Carnieland

I'm never watching another episode of Carnivale in the dark again. Little did I know that 2x03 and 2x04 were two of the creepiest episodes of the show so far. Before, the show was along the lines of "Ho-hum, freaks in the desert." These episodes, the guest stars were more like, "freaks in the desert who will kill you." Big difference.

Also, in a feat I didn't think was possible to accomplish, Justin managed to get exponentially creepier in these two episodes. Well, I suppose it's a combination of increased creepiness and revoltingness. It's the difference between "omgcreepy, but kind of in a way I love to hate" and "omgcreepy I don't CARE if I miss something important to the plot arc, I want you off my screen RIGHT NOW." Whatever; I will never look at a glass of milk without shuddering again.

Still moving at a glacial pace on the plot arc. This show could convey the same amount of information it takes twelve episodes to do in, oh, two. Not even joking. Foreshadowing is nice; I have no problem with it. I have problems with the camera slooooowly panning around a scene and focusing on random things that will not ever be seen again and which serve no purpose. Also, whole episodes that do nohting but rehash plot points. Oy with the poodles already. You could watch every other episode and still be up to speed on necessary info. I feel like I'm reading Dickens.

Then again, it is pretty. So, so pretty. So I keep watching, mainly for the pretty, pretty Depression-era set dressing and sepia lighting and awesome, awesome scene transitions and framing and various camerawork and etc. etc. etc. It's a pretty show. I'm also stubbornly determined to be there if they ever give out answers. The plot arc would be totally cool, if they'd ever get started on it.

One nice thing was the vague intimations of Ben/Sofie shippiness at the end of 2x04. Ben is still dumb as a box of hair, but he does seem to have gained a few IQ points over the season break. Sofie is less of a surly teenager with an attitude problem (albeit a fairly justified one) and more of a sympathetic character. I like them together, possibly because they're the only two people on the show who aren't having sex with each other. (...Yet. Surely it's only a matter of time.)

Er. I hope that was all vague enough not to spoil anyone who hasn't made it this far.

Wild weather

Crazy weather today. We had a thunderstorm roll through this evening; nothing to get excited about, can't hold a candle to the tornado-spawners of spring and summer, but it's relatively uncommon to hear thunder in winter, let's say.

And apparently everyone north of Kentuckyish is getting more snow than they can deal with. Poor, poor people living on the eastern edge of Lake Ontario. If you go [insert your favorite news site here], they've got pictures of snow up to the second stories of people's houses, and little mini-canyons of snow where the sidewalks and streets have been shoveled. I think CNN was reporting recently that one town has recorded twelve feet of snow this week.

...I could never live there. I would kill myself. I assure you I am not joking. I didn't do so well freshman year, when the two feet we had hung around for months on end. Twelve feet would drive me insane.