On Heroes and Villains (though mostly the latter)

Had you asked me when I was a child which I preferred, heroes or villains, my answer would definitely have been in favor of the latter. From Dr. Claw to  The Phantom Blot, Captain Hook (the Dustin Hoffman version), Bowser, Ganon and a wide assortment of Disney-villains, the bad guys in stories almost always seemed cooler, more interesting and more charismatic than their goody-goody counterparts.
These days, however, things are a bit different. Yes, I do still think that there's nothing like a truly great villain and there have been instances when I decided to check out some work of fiction, solely on the basis that the villain seemed interesting. I would most likely never have watched Star vs. the Forces of Evil if it wasn't for Toffee, to name one example.

That said, I can also come up with plenty of stories in which the hero is an engaging, complex character and the villain is simply just there because the story needed a villain. Take Casablanca for example; one of the greatest movies of all time, to be sure and yet, does anyone actually think Major Strasser is more interesting than Rick Blaine?

While we're at it, I must confess that as I grow older I like the concept of the endlessly recurring arch-villain less and less. Olrik from the Blake &  Mortimer comics is a particularly flagrant example of this kind of character. Now, I haven't bought any new Blake & Mortimer in years, but out of the albums I own, there are only two in which Olrik is not present in some capacity. There are twenty-two Blake & Mortimer albums on my shelf. That means that twenty of those feature the same villain. To be fair, some of these albums tells a continuing story over two or three installments, but that's still a lot.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that every villain should perish at the end of their first appearance. If you've managed to create a good villain, than I can certainly understand wanting to bring them back for a re-match or two in order to further flesh out their character. However, after awhile it starts to become forced and trite. Plus, it risks hurting the villain's credibility: After all, he didn't manage to kill the hero and take over the world the other umpteenth times they fought, so why should this time be any different?

Ultimately, I prefer to judge a character based on how interesting they are as a character, regardless of what role they have in the story. If the villain's the most compelling character, than that's great and if that honor goes to the hero...well, that's great too.

Thimbleweed Park

If you, like me, love adventure games, than Ron Gilbert is a name that you no doubt recognize and hold in high esteem and for those of you who have never heard of this Ron Gilbert fellow before, well, pull up a chair, its time for a brief history lesson: 

Ron Gilbert was instrumental in the development of the point & click adventure game genre. Not only did he create SCUMM, the engine used in pretty much every LucasArts adventure game during the company's golden age, but he also created such classics as Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island. 

Gilbert's (and by extension, LucasArts') design-philosophy stood in sharp contrast to that of Sierra Entertainment, who up until then, had dominated the genre: Gilbert felt that the many deaths presents in games such as the King's Quest series, as well as not allowing players to go back and pick up items that they had no way of knowing would become important later on, thus rendering the player irrevocably stuck, to be deeply unfair and this is reflected in the games he made. Admittedly, the player could die in the early LucasArts adventure games, but nowhere near as much or as often as in those made by Sierra (there's a reason why its called Sierra Sudden Death Syndrome after all).

In 1992, Ron Gilbert left LucasArts to focus on other ventures. He co-founded Humongous Entertainment, which specialized in edutainment titles such as the Putt Putt and Freddy Fish series. He was also the producer of the real-time strategy game Total Annihilation. Now, I should point out that I have not played any of Gilbert's post-LucasArts games and at any rate, they are not what this post is all about. No, this is about Thimbleweed Park, Ron Gilbert's grand return to making a bona fide point & click adventure game of the old-school. In many ways, Thimbleweed Park feels like the closing of a circle, as Gilbert returns to the genre that he helped perfect.

Co-created with Gary Winnick, another old LucasArts employee and close collaborator of Gilbert's, Thimbleweed Park was funded via Kickstarter and was released last year. 

The game takes place in the eponymous town in the year 1987 and features five different protagonists. They are as follows:

Angela Ray and Antonio Reyes - Two FBI agents who have arrived in town to investigate a murder. Or at least, that's the official reason why they are here. Unofficially, they also have more personal motives for being in Thimblweed Park.

Delores Edmund -Niece of Chuck Edmund, owner of the local Pillow Factory and the man who put Thimbleweed Park on the map. Delores was once Chuck's presumed heir, but fell out of favor after pursuing a career as a game designer. With her uncle's recent demise, she has returned to town to hear the reading of his will.

Franklin Edmund - Delores' father and Chuck's put-upon brother. Early on, Franklin is murdered and spends the rest of the game as a ghost. His goal is to escape the confines of the hotel in which he was killed and take farewell of his daughter, before passing on to the afterlife.

Ransome the Insult Clown - Once a popular comedian and the star-act of the local circus. During one of his performances, Ransome insulted the wrong person and was cursed with never being able to remove his make-up. As a result of this, Ransome's career tanked and he is now a bitter has-been, despised by the townspeople.

During the course of the game, the player has to switch between these five characters in order to solve puzzles and come closer to solve the mystery that haunts Thimbleweed Park, a mystery whose solution might lie inside the abandoned Pillow Factory...

If you've played any of LucasArts adventure game, then you'll be right at home playing Thimbelweed Park. The game plays exactly the same as, say Day of the Tentacle or Monkey Island. Basically, you have a list of verbs, such as "use", that you click on and then click on whatever item you wish to interact with. Simple and efficient.

Visually, Thimbleweed Park looks great, with its 2-d graphics being very detailed and lovely to look at. The game also has a really nice atmosphere, mixing the lighthearted and quirky with something more menacing. In that regard, the game definitely reminded me of the first two Monkey Island games, which managed to evoke a similar mood.

The voice acting of the game is uniformly of good, though special mention must go to Nicole Oliver and Ian James Corlett, who do the voices of Agent Ray and Ransome respectively. Oliver is perfect as Ray, a cynical opportunist who usually does not even bother to hide her utter contempt for Thimbleweed Park and its quirky inhabitants, while Corlett makes Ransome in turns deliberately obnoxious, repugnant and, most importantly, funny. 

So, having lavished a lot of praise on Thimbleweed Park do I have everything negative to say about this game at all? Surely, there must be something, right? Well, there is one thing actually and that's the ending of the game. While the characters' individual stories are each wrapped up in a satisfying manner, the big plot-twist, regarding the truth of the town did not really do it for me. I get the feeling that Ron Gilbert wanted to pull another Monkey Island 2; a game whose ending is one of the most famous in adventure game history. However, it didn't work as well the second time around. Unfortunately, I can't go into further details regarding how I felt about the game's ending without giving away major spoilers and I do not wish to do that, since it would perhaps risk turning people off from trying the game at all.

And that would be a shame, because no matter how it ends, the rest of Thimbleweed Park is a terrific game, one that every fan of the genre should have in their collection. I hope its not the case, but if this turns out to be the last adventure game Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick ever make, its a high note to go out on.

My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)

Originally I wasn't going to watch this movie until it became available on Netflix. 

However, due to circumstances I decided  to go ahead and watch the film through other means. The reason for this is that this guy I'm subscribing to on YouTube recently put up a blind commentary-video of this very film, as a Christmas special and I didn't watch his video until after I had seen the movie on my own. At the same time, I didn't want to put off watching it for the time it would take until Netflix added it to their library, so here we are.

If you have visited this blog before, you are most likely aware of my opinion regarding My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. If not, then suffice to say that its a show that I have a deep fondness for. 

I went into it with a great degree of skepticism, but it managed to win me over and ultimately, I consider it to be one of the best animated shows to come out this decade. Considering my enjoyment of the show and its characters, you'd think that my expectations for the first movie in this series to take place entirely in Equestria proper, would be pretty high up in the air, but they actually weren't. 

I did not go into the movie excepting it to be bad, but I wasn't expecting it to be a masterpiece either. 

Let me make one thing clear from the start: I do not consider My Little Pony: The Movie to be a great animated feature. As far as animated family-films go, its trounced completely by the best titles that Disney and Pixar have in their libraries (not to mention Ghibli). It is, however, a good deal more enjoyable than the weaker efforts from these titans. I can in all honestly say that I would put My Little Pony: The Movie (henceforth to be referred to as simply The Movie) on the same level as, say, Big Hero 6 and I would definitely take it over the likes of Cars or Dinosaurs any day. 

That said, let's take a look at the film itself.

The Movie begins in Canterlot where our main protagonist Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship is busy preparing for a festival of her own invention. However, the celebrations are quickly cut short by the arrival of an invading army headed by Tempest Shadow; a rogue unicorn, working for the evil Storm King, who has promised to heal her broken horn, if she delivers up the magic of the four princesses to him. Twilight, being the only princess who is not incapacitated by Tempest's weapons, escapes with her friends. Their goal is to find the queen of the Hippos, who hopefully will find a way to help them rescue their conquered homeland. Unfortunately, Tempest and her goons are hot on their trail.

If I was to point to this movie's greatest assets, I'd definitely point to the sound and the visuals. Friendship Is Magic has always been a very good looking show and so, its no small wonder that the movie, armed with a bigger budget and all that, was going to be a feast for the eyes. My only real complaint regarding the visuals is the way that Twilight and the other ponies look. Of course, they have always been cute and I don't mind cute, but here I thought their designs on occasion, strayed too far into the realm of the saccharine for my taste. 

The soundtrack and voice-acting for the show are likewise for high quality, but then I wasn't expecting anything less. The regular voice-actors all do a great job with their characters and are joined by the likes of Taye Diggs, Emily Blunt and Liev Schreiber, (voicing Capper, Tempest Shadow and The Storm King, respectively) who bring their parts to life convincingly. Likewise, the songs are really good and I doubt that I surprise anyone if I say that I consider the villain-song, Open Up Your Eyes, to be he movie's stand-out number.

Character-wise, most of the new characters introduced in this movie are fine. Capper, although he doesn't bring anything new to the role, is a good example of the loveable rogue archetype. Same thing goes for the likes of Captain Celano, Queen Nova and Princess Sky-Star. All of them characters that I wouldn't mind seeing in the show proper.

However, the real star of the movie, even more so than Twilight and pals, is definitely Tempest Shadow, whose ruthlessness and drive makes for a great antagonist. She's not my favorite MLP villain, but she's definitely in my top 5. Her villain-song, which explains her backstory and world-view, helps a lot in this regard. Speaking of Tempest, I will also say that I didn't find Grubber, her second in command, as annoying as I had feared he would be (relatively speaking, he's still one of the weaker parts of the movie).

By comparison, the Storm King is unfortunately, something of a disappointment: I liked his design and, as mentioned, Schreiber did a good job voicing him, but I didn't find him to be nearly as compelling, or competent a villain as Tempest. Its possible to have a villain who is both comedic and genuinely menacing at the same time, but in this case, I would have preferred if the writers had toned down the more comedic elements, as it was, I found myself wondering how this guy became the feared head of a world conquering army. He works as an off-screen presence though.

I suppose I should write something about Sia's character, Songbird Serande, but I can't really think of anything to say about her. She's a celebrity cameo and that's all there is to her. I must admit that I had never heard of Sia before this movie, so I can't say that her being in this movie was a big draw for me.

Ultimately my biggest gripe with The Movie comes down to the fact that while its well-made and fun, its also pretty generic and predictable, especially if you are familiar with the show itself. 

Of course Cadence and the Original Princesses are going to turn out to be completely useless against the new villains. Of course Twilight and her friends are going to have falling out somewhere down the line and of course, one of the villains (no prize for guessing who) will see the error of their ways and be redeemed by the magic of friendship. Don't misunderstand me, I get that this is a movie meant for kids, but it would have been nice to see the writers subvert expectations and take some risks. Perhaps the sequel will be more ambitious, one can at least hope.

To sum it up, if you are already a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, than you're most likely going to enjoy the movie. I did, despite some of my criticisms. If you are not, than I highly doubt that this movie is going to make you into a convert.

Happy Holidays everypo...everybody.

Chapter 26

It had become afternoon when Risha and Merees returned to the village. Before that, they had cleaned themselves up in the lake and afterwards, had lied close together on the floor of the cave, waiting for their bodies to dry. Upon entering the village, they saw that a large crowd had gathered in the square.
Their curiosity awakened, the lynx and the dragon made their way past the crowd, in order to see what had gotten the islanders' attention: Standing on a wooden crate, was a short, slenderly built faun, wearing a red cape. Next to him stood a group of men and women, all of various age and species.
Risha could not help but stare; fauns were an unusual sight in Vinoli and she had never seen one in real-life before. 

The Faun was addressing the crowd, his melodious voice carried by the breeze.

"Yes, my friends, once again we at Eramus' Ocean Theatre has arrived at your fair island in order to help you forget the troubles of your daily lives and whisk you away to a world of your pure imagination: The ship which serves as our stage lies anchored in your port. This evening, you're all welcome aboard. Do not miss this opportunity to enrich your lives, my friends."

"What play are you showing?" Shouted a voice in the crowd.

The faun looked in the direction the voice had come from.

"An excellent question, madam. This year we will give you The Legend of Selvano; a true classic filled with drama, adventure and romance."

"I know that play", said Risha excitedly to Merees, without taking her eyes from the faun.
"We had a copy of it at home. My father and I used to read the characters' lines to each other. He usually read the villain. You should have heard him; he was absolutely terrifying."

The  lynx-girl smiled wistfully as she recalled these memories.

"I've never seen it performed though. Say, why don't we go to the show? It could be fun."

When she didn't get an answer, Risha turned around and noticed that Merees was no longer by her side.

Where did she go? Risha wondered. She looked around until she spotted a familiar figure, wandering the streets.

Making her way past the crowd, Risha shouted Merees' name. Upon hearing it, the dragon stopped, allowing the other girl to catch up with her.

"What happened?" Risha asked, concern and vexation mingling in the tone of her voice. "Is something wrong?"

Merees sighed.

"I'm sorry", she said. "It's just...the play, I've seen it before."

"Oh. Was it with your father?"

"No, it was with..."

A pained expression passed over the princess' face. She left the final word unsaid, but she did not need to say it, Risha knew all too well whom she was referring to.

"I see. It's too bad, I really wanted to see that play."

"Well, you can still see it, there's no reason for you to miss out on my account."

Risha said nothing, from the moment that she had heard the title of the play, she had wanted to see it together with her lover, but it seemed that that was not meant to be.
Understandably, she could not help but feel a bit disappointed. Gradually, the disappointment got mixed with a growing sense of annoyance. Was this how things were going to be? What other enjoyable experiences would she be unable to share with Merees, because they reminded her of Argath's treachery? The words passed over Risha's lips before she she realized that she had spoken them out-loud:

"Are you going to let your sister control your life? Our lives?" She blurted out.

Merees stiffened, she looked at Risha with disbelief and anger.

"Have you forgotten what she did?" She asked hotly. "She murdered my father and my brothers and would have killed me as well? She's the reason why you and your brother have been separated from your parents."

"I know that..." Risha protested. "It's just..."

"You could have fooled me", Merees continued, her voice growing more agitated with each new word. "I watched my father die before my eyes and I could do nothing to prevent it from happening. That is something I will never get over, I am sorry if that inconveniences you."

With those words, the Princess turned her back on Risha and stomped off, before the lynx had the opportunity to say another word.

Risha watched her leave with rage burning in her veins. She was angry at Merees, for refusing to acknowledge her point-of-view. She was angry at Argath, who was the reason for this dispute, but most of all, she was angry at herself.
You idiot, she thought bitterly. Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut. Its just a play.

The lynx-girl gave vent to her frustrations by punching a nearby wall and letting out a curse-word. This earned her an angry look from a woman who was passing by with her child. The mother covered her offspring's ears while shaking her head reproachfully at the offender.

Unfortunately for Risha, this outburst did not bring her any lasting satisfaction, she slumped down against the wall, feeling as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

She remained like this, taking no notice of the people who passed her by.
One of the villagers mistook her for a beggar and casually tossed a coin at the ground before her, she did not move to pick it up, preferring to sit with her legs drawn up high, her eyes fixed on the cobblestones.

"What's troubling you, young lady?"

Surprised, Risha looked up and saw that the faun had appeared in front of her, without her realizing it.
"None of your business", she snapped, then immediately regretted her outburst.
"I am sorry", she said. "I got into an argument with someone dear to me, it was not my meaning to take it out on you."

The Faun nodded sagely and stroked his tiny beard.

"I understand, girl-troubles, eh?"

"How did you know?" Risha asked, astounded.

"Intuition", the faun said, tipping the side of his nose.  "One might say that I have a knack for these things. By the way, my name is Eramus."

He sat down next to her and extended his hand, it was small and devoid of fur, feather or scales. Risha had never seen anything like it, she gazed at it in fascination.

"I know", she said, getting ahold of herself and grasping the offered limb. "I was in the crowd earlier. My name is Risha."

"Pleased to meet you. Say, I know we just met, but I was just about to have lunch and I do so dislike eating alone. Would you care to join me? I'll pay for your food."

Eramus' words made Risha realized that she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Suddenly, she became aware of how hungry she was. Still, there was a voice in her head, wondering if she could really trust this stranger. True, he seemed nice, but as the lynx-girl now knew from personal experience, anyone can seem nice. On the other hand, there were genuinely good people in the World, such as Doctor Hieronymus and another stronger voice, told her that this faun belonged to this group. Besides, she could really use a shoulder to cry on.
Just then, Risha's stomach reminded her of its existence by letting out a growl. That settled things.

"I'll gladly accept your offer", she said, standing up, as she did, something occurred to her: "What about the members of your troupe? Do they not need you to be here?"

The Faun shook his head.

"If they did, I would not yet take lunch. Trust me, at this point, each member of the troupe knows what they're supposed to do, which makes my life considerably easier. Shall we go?"

******

"So, young Risha", Eramus said, picking up the bottle of white wine and filling first her glass and then his own. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

The two of them sat at a corner-table in the local tavern, waiting for the meal they had ordered to arrive.

Risha took a tiny sip of her wine

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Well, I can't help but recognize that you speak in a Vinolian accent. Vinoli is not exactly next door, how come you ended up on this island?"

Risha told the faun how she, Leorin and Merees had boarded captain Cerewan's ship and paid for their journey. How they had been warned by Luke, the cabin-boy that the Captain had planned to either hold them for ransom, or sell them into slavery and how all four of them had escaped in a life-boat, with a compass and a sack of provisions only to be caught in the middle of the storm and swept up on this island and how they had been staying with Doctor Hieronymus and his niece ever since.

"That is quite the story", said Eramus. "It would make quite a play, if I do say so myself." He leaned forward, hands on the table.
"So, where does your story go from here?"

"It's nice here, but I would like to see more of the world. Besides, I can't take advantage of the Doctor's hospitality much longer."

"You're doing the right thing. The world is filled with fascinating places and people and you should experience as much of it as possible, while you're still young."

"There's a certain person I'd especially like to have as a travelling companion, but after our quarrel today, I am worried that she might no longer feel the same way about me."

She uttered these words in a gloomy tone, while listlessly playing with her fork.

Feeling a deep sympathy for his newfound acquaintance, Eramus decided to offer some comforting
words.

"I am sure your worries are unfounded. All couples argue from time to time, you should have heard the quarrels my late wife and I used to have."

Risha saw the truth in the faun's words. After all, there had been times when her parents had argued as well, but at the end, no matter how heated these arguments could get, they couldn't sever the love between them. The thought of this improved the lynx's mood somewhat, but it did not take long for a feeling of doubt to enter her mind, like an uninvited guest.

"I really made a mess of things though" she said, looking down at the tablecloth. "I know I should apologize, but part of me doesn't want to. Or at least, I don't want to be the first one to offer an apology."

At that moment, their food arrived; mussels, steaming hot and bathing in a spicy sauce, along with a basket of bread, and the conversation came to a halt. Risha and Eramus ate in silence, doing honor to the meal that the cook had prepared for them. Once they had finished, they both leaned back in their chairs, satisfied.
After awhile, Eramus wiped out a timepiece, a small pocket-watch from his west and glanced at it.

"I am afraid, I can't dally here any longer", he said with an apologetic smile, as he got up and tossed a few coins on the table. "Before I go, let me tell you something."

As he spoke, Eramus looked Risha straight in the eyes.

"Like you I once got into a heated argument with a person I loved. Afterwards, I spent days agonizing over whether I should be the first one to extend an olive-branch, or if I should wait and give him the chance to apologize first. I am sure that he felt the same way. Eventually, I could not take it anymore and so, I apologized. As soon as I had done that, I felt as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I realized then that to be the first to apologize, is not necessarily a defeat, but a victory over yourself and your own pride. Anyway, the decision here is really up to you."

With those words, the faun put on his cape, which had been draped over the back of his chair and headed towards the exit. As he did, he stopped and called out:

"Oh, give my regards to Hieronymus."

"I will", Risha called back. "Thank you for the meal."

"Thank you for the company. I hope everything works out between you."

With that he disappeared. Risha sat alone for awhile, pondering what she had just heard. Then she got up, left the tavern and began the walk back to the Doctor's house.

My Least Favorite Disney Villains

If there is one company that knows the art of making good villains, its Disney. Whether their villains appear in movies, shows or comics and whether they are completely original creations or adapted from another source, one can usually count on the House of Mouse to bring worthwhile additions to the legions of fictional evil-doers.
Usually being the keyword here, because the fact is that not every Disney-villain can be a Xanatos or a Frollo and that's fine; but some does not even reach to the level of "good", being really lackluster in the role of villain.
Below are a few of my least favorite Disney-villains and I should stress this is just my personal opinion. Oh, and the list is in no particular order. I thought about ranking them, but ultimately decided against it.
Anyway, on with the list:

Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether (Zootopia)

Out of all the surprise-villains in Disney-movies, Bellwether is by far the weakest. Mostly because this was the fourth time in a row that Disney used the same shtick and by then it was no longer fresh or interesting. I really like Zootopia and consider it one of Disney's finest movies, but it has nothing to do with its villain who is one of the weakest aspects of another-wise great movie.

Various Paul Murry villains (Mickey Mouse comics)

I must admit that I've never been a fan of Paul Murry's work. I'm aware that there are people who like his comics, but none that I've read have really impressed me. Especially not the ones he did in collaboration with Carl Fallberg; bog-standard mystery/adventure-stories in which a personality-free Mickey goes up against some of the blandest, most generic crooks ever seen in a Disney-comic. Considering that Mickey actually has a rogues'-gallery that any superhero would be proud of, the lack of even decent new villains (save perhaps Emil Eagle) during the Murry-era is pretty depressing.

Edgar (The Aristocats)

Edgar is usually regarded as the worst villain in the Disney Animated Canon and for good reason. First of all, he manages to be bumbling and non-threatening even for a comedic villain;
compare Edgar to Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood. Sure, PJ may have been a crybaby with mommy-issues, but he was also genuinely nasty; bleeding his subjects dry and wanting to kill the hero. Edgar lacks even the tiniest hint of any menacing qualities, which is why The Aristocats as a movie is severely lacking in terms of meaningful conflict. There's also the fact that his reason for getting rid of Duchess and the kittens really makes no sense: It seems reasonable to assume that he would be the cats' primary care-taker, which means that, as long as he took good care of the cats he should be able to spend at least some of the money on himself. What are the cats going to do about it? They're cats.

Leaving that aside, if you're going to get rid of the cats why not wait until after your employer is dead? Then again this is the same guy who believed that cats actually have nine lives, so we're not exactly talking criminal mastermind here.
I will however say one thing for Edgar: He has some pretty amusing facial expressions.

Sarousch (The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2)

The original The Hunchback of Notre Dame gave us one of the all-time great Disney villains in Judge Claude Frollo; as dark and complex a villain that you will ever find in a Disney film. A man who seemed to embody so many real-life evils such as bigotry, abuse, religious hypocrisy, all while having an amazing villain-song to boot. What does the sequel give us? A narcissistic circus-owner who wants to steal a bell. Yeah.
I know that few, if any of the sequel villains can measure up to the original and there was no way that any new villain could completely fill Frollo's shoes, but this guy was just awful regardless. Edgar may be the worst villain in the Animated Canon, but Sarousch is a strong contender for worst Disney-villain period.

Some Great One-Off Characters

Most TV-shows, whether live-action or animated, tend to rely on a recurring cast of characters that the viewer gets to know intimately during the course of the series. However, every once in a while, a character appears that manage to make a lasting impression, despite only playing a (usually) major role in one episode. Below are a few of these "one-offs" that have remained in my memory over the years. I should point out that all the characters on this list are from shows that features a recurring cast, hence why there are no examples from The Twilight Zone or Decalogue to be found on it.

Hank Scorpio (The Simpsons)

Its been a long time since I lost any interest in The Simpsons, but that does not prevent me from looking back with a certain fondness at some of the older episodes. One of my favorite episodes of the show is You Only Move Twice, in which the family moves to another city, when Homer gets offered a job at Globex Corporation, headed by Hank Scorpio.

What makes Scorpio such a memorable character is his dual-nature. On one hand, he's a megalomaniacal super-villain with dreams of World Conquest, but he's also a genuinely friendly guy who cares about his employees, making him a far better person to work for than, say, Monty Burns. The fact that he gets a Shirley Bassey-esque theme song, worthy of any Bond villain, is also a point in his favor.

Hugo DeVries (Inspector Morse)

Based on the novels by Colin Dexter, Inspector Morse is one of the finest detective-series to come out of Britain. My personal favorite episode is one that's actually not based on a novel; namely, Masonic Mysteries. In this episode, Morse finds himself the target of a ghost from his past: Hugo DeVries, a con-man he sent to jail decades earlier and who is now out for revenge.

Vicious and intelligent, if there ever was a criminal in this series that qualified as Morse's own Professor Moriarty its DeVries. Played to chilling perfection by Ian McDiarmid, DeVries does not actually appear all that much in the episode, but his presence is felt throughout it. The scene in which he and Morse finally meet each other face to face is one of my favorite scenes of its type, in any show.

Lt. Joe Bookman (Seinfeld)

Appearing in the season 3 episode The Library (plus a cameo in the series finale), Lt. Joe Bookman is a library cop with an extreme dedication towards his job. His deadpan personality, rapid-fire way of speaking and the fact that he acts like a regular cop on the hunt for dangerous criminals, rather than library delinquents, combine to make Bookman one of the most memorable and funniest minor characters in this seminal sit-com.

Andy Von de Oniyate (Cowboy Bebop)

I was going to write something about Andy and how well he works as a reflection of the show's lead character Spike Spiegel. However, try as I might I was unable to come up with any argument for what makes Andy a great character that this post didn't make years ago and better. So go and read it and see you, Space Cowboy.

Krombopulos Michael (Rick & Morty)

Rick & Morty is not quite among my favorite cartoons, but there are some episodes of it that I really like (the one with the parasites, for example) and its not lacking in memorable one-off characters. My personal favorite is Krombopulos Michael, an alien assassin who we first see buying weapons from Rick and afterwards ends up getting killed by Morty, while trying to assassinate the telepathic gaseous life-form, which later calls itself Fart. Despite being only in two brief scenes in an episode, Krombopulos Michael's affable demeanor and his cheerful enthusiasm towards his work ("Oh, boy! Here I go killing again") makes him one of the funniest and most likable characters in the show.

Chapter 25

From The Private Journal of Her Majesty, Argath I:

Though they do not say it in my presence, I am aware that the people at court and those who make up the Royal Council, believe that I have changed since the crown was put on my head. Of course, they are mistaken; the person they knew during all these years was but a role I played, a mask that I wore, in order to help me achieve my initial goal. Now that I rule this land, I no longer have need for that kind of pretense and I can be my true self; the me that have been known only to a select few, such as my pets or Lorenzo, my loyal protege, whom I've come to regard almost as a son. Besides, if the inhabitants of the palace find me stern, so much the better. As I told the council, I expect my orders to be carried out without protest, no matter the prize.

Although my hands are red and will grow redder still in the near future, those who think me entirely devoid of compassion are mistaken. I am perfectly capable, sometimes even willing, to show kindness toward those of my subjects that I deem deserving of it. Granted, I rarely find it necessary to demonstrate the softer aspects of my character, though recently, an opportunity to do so presented itself. 

It was on this very day, in fact: Shortly after I had left my throne-room after conveying my orders to general Jeraddin, I was reached by the news that my councilman, Felix had been found unconscious in one of the hallways. 

I asked the servant who brought me the news where Felix was right now and was told that he had been taken to one of the palace wings, in which his domicile is located. 
Immediately, I jotted down a few words on a pen and paper and handed it to the servant.

"Take this to the doctor", I said.

The servant bowed and left the room. Moments later, the cake I had ordered from the kitchen arrived.

As I began digging into the slice that one of my pets (her name is of no importance at the moment) had cut out of the cake and placed on the plate before me, I couldn't help but feel concerned for my Councilman's health.  I decided to make a courtesy-call, as soon as opportunity presented itself.


My schedule, as usual, was quite full and it was not until a few hours later that I was able to make good on the promise I had made to myself. I headed to the Eastern wing. I did not bother to knock on the door (After all, do not all rooms in this palace belong to me?), but headed straight into the spacious apartment that Felix shared with his wife.

I figured that I would find the two of them in the bedroom; Felix lying in bed, having been administered to by the doctor with his wife, Lucinda, watching over him. It had been a long time since I had last visited them, but thankfully, my memory has always been good and I had no trouble locating the bedroom.

I did not enter the room immediately, but remained in the doorway, watching the scene in front of me. It was exactly as I had pictured it: Felix lay in bed, eyes closed, his breathing so faint that at first, I had trouble hearing it. Lucinda sat by his bedside, clutching one of his hands.

Soon, Lucinda rose from her chair, having detected the presence of another conscious person in the vicinity. She turned around and her eyes met mine.

"Your Majesty", she said, visibly taken aback. "What an unexpected honor".

She curtsied deeply, grabbing the hem of her dress. 

"We can not stand here" I said, gesturing for her to rise. "Let us resume this conversation in your living room."

As I sat down in a plush red sofa, Lucinda, always the gracious host, asked me if I wanted any refreshments.

"Coffee", I said and immediately after, my stomach growled. "Oh, and something light to nibble at, if you have it."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

"We can dispose with the formalities" I said, magnanimously. "After all, have I not been a friend of your family for many years?"

"It has been so long since you last visited, we feared that we might have done something to make us lose favor with you.

I smiled.

"Believe me, Lucinda, if you had done something to make me angry, I would have been sure to let you know it. No, I have simply been busy."

Having been thus reassured that she was still in my good graces, Lucinda went out into the kitchen. Despite their wealth, she and her husband do not employ any servants and so, she would have to prepare the coffee on her own.

Shortly thereafter, she returned, carrying a tray, which she sat down on the coffee table. Having taken a sip of the coffee and helped myself to several of the small, triangular sandwiches that Lucinda had prepared, I decided it was time to cut to the chase:

"I heard that your husband is not feeling well", I said. "Its nothing serious, I hope?"

"The Doctor did not tell you?" Lucinda asked, with some surprise. "I thought he would have."

I confessed that I had not had the opportunity to talk to the Doctor yet.

"Apparently, its a relapse of the fever he had recently, brought about by a severe shock. The doctor has given him some medicine, but he is to remain in bed for a few days. I'm afraid he'll have to be absent from some of the Council meetings."

"Perfectly understandable", I assured her, reaching for another sandwich. 

My eyes drifted across the room and eventually came to rest upon a portrait of two boys, arms on each other's shoulders, which hung on the wall.

"How are the twins doing at school?" I asked, recalling that Felix and Lucinda's offspring were attending their first year at the same prestigious boarding-school that their father had once attended. 

"Oh, they are doing just fine", Lucinda said, smiling the smile of a proud mother. "Its kind of you to ask."

"Not at all. I shall send them a small gift, do you think they would enjoy that?"

Lucinda beamed.

"They'll be delighted."

Shortly thereafter, I bade Lucinda farewell, telling her to give her husband my regards when he woke up. I was relieved to hear that he was not suffering from anything life-threatening. However, there was something that bothered me:

According to Lucinda (and the Doctor), the reason for Felix' collapse had been a severe shock. What exactly could have been the reason for this shock? I had to find out.

I went to Lorenzo's quarters, where I found my fox busying himself with his throwing-knives.

"Do you know if Felix have been talking to someone today?" I asked.

Lorenzo went and retrieved his knives from the dartboard.

"Didn't he remain in the meeting room together with old Cornelius, before coming to the throne room?"

"Come to think of it, he did" I said. "Curious, those two are not exactly bosom friends."

"Shall I make some inquiries?" Lorenzo asked, astute as always.

"Yes, see if you can find out anything and report to me when you've learned something of interest."
Lorenzo bowed.

"As you command, my Queen."

With that, there was nothing more to say and so I left my fox to his devises.

It is now night outside and I am about to put the quill aside and go to bed, after another day of seeing to the Kingdom's affairs. Soon, one of my servant-girls will come, carrying with her the doctor's potion.

 I must commend my Royal Physician; his mixture has allowed me to sleep peacefully every night since I took it. If any specters appear, I pay them no heed. 

The potion is not without its side-effects, however. For one, I no longer dream at all: About an hour or so after I've taken it, I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. Sometimes I wonder if this is what death is like? If so, than death is nothing to fear, though I do prefer to live.

One might argue that I have no need of dreams, seeing as how I am in the process of turning all my dreams into reality and I will admit that that is a good point. That said, there is one type of dream I miss: The dream in which he, my brother, is still alive.

The other side-effect is of a more physical nature: I woke one morning and realized that I needed to replace most of my wardrobe. The Last time I had to do that, was when I had my growth-spurt, suddenly finding myself taller than my older half-brothers. This time though, the change to my figure was in its width rather than its length. Since I have always managed to keep myself slim, despite my healthy appetite, I can only conclude that the potion has had a negative effect on my metabolism. Not that my newly acquired corpulence bothers me. In fact, combined with my height and muscular arms, I think it makes me look rather imposing, if I do say so myself. Besides, as Queen I set the standard for beauty in my realm...

*****

Argath put the quill away and, closed the journal. She looked up and saw that she was no longer alone in the room.

"Put it over there" she said.

Having received her instructions, the servant-girl put the silver-tray with the small vial on it, down on the night-stand. She then turned to the Queen:

"Is there anything else Your Majesty require?" She asked.