Julian Bashir: You promised me that you wouldn’t go kayaking again until your shoulder had a chance to heal.
Miles O’Brien: I know; but I can’t stay away. It’s like the river calls to me.
Julian Bashir: Yes, it’s saying “Stay away, don’t come near me, or I’ll hurt you more!”
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 6: Episode 18 – “Inquisition”
“Of course, it doesn’t matter how he looks. . . . It’s not r-really important . . . but he was a very handsome little b-boy . . . always very handsome . . . and he was g-going to be married!”
“And what do you mean by zat?” said Fleur suddenly and loudly. “What do you mean, ‘’e was going to be married?”
Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled. “Well — only that —”
“You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?” demanded Fleur. “You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?”
“No, that’s not what I —”
“Because ’e will!” said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. “It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!”
“Well, yes, I’m sure,” said Mrs. Weasley, “but I thought perhaps — given how — how he —”
“You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per’aps, you hoped?” said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. “What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!” she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.
Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping up Bill’s wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. Nobody said anything; Harry did not dare move. Like everybody else, he was waiting for the explosion.
“Our Great-Auntie Muriel,” said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, “has a very beautiful tiara — goblin- made — which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair.”
“Thank you,” said Fleur stiffly. “I am sure zat will be lovely.”
And then, Harry did not quite see how it happened, both women were crying and hugging each other. Completely bewildered, wondering whether the world had gone mad, he turned around: Ron looked as stunned as he felt and Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling
Snyder: There’re some things I can just smell. It’s like a sixth sense.
Giles: No, actually that would be one of the five.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2: Episode 1 – “When She Was Bad”
Besides getting several paper cuts in the same day or receiving the news that someone in your family has betrayed you to your enemies, one of the most unpleasant experiences in life is a job interview. It is very nerve-wracking to explain to someone all the things you can do in the hopes that they will pay you to do them. I once had a very difficult job interview in which I had not only to explain that I could hit an olive with a bow and arrow, memorize up to three pages of poetry, and determine if there was poison mixed into cheese fondue without tasting it, but I had to demonstrate all these things as well. In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that you won’t get the job and will spend the rest of your life foraging for food in the wilderness and seeking shelter underneath a tree or the awning of a bowling alley that has gone out of business.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Carnivorous Carnival – Lemony Snicket
After last week’s episode got season 2 of Agents of SHIELD off and running at a fast pace, the latest episode continued right where we left off with another exciting installment. “Heavy is the Head” gave us some solid character development, it wrapped up some of the loose threads from last week, and it helped to set the stage for the coming season. We got the addition of a new villain, allied with a returning character from last year, plus a deeper look at the new additions to our band of heroes. And perhaps most importantly of all, we got the return of some humor to the show, for which the action last week left little time. (Though I imagine that people are most interested in discussing the preview for next week’s episode, which we’ll get to at the end of the recap.) In all, this episode felt like the second half of a two-hour premiere, and gave the team and the show a solid base to build on for the next 20 episodes. So let’s dive right in to “Heavy is the Head,” written by Paul Zbyszewski and directed by Jesse Boncho.
Jadzia Dax: I know how much your career means to you.
Worf: You come first – before career, before duty, before anything. I do not regret what I did; and I would do it again.
Jadzia Dax: I don’t know what to say.
Worf: You could say ‘thank you for saving my life’.
Jadzia Dax: Thank you for saving my life.
Worf: And you could say ‘I would do the same for you, Worf’.
Jadzia Dax: Well – I’d have to think about that. My career is very important to me, you know.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 6: Episode 16 – “Change of Heart”
*Update: My full recap of “Heavy is the Head” is now live. Read it here!
Tonight’s episode of Agents of SHIELD picked up right where last week’s episode left off. In fact, in many ways it was almost as if the season premiere was split in half, and tonight was merely part two of an extended beginning. We got some (temporary) resolution to the Creel/Absorbing Man plot, spent more time with this season’s newest cast member, and the stage was set for the larger movements of the plot going forward. We got to see progression on some of the character arcs that were started last week, while some others were left out, and we saw the reappearance of a familiar face from last year along with the introduction of a new threat to SHIELD. In all, it was a great followup to last week, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store going forward. Here are my instant reactions to “Heavy is the Head,” and I’ll update this post with a link to my full episode recap once it’s finished.
“We’ve got a problem, Snape,” said the lumpy Amycus, whose eyes and wand were fixed alike upon Dumbledore, “the boy doesn’t seem able —”
But somebody else had spoken Snape’s name, quite softly.
“Severus . . .”
The sound frightened Harry beyond anything he had experienced all evening. For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading.
Snape said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed.
Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred in the harsh lines of his face.
“Severus . . . please . . .”
Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore.
“Avada Kedavra!“
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling
Willow: She’s possessed!
Giles: Possessed?
Willow: That’s the only explanation that makes any sense. I mean, you should’ve seen her last night. That wasn’t Buffy.
Xander: Are we overlooking the idea that she may be very attracted to me? … She’s possessed.
Giles: Possessed by what?
Willow: Aaaaa possessing thing!
Giles: Well, that narrows it down.
Xander: Well, you’re the expert. Hey, maybe when the Master killed her some… mystical bad guy transference thing happened.
Willow: That’s what it was! I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?
Giles: Willow, I think we’re a little too old to be spelling things out.
Xander: A bitca?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2: Episode 1 – “When She Was Bad”
