from the operation, it was only Joel's, and he knew that if she knew the truth, she'd be heartbroken and Joel would lose her. He couldn't face that.

He lied to protect her from his own selfishness, her own guilt and to keep his adopted daughter with him.

You see that's the key here. He sees her and loves her as a daughter. This is why he saved her, and it also why he lied to her, to protect her.

Joel is a very flawed person, but he is not a bad one. He has his issues, and he is a murderer, but in this world, where the rules are survival of the fittest, murder is a necessary evil. Survive and endure. 

Joel is a good father. The choices he made are what any loving parent would do. He is only protecting his adopted daughter whom he loves so dearly from a harsh and unforgiving world, and if that means sacrificing a vaccine that isn't guaranteed to prevent a bunch of murdering monsters from getting infected, then so be it.

The ending was perfect. It was definitive and raised questions and evoked debate. It showed the natures of the characters and how Joel and Ellie love each other so very much. I don't want a sequel, it is not needed. It would cheapen the events of the game and I could never forgive 'Naughty Dog' if they made one. If they set in the same world with different characters and a different story, maybe it would work, but Joel and Ellie are done, leave them be.

I love Joel and Ellie very much and I hope they live full and happy lives and Joel teaches Ellie how to swim, it is nothing less than they deserve. 

(This is my first post. I understand it is not an introduction but I just had this in my mind and needed to get it out. I'll do an introduction next time.)