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Vikings Season 4 Episode 5 (Promised) Recap

Vikings Season 4 Episode 5: Promised

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Official Synopsis: There’s an air of betrayal at Court in Paris and Wessex as those whom Odo trusts plot against him and Ecbert agrees to support Kwenthrith in Mercia, but is Ecbert a true ally? Ragnar confides in Yidu his darkest secret.

Recap

I’m beginning to think there’s no depth to the madness and chaos we’ll reach in this season of Vikings.

Stone-cold shieldmaiden Lagertha steals the spotlight this week. Although that puts things a bit out of order, she’s our show runner and gets her dues first.

Poor, foolish Kalf. He got caught up in this fairy tale he convinced himself was reality and was blind to the truth (although Lagertha did an excellent job playing the role of star-crossed lover). Turns out Kalf wasn’t half as sly as I gave him credit for — his crush cost him his life. It was great to see Lagertha assuming her rightful place, surrounded by her shieldmaidens. If I was Erlendur, I’d be all for getting out of town as fast as I could. (Especially now that Bjorn knows where the berserker’s ring came from).

Relationships are also in turmoil in England with the crazy love triangles surrounding Ecbert, Judith, Athelwulf and Kwenthrith growing closer to the surface. King Aella doesn’t seem thrilled about invading Mercia and Kwenthrith obviously has her doubts about Ecbert sticking to his word but with the Vikings focused on Paris, when will they ever have time to bring the English together with a friendly raid?

Now that we know what’s really eating Ragnar up, the return to England may be sooner than expected. Of all the things he’s been through, I really didn’t think the loss of the settlement in Britain would be the one he’d get hung up on. Yidu is clearly taking the place of Athelstan as his confidant, but does the Emperor’s daughter really have his best interests in mind or his she going to leave him a paranoid drug addict?

Speaking of rulers who’re losing it. Emperor Charles looks like he’s about to crack. Maybe I don’t give him enough. Look how wrong I was about Kalf! Everyone is making a play for his throne (Gisla and Rollo including it seems), but the Vikings may put a wrinkle in those schemes when they make their return. As we learned, Paris is the gateway to all of Frankia — if it falls, there’s nothing stopping the Northmen from raiding up and down every Frankish river.

Harold Finehair is a sly fox but Bjorn is keeping a close eye on him. He may be hard-pressed to withstand the threat of a combined Harold, Halfdan, Floki and Aslaug coup unless his dad pulls his head out.

Looks like Ivar has more Ragnar in him than we thought! I realize the others were picking on him, but he’s going to have a hard time coming by friend and playmates if he wacks them with an axe them every time he doesn’t get his way. Good on him for standing up for himself, though. It’ll be interesting to see how he grows under Floki’s tutelage.

And, if you haven’t heard the news, Vikings is officially back for Season 5! SKOL!

The post Vikings Season 4 Episode 5 (Promised) Recap appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Vikings Season 4 Episode 4 (Yol) Recap

Vikings Season 4 Episode 4: Yol

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Official Synopsis: The Yule Log burns in the Great Hall in Kattegat and, though Floki must remain out in the cold, other visitors are welcomed, among them a Norwegian King and Bjorn, with a new partner we’ve met before. King Aelle visits Wessex for Christmas and is not impressed with how family relations are developing. In Paris, Rollo’s future hangs in the balance — can he win-over his new bride, Gisla, as a Papal Delegation arrives to arrange a divorce?

Recap

Holy sweet mercy! Episode 4 was full of action and featured some of our favorite Vikings taking names every which way.

Let’s open things up with Rollo: He’s spent the entire season struggling to learn the Frankish language and culture, all while being spurned by his feisty wife, Gisla. But just when the Papal Delegation shows up, he gets his moment in the spotlight! Using his newfound grasp of the language to do some sweet talking, Rollo woos fair maiden Gisla and…needless to say the marriage is now official and consummated. Quite a few times — including a Christmas dinner frolic in the pantry. Mah boy!

We come across Bjorn in the midst of giving himself some sweet new ink before his journey home to the family Yule party. The equal-parts epic and gruesome fight between the prince and the berserker showcased Bjorn’s maturity and growth as a warrior. No guts, no glory! (Heh, get it?) He’s calm in the face of death and innovative in victory — two traits that will serve him well in the future. (Notice he’s adopted the young Ragnar braided mohawk hairstyle?)

I’m not sure about Bjorn’s decision to bring home a new wife, though. If he knew where the berserker’s ring came from, why not wack off Erlendur’s head right then and there? It takes quite the pair of stones to swoop in and steal your murderer’s wife out from under his nose.

While his brother and son are coming into their own, only the gods know what’s going on with Ragnar. Has he finally cracked? Or has Yidu helped fix him in the head as she said her eastern medicine would? Ragnar put on quite the show in his little cabin, but maybe that’s more about getting stoned than getting a grip on things.

I love how real the relationship between Ragnar, Ivar and Aslaug is. It’s totally tragic and totally believable. They both want what’s best for their son, but in this case, I thought Asluag knew best. After she took him to Floki, I’m not so sure. What did the seer show him? Is the trickster grateful his life was spared? Will he honor Asluag’s wishes or just use Ivar as a way to get back at Ragnar?

Ah, the holidays. What would they be without feasts and family fighting with one another? King Aella is the ultimate party-pooper, telling Kwenfrith he’s going to kill her son and yelling at Judith. You get the felling he thinks he’s fallen into a viper’s den watching all of the cheating couples mingle around him. As I’ve said a dozen times before, without a shared enmity for Ragnar, they’d be at each other’s throats (and still might before it’s all said and done).

I couldn’t help but appreciate the contrast between the Frankish Epiphany dinner and the Vikings Yule festivities (although Rollo and Gisla brought a little pagan celebration to the stuffy Christian party). The writers and producers of Vikings do a great job contrasting the two cultures without ramming it down your throat. Also, who didn’t love seeing Ragnar’s face all painted up like a luchador mask?

Just when things start to settle down, a new threat sails into town. The coming of King Harold Finehair will undoubtedly test the loyalties of our Vikings (here’s looking at you, Aslaug and Floki) and it will be interesting to see how Ragnar deals with another Norse threat on his front door. Looks like Bjorn got home just in time.

The post Vikings Season 4 Episode 4 (Yol) Recap appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Vikings Season 4 Episode 3 (Mercy) Recap

Vikings Season 4 Episode 3: Mercy

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Official Synopsis: Ragnar tells Floki of a heavy price he has paid for his actions but as Floki remains a prisoner, a mysterious visitor to Ragnar counsels mercy. Intrigue prevails at the French Court as Rollo finds an unlikely ally in Count Odo, but can’t escape the contempt of his new bride. Bjorn must fight a fierce opponent in the wilderness but will he survive the threat that Erlendur and Kalf are sending his way?

Recap

Another week filled with intrigue and excitement from all angles leaving us slavering for Thursday to get here asap.

Thiings started off all hot and steamy with Kalf and Lagertha. We’re made to believe Kalf is a big softie who’s got a major fan boy crush on Lagertha, but in the next scene, he turns around and hires a hitman to take out his lover’s daughter. No matter if his feelings for Lagertha are true, she’s gonna lay the hurt on him if she finds out he’s sent a berserk after her baby boy.

Speaking of berserks, I’ve been waiting for them to make it into the series! (As a focus point, anyway). The most famous of all Viking warriors, the name berserk or “bersark” means bear warrior in Scandinavian (and yes, I know that before tonight, I just didn’t Wiki it to sound cool, gosh). I think it’s an awesome parallel that Bjorn faces a real bear (even though that turned out to be quite a bit less of an epic showdown than it was billed as for over a year) and a berserker. Instead of his final test, the bear was merely a stepping stone and it seems like Bjorn is following the berserker path as well, or maybe he just really likes his new bear skin coat. Next week’s fight better be a whole lot better than Bjorn vs. Bear, though.

Even if the bear battle was a bummer, (say that five times fast) episode four was jam-packed with epicness. ATHELSTAN! It’s interesting to note how much he held everyone together as the series progresses without our favorite monk. His appearance draws another parallel, this time between the two kings, although I’m not sure what it serves for Athelstan to show himself in a vision to Ecbert, but we’ll see. As a side note, I loved the musical score during this scene.

Do you think Floki would still want to be spared knowing it was Athlestan’s Christian mercy that swayed Ragnar to cut the boat-builder down? No matter Floki’s sins, you can’t help but feel bad for the guy and his family. I wonder if the death of his daughter will shake his faith in the gods? Either way, he’s going to have to find a new Vikings to build boats for I think.

Rollo continues to struggle and his ignorance exploited by the Emperor and Count Odo. He didn’t do much to dispel the Vikings stereotype, either, when the threw a tantrum during his studies. Still funny, though. It’s too bad Rollo’s tutor became a vent not only for the Duke’s issues with the language, but his rocky marital relationship as well. I love the political intrigue we’re getting between the French, English and Norse courts. Everyone is out to get one another. Who’ll be left standing when the final die is cast?

Judith and Ecbert, Athelwulf and Kwenthrith. My, my, what a mess. Luckily, no matter how messed up things get, the petty English monarchs can always rely on a mutual loathing for Ragnar to bring them together.

With cliffhangers abound the stakes continue to rise. Here’s a snippet of what we’ve got in store: Bjorn faces the battle of his life, Floki must get out of Dodge City, Ragnar is tempted by the servant girl and Rollo promises to wow the pantyhose off everyone in the French Court with his newfound tongue. Hang on tight, everyone!

The post Vikings Season 4 Episode 3 (Mercy) Recap appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Vikings Season 4 Episode 2 Kill the Queen Review

Vikings Season 4 Episode 2: Kill the Queen

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Official Synopsis: As Ragnar and Floki remain at odds in Kattegat, Rollo makes great efforts in Paris to win over his new bride, Princess Gisla. Bjorn’s survival skills are put to the test in the wilderness, while King Ecbert sets the task for his son Aethelwulf to rescue Queen Kwenthrith from opposing forces in Mercia.

Recap

There’s so much going on and so many plot threads to keep up with that we hardly made any progress this episode. In the end, when the teaser for next week ran, we were promised much of the same thing we were supposed to get this week. I’ll save judgment until the end of the season (especially since it’s going to be longer than the first three were), but I hope we start getting a full meal instead of appetizers each week.

Things open up with Bjorn on his epic hero’s quest…which amounted to nothing more than an ice fishing derby so far. While Bjorn channels his Leo DiCaprio from Revenant, I’m just waiting for that bear to come out of nowhere and start whooping on him. So far so good — he’s found the cabin and has something to eat, but it looks like nefarious assassins are soon to be headed his way as well.

Poor Helga. Her loyalties are split down the middle. When she set Floki free, I bet she hoped he’d run away and never return. Unfortunately, Floki’s not a fish and Ragnar’s sons are smarter than the old boat builder gave them credit for. Ragnar’s showed his soft side by taking food to Helga and her child but it seems it wasn’t enough. It was heartbreaking to see them bury Angrboda but also reinforced our belief in Ragnar’s compassionate side. Deep down, I bet he was hoping Floki just disappeared. No matter how bad he wants vengeance for Athelstan, you know he still has feelings for his old friend. It’s a theme I think we’ll explore all season: Ragnar making the final transformation from simple farmer to ruler of the Vikings. We can tell already he’s struggling to be both. Can he be a good man and a successful monarch?

You also get the feeling that Ragnar’s cracking a little bit from the pressures of power. Although he has yet to confront Aslaug directly about her fling with Harbard, he does loose his temper and knock her around pretty good. You know she’s not going to put up with that nonsense. I suspect the queen and king will be going head-to-head soon enough.

We missed out on Lagertha this week, but got an extended look at the political scene in in jolly old England. Queen Kwenthrith is imprisoned by a traitorous council of nobles and it’s up to Athelwulf to ride to the rescue. It’s interesting to note he still hasn’t earned the respect of Wessex’s nobles but had enough brains and gumption to speak out against King Ecbert and go with his own plan. Although he was right, he took a pretty good whooping from that Mercian solider and is pretty lucky he didn’t get his face flattened. In the race to kill/rescue the queen and her son, Magnus, I felt a little bloodthirsty cheering Kwenthrith on while she bashed her female guards’s face in with a 2×4. Aethelwulf got his butt kicked pretty good, but he came through for Kwenthrith in the end. I wouldn’t count on her returning the favor if the roles were ever reversed though.

King Ecbert clearly has plans for Magnus but what game is he playing at with Judith? You know he doesn’t give anything for nothing and I have to wonder if it’s not more than coincidence that Judith’s new teacher looks like Athelstan reborn.

Continuing our jump across western Europe, we find Rollo struggling to convey his brilliant defensive plan to Count Odo. The poor guy, he embarasses himself by getting a pansy haircut and some very un-Viking-like clothes, but all that wench Gisla does is laugh at him. The big surprise this week comes from Therese, who is double dealing with Odo, subjecting herself to his weird torture fetish to get inside info for her husband (?). There are quite a few players on the board in Paris and Rollo’s going to have to sharpen up his diplomacy skills if he wants to come up on top.

The post Vikings Season 4 Episode 2 Kill the Queen Review appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Vikings Season 4 Episode 1 A Good Treason Review

Vikings Season 4 Episode 1: A Good Treason Review

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Synopsis: Entry to Valhalla eludes Ragnar but as he lies in his sick bed in Kattegat events unfold beyond his control. Bjorn orders the arrest of Floki for Athelstan’s murder while in Paris, Rollo betrays the last of his Viking supporters to strengthen his position in the French Court. Meanwhile, in Hedeby, Kalf announces joint Earldom with Lagertha, but is power-sharing Kalf’s true intention and is Lagertha actually willing to share what once was hers?

Recap

Skol! After a long year’s wait, Vikings is back!

My, my what an ominous beginning. Ragnar takes a journey through the spirit world, but is barred at the gates of Valhalla. The question, though, is the reason because it’s not his time to die or because Odin has forsaken him? Meanwhile, we’ve got to wonder what Aslaug has up her sleeve…is it a dagger meant for Ragnar’s back?

Immediately we see just how much time has passed from the growth of Ragnar’s sons and Bjorn’s daughter — at least two years by the look of it. I couldn’t help but notice that Ivar, handicapped as he is, was the fiercest of the boys. A sign of things to come, perhaps?

Things heat up right away when Bjorn orders the arrest of Floki for Athelstan’s murder. Although everybody seems to go along with it, I can’t help but think this is going to lead to division in Kattegat. It’s no secret that Aslaug hates Christians as much as Floki and it’s no stretch to see her authoring a coup while Ragnar continues to recover. I don’t think there’s any saving their marriage at this point.

By the look of things, Lagertha has stepped into a viper’s den in Hedeby. Kalf pulled a fast one on his followers by sharing his power with her, but is anyone really convinced he and Lagertha can both be content with only a piece of the pie? I don’t think so. Things are going to get even more bloody, but I’m sticking with Lagertha. Poor Einar is one traitor our shieldmaiden won’t have to worry about at least. I couldn’t help but notice how quickly our Vikings have adopted the use of the crossbow, too.

A Good Treason is doing a great job foreshadowing the season…and seasons to come. Bjorn examining the map hinted of great things in store for our young Lothbrok. He’s still got a long way to go, however. Between leaving Rollo behind in Frankia and arresting Floki, he’s made a real mess of things. Even so, Ragnar still loves and cares for his eldest son…even if he only shows it when Bjorn isn’t around.

Speaking of Rollo, he’s living that Paris life — living it large. Since we last left him, it seems he hasn’t quite won the adoration of his betrothed. Looks like she’s gone from the anger stage to complete depression over the arrangement. She’s certainly not a blushing bride, nor does she swoon over Rollo’s six pack and sweet tats. I got a few chuckles out of their bedroom scene. It’s too bad they transitioned right into an old bickering couple.

You almost feel bad for Rollo being all alone and friendless…but then he turns into a major d-bag there at the end. Like Erik, I sure hope Ragnar comes and avenges them.

I already can’t wait for next week! That teaser after the episode promised amazing things to come. What are you most looking forward to in Season 4?

The post Vikings Season 4 Episode 1 A Good Treason Review appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

My 2016 author resolutions and reading list

By the stars! I’m not sure where the last three months of 2015 went, but gone they are. Somehow, through the joyous (and sometimes tortuous) grind of outlining, writing, revising and life in general, 2016 snuck up on me. As such, it’s time again for my annual author resolutions. Although it doesn’t pertain just to my fiction writing, you can check out my yearly review of 2015 here.

Before we get into my plans for 2016, here’s some rough numbers from 2015:

Rough draft words written: 65,000+
Words revised: 185,000+
Words published: 145,000+

Whew. I confess, before I added up the numbers I was a bit discouraged. Reflecting back on 2015, I felt like I spent the year spinning my wheels in the mud. It took me five months to revise and publish all three parts of Return to Shadow, which I then turned around and released as a single, gigantic book. I spent June outlining my new project, a Teutevar Saga prequel entitled Into Exile. I completed the rough draft in about six weeks, and then immediately began outlining and writing the rough draft for a standalone novella about Shamus and Brinhold called The Skard and the Leprechaun. I finished THAT rough draft in October and went back to Into Exile, finishing the second draft two days after Christmas. Put a fork in me, I was done.

My goals this year are pretty simple and straightforward at first glance, but have already proved challenging just four days into the new year. Although I didn’t list it, I’m always working on writing better books for you readers. When you take away everything else, writing the best book possible is priority #1

My 2016 goals:

Be consistent: One of my goals in 2015 was to write faster and I did that, but I was also much more sporadic. One day, I’d do 2,000+ words and then next, 500. Later on, when I started revising Into Exile, I’d go three days in a row…and then fall of the wagon for five. My challenge this year will be stringing these spurts together into consistent, forward progress. I also believe this will keep me from burning out, something that happened a handful of times throughout the course of last year. Although output is important, I really want to establish habits and patterns that put me in a position to be consistently productive.

Think x10: Up to this point, my strategy has been a slow and steady build. But now that I’ve got a foundation underneath me, I’m challenging myself to really ramp things up in 2016. I want to be consistent, yes, but I also want to be continually pushing myself to write more stories and better stories within the systems I’m working to put in place. It sounds cliche, but I’m shooting for the moon in order to land in the stars.

My to-read fiction list for 2016, in no particular order:

The Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milan
Half a War by Joe Abercrombie
Beyond Redemption by Michael Fletcher
The Change: Tales of Downfall and Rebirth by S.M. Stirling
A Companion to Wolves by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette
The Builders by Daniel Polansky
Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne
Life Debt: Star Wars Aftermath by Chuck Wendig
The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin (fingers crossed we get it this year still!)

What about you? What resolutions have you made for 2016? What books, movies or games are you looking forward to? Tell me in the comments!

The post My 2016 author resolutions and reading list appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Star Wars The Force Awakens review and thoughts

Wow. First of all, let’s give a big round of applause to JJ Abrams, the writers and the entire cast and crew of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s films like these that further ignite my quest to become a master storyteller. As I discussed last week, Star Wars was probably THE defining creative influence in my early years, and The Force Awakens recaptured all of that magic.

Before we go on , here’s the obligatory SPOILER ALERT part. Everything you read after this point is written with the assumption that you have seen The Force Awakens or don’t care if it’s spoiled for you. If you want to get some general thoughts about it without the worry of any plot details being revealed, then check out this spoiler-free review by Mr. Chuck Wendig. (Who is also author of Star Wars Aftermath. Go buy that and read it, right — on second thought, read this first. But then definitely go read that.

One more time. SPOILER ALERT. DO NOT PASS GO DO NOT COLLECT SPOILS UNLESS YOU WANT THE MYSTERIES OF THE FORCE AWAKENS REVEALED TO YOU.

*Pauses for people to file out of the blog auditorium*

Okay, and we’re off! This review is going to be broken down into three categories. What I liked (lots), what I didn’t like (very little) and what’s going to drive me crazy waiting for Episode 8 to arrive.

What I liked

The short answer is pretty much everything! But, super fanboy aside, there’s a list of a few specific things that particularly impressed me.

The almost seamless way the original trilogy blended into The Force Awakens. Reintroduction of the Millennium Falcon, numerous characters and the previous storyline was delivered in a seamless and natural way that didn’t distract from the story at hand.
The new faces: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Isaac Oscar and Adam Driver were all excellent in their roles. I’m really looking forward to see how each character develops and grows.
BB-8. Yes, the little orange and white droid gets its own bullet point. Because it’s just so dang lovable.
The old faces: Returning cast members hit their characters out of the park. It felt like they’d been living in the Star War Universe the whole time, just waiting for us to rejoin them,
Perfectly executed comedic relief. Unlike the prequel trilogy, filled with moments of over-the-top slapstick humor, The Force Awakens was, to sum it up in one word: witty. Comedic relief provided perfect balance to intense situations and kept things from getting too dark and dreary (although there were plenty of heartbreaking moments as well). A few of my favorites were Rey yelling at Fin for handing her the wrong tool and Han smooth-talking the two gangs on the barge.
Chewie’s expanded role. The big guy got a couple of scenes to himself and also saw a greater role in action scenes after taking somewhat of a backseat in the original trilogy. His banter with Han was perfect as well. Good for you, Chewie.
The parallelism between A New Hope and The Force Awakens. Say what you want about George Lucas, but when you take the time to notice, he did an excellent job striking similar chords between 1-3 and 4-6. JJ Abrams took this to another level — perhaps right to the verge of it being too much.Obi-Wan and Han as the old mentors, Starkiller Base and the Deathstar, the bad guys chasing after a droid with vital information to the good guys, going to chase down a female character after she’s been captured and interrogated, etc, etc. This was great for The Force Awakens (since it’s the launch pad for a new trilogy) but I also don’t want to watch modified versions of Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi for Episodes 8 and 9. I really hope this trilogy can come into it’s own.
The last lightsaber fight. My, how far we’ve come since Obi-Wan squared off against Darth Vader in that Deathstar hangar. Each time a lightsaber was brought into play, it felt like the most realistic fights in the entire franchise, especially the last one. I loved the realistic, believable choreography of the final Kylo Ren, Finn and Rey fight and how — due to their inexperience — they could slice and dice one another. It was a nice change of pace from other saber fights where no swing ever struck home unless it was to dismember or land a killing blow. Also, the shots of Rey’s blue saber in the dark and the snow were as gorgeous as Ms. Daisy Ridley herself.

What I didn’t like

The big parentage reveal: Discovering Han and Leia are Kylo Ren’s parents could have packed a huge, Starkiller Base-sized wallop had it been delivered a little later on and in less of an, oh-by-the-way-let’s-just-mention-this-in-an-offhand-conversation. This was the only real disappointment for me. It could’ve been done so much better. Imagine if we’d learned this at the bridge scene, instead of a half an hour earlier. It totally would’ve been the rebirth of the “Luke, I am your father scene.”
The aftermath of Han’s death: You can’t just kill off a MAJOR character like that and give him no farewell. Personally, I think it would’ve been great to make the second-to-last scene a gigantic funeral, similar to the award ceremony at the end of A New Hope. For crying out loud, no one even gives poor Chewie a hug after he looses his best buddy. Han Solo was a living legend and everyone glossed over his passing. Damn shame.
Finn’s motivations at the beginning: I loved Finn, but his whole initial conversion to leaving the First Order (at least as things stand right now) seemed a little weak, abrupt and convenient for Poe’s escape.
All the telling and exposition: This didn’t bother me the first watch through, but during the second it became much more noticeable as my inner fan boy took a chill pill and I watched the film without the rose-colored lenses. I get that most of it was a necessary evil, but the scene where Han and Leia talk about their son really dripped with it. “Hey, remember how Luke started training new Jedi and our son was his student and then he betrayed them all after he was brainwashed by Snoke?”
Captain Phasma’s lack of screen-time: She was supposed to be such a shiny, awesome bad-a and instead, she gets a handful of scenes and literally (although this was pretty funny) tossed into a garbage compactor. I hope she gets more love in the future.
C-3PO’s red arm: It seemed to serve no purpose other than for merchandising and was replaced by the end of the movie.
The breakneck pacing: This wasn’t all bad, but at times, The Force Awakens felt almost like we were continually jumping into hyperspace before we could really soak in or appreciate what just happened in the previous scene. I appreciate that JJ Abrams didn’t take the Peter Jackson approach with three hours of nothingness, but even another 20 minutes could’ve really added some quality meat to the bone.
The fact that it’s 500+ days until Episode 8. Sure, Rogue Squadron will be awesome, but GAH!

What will keep me up at night

The old man at the start that gives the map to Poe. This is driving me insane. I want to know who he is and what he was all about. I did some searching on Wookiepedia and found this: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lor_San_Tekka. Interesting.
Rey’s staff: It can’t just be some metal stick. Some people suggested its a relic belonging to Darth Plaguies, I dunno.
Han’s death. I know it had to happen, but damn.
Finn’s parentage and why we had to end with him in a coma. Okay, I get he was sliced up pretty bad, but come on!
Rey’s mother. She’s got to be Luke’s daughter, right? But who is her mother and why’d she get dumped on Jakku? Was she like Leia and grew up with a foster family for the first five years of her life? If so, why? To hide her from Snoke would be my guess.
The Knights of Ren. Snoke refers to them and we presumably see them during Rey’s Force vision after touching Anakin’s lightsaber. It looks like they’re just Kylo Ren’s entourage, but at the same time, his character seems kind of like a loner. Either way, there’s plenty of mystery surrounding this cult group.
Who is Snoke and where’d he come from? Where did he come from? My didn’t Luke go beat him up?
How did Maz get Anakin’s lightsaber? The First Order showed up just when we were about to find out.

What about you? I’d love to hear in the comments what you liked, didn’t like, if you agree/disagree with what I said, all that good stuff!

The post Star Wars The Force Awakens review and thoughts appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

On Star Wars

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

I can’t remember the first time I saw those pale blue words emblazoned across the screen, but it was probably before I could read them. What I do know is the resounding trumpet blare of the main theme sounded a clarion call within that I still feel today. And now, it’s all coming back.

Star Wars has always been part of my life, seed of the hero’s journey in my world. Sure, I grew up alongside Harry Potter and got into Tolkien just in time for The Fellowship of the Ring to hit theaters, but there’s a special place in my heart that belonging to that galaxy far, far away.

“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid. I’ve made a lot of special modifications myself.”

Thinking back to my chilhood, there are more memories of Star Wars than almost anything else, westerns being the only other genre that held as much sway over my imagination. I rushed through the trees of the forest moon of Endor on my battery powered four-wheeler. I cranked the levers on an old horse-drawn hay mower in our backyard, blasting the Falcon into hyperspace and navigating numerous X-wings through the trenches of the DEATH STAR. My first lightsaber — an elegant weapon from a more civilized age, crafted from a narrow length of lumber and painted green by my parents, complete with a duct tape hilt — sliced through more stormtroopers and sith (disguised as cedar trees) than I can count.

Although I was only eight years old when Star Wars returned with The Phantom Menace, it felt like I’d waited a lifetime to return to my beloved galaxy. I devoured both the contents and snippets of information on Pepsi cans about Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan and Queen Amidala. For Halloween that year, my mom won herself Mother of the Year by painstakingly tailoring my own set of Jedi robes and I dawned the mantle of a young Kenobi (complete with a clip-in padawan braid and, for some reason, Qui-Gon’s lightsaber).

As I grew older, my green saber was replaced by a sturdier one like Obi-Wan’s. Soon after, I collected the ultimate prize — a purple Mace Windu saber that lighted up and made noise when it struck something or was activated/deactivated. You could swing them as hard as you wanted with no fear of collapsing the blade. I spent countless hours on the front lawn,locked in duels to the death with cousins (”you can’t use that arm, I chopped it off!”). As the welts could attest, we didn’t hold back.

The action, adventure and grand setting of the space opera made Star Wars king in my early years, but it wasn’t until I began writing (and reflecting on the beginnings of Teutevar Saga) that I realized the extent of its influence on my creativity, imagination and life in general. Like Luke, I was (and still am) that farmboy, dreaming of a grand destiny, believing there’s something more out there I was meant for. Anyone who’s read Out of Exile will see similar hopes and frustrations in Revan as he outgrows his childhood surroundings and sets off on his own adventure.

When I stop to ponder, that’s what Star Wars really means to me: hope. The hope that good, no matter how small and insignificant it seems can triumph over evil, hope we can change and grow into something greater (even if we’ve fallen): a slave who became the Chosen One, who fell into darkness and redeemed himself overthrowing an Emperor, a farmboy who became a Jedi Knight, a smuggler who became a general and a princess who founded a republic. No matter how daunting your dreams appear, just remember: even Jar-Jar became a senator.

Whenever and wherever you see The Force Awakens, I hope you’ll take moment before that golden text crawls and the trumpets blast to remember the wonder and hope Star Wars first inspired in you. Remember what it was like to feel like you could take on the whole Empire by yourself. Then look around — that galaxy far, far away is really right here, right now and it’s waiting for a hero.

There’s been an awakening. Your destiny, it’s calling to you. Just let it in.

The post On Star Wars appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 7 review: False Prophets

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 7: False Prophets

Official Synopsis: Cullen and Durant reunite in Salt Lake City to meet with President Grant over the future of the railroad. Swede enacts his plan against the Mormons.

Read the previous episode review

Review

“The race we start tomorrow will be decided in the mud. I was born in mud, tore a farm out of that mud, built an army out of more mud.”

At last, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Well…sort of. Although half the season technically remains, we’ve reached our conclusion for now. And what a thrilling finale it was!

Episode 7 opens with Durant and Huntington bickering in Salt Lake. Tired of the fighting, Grant cuts through the bull but Brigham Young soon puts Huntington in the hot seat himself. Now everyone’s ticked at everyone and we’ve got ourselves a standoff in the making just as Cullen makes his appearance. Before opening credits roll, there’s an awesome showdown between Bohannon and Durant eying one another from across the table. Reunited never felt so good.

In the ensuing scenes, all the powers clash. Grant adjourns the meeting and Huntington frantically discusses his plans with Bohannon while Brigham Young berates the newly returned Phineas, adding more fuel to the son’s fire. While Phineas pouts from the tongue lashing, the Swede swoops in and fans the flames. We’re all on edge as we wait for his plan to unfold. Once again, Cullen’s loved ones are at the center of it as he plans to have Phineas overthrow the Prophet Brigham and then massacre the Hatchite clan (Cullen’s wife, son and inlaws). As they ride out of town, Cullen watches them go, an ominous feeling in the air.

Things come to head when the railroad tycoons convene again and Cullen forces Durant’s hand, making him confess his plans for the Union Pacific to pass through Ogden — not Salt Lake as Durant promised Brigham Young. Impatient for a resolution, Grant calls a recess once more and orders them to return with a final plan to meet the railroads. During the back Durant backpedals works to regain the trust of the Mormon leader before the contract is signed but it’s too little too late.

At the same time, Huntington works just as hard to get Cullen to lie about the progress of the Central Pacific to the President himself. His goal is to move the terminus of the two railroad lines to Fort Bridger, denying Durant his Ogden coal fields. Huntington hopes to take advantage of Cullen’s relationships with Grant, but our hero is hesitant to lie to the President.

To make things even more complicated, Durant tries his hand to sway Cullen, also realizing his influence with Grant. He pretends to forget and forgive, urging Cullen to return to his real family, the Union Pacific railroad. The cherry on top, Durant delivers a very Emperor Palpatine-like speech to Bohannon: “Join me and together we will destroy Huntington!”

Of course, Brigham Young wants to throw his hat in the ring too, and he’s got the biggest bargaining chip: information about Cullen’s family. Desperate to keep the terminus in Salt Like, Young admits he knew where they Hatchites were all along. If Cullen will convince Grant to stick to their plan, he’ll give Bohannon the location. Cullen reluctantly agrees to his terms and gives his word he’ll get the railroad terminus to Salt Lake City.

The series of visitations culminates at last with Bohannon meeting with Grant. Much to his dismay, however, Grant offers no advice other than to tell him that the American people really don’t care where the railroad meets. A bit long-winded with the numerous dialog scenes, we end up right where we started, with the fate of the transcontinental railroad in Cullen’s hands.

Cullen isn’t the only one pushed to the brink as the season draws to an end. however. Although some of the other support cast has taken a deep backseat this season, we’re still closely following Eva’s story. The madame find herself at odds with her girls after she lets one of them steal the house funds and now she’s in danger of being dethroned, losing everything she’s worked for. Eva forces Josie to leave and is attacked in the process. Even so, she spares Josie’s life, only for the usurper to return and try to force her out. This time, Eva’s had enough. Channeling her inner Calamity Jane, Eva turns around and shoots her head, right in the whorehouse. Don’t mess with the madame.

Now the time has come for Cullen to make is decision. Ever the trickster, he stuns the entire room. Instead of choosing Huntington, Durant or Brigham Young’s plan, he proposes a fourth option to Grant: a race to the finish line, the victor receiving the spoils of Ogden’s coal fields. Understandably, everyone is real pissed, but Grant approves and the race is on!

Brigham Young ends up have an awful day. After his dreams of the terminus are snatched away, Phineas shows up and attempts to assassinate the prophet, stabbing him repeatedly. With Brigham Young lying in a pool of blood on his desk, Phineas walks out on the porch declares himself the new prophet to the nearby Mormons. The Lion of the Lord isn’t done yet, though! Weak from blood loss Brigham Young still manages to get his hands around Phineas neck and cast him down, declaring himself betrayed, before collapsing on the porch. Seeing his scheme fall apart, the Swede makes his break for it.

Hearing about the attempted assassination, Cullen rushes to Brigham’s side and tells the Mormons who’s responsible for the attacks. It’s there he receives chilling news: the Swede made a break for it and he’s heading for the Hatchite settlement. In the final shots, we see the Swede looking over a farm, Cullen’s wife and son below. With Cullen racing to catch him, the Swede closes in on his little family.

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 7 review: False Prophets appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 6 Review: Hungry Ghosts

Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 6: Hungry Ghosts

Official Synopsis: Cullen and Mei take a dangerous journey through the California wilderness, escorting precious cargo. Eva nurses Louise back to health.

Read the previous episode review.

Review

I’m back in the saddle! It’s been forever, but we’re going to get through the rest of Season 5, come hell or high water. Haha…come hell…(cough) okay, down to business!

Episode 6 starts off in heartbreaking fashion: Mei kneeling over her father’s body, beside herself with grief and ready to exact revenge for his death. Wisely, Cullen pulls her away from Mr. Chang to get a grip on things in her tent. The next day, Cullen approaches Chang to end the violence. Although he agrees, it’s hard to believe their won’t be more killing on the way. Without further adieu, Cullen and Mei head to Sacramento with Tao’s body.

Their plans are soon derailed (pardon the pun), however, when the train is stopped at a bridge under repair. Although he’s prepared to head on to Sacramento alone, Cullen remains true to his inner softie and agrees to help Mei get her father there as well. On the way, they run into Stagecoach Mary — I’ve got a feeling the little interaction won’t be the last time our fearless female stage driver crosses paths with Cullen.

In the ensuing scene, we’re treated to another one of Bohannon’s fireside chats. He waxes poetic, giving another sliver of information about his past. He says he went home for honor, and his father and grandfather but then reminisces on his failures, ending with “sometimes I still wake up with ashes in my mouth.”

The showdown between Brigham Young and Durant, while intriguing, doesn’t hold a candle to Eva’s exchange with the Lion of the Lord. Their conversation marks one of the first accurate portrayals of Mormon doctrine in the series and also leaves me wondering if there’s more in Eva’s future than managing a brothel. Right now, however, she’s got her hands full keeping Louise alive. After leaving her sickbed to interview Brigham Young, Ms. Ellison collapses in the street, the result of an infection from her abortion. She looks like death warmed over when she wakes in bed, Eva at her side.

Just when you think things can’t get any worse for Mei, Cullen’s stubbornness causes their wagon to topple over in the river, sending them and the casket holding Tao’s body rushing downstream. They make it out of the river, but lose most of their supplies and the casket in the process. When they finally found the body, it’s apparent they’ll have to bury Tao in the wilderness, instead of shipping him to China, and Mei breaks down again. Later on, they’re digging the grave and Cullen tells her to stop and let him finish.

“Just be his daughter right now,” he says.

Her reply sums up Bohannon perfectly. “You have dug many graves.”

“Too many to count,” he replies, “the worst was the ones I couldn’t bury.”

Later on, Mei arrays herself in her mothers dress and they hold a lantern service for her father. Lighting the paper lanterns at the river, she tells Cullen. “For your ghosts, those you have buried and those you cannot.” A beautiful if somewhat ominous scene ensues and it’s like all the departed characters from Hell on Wheels are looking down on the pair, their deaths weighing on Cullen.

In an effort to keep the Mormon workers from leaving the Union Pacific, Durant and Maggie play their ace in the hole: they show Brigham Young plans from Huntington to circumvent the Great Salt Lake. In response, Young pulls all workers from the Central Pacific, including the Swede and Phineas Young. Ready to enact his master scheme, the Swede puts his finishing touches on his corruption of Phineas. I’ve got a feeling things are going to end very, very badly for poor Phineas.

Fully recovered, Louise writes her most scathing article about the Union Pacific yet. When the story reaches Grant, he calls for a meeting in Salt Lake with Huntington and Durant. With the showdown of the season on the way, Cullen makes for Utah to join them.

The post Hell on Wheels Season 5 Episode 6 Review: Hungry Ghosts appeared first on Author Derek Alan Siddoway.