A True Disappointment

Well, I finally watched the series finale of True Blood and I must say it was a true disappointment. My quarrel with the ending of the show mainly centered on the fate of Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton. Don't misunderstand me, I was never really one to support their relationship.

However, I found too many holes in Bill's decision not to drink Sarah Newlin's blood, which would act as a cure for the disease of Hep-V. During the episode "Love is to Die," Bill explained his decision to Eric Northman. He claimed that in order for Sookie to move on with a normal and safe life, he must give up his own undead existence. He believed that her love for him and her attraction to vampires, due to her faerie blood, would lead to a life of constant darkness and death. Bill also admitted he had a fever dream that showed him a future in which Sookie gave birth to a baby composed of darkness.

All I can say is that Bill should have spent less time feeling self-pity and self-importance and more time thinking about his plan. First of all, we all have bad dreams. It is a senseless act to commit suicide just because we have a nightmare. Second, and most important in my opinion, I believe that Bill put Sookie in more danger than he prevented. In the episode "Thank You," Bill wanted Sookie to provide him with the true death by using her one-time ball of light, which would destroy him and turn her into a full human. He believed that Sookie would have a normal and safe life. In some way this made sense, but only if she used her ball of light. Spoiler alert, she did not.

Bill was extremely selfish by asking his love to end his undead existence. If you want to stop living, you should not end your life by making your loved ones do the deed. Sookie did kill Bill by putting a stake through his heart. This meant that Sookie still attracted, and was attracted to, vampires because she did not rid herself of her faerie blood. By Bill dying in this manner, he left Sookie without a vampire to protect her. Sookie also lost her other protector when Eric pursued his business ventures. With Alcide Herveaux dead, this left Sookie with only Jessica and a couple of recently introduced vampires to save her in case of danger.

My second disappointment with the show's ending, was that we spent seven seasons of Sookie going back and forth between her three love interests: Bill, Eric, and Alcide. Instead of giving us some kind of resolution between which of the three she finally settled down with, we are given only a back shot of an unknown man who impregnated her. This was so frustrating, and to be frank, really anticlimactic. In my opinion, the final scene was extremely lame and sexist.

After all Sookie has been through, all the strength she built up and all she learned about herself, she ends up being a wife and a mother. Although some may think this is the right way for anyone to end up, some may want more in their life. I would have been very happy if Sookie would have used her faerie powers and knowledge of the supernatural to help the world and become stronger without the male characters trying to domesticate her. Instead she is shown in the typical role that women are constantly shoved into. I was disappointed that her character was not built up into a stronger and more independent force, one that could spread her wings without being tied to a love interest. I feel that we need more female characters that flex their muscles and brain power, rather than their cleaning and breeding skills.

The only ending that did make sense to me was the fate of Eric Northman and Pam. Throughout the seasons, Eric's greed and need for power was made perfectly clear. It is not surprising at all that Eric and his protégé Pam would jump on the opportunity to benefit from Sarah's cure. In a weird way it just seems right that Eric and Pam be together at the end. Although they never really showed romance between each other, I think their bond was the strongest of all the characters, in twisted sense.

 

 

 

The Darkness Within

      The last two characters I will compare are Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon a Time and Sayid Jarrah from Lost. Both characters are known for the darkness within them. Rumplestiltskin, aka Mr. Gold, becomes The Dark One after he gains possession of a magical dagger. Sayid was filled with an evil that left him emotionless after he was brought back to life in season 6.

      Both Rumplestiltskin and Sayid were known for doling cruel punishments to those they felt deserved it. Rumplestiltskin tortured Robin Hood after he stole a wand from the Dark One's possession. Rumplestiltskin also pulled out a man's tongue. Sayid was a former Iraqi Republican Guard torturer who was excellent at torturing and interrogating military prisoners.

     Despite their cruel actions, both these men could be considered cowardly or weak. Rumplestiltskin, before he became the Dark One, was a cowardly father that could not stop his son from being taken to fight in the ogre or fight a pirate that had an affair with his wife. He also could not go with his son to a new realm that would take away his power as the Dark Ones. He let his son being sucked into a new world with no one to take care of him. It could be said that Sayid's torturing of those tied up was a cowardly act because his victims could not fight back.

      Despite having darkness inside them, both Rumplestiltskin and Sayid tried many times to save people. Rumplestiltskin sacrificed himself in order to ensure that his father, Peter Pan, is killed. Sayid sacrificed himself by carrying a bomb that was in Widmore's submarine.

      Both men were deeply in love with two women who they hurt. Rumplestiltskin fell in love with Belle, but when she offered a way to end his curse as the Dark One, his anger caused her to leave. Sayid tried to interrogate Nadia, the woman he was deeply in love, and believing he was not worthy of her, pushed her into a relationship with his brother. Both men believed themselves not worthy of their loves, even those both Belle and Nadia loved them.

                                                     

 

Beauty in Chaos

      Today I will compare Belle from Once Upon a Time and Desmond Hume from Lost. Both of these characters had good hearts but were often in the middle of bad situations. Belle sacrificed herself by agreeing to spend the rest of her life in servitude to Rumplestiltskin in exchange for his help with saving her kingdom in the Ogre wars.  Desmond convinced the castaways of the Island to see the truth about their situation and helped them move on.

      Both Belle and Desmond were trapped in unfortunate situations. Belle was held as a prisoner in Regina's castle in the fairyland and in Storybrooke's hospital psychiatric ward. Desmond was trapped on the Island in charge of putting in a sequence of numbers into a computer to stop an electromagnetic buildup.

      These two characters also found danger in their love life. Belle fell in love with Rumplestiltskin, or the Dark One, whose temper and cruelty often upset Belle. Desmond fell in love with Penny Widmore, the daughter of Charles Widmore, a dangerous man who was often disappointed in Desmond.

      Belle and Desmond also experienced different versions of their lives. Belle was enchanted by Regina to permanently believe she was Lacey, the cursed version of herself. Desmond, after being exposed to a blast of electromagnetism, experienced flashbacks or flash forwards to different time periods of his life.

      Belle and Desmond also had difficulties with alcohol. Belle, as her cursed version Lacey, spent most of her times drinking. Desmond was found on the street after a night of drinking and become a monk because he believed it was his destiny.

                                                                       

 

 

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

       Next I am going to compare Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time with James "Sawyer" Ford from Lost. These two characters are bad to the bone. Captain Hook, aka Killian Jones, was a pirate whose selfishness and preservation of his own skin resulted in trouble for others. Sawyer was an abrasive and insulting castaway who often stole crucial possessions from the other survivors. 

      Both men were criminals. Captain Hook was once a Lieutenant of a ship sent away by the king to a far away land, but after his brother's death, Hook took over the crew and turned them into pirates. Sawyer was a con man who conned many people out of large sums of money; he was sent to prison because of his criminal acts.

      As criminals, both characters were willing to commit murder to avenge some wrong that was done to them. Rumplestiltskin cut off Hook's hand before killing the captain's love Milah; Hook tried unsuccessfully to kill Rumplestiltskin in revenge. As a child, James's family was swindled by a man called Sawyer who had slept with his mother. When James's father found out that their savings was stolen, he killed his wife and himself. James spent the rest of his life trying to find the man who was responsible for the destruction of his family.

      These two characters usually exemplified the classic bad boys, but they did show they had a sensitive and heroic side to them. Captain Hook, because of his father abandoning him at an early age, wanted to become a father figure to Rumplestiltskin's abandoned son Baelfire. Captain Hook also lent his ship to Emma and her group when Henry was kidnapped and taken to Neverland. In order for the helicopter to leave the island, one survivor had to jump off to lessen the weight, and Sawyer volunteered by jumping back into the ocean.

      These two handsome bad boys were attracted to the main female characters of the show. Despite Emma's evident distrust of the pirate, Captain Hook is holding out that she will fall in love with him. Sawyer and Kate often have a romantic relationship, even though Kate and Jack ended up together.

                                                      

Size Matters

      Today I compared Archie Hopper from Once Upon a Time to Hugo "Hurley" Reyes from Lost. The biggest commonality between these two characters is that they were often underestimated because of their size. Archie, or Jiminy Cricket, voice was often ignored because he was a talking insect that was so mild mannered. Hugo's weight was an issue that often received criticism, not only from characters on the show, but viewers of the show. Many critics of the show wondered why Hurley did not lose weight as an actor playing a castaway.

      Both characters were the voice of reason or consciousness who wanted to help their groups. Archie was a psychiatrist in Storybrooke who cared about the well-being of his patients. Hugo acts as the protector of the island and in the parallel story lines he was a philanthropist.

      Although these two characters had good hearts, they also had made mistakes that caused them great guilt. Jiminy Cricket had mistakenly given a potion to his best friend's, Geppetto, parents, which turned them into wooden puppets. Hugo blames himself for the death of two people after the deck he stepped onto collapsed.  

      Both Archie and Hugo acted as a comic relief. Jiminy Cricket was tied to a Cuckoo clock by Pinocchio so that he popped out each hour. Hugo was a very relaxed character that called people Dude.

      These two characters also had parents that were not the best for them. Jiminy's parents were traveling puppeteers used him to steal and con their audience. Hugo was very close to his father but his father left him when he was young. Hugo's father returned when Hugo won the lottery.

                                                                              

 

Watch Out for the Quiet Ones

      Today, I will compare Emma Swan from Once Upon a Time to Kate Austen from Lost. Both of these women are very quiet but have proved that they have a surprising strength, calm under pressure, and a dangerous side. Emma and Kate both have criminal records. Emma was arrested after participating in the theft of expensive watches, while Kate killed her abusive father and went on a crime spree while on the run.

      Emma and Kate both had troubling childhoods. After Emma was sent through a magical portal, she was picked up on the side of the road and raised in foster care. Kate was physically abused by her alcoholic father.

      Both of these women were non-traditional mothers. Emma gave birth to her son Henry in jail, gave him up for adoption, and then was found by him. Kate, after finally leaving the Island, acted as a mother for Claire's son Aaron when Claire was not able to escape.

      These women were also distrustful fighters. Emma constantly had to fight the villains of the show because she was the Savior, the person meant to break the curse placed upon the town of Storybrooke. Emma was distrustful of the fairytale naivety of her parents because she was raised in the harsh world of foster care. Kate constantly fought her way out of being arrested, helped with many dangerous missions on the Island, and helped kill "the man in black." Due to Kate's extensive criminal past, she often could not reveal herself to people she loved.

      Both women also viewed Tallahassee as a place of escape. When Emma and her thief boyfriend decided to settle down, Emma randomly picked Tallahassee on a map. After trying to flee to Tallahassee, Kate was arrested by a U.S. Marshal.

                 

A Shepard and His Flock

      The next two characters I’ll analyze are the leading men who stepped up as the leaders: Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time and Jack Shepard from Lost. The unwavering bravery and dedication of these men to their loved ones was made very clear. Prince Charming, aka David Noland, was a common shepherd who took on the responsibilities of a prince and a leader when the town of Storybrooke was left without a sheriff. With the expertise of a surgeon, Jack Shepard became a leader and doctor to the castaways.

      Both Prince Charming and Jack had siblings that they were unaware of until their adulthood. Prince Charming’s twin brother, the born prince, was separated from him at birth by Rumpelstiltskin. Jack’s father had an affair with another woman, resulting in Jack’s half-sister Claire, coincidently one of the other survivors of the plane crash. 

      Both Prince Charming and Jack had difficulties in making up their mind on who they loved. David Noland had an affair with Mary Margaret Blanchard, while he was still technically married to Kathryn. Jack Shepard, throughout his time on the Island, debated whether he loved Kate Austen or Juliet.

      Despite being the handsome leaders who came to save the day, both characters could be extremely stubborn and controlling. Prince Charming prevented Snow White from killing her nemesis the Evil Queen, but was fine with ordering the queen's execution. Jack was the last of the survivors to realize the truth behind the Island because he could not rationalize it.

      The very obvious connection between these natural born leaders was the fact that they both had similar names. Prince Charming was referred to by King George as the “shepherd,” while Jack’s last name was Shepard. 

 

                                                 

 

The Villainous Outcasts

      Spoiler Alert! The first two characters I will compare are Regina Mills from Once Upon a Time and Benjamin Linus from Lost. The most glaring similarity is that both characters are longtime villains who were ruthless murderers. Regina, aka the Evil Queen, tricked a genie into killing her husband, King Leopold, ordered the murder of an entire village because of their association with Snow White, and killed Sheriff Graham because he was no longer under her control. Benjamin Linus, leader of the “Others” murdered Jacob because of jealousy, helped the “Hostiles” slaughter the DHARMA Initiatives members, and killed his rival Charles Widmore.

      Both Regina and Benjamin were power hungry and did everything to keep hold of their power. Regina could not destroy magic, even after hearing pleas from her son, because she would lose her power. Benjamin did not stop a mercenary from killing his daughter Alex because it would mean he would lose his leadership on the island.

      Both Regina and Benjamin were adoptive parents. Regina adopted Henry, the biological son of Emma Swan. Benjamin kidnapped Alex from her biological mother Danielle Rousseau after he was ordered to kill them both.

       Despite being despicable murderers, Regina and Benjamin tried to become better people at one point in their shows. Regina tried to quit using magic to please her son and she also saved Storybrooke and its citizens a couple of times. Benjamin helped the core castaways of the Island stop the “man in black” from destroying the island and he became Hugo Reyes's second hand man. Due to their past deeds and their swapping sides so often, both Regina and Benjamin found themselves as hated outcasts.

                                                                                                                                                  

                                                         

Islands Lost To Time

      After watching every current episode of Lost and Once Upon a Time, I naturally started comparing the two shows, since both series were written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. I noticed that were similarities between the plotlines of each show. Both the fairytale creatures in Storybrooke and the castaways on the Island were trapped victims of time in a supernatural location. The fairytale characters were frozen in time, unaware of their own identities, while the castaways on the Island were thrown into different time periods after a wheel was turned.

      In both shows, a cloud of smoke means very bad news. The curse that sent the fairytale creatures was preceded by a cloud of magical smoke, while the survivors on the Island were chased by a smoke monster. However, despite the similarities in events and concepts, I found the characters in both television shows were way more similar. So for the week before the Once Upon a Time return on March 9, I will compare two similar characters from the shows each day, starting tomorrow. Spoiler Alert Watch every episode before you read these posts because the plot will be discussed. Enjoy!

 

Born to Save The Doctor

      Am I the only one who noticed that Clara Oswald is a totally awesome companion that has saved the Doctor's life quite a bit? If you think about it Clara saved the Doctor's life every time he was endangered by the Great Intelligence after it jumped into his time stream. After that she convinced the Doctor to find an alternative solution to the Time War. If she would have remained silent while witnessing the three Doctors preparing to destroy Gallifrey, then the eleventh Doctor would not have come up with a way to hide his planet. Finally, in the Christmas special, Clara also convinced the Time Lords, who were trapped behind the crack in the wall, to give the Doctor another regeneration.

       I think, that of all the companions I am familiar with, Clara has been the most instrumental in the safety of the Doctor. As she said in the episode "The Name of the Doctor," she was born to save the Doctor, and boy did she. I have to admit, I wished she would have received a better farewell from Eleven before he regenerated into the twelfth Doctor. However, I guess, because the Doctor spent so much time with Amy Pond, she would be the companion he was thinking about so much before his death. Still I think Clara does not get enough credit because she is an unfamiliar companion, even though she has proved she is always there for the Doctor.

 

Dignity in Death

Although Christopher Eccleston will remain forever as my favorite Doctor Who actor, I will admit that Matt Smith's touching scene before his death gave Eccleston a run for his money in my mind. Smith made sure that the eleventh Doctor left parting words of wisdom, remembrance of his companions, and most importantly, insurance that both the Gallifreyans and humans were safe from his enemies. The eleventh Doctor gave beautiful and dramatic speeches that secured a place in the hearts of Doctor Who fans. He defied the laws of the universe after receiving an additional regeneration, which gave fans a magnificent view of lava-like energy shooting into the sky and destroying the Dalek ships. This combination of visual stimulation and snarky speech ensured that Eleventh's death would not be lacking excitement. This episode also showcased the eleventh Doctor's soft side as well. Faced with impending death, Smith gave a dignified speech. This speech demonstrated that although Eleven did not want to die, he understood that everything must end; that it is not the destination of a person's life that matters but rather the path they took to get there. His dying hallucinations of Amelia Pond showed that his companions remained very important to him. Eleven's death demonstrated that, like Eccleston, the Doctor will always save and care for others, even when facing impending doom. Both Eccleston and Smith's versions of the Doctor cared more about saving those around them than their own life. They did not spend the moments before their regeneration crying and saying how much they didn't want to go, like the tenth Doctor did. Eccleston, after saving Rose, commented on how wonderful they had been together during their journeys and how much more he wanted to show Rose. Smith, after saving Clara and the town of Christmas, gave beautiful advice on how to spend life, while remembering "the first face this face ever saw." These actions of the ninth and eleventh Doctor proved why they are my favorite actors that have played the Doctor. However, I am hoping that the twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, will find a place in my heart as well.