I mean, you all wanted to see this picture again, right? You're welcome. Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW.

How are you handling the hiatus, Vampire Diaries fans? Over at Vampire-Diaries.net, they’re hosting a series of posts by bloggers and recappers to help you through this dark time, featuring the top moments of season 3 (so far). I wrote one, featuring some of my favorite moments  on the show this year: Top 3 Moments of Vampire Diaries Season 3 (So Far): Lucia of Heroine TV | Vampire-Diaries.net. We all know that Katherine’s hair is the best part of the show, but I tried to dig a little deeper. You can read everyone else’s awesome lists here.

Photo Credit: Screencap Paradise

1. ANGEL: “Life of the Party,” episode 5×05, originally aired October 29^th, 2003

This is not only one of my favorite Halloween episodes, but one of my very favorite Angel episodes. “Life of the Party” takes place during the time when Angel and company are running Wolfram & Hart. Lorne is in charge of the entertainment division, and is tasked with planning the firm’s Halloween party. His colleagues are resistant to attending the party, and Lorne is overtasked and undervalued. This leads him to remove his sleep, which has mystical consequences … for everyone. A Lorne-centric storyline? Love. Wes and Fred drunk? Best thing I have EVER seen. “You walk alone!” Gunn marking his territory? Weirdly hilarious. Angel and Eve having sex? Um … I won’t hold that against this stellar episode. Ghost Spike compelled to be positive? Priceless. Bonus: Harmony! Definitely put this on the Must-Watch-List.

Photo Credit: FOX.

2. BONES: “Mummy in the Maze,” episode 3×05, originally aired October 30^th, 2007

While I haven’t been loving Bones as much in the recent seasons, I really did love those first three years. “Mummy in the Maze” is an example of everything the show does right. Also, Halloween costumes! Brennan dresses as Wonder Woman (amaaaaaazing!), Angela as Cher, Cam as Catwoman, Zach as a horse’s ass (I’m not making this up), Hodgins as the captain of the Titanic, and Booth as a Squint. Love love love. The case of the week is also compelling. The discovery of a mummified girl in a Halloween themed hay bale maze (in Stars Hollow, hay bale mazes were more a Spring Fling thing, but I guess hay is pretty versatile) leads to a second mummy in a fun house. Someone is scaring girls to death. And one of the suspects is Shawn from Boy Meets World!

There are some great character moments all around. Booth and Bones have both humorous and emotional scenes, and Bones even gets to mistakenly shoot her partner. (Bones + guns is never a good idea.) Also, Angela and Hodgins have hired a P.I. to find Angela’s husband, and the P.I. is played by Azura Skye—Cassie from Buffy! She is absolutely hilarious in this episode, pitch perfect as she continually describes the perfection of Angela’s husband. “He smelled like a fresh wind after a summer storm and you can practically see the lights of Havana from the porch of that cottage. […] Did I mention that he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen?” Hee.

Photo Credit: Screencap Paradise

3. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: “Halloween,” episode 2×06, originally aired October 27^th, 1997

So, I’m not ranking these episodes, but if I were, “Halloween” would be at the top. It is one of my favorite episodes of Buffy for sure. It’s one of those endlessly rewatchable episodes–it never ceases to amuse me. The premise: Buffy and her friends buy Halloween costumes at a new costume shop, and then proceed to turn into whatever costume they are wearing. Fun times. Unfortunately, this also happens to all the kids in town who are dressed as demons. Uh oh. And Buffy did not have the foresight to dress as Xena. Double uh oh. But with help from Sexy Ghost Willow and Soldier Xander, the meek version of Buffy survives the night. And when she turns back into her real slayer self and kicks some demon ass, it is perfection. “You know what? It’s good to be me.”

“Halloween” also features our first introduction to Ethan, and more importantly, Ripper Giles. Oh, and it features one of the patented “Who is that girl?” lines from Oz. Swoon. There is also a great exchange between Spike and Dru. “Do you love my insides? The parts you can’t see?” “Eyeballs to entrails, my sweet.” As Giles would say, “How very droll.” This episode is just chock full of wonderful little moments that you will enjoy experiencing over and over and over again. 

Photo Credit: Screencap Paradise

4. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: “Fear Itself,” episode 4×04, originally aired October 26^th, 1999

While inferior to “Halloween,” this Buffy episode is still well worth a rewatch. A definite classic. Buffy is suffering from post-Parker depression disorder (don’t let PPDD happen to you or your loved ones!), but thankfully, this episode provides her with a distraction from her angst. The Scooby Gang attends a frat party and end up trapped, forced to face manifestations of their fears. Things get ugly.

My favorite part of the episode is probably Anya’s bunny costume. Xander told her to dress as something scary, so she did. The scariest. Also, Oz dressed as God is classic, and some clever planning in case the events of “Halloween” were to repeat themselves. Willow dresses up as Joan of Arc, because of her close personal relationship to God. Hee. Giles … um, he wears a sombrero. A really really big sombrero. Love love love. The episode is also immensely quotable. Go ahead and watch. Just remember, always pack your basket full of weapons. And don’t taunt the fear demon. That’s just tacky.

 
 
5. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: “All the Way,” episode 6×06, originally aired October 30^th, 2001

The weakest of the 3 Buffy Halloween episodes, “All the Way” is somewhat Dawn-centric. The littlest Summers lies to Buffy and goes out on a double date on Halloween. Unfortunately, the boys end up being vampires. But before that big reveal, Dawn has her first kiss … with a vampire. Oh, those Summers girls really have a type, huh? As usual, Buffy and the Scoobies have to save Dawn. Must be Tuesday. Dawn does manage to save herself in the end, however, and gets to stake her first vamp (at least I think it was her first). This also means that she killed the first boy she ever kissed. This will make a great story at parties when she goes off to college. Plus, Spike metes out a well-deserved lesson to a fellow vampire about the importance of respecting tradition. Demons causing trouble on Halloween? How gauche!

There is also some great Halloween themed stuff at The Magic Shop in the beginning of the episode, including Anya dressed as a special kind of Angel, The Charlie. “We don’t have wings. We just skate around with perfect hair fighting crime.” At closing time, Anya and Dawn do the dance of capitalist superiority. Plus, Xander and Anya finally announce their engagement in this episode. Less happy, however, is Willow’s continuing overuse of magic. She and Tara fight over it, and Willow majorly crosses the line by putting a spell on her girlfriend to make her forget. This will come back to bite Willow in the next episode, “Once More with Feeling.”

Photo Credit: ABC/ Michael Desmond.

6. CASTLE: “Vampire Weekend,” episode 2×06, originally aired October 26^th, 2009

“Vampire Weekend” is basically a love letter to Whedon fans, who followed Nathan Fillion from his work on Firefly and Buffy, to his latest role as Rick Castle. Plus, it’s also just a really good episode of TV. The opening scene features Castle and Beckett called to a graveyard, where the dead body in question is sporting fangs and has a wooden stake through its heart. Dun dun dun! In the course of solving the murder, Castle models THE BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUME EVER, his old Captain Malcolm Reynolds costume from Firefly. Sniffle. Oh, memories. Relive Castle in his space cowboy glory below:

 
 
7. CHARMED:  “All Halliwell’s Eve,” episode 3×04, originally aired October 26^th, 2000

This season three episode of Charmed features time travel and lots of super cheesy Halloween witchiness. If you like that kind of thing, this is a fun holiday choice. First off, I loved the Halloween costumes: Piper as Glinda the Good Witch, Brenda Prue as some kind of wood nymph, and Phoebe as Elvira. Phoebe is not a fan of Halloween. She is annoyed with the pop culture perception of witches, and is protesting. Her sister points out: “I am so impressed that you can make a protest statement and show cleavage all at the same time.” Hee.

On Halloween, the veil between worlds thins, and the three sisters get sent back in time to 1607. While back in colonial times, they must save a baby and encounter witch hunters, dark magic, and a disguised Balthazar. All of this teaches Halloween skeptic Phoebe to “embrace the cliché.” Also, part of the happy ending is that the heroic hottie who saves the girls back in 1607, has a modern day doppelgänger. He and Brenda  Prue hit it off in both timelines. Also, things are heating up between Phoebe and Cole. Unfortunately, he is the demon Balthazar and is working secretly to sabotage them. Don’t you hate when that happens? That poor girl has the worst luck in love. 

Photo Credit: ABC/ Randy Holmes.

8. COUGAR TOWN: “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” episode 2×06, originally aired October 27^th, 2010

This is the most recent episode on the list. See, I sometime like current shows too! My love of Cougar Town has been well-documented on Twitter and the blog, and this episode definitely ranks among my favorites. Jules’s father visits during Halloween time, and after some tension filled issues cause them to argue, they finally have an amazingly sweet and touching father-daughter moment. However, this is a comedy, so there is also a lot of funny to be had. My favorite? Ellie and Laurie dress as each other for Halloween. See the magic below:

 
 
9. FELICITY: “Spooked,” episode 1×05, originally aired October 27^th, 1998

I love everything about this episode. Here are some of my favorite things about “Spooked.” 1) Felicity and her hair dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein. Perfection. 2) Ben and Felicity having all-nighter heart-to-hearts, with Ben getting all emotionally vulnerable. 3) Ben giving Felicity THE NECKLACE. 4) Felicity meeting Javier for the first time! He is THE BEST! 5) Felicity puking on Noel after he gives her a heartfelt speech. Hee. 6) Elena hooking up with the Tin Man. 7) Ben dressed as a member of the Rat Pack. This episode is really the gift that keeps giving.

 
 
10. GILMORE GIRLS: “Twenty-One Is the Loneliest Number,” episode 6×07, originally aired October 25^th, 2005

This episode serves double duty as both a birthday episode and a Halloween episode. It is drama filled. This one takes place during the days when Rory had dropped out of Yale, and was living at her grandparents’ pool house, hard at work on her community service. I mean, I don’t want to have to remind you about that whole boat stealing thing, but some things just can’t be helped. Things were going just fine, ho hum, but then Richard and Emily figure out that Rory and Logan are sleeping together. They are not happy. Richard complains, “I paid $40,000 to redecorate her sex house. I bought her her sex mattress. Her sex box springs.” Richard is so upset that he goes to Lorelai for help, but she reminds him that they have both been there and done that and he ruined her plan. Go Lorelai!

As Richard sulks in his office, Emily is hard at work planning Rory’s 21st birthday party. (Don’t worry, Emily will make sure that all the candlesticks are exactly 6 inches apart). Rory is unenthusiastic about the party, as she and her mom had big plans for her 21st birthday that did not involve lace and pearl encrusted invitations. Lorelai is bummed for the same reasons. You see, this is when they are still not speaking to each other. My apologies for bringing up this dark time. But this episode is great, because it is the first step in repairing the Gilmore girls’ broken relationship. It is a light in the dark tunnel!

However, there is also a Halloween related subplot. Babette and Maury, it seems, have an annual tradition of making Lorelai feel bad at Halloween. They go all out in staging a scary hanging to frighten the children, so Lorelai decides she wants to do something too. She plans an elaborate skit in which a mad scientist (Lorelai) will pull intestines (sausages) out of a patient (Luke). Luke says no over and over again, but after the emotional birthday party, where Lorelai faces her estranged daughter, comforts her: “Hey, you can pull link sausages out of me if you want.” Awwww.

But the best part of the episode is probably the part where Rory dreams that Madeleine Albright is her mother. This dream includes the same dialogue as “Rory’s Birthday Parties” in season 1, when Lorelai followed her birthday tradition of sneaking into Rory’s room at in the middle of the night to tell the story of Rory’s birth. Albright relates, “And while some have called it the most meaningful experience of your life, to me it was something more akin to doing the splits on a crate of dynamite.” Classic. What other show featured a lead character dreaming that the other lead character was Madeleine Albright? No other show, that’s what. This show is special. Worst part of the episode: Logan’s horrible “distressed” blazer. You know the one. (Okay, I know that this entry was the longest one, but Gilmore Girls is not just a show to me. It is a way of life. It deserves extra attention.)

While the season 1 episode never revealed the identity of the Slutty Pumpkin, next week's season 7 episode will finally give us some closure. Oh hi, Katie Holmes! Photo Credit: CBS.

11. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: “The Slutty Pumpkin,” episode 1×06, originally aired October 24^th, 2005

In this early episode, we learn that every Halloween for the past few years, Ted goes to the same Halloween party on the roof, and waits for the Slutty Pumpkin. “Wait, how can a pumpkin costume be slutty?” you ask. “It was cut in strategic places.” Also, every year Ted dresses in the same costume, so that she’ll recognize him: a hanging chad. Hee. Oh, wow, hanging chads. Memories. 2000 was so long ago. That was the first election that I ever voted in. Now I feel old.

Other highlights of the episode include Lily and Marshall dressed up as a parrot and a pirate, respectively, and Barney dressed up as a pilot from Top Gun. Robin doesn’t dress up, but her poor date does, and she proceeds to … really not like him. Goodbye, Mr. Lederhosen. I hope that you find someone who’s willing to share her ice cream sundaes. Or learn how to buy your own damn ice cream.  There is also talk of Ewoks. Love.

Photo Credit: rockjem.com

12. JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS: “Trick or Techrat,” episode #033, originally aired October 30^th, 1987

You guys, there is a Jem and the Holograms Halloween episode! So exciting, right? The plot revolves around an old opera house that is in danger of being torn down. The Holograms want to save it, by paying for the restoration with the proceeds of a benefit concert. Ah, a benefit concert. The Holograms LOVE those. Surprise, surprise, the Misfits try to sabotage it. Now, it’s Halloween-y because the concert takes place on Halloween, and the girls wear costumes. Jem is a witch, Kimber is a skeleton, Aja is Elvira, Shana is a devil, Raya a mummy, and Danse is a … girl in a mask? Also, at the beginning of the movie, the band watches a scary movie with the Starlight girls. Turns out that the star of that movie runs the opera house. Other highlights of the episode include the girls’ colorful overalls, while working on renovations. Hee.  The songs featured include Jem and the Holograms numbers “It’s Fun to be Scared” and “We Can Change It,” plus the Misfits’  ”Don’t Look Now.” There is not enough Techrat, but it is still a fun trip down nostalgia lane.

Photo Credit: Carin Baer/ AMC.

13. MAD MEN: “The Gypsy and the Hobo,” episode 3×11, originally aired October 25th, 2009

I recapped this episode once upon a time, and it is big frakin’ deal. This is the one where Betty confronts Don about the box she found in his desk. You remember, THE BOX. She knows that his real name is Dick Whitman, and that he lied to her for years. Betty’s forceful conviction completely changes the dynamic between her and Don, for the first time in the series. It is powerful to watch. And Don’s reaction? I mean … it is just heartbreaking perfection. He completely forgets about his schoolteacher girlfriend waiting in the car, and breaks down over his guilt about his brother’s suicide. Betty is clearly moved by this, and is driven to a couple rare moments of understanding and compassion. When the Draper family goes trick or treating together at the end of the episode, it is just fraught with so much tension and subtext. Especially when their neighbor (oh hi, Kris Polaha!) asks, “And who are you supposed to be?” Who indeed.

Also, this is the episode where Joan breaks a vase over her husband’s head. And a thousand GIFs were born. Such a satisfying moment that I could watch over and over again. For that moment alone I would give this episode an A+. In a slightly related plot-line, we realize that Joan is “the one” for Roger, despite his recent marriage to Lois Lane’s little sister. I should not be as moved by this as I am.

Photo Credit: MSCL.com

14. MY SO-CALLED LIFE: “Halloween,” episode 1×09, originally aired October 27^th, 1994

While somewhat uncharacteristic of My So-Called Life, due to the paranormal aspect, “Halloween” maintains the heart and charm of the show. Take, for, example, the Angela voice over at the opening: “When I was little, I like, worshiped Halloween. And truthfully, part of me still does, cause it’s your one chance all year to be someone else. [...] I wanna be someone else. But to wear an actual costume to school is like, too scary.” Truer words. Nevertheless, Angela does end up dressing up, in response to Rayanne’s prompting. She sports a vintage 60s style outfit, though with her red hair plus the mohair, I thought, “That is totally something Willow Rosenberg would wear.” She even finds a ticket in the pocket for the class of ’63 Sock Hop. Rayanne dresses as a vampire, proving that Rayanne did everything cool on TV before it was cool. But Angela’s sister Danielle wins the prize with her Angela costume, complete with spot on Angela impression. Rickie’s Brian costume is a close second. Hee. Sharon is a cat. Angela’s parents dress as Rapunzel and a Pirate. (The less said about that, the better.)

On Halloween, Angela,  Rayanne, and Brian sneak into the school at night. Rickie begs out because he’s smart. Once inside, Angela is drawn by the ghost (?) of Nicky Driscoll, a kid who died at Liberty High on Halloween night of 1963. Let’s just say that he has some similarities to a certain Jordan Catalano. Meanwhile, Brian and Rayanne fight … and then get closer. He gets caught looking at Rayanne (as in looking). He tries to cover: “Look, I’m … my hobby is photography. So I’m like, trained … to notice stuff.” Rayanne: “Being the stuff people notice is like, my hobby. It’s what I live for.” Ha!

So, what’s our favorite guy-who-leans up to? Well, not going to class, that’s for sure. A teacher (wearing a Jedi costume, mind you) is fed up and asks, “Does anybody know Jordan Catalano?” Angela voice over runs with this: “Does anybody know Jordan Catalano? that question like, got to me.” Me too, Angela. ME TOO! Angela is worried that he will be expelled so she gives him a message from the teacher: “She says you have to start showing up to class or she’s gonna have you kicked out.” Jordan: “So what’s the message?” Oh, Jordan. Keep leaning, sweetie. After a heart-to-heart with Rickie under the bleachers (ah-mah-zing!) and another encounter with Angela, Jordan comes around. Awww. Bonus: Tino references. I live for Tino references. He is the biggest unsolved mystery on television.

Photo: Sergei Bachlakov/The CW.

15. SUPERNATURAL: “Monster Movie,” episode 4×05, originally aired October 16^th, 2008

While “Monster Movie” is not technically the Halloween episode of season 4–it aired 2 weeks earlier than “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester”–it definitely deserves a spot on this list. I’m not sure any episode is as Halloween-y. Plus, it was filmed in black and white, and written by Ben Edlund, people! It is a very beautiful thing. The Winchesters head to Pennsylvania for a case, and discover that something is killing people in a variety of classic monster movie styles. Turns out it is a Shifter with a theatrical style. Shifter episodes are always good. Bonus: the boys get to enjoy a little Oktoberfest fun, and Dean discusses how he’s been re-hymenated.

16. SUPERNATURAL: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester,” episode 4×07, originally aired October 30^th, 2008

In this Halloween themed episode, the Winchesters investigates mysterious deaths in a small town, and it turns out that a witch is planning to resurrect Samhain, the origin of Halloween. Said witch is played by Amber Benson, pre Pretty Little Liars fame. Aw, Hanna, nice to see you playing evil. Fun times. Also, one of the deaths is played out like the “razors in the Halloween candy” urban legend. COMPLETELY HORRIFYING! I’m still disturbed days later after rewatching. Shudder. It might put me off of Halloween candy for the season. (Except for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I’m sure no one put razors in those. They wouldn’t dare!)

This episode also services the season long angel arc. Sammy is adorably excited about meeting his first angel. However, after meeting Castiel and Uriel, he begins to agree with Dean that angels are dicks with wings. Turns out that the raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals, so the angels are prepared to level the whole town in order to serve their long-term anti-apocalypse goals. The Winchesters are not okay with this, and in the end we get to see how powerful Sam really is.

 
 
17. THE BIG BANG THEORY: “The Middle Earth Paradigm,” episode 1×06, originally aired October 29^th, 2007

I love Halloween costumes, and our beloved geeks on The Big Bang Theory don’t disappoint in their selections for Penny’s Halloween party. Leonard dresses as Frodo, Raj as Thor, Howard as Peter Pan (he thinks he’s Robin Hood), and Sheldon as the Doppler Effect. Penny is a cat–not Catwoman, but a generic cat. In the words of Sheldon, “That’s the kind of sloppy costuming that results from a lack of rules and competition.” At the party, Leonard clashes with Penny’s ex-boyfriend, the jerk who wouldn’t give Penny her TV back. “That’s right, you saw what you saw. That’s how we roll in the Shire.” Also, there is paintball humor and a Jane Goodall reference.

Photo Credit: Quantrell Colbert/The CW.

18. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: “Haunted,” episode 1×07, originally aired October 29th, 2009

I wrote a recap for this episode 2 years ago. Ah, the days when I actually thought the show was going to follow the books, and I found Damon intriguing. I hardly recognize myself. “Haunted” is a significant episode for TVD. It marks Vicki’s death, which has had far reaching consequences for the show all the way up through season 3. We learn the rules surrounding vampire transition, and watch Vicki go through it. It also features a plot driving necklace (no, not that one–the one before that one), Jeremy gets his memories erased, and Damon learns about Zach providing vervain to the Council. Bonus: costumes! I can never get enough.

 
Are you in the Halloween spirit now? Did I miss anything major? Share your favorite Halloween episodes in the comments. And pssst… Angel, Bones,  Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Felicity, Mad Men, My So-Called Life, and The Vampire Diaries are all available on Netflix Instant.

Photo Credit: WB.com.

Break out the champagne, cupcakes, and Gilmore Girls DVDs because today is Heroine TV’s three year blogversary! On September 23^rd, 2008, I first started blogging about television on Live Journal. On July 28^th, 2009, I moved the site to WordPress.com. Finally, in September of 2009, I moved to a self-hosted site powered by WordPress.org and hosted by BlueHost.com. In May of this year, I branched out and started a book blog: Raspberry Cordial. I have only managed to write two Raspberry Cordial posts so far, but it is definitely something that I want build. I have a lot of ideas for book-related posts … I just need to make the time. Seven hundred and seven posts over three years of blogging and two years of running my very own website, but it feels like way longer than that. The days before I obsessively wrote about TV seem so long ago. Le sigh.

Many thanks to everyone who has visited Heroine TV over the past three years. Especially to those who have been reading since the very beginning. (Hi, Mom, Dad, Sara, Francesca, Ennio, Paeleena, Jeannie, Gianna, and Sofia!) Your comments and feedback on Twitter have really meant a lot, and the fact that you guys visit Heroine TV has opened up some really cool opportunities for me. I can’t thank you enough. Also, thanks for “liking” Heroine TV on Facebook. If you didn’t know about the FB page, and want to stay updated via your feed, head over there to support the site. You can also subscribe to the Heroine TV Podcast via iTunes, if you haven’t already. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with self-promotion or site news stuff, but I just wanted to mark the occasion.

As for the future, my blog posting schedule will (continue to) be a bit sporadic (as usual) over the next year. I am currently working on my dissertation and working as a Teaching Assistant and Reader at my university, so the blog is something that I do in my spare (or rather, stolen) time. While I can’t guarantee regular recaps or the ability to check in with every awesome show, I can guarantee that I will continue to try my very best to write about TV as often as possible. This blog is something that I really love doing, and your support makes it even more worthwhile.

Nathan Fillion and Molly Quinn. Francesca took this pic during the Castle signing.

When I last left off in my SDCC recapping, Francesca and I had watched nine panels on Saturday, July 23^rd. I had fulfilled my life-long five-year dream to be in the same room as Joss Whedon while he said funny stuff and mentioned a (very unlikely) Serenity sequel. Living the dream, y’all. Anyway, there was still a whole other day for Francesca and me at SDCC, so let me tell you all about it. Sunday, July 24^th presented a very difficult conundrum, people. We had to decide between the Winchesters and Nathan Fillion. The gods of Comic-Con are cruel masters indeed. While Francesca and I adore Nathan Fillion (spoiler alert: he is Francesca’s FAVORITE celebrity … okay, maaaaaybe tied with Ryan Gosling), we are not really huuuuuge Castle fans. I mean, we like it, but we are really really huge Supernatural fans, and Dean Winchester is one of my many many handful of TV boyfriends. So, what to do? After much soul searching, and possibly as a direct result of Supernatural marathoning on Saturday night (Francesca recently finished season three for the first time!), we finally decided on going to the Supernatural panel. However, forces conspired against us. You see, once we got in line (a crazy crazy line full of madness), we quickly realized that we were too far back to get in for the first panel. Now, the first panel of the day was Glee, so no skin off my nose, but we soon realized that most people were there for Dr. Who (we could tell the Dr. Who costumes, as you may recall, by the fact that we had no idea what they were dressed as—helpful tool). The Dr. Who panel was scheduled immediately following Supernatural. That room was not going to clear out after Glee. No way, no how. These Who fans meant serious business. It was totally hopeless to wait in that line.

Of course, Captain Mal is no consolation prize, so we rushed off to room 6BCF (hellhole with only one screen that it is—the room was definitely a factor in our original decision making), shaking our Fillion-loving heads at ourselves. Luckily, Karma did not punish us for being bad Browncoats and we made it into Room 6BCF (blech) in time for the panel before Nathan. Phew. We could tell we were in the right place, because the room was full of Jayne hats. I mean, every room in SDCC is full of Jayne hats, but this was a much higher concentration. There had to be a Big Damn Hero on the way.

Wild Cards Panel

In our stress over the Winchester vs. Fillion conundrum, we failed to pay attention to what panel preceded the Castle panel. Thus, I was verrrrry pleasantly surprised to see George R. R. Martin, one of my very favorite authors (hello, he is the person who created the Starks!) take the stage. He was moderating and joining in on a panel for Wild Cards. Now, I will admit that I have not read any of the Wild Cards books, but attending that panel really made me want to. Smart and witty authors have that effect on me. Martin wasn’t alone, but was joined by Melinda M. Snodgrass (Edge series, Wild Cards), Paul Cornell (Doctor Who and DC Comics), Carrie Vaughn (Kitty novels), Michael Cassutt (Heaven’s Shadow), David Anthony Durham (Acacia Series), Caroline Spector (Wild Cards), Daniel Abraham(Leviathan Wakes, Dragon’s Path), and Kevin Andrew Murphy (Supernatural Suburbia). All of these authors contribute to the Wild Cards universe, writing books set in that world. It’s like a comic universe in prose form. They all seemed brilliant, and they would clearly be lots of fun to go drinking with and have long dinner conversations with. Also, Caroline Spector was rocking purple hair, so I can only assume that she is particularly awesome.

See, purple hair!

Martin began the panel with a few laughs by joking about how he knew that a lot of people were there to see Fillion. He sympathized, being a fan himself. (Fun note: it is completely reciprocated. Nathan Fillion talked many times at SDCC about his love for Game of Thrones. How beautiful is that?) Also, Martin confessed to partying ‘til dawn the night before (get down with your bad self, George!) and stipulated that his moderating style is to cause trouble. As is his writing style, so that was no surprise. No one is unhappier than a Martin character, people. I weep for them all. Anyway, I don’t really have any more specific notes than that. Just, go check out Wild Cards. I will.  

Castle Panel

A super fuzzy pic of the girl wearing the "Nathan Fillion, One in a Million" tee. Her day was made. (Remember, this was the room where pictures were hard to take.)

Finally, at 11:45a.m. it was Fillion time. Now, I did not know going in that this was going to be a full-fledged Castle panel, given that it was billed as “One-on-One with Castle Star Nathan Fillion.” It was not a one-on-one. Rather, Fillion was joined by Molly Quinn (Alexis), Seamus Dever (Ryan), John Huertas (Esposito), and Tamala Jones (Dr. Parish). I mean, obviously Nathan dominated the panel, geek god that he is, but the others were A LOT of fun too. First of all, Molly Quinn entered the room dressed up as Captain Malcom Reynolds. So adorable. She was wearing a BROWN COAT. Shininess. Everyone immediately fell in love with her, and she continued to win us all over throughout the panel. Also, Seamus Dever was wearing a Thundercats shirt and was clearly so happy to be there. Super adorable. My opinion of Ryan has improved due to his complete adorableness. Team Ryan! So, here are the highlights from the panel:

• Francesca deafened me and all those surrounding us with her cheers for Nathan’s entrance. Girl stood up and started arm pumping and catcalling. I never even knew she was capable of such fangirling. I’m so proud. I’ll make a geek out of her yet.

• An audience member was selected to reenact the opening scene from Castle. The girl chosen was wearing a “Nathan Fillion One in a Million.” Possibly she was the one person in the room who loved Nathan more than Francesca, but I can’t scientifically prove that.

•  They showed us the first scene of the new season. No, I don’t know whether Beckett lives or dies yet. Well, I know she’s gonna make it, given that I know how TV works, but that clip did not inform my knowledge.

• Someone asked a question about bringing on Whedonverse guest stars. Nathan said, “Soon.” Needless to say, this garnered loud applause. Did I mention all the Jayne hats? Personally I’m rooting for Jewel Staite to guest ASAP. Raise your hand if you need a Kaylee-Mal hug in your life?

• Nathan had a bag full of gifts, and gave away prizes to everyone who asked questions: Green Lantern rings, Dr. Horrible dvd, etc. Molly brought stuff too, including a Serenity dvd. This was clearly part of a plot to get all the Firefly fans to further worship her, and I applaud her for it.

• Nathan said, “Yesterday I roamed the floor amongst you and you didn’t even know.” True facts, people. He even gave a fan his disguise.

• Nathan on his hair: “It’s a blessing and a curse.” Have truer words ever been spoken?

• Wisdom from Nathan: “Never touch a man’s car … or spaceship.”

• Seamus to Nathan: “I only get ONE question and you gotta dance through it.” Awww. He was soooo happy to be asked that one question. Hence his adorableness.

The panel was awesome. But that was not the end of Fillion-related awesomeness. Just wait. So, during the panel they gave out these little raffle ticket things, and if you got one with a stamp, you got to go to the Castle signing. Francesca got one with a stamp! And I promise, she didn’t even cheat. (Clearly the gods of Comic-Con wanted to make up for scheduling Fillion at the same time as the Winchesters.) So, we decided that we would meet up at the Marvel booth where the signing had taken place. Francesca was going to stay in the room for the Merlin panel (she loves that show), while I headed off to the Smart Pop booth to get my copy of A Visitor’s Guide to Mystic Falls signed by Vee. (I’m one of her biggest fans, obviously.) Priorities, people. Also, BUY HER BOOK. Do it for the children. I would tell you what Vee wrote in my book, but it involved crimes we committed together, so I better not. Just kidding! She committed those crimes all by herself, and my confession was forced. (No, I have no idea what I’m talking about either.)

Okay, so finally it was time for the Castle signing and I went to meet up with Frani, who was waiting in line. We made conversation with the guys next to us, and after a while, one of them didn’t want to wait in line anymore. I don’t know … he had things to do? He offered me his ticket so I could do the signing too. So, basically, I strolled into the line and got a ticket, while the guys behind us had showed up first thing in the morning to get their signing tickets. No, I was not assassinated by Castle fans, but if I had been, I really couldn’t blame them. Finally, we got up to the front of the line, and suddenly I could see Nathan Fillion a few feet away from me and it finally hit me that I was about to be face to face with the actor who portrayed my very favorite male character IN ANY MEDIUM OF ALL TIME (yes, I love Mal even more than Han Solo), and Francesca realized this too, and we kind of silently started to freak out. Like our eyes got a little buggy, and I felt like I did right before my prom date picked me up in eleventh grade. We traded cameras and agreed to take pics of each other while shaking Nathan’s hand (ah, the best laid plans … that did NOT work out).

So, when we got up to the table, the handlers told us that Castle posters were being provided, and we couldn’t ask to have the actors sign anything else. Then we were hurriedly led down the line of actors, starting with Huertas, Jones, Dever (he was totally adorable, again, and smiled really huge and shook my hand), and then Molly Quinn. I complimented Molly on her awesome costume. Aaaaaand then I was like a foot from Nathan Fillion and I was kind of star struck, which had never happened in my entire life. I didn’t even know what was happening. It was all a daze. I really awkwardly pushed forward my Castle poster for Nathan to sign, but he said, “Sorry, sweetheart. This one is yours.” THE ONE HE WAS TOUCHING. No big deal. Yeah, he called me sweetheart. Happens to me every day. Gulp. (I mean, I think this is what happened, but it was all hazy and gulpy). I was a little disappointed because he had already signed my poster. I hadn’t even got to watch him sign it, and now I was going to be hurried off. I think he sensed this, because then he kind of paused and held out his hand and smiled and said, “I want  to thank you for coming.” (Again, I think this is what happened. There could have been dancing hippos in tutus for all I know.) So, I shook Nathan Fillion’s hand. After he called me sweetheart and thanked me. We had a moment. I may have been a mute frozen awkward crazy-eyed weirdo, but it was still a moment. BEST. COMIC-CON. EVER.  (So yeah, I totally forgot to take a photo of Frani shaking Nathan’s hand. I’m a terrible sister.)

A very happy Francesca and Lucia after the Castle signing.

The End …

Okay, so after that, the next item on our must-do schedule was the Buffy musical screening. That didn’t start until 4:00p.m., but given the insanity in the Hall H line that morning, we figured we better get in line then. We were happily surprised, however, to learn that Hall H no longer had a long line. The Who fans had dissipated. So we made it into the room in time to catch part of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We had never seen the show, and judging by the clip shown at SDCC, I never ever will. Still, it was kind of a fun panel because the room so clearly LOVED the show. All the questions contained inside jokes about the show, and the room was packed and loud and excited. Good on you, Always Sunny.

Next up was Sons of Anarchy from 3:30-4:00p.m. Now, at that point, I had never seen even one episode of Sons of Anarchy. However, it was already on my To-Watch List, due to frequent praise of Maureen Ryan on the Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan Podcast and a very awesome Smodcast episode featuring Katey Sagal and Kurt Sutter. Of course since then, as anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, I have become obsessed with Sons of Anarchy. OBSESSED. It is my new favorite thing. I lived and breathed it for ten days while I marathoned the first three seasons, and now I’m counting down the days until the season four premiere (Tuesday, September 6^th at 10/9c on FX).

The panel was moderated by Maureen Ryan, whom I really admire, so that was really cool. Panelists included creator Kurt Sutter (The Shield) and stars Charlie Hunnam (Children of Men), Katey Sagal (Married …With Children), and Ron Perlman (Hellboy).  We were also shown the first few minutes of the fourth season premiere, which was fun. Francesca and I spent a great deal of the panel whispering about how cute Charlie Hunnam is and trying to figure out what kind of accent he has. His accent is kind of weird, people. It doesn’t sound like any British accent that I have ever heard before. I mean, it’s lovely … but weird. Also, I very much enjoyed how stumbly and stuttery Kurt Sutter is when he speaks in public. He’s obviously a very successful and brilliant man, and yet he still says “uh” or “um” every other word. It makes me feel better about myself, given that I really struggle with that. Thanks, Kurt, for your brilliant show and your “um”s. (Also, you were totally the hottest showrunner at Comic-Con. Shhhh. Don’t tell the others.) You can watch the full panel, which was only 30 minutes, here.

Then the room really emptied out (you go, Sons of Anarchy!) and we scrambled to find good seats for “Once More With Feeling.” We were so excited. Especially me. I am so obsessed with the Buffy musical. Francesca reminded me that when she first watched the musical episode, I put on the sing-along captions and forced her to sing-along. And this was her very first time watching it. I am clearly a horrible person. I’m lucky that my family just rolls their eyes at me and still loves me. So, this was our second time doing a Buffy sing-along, but the first time doing it in Hall H with tons of other Buffy fans. We got a little surprise at the top of the show when Nicholas Brendon showed up to introduce the episode. Pretty cool. We had quite the Whedon-themed SDCC experience, I must say. Anyway, once the music started, we sang along and it was really fun. But we were really surprised by how vehement the Dawn-hate was. I mean, I’m no fan of the littlest Summers, and I always knew that there was an element of Dawn-bashing to the sing-along, but I was really not prepared for the extent of it. It was vicious. Any time she was on screen, the yelling was crazy. I hope that Michelle Trachtenberg never stumbles into one of these sing-alongs. Honestly, it made me like Dawn slightly better, because she was such an underdog in that room. Whatever. I got a little teary-eyed, like I always do, when Buffy revealed that she was in heaven. “I think I was in heeeeaaaaaveeen.” Sigh. Willow’s reaction KILLS ME. Every time. Francesca didn’t cry of course because she’s a cylon, but she did say, “Wow, I forgot how emotional that episode is. That was really emotional.” So, that was the end of our Comic-Con experience. We headed back to our hotel to get the car and drive back home. “The curtains close on a kiss, god knows. We can tell the end is near. Where do we go from here?”

Also, here’s a little video diary of sorts that Francesca and I put together during SDCC. It features Francesca doing the Dance of Joy and kissing Sam Winchester (the bag version).

My favorite part is when Frani yells out “Shiny!” Hee. Sorry for the shaky cam, etc. Frani bought a Flip Cam for me for Christmas and this is the third time I’ve used it. I’m learning. Also, we had big plans for recording a lot more, but we kept forgetting to use the camera. Oops. At least that’s a sign that we were having fun.

Photo Credit: Bob Mahoney/The CW.

To help cope with the interminable summer hell-atus, Vampire-Diaries.net has been running a series of guest posts, Ripping Open TVD. If you’re a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you really should check out these posts. I joined in the fun too, with a post on Katherine. If you read my recaps, you know how much I worship at the altar of Katherine Pierce/ Katerina Petrova and her villainous perfection, so this should come as no surprise. No, I can never say enough about our lil’ miss Scarlett O’Vampire. More Katherine, please! Click here to read the post in its entirety: Ripping Open TVD: Katherine Happened.

Of course, in addition to navigating the crowded exhibit hall and waiting in line, we hope to view some panels. On Wednesday, July 20^th, Preview Night, there will be a special sneak peek of 4 Warner Bros. pilots from 6:00-9:00p.m. in Ballroom 20: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural: The Anime Series. We’re not sure yet whether we’ll be able to make preview night, but if we do, we’ll be sure to let you know what we think of the pilots.

On Thursday, July 21^st, our top priority will be the TV panels in Ballroom 20. You guys, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy Summers herself, will be at the Ringer panel! Slayer Comma The! In the same room as me! Getting into that panel is OF COURSE my #1 goal. We will show up bright and early and depending on when (or if—sob!) we get into the ballroom, we will happily enjoy the TV panels that precede it.  First up is Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe from 10:00-11:00a.m., followed by Covert Affairs from 11:15a.m.-12:15p.m., and then Psych from 12:30-1:30p.m.

The Ringer panel will take place from 1:45-2:45p.m. As my earlier geeking out indicated, Sarah Michelle Gellar will be there, in her second SDCC appearance. According to the panel details on the official SDCC website, it will feature “an exclusive sneak peek at the new series” followed by a panel that will include Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four), Nestor Carbonell (Lost, The Dark Knight), Kristoffer Polaha (Life Unexpected), executive producer Pam Veasey (CSI: NY), and co-executive producers Nicole Snyder (Supernatural) and Eric Charmelo (Supernatural). When I told Francesca that “Baze” would be there, she got excited, so this is one that I think we will both really enjoy.

Following Ringer will be the Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A session from 3:00-4:00p.m. Be still my geeky heart. Seriously, SMG followed by GRRM? Good thing Francesca will be there to pinch me. I mean, seriously. The panel will be moderated by George R. R. Martin, author of the book series upon which the HBO series is based, who also serves as a co-executive producer and writer on the series. Love. I am currently reading the fifth book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, so it will be so fun to hear what Martin has to say and talk with other fans about the series. Cast members to be in attendance include Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), and Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo). Hopefully we’ll hear some fun behind-the-scenes stories and get a hint of what’s to come.

Next will be the TV Guide Magazine: Fan Favorites panel from 4:15-5:15p.m. Moderated by TV Guide Magazine editor-in-chief Debra Birnbaum, this panel will feature several of my favorites: Nestor Carbonell (Ringer), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Jorge Garcia (Alcatraz), Leslie Hope (The River), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Julie Plec (Vampire Diaries), Matt Smith (Doctor Who ), Kevin Williamson (Vampire Diaries), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood). Julie and Kevin! Yay! Since we may not be able to go to The Vampire Diaries panel on Saturday (I’ll get into that below), this will be a great opportunity to hear them talk TV.

Then we plan to stay put for the Showtime: Tired of Ordinary Television? panel from 5:30-7:30p.m. It’s 3 for 1 with this panel, which covers Dexter, Shameless, and the upcoming series Homeland. The Dexter panel will include the world premiere of the new season’s trailer, and then moderator Ralph Garman (KROQ entertainment reporter) will oversee an interview and Q&A session with the stars and executive producers, including Michael C. Hall (star/executive producer), C. S. Lee (Masuka), David Zayas (Batista), and guest star Colin Hanks (Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Roswell). Also appearing are executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck, and Manny Coto. So excited! The Shameless Q&A will be moderated by Mike Schneider (TV Guide Los Angeles bureau chief) and will feature William H. Macy (Fargo, Jurassic Park III), Emmy Rossum (Day After Tomorrow, Dragon Ball: Evolution ), and executive producer John Wells (West Wing, ER, Southland). Then my Brown Coat heart will grow three sizes when Morena Baccarin introduces exclusive footage from Homeland.  Yes, I will see Inara Serra’s portrayer! (Yes, probably from many rows back in a room full of hundreds of people, but STILL.) You can see why entrance to Ballroom 20 is so essential for me. I will report back in detail. That will probably be the end of the day for us (I’m sure that we will be starving and thirsty by that point), though we may stay for the Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog sing along from 8:30-10:00p.m., hosted by the California Browncoats (Room 6BCF).  

On Friday, July 22^nd, I have to leave San Diego to go to work, but Francesca may be able to attend some panels. Also, I may be able to make it to one of the later panels. We shall see. Highlights of Friday for those who can make it (or for those who want to YouTube it later) include the Locke & Key FOX Pilot Screening from 10:30-11:30a.m., followed by the corresponding panel from 11:30a.m.-12:30p.m. Both will take place in Room 8. The panel will feature creators of the comic, Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, and the writer of the TV pilot, Josh Friedman (Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles).

The ABC Family: The Nine Lives of Chloe King panel will take place from 12:00-1:00p.m. in Room 23AB. Super bummed that I have to miss this one, so I expect a full report from attendees and press. The panel will feature a sneak peek of an upcoming episode of The Nine Lives of Chloe King, followed by a Q&A session with Skyler Samuels (Chloe King), Amy Pietz (Meredith King), Grey Damon (Brian), Grace Phipps (Amy), Benjamin Stone (Alek), Alyssa Diaz (Jasmine), Ki Hong Lee (Paul), and executive producers Dan Berendsen and Gina Girolamo (Alloy Entertainment). Also, the panel will be moderated by Damian Holbrook of TV Guide, who is hilarious on Twitter and was totally awesome on the Starkville’s House of El Podcast during this past season of Smallville. Should be a fun time.  

Other Friday highlights include The Big Bang Theory Screening and Q&A from 12:30-1:30p.m. (Ballroom 20); Falling Skies from 3:15-4:15p.m. (Room 6BCF); Entertainment Weekly Presents … Totally LOST: One Year Later from 3:30-4:30p.m. (Room 5AB), featuring EW’s Jeff “Doc” Jensen and Dan “Dan” Snierson; Costume Designers: Designing For Television Production from 4:00-5:00p.m. (Room 9), featuring Shawna Trpcic (Firefly, Angel, Dr. Horrible, Dollhouse) amongst others; and True Blood Panel and Q&A session— from 5:30-6:30p.m. (Ballroom 20). You can get full details on Friday panels here.

There’s a chance I may be able to get back to the convention center for evening panels, and if so I would love to attend Girls Gone Genre from 6:00-7:00p.m. (Room 25ABC). The panel description states: “Meet the women who like to play with trucks and Barbies. And Wolverine action figures. And flux capacitors.” It will be moderated by Jenna Busch and feature panelists Marti Noxon (screenwriter/producer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Mad Men, Fright Night), Gale Anne Hurd (producer, The Walking Dead, Terminator, Aliens), and Marjorie Liu (writer, X-23, Daken: Dark Wolverine, Black Widow, Dirk & Steele novel series). Sounds cool, right?

Also, from 7:00-8:00p.m. is the What’s Up with Penguin panel (Room 9). It will feature Anne Sowards (executive editor, Ace/Roc), Jessica Wade (senior editor, Ace/Roc), and Erin Dempsey (director of trade marketing, Penguin Young Readers Group), who will “give you the dish on forthcoming books from such exciting authors and licensed properties as Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, S. M. Stirling, Rachel Caine, Heather Brewer, Richelle Mead, Kathy Reichs, John Flanagan, and many others.” Also they promise giveaways, including free advance reading copies. You think that there’s any chance I could get my hands on Bloodlines? A girl can hope.

From 8:00-10:00p.m. will be the World Premiere: Batman: Year One (Ballroom 20). In addition to screening of the animated the film, you can stay for a panel discussion with the voice cast. And what a voice cast! Panelists include Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ben McKenzie (The O.C., Southland), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica). Crazy, right? The panel will also feature executive producer Bruce Timm (DCU films), directors Lauren Montgomery(Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) and Sam Liu (All-Star Superman), and casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano (DCU films), and will be moderated by Gary Miereanu.

On Saturday and Sunday, however, Francesca and I have to make some tough decisions. First, let’s discuss Saturday, July 23^rd. The two must-see events for that day are the Dark Horse: Joss Whedon panel and The Vampire Diaries Screening and Q&A. Unfortunately they both happen to take place at the same time. Sigh. I think that we really have to try for the Joss panel, since Whedonism is the closest thing I have to religion. (You can decide whether I’m kidding or not.) The Joss panel is from 3:00-4:00p.m. (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront), and if we get into the room early, we’ll also have a chance to catch the Being Human panel from 12:00-1:00p.m. and the Community panel from 1:00-2:00p.m. However, I imagine that the Joss line will be insane, so I wonder if it’s even feasible. Hmmm.  If we do make it to the Joss panel, we could choose to stay put afterwards for the The Guild Season 5: Convention Timez! from 4:00-5:00p.m. featuring Felicia Day and more and then Charlie’s Angels from 5:00-6:00p.m., featuring the cast and executive producers Alfred Gough (Smallville) and Miles Millar (Smallville).

The other way to go would be to get in line for Ballroom 20 in the a.m., in order to make the The Vampire Diaries Screening and Q&A at 3:30-4:15p.m. The panel will feature Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerholder, Candice Accola (Caroline, may she live forever), and Joseph Morgan. Quite a showing from Mystic Falls. Following TVD will be the Fringe Screening and Q&A from 4:30-5:15p.m. in the same room. Warning, so far it looks to be severely lacking in Pacey. However, Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble will be there, along with executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman. Following Fringe in Ballroom 20 will be the Alcatraz Pilot Screening and Q&A from 5:15-6:00p.m. This panel will include a screening of the pilot, which will air midseason on FOX. It will also include a Q&A with stars Jorge Garcia (Lost) and Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy), and writer and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost).

Another panel that I’d loooove to attend is The Secret Circle Screening and Q&A from 5:15-6:00p.m. (Room 6BCF). However making it to both TVD and TSC would probably take a minor miracle, but we’ll most likely try for this one anyway. The panel will include a screening of the pilot along with a Q&A session with Britt Robertson (Scream 4), Thomas Dekker(Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Phoebe Tonkin (H20: Just Add Water), Natasha Henstridge (Species), and executive producers/ writers Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries), Andrew Miller (Nothing), and Richard Hatem (Supernatural). If we make it in time to TSC, we’ll probably stay put for the Nikita Screening and Q&A from 6:00-6:45p.m. in the same room. The panel will feature Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible 3), Shane West (ER), Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), and executive producer Craig Silverstein (Bones), along with exclusive footage. When Nikita ends, another TV panel will take place in Room 6BCF: Person of Interest Pilot Screening and Q&A from 6:45-7:30p.m. I’m interested in this pilot because of Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) and Michael Emerson’s (Lost) involvement. It’s set to air on CBS, and it could be interesting.

Other panels of note on Saturday include Lost: A Year Later with Jay and Jack from 2:00-3:00p.m. (Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Marquis & Marina); IndieVest Pictures: Knights of Badassdom from 2:15-3:15p.m. (Hall H), featuring Ryan Kwanten, Peter Dinklage, and Summer Glau among others; TV Guide Magazine Presents: Super Supernaturals from 2:30-3:30p.m.  (Room 5AB), featuring John Barrowman (Torchwood), Kristin Bauer (True Blood), Thomas Dekker (The Secret Circle), David Greenwalt (Grimm), Theo James (Bedlam), Jim Kouf (Grimm), Britt Robertson (The Secret Circle), Phoebe Tonkin (The Secret Circle), and Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf); Calling all Lost Fans: Once Upon a Time at 3:15-4:15p.m. (Room 6DE), moderated by Damon Lindelof (co-creator, Lost); Universal Pictures: Snow White and the Huntsmen from 3:30-4:15p.m. (Hall H) featuring Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), along with director Rupert Sanders (Halo 3 campaign) and exclusive footage; Grimm: World Premiere Pilot Screening and Q&A with Cast and Producers from the New Supernatural Series from 4:15-5:15p.m. (Room 6A) moderated by Anthony Stewart Head (Giles!), and featuring David Giuntoli (Turn the Beat Around), Russell Hornsby (Lincoln Heights), Bitsie Tulloch (Quarterlife), Silas Weir Mitchell (Prison Break), Reggie Lee (Persons Unknown), Sasha Roiz (Caprica), and executive producers/writers Jim Kouf (Angel) and David Greenwalt (Buffy the Vampire Slayer); and An Early Evening with Kevin Smith from 5:45-7:30p.m. (Hall H ). You can find more details about the Saturday panels here.  Decisions, decisions …

Sunday, July 24^th, the last day of the con, is a little less busy, but there is an equally perplexing decision to be made. The Supernatural panel conflicts with the Castle panel. We have to choose between the Winchesters and Cap’n Tight Pants. (High class problems, I know.) Francesca and I have yet to come to a decision here. We love Supernatural so much, but we also love Nathan Fillion so much … sigh. If we decide to go the Winchester route, the Supernatural Screening and Q&A is from 11:15a.m.-12:15p.m. in Hall H. It will feature Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles and additional cast members and executive producers, in addition to footage from the upcoming seventh season. This panel directly follows Glee, which worries me a bit in terms of how that will affect our likelihood to get seats.

One-on-One with Castle Star Nathan Fillion will take place from 11:45a.m.-12:45p.m. in Room 6BCF.  The official description reads, “Enjoy a sneak peek into season four and walk away with Double Rainbow!” Hard to say no to that.

Following whatever panel we go to, we will then head over to the Smart Pop booth (Booth B-4) for my friend (and TVD Podcast co-host) Vee’s signing at 1:00 p.m. I will be bringing my copy of A Visitor’s Guide to Mystic Falls for Vee to sign. Exciting! I also hope to possibly get my hands on the Hunger Games anthology that Smart Pop published recently.

Then we’ll head over to Hall H to get in line for the Buffy the Musical— sing along from 4:00-5:00p.m. Fingers crossed that we get a seat! I can’t imagine a better way to end the con than watching “Once More With Feeling” with a bunch of Buffy fans.

Follow me on Twitter @heroine_tv for day-to-day SDCC updates. Are you going to SDCC? What are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments. Also, I hear that there is a lot of swag at these con things, so if I get any cool stuff (that is not immediately claimed by family members), I’ll try to host a giveaway on the site. We shall see …

Photo Credit: ABC Family.

After weeks of anticipation, and an awesome promotional game, The Nine Lives of Chloe King finally debuted this week.  Supernatural teen drama is totally my thing, so I enjoyed it and think it has a lot of potential.  While the pilot was certainly a bit clunky (as pilots tend to be), I was impressed with how fast-paced it was.  The show is based on a series of books by Liz Braswell, and I recently read and enjoyed the first book.  More plot and information was squeezed into the 44 minute pilot than in the entire first book.  Seriously.  The book had its own charm, but I had been a bit dubious after reading it whether this would translate into good television.  The pilot featured a bunch of changes from the book that seemed to make sense for the different medium, and these should help to open up the mythology so as to fuel a serialized television series.  I look forward to seeing more.

Read on for my recap of The Nine Lives of Chloe King pilot, along with the reveal of one final Nine Paths mystery object:

We open on Chloe King, played by the lovely Skyler Samuels, as she and her fabulous hair run through a wooded area (later revealed to be Pioneer Park).  A hooded figure chases her as she runs towards Coit Tower.  Hello, San Francisco!  Then she pulls a major amateur move by running UP THE STAIRS.  Oh, Chloe.  You never run UP the stairs when someone is chasing you!!!  Fail.  Once she makes it to the top, the hooded figure reveals himself to have a noticeable scar on his face.  Since I can’t find the character or actor’s name online, let us just call him Scarface.  (No, this is not a story about drug kingpins and the women and machine guns who they love.)  Scarface get all arch and villainy and says, “Goodbye Chloe,” before pushing her off the tower.  She lies on the pavement, as blood pools under her head.  But don’t worry.  I think the title of this show gives us a clue as to her fate.  Cue the credits.  Not really a fan of the cheesy credit sequence and theme music.  Although I do love seeing the cityscapes that follow.  I went to undergrad in San Francisco and lived there for 6 years.  I miss it so.  When I go back for a visit in July, I will try my best not to fall off any buildings.  You’ve got to have goals, people.

Cut to two days earlier.  Chloe’s mom (Amy Pietz) calls upstairs to wake her up.  Mother and daughter then share a cute morning small talk scene, and I like their rapport.  However, both actresses seem to be trying a little too hard to make this rapport likable.  But I’m sure this will all become more natural in subsequent episodes.  Verdict so far is that I like the mother-daughter relationship, and want to see more.

After Chloe leaves her house, she meets up with her best friends, Amy (Grace Phipps) and Paul (Ki Hong Lee), by the water.  It is super foggy, which I love for the realistic aspect.  Living in southern California, I really miss all the fog and chilling wind.  Yes, I’m weird.  But this is not about me.  This is about Chloe.  It’s her 16^th birthday!  And all she wants for her birthday is to be kissed.  She is tired of being the good girl and wants to do something dangerous.  Be careful what you wish for, Chloe!  Also, she shows off some balancing skills that are a portent of things to come.  

Cut to later that night.  The three friends sneak into a club through the back door.  Then at the bar, Chloe acts adorably dorky when she sees a cute guy.  Skyler Samuels is definitely bringing a lot of charm and likeability to Chloe.  Plus, did I mention that I worship her hair?  It has a little bit of an early Felicity vibe going.  Anyway, Chloe and her hair awkwardly flirt with the cute stranger, whose name is Xavier.  When she claims to be over 18, Xavier calls her on the fact that she’s supposed to be over 21 to be in this club.  Oops.  He promises not to tell, but this interaction is saved from being creepy since he used his brother’s ID to get in.  He’s under 21 too.  Really, the whole thing reads as pretty sweet and harmless.  They dance for a while and clearly are both having a lot of fun.  After some time has passed, they walk outside together and he calls her “wild.”  Clearly, this is the first time anyone has used that adjective to describe Chloe, and she likes it.  However, she’s not feeling wild enough to go back to his brother’s place, as he suggests.  She does get his number though, and before she leaves she turns back to kiss him.  Unbeknownst to her, Scarface, her future murderer, is skulking in the shadows watching.

The next day at school, Chloe tells Amy about the kiss, but then is interrupted by Alek (Benjamin Stone), who is “the cute popular jock.”  (His name is spelled Alyec in the book, but the ABC Family site spells it Alek, so I’m going to go with that.)  While Amy seems to be nursing a little crush on the blond guy, Chloe has no patience for his antics.  She punctuates her dismissal by throwing his basketball.  Surprisingly, the ball lands in the trash bin all the way down the hall.  Impressive.  She hurries away.  When he catches up to her he sniffs her and comments on how great she smells.  Ewww.  I guess teenage vampires aren’t the only ones with this creepy tendency.  Alek’s invasion of her personal space is interrupted when a girl, later revealed to be Jasmine (Alyssa Diaz), calls his name angrily.

Then we cut to the vintage store where Chloe works.  Chloe and her co-worker have some tension, but then Chloe demonstrates her cat-like hearing.  The plot thickens.  Then Hastings Ruckle Grey Damon walks in.  He is pretty adorable and puts on a hat with cat ears, asking for Chloe’s opinion.  She gets all awkward, given that he is cute and she has eyes.  She rambles a bit, and he tells her that his name is Brian, and that he’s taking a semester off from college due to family stuff.  Already Grey Damon has spoken more lines in this episode than he did in his entire Friday Night Lights run.  Also, if I were a teen heartthrob, as Grey Damon is so clearly destined to be, I would want to be named Grey Damon. It sounds totally made-up, but in the best way.  Anyway, later when Chloe leaves the store, she is almost run over by a biker.  On instinct, she jumps onto a car to get out of the way, all cat-like.  Hmmm.  She smiles at her new found speed and coordination, and then decides to run home, bouncing and jumping around all cat-like at every opportunity.  In broad daylight.  Inner monologue of every single person who sees her: “That chick is weird.  And this is San Francisco.  I just saw a guy in a thong being walked on a leash by a woman holding a whip.  I know from weird.”

Cut to Amy and Chloe at dinner.  Chloe has filled her BFF in about her new skills.  Amy has her own shocking news, however.  She and Paul kissed last night.  As the three have been best friends for so long, Chloe realizes that this could cause problems in their group dynamic.  However, she tries to be supportive, after drawing the line at hearing details.  Then the pretty girl who called Alek away earlier, Jasmine, enters the restaurant.  Chloe thought that Jasmine was Alek’s girlfriend, but Amy explains that she is actually Alek’s cousin.  Choe then fills Amy in about Alek trying to kiss her.  She doesn’t mention the sniffing.  And then she tells Amy all about adorable Brian–he of the kitty ears hat.  The discussion is interrupted when Chloe’s mom calls.  Chloe has to go.  She and Amy chat a little bit more first, however, and we see that Scarface is lurking nearby.  On her way home, Chloe runs into a homeless man who tries to rob her.  She suddenly grows claw nail thingies and scratches her attacker with them.  Dun dun dun.  She’s scared and he runs away.

When she arrives home, she is still shaken up and hugs her mom.  However, she doesn’t spill about her new claws and abilities.  She tries to quietly go off to her room, but her mom reminds her about the cake.  As Meredith (Chloe’s mom’s name) insists that she won’t sing, there is an awkward mention of Chloe’s dad.  It seems that he left over 10 years ago.  Hmmm.  Then Meredith playfully asks her daughter about coming home late last night.  Chloe tells her about dancing and meeting a boy.  The two are really cute.  Meredith is adorably excited for her daughter’s little crush, which I find charming.  But the mood changes when Chloe asks about her birth parents.  Instead of asking, “Did they happen to have claws by any chance?” she claims to be “just curious.”  Meredith says, “Well you already know everything that I know, which is pretty much nothing.”  She explains that things were hectic in the Ukraine back then, and Chloe’s father saw her in an orphanage and fell in love.  Money may have changed hands.  When Chloe wonders why her mom never asked any questions, Meredith replies: “Your father wasn’t a big fan of questions.  I wish I knew the answers too.”  (Spoiler alert: LIAR!)  Chloe is placated for the moment, and tells her mom that she loves her before going up to her room.  Once upstairs, she examines her hands and looks into the mirror.  Cue serious and contemplative face.  Life’s not easy for a sixteen year old girl with feline powers, people!

Cut to the vintage store the next day.  Amy and Chloe talk about boys and Chloe’s new “powers.”  Amy grabs her phone to call Xavier on Chloe’s behalf.  But she doesn’t get a hold of him … on account of the fact that he is lying extremely dead on the floor of his apartment.  Uh oh.  Later, as Chloe and Amy are closing up, Cute Brian shows up.  He adorably tells her that he had planned 15 minutes of humorous small talk before asking her to coffee.  So cute.  (Yes, I am overusing “adorable” and “cute” in this recap.  Sorry.)  The two then have said coffee, getting to know each other.  Chloe tells him about her dad, and how she emailed him a couple years ago.  (That will be important later.)  She doesn’t even know if he’s alive.  We learn that Brian’s mom died five years ago, and he and his dad have “been a little lost ever since.”  Chloe raises her coffee for a toast, saying, “Well, here’s to being found.”  But this sweet moment is interrupted when a dog freaks out at Chloe.  Guess it’s true what they say about cats and dogs.  Also, this may be important later, as Brian comments on her nails.  (I hope she didn’t scratch him, given what we learn later!)  Chloe is weirded out by the dog’s reaction to her, and rushes off.  But not before Brian asks to do this again.  Awww.

Chloe walks home though Pioneer Park, but then sees that Scarface is following her.  She starts running, and we see the chase scene from the opening of the episode.  She ill-advisedly runs up to the top of Coit Tower, and Scarface pushes her off.  But this time we get to see Chloe open her eyes.  Dun dun dun.  By the time Scarface makes it to the bottom of the stairs, Chloe is gone.  Then we see her running back through the park, when she is tackled.  But don’t worry—it’s not Scarface.  It’s … Jasmine!  She’s there with Alek and they are cat people too!  They want to help.

The three teens run off together and there is some catch-up exposition to indicate that Jasmine and Alek have been watching Chloe.  It seems that usually there is someone to help the cat-people through this, but Chloe’s transformation was just so fast.  They move their discussion up on a roof top for privacy, and Chloe demands answers.  “What the hell are you?”  Good question.  Alek corrects her: “You mean what the hell are we?  We are Mai.”  If you were taking part in the Nine Paths to Chloe King game, this isn’t news to you.  This is where all the mythology from the game comes into play.  Jasmine explains: “Descendants of an ancient and sacred race. Not completely god, not completely human.  The offspring of Bastet, the most powerful of all the goddesses.”  We learn that the Mai were the sworn protectors of humanity, but then they “had a falling out.”   Alek: “I guess you could say we got tired of taking orders.”  Jasmine: “We broke our sacred bond.”  Hmmm.  Chloe: “This truly makes no sense.”  True.  And yet … it also makes so much sense.  She wonders if there will be other changes, and there is a joke about a tail.  (Don’t worry.  No tails.  Phew.)  Then the subject of Brian comes up and we learn that Mai can’t be intimate with humans.  Even just a kiss could result in paralysis or death for the human in question.  But I don’t think that this is some sort of anti-sex message.  I’m pretty sure the Mai can get as close as they want to each other.  Plus, the Mai are made up of males and females, so it’s not some kind of metaphor for the danger of the female libido.  It’s just an ancient curse that will present obstacles for Chloe and Brian.  As long as neither Chloe nor Brian kills themselves over their star-crossed love, I don’t mind the Romeo & Juliet-esque thing too much.  They just need to keep things in perspective.

Xavier, however, is not so lucky.  We cut to Chloe and company outside his apartment, as he is brought out in a body bag.  Way harsh.  But as Jasmine points out, it’s not Chloe’s fault.  She had no way of knowing.  This doesn’t prevent Chloe from grieving and feeling guilty.  She is traumatized and in tears.  Jasmine and Alek want to stay with her, and want to figure out why a member of “The Order” was chasing her.  Then she reveals the bit about falling off the tower to her death.  Jasmine: “Only The Uniter has nine lives to live and nine lives to endure.”  Dun dun dun.  Chloe King is The Uniter.  Again, if you played the Nine Paths game, this is not news to you.  Pretty cool how closely the game ties into the show.  Jasmine explains: “Chloe, we’re not supposed to save you.  You’re supposed to save us.”  Chloe is in denial though.  And in tears.  She shoves Alek aside and tells the two Mai to leave her alone before running off.

Cut to Chloe at home in the shower.  Her back is covered in bruises.  (You know, on account of her falling to her death off a building.)  She has her serious face on.

Meanwhile, a limo drives up to Scarface, and the man inside rolls down his window.  It’s Rezza CEO, Whitley Rezza (David S. Lee), who we learned about on the Seventh Path.  Scarface tells him about how he found the girl, and asks what he’d like him to do with her.  Rezza: “Kill her … as many times as you have to.”  After the limo drives away, Scarface passes a Rezza Capital sign.  Oooh, evil corporation.  Let’s home for some Wolfram & Hart type shenanigans.

Cut to Amy rushing into Chloe’s room, sobbing.  But, no, it’s not out of fear for Chloe.  It’s stuff with Paul.  Sigh.  Chloe does not have time for this nonsense.  Amy bitchily demands, “And what the hell do you have going on that’s so important?”  Chloe, “How ‘bout this?”  But when she raises her shirt to show her bruised back, it is all healed now.  Add super healing to the list of Mai powers.  (Though I guess fast healing is implied with the whole nine lives thing.)  Chloe states by way of explanation, “I think I died today.”  Amy is all “What?”  Then Paul calls, and we learn that he has been kidnapped by Scarface.  That man is BUSY.

Amy drives Chloe to an abandoned warehouse, where Chloe prepares to go in alone.  Great idea.  Top notch.  Even better than running upstairs when being chased.  She tells Amy to call the police if she and Paul aren’t out in 15 minutes, and then shows her claws.  She got pretty comfortable with the whole claw thing quickly.  We then see poor Paul, who tells Chloe to leave because it’s a trap.  TRAAAAAAAP!  Chloe knows this, however, and tries to draw Scarface out.  Chloe says that the Mai have nothing to do with her.  As a response, a ninja throwing star thing is hurled at her.  Uh oh.  Scarface narrates his plan to kill her as many times as it takes.  Chloe is not down with this program: “News flash: dying sucks!  And I’m so not doing that again.”  You go, Chloe!  There’s some more obligatory witty-banter-while-fighting exchanged, and then Alek and Jasmine join in, followed by Amy (who didn’t want to be left alone in the car).  Scarface gets all cocky and announces, “Killing the so-called Uniter will be the greatest accomplishment of my life.”  Um … ew?  Before he can deal a deadly blow, however, Jasmine intercedes.  Meanwhile, Alek frees Paul.  More fighting ensues.  A “Not now, Amy!” is shouted.  (Possible drinking game there?  I expect that to be a frequent refrain.)  Scarface tries to throw Chloe out a window, but this time she lands on her feet.  Shock of all shocks, Amy proves herself useful by knocking Scarface out of the window too.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t die either.  He aims another throwing star at Chloe, but Jasmine throws herself in front of Chloe to save her.  Rather than take her to the hospital, Alek insists on taking her home, where he can heal her.  Hmmm?  Magic Mai healing rituals?

We then cut to Whitley Rezza, the guy from the limo.  And it is revealed that he is Brian’s dad.  What?!?!  BRIAN’S DAD ORDERED CHLOE’S DEATH(S)!  Craziness.  However, so far it looks like Brian is innocent enough, and doesn’t know about Chloe’s identity or his dad’s nefarious schemes.  We shall see …

Cut to Jasmine sleeping, with her arm in a sling.  She is okay, but Alek is concerned.  (Concerned face would not be a good drinking game on this show.  Too dangerous.  You would black out.)

Meanwhile, back at Chloe’s house, we learn that her mom has a hidden box containing Chloe’s birth certificate, baby shoes, a Russian nesting doll, baptism certificate, and other papers.  She is a lying liar who lies.  Hmph.

The box of Chloe's adoption-related papers. Plus her baby shoes.

But hurrah, because this was the clue I was waiting for!  When I finished the Ninth Path of the Nine Paths to Chloe King game, I wondered why one object in my game box never came into play: a baby shoe.  After completing the final path, I received an email from the Mai confirming this.  I was instructed to tune into the premiere to learn the significance of this item, and then post it to my blog.  Ta da!  It was a replica of Chloe’s baby shoe, and evidence that Meredith King knows a lot more than she’s saying.  Hmm.  I should be able to post some sneak peek footage to share with you soon, as a reward.

Here's the baby shoe that I found in my game box. It bears a resemblance to Chloe's.

But back to the episode.  We still have a couple more scenes.  First, Brian calls Chloe and gets her voicemail.  Chloe doesn’t answer because she is too busy staring at her computer screen in shock.  She received an email from her dad that reads: “Trust No One. -Dad”  The plot thickens.  I have to say, I sent her the same email last week, but she was too busy to pay attention.  Hmph.  But this time she is concerned.  Meanwhile, Alek lurks outside her window, because that’s what boys do in teen dramas these days.  It’s frakkin’ epidemic.

Thoughts?  Reactions?  Your take on Chloe King’s adventures?  Comment below.

The game box, over at ABCFamily.com.

Time for the ninth and final path of the Nine Paths to Chloe King game!

Head over the ABC Family game site to play. However, this is a tricky one, so if you need any help, read on.  Here are the instructions for the Ninth Path:

“The Nine Paths Prophecy gives us clear instructions for the Ninth and final Path, “The Circle of Strangers must deliver the “TRUST NO ONE” message to “The Uniter”.It is time to spring into action and contact Chloe King!  Chloe King’s email address is somewhere on http:/RezzaCapital.com.  The Mai Scroll in the Box above holds the key to enter that site. Don’t forget to use your Book of Mai!

Once you gain entrance to http://RezzaCapital.com, Chloe’s email address will be listed, but possibly in Russian or Ukrainian. You may need a little assistance. http://bit.ly/VU1S

The first person to find the correct email address, translate it to English and send Chloe the “Trust No One” message, will be rewarded!  Our fate and our Uniter’s fate is in your hands!”

I received almost identical information via email, so we are all in the same boat for this one.  Here’s how I figured it out and completed the path.  First, I used the Book of Mai (there’s a copy in the virtual game box, pictured above) to decode the Mai Scroll and find the key:

In the virtual game box, the code looks like a rectangular piece of beige paper with Mai symbols on it, and it’s lying on top of the pink bib.  Then I headed over to RezzaCapital.com and entered the password: yeltihw.

This brought me to a list of email addresses, in a variety of languages.  Given the clue, and knowing Chloe’s origins, I looked for the ones using the Cyrillic alphabet, trying to match them to a name or word on the birth certificate.  (A copy of Chloe’s birth certificate is in the virtual game box–the document in blue ink, underneath the picture frame.) That was the wrong way to go.  What you’re actually looking for is an email address written in Russian or Ukrainian that translates to “Chloe King.”  Obviously the name Chloe King would not have appeared on the birth certificate.  D’oh!  However, the birth certificate is useful in another way. There are two ways to solve this path (that I found).  One: Copy and paste the names that look Russian or Ukrainian into Google Translate, and find the one that contains “Chloe King” in it.  Two: Find the email address on the list with the number that matches the red serial number on the birth certificate: 009342.  Ta da! Here’s the correct address:  009342: Хлоя короля @ instamailr dot com. This translates to chloeking@instamailr.com.

Finally, I sent the message—“Trust no one”—to Chloe, at the email address discovered above.  Path finished.  I know that I’m not the first one to send it in, but it was still fun to figure out the clues and play along.  Kudos to the people at ABC Family who came up with this creative game. I had a lot of fun. I look forward to the premiere of The Nine Lives of Chloe King tomorrow night at 9/8c, following the premiere of Pretty Little Liars.

Yesterday I received three mysterious clues in the mail.  First, the Mai sent a note and a special protection charm:

You can win that charm by heading over to the ABC Family game site, and entering the password DECEPTION in the appropriate box under “latest giveaway item.” According to the Mai, if you wear it, you will be protected by the goddess Bastet and the Mai.  And the Mai were right in their warning.  I was contacted about the Uniter.  Batko614 strikes again.  Here is the postcard he sent:

Uh oh.  It looks like the bad guys found Chloe!  We know that she lives in San Francisco, and the post card pictures Coit Tower, which is located on Telegraph Hill (hint: Telegraph Hill is the password for the Eighth Path if you couldn’t figure it out).  Plus, the web address included on the postcard, batko.me, brought me to a picture of Chloe:

Bad news, people!  They are getting close!  I let the Mai know about this as soon as possible and they sent back an email with a line from the Nine Paths Prophecy: “No Danger or Deception shall stop the Circle of Strangers!” Let’s hope so.  Also, I was informed about the details on the charm giveaway (see above) as well as the Ninth Path.  The Ninth and final path will begin Monday morning, June 13^th.  Then you can watch Chloe in action on television starting Tuesday, June 14^th, when The Nine Lives of Chloe King premieres at 9/8c on ABC Family.

Once again, here is the fine print from ABC Family about the charm giveaway, in case there is any confusion.  I do not run this game, I was just invited to play:

P.S. If your circle has any questions about how they get Protection Charms, please let them know the following: The Nine Paths to Chloe King Free Gift offer (“Offer”) is valid from 5/24/11 at 8:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time (“PDT”) to 6/14/11 at 11:59:59 PM PDT or until supplies last, whichever is sooner. Offer open to residents of 50 US & DC, 13 & older who follow a participating blogger in The Nine Paths to Chloe King Blogger/Journalist Program (“Blogger”) at time of redeeming free gift (“Free Gift”). Each 1 of 3 Free Gifts available is tied to a different code word which will be revealed by Blogger at 3 separate times (estimated to be 5/24/11, 6/6/11, and 6/10/11). To redeem a Free Gift (while supplies last), go to  abcfamily.com/ninepaths& enter code. Expect Free Gift within 8–10 weeks from 6/13/11.  Limit: 1 Free Gift/person.   Void where prohibited.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Open only to persons who are, as of entry, 18 years of age or older, legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 United States or D.C. and who are bloggers or journalists specifically invited to participate by Sponsor.  Starts May 24, 2011 once game boxes are received and ends on June 14, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM PDT.  Void where prohibited. Click here for Official Rules Terms and Conditions and complete entry and prize details.

Mai symbol for "foe."

Okay, people, the Seventh Path is now open on ABC Family’s Nine Paths site.  Game on!  If you like to figure everything out yourself, and don’t want to be spoiled for any of the mystery, head over there first before reading the rest of this post.

Today I received another mysterious package in the mail.  Exciting!  This time it included a business card and a pen.  I also received an email stating that Chloe (aka The Uniter) is in extreme danger.  The Prophecy tells us, “By the end of the Seventh Path the Circle will be prepared to see the face of The Uniter’s greatest Foe.”  But who is that foe?  To find out, I was instructed to unlock the media folder on my MaiPad and enter a key.  But first, I had to figure out what the key was.  The email read: “The business card you receive in the mail today will fit together perfectly with an item in your Nine Paths Box.  Make this connection and the KEY will be yours!”  I scoured through the box, and realized that there was an envelope (from the Ukrainian Department for Adoption and Protection of Rights of the Child) that had a jagged edge just like the business card.  After contemplating that maybe I should change my chosen vocation to Private Eye, I connected the two items.  They spelled  the word “HUNTER.”

Using the key, I was able to unlock my media folder and watch a video that revealed the foe’s face.  (He looks an awful lot like a young Charles Widmore.)  He is Whitley Rezza, CEO of Rezza Capital.  Check out his picture below.

Whitley Rezza, CEO of Rezza Capital. Definitely a bad dude.

Also, once you complete the Seventh Path on the ABC Family site, you get to see this foe in action, along with another man (with a wicked scar) who is in his employ.  I’ve posted that video below.  Watch out, Chloe!