Part 2 of Episode 2 of the Lilja & Lou Podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. I join L&L to talk about The Wind Through the Keyhole and my book, The Stephen King Illustrated Companion.
I got some more work done on the short story in progress, but I spent much of the weekend whipping my submissions into shape. I had quite a few stories lying fallow, along with a number that had been in the hands of markets for more than eight months. I queried a couple of them, but for the most part I classified them as implicit rejections and resubmitted the stories elsewhere.
The season finale of The Mentalist was exciting. It took me a few minutes to figure out who it was in the back seat of the limo once the firing ended. Nothing at all symbolic about a character named Lorelei who lures Patrick into bed before dashing him on the rocks. I have absolutely no idea how you pronounce the actress’s last name: Emmanuelle Chriqui. I wonder if she’ll be featured much next season. CBI doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to keeping Red John’s minions alive in custody.
Not a bad two-part season finale of Criminal Minds, either. I had a suspicion the guy in the bank was going to play a more important part, simply because the actor looked familiar. JJ demonstrated the inherent dangers in getting between momma bear and her cub. Ever since she’s moved away from being the media liaison, her character has gotten a lot tougher. Looks like Prentiss is gone from the show. Again.
We went to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this weekend and enjoyed it, as we knew we would. The cast is populated by some of our favorite actors: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and Penelope Wilton (from Downton Abbey and Harriet Jones from Doctor Who). This motley crew of geriatrics all go to India to take advantage of the cut-rate accommodations offered by Dev Patel’s character. Maggie Smith is the only one who isn’t planning a permanent move. She’s in India to get a cheaper and more immediate hip replacement and convalescing at the hotel. It’s a fun film, with some serious moments. A bit predictable at times and surprising at others. I figured the outcome of the Bill Nighy/Penelope Wilton story was a given, but the way it came about surprised me. I loved seeing it on the big screen, where all that wonderful, exotic scenery is before you like an oversized landscape at a gallery.
We returned to The Sopranos this weekend, finishing off Season 4 and reaching the halfway point of Season 5. Good to see Steve Buscemi. I had high hopes that his character would be able to remain above the fray after he got out of prison, but he got sucked back in after a couple of ill-advised choices. Robert Loggia’s character was pretty annoying, but it was good that they found an alternate way to eliminate him as a problem than the usual.
I’ve had the DVDs of Season 6 of Lost on the coffee table for months, so I decided to revisit the show. Watched the first five or six episodes. It’s interesting to see it again knowing what it all means and how it will turn out.
