Cult Hero 1x03 "The Man Made of Glass"

Written by JT Vaughn

Another solid installment in the Cult Hero series. We're only three episodes in but we're already in the swing of things regarding plots and characters. The introduction's been done and dusted, now to move onto the good stuff. And, strangely, this one features almost no Jake at all. Instead, he's been completely paralysed, leaving Michelle and Jackson to save the day. It's interesting, and was a definite risk this early in the season, but I think it works. We know who Jake is now, and this is the perfect catalyst to get Michelle and Jackson some more screentime and development in terms of their characters. And, I think it works.

Lots of good things to like here. I really like how all these stories link back to the Power Hour each time. I'm actually really interested each time that happens, as we peel back the layers on that show, and, of course, find its fans. Having the re-enactment going on seems a little convenient, but The Power Hour does seem like that kind of show which would have a small dedicated/obsessed cult fanbase. It was nicely executed, too. Trevor was an interesting addition to the line up (albeit, temporarily) as another of the fighters, and despite the needing to use the spell seemed a little forced - it's a great way of showing that not only have the monsters come from The Power Hour, but so have the spells and magic - which should lead to some nice developments in the future.

I get the feeling Lawrence is going to be an important character in the series, and I liked his make-up with Jackson. Probably could have used a bit more setting-up before that to make us care more, but I think there's only so much you can do with a character like that. And, why aren't we being told Jackson's or Lawrence's last name? Something important for the future, I think...

I'm wondering what's going on with Rodney the writer, too. He appears to be coming back to haunt Jake. But, is this a real ghost? Something cooked up by Niklas? Another long-running threat? Something else entirely? Not sure, but I'm very intrigued to find out exactly what's going on there. As with Michelle - she obviously has her own motives for doing this job, so also interested to find out how that affects her in the future.

Probably on a similar par with 'The Flame' for me. Taking a very simplistic plot and wrapping these characters around it. No real massive complicated twists or developments, just a simple story told well, which is very, very enjoyable. The Power Hour seems to have no end of monsters and demons, and it should with 16 (?) seasons! So, I can't wait for what comes out of it next.


Another great episode, which works with the absence of the main character, focusing instead on the other two supporting regulars.

Cult Hero 1x02 "The Flame"

Written by JT Vaughn

What a great episode. After reading the commentary, I know Vaughn isn't fully happy with it, but having just finished it, I really enjoyed it. It's about this fire demon, whose actual motives is never fully developed on, but that doesn't matter all that much. Too much exposition like that would slow down the pace of what I thought is actually quite a fast-paced episode. We get little hints at things such as Jackson's home but we're not hit over the head with it. Time's being taken to establish things naturally.

The show has the most wonderful tone to it. Having this comedy edge with quips which are always great and never really feel out of place, even if the person should be terrified by these monsters. My favorite part of this episode had to be the team questioning the writers, and the fact there's this unanimous hate among the crew towards Jake. Michelle's boss, Brent, was also great, too - but it seems as though he might not be appearing too often now. In many respects to me this felt like a 'Part Two' to 'The Fallen'. It took the two episodes for the series to establish itself with the team dynamic, and, it seems, the big bad of the season in Niklas Cole. Can't say he made all that much of an impression on me, but it's early days, and he was only in a couple of scenes in total. The rest of the main cast though is written very well - each of the three regulars establishing their voices quickly.

One of my biggest complaints is about names. Jake and Jackson both have very similar names, so scenes between them need to be read more carefully to make sure I know who says what. Not that big of a down point, but it can be annoying at times. The threat, I thought, was much better executed than in the pilot. Still maybe a little easily defeated, but I don't think it would have been right to drag it out any longer. I really, really like the fact this all links back to the TV show ('The Power Hour'). Finding the writers, researching it on iMDB... it was all great - and the fact that the big bad guys of the season are writers is also great.

Slightly better than 1x01, on the whole. It may not be perfect, but it was just such an enjoyable read that they're mostly balanced out. Despite not really ending on any cliffhanger, the team's now together, the bad guy's have been established, and the game's just getting started.


Not perfect, but a very entertaining episode of a series which looks like it will only get better!

Weeki Wachee Season One

Created by Angelo Shrine

There we go. I've just finished reading the whole first season of Angelo Shrine's comedy series Weeki Wachee. It was... different. It had stories which could never be done in any other show, and at some times they were almost too weird and strange, but it worked. It was never a fully serious series, it kept its light sidedness as it should do. Death's (Starla's springs to mind) wasn't really all that emotional - it was just a comical way of dying. That could have worked against the show, but I think Angelo set up this very unique tone for the show, and one which allows stuff like that.

As for which episodes were best to worst, I won't do a full list because it would be too difficult, so I'll just do some edited highlights and lowlights. Some of the better episodes of the season were ones which I just enjoyed the most. There doesn't seem to be any trend, but at the end of some episodes I just felt like that one was better than an average Weeki Wachee episode. These include the 'Welcome to Weeki Wachee' two-part premiere, 'To Break a Mirror' (1x07), 'Cat's Got Your Tongue' (1x11), 'The Fetish' (1x12) and the final three episodes (1x19/1x20/1x21). Those are my personal favorites of the season, and there's a definite ratchet up in quality for the finale giving a satisfying close off to the season.

Of course, there are some I felt were the 'lowlights', or less well judged than the others. Episodes such as 'The Intoxicating Beverage' (1x03), 'The Pigman Cometh' (1x05), 'The Mermaid' (1x08) and 'Old Gooseberry' (1x13). Definitely less bad episodes here, my least favorite being 'The Mermaid'. I just really disliked it for some reason, and it's my lowlight of season one, the worst Weeki Wachee gets - which is a good thing, really.

The main character of the series is London Lovingfross, the bad tempered chief of police. He provides a large chunk of the comedy. Not through one-liners or jokes, but simply his outlook on the other residents and the town in general. Plus, his development over the season is nice - coming to love the town he's in. At times, though, Cairo feels like more of a main character. She is the center of all courtroom proceedings, which is arguably one of the biggest storylines of the season - well, it is the biggest storyline of the season - Nancy's murder. This trial is spread across the 21 episodes rather nicely. At times it feels a little overdone in the courtroom sense, but the slowly unveiling mystery is always intriguing. I think I could have done with more resolution to that particular storyline, though - it feels like it should be wrapped up within the season, leaving S2 to take its own recurring plot.

Other characters were also serviced nicely with their own 'centric' episodes. Gelana, Yalgoo, Prague, Singapore... They all got their own things to do. The one character I didn't think did enough was Eungh. He was always there, always adding in funny lines (increasingly as the season continued, incidentally), but never really got a lot to do himself. He was the court bailiff one episode, but still always in the background. Granted, an episode with his speech pattern may be a little difficult to read, but I think he just needed a little more to do throughout the season. Some of the minor characters were great too - my biggest problem being the pig farmers who were introduced in 1x05, didn't add to the story too much and then didn't add to the story in the future. The rest however, all had additions to different things throughout the episodes, and seeing them all come together in the finale was nice.

And so, I come to my final point. Will Weeki Wachee continue? 'Cut The Gordian Knot', while not wrapping everything up, would work well enough as a series finale, but I really hope it doesn't have to. Angelo has written the entirety of the second season, I believe, but had to 'cancel' the show through lack of readership. I really would love to see Weeki Wachee come back for its much deserved second season in the future, and see it build on the introduction to the world that S1 was. It deserves to return - the first season is really only an introduction to the town, the characters, the dynamics. I feel we still have a lot to unveil with the show, including things such as the omnipresent Grim Reaper and the prophecy, and I can't wait to find out those answers to the questions.

An enjoyable season which deserves a much larger readership base than it has. It's a shame its had to be cut short when it's evident so much work has gone into it, and it would be great to see the Weeki Wachee story resolved in the future.


A very entertaining comedy series. Some very high quality episodes, but also some less well-judged ones which ultimately brings the whole season down. Everyone should give the show a shot, because it's always enjoyable, even when it hits the lower episodes.

Weeki Wachee 1x21 "Cut the Gordian Knot"

Written by Angelo Shrine

So, we come to the end of the first season with this extended finale. I'll deal with my thoughts on the season as a whole in a later post, so this will be exclusively about this final episode. And, it was a good one. While not wrapping everything up that was introduced (the Grim Reaper!), it gives a fitting conclusion to this season.

The biggest thing here is the revelation that Cairo is the killer of Nancy... but not quite. I'm not sure whether I missed something, but did Cairo actually murder her, or was it just a ruse to get Golombia out of jail so the hunt for the killer can continue. As I say, maybe I missed something which explained it all, but I was left a little confused as to what exactly happened there. Lots of other twists here, too. Starla's 'shock death', and in a typically Weeki Wachee way. Quite a few more character dynamics set up for a possible second season, too (which may, unfortunately, never come to fruition). Rome being a part of this big plan of London and Cairo's is a nice move - and addresses their relationship. I may have to go back and read some of the episodes to check out if there are any clues in there, or if it was all made up at the last second to tie everything together!

We seem to get both resolution and loose ties here. The Nancy trial is never fully resolved (at least, I think) and it seems as though this episode also acts in a large part as setting up season two. There's also the strangest ending to the episode/season, too. It's a cliffhanger, but not like I've come to know - it's not a death or someone about to be killed, but London and Cairo... jumping up and down. But that works - it makes me want to come back and read the next season. London and Cairo have shown some interesting development here over the course of season one, and how they handle situations in the next will hopefully be a little different as they've come to accept it -- even come to love it.

There's also some wrapping up of other stories. Well, maybe not wrapping up, but at least assurances they haven't been forgotten - such as the Nopeeno flying baby. I was a little underwhelmed by the appearances of the minor characters as I hoped they'd play a more integral part, but the image of the whole town cleaning this blood up is nice.

So, a satisfying ending to a great season. Will it have to act as a series finale? Well, I definiately hope not. I'd love to return to the town of Weeki Wachee and see how London develops over the course of another season - I'm sure there's some great stuff planned.


A very strong ending. Not perfect, but one of the better episodes of the season, and a fitting end to the Weeki Wachee world. Maybe a little too open ended around some of the more serialised elements of the season, but it leaves me wanting the second season!

Weeki Wachee 1x20 "Golombia's Guffaw"

Written by Angelo Shrine

Ah! Rudolf's back, along with the deeply interesting storyline of the bone-functioning pills. Funny how when I just started to realise he wasn't around, he appeared again - it restores my faith that stories won't just get abandoned in this show, I think Angelo knows what he's doing. The episode is question deals mainly with the finality of Golombia's trial - ending with a truly shocking twist 'death', really setting things up for the finale.

I really do like the courtroom scenes. I was a little unsure initially in the season run, but they still maintain the same 'freshness' as they did in the beginning, and lots and lots of wrapping up and development still to come. With only one episode to go, it really feels as though we're coming to the end of the season - something I was worried about when reading 1x16/1x17 (in that we were moving into standalone territory then). However, this one still feels like slightly like stalling for the finale, setting up the pieces of the puzzle and moving things into position. It's enjoyable, but it does drag - the courtroom scenes don't always seem as pacy as perhaps they should.

London's story is relatively interesting (although, it seems like we're focusing more on Cairo here). I guessed it was Rome on the phone from the beginning, and no forwarding with the London/Cairo relationship was a little disappointing. This person killing these animals is intriguing (the Grim Reaper, perhaps), but it feels as though we won't be exploring that much until a potential second season. But, like I say, this one is much more of a Cairo episode, and I think that was the right move. Really, really can't wait to find out how the twists this episode will affect the locals, and how this season will ultimately end!


Intriguing set-up for the final episode. Drags at times, but still indefinitely enjoyable. Great final twist at the end, too!

Weeki Wachee 1x19 "Love in a Small Town"

Written by Angelo Shrine

What's happened to Rudolf? Not really related to this episode, but something that jumped out at me while reading this episode. Last time we saw him (I can't pinpoint an episode) he had a rather interesting story developing with some pills. I personally don't mind characters being abandoned for stretches of episodes while focus is placed on others - as long as their presence isn't missed. I just don't want his story to be abandoned - and I hope that's not the case. And the Grim Reaper for that matter.

Anyway. Onto this episode. It's slightly different in set-up, being narrated by the man who dies in the teaser, Lushe Amorpetey. It's a different technique, quite interesting, and maybe I would have liked more narration through the episode. And, I really liked this 'installment'. Every story thread felt like it was furthering plot or character, and nearly none of them drag. There is a lot going on in this one, but it doesn't feel rushed or bloated or overly long, which is good! The change of 'banning' by Quebec should open up some interesting developments for the final 2 episodes, particularly between London/Cairo.

Really not much else to say for this one. I thought it's one of the best of the season so far, hopefully setting a trend for the last episodes to follow on from, and hopefully better. I just hope some of the outstanding stories and characters are serviced to by then. It is up in the air about whether a second season of this will air. There isn't a lot that can be done by Angelo at this point - but I do hope there is a sense of closure as Weeki Wachee season one draws to a close.

One of the best so far, and hopefully a good indication of how Weeki Wachee season one will end...

Weeki Wachee 1x18 "Shakespeare Beneath Bark"

Written by Angelo Shrine

Back into the swing of reading Angelo Shrine's crazy series Weeki Wachee, and this does it with a wonderful flourish. It may not be the best episode so far, but it's a great show of the style and tone that only Weeki Wachee has. A story about someone thinking their tree is Shakespeare and falling in love with it just wouldn't happen on any other show.

And, it's a...strange episode - maybe even more so than some of the previous stories. I've had complaints in the past about focus on characters and some being relegated to the background, but I didn't feel that here. Yalgoo and Prague may not have the most to do here, but I never felt like they needed more to do. Galena being in love with this tree is the major 'A' plot here, and it's fantastically paced with Rome's 'B' story. On top of that, it sets up quite a few story threads which could carry through into the final episodes of the season/series. Some great comedic moments here, too, especially a few nice lines from the ever-funny Eungh. It may not have the structure I expected as we head towards the finale, but Weeki Wachee was never an arc-heavy show. I think it works best as it has been - relatively standalone plots with threads carrying through multiple episodes.

If I could come up with a negative here, it would be that the episode seems to end too quickly. It may sound like a positive - but there is no wrap up here, which is something I've come to expect from the show. But, does that mean I should be expecting cliffhangers in these final episodes? I can't see this going to the levels of 24 or Prison Break, but you never know...

A good episode, with some nice plots carrying this story of Weeki Wachee onward, with some more focus on the more peripheral characters. How will these story developments impact the characters for the final few episodes?