Hodge-podge

With The Walking Dead done 'til next season, we have entered a bit of a wasteland here at FMS, where I don't have anything to recap (although I recently learned that my library has True Blood so I'm on that waiting list), plus the DVR is nearly empty these days.  I do have Kinky Boots and No Country for Old Men waiting to be watched; I'm not allowed to watch NCfOM without Mr. Mouse, however, so it may be a while before we get around to that.  So, yeah, wasteland.  I can share with you the following, at least:

Scar Night by Alan Campbell - The first novel from Grand Theft Auto developer/programmer Campbell, Scar Night is mediocre fantasy at best.  Set in the city of Deepgate, a medieval-ish city suspended on great chains over an abyss, the story follows Dill, the city's last protector angel, and his trainer, the assassin Rachel,  as they combat the evil, bloodsucking dark angel Carnival and the city's Poisoner, a man rotting from the inside out who is up to no good.  Like Game of Thrones and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Campbell follows numerous characters' storylines but because the book is just not that long, nothing goes anywhere and I wasn't able to connect with anybody.  Pluswhich, it ends abruptly and is obviously intended to be the first in a series.  I won't be picking up the next installments.

Defiance - I've watched Syfy's latest big original scripted series and ... while I didn't hate it, I didn't immediately love it like I did Battlestar Galactica.  I'll give it a few more episodes - it's got a decent cast and is sort of Firefly-light in its western motifs.

Orphan Black - Now, this one I like.  It's on BBC America and it's about this tough girl, Sara, who sees a woman who looks just like her - like, exactly like her - step in front of a commuter train.  The opportunistic Sara snatches up the dead woman's purse and steps into her life, trying on her apartment, job and estranged husband for size.  But before she can clean out dead Beth's bank accounts and move on, Sara learns that there are more women who look exactly like her and, against her will, she gets drawn into the mystery.  Now, I have just given a HORRIBLE synopsis of this show.  But I'm trying to keep it spoiler-free because it's quite good.  The lead actress is fantastic and does a great job at playing multiples; the rest of the cast is not quite as strong - except for Sara's gay foster brother who steals scenes shamelessly - but I think they'll warm up to the challenge.  Orphan Black - definitely give it a try (but start at the beginning).