Upper Peninsular Weekend.

Bart?

Eat Your Heart out, Maine.

One with Nature.

That Great Darkness.

The dictionary defines the word 'darkness' as the "absence or deficiency of light". A cursory glance out one's window these days will confirm this as an apt definition. It is that time of year again in which the days grow noticeably shorter and even though we set our collective clocks back and gain one precious hour, we lose one to black skies. What is it about the darkness that so affects our mood? Why is it that the absence of light does so much to mute our inward joy? One answer may be found in perception. Under adequate lighting, people can take in the world in full and undisclosed detail for as far as one's eyes can see, there is no visual mystery. On some level, perhaps light takes away our subconscious fear of the unknown because in the light there is no hiding. As sensual beings, humans are most at ease when their senses are working to their fullest. In the dark, our eyes can be deceived or eluded and we have to mentally fill in the blanks of that which we cannot perceive.

Darkness represents the hole in our perceptions. Philosophically, darkness can also be the holes in our being -- the parts of us we do not know; our fear of that which we cannot know; the inability to face the world outside of our own mental one. Darkness, such as it can be externally perceived, forces one to slowly close both the inward and outward boundaries of awareness more tightly around oneself. Essentially, in the dark we can only see that which is relatively more immediately close to us and therefore the lengths to which we infer our surroundings increases causing us to become steadily more introspective. As social creatures, humans yearn to reach out and be connected to the world around them. If indeed being in darkness causes some to become more contained to their own mind, then it would follow that one would also experience emotional resonance as well. While this emotional response could obviously vary, it would be logical to assume that the feeling of being restrained from the rest of the world would result in a negative way.

The Fall season brings many things with it. Here in Wisconsin, it brings the winter cold. Cold in and of itself could be distilled much the same as darkness into the correlation of human need to be warm and the warmth of being loved or accepted. I'll skip over that dissection in favor of staying on topic, suffice it to say some climates make the great darkness of Fall potentially harder to bear. I truly do believe that the Fall and Winter seasons do cause many to struggle with increasingly difficult moods and feelings. Perhaps this is why the powers-that-be grouped so many holidays in such a close proximity on our calendar. The more reminders we have of what makes life joyous, the less inclined we are to turn in on ourselves. It's been said in fiction for centuries that one of the single most powerful strengths and weaknesses of the human condition is hope. It is hope that drives us to persevere. It is hope that makes us strive for a better tomorrow. It is the more positive and inspiring aspects of hope that I want to emphasize here as it is this exact sentiment that makes the darkness bearable. It is the ability to reach out to others even when you feel alone that illuminates the darkness in ourselves.

We are capable of enduring darkness in the hopes that the light will ultimately prevail, and if you look at it that way darkness is just another moment of your life.

Review: Castle: A Deadly Affair

First thing's first: Castle is already in Season 3?! Holy wow. I've been watching this show since it started and it does not feel like two season have passed. Still, time flies when you're having fun and it would be hard to say Castle isn't a lot of fun.

I'll admit that when I first started tuning into Castle it was chiefly to check out Nathan Fillion's newest attempt at a TV series. It never sat quite right with me what happened to Firefly; Fillion's sci-fi western show imagined by Joss Whedon. Castle of course wasn't his first try at a new TV series, but FOX's Drive looked bad right out of the gate. Castle coasted on the affable charm of it's lead actor for a little while after it debuted, but the great boon for the show came as the secondary characters slowly became more and more realized. Every successful show sinks or swims on the talent of the ensemble cast. If a show weighs everything on one element, the show never really achieves any traction.

So season 3 debuted on Monday night, and I completely missed it. As luck would have it, the trusty DVR picked it up and in a lazy haze I stumbled across it tonight. The show opens with a fantastic flash forward. This is secretly one of my favorite plot devices of all time, so when Rick Castle comes face to face with Kate Beckett and they angrily draw guns on each other...? Pure elation. From here it's a wonderful display of a TV show hitting it's stride. Sure, all the classic elements of a Castle episode are present and accounted for, but they're working in a way that doesn't feel tired. There are the misdirects, the witty banter between the detectives, the serious moments, the whiteboard with all the pictures. It's all been done before and even though it's a little played, the characters and their interplay have become substantial enough that the core mystery of each episode is no longer as crucial to making a good episode.

There's not much else to say about this premiere other than it's well worth your time. In the downtime between seasons a few things have become clear. The writers have given more prominent and strong characterizations to Ryan and Esposito. The jokes and delivery thereof have become much more amusing. Somehow Stana Katic got more attractive -- which, on that point, huge props to the wardrobe department for dressing her in more appealing attire. I think we all get the fact she's a tough, no-nonsense bruiser who doesn't have time for fashion over function, but it seemed to me that this season she was much more pleasing to my eyes. Nathan Fillion continues to turn in a wonderful performance that is at once baffoonery, charm, and stark seriousness in measured and appropriate doses. Lastly, the chemistry between Castle and Beckett is still as palpable as ever. Even though it is slightly frustrating the levels with which the writers are flaunting it, it is still cute enough that I don't mind that there hasn't been a clear resolution as of yet. That being said and referring back to my 'hanging the show on one element' comment: Castle would do well not to drag the will-they-won't-they thing out any more than is necessary (even though it's more of a 'when-will-they' at this point). I myself draw blanks when I think what would happen were they to resolve this soon, but I know it would have to be better than two more seasons of it.

Either way, it's great to have new shows back on TV. Speaking of which, Glee returned and it seems that it may be hitting a good stride between melodramatic and hilarious. Also, is it just me or is Sue Sylvester ten times funnier this season. Overall it seems to be a much better written season so far. I also checked out How I Met Your Mother. It was more of the same, but it worked pretty well. Let's see if they can take any steps forward in the narrative this season.