Category Archives: Television

Oct5

Lazy Sunday

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Lazy Sunday

It’s a chilly 49 degrees in Akron, Ohio right now. Fall is definitely here. Today is the perfect dreary day to light some candles, get cozy in some sweats, and be a homebody. I’ve had my iTunes playing all morning while tidying up the house in sock feet and there was something so calming and peaceful about it – being home alone and hearing the music echo throughout the quiet rooms and having the aroma from my fall scented candles fill the house. A lazy day is the perfect way to cure the hangover blues (see my previous post Being “That Girl” for more on that incident!) I’m ready for catching up on my lame celebrity gossip magazines and watching some shitty reality TV. I’ve been on the go this past week, from job interviews to college preparations, so it’s so nice to have a day to myself. Speaking of job interviews and college prep – pleeease send me some good vibes! I have my final interview at Family Video and a pretty important college counseling appointment coming up this week so keep your fingers and toes crossed! For those of you who have been keeping up with my posts, you’ll know that Sunday is the day for my TV obsession, The Strain. IT’S THE SEASON FINALE TONIGHT!!!! I’m so excited I can barely even handle it, ten o’clock can’t come soon enough!!! Definitely expect a post either immediately after or tomorrow morning on my views on the finale! I know I always thank you guys for reading my posts, but here’s another friendly thank you! I’ve gotten over five hundred views on my blog that hasn’t even been up for a month yet – that’s awesome! The likes, comments, and follows are much appreciated so keep them coming! ❤ I applaud all of you out here on wordpress-land – there’s so much talent! I might have mentioned this before, but I always try to read as many posts as I can before bed each day, and you guys can write!

Hope you all have a fantastic Sunday. What are you guys up to for the day? Are you getting chilly fall weather where ever you’re at right now? Stay warm if you are! -Sarah

Oct3

Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

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Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

My mom and I are absolutely in love with the show Parks and Recreation. We binge watched up to season five and were SO disappointed to have to wait for such a long time to see season six, as it only came out on Netflix and DVD a few days ago. Lucky for us, we finally snagged the DVD set from the library, and have been watching our usual two episodes per night, just like before! My P&R time with my mom is very similar to my Dancing With the Stars time with my dad (see previous posts!). It’s our special time with each other, where we don’t have to think or do anything other than laugh. We love the cast of the show so very much. I’ll be honest, I used to despise Amy Poehler before I started watching Parks. I found her quite annoying. But after spending six seasons with her on this show, I adore her. She’s the cutest little thing ever! I love how passionate her character, Leslie Knope is about her job and her coworkers. I find it so adorable just how much she goes above and beyond for all of the members of the Parks team. Leslie Knope is thoughtful and goofy! Poehler is just fantastic at portraying this. Another fan favorite of ours is Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger. (Anne Perkins!) This guy cracks me up! Everything said by Traeger is either funny or indirectly funny because of his delivery. Seriously every time he opens his mouth it puts my mom and I in stitches. The chemistry between the cast is really something special. They also have a great script to work with as well. The writing on Parks is sharp and quick. I love the different types of humor it touches on, everything from sarcasm, satire, to complete silliness. Even the smallest backhanded comments on each episode pack a humorous punch. I’m looking forward to watching more of season six. My partner in crime and I are on episode five and so far so good!

If you haven’t watched Parks and Recreation, I can’t recommend it enough. Fantastic writing, a solid story line, and an all star cast including Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Adam Scott to name a few. Did I forget to mention Guardians of the Galaxy super star Chris Pratt is on the show too?! He’s a trip. Here’s a few snippets of some funny moments from the show:

Where are all of my Parks and Rec fans on here? What’s your favorite episode? (Mine is the Sexual Education epi on season 5!) Who’s your favorite character? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah

Sep30

A Special Night

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A Special Night

Family is so important to me. Monday nights always hold a special place in my heart because it’s when I get my cherished one on one time with my dad. And it’s no secret that I’m the ultimate daddy’s girl. Monday nights (AKA Middle Aged Monday – AKA MAM) is when I get a full two hours just for me and my dad when we watch Dancing With the Stars together. It’s been a tradition of ours for years now, and it’s time that I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world. Every Monday night like clockwork at eight o’clock we settle into the living room with our snacks and soda and indulge in our television guilty pleasure of DWTS. Every season we tell each other we’re not gonna get sucked into watching…and every season we find ourselves glued to the tv set every Monday night. It’s always so fun to be daddy’s little girl and cuddle up next to him, laugh at all the commentary, and tell each other “I could do that” to all the moves in the routines. During commercial breaks we dance around the living room and recap the just performed dances. We comment on all the racy costumes and snicker at all the dances that we declare “I could have done better than that!” I love it when my dad is goofy with me, and I love seeing him laugh and enjoy himself. One on one time with each of my parents is so special to me, and it’s memories like Monday night tv time that I’m going to cherish for forever. Simple things like watching a television program with my dad or going on a quick shopping trip with my mom hold very dear to my heart, and I’m so lucky that I can indulge in time with one or both of my parents whenever I want. I’m so thankful that for my entire twenty years of life, I’ve truly been a mama and daddy’s girl. I’m feeling incredibly grateful right now. It’s so nice to be able to look forward to Monday night tv every week and to have the two hour daddy daughter hang out exceed expectations. My DWTS time with my dad is the equivalent of a daddy daughter dance to me, and how lucky am I that I get to attend a daddy daughter dance every week. I am content. I am thankful. Have an amazing night guys. Be well. -Sarah

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Sep29

American Horror Story Excitement!!!!

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American Horror Story Excitement!!!!

I seriously can’t even handle my excitement for season four of American Horror Story! October 8th can’t come soon enough!!! I’m banking on AHS: Freak Show to be one of the best seasons yet. I’m not gonna lie, Coven deeply disappointed me, so I’m hoping this rebound season will blow me out of the water. It was a matter of time before AHS did a season set in a carnival, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what unique twists and turns they can bring into a somewhat classic setting. Speaking of twists, I’m already scared for this season’s antagonist Twisty the Clown. According to the creators of the show, they didn’t particularly want to do a clown, because it’s so over done. But then they came to the agreement that if they were to do a clown, it was going to be the scariest one of all time. Apparently they did a fantastic job of making him scream worthy, because two camera men reported to have nightmares after finishing filming scenes with Twisty. I’m really excited to have what seems to be a genuinely scary villain in the show, both in their actions and visually. Papa Legba from Coven was probably the closest thing they’ve had to fit that description thus far, and even he wasn’t that frightening. Twisty the Clown sounds to be more like a monster, which is what makes me both nervous as hell and thrilled! I’m interested to see what they’re going to do to make classic carnival characters like the conjoined twins, the strong man, and the bearded lady fresh and new. Because we already know there’s going to be nothing classic about these characters. There appears to be a really strong cast of actors, minus one – Emma Roberts. I absolutely CAN NOT stand her. Her acting is mediocre at best, and even that’s generous considering she’s surrounded by such high caliber actors like Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Dennis O’Hare. If she could stick to acting on Nickelodeon, that would be great. Besides, it’s so obvious she got cast in the show because of her high status man candy Evan Peters. SO BITTER. I’m so excited for Miss Lange to absolutely KILL IT, as the carnival ring leader. I’m sure every AHS fan called this casting choice as soon as the season theme was revealed, but it’s still really cool just the same. Her take charge personality and sassy snark is going to make for one hell of a ring leader. Let’s be honest, Jessica Lange can do no wrong anyways.

What is everyone looking forward to the most about Freak Show? What was your favorite season of American Horror Story so far? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

^^^^ AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sep24

The Strain – part two!

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The Strain – part two!

It’s no secret to my followers on here that I’m a bit of a TV show fanatic. My recent obsession has been The Strain, on FX. I deeply enjoyed reading the trilogy penned by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro, and the show has been smooth sailing up until the MAJOR makeup disappointment this week. Any of you who watch the show will hopefully know I’m referring to the SHAMEFUL display of makeup on The Master, as seen below:

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LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!!! I could have done a better makeup job than that!!!!!!!!!! If any of you have read the trilogy, you’ll know that The Master sounds absolutely horrifying. His looks can only be described as a nightmare come to life. Very often in the book his face is masked by a cloak, which can be seen in my featured image, but when his face is shown, the characters are known to stop in their tracks and stare into his eyes….essentially staring into death. The books leave the descriptions of his appearance fairly vague, because he can jump from one host body to the next at will. The unknown is what makes him so scary. At this point in the television series his host body is a seven foot tall giant man, Sardu. Unfortunately, this disgraceful excuse for makeup read more like a muppet than the staggering appearance of a real life giant. The major problem with these prosthetics is that they literally can’t move. If you watch The Master talk during the show, his mouth only opens and closes, forming no syllables. Which brings me to another problem. WHY IS THE MASTER TALKING?!!?!!!!! In the books, he communicates with his vampire followers and humans alike via telepathy. If they stayed true to this, maybe the makeup wouldn’t have been half as shitty, because we wouldn’t have to see it in action. Just kidding…it would still suck. A quick fix to this makeup malfunction would have just been to keep The Master cloaked. Why display a poor makeup to millions of viewers when leaving our dark lord covered would have given a much more ominous presence? I try to look at the pictures of The Master and make excuses for it, but there’s really no saving this look. That nose. Those ears. Those eyes that practically show the actors actual skin beneath the eyeball. and worst of all THAT MOUTH THAT DOESN’T WORK!!!! I was SO pleased with the television efforts for The Stain until now. What a major buzzkill. I so desperately wanted pure fear when The Master was revealed. I wanted to feel like I was staring into the face of the monster in my closet, under my bed, in the scary furnace room in my basement. But I ended up staring at a poorly applied pull over mask. My suggestions to the current makeup artists on the show: Go to the nearest Halloween store and purchase a mask from there, because it’s sure as hell going to look better than your so called creation! #disappointed #bitter -#Sarah!

Sep23

Dancing With the Stars

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Dancing With the Stars

Middle Aged Monday is upon us again, with another solid episode of Dancing With the Stars tonight. Season 19 is starting out strong with a cast full of fun contestants. Not only do we have a great new cast, but we also have a new judge, Miss Julianne Hough. I absolutely adore her, as does my dad 😉 she’s just so talented and sweet, and she’s not hard on the eyes either! My personal fan favorite so far is Mr. Alfonso Ribeiro, best known as Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. That man has swag. He has great musicality and he can really move! His partner, Witney is just fabulous as well. Her choreography is outstanding. Who knew that Alfonso could bust a move other than “the Carlton”?! My dad and I are also having a blast watching Tommy Chung, “the original stoner” perform. His partner in crime, Cheech makes guest appearances through out the show as well, so it’s always a riot watching both of them together. Tommy Chung is 76 years old, but he’s so young at heart! He doesn’t move like a senior citizen, that’s for sure. The fact that he can keep up with his partner, Peta Murgatroyd’s choreography is mind boggling…the fact that he somehow manages to look great performing the choreography is a natural phenomenon all on its own. I seriously live for Monday nights. I enjoy and value the time with my dad so very much. I really lucked out today because I was originally supposed to close at work, but my coworker asked me to switch with her, so I got to open the store and be home this evening to indulge in my Middle Aged Monday treat. Who are your favorites so far on the show? Who do you dislike? Any early predictions on who’s going to take home the Mirror Ball Trophy this season? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

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Sep22

Naked and Afraid

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Naked and Afraid

I am SO obsessed with this show it’s ridiculous. Naked and Afraid airs on the Discovery channel, and they usually have a marathon of the show every Sunday….which is how I usually spend every Sunday. The show chronicles the lives of two survivalists – one man and one woman for a twenty one day period in an extreme wilderness environment. These environments range from the swamps of Louisiana, to the Amazon rain forest, to the Andros Islands in the Bahamas. The show has the same set up each time. Both survivalists are allowed one item that will help them during their 21 day challenge. The most commonly brought items are usually a fire starter, a machete, or a pot for cooking and purifying water. The most uncommon item brought was a roll of duct tape. It definitely proved more useful than expected, the team used the tape to make clothing, an insulated blanket, and markers for the paths that they traveled. A rudimentary map of the area the teams are inhabiting is also provided. During the duration of the excursion it’s up to our naked Adam and Eve to create a shelter, fire, a source for clean water, and some type of food, whether is be from hunting or gathering. At the end of the journey, our team must make a difficult trek to reach their extraction point. They usually must travel through dangerous waters, jagged cliffs, or dense jungle foliage. Once they reach their extraction point, a signal fire must be started to alert their helicopter, boat, or car ride out of the wilderness. At any point during the duration of the challenge our survivalists have the option to “tap out” and leave the location. The small camera and sound crew are only allowed to interfere with the team if medical attention is desperately needed for one of the competitors. The survivalists are tested extensively before they are accepted to be on the show, and are given a PSR (primitive survival rating). These ratings are based on observations and predictions based on survival fitness in skill, experience, and mental strength. After the completion of the show the PSRs either raise or drop considerably based on the performance of each contestant. If you’re looking for a riveting and really educational show, definitely give Naked and Afraid a try. Hell, dedicate a whole Sunday to watching it when they play a marathon, because I guarantee you that after one episode you’ll be hooked! Have you watched this show before? Which location was your favorite? What would you bring as your survival item if you were a contestant? Leave me a comment and let’s talk! Have a lovely, clothed night! -Sarah

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Sep21

The Following

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The Following

Public service announcement: I am SO obsessed with this show. I binge watched the entire first season of The Following about six months ago thanks to Netflix. Yesterday, my sister suggested we started watching it again. I completely forgot how amazing this show was, as I watched the entire season in one day, and was a complete zombie during the fifteen hour marathon. It’s astounding that I have any recollection of the show at all! We’re on the fifth episode now, and so many critical details that have been lost in my noggin are now surfacing again. This really is a show that you need to watch over time. If you watch it all in one day, you look past some of the key “hidden in plain sight” details that the show offers, as I learned. Kevin Bacon (SO SEXY!) plays former FBI agent, Ryan Hardy, best known for his capture of serial killer, Joe Carroll (played by James Purefoy). Mr. Carroll escapes prison, only to be recaptured again by Ryan. Once Carroll is back in jail, insane instances begin happening, carried out by his cult followers of psychopaths and killers. All of Joe’s plans that are being carried out outside of the prison walls, have a direct effect on his loved ones, especially focusing on his ex-wife Claire and young son, Joey. It’s now up to Ryan Hardy and a team of very capable FBI agents to track down these followers before all of Joe Carrolls’ twisted plans fall into place. The cat and mouse chase of this show keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The acting is SO brilliant too. The scenes between Bacon and Purefoy are so raw and powerful, you can honestly feel the tension through the tv screen. There’s a solid crew of supporting actors as well, specifically miss Valorie Curry who plays Emma Hill. She’s Carrolls’ right hand woman, and let me just say: she’s fucking nuts. This girl can ACT. It really is impossible to not hate her character, so that just means she’s doing a fantastic job of playing a fanatical killer. Did I forget to mention one of the coolest parts of the show? All of the Edgar Allen Poe references!! One might say that Mr. Poe was the inspiration for Carrolls’ serial killings. Poe believed nothing was more beautiful than a beautiful girl dying, as did Joe Carroll, leading to his murders of fourteen young women at the college he was a professor at. Stories and poems of Poe are quoted through out the show, as well as specific references in the murders to famous short stories such as the Tell Tale Heart and the Black Cat. Seriously guys, do yourselves a favor and give The Following a try. This blog post doesn’t even begin to dabble in how amazing this show is. What’s your favorite Edgar Allen Poe story or poem? Have you watched this show before? What do you think of it? Leave me a comment and let’s discuss! -Sarahpoe_following

Sep17

The Strain

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So my television obsession recently has been the FX series called The Strain. It’s based off of the trilogy written by the gorgeous minds of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I just finished the trilogy after a solid month or so of plucking away at the 350 plus page books, and let me tell you: it was fucking crazy!!!! I’m not gonna give anything away, I promise….but jeez Louise! If you happen to watch the tv show and haven’t read the books, I can’t recommend them highly enough. I’m honestly not a huge vampire fan per say, but the unique take on the vamps in this series had me hooked. These vamps are absolute demons. With no sparkly skin and no teenage romance bullshit. So naturally, I loved them. The television series has been doing a terrific job of staying true to the books so far too, so kudos to that for sure. The tv show has also done a great job of hiring this sexy beast to be a cast member:

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HUBBA HUBBA! That’s my man crush Monday right there 😉
What are some book recommendations guys? I need something new to start reading since I completed The Strain trilogy! I’m thinking of starting Gone Girl, the movie trailer for it looked intriguing. Have any of you read it? Is it worth my time? Leave me a comment and let me know! Have a great night! -Sarah

Sep15

MIDDLE AGED MONDAY

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It’s that time of the year ladies and gentlemen. The premiere of the new season of Dancing With the Stars is on tonight and I am THRILLED! I’ve been a faithful follower of this show for years with my parents, and I creatively coined the occasion “Middle Aged Monday” due to the middle aged nature of the show. I mean seriously….how many twenty year olds say that watching DWTS on a Monday night is one of the things they look forward to? Not a whole lot. The only people who I know who like this show are old people and middle aged people. So if my deep love for it makes me an old lady at heart, then so be it. I’m ready for the new season. I’m ready for quality time with the parents, sipping on some Two Buck Chuck wine, and eating hella popcorn. I’m also ready for Bruno’s hilarious wit and flamboyant personality. He’s my spirit animal, I adore him! Have a great Monday night guys! And if you happen to indulge in Middle Aged Monday (aka MAM) shoot me a comment and let me know what you think of this seasons competition! -Sarah

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