2011: A year in review.

So here we are - the end of 2011. We made it!

As is customary I shall be looking back over the year that we have just lived through and talk about the good things that 2011 will be remembered for.

*SPOILERS – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*

January 3^rd: How I met your mother, Season 6 - Episode 13, “Bad News”.

Barely scraping in by the seat of its pants this episode of How I met your mother but it still carries a lot of weight in my memory for how well it was done. For those that don’t know this is the episode where Marshall’s dad tragically dies and if that wasn’t memorable enough the lead up to this finale prompted one of the funnest games of “spot the number” in existence. Throughout the episode numbers are prominently placed in the fore and background, as well as in the props in the hands of the stars themselves, starting at 50 and numerically decreasing to 1 a couple of seconds before Marshall receives the devastating news of his father’s untimely death. At no stage are you the audience told that there is a countdown, the director instead assuming that you are attentive enough to spot the numbers and clever enough to realise they are decreasing, providing you with an impromptu game with a dark result. It wasn’t surprising that it was Marshall’s dad that passed away, given the amount of character bonding that was shown between Marshall and his dad during the episode, but the fact that they had the balls to kill off everyone’s favourite character outside of the main gang was a real punch to the gut.

April 27^th: Thor.

 I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t really clued up on Thor’s mythology within the Marvel Universe and so it was only for the Avengers tie in film that I saw this film. Totally worth it. True it was probably aimed more at the younger side of the audience but it was the best way to get those who knew nothing about Thor interested in his part of the Avengers story. If this didn’t get me excited for the Avengers something better was to come.

May 30^th: Supernatural, Season 6 – Episode 22, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.

Since his inception into the Supernatural series Castiel (played brilliantly by Misha Collins) has become everyone’s favourite warrior of Heaven. In typical 80’s movie or 90’s sitcom style Castiel is a fish out of water, not understanding modern technology, human interactions or behaviours but he is a quick learner. Within 3 seasons he has learnt humility in the face of defeat at the hands of Lucifer, love through his bond with Dean Winchester and deceit when he has to lie to the boys for their own good. In this episode purgatory is finally opened, Castiel absorbs the souls found therein, wins the feud for control of heaven by exploderising the archangel Raphael before proclaiming himself to be the new God. Season 7 has already kicked off and proven to be unmissable but it is this episode that was the standout Supernatural moment of 2011.

July 29^th: Thundercats, Season 1 – Episodes 1 & 2, “Pilot”.

I crapped my pants when I saw that the Thundercats were being brought back. I was born half way through the 80’s and was raised on Thundercats, Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but I am also very aware that the reason I loved these shows may have had something to do with me being 5 and not knowing any better, now that I am an adult I flat out refuse to rewatch any of these classics through fear of my rose tinted glasses falling off and my childhood memories forever being tarnished. Needless to say I watched the pilot episode with excitement but the expectation that I would be disappointed. Not so, I have seen all the episodes of Thundercats 2011 and whilst there have been some stinkers such as Episode 9 “Berbils” (fuck you Burbils!) there have been some fantastic episodes too, such as Episode 4 “Song of the Petalars”.

July 29^th: Captain America – The First Avenger.

Holy crap, what a great film. When I first heard that Chris Evans (the one that isn’t a DJ) was playing Cap I shuddered thanks to the memory of him being Johnny Storm in Fantastic 4, only to be reminded that he also played a character in another big screen comic book adaptation, Lucas Lee (evil ex #2) in Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and he was hilarious. I always treat movie adaptations of comic books the same way I would treat a movie videogame, expecting disappointment, but this film delivered. Chris Evans was completely believable as Cap, coming across as someone who just wanted to do the right thing even if it means getting his ass kicked in the process. Hugo Weaving was at his intimidating best that we haven’t seen since Agent Smith in the original Matrix. My opinion of this movie changed my outlook of comic book movies I saw it more than once, in fact, I saw it three times at the cinema within the same week.

October 13^th: the Big Bang Theory, Season 5 – Episode 5 “The Russian Rocket Reaction”.

As much as I have always loved the Big Bang Theory this episode is the one that made me sit up and realise that Sheldon may be a bit more malicious and forward thinking, than his petty bitching and nitpicking mannerisms dictate, when his mortal enemy, Wil Wheaton, returns and uses the dastardly plan of inviting the boys to a party just to mess with Sheldon’s head. In Sheldon’s mind anyway. Sheldon only agrees to go to the party when he realises that Brent Spiner (Star Trek: the next generation’s Data) will be there. The resolution of the conflict between Sheldon and Wil was apt as it meant we get to see Wil Wheaton depicted as the nice guy he supposedly is in real life as he gives Sheldon a signed, mint condition Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton's character in Star Trek: the next generation) action figure that Sheldon has always wanted, which a certain Mr. Spiner promptly opens, and a new “mortal enemy” is born.