Jaime Lannister Prediction

    I've always found Jaime to be an interesting character(more so because I've read the books where he really shines) so I've always wondered how he'll end up. Now normally I try to stay away from fan theories but I just can't help myself with Jaime(I'm always wrong) so here is another Bold Jaime Prediction for the upcoming episode of Game Of Thrones. Ready?

He will kill the Night King with Oathkeeper, save Bran's life, and die in the process thus becoming a 2X King Slayer and tragic hero*. 

By doing this Jaime will:

1. Fulfill his Lannister motto of A Lannister always pays his debts but in a good way. And he owes lots of debts.
2. Justify the reason Bran did not to tell on Jaime and fulfilling the cryptic "How do you know there is an afterwards?".
3. Cause a Cersei reaction. How will she react? I hope to find out.
4. Everyone else's reactions.
5. People think the knighting scene was building us up for Brienne's demise. Surprise! She lives to carry out her own oaths, continue her own arc to greatness, and help carry Jaime's legacy. And as a bonus, Jaime won't be in the way of the Giantsbane from suiting her.
6. It would be the most dramatic, Oh, fuck! death since Ned's.

hero*- One of my favorite quotes of all time is this from F. Scott Fitzgerald: "Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy".

The Last Jedi Post

Spoilers!

    

    Star Wars, like most beloved things, comes with unachievable levels of expectations from its those who love it.  Those of us who have grown up with Star Wars have strong opinions and even stronger wishes for where the story takes us.  There have been millions of words devoted to fan fiction(both official and unofficial) that shape the Star Wars universe to where we would like it to be.  Unfortunately, and more importantly, realistically, the movies have failed to meet those lofty dreams of countless fans.  I myself learned a lesson when The Phantom Menace came out.  Not only did it fail to live up to my expectations, it failed to live period.  And that movie was done by the man who created the Star Wars universe!  So I have learned to not bite into the hype(I don't even like watching the teasers and trailers) and try to experience each subsequent movie as something detached from what I have experienced before.  I also need to watch them more than once to have true gauge of what I think about the latest incarnation of the Star Wars franchise.

     Why am I bringing this up?  Because The Last Jedi is one of the most polarizing chapters in the Star Wars cinema universe.  It seems most people either really hate* it or really like it.  I have seen some real flame wars happening on the internet over the movie including some vitriol heaved at many of its stars.  The Force Awakens awakened strong feelings not just in Rey but in almost all Star Wars fans around.  While the movie was just a re-telling of the original, it still fed our need to love and have hope in the Star Wars cinema universe again.  It also fed the high expectations of most fans as to what the next chapter would/should bring.  And it brought The Last Jedi.  For the record, I mostly like it, or at least, I want to mostly like it but there were some definite issues that prevented me from really liking it or adoring it like other fans have.

     Luke Skywalker and his character arc looks to be the main gripe with most fans.  And I can't blame them. Luke, for many, is Star Wars.  It is his story more than his father's and how he acts and his death(not just him dying but how he died) really sat wrong with many fans.  I get where he is coming from that leads to the way he is acting.  The guy has been through more levels of heaven and hell than most people knew existed.  He went from simple farm boy to savior of the galaxy and back to simple farm boy.  So what if he didn't have it in him to be the savior again?  That is why we have Rey now.  Luke's journey had come full circle and it was time.  Sad yes, but still necessary.  Personally, I didn't mind him dying(Force ghost anyone?) and I thought it was cool and powerful the way he died(fading away into the Force while staring into the horizon).  No it wasn't done in some spectacular fashion that I think most fans feel Luke should have gone out but it was done with quiet honor and dignity.  However, the movie made way too light of Luke being with Rey and his training/failing of Ben.  I could have seen less milking and fishing scenes and more insight into what the hell happened to Ben other than a flashback or two.  His reaction to Han not being there was too short, too simple.  Those two went through some shit together, let's see the tears flowing.  So Luke Skywalker, other than a couple of gripes, was not an issue for me.

     The main thing that I really did not like was that it was too sitcomy* if that makes any sense.  Disney is doing the same thing to Star Wars that it did to most of the Marvel movies; made it too light and fluffy so to attract the biggest audience they could while dumbing it down enough so that the majority of ticket buyers could go home smiling and feeling good about life.  This really worries me about future installments.  It is a slippery slope that I hope will be rectified before it is too late.  Rogue One proves that Disney can make a good Star Wars movie, I just hope when this data is analyzed a re-direction can be found.

     The main pursuit/battle was also a little too unbelievable as well.  Are you trying to tell me that the Empire First Order never developed a ship that could quickly intercept any of the Rebellion Resistance ships?  And if that hyperspace/self destruction trick is so powerful why didn't they just do that the moment Snoke's ship first appeared?  Or during any of the previous battles?  It seemed to be a pretty powerful weapon at their disposal.  And what was Snoke* doing there?  If you are going to rip off the Emperor then you should have at least learned from his mistakes.  And as much as love me some Benicio Del Toro his character was way too convenient for the plot.  Good thing Rose and Finn got put in the same cell as someone that they so desperately needed in order to complete their extremely difficult plan in just the nick of time.  Convenient plot point is convenient.  Besides, wouldn't that casino have been the perfect place to reintroduce Lando?  Bring back Lando!  Don't even get me started on Leia Force flying through the cold vacuum of space.

RIP Captain Phasma, I wish we knew you well but you appear to have been just a throw-away character in cool looking armor.

     But, I mostly did like the movie.  While it was sitcomy the series has yet to complete its journey to the Darkside of sitcom humor.  I still love the characters of Rey, Poe, Finn, and now Rose and enjoyed watching them develop more through adventure like those kids did back in 1977.  I love that Kylo Ren isn't just another cold, cunning Sith Lord but could be certifiably crazy.  He presents a different type of danger than the previous Darths.  Overall the movie was entertaining.  It was a little long but decently paced and my 5yr old nephew was able to sit through it until the end enjoying what he saw.  And isn't that what it is all about?  New characters to learn and love with new fans?  It might not have been the second coming of The Empire Strikes Back it doesn't have to be.  It just has to be good without insulting the fans with midichlorians or racist caricatures while still advancing the overall story line.  And I feel the movie succeeded in that.  But remember, I learned to temper my expectations a long time ago.

My updated rankings for Star Wars movies are:

TIER 1

1. Star Wars

2. The Empire Strikes back

TIER 2

3. Revenge of the Sith

4. Rogue One

5. The Return of the Jedi

6. The Last Jedi

7. The Force Awakens

TIER 3

8. Attack of the Clones

Just tears...

9. The Phantom Menace

*hate- The bagger at my local supermarket told me this morning that he walked out of it.  He says it is too PC now.

*sitcomy- What was with that Abbott and Costello exchange between Poe and Hux in the beginning of the movie?  Seriously, how did Hux become the leader of that army when he falls for bush league stunts like what Poe was doing.  "But it was funny!" you say?  Remember that funny bit involving Grand Moff Tarkin? No? No? That's because there wasn't a GODDAM THING FUNNY ABOUT GRAND MOFF TARKIN!  And that is why Wilhuff was put in charge.

*Snoke-  You get the feeling that they didn't know what to do with the faux-Emperor so they just killed him off?

Game of Thrones S.7 Ep. 4 Thoughts

     WARNING: Not only have I watched all of the TV show I have also read all the books that are currently available.  So, if you do not wish to see show spoilers or possible book revelations then please, do not read any further!



     Last night's Game of Thrones was one their best episodes ever and I could easily talk about how awesome it was for the next couple of hours.  However, I am not here to do that.  What I am here to do is throw out some thoughts on something that I've been thinking about all morning*, Jaime Lannister.  I am firmly in the camp that believes that Jaime did not in fact die*.  Jaime in the books has become one of my favorite characters due to the complex nature of where he has come from and who he is turning into.  To me he is on the road to redemption and will become one the heroes in the end.  And while the show has hinted at possible redemption(especially at the end of season 6 at Cersei's coronation) this season he has gone back to being Cersei's bed-mate and chief lackey.  To have Jaime die by being knocked off a horse and drown in a river would be one the greatest anti-climatic let downs in the history of TV.  Not to mention how disappointed the book readers will be to find out that this is where Jaime's road might* lead him.  So no, I do not think Jaime is dead.

     Bronn, however, is another story.  Somebody significant* had to be sacrificed to make the battle seem more than just an excuse to show off Drogon and the Dothraki, we need something to keep us grounded into the reality of the situation.  It is one thing to think about the poor sods who were turned to ash and feel some sympathy for them.  But we need something to slap us in the face and say "Hey! Shit's getting real!".  And unfortunately I think that means that Jaime is going to find Bronn's somewhat burned and bloated corpse.  And that is what has me thinking about Jaime all morning, how is he going to react and how will he proceed?  He is going to come out of that water and see his own men(remember the conversation Dickon had with Jaime and Bronn earlier about watching men he grew up and hunted with die in battle?) and what has become of Bronn after Bronn's valiant sacrifice(s).  He is going to see fire, ash, and what is left of his command and how he reacts might be one the most defining moments in the story.  To me, there are a couple paths he could follow, each one leading to very different circumstances.

1) He pulls a Hound and goes off to find himself and escape his troubles*.  He could come back later in the story, perhaps when the Night King has finally invaded the North.

2) He slinks off a humble and broken man to find the one person he knows might truly care for him and has an actual heart, Tyrion.  Remember, Jaime broke his sacred oath and killed the Mad King not for power, prestige, or family pride.  He did it to keep the Mad King from razing King's Landing.  He just witnessed what one dragon could do in a matter of minutes so you know he's got to be thinking about what three could do to King's Landing and its inhabitants.  Cersei will not care about any of that but Tyrion would definitely be willing to listen and actually try to prevent such a catastrophe. (This is the one I'm hoping for!).

3) He crawls back to Cersei with more resolve to take down Daenerys after what Daenerys did to his own army.(This one would highly disappointing).

     There are other possible scenarios but to me these( or something very similar) would make the most sense.  So you see why I have been thinking about Jaime all morning?  His next decision could have a major impact on the story.

Some Other Random Thoughts

Arya Stark.  Arya is my favorite character from the books and she is one of my favorites on the show as well so her future is very intriguing to me.  BOLD PREDICTION! Arya* impersonates Jaime to gain access to Cersei and then strikes Cersei down right when it hurts the false-queen the most thus fulfilling not just Arya'a hit list but Cersei's prophecy as well. And as much fun as a Cleganebowl would be, I would love to see Arya go one-on-one with the Mountain just to watch her pick him apart for all the horrible acts he has committed.

The Anti-Dragon Scorpions.  Bronn had Drogon point blank twice(once when Drogon was unawares and once while Drogon was barreling down on him) and only managed to hit him once and it wasn't a death shot.  So how effective they are probably depends on how many they have lined up waiting at King's Landing because it looks like they are going to need blind luck to be effective.  I hope there are only a couple because, and I want to be clear on this, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE A DRAGON DIE!  And now that Daenerys knows that they have those type of weapons how does it alter her strategy?

Petyr Baelish.  I can't quite get a finger on him.  He has to realize the gravity of the situation with the Night King coming but I keep getting a sneaky feeling that he still has more surprises and betrayals in store.  I hope Arya has a short talk with him.

I still want to see Lady Stoneheart.







morning*- Yeah, I know, I lead a dull life.

die*- Although to be frank, I would not put it past the producers to do it just so they can prove how much more "clever" they are than us fans. "HA! HA! You thought Jaime might possibly turn to the Light Side? HA!HA! Fuck you!"

might*- I say "might" because the show is its own entity and does not have to follow the books so tightly.

significant*- Sorry Dickon(*snort*) and Samwell's dad, we don't care about you.

troubles*- Wouldn't that be grand for Jaime to join up with the Brotherhood Without Banners?  Could that even be possible?  The Hound, Jaime, and Thoros.  Think of the hijinks!  (I give it a less than 5% chance of happening).

Arya*- Are we all in agreement that the faceless men can shape-shift and not just wear a face when going undercover?  Otherwise their special ability wouldn't get Arya(Maisie Williams is listed as being 5'1") very far.

A Rogue One Post

     So I've seen Rogue One twice now and I feel pretty confident about where it ranks on my personal list of All-Time Star Wars movies.  First some thoughts though; I liked it, I really liked.  It was well paced, tight, fun, and it accomplished something that most "expanded universe"(in any form) entries failed to do; it carved out a nice little story within the Star Wars universe without trying to rewrite any of the mythos or character personalities. About the worse you could accuse it of was explaining why the Death Star had such an exploitable weakness that could cause it's full destruction.  And seriously, nobody is going to complain about that are they?  It was heavy in the cliches and I felt whatever was happening between Jyn and Cassian was a little forced but over all it was what I hope all other stand alone* Star Wars movies will be, an exciting yet unobtrusive ride through a galaxy far, far away.
And thank you Rogue One for not wasting Wen Jiang and the great Donnie Yen like another movie further down on the list wasted Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian.  Again, thank you!
So here is my updated list:

1. Star Wars(It was called Star Wars when I first saw it and I'm not changing now).  The original is still the best and is the only one of the films that can stand out both independently and within the series proper.

2. The Empire Strikes Back.  Considered by many to be the best it is a close second for me.  It has the classic lines, the dark atmosphere, the greatest WTF?!? moment in cinema history, and Darth Vader turning the bad-assery up to 11!  Beautiful, simply beautiful.

3. The Revenge of the Sith.  What the what?  A prequel?  Yes, yes it is.  I feel Revenge of the Sith gets an unfair reputation due the halo effect of the other two prequels.  But if you strip away stench of the severe suckiness of EP. 1 and the general mehness of Ep. 2 there lies a really good movie.

4. The Return of the Jedi.  Ewoks.  Ewoks just about ruined this whole movie for me.  How am I supposed to take the Empire serious when a bunch of Teddy Ruxpin's with stone weapons and sharpened sticks can take out an entire squadron? But it does have one my favorite scenes from any of the movies: the duel in the throne room.  That whole sequence with Luke, Vader, and the Emperor almost makes up for the Ewoks...almost.  No Ewoks, we cannot be friends.

5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.  The feels about right although several subsequent home viewings might jump it past Jedi.

6. The Force Awakens.  The movie was heavy in nostalgia and promise but at the end of the day it was just a retelling of Star Wars.  I need more than that.  Hopefully we'll get to see Phasma, Finn, Kylo, Poe, and especially Rey in something original because they are some fascinating characters who deserve something better than a rehash.  And oh yeah, if you are going to have bad-ass Asian action stars in your movie they better be doing something bad-ass.  Comic fodder for the Black Beast of Argh just doesn't cut it.

7. Attack of the Clones. Meh.  That's really the only way you can describe it.  It had it's moments(almost all involving Obi-Wan) but the Anakin/Padme romance never kindled for us and the future Vader seemed like a future...nobody.  Meh.
...
...
...
...
...

100. The Phantom Menace. One word, 5 syllables: midichlorians.  Thanks for ruining the magic for us George!  The film went downhill from there.


*stand alone- I guess technically it was also a prequel.

A Best Friend

On Saturday, Biscuit was her usual self albeit a little sluggish.
On Sunday, she only ate a partial helping of her food.
On Monday, she didn't eat at all.
On Tuesday, she still didn't eat at all
On Wednesday, her Vet didn't like the image on the x-ray.
On Thursday, she was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that had already spread to three of her organs and was shutting them down.
On Friday, I laid her to rest.

     That's it.  In less than a week my best friend went from a fun-loving, lil' dog to...a shell of herself.  She was at the point where all the vet said I could do was give her pain meds and try to feed her manually.  But all that was going to do was delay and I wasn't going to let her suffer and wilt to nothing just to keep me from having to grieve for her.  She spent one more night sleeping in my lap as I sat in my chair, her quietly sleeping while I sat up thinking about what had to be done the next day.  We walked one more time around her yard, letting her investigate every nook and cranny, every corner and smell, it was her private paradise.  She laid in her chair, on her blanket one more time, where she was most comfortable.

We drove to the Vet one more time...

     Biscuit isn't the first dog I've had to lay to rest and she will not be the last.  It doesn't get any easier though.  After every passing you remember the pain and heartbreak and you want to bond that much stronger with your new dog knowing, deep down, that one day it will end.  After every passing you want to cherish your new dog all that much more, vowing to never take them for granted because you know, deep down, it will not last forever.  That's why they never get any easier.  But we still need those friends in our lives.  We still need that unconditional love and companionship, someone to always be happy to see you walk through your door.  Those 5, 10, 15 maybe 20 years are worth all the grief we will go through later that in the backs of our minds we know is going to happen.  We know some day we might have to make that decision that all pet owners hope they never have to make but, deep down, know they will.  But we still need those friends in our lives.  It is all worth it.

     What made this passing even harder was that for the first time in my life, I was completely alone.  When I lived with my parents, all us kids had our own dog plus there were also "family dogs".  There was always more than one wagging tail to keep your spirits up.  When I finally moved out and was faced with the passing of my dog with me before Biscuit, my brother and his dog were staying with me.  So I still had someone to greet me at the door, tail wagging.  But now?  Nothing.  My house is empty and felt even emptier some how when I came home today.  It hit me hard again, really hard.  I had all weekend to grieve and thought I had most of the crying out of my system but that feeling when I walked through my door after work and nothing was one of the worse feelings I had felt in a very long time.

     Most of my dogs had always been the "free to a loving home" type but Biscuit was the first one that I had actually paid money for.  My maternal grandfather had a Beagle when I was growing up and he was the coolest lil' dog ever.  That dog was happy to see everybody, I mean everybody.  Worse guard dog ever but the best for a bunch of young grand kids wanting to play. I had a childhood fondness for Beagles so when word got to me through other people that they new a family who was selling Beagle pups I jumped at the opportunity.  Biscuit was the only one left, the runt who nobody wanted.  But I wanted her and she was happy to be wanted.  It was me and her vs. the world and that was how we liked it.  Both of us were the outsiders nobody wanted but we were happy.

     The void left by Biscuit both in my life and in my home has been very unsettling.  I miss my lil' one very, very much but the nothingness is driving me crazy.  The county animal shelter is down the street from where I work, maybe I'll stop by tomorrow.  I know the inevitable will happen but I still need that friend in my life.

Modesto Mail Thieves

     Here is video of some thieves stealing my parents mail today.  This isn't the first time it has happened.  They wait for the outgoing mail flag to be set then they strike.  The neighbors have talked about a locking community box but everybody argues about who's house to put it in front of.  Besides, those are just as rip-offed as anything anymore.

Part 1:

Part 2:

     Mail theft is so common in Modesto anymore the police don't even bother with it.  Fill out a report and if someone comes in and actually confesses on their on free will then they will make an arrest.

*sigh*

Star Wars Post IV: Some Hope

     So, you may have heard there is a new Star Wars movie coming out soon.  It is less than two months away and the hype/publicity machine is kicking into overdrive.  You may also be wondering(or, more likely, not wondering) why a self-proclaimed Star Wars fan like myself isn't geeking out like so many other self-proclaimed Star Wars fans are currently doing.  Why am I not re-tweeting, re-submitting, or re-blasting all things Star Wars related 24/7?  That is because this time I'm going to try and play it calm 'n cool and go in with an clear mind.  Those fans going all out for the new Star Wars?  Good on them.  They're having fun and that's what it's all about.  I'm not here to lambaste them or try to say who's the better Star Wars fan*.  I'm just here to express a little on why this fan isn't doing that.

     I'm not going to go into the gory details of my Star Wars fandom(at least not in this post).  I literally grew up with Star Wars(born in '74) and honestly cannot remember a time when it wasn't significantly in my life.  So back when it was announced that George was going to make the prequels, I stood up at attention and never took my eyes off the prize of a new Star Wars movie.  I had StarWars.com and TheForce.net constantly open on my computer so I would never miss a bit of info or rumor.  I read all the expert opinions, all the fan theories, and  even dove into some of the darker recesses of the internet to try and catch a glimpse of something that may or may not have been taken from the set or "found" on a network associated with the new movie.  I tried to collect everything(I still have Pepsi cans exploding in my garage) that had anything to do with the new movie.  I lived, breathed, ate Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace hype.  *sigh*

     When Menace finally had a release date and tickets went on sale I bought tickets for three consecutive showings.  Yes, you read that right.  THREE consecutive showings.  What could possibly go wrong, right?  *sigh*.  With the first showing my heart and head were so enraptured that I never blinked or thought during the movie.  "This is a new Star Wars!" was the only thing running through my mind as I watched Menace go by.  The second showing had me less a fanboy and more a concerned fan about what was happening on the screen.  The third showing?  The magic was gone* and now my critical thinking kicked in.  And it was not happy.

     To say Menace was a huge disappointment to me is an understatement.  It took Star Wars in the opposite direction of where the original went.  It was...not good.  But looking back now I can't help but think that part of the huge letdown was how hyped I was going into the movie.  My expectations were so high that I don't think anything could have lived up to them.  It was my destiny to be disappointed.  That doesn't excuse Menace in any way but it helped me prepare for the later movies.  J.J. Abrams has earned the benefit of the doubt based on his past works.  But then again, so did George.  After all, he did create the original and most of us thought he could re-create the magic again.  Unfortunately, it didn't happen and hopefully J.J. learned the lessons of George's mistakes and we get back to great Star Wars movies.  So far the only thing I've really spent time looking at this time around was the very first teaser.  That's it.  I'm didn't even bite on this whole"OMG! Why isn't Luke in any of the trailers?!?" mini-drama.  Only clarity.  This time I'm staying off the websites.  This time I'm not going out and blowing a paycheck on collectibles.  This time I'm not scouring the internet for rumors, theories, and what-might-be's.  This time my mind will be unclouded and focused.  This time, I hope, will be different.






fan*- Just like when it comes to the Athletics, there is no definition of what a "real fan" is.  You enjoy Star Wars the way you want to, I'll enjoy Star Wars the way I want to.

gone*- The magic was literally gone because of Midi-chlorians...thanks George, *sniff*...