Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Soap Discussion - November 2011

Last blog for the month, so it's a soapy one ...

Coronation Street: I think I've had it with this show. There hasn't been much of an exciting plot for weeks now, even since Stape breathed his last. Ciaran and Michelle came back, the former blew their wedding fund away and both of them left just as promptly. Not really a bad thing but it seemed almost pointless them returning. Similarly, the whole Sally vs. Fiz fiasco isn't all that fun either or the Amber/Sophie/Sian triangle but on the plus side, at least the writers have finally gotten rid of Chris and given Dennis a storyline but either way, it feels like the show is treading water at the moment.

EastEnders: Arguably this show's strongest month. I mean, don't get me wrong - Yusef needs to go and I'm of the persuasion that Christian and Syed should never get back together and Amira needs to do one, but the stuff with Amy's near death experience, Tanya's cancer coming to the fore for everyone, the arrival of Derek Branning, Phil being blackmailed (I think it's Denise) and the deepening of Janine and Michael's strange relationship certainly gave this show it's strongest performances in a long while.

Emmerdale: Question - is Cain actively trying to alienate himself from the entire village and make enemies en masse? Answer: Er, yes. Unfortunately that just makes Cain aggravating to watch rather than enjoying him as a bad boy. His relentless campaign to break up Charity and Jai has gone on long enough and even I'm finding increasingly impluasible that nearly every female character finds him irresistible - Moira and Priya being the latest two to succumb to his odious charms. And the less said about Amy's traumatic giving birth and Marlon/Laurel's badly thought out affair the better.

Fair City: Another deathly dull month. Tommy and Jo has been exposed and two families are at loggerheads - big whoop. Similarly grating is Orla's further desperate attempts to improve her rubbish financial position by failing to get Leo as a sugar daddy of sorts. I don't even think this show is trying anymore. At least The Republic Of Telly are having fun at this show's expense.

Hollyoaks: Surprisingly, even with the Silas plot being resolved and Gilly finally admitting that he raped Jacqui, this has been a solid month for the show. Warren's growing paranoia over Brendan's disappearance has been amusing to watch, Joel has potential to be a decent character and the band of freshers have become more of an improvement to watch, even if Ethan running over Rob didn't feel as dramatic as it could've been. Plus I do like the set up for Jason's imminent departure and Mitzeee continues to be a bright spark as well on the show. Overall, good stuff.

Monday, November 28, 2011

A Geek Joke Too Far

Sorry, I know I was meant to get this done during the weekend, but I ended up getting caught up with some other things but here's my second TV jumble.

Grey's Anatomy: I've always had a love/hate relationship with this show - the actors are brilliant but the characters are often badly/inanely written and most of the time, this show comes across as chick-lit set in a hospital. If the first few episodes of the eighth season are anything to go, by maybe it's time ABC decided to bring this show to an end because the episode where a bunch of geeks attending a sci-fi conversation had every offensive cliche chucked out for any geek's belittlement. Thanks, Shonda Rhymes. You really are the producers who keeps on giving - rubbish!

Him And Her: This show has started to improve quite massively, despite the fact that apart from Steve and Becky, I actually don't like most of the other characters. Laura and Paul especially are two horrible individuals, who I wouldn't mind chucking in front of a bus and Dan is the type of person I hope I'd never have for a neighbour. Actually, only poor Shelly seems the most sympathetic character from the entire show and she seems to be belittled (mostly by Laura) at nearly every turn. Still, the episodes surrounding Steve and Becky's parents and a fight between Paul and some unseen fella does show that the quality of the show has picked up from it's less than impressive first year.

Pan Am: This show can't seem to do right for doing wrong. Not only does it look like it's going to be a one season wonder for ABC, but most critics seem to be taking joy in pointing out that it's not as good as Mad Men (I can think of 20 shows more enjoyable than that one). The last two episodes centring on the girls antics in both Berlin and Jakarta were amusing though. I'm going to enjoy this show while it lasts. I have to catch up with episodes five and six on Thursday.

The X Factor: Damn it, Janet. You leave and I feel bad for you. I blame Twitter. Some people are a bit too nasty (and no, Alan Sugar, contestants aren't axed because you don't like them) on there but like Craig the week before, Janet messed up and unfortunately for herself got the boot in the process. So I guess, it's gonna be a Marcus or a Little Mix win. Misha B might be talented but I can see her going next week and I'm not sure if Amelia can win (though she's a dead cert for the last week).

- Justin Hartley will be guest starring in the same episode of Castle as Hilarie Burton, playing her character's boyfriend.
- Hart Of Dixie will air for UK viewers on Really while Alcatraz will air on Watch. Both shows will air over here in early 2012.
- Will Young, Jessie J, Will I Am and Tom Jones are rumoured to be the judging panel for the UK version of The Voice, set to air in January 2012.
- Jennie Garth will star in ABC Family pilot, Village People, playing a career woman who adopts a baby.
- Frances Sternhagon will be appearing in Parenthood, playing the mother of Zeke.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x08: "Sins Of Omission"

Written by Arika Lisanne Mittman
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Deb: “Oh, Jesus, are all brothers assholes?”
Michelle: “Who are you talking about?”

I’ve asked that question about my own siblings from time to time (I’m joking – don’t shoot) but I have to admit, I really felt for Deb in this one. Twice she tried to reach out to Dexter and twice he threw it back in her face. Dexter’s an awesome character but yeah, he really does treat Deb like shit at times.

If he’s not sabotaging some of Miami Metro’s cases so he add more slides to his collection, he’s blatantly lying to Deb and creating more problems for her. Even Dexter can’t use his social ineptitude to get him out of the crappy way he treated Deb tonight. Would it have really killed him to have spent a few hours with his sister?

What makes me laugh is for all the problems Deb has ever dumped on Dexter, she is actually the model sister and I thought her therapist was being a little silly in assuming that Deb doesn’t always let Dexter get things off his chest. Anyways, even if there was some truth in it, Deb did her best to try and be there for Dexter.

When she got annoyed with him for visiting Jonah in Nebraska, it was because she felt that Dexter didn’t give her the option to try and let her be there for him and I have to admit, I did side with Deb there. Even with the dinner, she was trying to reach out to him and Dexter didn’t give her a chance.

It’s not that I don’t understand why Dexter keeps Deb at arm’s length but surely, he’s got to realise that by doing it continuously at this point (and especially now that she’s his boss), it’s going more rather than less problems for him in the long run. Also I enjoy Dexter and Deb’s rapport and I don’t want to see them being at odds with each for a prolonged period of time.

Continuing with the Deb storylines of the week, it’s nice to see her continued dedication with the dead prostitute and I liked that she wasn’t initially dissuaded by Maria as well trying to close the case. The difference between Deb and Maria is that Deb actually cares whereas to Maria, that girl was just another statistic and she was also desperately trying to cover the death up.

I wonder who Maria is trying bail out though. I have a feeling it’s Matthews but wouldn’t Maria just use this to get him out of her hair, once and for all? It’d be very much in character for Maria but again, I could be wrong and it could be someone else that she’s covering for but honestly Matthews does seem the likeliest of candidates.

Also, speaking of murder – of course Lisa was going to wind up becoming the whore of Babylon. Gellar (or was it really Travis?) going after her was always going to happen and his determination to get Travis back on side resulted in a little kidnapping this week too.

I felt bad for Lisa. She loved her brother and because she had a brief conversation with Deb, she ended up becoming a Doomsday Killer victim. By that turn, I also felt bad for Deb again who blamed herself for Lisa’s death. Not your fault, Deb. By Travis’s furious reaction to his sister’s death, maybe Gellar is real after all. This show would want to finally put that little mystery to rest.

Dexter and Travis as a team, determined to take down Gellar could be a lot of fun to watch as well. Travis for all his horrible acts has finally seen the light when it comes to his mentor and Dexter is finally taking his own proactive steps in actually trying to take Gellar down as well. For me, this also means the season is finally moving forward in a big way as well.

Of course not everything about this episode made for great viewing. Quinn getting drunk in a strip with Masuka was a plot point, I could’ve done without and similarly, Angel interfering in Jamie’s relationship with Louis was another pointless storyline. I don’t know what Angel’s problem is – Louis seems like a nice enough fella and Jamie’s an adult. Maybe he should concentrate on his own love life rather than sabotaging his sister’s.

Also in “Sins Of Omission”

Lisa’s body had no numbers on it when it was discovered, which led Deb and company to believe that Gellar did it himself, rather than Travis.

Travis: “You said I was free.”
Gellar: “And you are. I can’t say I’m impressed with what you’ve done with your freedom.”

It was nice that we got to see Brother Sam’s funeral briefly in this episode and that some people have noticed Nick’s disappearance. That’s not so good for Dexter though.

Dexter (re Gellar): “I can help you, Travis. I can get him out of your life for good. The police will never know about you. You just have to help me find him.”

Dexter (to himself): “Children should trust that when we put them to bed at night they should live to see another day. Adults are not always so fortunate.”

We met Father Nicholas Galway in this episode and I noticed that he was played by William Morgan Sheppard. Surely that must mean another Sheppard should pop up in this show at some point?

Deb: “LaGuerta’s being weird?”
Dexter: “Weird how?”
Deb: “She’s being helpful.”

Travis: “What do you want?”
Gellar: “Penance to cleanse your soul. It’s not your fault, Travis. The devil comes in many forms.”

Maria talked about the com stats meeting being worse for both her and Deb. If one of them loses their job, I know who I’d rather it would be.

Dexter: “I’ve killed people.”
Father Galway: “Continue.”
Dexter: “A lot of people.”

Travis (to Dexter, re Gellar): “I’ll help you. I’ll help you kill him.”

Chronology: A bit from where “Nebraska” left off.

I enjoyed this one a lot. For me, “Sins Of Omission” continue to show that this season has improved greatly from it’s shaky start and while Gellar is still lacking as an antagonist, I am somewhat intrigued by the new alliance between Dexter and Travis in next week’s episode. If it doesn’t go sour for Dexter, it will be a change, won’t it?

Rating: 8 out of 10

Friday, November 25, 2011

Let's (Fail To) Kill Hitler Again

And here's one of two TV jumbles to expect in the next few days. The next one will hopefully be tomorrow or Sunday.

American Horror Story: Okay, you can definitely tell this is a Ryan Murphy show, can't you? Our protagonists are a frustrating lot to watch but between home invasions and murdered pregnant mistresses, this show is certainly impressing at every turn. I might not care about the Harmons as much as I should do but I do care about all the murders that have happened in their new home and I can't wait for next week's Halloween themed episode on FXUK.

Glee: With three more episodes for 2011, the show's third season is actually picking up well. The 300th performance with Mercedes and Santana delivering a cracking version of Rumour Has It/Someone Like You served as a new high for the show but it's the Santana vs. Finn antics that drove this episode. Santana went too far with her treatment of both Finn and Rory in this episode but a week on, I still think Finn was a prized idiot for outing her the way he did. Looking forward to the fallout though in the next episode.

Merlin: A mixed batch of episodes here. One episode saw Gaius captured, Morgana nearly coming close to discovering who Emerys really was and Merlin gaining a following of sorts. Then we got a rather disappointing episode where a girl named Lamia managed to make the Knights ina round table of idiots for most of the hour. I love the Knights, I genuinely do but the show needs to stop featuring them in every episode because they're not being well served to be honest.

Misfits: Now this is definitely more like it. Not one but two incredibly enjoyable episodes in a row. Okay, so there were cliches with dorky guy being a hindrance to Simon and Alisha and their future and a world where the Nazis were victorious certainly had it's moments. As a character, Rudy is definitely improving though and the blossoming relationship between Kelly and Seth has actually been a lot of fun to watch, though Kelly put Rory to shame with the way she decided to deal with Hitler. Let's just say a simple punch wasn't enough for Kelly.

Mongrels: Yup, I'm still watching. Even an episode that features Danny Dyer can't stop me watching this bloody show (well, Vince did try to kill him). At some point, I'm going to go and find the first series but right now, I continue to enjoy the violent Vince, the funny as hell cat Marion and of course, Kali, who for a pigeon isn't too proud to eat her own cousin at a wedding or get a rival pigeon killed so she can reclaim her perch. And the songs are pretty addictive as well.

Threesome: It's been a fun little series (and I hope it gets a second run) but even dressed as a space hopper, the show finally decided that it was time for Alice to give birth, with the assistance of her mother, plus the mothers of Mitch and Ritchie as well for good measure. I've enjoyed this series and it'll be interesting to see Alice, Mitch and Ritchie now that they've got Lily to look after next series but can we get Dave back too?

- Dana Delany, Kyle MacLachlan and Andrea Bowen will all be returning to Desperate Housewives in the second half of Season 8.
- Hilarie Burton will be guest starring in an episode of Castle as a woman famous for being famous.
- HBO have decided to pass on the comedy pilot, Spring/Fall starring Tea Leoni.
- Dexter has been renewed for both a seventh and an eighth season.
- SyFy are developing a series for Booster Gold from a script by Fringe writer, Andrew Kreisberg.
- Ewan McGregor will star in a pilot for HBO called The Corrections.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Doctor Who - 48 Years/Christmas 2011 Spoilers

Yes, today is the day where Doctor Who turns 48. Who would've thought that all those years we'd have a series that has produced 32 televised series, a movie (or three/four), four spin-offs and has become a cultural icon in a massive way. So as a result, I'm gonna pick a few favourites from the series - 11 to be precise.

The Dalek Invasion Of Earth: Didn't this story prove that sequels can surpass the original because the second outing for the pepperpots was better than their first. And Susan's departure was nicely done as well.

The War Games: For a story that's ten episodes long, the biggest miracle of this thing isn't the harsh regeneration forced on the Doctor or Jamie and Zoe having their memories wiped, but more the fact that each episode really keeps the pace moving nicely. Plus, the War Chief. Can't forget about him.

The Three Doctors: It's the first multi-Doctor story we got and it's the best one too. A brilliant way of celebrating the show's first twn years and Omega was a lot more interesting here than he would be in future encounters with the Doctor.

Genesis Of The Daleks: It's a cliched story to pick but the debut of Davros and the ethics behind whether or not the Doctor had the right to end his ultimate enemies once and for all still makes for gripping viewing all these years later.

The Five Doctors: Another cliched choice but the first five Doctors (well Four from Shada), most of the companions as well as baddies such as the Master, Cybermen, Yeti, a Dalek and Borusa did make for a fun anniversary story.

Revelation Of The Daleks: Six's era gets too much criticism for my liking. It's hardly perfect but it's nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be and this story where he and Peri encountered Davros and two versions of the Daleks is one of my favourites.

Survival: It might not have been meant as a series finale at the time of filming it and the whole 'survival of the fittest' mantra won't win points for subtlety but this is an absolute gem of a story and actually was one of the best uses of the Master too. Plus Seven and Ace are a dream team for me.

The Movie: I feel this gets too much hate and while I don't want an Americanised series and thought the half-human reveal was somewhat naff, Paul McGann's only onscreen portrayal of the Doctor was rather superb.

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways: Parodying reality TV fodder even by 2005 was rather old hat but this show managed to have some fun with it in a way that put others to shame. Plus the Daleks were at their best in this story and the regeneration from Nine to Ten was something to be hold as well as the brilliance of Rose, Jack, Mickey, Jackie and poor Lynda as well.

The End Of Time: Literally this could be seen as a televised version of fanfiction. The Doctor vs. the Master and Rassilon, returns of Wilfred, Donna, Martha, Mickey, Rose, Jack, Sarah Jane as well as a plethora of other minor character, this was a great way of both wrapping up the Tenth Doctor's run on the series.

A Good Man Goes To War: It's harder picking a favourite 11th Doctor story and it's always going to change but I'm picking the mid-season finale of Series 6 (or Season 32) for the time being. Great use of many characters and the reveal of River actually being the daughter of Amy and Rory still packs a punch too.

So, what are your favourite stories from each Doctor?

Elsewhere Digital Spy have released a few pictures of this year's Christmas special, The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe, which can be seen here .... http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a352316/doctor-who-christmas-special-in-pictures.html

A synopsis for the story can be found here ...

Doctor Who - The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe

It’s Christmas Eve, 1938, when Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel as she cycles home. He promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish. Three years later, a devastated Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. She is crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the channel, but determined to give Lily and Cyril the best Christmas ever. The Arwells are surprised to be greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world. Here, Madge will learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible. And that wishes can come true.

Matt Smith has also mentioned that filming for Series 7 begins in February 2012 where 14 episodes will be filmed, comprising of a 2012 Christmas special and a special for the 50th anniversary. More details are soon to follow.

Happy 48 years, Doctor Who. Here's to the next batch.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x07: "Nebraska"

Written by Wendy West
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Rudy/Brian (to Dexter): “At last a kill. No lengthy vetting process, no stalking. One could argue self defence maybe. A little too much talking for my taste.”

I have to admit that after watching this episode, it probably made sense that Rudy/Brian taking on the role of Dexter’s conscience/dark side only lasted in this episode because as fun as it was to watch the brothers reunite in their own way, I’m not sure if it’s something that could’ve been sustained for the rest of the season.

It’s amazing itself that this episode focused on three season big baddies and yet only two of them actually appeared in this episode. Given that Deb was under the belief that the Trinity killer had struck again, should we have gotten a ghostly appearance from Arthur Mitchell as well in the mix? Probably not. This episode seemed to do well without his appearance.

I liked that the whole scenario connecting Sally and Rebecca’s deaths with Jonah wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared to be. For all the show’s continued talk of serial killers being hereditary at times, I’m not entirely sure if Jonah actually fits into that category. Yes, he killed his mother but Rebecca had killed herself and Jonah at least showed some regret for murdering his mother.

Rudy constantly goading Dexter to lash out was amusing and while we did see Dexter having sex with a shop girl, stealing her gun and shooting at signs, I liked that he actually continued to show some hesitation when it came to the killing part. Both Dexter and Rudy are serial killers but Dexter isn’t dead inside whereas Rudy completely is.

The killing of the pot dealer wasn’t like last week with Nick where Dexter snapped – it was actually self defence. I didn’t need Rudy to point out that Dexter would’ve been killed himself if he hadn’t struck first against the pot dealer but this was yet another episode where Dexter showed a sloppiness that has to come back to bite him somewhere down the line.

As for Jonah – maybe in earlier seasons, Dexter would have killed him but I liked that before Dexter even did anything, he looked for proof and even when he found it, he was still reluctant to actually kill Jonah in the end. However that didn’t stop Dexter from running him down though. The question worth asking now, is whether or not Jonah is capable of keeping the fact that he knows Dexter bumped off his father a secret? Again I suspect only time will tell on that one.

Of course Dexter’s unwillingness to actually kill Jonah seemed to break Rudy’s influence from him and as a result, we got Harry back. I actually found myself a bit bummed out that Harry returned. I mean, I knew it would happen but sometimes this show does benefit from actually having a break from the character. I actually think I would’ve rather seen either Rita or Lumen, despite the latter being very much alive as Dexter’s moral guide for the time being.

Speaking of morality – can Travis actually stray a nice path and keep the hell away from Gellar? Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy for him. Lisa’s a great influence and all (despite the horrible feeling I have that she’s on borrowed time) but Gellar’s a desperate man and he’s the sort to do anything to get Travis back on board.

Emotional blackmail and God fearing might have backfired on Gellar for now but I can see him getting Travis back into the fold through other means. He’d want to get a move on though, considering that thanks to Masuka and Louis, Deb now knows that Travis is Gellar’s acolyte (or was). Now all we need is Gellar and Dexter to cross paths and things really will be back on track.

Getting away from the Gellar plot of the week, I also have to admit that Quinn and Maria sort of won some respect from me this week too. Maria, even though she was still annoying during the stats meeting at least seemed to remind that it was nothing personal and that she didn’t want Deb to end up with a failed relationship because of her new job. I think you’re a little too late with that one, Maria.

As for Quinn – he apologised for being an asshole and it looked like he genuinely meant it too, so I’ll ease up on him for it. I liked that Quinn and Deb were able to sort their differences, especially considering that it meant they didn’t get back together. Deb could probably do with being single for a little bit right about now.

Also in “Nebraska”

I wonder if this is finally the last bit of both the ice Truck and Trinity killers that the show is going to delve into.

Rudy/Brian: “You used to love to play. Why the long face?”
Dexter: “Brother Sam hoped I’d be able to forgive Nick for shooting him.”
Rudy/Brian: “Because you don’t turn the other cheek, you slice it.”

I found it interesting that the town in Nebraska they went to visit was called Kearney. It’s a family name of mine as well.

Gellar: “God is the one with choice, Travis. He chose you and me. We however have no say.”
Travis: “What about free will?”

Rudy/Brian (re Harrison): “It’s weird seeing you with a kid.”
Dexter: “Let’s go to Nebraska.”

Jamie and Louis are now dating as this episode confirmed. I’m wondering if they’re going to have a bigger storyline later in the series.

Rudy/Brian (re shop girl): “Wouldn’t it have been more fun to kill her than fuck her?”
Dexter: “I got what I wanted.”

Deb: “I would kill myself but that would add to my total of the month.”

It seems that Gellar’s next plot was the whore of Babylon, involving the poor victim Holly being forced to drink blood. I bet I can guess who Holly’s replacement will end up being.

Rudy/Brian: “Not this again, Harry’s Code. Tell me what does it matter if a person’s good or bad? Does it make you feel better to kill bad people?”
Dexter: “It’s part of the ritual.”

Dexter: “I know for a fact that Trinity did not kill anyone in this house.”
Jonah: “Was that because you killed him?”
Dexter: “Yes. Just like you killed your mother and your sister.”

It’s been confirmed that Showtime have renewed this series for both a seventh and an eighth season, so there’s more of Dexter to enjoy for the next two years after this season.

Rudy/Brian (to Dexter): “Don’t you just love it when things fall into place?”

Harry (to Dexter): “Welcome home, son.”

Chronology: From where “Just Let Go” had left off, more or less.

Not quite as fun as the previous episode but as road trip stories went, “Nebraska” was an interesting episode. I liked the back and forth with Dexter and Rudy and at least the Gellar/Travis interactions have improved as well. This season started off shaky but it’s getting better now.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Monday, November 21, 2011

Glee - Season 3 Spoilers

Okay, so I'll be posting some thoughts on Mash Off later in the week in my TV jumble but here are some spoilers for the last three episodes of Season 3 of Glee to air in 2011 before the show returns in 2012.

The show's seventh episode I Kissed A Girl will not only see Santana singing that bloody Katy Perry song but it's also the episode where she has to come out to her parents while the results for the school election are back in. Brittany surely has to win that one, right? Then again, maybe Kurt could seal the deal too. Elsewhere, Quinn quickly learns that Puck and Shelby have gotten closer and she plans to use that to her advantage.

The show's eighth episode, Hold On To Sixteen is this year's Sectionals episode and it's also the one where Sam finally returns and we meet his parents. Also, it's an episode where Rachel gets suspended, her and Quinn reach out to each other, Mercedes and Santana do a mash-up of I Will Survive/Survivor and Kurt and Sebastian square off. Sebastian's cute but he's a tad too smarmy, so I'm hoping Kurt takes him down a peg or two. Oh and Harmony from the first episode makes a reappearance too and there's performances of Man In The Mirror and Red Cup Solo as well in this episode.

The last episode to air for 2011 is called Extraordinary Merry Christmas and it's a Christmas one directed by Matthew Morrison. It also looks like Sam is back at McKinley and New Directions and Troubletones have merged as well. There's also an appearance of Chewbacca, courtesy of Artie as well another appearance from Harmony and the other two Glee Project winners (one of them playing Puck's cousin, the other involved in scenes with Jesse - yes, he's back too). The soundtrack for the Christmas episode is due out shortly and here's a tracklist from it and you can find some of the songs on YouTube at the moment.

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You Featuring Amber Riley (Mercedes)
2. Extraordinary Merry Christmas Featuring Darren Criss (Blaine) and Lea Michele (Rachel)
3. Santa Baby Featuring Naya Rivera (Santana)
4. Christmas Eve With You Featuring Jayma Mays (Emma) and Mathew Morrison (Will)
5. Little Drummer Boy Featuring Kevin McHale (Artie)
6. River Featuring Lea Michele (Rachel)
7. Do You Hear What I Hear? Featuring Lindsay Pearce (Glee Project) and Alex Newell (Glee Project)
8. Let It Snow Featuring Darren Criss (Blaine) and Chris Colfer (Kurt)
9. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Featuring Mark Sailing (Puck), Cory Monteith (Finn) and Samuel Larsen (Glee Project)
10. Christmas Wrapping Featuring Heather Morris (Brittany)
11. Blue Christmas Featuring Damian McGinty (Rory)
12. Do They Know It’s Christmas Featuring Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Lea Michele (Rachel), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Heather Morris (Brittany), Mark Salling (Puck), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Naya Rivera (Santana)

Glee continues to air on FOX, Tuesdays at 8pm from November 29th and on Sky1, Thursdays at 9pm from December 1st.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Doctor Who - Christmas Special 2011 Trailer/Children In Need Scene

Well, it's that time of year again, isn't it and the official Children In Need scene was a two minute special which saw the Doctor trading in his clothes. Elsewhere, the title for this year's Christmas special has been revealed as The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe and it's definitely a Narnia themed episode alright.

Christmas Trailer/CIN Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVnSD1M3-CA

The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe airs on Christmas Day on BBC1.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

My Review of Ringer's 1x09: "Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna"

Written by Robert Berens
Directed by Scott White

Malcolm: “This isn’t about sobriety, Bridget. Something’s not right here.”

Wow, and why isn’t this guy a detective already? It’s amazing that we have Victor, who can’t really seem to crack a case if his life depended on it and Bridget, who despite her smarts, has still missed out on some vital things and then there’s Malcolm.

I loved that something like mouthwash containing alcohol actually tipped him off that Charlie might not be the person he’s pretending to be and I also liked that he did some sly detective work on his own bat before him and Bridget teamed up to learn more about their new best friend. I’m also hoping that Malcolm’s detective work doesn’t end up backfiring on him as well.

Where Bridget accidentally discovered that Charlie had been playing her (spotting him getting hammered at a bar where Siobhan used to go), it was Malcolm who suspected the guy and got the proof he needed before pursuing anything else. Malcolm really could put Victor out of a job with those amazing skills.

The only downer point to the whole thing was Malcolm not being able to reach to Gemma in time. He was this close to discovering and freeing her from Charlie’s clutches and Bridget texting him to get out of the house came at a worse time for Gemma. Much as Bridget was right to give Malcolm the heads up, I can’t help but worry for Gemma.

I knew she had to be alive and this episode she was pretty locked in a basement, bound, gagged and blindfolded to a chair while Charlie was taking calls from Siobhan and deducing that Bridget was finally onto him when she met with him in order to reclaim the police gun she had given him at the start of the episode.

I suppose because of this discovery this could possibly mean that Charlie’s days on the show are effectively over. If he’s daft enough to try and kill either Bridget or Malcolm (and I think he is), then either of them are likely to kill him in self defence. My only fear is that Gemma is not long for this world and that basically sucks. I like Gemma and as exits go, it’d be brutal but still rather an unsatisfying way of writing the character out.

It’d also still raise more complications for Bridget as well, who seems to be getting a little too comfortable with playing Siobhan, something which Malcolm was right to call her out on. Her Prince Charming fantasy with Andrew can only go so far and considering the amount of complications she’s attracted and the way this show moves forward, who’s to say that Andrew could learn the truth a lot sooner than Bridget would want him too?

That being said, it’s also hard not to enjoy Bridget and Andrew as a couple. In a weird way, they do work well together (though I think I do prefer Bridget/Malcolm) and Andrew’s estimation in his marriage is certainly affecting his judgement when it came to seeking investments from Mr Arbogast (Gemma’s father) as well.

I knew Olivia wasn’t going to take Andrew deciding not to pursue the Arbogast deal lying down, so her paying Henry a visit to resign papers again was hardly a shocker. I was a little surprised though that she managed to quickly work out that Henry had been sleeping with Siobhan but considering that he left a rather incriminating picture on his phone, Henry really has no-one else to blame but himself for that one.

Olivia back to her scheming self reinforced the fact that she’s not a particularly likeable person but she’s still light years behind when it comes to Siobhan. Thanks to Siobhan, Bridget was manipulated by Jimmy the cop to meet up with her sister and eventually assume her identity. At this point, I don’t think I’d even be surprised if Siobhan’s manipulations hadn’t gone even further than that too.

My favourite thing about this episode was Bridget actively upping her game into learning more about Siobhan though. The antics with the therapist might have future repercussions down the line but it’s interesting if Siobhan really is a victim of a stalker. Here’s hoping that the next episode actually gives us a bit more insight on who she was running from.

Also in “Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna”

Instead of Juliet, it’s Charlie who is actually responsible for this week’s episode title. I think the writers need to think the titles out a bit better.

Bridget: “I can’t really sleep on the bus.”
Siobhan: “Well, get some rest. Big plans tomorrow.”

I liked the little flashback to Bridget and Siobhan from the opening episode. Siobhan certainly knew how to play Bridget there and the thought experiment thing with Bridget and Andrew was lovely.

Malcolm (to Bridget): “You’re pretending to be his dead wife, how can there be any trust in that? I’m sorry but this Prince Charming fantasy you going with Andrew, it was supposed to be temporary. This is not your life.”

Bridget: “This is the new Siobhan Martin, no aliases required.”
Therapist: “Well, whatever name you’re using, I’m glad you decided to return to therapy.”

Speaking of names, Charlie’s real name is John Delario. Siobhan also used her Cora Farrell alias with her shrink too.

Charlie (re Jimmy/Bridget): “He got her to you, didn’t he?”
Siobhan: “Whatever.”

Henry: “So, what’s your story, Olivia?”
Olivia: “What have you heard?”
Henry: “That you’re a bitch.”

Is Tara Summers even filming these scenes anymore as Gemma and if not, then why not? Oh and the twins her and Henry finally made an appearance in this one. Also, what’s Siobhan doing for money or accommodation now that Tyler ditched her in the previous episode?

Charlie (re Bridget): “Siobhan, she’s onto me.”

Chronology: It’s been six weeks since the opening episode and this episode in particular didn’t feature Victor or Juliet.

Not quite as good as the previous two episode but “Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna” certainly had it’s moments though. Bridget and Malcolm made for an interesting team, Charlie’s days are certainly numbers and Olivia is now going to be a bigger nuisance than before.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

True Blood - SFX Cover/Season 5 Casting Spoiler

And here's another casting spoiler ....

Valentina Cervi has been cast in the role of powerful and mysterious vampire Salome for the show's fifth season and will be regular thorn in the neck for Sookie and company. Cannot wait to see her in action.

It took them four seasons but SFX have finally put True Blood on their cover (Issue 216) and have done a roundup of their 20 favourite things about the show as well as interviews with Joe Manganiello, Kristin Bauer Van Straten and Stephen Moyer. The 20 things are ...

01: It's Trashy
02: It's Not Quite Like The Books
03: It's Sick
04: Pam's Monumental Swearing
05: Bill Saying 'Sookeh'
06: Eric Northman
07: It's So Southern
08: The Sex
09: The Nudity
10: The Sesame Street Parody
11: Jessica Hamby
12: Jason Stackhouse's Swoon Worthy Chest
13: The Little 'Snirk' Noise Vampire Fangs Make
14: The Promo Campaigns
15: The Dialogue
16: Alan Ball
17: The Bad Guys
18: Sookie's Got Spunk
19: The Title Sequence
20: The Word 'Fangbanger'

The issue is currently available to buy now.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x06: "Just Let Go"

Written by Jace Richdale
Directed by John Dahl

Harry: “Why is it so hard for you to admit that you care about Brother Sam?”
Dexter: “It doesn’t make sense. Who is he to me?”
Harry: “A fellow traveller. He was a killer at one time.”

And unfortunately now thanks to this episode, he’s a dead one. Goodbye, Brother Sam. With you, we’ve lost an excellent character and possibly the only hope for Dexter that you can overcome a dark passenger, unless Lumen ever shows up on the show again. I loved that Dexter cared about Brother Sam.

I also loved that he killed Nick as well as a result of it. I know I shouldn’t because the appearance of Rudy/Brian at the end of the episode indicated that Dexter is heading down a darker path than usual but any sympathy I had for Nick pretty much washed away with this story anyways.

Brother Sam was the bigger man for forgiving Nick on his deathbed and Dexter tried to be the bigger man as well but Nick’s motives for killing Brother Sam coupled with a lack of remorse made it hard to care about him being killed in the end. How is it Brother Sam’s fault that Nick’s life is still shit?

The man wasn’t a miracle worker, though he tried his best. Nick was obviously immature enough to accept responsibility for the way his life and murdered the only person who was trying to help him. Also, I have a feeling he would’ve murdered Dexter as well on the off chance that Dexter would’ve been believed about Brother Sam’s confession.

Rudy appearing at the end of this episode was a delightful shocker. It’s going to be interesting to see where Dexter goes right now because anything is possible. Also, even though I do like Harry, he’s not been the most helpful of guides and we could do with a break from him for a while anyways, couldn’t we? Or is that just me then?

Dexter going off the rails seemed to also go against Travis, who was getting something of a wake up call in this episode. He deliberately showed reluctance to brand a woman and eventually allowed her to be free. If Gellar’s real, I can’t imagine that this is going to go down well for him and similarly as much as I liked that Travis did the right, we’ve still got six episodes left and I can see Gellar putting him in line next week.

Speaking of being in their place – you really don’t have to an observant viewer to realise that Clarissa is hiding something from the cops but thanks to Quinn, Deb and everyone else have hit a brick wall with the woman. Clarissa’s devotion to Gellar seems every bit as worrying as Travis’s and if she doesn’t end up a victim of her former lover, then she’s definitely going to be an accomplice to his madman ways if she isn’t already that is.

My hatred for Quinn as a character is continuing to grow with each episode. I honestly don’t give a monkeys that he’s hurting over Deb because his attitude is so annoying, it’s just hard to sympathise with the guy. His callous disregard for sleeping with Clarissa and jeopardising the Doomsday case, deliberately bringing a woman he picked up from the bar to Deb’s housewarming party and then cracking on Jamie – all I can say is that he got off lightly with Angel clocking him. At this rate, I’m beginning to hope he doesn’t make it out of this season alive.

As for Deb, I felt bad for her this week. What with Maria continuing to be a condescending bitch to her and Masuka and Angel becoming distant, I can’t help but feel that this show is almost punishing her for being a lieutenant and that actually sucks to watch. I don’t want to see Deb being punished for getting a job that she could actually be good at. At least she didn’t blackmail or sleep her way to the top, unlike some other people.

I also liked that Deb unloaded a little more to her therapist (I really like that woman) and that she also made amends with Jamie. It was a good thing for Deb to do and let’s face it, apart from Mike; she’s the only person in Miami Metro right about now who’s actually acting like a damn professional. I think she needs to be cut some slack.

Also in “Just Let Go”

I noticed the dog growling repeating during Brother Sam’s vigil. I forgot Dexter gave animals the creeps.

Dexter: “Most people believe we have free will, that we choose our own path. Sometimes the path is clear, sometimes not so much. Every twist, every turn can challenge our sense of direction.”

We got to meet Lisa once again when Travis came to her place of work and painted with the kids.

Dexter (to Brother Sam): “If you’re lying there because of my dark passenger, then I promise you my dark passenger will make amends.”

Angel (to Quinn): “I’m really not liking you right now.”

It’s usually at this point we know if the show is coming back for another season but we don’t yet.

Lisa (to Travis, re her kids): “Don’t you envy them? So full of dreams and all the time in the world to make them come true.”

Mike showed his competence this week with the way he caught up to Leo Hernandez and Masuka’s new intern seems to have a hero worship for Dexter, which can’t end well.

Clarissa (to Angel, re Gellar/Quinn): “Jesus, if we were still involved, would I have slept with Mr Warmth over here? Or are you implying I’m a whore as well as an accomplice to murder?”

Dexter: “You don’t know me.”
Brother Sam: “Yes I do. I know about your darkness but I also see your light.”

Clarissa played Lorena in True Blood. No wonder I don’t bloody trust her. It also makes sense now.

Rudy/Brian (to Dexter): “Hey, little brother. Miss me?”

Chronology: Picks up from where “The Angel Of Death” left off.

After five somewhat hit and miss episodes, “Just Let Go” finally felt more like the show I’ve known and loved since 2006. The pacing was sharp, acting fantastic and there were some genuine character moments. It seems that the show has found it’s groove again.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Doctor Who - A Movie On The Horizon Or Not

Another day, another rumour of a Doctor Who movie. Remember the last rumours? You should do, it was two years ago but Variety have reported that a movie is taking place and that it David Yates is supposed to be helming the damn thing and also a movie where no continuity will be present or current actors already in the show. In other words, a reboot.

I really hope this lands in development hell or never takes off because a) we don't actually need a movie right about now, b) the Twitter brigade who still can't accept the fact that David Tennant has moved on seem determined that he should be the Doctor in the movie rather than Matt Smith, c) it would nice for Hollywood not to piss on a franchise for a change and d) if a movie should happen, it should be a UK production, not an American production.

Articles: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/1131244/doctor_who_movie_pressing_ahead_david_yates_directing.html and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-1573066

Monday, November 14, 2011

Just A Little Tap On The Nose

Sorry, I was meant to do this earlier but I got delayed with stuff but my second TV jumble is here now.
Him And Her: I watched the opening episode of this last year and I wasn't particularly blown away but I gave the first series a second chance and it's sort of improved. Catching up with the first two episodes of the second series, it's still not a perfect show but it's definitely become likeable, even if a little trite that all the action seems to take place in Steve and Becky's flat. Still, with characters like Laura around, you can almost feel sorry for Steve a little, right?

Mongrels: Confession time - I've not seen the first series of this and I only caught the first two episodes of the second year last night and I'm bloody hooked. Politically incorrect puppets are funny, whether it's a pigeon killing a man with a rickshaw, a female dog singing songs about domestic abuse (really wrong but horribly funny), a cat striking a friendship with a fish or a fox inadvertently killing five Beagle dogs. I think I'm bloody hooked.

Smallville: It's been ten seasons in the making and for a finale, I think this show ended on a high. There were some lovely character moments - Clark/Lois marrying, flash forwarding into the future, Lex's brief return and of course that final moment in the two parter. Overall while this hasn't always been a perfect series, this was a perfect way of ending ten years of Clark Kent's storyline.
Threesome: Good set of episodes. I liked the one dealing with Mitch's irresponsibility (after all, we did see Alice and Ritchie's) and the one focusing on Ritchie's birthday was pretty nice too. Five episodes in and this has proved to be a fun series, even if the scenes with Ritchie and the hunky Dave are a little lightweight. I still hope that this comes back for seconds though.

The Vampire Diaries: Finally saw the last two episodes of Season 2 and will start watching the third season in early 2012. As an ending went, I felt the penultimate episode which seems to be more of bloodbath than usual was the stronger episode and probably should've been the ending but complete with Stefan in Klaus's thrall and Jeremy's new ability, the second year did end on a rather interesting note.

The X Factor: Ah, we've lost Johnny, The Risk, Frankie and Kitty thanks to the powers of votes and someone's stupidity and regained Amelia Lily in the process. The most shocking thing was The Risk exiting the competition. Any other year, the boyband would've been a shoe in for the finale but maybe we've finally reached saturation point with the boybands. As for the judges, time to tune out with their pointless arguing.

- Joe Manganiello has said that Alcide will have a bigger role in True Blood's fifth season. Dale Daley will be appearing on the series as Marcus's mother.
- Misha Collins will appearing in the 14th episode of Ringer, playing a man called Dylan with a past to both Bridget and Siobhan.
- Paul Bettany is in talks to appear in a series for Showtime called Masters Of Sex.
- Weeds has been renewed for an eighth season.
- David Anders will be playing a patient in an upcoming episode of House.
- Nicholas Lea will play real life lawman Elliot Ness in an upcoming episode of Supernatural.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Being Human - Season 4 Major Spoiler

When I say major spoiler, I mean a major one so if you don't want to know, don't read on, though I suspect most will already know what the spoiler in question is.

Russell Tovey has confirmed in a recent interview with The Guardian that Series 4 of the supernatural drama, Being Human will be his last series on the show. It hasn't been confirmed how George will be written out of the series or if the show itself will continue past a fourth season (though I do know the upcoming series will have more of an ensemble feel to it) but while I'm disappointed to read about this particular spoiler, I'm not actually surprised.

What does everyone else think?

Russell Tovey Interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/nov/12/russell-tovey-why-im-leaving-being-human

Series 4 airs on BBC3 from January 2012.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x05: "The Angel Of Death"

Written by Scott Reynolds
Directed by SJ Clarkson

Dexter: “I don’t believe in angels but I do believe there’s a constant struggle with light and dark in the world.”

And no truer words were probably uttered by Dexter either for that matter. There is a struggle between light and dark and this one certainly saw one bit of light being taken out of the mix – Brother Sam?

While I’m glad this guy remained a positive influence on Dexter, couldn’t the show have waited a bit longer before killing him off? Wouldn’t at least two or three more episodes with Brother Sam been too much to ask for? I hate that another potentially great ally in Dexter’s corner is taken out of the equation.

So, who actually killed the redeemed former jailbird then? There was a part of me that thought Brother Sam’s shooter could be Travis, intending to kill Dexter but the trailer for the next episode seemed to indicate that someone from that gang Brother Sam was rescuing one of his charges from were responsible. I guess it could be very much that after all.

It’s a shame that Brother Sam was taken out too soon though. While this season still needs to step up a gear, Brother Sam has undeniably been a massive highlight and just liked seeing Dexter having a male friend who didn’t turn out to be a whack job for a change. Oh well, I suppose I can pleasure in Dexter getting vengeance on behalf on his friend’s part instead.

Speaking of vengeance, I loved that Dexter and Travis actually had an encounter in this episode after all the background checking that Dexter had been doing on him. It’s just too bad that Dexter let Travis go in order to close in on Gellar. You think with the whole Trinity debacle that Dexter would never make that kind of mistake again. I can’t help but feel he’s going to live to regret it as well.

As for Travis himself, yeah, there was more conflict but I am beginning to think he is actually starting to enjoy his kills. He might talk a good talk about the world being doomed and voicing fears about failing God but even Dexter saw through that and even warned Travis about Gellar’s true intentions towards him.

I liked that Travis seemed to question Gellar after his altercation with Dexter. He even made some lame excuse so that he couldn’t help Gellar with his latest victim but Gellar obviously knows how to push Travis’s buttons and I have no doubt that Dexter’s little pep talk will have all been in vain by next week.

Amazingly, it’s not just Travis that Gellar seems to have quite the impact on as well. Clarissa (if she’s not actually involved in Gellar’s antics but I’m willing to bet that she is) definitely knew more than she was letting on and her devotion/understanding to Gellar is worrying to say the least. Sadly for Miami Metro, Quinn’s inability to keep his dick in his pants means that their best chance of making progress has well and truly been screwed. No pun intended.

Quinn’s increasing stupidity this season is really taking newer heights that I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a secret competition between him, Maria and Masuka to see which one of them can be the incompetent and unprofessional. Right now though, I think Quinn is beginning to beat the lot of them. I know it sounds terrible but if loses his job this season, I don’t think I’ll feel all that bad for him.

As for Deb, it’s nice that she’s still settling in with her new role and while there are obvious struggles, she’s not screwing up as badly as some expected her to. Okay, maybe the argument with Jamie she had over Harrison seeing gory pictures didn’t totally paint her in a good light but it’s no worse than Quinn, Maria or Masuka’s collective screw ups in the last few weeks and at least she started opening up to her therapist as well, which should be helpful to her.

Oh yeah, while we’re on the thorny topic of Masuka – nice thinking to use the new intern to cover traces of the mannequin being auctioned online but there is no way in hell he’s actually going to get away with this and I have a feeling that despite being fired, we haven’t actually seen the last of Ryan either.

Also in “The Angel Of Death”

We’re counting down to Revelations 12:60. We’ve already had 12: 37, 12:42 and 12: 44, thanks to Gellar and Travis.

Masuka: “So, my question to you is ...”
Louis: “... Can I make this problem go away?”

More evidence that seems to suggest Travis can only see Gellar is that no-one seemingly reacted to Gellar in the nightclub. I’m still not sure if Gellar really is Travis’s version of Harry though.

Travis (to Gellar): “It’s sad. All these people here are doomed and they don’t even know it.”

Dexter (to himself): “I understand the urge to end someone’s life but what’s the fascination with ending the world?”

Mike’s foot in mouth syndrome continued this week during his conversation with Dexter. Don’t slag off your co-workers, Mike. Okay, maybe you mouth off Quinn.

Clarissa (re Gellar): “He likes to stir up trouble, make people think. That’s why everyone loved him.”

Deb: “Yeah, I’m a mess. Maybe I do need to go to therapy.”
Dexter: “No more than me.”

The episode implied that Clarissa had a sexual relationship with Gellar, who is being dubbed as the Doomsday killer by the press. Deb also moved into the home of a murder/suicide case this week as well.

Dexter: “Gellar’s pulling you towards the darkness, Travis, not the light.”
Travis: “You don’t know.”
Dexter: “Oh trust me, I know more about darkness than most and Gellar is pure darkness. You need to find someone else to follow.”

Chronology: Straight from where “A Horse Of A Different Colour” left off.

“The Angel Of Death” certainly lived up to it’s title and it’s definitely a more enjoyable episode than the previous one but again, it does feel like we need something bigger to happen right now. I suppose in some ways, Brother Sam’s death is possibly a good step in the right direction.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Friday, November 11, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x04: "A Horse Of A Different Colour"

Written by Lauren Gussis
Directed by John Dahl

Dexter (re Gellar/Travis): “You think he’s using God as an excuse to kill?”
Brother Sam: “People use God as an excuse for a lot of things. Just because he believes in some crazy bullshit, doesn’t mean his faith isn’t as real.”

The more this show delves into the religious theme, the less innovative it seems to be and while this episode had some interesting moments, it’s arguably one of the weakest the series has produced and felt sadly a little too filler for my liking.

Travis and Gellar are nothing if not desperate for attention. The display in public with the four horses and Nathan’s body parts was definitely a way of getting their apocalyptic message across and similarly, this episode only continued to see that they were taken seriously as villains too.

I don’t think there was a single person who watched this episode who didn’t guess the poor waitress that Travis ended up on a date with wasn’t going to make it out of the episode alive. Not only did Travis sleep with her but once again, he allowed Gellar to get him into orchestrating an elaborate death for her, complete with bloody fish and a swarm of locusts for dramatic effect.

Deb did the best she could with trying to save the poor girl from her doom but sadly, no-one on her team were savvy to realise that the waitress had been booby trapped into dying. Religious connotations or not, it does seem like Gellar is a fan of a certain movie franchise from the last decade with his methods of death, doesn’t it?

Another positive is that Dexter is now on both Gellar and Travis’s scent. He spotted Travis at the crime scene and saw the look of faith on his face when the waitress died. Travis really does seem to be embracing the kills he’s becoming responsible for and that was despite his own begging that Gellar spared his date. It’s also making me dislike Travis all the more, which is probably wise for the narrative as well.

Of course as both Travis and Gellar both continue to represent how people can use faith to commit monstrous acts; it’s still refreshing that Brother Sam continues to be a beacon that perhaps some monstrous people can actually change. I had reservations about him but after this episode, I actually do believe he’s a changed man and so does Dexter.

Brother Sam didn’t have to stay with Dexter at the hospital when Harrison was brought in (especially considering that Deb and Jamie were there) but I’m glad he did though. I loved the scenes where he opened to Dexter about his own dark past more than the commentary on people abusing religion but as usual, I get worried when Dexter encounters someone who he can actually be honest with.

On this show, it’s never really ended well. Both Lila and Miguel ended up turning on Dexter and Lumen herself ended up having to leave once she had gotten rid of her own Dark Passenger. I dread to think to an extent that the more time Dexter spends with Brother Sam or even opens up to him that there will be some bad consequences. God help Brother Sam if he has the misfortune to attract either Gellar or Travis’s attention in the remaining episodes of the season.

As for the Miami Metro – it seemed a lot of people were caught doing stupid things this week. Quinn and Angel getting high while on duty were just annoying. I mean, I expect that sort of crap from Quinn but Angel really should know better and I’m getting a little tired of seeing him giving in to Quinn’s constant needling as well. Quinn really should go and do one as well.

Then there was Masuka and Ryan as well. He was stupid to show her things from evidence but she was even more stupid to actually try and sell the mannequin hand online. Is that girl trying to get herself fired or is there more to it? I have to admit that I don’t think Ryan’s fascination with past season big baddies is a coincidence but I did feel sorry for Masuka though, considering that he does actually seem to like her and she just used him.

Last but not least – how many more times do we have to see Maria acting like a bitch towards Deb? Look, Maria, just accept the fact that Deb is the new Lieutenant and try not to piss off Matthews because it’s looking more and more likely that you’re heading for a fall. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of this series, Maria does lose her job. She’s certainly doing herself no favours at the moment.

As for Deb’s handling of the press – I loved it. Look, swearing might not be professional but Deb isn’t a political animal and she doesn’t mince her words but she has a heart of gold and I think her attitude is great because the reaction she got clearly demonstrated that the public have faith in her. Maria might have been great with handling press in the past but Deb is definitely someone who would inspire more confidence.

Also in “A Horse Of A Different Colour”

Deb mentioned to Dexter that the horse antics reminded her of the Ice Truck Killer and Ryan wanted to see stuff in relation to Trinity. It can’t be a coincidence that the show’s most acclaimed arcs are being reopened in a way, can it?

Dexter: “Body parts. This spectacle makes me think of -,”
Deb: “- Your brother.”

Harrison got struck with appendix problems halfway through the episode. It was definitely in character that Dexter did some research on it.

Dexter: “Some kind of message?”
Deb: “Another one? Jesus, how much does this fucker have to say?”

Gellar (re waitress): “Okay, I got it, she’s pretty.”
Travis: “Who?”
Gellar: “The waitress you’ve been staring at but we really have to stay focused.”

Travis admitted to his date that his parents died when he was fourteen and that Lisa practically raised him since then. There’s also a theory that Professor Gellar is Travis’s version of Harry as well.

Masuka: “I’m such an idiot, thinking you were actually into me.”
Ryan: “I was. I am.”

Quinn (to Angel): “Dude, get your big fucking sausage hands off me.”

Mike still seems to be a bit prickly in this show but he was useful in deducing that the acts with the snakes and the horsemen were from the book of Revelations.

Dexter: “Kill number three. It’s official, he’s a serial killer.”

Chronology: Picks up from where “Smokey And The Bandit” left off.

I was disappointed in this episode. “A Horse Of A Different Colour” had it’s moments but it felt like there was too much padding and some rather uninteresting characters moments for the episode to really stand out. I hope this isn’t a sign for the rest of the season because as visually gory as the killings are, the show needs to step up a gear.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Thursday, November 10, 2011

My Review of Ringer's 1x08: "Maybe We Can Get A Dog Instead"

Written by Jay Faerber
Directed by Nathan Hope

Malcolm: “I’m sorry. Am I talking to Bridget or Siobhan?”
Bridget: “I didn’t have a choice. I told you Machado made me wear that wire.”

Can I just say that eight episodes in, I am really pleased I stuck with this show? Yes, it’s not perfect and maybe it hasn’t become quite the big time a lot of viewers were anticipating but it’s certainly interesting in how it goes about certain storylines. This week in particular was a diamond of a treat.

I loved Bridget and Malcolm throughout this entire episode and if I didn’t ship them beforehand, this episode certainly geared me towards that direction. What we’ve seen in flashbacks is that Malcolm has been there for Bridget when she’s needed him the most and in reality, it’s fantastic that Bridget returned the favour.

She could’ve treated Malcolm like an inconvenience or even lied further to Andrew about who Malcolm really was but she didn’t. I liked that Bridget’s first mode was to seek Malcolm out after she left the hospital, even if they did have something of a tense reunion in the latter’s hotel room.

Bridget being used by Victor to see if he knew where she was hiding out wasn’t too much of a shocker though. I still did however liked the fact that Bridget managed to get Malcolm to play along with her being Siobhan long enough to get Victor off the scent for the time being but more importantly, it raised something interesting as well.

Bridget rightfully got uppity over Victor’s lack of concern about Malcolm falling off the wagon and I loved Bridget for doing her damndest to try and reach out to Malcolm as well when he was in denial. I think Malcolm had a right venting his frustration at Bridget’s messy situation considering what he went through thanks to Bodaway’s thugs but I also liked that he saw some sense and sought her help properly later on.

And this is where my love for Bridget escalated – she didn’t turn Malcolm away. In fact she got Andrew’s permission and let him crash at their place and she offered to be there for him. The unfortunate part of the equation was that she also got Charlie involved by introducing him to Malcolm but I’m going to give Bridget a free pass on that one because her heart was in the right place and she has no reason to be suspicious of Charlie, does she?

However, it’s amazing that nearly all the complications that seem to have fallen on Bridget’s lap. I’m not talking about Malcolm of course but more that Tyler became privy to Siobhan’s real identity and pretty much dumped the bad twin in Paris while glaring daggers at the good twin who was with Andrew and Olivia at that business meeting.

It’s going to be interesting to see how much of a threat Tyler can now potentially pose to both Bridget and Siobhan. If Tyler blabs about the affair, it puts Bridget’s new life in danger and he’s already made Siobhan penniless and without a home by dumping her. Plus, there’s a horrible chance for him that Siobhan might Charlie to sort him out if he really does pose that much of a threat to her current scheming.

The funny part of the episode was that Siobhan was growing increasingly bored of Tyler’s non stop complaining anyways, so in some respects he actually did her a favour in this one. The interesting part of this episode was Siobhan looking at a photo of Henry. It does make me wonder if she really loves him, then why isn’t he factoring into her overall schemes? Maybe at a later Siobhan drags Henry into her plan after all, especially considering that unlike her sister, she is actually pregnant.

As for the pregnancy segment – an ectopic pregnancy, really show? I’ve noticed a lot of people online are saying that it gets rid of a complication for Bridget but it also puts another one back in her corner. At least when she was pretending to be pregnant, Bridget had the excuse not to touch alcohol, now she doesn’t and that could scupper her at a later date.

Still, I did like the support system Bridget had – Juliet was completely nice and sympathetic to her and even though Andrew got the wrong end of the stick at first, he did eventually realise that Bridget was genuine when she said that she didn’t want to play games with Andrew, even if she technically is doing that by keeping up her pretences.

The only person who didn’t act so sympathetically was Henry, who lashed out at Bridget and more or less seemed to imply that she must have orchestrated something like this. I suppose with Siobhan, you wouldn’t really know but it was hard to feel any sympathy for Henry during those moments though. That being said, he probably still is better than Victor at this point.

Last but not least – I’m not overly enamoured with Juliet and Mr Carpenter and unlike some fans of Veronica Mars, I was never really that bothered about Jason Dohring. That being said, I don’t dislike him as an actor and I don’t dislike Carpenter as a character but at the same time, there is an undeniable filler element to this story as well.

Does Juliet really have the hots for Mr Carpenter or is she just testing boundaries? Similarly, is Mr Carpenter really not that attracted to her or is he trying to fight whatever urges he might have for her? I guess it doesn’t matter because his attempts of distancing himself from Juliet didn’t actually work in his favour. I guess he’s going to have to try harder to dissuade her from pursuing him.

Also in “Maybe We Should Get A Dog Instead”

It’s now four episodes in a row that Juliet has uttered the title. I wonder if they’re paying the actress a little extra for it.

Bridget: “I thought that you were dead.”
Malcolm: “I thought that I was too.”

I thought last week Bridget/Malcolm’s flashback was nine months ago but they’ve actually known each other for seven months? I’m confused.

Bridget: “Are you okay?”
Malcolm: “Bridget, I just travelled 2000 miles after getting my ass handed to me, cut me some slack, okay?”

Olivia: “And how are you dealing with it?”
Andrew: “I don’t know. I guess we were pretty set on not having kids but when Shiv found out she was pregnant, I was starting to warm up to the idea.”
Olivia: “Can’t you try again?”
Andrew: “It’s a very good question.”

I found it interesting that Olivia seemed genuinely sympathetic for Andrew over Siobhan’s ‘ectopic pregnancy’. I guess her friendship for Andrew overrules her dislike for Siobhan.

Malcolm: “So, what’s your poison? Mine was heroin.”
Bridget: “Crushing and snorting.”
Malcolm: “Creative.”
Bridget: “I don’t like needles.”

Victor: “I’m not interested in a drugs bust. Malcolm Ward is gonna lead to Bridget Kelly.”

Fair play to Sarah Michelle Gellar for looking rough during the Bridget flashbacks but if this was a UK show, the make up people would’ve made her look rougher and that would’ve been a good thing.

Bridget: “I really just want things to go back to the way they were.”
Juliet: “Maybe we can get a dog instead.”

Olivia (to Tyler): “French women are high maintenance.”
Andrew: “Then you must be French.”

If Gemma is genuinely dead, wouldn’t Siobhan and Charlie at least blatantly say it to each other? I have a feeling that she’s not dead after all.

Malcolm: “I know this is awkward but thank you.”
Bridget: “I’m just here for back up.”

Chronology: This more or less seems to have picked up from where “Oh Gawd, There’s Two Of Them” left off.

I really loved this episode. “Maybe We Can Get A Dog Instead” delivered more on Bridget and Malcolm’s fantastic bond, it put Siobhan in one hell of an interesting position and it continues to justify my growing love for the series.

Rating: 9 out of 10