Soap Discussion - February 2012

And here's a soap blog ....

Coronation Street: A better month compared to previous ones, so maybe this show is getting back on form. The fallout of the Frank/Carla/Peter/Leanne storylines have been entertaining enough to watch and after the unwise decision to make Chesney and Katy into parents, at least this show now has the sense to show the consequences of that particular storyline. As for Steve and Tracy's feuding and Julie's unexpected pregnancy, well, it could be worse I suppose.

EastEnders: I know it's petty and Lucy's a cow but I am still loving the fights between her and Whitney and Mandy, it does make for some oddly entertaining TV and we needed that in lieu of the boredom of Whitney/Tyler/Fatboy and Anthony/Amira. Roxy's escalating war with Derek and Jack has been fun but do they really need to have a thing with her and Max? They seem to be hinting towards. The only issue of the month was that we didn't have enough of Janine but I'm sure next month will make up for that.

Emmerdale: Now I actually liked this month. Okay, not the storyline with Debbie and Andy sleeping together but John's death, Val's departure and Megan's arrivals have certainly seen something of an improvement that the show has been needing for the last few months. Oh and there's Ed as well but given that Aaron is not allowed to be happy for more than five minutes, I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Hollyoaks: Great month. After the ups and downs of the Valentine's Day wedding stuff, it's nice that they actually had Darren and Nancy marry and even Cindy wasn't that a big a hindrance to the proceedings in the end. Though I still prefer Cindy to Nancy. Also, coupled with Mercedes increasingly downward spiral, Joel's return, Callum continuing to help George out (and the rest of the Kanes) and the arrival of fit Aussie Ally, this has been a fun month. Though I am wondering if the new dancing plot with Theresa has been done because the actress is in Dancing On Ice?

My Review of Being Human's 4x04: "A Spectre Calls"

Written by Tom Grieves
Directed by Daniel O’Hara

Annie: “Why would you say that?”
Kirby: “Oh, Annie, I’ve tried, believe me but you’d have to have the patience of a saint to spend more than a day with you and well, I’m no saint.”

Nope, Kirby most definitely is not a saint. What is he is a slimy, manipulative creepy little bastard who managed to nearly split our gang up and kill Eve and for that alone, he might be one of the best villains this show has ever done. It also helps that with the 70s gear, James Lance does look rather frightful as well for good measure.

I’ve read complaints from some fans who thought that that the gang were too easily manipulated by Kirby’s words and actions throughout the episode but if this story had occurred during the George/Mitchell/Annie/Nina dynamic in the third series, I’d agree. Here however it seemed rather believable and they did make up in the end and celebrate Tom’s birthday, so all that ends well.

We might be at the halfway point of this series and Annie might have a nice little life of sorts with Hal and Tom when it comes to protecting Eve but our latest vampire/ghost/werewolf trio are still reasonably getting to know each other and that to me meant that it was believable that Kirby’s attempts of prying them apart would be child’s play.

It’s hard to determine which of Kirby’s methods were the nastiest because all of the tricks that Kirby played out had a delicious texture of cruelty behind them. Tom might have killed more vampires than most people his age have but at the same time, he’s still yearning for a family and Kirby used his birthday as a great means of causing tension when Annie and Hal were unaware that he was turning 21.

Similarly, Hal’s need for order and control got mucked about the place when Kirby decided to trash his room and make it look like he was about to attack Eve. Hal might have thought he wasn’t as easily manipulated but Kirby knew how to bring him down and trying to use Hal’s hinterland past was also a nifty means of trying to create a rift with everyone.

And then there was his way of taking Annie down. No-one wants the fact that they’re a nice person to be used against them and I did slightly think that Kirby might have succeeded in dispersing Annie for good. Thankfully though, Annie turned out to be the wrong person to piss off this week.

I wish the writers would show some more consistency into Annie’s abilities because as much as I enjoyed her going all blue and scary eyed looking to get of Kirby, the cynic in me knows that this fun ability will be forgotten about and Annie will go back to fretting and obsessing over rotas like she did for a fair chunk of the episode.

As for Kirby – he was sent by that mysterious woman (or basically future Eve) in order to kill the present day baby version but aside from his insane in taking out the supernatural trio, he seemed more fixated with his own desire to stay in the world than kill a child. Then again, considering that he prefers to kill mothers rather than children, I guess that makes a modicum of sense.

Also, despite all of Kirby’s trouble, it’s turned out that Hal is the burnt arm man that’s a threat to Eve (he got Tom’s blood on his arm during a fight with the werewolf) but it would be kind of nice if Hal actually managed to fight destiny and ended up being Eve’s saviour than her demise. Then again, if Mitchell can actually get killed by a wolf shaped bullet of sorts, then I do fear the next few episodes with Hal and Eve.

Hal’s dark side is definitely set to make an appearance though. Kirby might have taunted him over his past kills but Annie might have done potentially more damage by not letting Hal talk about his past. Similarly the continuity with the Box Tunnel 20 and Hal’s confrontation with Dr Wilson also revealed that Cutler might be a lot more devious than first thought, especially considering that he reached out to Tom this week and seemed more worried that Hal was in town now.

Also in “A Spectre Calls”

Kirby seemingly wanted to be known as the Toyman and was annoyed when Hal and Tom didn’t recognise him at the end.

Hal: “Annie, you’ve seen me. This is how I focus and control it.”
Annie: “So, you take it out on your pecs?”
Hal: “Better than humanity.”

Hal’s ditched the tweed looking and has started wearing a lot of black. It looks good but I miss the tweed look for him.

Kirby: “Annie, you’re so nice. I think you’re the best.”

Hal (to GP): “I’m um-“
Annie: “- Say it!”
Hal (re Tom): “- I’m his boyfriend.”

As amusing as the whole Tom/Hal pretending to be a gay couple bit was, it’s kind of disappointing that apart from Carl in Series 2, we’ve had very few gay characters on the show.

Hal (re Annie): “She knows about my past.”
Kirby: “Really? All the gory details?”

Hal: “There are things I’ve done.”
Annie: “No, no, you don’t have to tell me.”

Eve got an ear infection in this episode while we learn that Jason was supposed to have had a cannibal link to Box Tunnel 20 and Hal’s victims have been named as Eleanor, Nadia and Catherine.

Tom: “I’m on the rota.”
Kirby: “You want to ruin your own twenty first?”

Hal (re Tom): “He was my friend.”
Kirby: “You don’t have any friends.”
Hal: “Well, he could’ve been.”

The last two prequels we’ve had online were for Tom applying for a job at the burger bar and one with Annie and Hal. Both can also be seen on YouTube.

Kirby (to Annie): “Evil is like travelling first class. Try it once and you can never go back.”

Annie (to Tom/Hal): “Is it me or do I have the worst taste in men ever?”

Chronology: Not that long since “The Graveyard Shift”.

“A Spectre Calls” was definitely an unsettling episode to watch. Kirby proved to be a wonderful guest menace, Eve’s prophecy is getting more interesting and I can’t wait to see what happens when both Hal and Cutler clash as well.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Revenge - Oscars Trailer: Just Getting Started

After the events of Chaos and with the imminent arrival of new episode, Scandal, we got a trailer for Revenge's final third of episodes.

A gorgeous concept trailer with all the main characters in action - Victoria's smashing a mirror with her wedding ring, Conrad's trashing his desk, Declan and Charlotte are throwing pills, Nolan's tossing his whale cam in the air, Jack looking at a picture of him and Amanda, Daniel with blood on his hands and Emily promising that it's only getting started. I really hope when this show finally airs in the UK that this trailer is used to promote the hell out of it.

As for the other picture, it's actually one of the best cast shots I've seen but with Tyler's death, Nolan and Victoria seemingly getting new love interests, Daniel potentially being sentenced for a crime he didn't commit and people getting closer to sussing Emily out, it's going to be interesting to see where the final seven episodes take the series.

Oscars Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrP7YKx5b-I

Revenge airs Wednesdays at 10pm on ABC and will premiere in Ireland on RTE2 soon. A UK broadcaster has yet to be confirmed.

Game Of Thrones - Another Season 2 Trailer

You got to love HBO. It may be another five weeks until the arrival of the second season of Game Of Thrones but their promotion for the show continues to be a thing of beauty. Now they've gone and released a 110 second promo for the second year and like the previous two promos, it's tantalising stuff.

Season 2 Trailer: http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/02/game-of-thrones-season-2-first-look.html

Season 2 airs on HBO and SkyAtlantic, 9pm from April 1st and 2nd.

My Review of Ringer's 1x14: "Whores Don't Make That Much"

Written by Robert Doherty
Directed by Janice Cooke

Siobhan (re Sean): “My son is dead because of you.”
Bridget: “Siobhan, I am so sorry.”
Siobhan: “I know. I got your messages and when I didn’t respond, I thought you’d realise that I didn’t want you here today.”

It’s times like these that I actually wished the show had delved more into Sean before actually using this whole episode to explain what happened to him and why a drift was caused between Bridget and Siobhan. I knew Sean had died but even I sort of expected the events to have panned out slightly differently.

I thought genuinely negligence from a strung out or drunken Bridget would’ve actually been the very thing that caused her nephew to die and therefore Siobhan’s hatred for Bridget would be more justified but I guess the writers wanted to go down a route where Bridget was responsible for Sean’s death but in a way that wouldn’t vilify the character.

In that respect they actually succeeded. No can exactly have predicted that an innocent trip to the county fair would’ve resulted in Bridget, Sean and Dylan (the boy’s father) winding up in a car crash and Sean ending up dead. Siobhan might have told Bridget to keep Sean away from his father but it’s not like Dylan did on purpose. It really was just a horrendous accident that had cost several lives throughout the last seven years.

Siobhan’s anger towards Bridget and Dylan was pretty understandable, considering she had lost a child but it wasn’t an anger that prevented Siobhan for giving Nancy flowers every year on her birthday and unlike Bridget, it seems that Siobhan had managed to keep her distance from Dylan for the last few years.

I think Bridget needed this storyline pretty badly. She had been living with the guilt of her nephew’s death and also bared the brunt of Siobhan and Dylan’s hostile relationship and the anger the former had towards her. The fact that she was allowed to vent her rage at Dylan, curse him for moving on and then make peace with him after Malcolm had managed to get her to open up was pretty refreshing.

The only thing actually lacking about this story was the actual absence from Siobhan in this story. The only time we saw her was through flashbacks and it just felt like with a plot point this huge, she should’ve factored in it in some way, even if it was skulking in the background and watching Bridget pretend to be her whilst forgiving Dylan. I can’t be the only person who thought that right.

I wasn’t too surprised to learn that Sean’s death had factored into Bridget’s downward spiral of booze, drugs and Bodaway as well. There was nearly a moment in this episode where it did look like she was going to go down the same route when she was trying to get Andrew to agree with Juliet going to Miami with Catherine but then, Malcolm’s words of advice snapped her around.

The one thing I am intrigued about is Bridget’s newfound sense of wanting the people she loves now to know who she really is. You don’t have to be Malcolm to see that might not be her best course of action but considering that this show might not be long for the TV world, I am rather hopeful Andrew learns and accepts Bridget for who she is within the next few weeks.

As for the fake rape plot – I knew Tessa’s reckless spending would result in her getting badly beaten and while I don’t doubt that Carpenter would’ve knocked some sense into her, I get a feeling that it was really ringleader Catherine who might be more responsible for Tessa’s current condition.

Catherine being part of the scheme was another unsurprising reveal but I do slightly feel bad for Juliet, who seemed to show some signs of regret for her actions this week. It’s too bad for her that she’s way in over her head now.

Also in “Whores Don’t Make That Much”

I like a snappy title as much as the next one but this one just seemed aimed to shock rather than give a hint of the main plot points this week.

Andrew: “You tried to clean up before, Catherine.”
Catherine: “We were married then and I was feeling sorry for myself.”

Siobhan must have gone back to Paris to keep Tyler in check while Henry withdrew his funds from Martin/Charles while Malcolm spotted a certain key in Henry’s possession and Siobhan’s secret office was emptied.

Juliet: “You’re keeping your money under your bed, are you serious?”
Tessa: “Where else was I supposed to put it in – a bank?”

Bridget: “Little hard on Dylan, you think?”
Siobhan: “Actually I was thinking I could be harder.”

Dylan might have been something of a deadbeat dad, but Siobhan wasn’t trying to let him make it up to Sean. They also lived in Nevada about seven years, while Nancy (Dylan’s mother) lives in New Jersey.

Juliet (to Bridget): “We need to get a TV in here. It’s like church quiet.”

Bridget: “Married now? So, Dylan, any kids?”
Dylan: “You want me to say I’m sorry again, Siobhan, I will.”

Dylan was played by former Supernatural regular Misha Collins and we had seen in this episode that he had a wife and daughter. Siobhan had him beaten up after Sean’s funeral.

Malcolm: “You sister gave you the greatest gift she could – her forgiveness and you’re wasting it.”
Bridget: “Yeah, but she didn’t mean it.”

Bridget (to Malcolm): “I want the people that I care about to know who I really am. I don’t want to lie to them constantly. There has to be a way I can tell them the truth without losing them.”

Chronology: From where “”It’s Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved”.

Despite the unwarranted title of “Whores Don’t Make That Much” (thank you, Tessa’s foster mother – not!), this was probably the best episode we’ve had in a while. It loses points for some general predictability and not utilising Siobhan in the present day but overall, it’s nice that the whole back story with Sean has finally been dealt with.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Doctor Who - Series 7 First Picture/Casting Information

Yes, another update for the seventh series of Doctor Who but with cast pics, press releases and more casting announced, it's hard not to update everyone.

You can tell that Amy and Rory have been married for a while now because they're continuing to dress like each other but at least the Doctor isn't trading in his braces, tweed and bowtie just yet and below is a press release for the new series.

Filming has just started on series seven of Doctor Who in Cardiff. This series will see the last days of the Ponds with Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill returning for their final, rollercoaster voyage with The Doctor.

Amy and Rory have been at the Doctor's side for more than two series but what will he do after their heartbreaking departure?

On returning for his third series as the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith says: "It's thrilling and exciting to be back and working with two of my closest friends."

Karen Gillan adds: "It's just brilliant to be back on the TARDIS with Matt and Arthur for our craziest adventures yet."

Plus new guest stars confirmed so far include David Bradley, Rupert Graves and Mark Williams.

Series seven will then see a dramatic turn of events when The Doctor meets a new friend. Prepare yourselves for thrills, adventures and dramatic surprises as the show builds towards its enormous, climactic 50th anniversary year. Fourteen big, blockbuster-movie episodes - each a brand new epic adventure featuring new monsters and some familiar foes as you've never seen them before.

As a Sherlock fan, it's nice to have Lestrade for an episode but I'm wondering when/if we'll see Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman/Louise Brealey/Lara Pulver/Andrew Scott in the new series as well?

I'll post more spoilers and pictures as when we get them.

My Review of Revenge's 1x15: "Chaos"

Written by Mark Fish And Joe Fazzio
Directed by Sanford Bookstaver

Emily (to herself): “There comes a moment in each of our lives when the control that keeps us sane slips through our fingers. Most of us aim to seize it back. The best way to fight chaos is with chaos.”

And if you’ve been spending the last few years actively pursuing revenge in a variety of ways, then chaos can also come and bite you on the backside as well. The last two episodes have seen Emily losing her control and despite Satoshi’s efforts, I’m not entirely sure if she’s regained it, though for sake, I do hope so.

It would take Emily and Daniel’s engagement party for Tyler to resurface and I have to admit if there’s one thing I was disappointed with in this episode, it was that Tyler and Amanda’s hostage/eventual alliance of sorts came to a rather abrupt conclusion. I think it was something that could’ve been milked for a few episodes or so.

Even when she’s being tied up and kept against her will by Tyler, it’s amazing how Amanda seems to have so much loyalty to Emily. Even when confronted with evidence that Emily was going to set her up for burning Mason’s house, Amanda couldn’t seem to stick with Tyler for that much longer.

Even when he bought her a nice dress for the engagement party, Amanda repaid his efforts by whacking him with a clothes hanger and legging it from the barn of captivity. The fact that she also managed to miss being shot by Tyler was pretty amazing as well. The big question though has to be asked – did Amanda kill Tyler?

It certainly looks like it. She was found by Jack on the beach with his corpse and he told her to leave, only for Satoshi to get to her and given that he knew about Frank’s death, Amanda definitely had motive to do him in. Well, that and the fact that she was still loyal to Emily in this one as well.

Of course, knowing this show, Amanda could easily be a red herring and if I had to pick who was more expendable between her and Satoshi, then I would go for the latter. After all, there’s more mileage that can be explored with Amanda and something told me that when Satoshi was telling Emily he took care of her problems that he wasn’t above killing Tyler in order to prevent her secrecy.

And that begs another question – why would Satoshi stick his neck out this much for Emily? We already know why both Nolan and Amanda have taken incredible risks and endangered themselves for her but why would Satoshi do the same? Unless, one of the passengers on Flight 197 was a relative of his and he too wants to get personal vengeance on the Graysons? I can’t wait to find out nonetheless though.

Speaking of discovery stuff – was it really that shocking the dead body on the beach turned out to be Tyler rather than Daniel? In retrospect, I guess not but given that Daniel was found bloodied and someone will inevitable piece Jack being there as well, I have a feeling both Jack and Daniel are going to be seen as suspects for the next few episodes until we learn the real killer’s identity. I’m still saying Satoshi until proven otherwise.

Also between Daniel and Tyler, the latter was more expendable story wise as well, so I expected that he would die. I did however like that Tyler became privy towards who Emily and Amanda really were and also that he tried to warn Daniel about his soon to be wife. It was the whole trying to kill Daniel and frame Emily that didn’t do him many favours in the end.

As for the engagement party/Fire and Ice theme/flashback to the first episode – I am actually surprised that the show did this so early but given what’s actually come out of it; it does make some narrative sense though. It really hasn’t been that long since Emily showed up at the Hamptons and Victoria’s warnings to Daniel about her are all true but not for the reasons she expected though.

In terms of other storylines – I knew Jack’s plans to leave the Stowaway for Haiti would come undone by Amanda in the same way that I knew both Daniel and Charlotte would be manipulated by their grandfather to a degree, that Nolan would try to talk sense to Emily and she’s ignore him and that Victoria would do something to make Conrad look like he was winning. If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m actually not but these are minor plots that should be more prominent in the next few episodes though.

Also in “Chaos”

I actually liked that Emily showed some faith in Amanda when telling Nolan that she didn’t believe Amanda would steal the Infinity box.

Daniel (to Emily): “Just promise me one more time. No secrets of any kind ever. You’ve seen what they’ve done to my family.”

Charlotte might have been bullied by her grandfather out of seeing a therapist but she did steal Jack’s Oxycodone, which Emily caught her with at the engagement party.

Amanda (re Emily): “She’s not who she thinks she is, you know.”
Tyler: “Yeah, she’s you and you’re her and her and her and her and they call me crazy.”
Amanda: “I mean she’s not a bad person. She does stuff for the right reasons.”

Emily: “Daniel feels betrayed by you. If you want to rescue that relationship, you’re going to have to earn his trust.”
Victoria: “Would you facilitate that conversation?”
Emily: “Well that’s up to Daniel.”

Despite Daniel and Victoria being at odds with each other, Emily actually did help Victoria by turning down Daniel’s offer of going to Paris with him.

Emily: “Can I talk to her?”
Tyler: “Yeah, go for it. She’s actually right behind you.”
Amanda: “Who’s the fool now?”

Tyler (to Emily): “Have fun at the party tonight. I hear there’s going to be fireworks.”

Jack asking Emily to look after Sammy was a sweet moment as was Nolan trying to get Emily to go to Haiti with Jack. She probably should’ve listened to Nolan but there wouldn’t be a show if she did and she buried the box at the beach.

Tyler: “How do I look?”
Amanda: “Under medicated.”
Tyler: “I can assure you, I am thinking quite clearly.”

Victoria: “I was once just like her - ambitious, driven.”
Daniel: “Yes, by greed and insecurity. Emily is generous and decent. She is nothing like you.”

Standout music: “You And I” by Washed Out.

Satoshi (to Emily): “Take the box. Bury your father’s secrets away from here. When you return, your questions will be answered.”

Emily (to herself): “Chaos by it’s very definition cannot be controlled. Once introduced all order and intention is rendered useless. The outcome of chaos cannot be predicted. The only certainty it brings is the devastation it leaves in it’s wake.”

Chronology: Once again, it’s Labour Day in the Hamptons and three months since Emily arrived in town.

For an all important episode, “Chaos” certainly delivered in a satisfying manner. Tyler’s death might have been predictable but seeing how it will unravel for the rest of the season should be a lot of fun to watch as well as Daniel’s new insight into the woman he’s now marrying.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Being Human's 4x03: "The Graveyard Shift"

Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Philip John

Hal (re working in a burger bar): “Kill me. Seriously, kill me now. You can tell Annie I attacked you or something.”
Tom: “Maybe later if you work really hard.”

Ah, poor Hal. There were plenty of things he probably should’ve anticipated with moving in with Annie and Tom but even he wasn’t expecting to have to work in a burger bar with the latter. Still, his deadpan reactions to his new employment status never ceased in being funny.

It’s the third episode in and already, Tom and Hal just work as a dynamic. By wisely not mirroring George and Mitchell’s friendship and taking a variation of antagonism, mistrust and growing respect, it’s hard not to enjoy any scenes between this vampire and werewolf and this episode was ripe with some great moments.

Hal might see his new working status as a form of drudgery but he certainly generated some humour with his care towards lettuce cutting, table cleaning as well as the interesting little wager between him and Tom in relation to which one of them can attract a female customer. Surely, you’d want either of them, right ladies/gents?

Michaela, the attempting to be deep Goth with bad poetry was an interesting enough test subject. She more or less dismissed both Tom and Hal’s terrible attempts of flattery, until she realised both of them were of the supernatural persuasion. It’s amazing how in this case actually being either a vampire or a werewolf can suddenly do wonders for dating prospects.

Of course, as a character, Michaela managed to be both quite amusing and annoying in equal measure. Both Tom and Hal soon realised she was a pain in the backside but found themselves forced to open up to her when Fergus and his goon wanted to teach Tom a lesson and it certainly worked a treat.

I think having Michaela being turned into a vampire by Regus after Fergus knifed her was an interesting enough move. Michaela seemed to take a fondness to his humour and Regus himself managed to make a vampire and acquire a girlfriend in one go. It’s just too bad for him that he’s also going to have to listen to his lover’s rather terrible poems as a result but it’s better than winding up in a Hoover bag as what became Fergus’s fate in the end.

Speaking of Fergus, much as I like Anthony Flanagan as an actor, I am really delighted he was staked in this episode. I don’t think I could’ve tolerated his thuggish brutality for another five episodes and it might be nice for Annie and company to have other threats towards Eve than the vampires and the Old Ones.

Hal being revealed as an Old One wasn’t an entirely shocking reveal, considering that the episode opened with a flashback to his violent history with Fergus but even I was a tiny bit surprised that he considered stepping aside while Fergus and his cronies taught Tom a lesson. Of course, it was nice that he changed his mind.

Whether Tom and Hal want to admit it or not, both of them made massive steps towards accepting the other in this episode. They managed to work well together in the burger bar, Tom chose to ditch some of his stakes and Hal of course rejected the chance to become a Lord in favour of staking Fergus and remaining as an ally for Eve’s protection.

However to address an elephant in the room, while Tom and Hal are building a rapport towards one another, Annie allowed her own mistrust towards them affect some of her judgements. She nearly left Barry with Eve and she was rather sharp with Hal as well when he couldn’t properly name her former friends.

That being said, the events of the episode did bring the three of them closer together so while the dynamic Annie may have with the lads is different, it’s still every bit as fun to watch as it was back in the first three years with Mitchell, George and Nina. Heck, they even found a programme that they can all sit down and watch together.

Last but not least, aside from the mysterious Kirby crossing over to our world and inevitably set to cause friction in the next episode, who exactly is the mysterious man with a burnt arm that’s a threat to Eve? Oh, let me guess, if it’s not an Old One, it’ll be Kirby won’t it? I did like Regus trying to help the gang out again with Eve, even if his attempts of getting a payment were a bit creepy.

Also in “The Graveyard Shift”

Fergus reckons that Ivan, Wyndham, Jacob and Hetty (or was it Herrick?) are all afraid of Hal. I guess we should be too if he jumps off the wagon.

Fergus (to a maid, re Hal): “Sometimes I think the only demon worse than him must be the one he’s fleeing from. I’m not scared of him. Don’t tell him I said that.”

Hal seems to listen to classical music and Radio 4 as part of his routine. He also doesn’t like living in tents, caravans and barns. It’s also best not to mention some bad investments he’s made as well financially speaking.

Annie (re Eve): “Why can’t you just leave her alone? She’s just a normal baby.”
Fergus: “Do you really believe that or is it just desperation?”
Annie: “Which one keeps her alive?”
Fergus: “Neither I’m afraid.”

Annie: “What happened to your face?”
Regus: “My lunch fought back. I’d rather not talk about it.”

Regus got his own just desserts when his attempts of hacking into Annie’s sex memories backfired on him.

Hal: “It’s quite a thought.”
Michaela: “Isn’t it?”
Hal: “Yes, me still here in a year.”

Annie (to Hal): “Their names were Nina, George and Mitchell and this was their home and they were my friends and they would’ve listened to me.”

Both Hal and Tom seemed to have a disdain for Nuts magazine and a sense of chivalry towards women. They also chose Antiques Roadshow over The Real Hustle.

Hal: “I’m not a performing monkey.”
Tom: “Hal, stop being such a wally.”
Hal: “I’m a vampire, he’s a werewolf, any questions?”
Michaela: “Are you seeing anyone at the moment?”

Regus (re being a good guy): “It’s fun, isn’t it?”
Hal: “Yes, sometimes it leaves me feeling positively giddy.”

Annie mentioned her previous working in a bar and her relationship with Saul, while Hal brought up Ivan and Daisy at the end. Oh and next week’s trailer seemed to have more continuity on the Box Tunnel massacre.

Michaela (re Team Edward t-shirt): “I assume you’re taking the piss.”
Regus: “Well, I started it.”
Michaela: “You’re a funny vampire.”

Michaela: “You’re not very good at being a vampire, are you?”
Hal: “I try not to be.”
Regus: “Ignore him. He’s never happy unless he’s miserable.”

Chronology: A week has passed since “Eve Of The War”.

After two somewhat darker episodes, “The Graveyard Shift” is definitely the more lighter of episode we’ve had so far this season. Three episodes in and it’s nice that the new cast are more than able to keep the momentum going but again, we need to see Annie be a bit more kick ass, considering the amount of threats that are coming Eve’s way.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Doctor Who - Series 7 Begins Filming

And it's begun. Series 7 of Doctor Who has finally started filming and while I'm not sure which episode is being filmed first, we do at least know one major guest star.

He might be best known for his roles in the Harry Potter franchise and recently on Being Human but it seems Mark Williams is our first major guest actor for the season. Apparently he's been filming near Amy and Rory's home and there's rumours that he may be playing the latter's father. Here's hoping it's true because it would be appropriate casting and we're overdue meeting anyone from Rory's family.

Arthur taking a break in between filming. There's not much that has been revealed about what exactly is being filmed but it's only the first day, so I'm sure more pictures will emerge during the next few days. Matt Smith is in London, so there's nothing with him to be filmed I assume for today.

That being said, this picture with Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, I have to wonder is that fella a crew member or a soldier? With that jacket, he could be either. Whatever the case may be, I'm glad that the series is finally back and filming.

My Review of Revenge's 1x14: "Perception"

Written by Nikki Toscano And Sallie Patrick
Directed by Tim Hunter

Emily (to herself): “Truth is a battle of perception. People only see what they’re prepared to confront.”

And that’s not the only elements of perceptiveness that is imparted throughout this entire episode. Everyone seemed to be seeing a lot of things and reacting upon them and I don’t just mean the usual people as well.

Conrad was able to see past biology in this episode and realised that he still loved Charlotte, even if her real father was a man he thoroughly despised but even that wasn’t enough to stop him from breaking his promise about keeping Charlotte’s true lineage a secret and he managed to blurt it out in a typical open fashion thanks to Victoria’s continued determination for her own self preservation.

Of course, Conrad’s reasons for telling Charlotte who her father are something we can thank both Jack and Daniel for as well. Daniel had fallen for Victoria’s misinformation about David being a rapist and foolishly defended his mother’s honour, only to have Conrad snap and get the real truth out there.

As for Jack, he had finally seen a tape of Amanda’s session with Treadwell and decided that her honour also deserved to be defended. I kind of loved seeing Jack tear into Victoria in the manner that he did. After all, she has had it coming and it’s better that Charlotte knows the truth about her real father, at least from a viewing perspective if not from her own.

Ah, poor Charlotte – she really is one of the few innocent people on this show and her world was shattered with the way Conrad revealed her parentage. I liked that Declan played the supportive boyfriend in this episode but it’s going to take a lot more than that for Charlotte to get over it. From her perspective, she has no clue who David Clarke really is, so the idea that she’s the daughter of a terrorist is obviously going to be something that she’s not going to handle all that well.

Of course, Charlotte finding out about David being her real father was another of several things to go wrong for Emily this week. She asked Nolan to make sure that Jack wouldn’t see the video and he went behind her back and made sure that he did. Granted, Nolan was probably doing that with the best of intentions but it still caused the havoc that Emily hadn’t anticipated for.

Keeping with Emily’s disasters this week – has Amanda finally turned on her? She wasn’t best pleased with Emily wrecking her relationship with Jack this week and oddly enough, I can’t blame her. I mean, Emily really has pushed Amanda to quite some levels and it was always inevitable that she was going to turn on Emily and given that there’s an engagement party on the way, now was as good as any time for Amanda to shift gears and want to get away from Emily.

However, I don’t know if it was Amanda who actually broke into Emily’s house and stole the Infinity box though. I know with the emphasised invite that it looks pretty obvious but considering that Emily’s pissed off a certain someone more than she has Amanda, I wouldn’t be surprised if the person currently in possession of that box happens to be Tyler. He’s certainly far less tolerant of Emily than even Amanda is right about now.

Getting back to the perception of the episode though, it’s not too surprising that Emily had been stalking Daniel for a while before their first meeting in the opening episode. It does make sense though, given that back then Daniel was quoting poetry and commenting on perception in a bar where him and Emily actually did interact with each other briefly. Emily certainly did her homework on Daniel and now she’s close to it actually paying off.

Last but not least the arrival of Conrad’s father, Edward was another highlight of this episode. I found it interesting how he treated Victoria like the daughter he probably always wanted but at the same time, took a glee in pointing out Conrad’s collective failures. Now there’s a father/son dynamic I want to see much more of.

I’m also beginning to wonder if he’s also being set up as another potential obstacle for Emily or another element to her revenge scheme. I could easily buy into him having some involvement in David’s downfall as well. In fact, I think I’d almost be disappointed if he wasn’t because there’s certainly something sinister about him.

Also in “Perception”

Before the big reveal, Victoria and Charlotte were actually making some progress. Victoria even stepped out of her comfort zone to have a drink at Jack’s bar.

Nolan: “Fire and ice, subtle. Was fire and brimstone not available?”
Emily: “I didn’t check.”

It’s nice that we’ve gotten to a point now where Jack is actually considering Nolan as a friend. He didn’t really refuse the flat screen but he seemed touched by Nolan’s concern for him.

Conrad (to Daniel): “So fire and ice? It’s astonishing how your mother managed to model the theme of your engagement party on both sides of her personality.”

Jack (to Amanda): “I’m sick of being played. I deserve answers.”

Keeping with the perception theme of the episode, both Victoria and Ashley had some interesting comments on their paternal relationships and Conrad tried to turn Ashley against Victoria as well.

Daniel (re photo shoot): “Nothing about this is normal.”
Ashley: “Then try the other arm.”

Amanda: “Are you sure we’re doing the right thing? Why don’t we just tell Jack the truth?”
Emily: “That you’ve been pretending to be me this whole time? He’d never forgive you for that.”

I found it interesting the way Edward kept referring to Victoria as “Vicky” throughout the episode. Is there a deeper meaning or just affectionate pet name?

Emily: “Amanda!”
Amanda: “Stop calling me that! You want that tape so badly, get it from him.”

Edward: “I’ve loved a lot of women in my life. I’ve never figured out how to make it last.”
Victoria: “Well that’s because you love too many at the same time.”

Standout music: M83’s “Wait” towards the end of the episode.

Victoria (re Charlotte’s parentage): “I will never forgive you for this.”
Conrad: “And I’ll never forgive you for inviting that bastard into our bed.”

Emily (to herself): “And when different perceptions battle against one other, the truth has a way of getting lost and the monsters find a way of getting out.”

Chronology: A day or so after “Commitment”.

Well, that was certainly an episode high on “Perception” all over the place. We’re just a matter of days away from the engagement party of the year, Emily’s allies are not being helpful to her interests and the arrival of Edward means another interesting cog has been added into the mix. Now just bring on the fire and ice.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 1x13: "Commitment"

Written by Mark B. Perry And Liz Tigelaar
Directed by Kenneth Fink

Daniel: “You still want to marry into my crazy family?”
Emily: “More than ever.”

Oh Daniel, you’re such a nice guy but it’s a great pity that you had to go and tell Emily that your mother alluded to Charlotte being the product of a rape. Emily was actually cool her jets and take more caution with getting her vengeance on certain people but thank to your little comment, you’ve basically shoved a red flag at this raging bull.

I have to admit I found myself a little mystified with that reveal too. I mean, Victoria badly phrased her relationship with David to Daniel and had a chance to correct herself and chose not to. I mean, considering how much Victoria has gone on about loving David throughout the series so far, why would she let Daniel think that he might have raped her?

I suppose from a strategic point of view, if Charlotte really is seen as a product of rape then it actually gives Victoria the foothold that Conrad had decimated from her within this episode. He quickly found out about Charlotte’s real father and made damn sure that Victoria paid for it by giving her an ultimatum as well as promising her a pittance in their divorce battle.

From an oddly admirable perspective, this is the first victory Victoria has managed to snare in this episode. I mean aside from Conrad finding out about Charlotte, Victoria had also failed to prove Amanda wasn’t who she claimed to be and wasn’t successful in thwarting Daniel’s hopes to marry Emily. This really hasn’t been her week.

I did love the scenes with Victoria and the Fake Amanda having tea, strawberries and cream and basically both of them attempting to outsmart the other one. I love that Victoria could tell that the woman currently pretending to be Amanda is a fraud but at the same time, I just knew her attempts of getting DNA proof were going to be scuppered at the same time.

Instead of actually exacting revenge on Ryan Huntley, Emily’s actually been working with the guy to sabotage Victoria and given the explanation we got in the flashback, it makes sense. I also just enjoy the idea of Emily having multiple sources of help at her disposal but at the same time, Emily also made some colossal screw ups in this episode too.

Attempting to frame Amanda for torching Mason’s place with the tapes was an idiotic move on her part. Not only has Amanda actually been loyal to her throughout the last decade but Jack actually suffered from Emily’s scheme when Victoria’s goon beat the crap out of him for the tapes (except for one – wonder what that could be?).

Nolan definitely read Emily the riot she richly deserved in this episode as well. Emily really does need to realise that her actions can and will affect undeserving people as well. Not only is Daniel one of those people but Jack certainly was as well and I’m glad that Nolan’s words actually got through to her this week. Emily certainly needed to take heed of them, that’s for sure.

As for her scenes with Amanda, I have to admit they were certainly a highlight of the episode for me as well. It’s beginning to bum me out now that Emily sees her as collateral damage because as volatile as Amanda is as a person, I can’t help but feel sorry for the girl more than I expected to.

Amanda has proven that she genuinely cares for Emily and like Nolan has certainly taken a lot of shit than she deserves to. Also, it’s pretty obvious that her feelings for Jack are genuine and that she didn’t want to leave him, even though Emily persuaded her to do it. However, I don’t see Amanda staying out of the Hamptons for long though and maybe it might be in Emily’s best interests to keep her closer rather than further away.

As for the other important storylines of the week – Daniel’s rainy boat proposal for Emily was rather sweet and visually stunning, just too bad for his sake that she is marrying him for the wrong reasons. Plus, as detached as Emily is trying to be with Charlotte being her half sister, she did look rather touched when the girl hugged over the engagement. If only Charlotte knew that her dream for having a sister was actually true. Then again, knowing the break neck speed of this show, she’ll know soon enough.

Also in “Commitment”

Emily’s still doing her nightly sneak outs and Daniel is still paying attention to them. Surely, he’s going to get suspicious soon?

Nolan: “What about Jack?”
Emily: “Jack is in love with a killer. I’ve got to get rid of Amanda.”
Nolan: “Oh, he thinks he’s in love with you. Meanwhile poor puppy dog Daniel actually is, so pre tell where does your heart actually stand in all this?”
Emily: “My feelings are irrelevant. Look, I came here for revenge and you offered to help. If you can’t stomach it anymore, at least spare me your passive-aggressive judgements.”

Declan didn’t seem all that pleased when Conrad actually offered to help send him to the same college as Charlotte, who now has been told to go back to Victoria’s.

Amanda (re Mason’s fire): “Wow, karma really is a bitch.”
Emily: “More like Victoria Grayson is. I think she’s the one who did it.”

Victoria: “Is it money you’re after?”
Amanda: “I don’t know what you’re talking about and apparently, neither do you.”
Victoria: “Sit down.”
Amanda: “I don’t take orders from you.”

Charlotte was named after David’s favourite aunt and Victoria tried to suss out Amanda with an allergy to strawberries. Has Emily actually consumed strawberries since this show began?

Daniel: “You’re the first person I could be my true self around.”
Emily: “Lucky me.”

Victoria (to Emily/Daniel): “Romance is never perfect but don’t let me rain on your parade.”

Conrad made some perspective points about lying and cheating that Daniel really should’ve paid heed to. Also, Victoria’s maiden name is Harper and we saw flashbacks to when she found out about being pregnant with Charlotte.

Ashley: “All I’ve got to show for my summer with the Graysons is a psychotic, gun wielding ex-boyfriend who made out with you. Meanwhile Emily gets an engagement ring and the keys to the kingdom.”
Nolan: “Emily said yes?”
Ashley: “According to her text. I’ve got to go to the loo and drown myself in it.”

Charlotte (to Emily): “You have no idea how badly I wanted a sister.”

Standout music: Spectral’s “You Can’t Live On Love Alone”.

Emily: “I never meant for Jack to get hurt.”
Nolan: “How much collateral damage are you willing to accept? I may have Jack’s blood all over my jacket but you’ve got it all over your hands.”

Emily (re David/Victoria): “Are you saying he raped her?”
Daniel: “And got her pregnant with Charlotte as the result.”
Emily: “She said this to you?”

Chronology: From where “Infamy” left off.

This show really doesn’t seem to stop for breath, does it? “Commitment” certainly kept the pace going quite beautifully and if Emily was going to slouch on her vow to get even with the Graysons, we can all thank Daniel for renewing her commitment in their imminent downfall.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x13: "It's Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved"

Written by Shintaro Shimosawa And Eric Charmelo And Nicole Snyder
Directed by Guy Bee

Tessa: “I can’t do this.”
Juliet: “Sure you can. You showed up wearing a pants suit and everything.”

And the resolution to the Juliet/Carpenter/Tessa storyline came to a rather disappointing resolution – they were all in it together in a bid to get Juliet out of public school, give her back her inheritance and line their own pockets. Wow, Juliet that was the type of colossal bitch move that the real Siobhan would be impressed with.

This episode also killed whatever respect I had grown to have for Juliet for the last couple of weeks. Did Andrew really deserve to have that happen to him at all? Couldn’t he at least have one woman in his life that isn’t lying to him or trying to fleece/ruin him? It makes me wonder who this guy must have hacked off in a previous life to end up surrounded by untrustworthy people at every turn.

I mean, even Bridget’s lying to him and it’s going to hurt him when the truth comes out but at least she genuinely cares for Andrew. I hoped in spite of her bratty behaviour that Juliet did as well but clearly not enough if she’s willing to fake being raped in order to get back her trust fund.

On the other hand, brilliant actress Juliet. I mean her scenes with Bridget this week when she was talking about wanting a normal mother and even when she was in the bathroom with Tessa were all convincing stuff but it just feels like they’ve made into the same terrible mode that both Siobhan, Catherine and Olivia have all fallen into.

Speaking of Catherine – anyone else wondering if she is in on it as well? I mean, I sort of wouldn’t put it past but not only I am disappointed with Juliet but I’m also disappointed with Carpenter but this storyline was never going to end with him a positive light.

However, the little dynamic Juliet seems to have with both Tessa and Carpenter, I can already see the cracks there and that has a lot of potential in the next few episodes. Their greed is going to make them turn on each other and that should be fun to watch.

Keeping with a sense of fun in this episode, I found myself loving Bridget and Solomon working together and the nice little lie Bridget used to excuse her odd behaviour with him. While I’m sure these scenes would’ve had more sparkle with Malcolm, Solomon is an okay enough character and he served a decent enough purpose here.

Bridget really does know beyond any doubt that Siobhan is actually alive and was working with Charlie and also seems to know that she’s being watched as well. It’s always nice to see Bridget a little ahead of the game. I also liked that Bridget realised that Siobhan obviously still obviously a grudge over Sean as well and the trailer for next week’s episode looks like we’re finally going to see what really happened there.

Of course, now that Bridget is actually getting closer and closer, the question is how much longer do we have to wait before she actually crosses paths with Siobhan? With the way, Siobhan just about manages to keep Bridget off her back, I can only image that their reunion will surface way before the finale at this rate.

Speaking of Siobhan – how much more does she actually need from Tyler at this point? She seems to have the means necessary to take down Martin/Charles and she didn’t waste much time in enlightening on her little scheme as well. I feel bad for Tyler but I’m not sure there’s much else they can do with him, character wise.

Last but not least – Henry getting blackmailed by Olivia wasn’t that surprising. Considering Olivia’s desperation for Gemma’s father to become a client of Martin/Charles, I wasn’t fazed that she resorted to blackmail to get Henry to coerce his father in law and Henry better hope she wasn’t lying about not having multiple copies of that photo. Oh, come on, she probably has tonnes of them.

Also in “It’s Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved”

This week it was Tessa who spouted out the episode title for us. At least it wasn’t Juliet for once.

Solomon: “Why are you asking me about what you did?”
Bridget: “I’m newly sober. I have whole chunks of time I can’t remember. Now that I’m clean, I’m trying to figure out who I was because it’s kind of affecting who I am now. Does that make sense?”

The funny thing is that because of the fact that Bridget is a recovering alcoholic, she’s not exactly lying to Solomon with that statement, apart from pretending to be Siobhan though.

Henry: “I can’t believe you let Bridget be you.”
Siobhan: “Her life was in danger. She came to me, I couldn’t turn away my sister.”

Olivia: “Are you going to invite me in?”
Henry: “Do I need to? Are you a vampire?”

Siobhan told Henry that Bridget and Charlie were working together to kidnap and extort money from Gemma. Now that was cold, Siobhan.

Solomon: “Are you okay?”
Bridget: “No, my sister lied to me. I wonder what else she lied to me about.”

Juliet: “For once, it would be nice to have a normal mom. Someone who doesn’t make me feel I’m making a mistake by doing this.”
Bridget: “You’re not. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to someone and not run away.”

As well as no appearances from Malcolm and Victor, there was also no continuation from the Jimmy and Bodaway plot of last week. I also loved the brief moment in this episode where Andrew and Siobhan actually interacted, especially for the latter’s reaction.

Andrew: “Is everything okay? You don’t look too good.”
Siobhan: “Excuse me?”

Standout music: Lana Del Ray’s “Blue Jeans” used at the end of the episode.

Tessa: “I still can’t believe we pulled this off?”
Carpenter: “So who wants to toast to being millionaires?”

Chronology: From where “What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?” left off.

The episode titles remains a bit too gimmicky for my tastes but there’s an improvement with the series. “It’s Easy To Cry When This Much Cash Is Involved” continues that trend of improvement but with the less than desirable ratings for the CW, I just don’t know if the show can go beyond whatever the remaining nine episodes can offer and that’s a shame.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Elementary Has Cast It's Sherlock

I was hoping that the proposed American version of a popular franchise under the name of Elementary (or basically CSI: Sherlock - come on, this is CBS for crying out loud!) was going to be a pipe dream but it seems the bloody thing has gotten legs. Johnny Lee Miller will be playing Sherlock Holmes in the proposed US imagining of the iconic figure. I just can't see why they don't air the UK version. Chances are, even with a British actor like Miller (whose previously worked with current UK version Benedict Cumberbatch on stage), this will probably tank on it's backside.

My Review of Being Human's 4x02: "Being Human 1955"

Written by Lisa McGee
Directed by Philip John

Pearl: “What are you saying?”
Annie: “Okay, um, what I’m saying is move in here.”
Hal: “Are you somehow drunk?”

To be fair, garish decoration aside in parts of the building, there are worse places to live than Honolulu Heights but the fact that both him and Pearl showed reservations about getting involved with Annie, Tom and Eve was actually kind of smart. Of course, it didn’t last but then again, neither did a certain dynamic either.

Pearl, Hal and Leo might have lived together and been each other best friends for the last fifty years and over but here, their time together came to an end and just like Annie, Hal ended up two of the people he was closest to within proximity of each other. I suppose in some ways this should give them something to bond over in the next few weeks.

Leo was aware that coming to Honolulu Heights because an angel told him so wasn’t going to get the results that his flatmates wanted. Leo knew he was dying and he used the time to try and get both Pearl and Hal amongst a new supernatural environment and also to give himself the opportunity to tell Pearl how he really felt about her.

I’m glad that Pearl and Leo left this episode as a happy couple, reunited in the afterlife because as enjoyable as both of them had been over the last two episodes, it felt right that Hal would now have a new family with Annie, Tom and Eve, even if it’s one that’s going to take him a while to get used to.

However if I do have one complaint, then it’s a very simple one – why didn’t we actually see anything in relation to 1955? The prequels are nice and everything but a few scenes when Hal, Pearl and Leo first start living together and some of their memorable times together would’ve been nice. Then again, I suppose there’s always a chance to do that in later episodes though.

As a character, I have to admit that Hal has the potential to possibly eclipse Mitchell for me. Not just because Damien Molony seems to naturally fit within the frame of this show but mostly because Hal is not a redux of Mitchell as a character. He’s older, more overtly cautious and even manages to make tweed look as cool as the Eleventh Doctor does as well.

Leo and Pearl might have house trained Hal by keeping him away from people, implementing rules (the thing with the dominoes not being knocked down) but like all vampires, Hal still has something of a dark side and it’s one that very much can be brought out as well. Leo and Pearl passing on saw Hal nearly lose it with both Eve and the pawn shop owner and the hostility with him and Tom could escalate as well if they’re unable to put their differences aside for the greater good.

I think Tom’s hostility towards Hal was a mixed bag in this episode. During some of it, he did come across as rather belligerent but consider the history he’s had with vampires, it’s understandable that he doesn’t have the greatest of times for them and I am really glad that he interrupted Hal’s conversation with baby Eve as well. Of course, it also has the potential to become annoying too, though I do like that the show’s going for a different dynamic with Hal and Tom as they did with Mitchell and George.

Also in relation to Eve, while the older version tried to manipulate both Leo and Hal in this episode, at least Tom was being practical about the child. Annie went overboard with the messiah stuff and Tom had the sense to point out to her that she was wrong. It’s also because of this I can understand Pearl’s initial exasperation with Annie as well. Don’t get me wrong, I get that Annie’s considering the war child possibilities with Eve (as is Hal) but she does need to tone it down a bit as well.

As for the villains of the piece – I loved Cutler and his focus group watching the videos of George and Tom transforming. There’s something deliciously spineless and sly with Cutler’s character and it makes him a bit more interesting than the rather thuggish Fergus by comparison. That being said, I did enjoy seeing Fergus’s reaction when he realised Hal was in town. Now those are future scenes I am looking forward to seeing.

Also in “Being Human 1955”

What is it with Annie and her rules? So far, there’s no smoking, dialling 800 numbers, mugs on coasters, dishes properly tended to, no girls and two rings whenever Tom goes out. I wonder what she’s got lined up for Hal then.

Pearl: “Why should I have blood on my hands?”
Leo: “There doesn’t have to be blood on anyone’s hands, it’s a spider.”

Hal doesn’t like spiders, will not stop any petrol stations on the left side of the road and shouldn’t be given Kia-Ora. However if he kills your budgie, he’ll give you a letter of apology.

Annie: “No, Tom, I’m not agreeing with you. Your grammar is appalling.”

Annie: “Can you see me?”
Pearl: “Can you see me? I’m a ghost.”
Annie: “So am I.”

Twice this episode made fun of Tom’s grammar/speech – first with Annie, then with Hal. The poor bloke. Griffin also did as well last week too.

Hal (to Leo): “I think that Eve is the war child. She’s actually going to do. She’s going to rid the world of us.”
Pearl: “Us?”
Hal: “Vampires.”

Cutler (to Fergus): “Either you mean Peter Mandelson or you’re comparing me to a German composer.”

We saw the older version of Eve (or Woman as the actress is credited as) appearing through the television when Hal was talking to the baby.

Tom: “You’re a dickhead.”
Hal: “If you say so. Have we finished flirting cos I’d like to go inside now?”

Pearl: “Is this the lady in the long johns attacking my dress sense?”
Annie: “I wasn’t attacking, sorry, I beg your pardon?”

The preview after this episode was the one where Hal first met Leo. It can be watched on the red button or on YouTube if you’re not in Britain.

Annie (re Hal): “Why, what happens when he drinks Kia-Ora?”
Leo: “We don’t talk about it, Annie.”

Hal (to Tom/Pawn shop owner): “Well, gentlemen, I’m going to have to split this up.”

Both Pearl and Leo got two doors side by side each other before crossing over. I almost wished we had seen that for George and Nina.

Hal (to pawn shop owner): “Killing is the most difficult thing in the world, which is why when you actually do it, there’s nothing more exhilarating.”

Leo: “I wanted you to know you were loved. I loved you since the moment I met you and I’ll die loving you, Pearl.”

Standout music: A bit of Louis Armstrong at the start of the episode, which Eve interrupted when contacting Leo.

Hal (to Eve): “Why are you crying? You’ve got nothing to cry about, have you? Me, on the other hand, I should be crying.”

Annie: “Hal, is this how you repay Leo?”

Chronology: A few days since the events of “Eve Of The War”. Shouldn’t we have seen a funeral or something for George in this one?

I know there are some fans jumping ship and while I have a growing suspicion that this series will the last, it’s actually a shame because “Being Human 1955” certainly gave the show a new vigour. Annie’s rapport with Tom and Hal might not be the same as the ones she had with George, Nina and Mitchell but it’s certainly promising though.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Sexy And He Knows It

And here's another jumble of some of the stuff I've been watching over the last few weeks.

American Horror Story: Well, apart from the unsatisfying element of the babies adding nothing to the mix (wasn't one of them supposed to be the Antichrist?), the last two episodes of this show certainly found a novel way of writing out the Harmons, giving Constance another child whose life she can ruin and also promising that when the show returns for a second year, it'll be an entirely different creation. All this alone is making me curious for what lunacy Ryan Murphy has up his sleeve for the next year.

Desperate Housewives: Downward spirals, sex swings and more lame excuses for Susan to make an idiot of her herself courtesy of a new teacher she's desperate to impress. On the plus side, Carlos's increased drinking and the girls horrifying discovery on Halloween that someone else dug up Alejandro's body have certainly made the last few episodes more enjoyable. It's a shame though that this isn't being promoted half as much as it should be in it's final year because this is actually a real return to form, writing wise.

Glee: Is Ricky Martin the sexiest male guest star this show has ever cooked up? The jury might be out but he certainly made Sexy And I Know It fun as hell to watch and while the episode might not be regarded as a classic, I loved that Martin's character, David Martinez has the potential to return and that Santana took Will to task over his lax attitude towards teaching Spanish. The only thing I could've done without was Sue and her attempts to have a child. I'm pretty sure that asking kids for sperm is not the way to go about it, Sue. Even for this show, that was possibly a step too far.

Skins: You lose some characters and you gain at least one. Morocco made sure that Matty was on the run, that Grace died in the second episode and that Rich was also written off screen while also managing to make this viewer wish that Franky was written out too. On the plus side, I'm probably the only who doesn't hate Mini/Alo, thinks that Liv has improved quite a bit as a character, not too fussed with Nick and overall finding Alex a rather promising character as well. A mixed bag of episodes but nowhere as bad as the majority of the fourth series offered though.

The Vampire Diaries: With the way this show is so rapid fire, I'm surprised no-one on the writing staff has suffered from whiplash. The last three episodes have been particularly satisfying to watch (Caroline beating the crap out of Damon will never not be entertaining to watch), especially with the introduction of the rather strident Rebekah, Klaus discovering that Elena actually needs to be alive for hybrids to work (oops, Tyler), the arrival/exit of Bill and some vampire hunter fella named Michael. It almost makes Katherine's return and Stefan's continued fall to the dark side look pale by comparison.

- After eight seasons, Hugh Laurie's medical drama House will air it's final episode in April.
- Homeland has promoted both Navid Negahban and David Marciano to regular for the show's second year. Channel 4 will air the series from February 19th.
- John Stamos is confirmed for upcoming FOX series, Little Brother.
- Jessica Tuck will guest appear in Grimm, playing the mother of Claire Coffee's character, Adalind.
- Ellen Barkin will be appearing Ryan Murphy's upcoming NBC series, The New Normal, playing the mother of a surrogate a gay couple are using to have a child with.
- Matt Bomer will be playing Blaine's brother in the 15th episode of Glee's third season and they will be both singing songs from Duran Duran. The show returns to Sky1 on March 1st.
- A US version of Mistresses will air on ABC, due for a summer 2013 broadcast.
- Being Human US has been renewed for a third season, courtesy of SyFy.

My Review of Revenge's 1x12: "Infamy"

Written by Dan Dworkin And Jay Beattie
Directed by Matt Earl Beesley

Nolan (re Mason): “You know I haven’t been this disappointed since Phantom Menace.”
Emily: “You didn’t actually think he’d come clean, did you?”
Nolan: “Didn’t you?”

And you know I haven’t been pleased with this show since – the previous episode. Seriously, this level of quality is bordering on the implausible at the moment. Twelve episodes in and this show has yet to really put a foot wrong. This however may be the best episode yet that I’ve seen though.

The last seven episodes haven’t seen Emily actually enact any vengeance on anyone and considering that she’s had to deal with Lydia, Frank, Tyler and Amanda, it’s amazing she’s been able to catch her breath. Of course, things have settled a little and Mason Treadwell re-emerged from the woodwork in time for Emily to strike.

I’ve never been sympathetic to Emily’s victims so far but it’s interesting that after Michelle Banks, the show managed to pick someone else so rotten to the core. It’s not the fact that Mason published a book about her father that was mostly lies that bothered me as a viewer. It’s the fact that Mason really knew what the truth was and still published his book of lies that bothered me and mostly Emily to the very core.

As a child she trusted that Mason or Leo as he was known back then would’ve done the right thing and helped save her father. Instead he betrayed her by making out that David was guilty and while Victoria and Conrad were responsible for the way he depicted David in his book, Mason could’ve easily done the right thing but he chose not to and so Emily got her own back in glorious style.

I found the sight of Mason’s burning house with his destroyed tapes and unsaved memoirs quite a delightful way for Emily to get back at him. She knew that even with Amanda needling him to do the right thing that he never would so Nolan distracting him long enough for her to commit arson was the best way she could get even on him.

Mason did seem to show the tiniest bit of discomfort in interviewing Amanda at Victoria’s behest but his manner towards her at the bar and when they actually did the interview was odious at best. It’s lucky for him that that Amanda wasn’t too interested in actually getting back at him because then Emily would’ve had a problem on her hands.

As for Amanda and Emily this week – it’s great that they worked together in order to get to Mason but at the same time, the tension between those two is reaching breaking point. Amanda seems to have sussed that Jack might still be into Emily and her wild child antics at the bar are probably a prelude to how she’d react if she realises that Emily might be attracted to the man she’s currently sleeping with.

Also while Nolan has been pointing out for a while that Amanda’s presence is too much of a liability for Emily’s overall plans, it’s probably well past time that Emily found a way to rein her wilder cellmate in before things do spiral out of control. On the plus side, Amanda’s spiky nature did get Jack to loosen up a little towards the end of the episode, so may be in some ways she’s actually a positive influence on him to a degree.

Of course the biggest news in this episode courtesy of a taped confession was that Charlotte happened to be David Clarke’s daughter. Congrats Emily, you’ve got a half-sister and it’s another little complication in the overall battle between Victoria and Conrad but while it’s also one of those moments that were predictable, the execution was superbly handled as well. Also, we could do with Charlotte having a storyline away from Declan for a bit now.

Last but not least – Daniel must be a little mad if he’s willing to actually marry Emily so he can control of Grayson Global. For once, I really do hope he actually takes heed of Victoria’s advice because while she desperately needs to sever the apron strings, she’s wise enough to tell him not to marry Emily for selfish reasons. That being said, I also got the impression that Daniel was more delighted to have an opportunity to marry Emily than to get one over on his father and the company. Interesting that both Victoria and Conrad have similar opinions on the likelihood of Daniel and Emily’s relation though.

Also in “Infamy”

It’s amazing how all these people keeping meeting Emily and not realising she’s Amanda, though I did think at one point, Treadwell was going to piece the connection.

Emily: “Infamy can be a sentence more damning than any prison sentence.”

We learned in this episode that Emily/Amanda name swapped around ten years ago. Amanda also had to be told that David was actually innocent of the terrorism charges as well.

Emily: “What you guys did was brave.”
Jack: “At the end of the day, there were no bullets in the gun, so no big deal.”

Amanda: “Come on, be impulsive. Unplan your life.”
Jack: “Amanda, I’m sorry, I can’t.”
Amanda: “I wonder if you’d say no to Emily Thorne.”

Amanda’s little kissing session with a female patron ended up on the internet, as Declan was keen to point out.

Female Patron: “I totally want to kiss you right now.”
Amanda: “Not while my boyfriend is watching.”

Amanda: “Level with me, is there something going on between you and Jack?”
Emily: “What? No! Jack and I are just friends, you know that.”
Amanda: “Not sure he believes that.”

So, apart from being David’s daughter, Charlotte’s future education prospects also seem to be designed to drive a wedge between her and Declan as well.

Nolan: “Have I mentioned I’ve never done this before?”
Daniel: “Helps if you keep one eye open.”

Amanda: “Sometimes bad things happen to good people.”
Mason: “Indeed. I’m here because your father says he’s innocent. That he didn’t do what they’re saying.”

Nolan had to fake wanting Mason to pen his biography, was also cited as number 6 on Forbes list of Youngest Billionaires and his moments at the shooting range with Emily and Daniel were delightfully amusing.

Mason: “All stories have competing truths. I simply settled on the most logical.”
Amanda: “And you were paid handsomely for that endorsement I’m sure.”

Daniel (re marrying Emily): “What do people wait for exactly – a sign? Maybe this is it.”
Victoria: “People wait for certainty.”
Daniel: “Did you have that with dad?”
Victoria: “No and that’s why I want it for you.”

Standout music: Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded” and Gem Club’s “Red Arrow (John)”.

Emily: “Some words are immortal. Long buried or even burned, they’re destined to be reborn, like a phoenix rising from the ashes and when they do, they literally can take your breath away.”

Chronology: A few days since the events of “Duress”.

“Infamy” has really sealed this show’s fate. If you’re not watching this series right now, you’re definitely missing out, that’s for sure. The reveal of Charlotte’s parentage was beautifully done, Mason’s just desserts deliciously satisfying and Victoria and Conrad trying to best each other in their divorce proceedings continues to be fun to watch. It’s a shame that Ashley’s animosity towards Emily remains intact but you can’t have everything.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 1x11: "Duress"

Written by Elle Triedman
Directed by Jamie Babbitt

Daniel: “I want you out of here and out of my life.”
Tyler: “That’s impossible. We know way too much about each other and I know way too much about your family.”

And you’d think with all those advantages in his corner that Tyler would’ve came out on top in the episode but alas for him, the very woman he despised completely ruined him again and without barely flinching. Emily’s craftiness really is bordering on the frightening at this point with her role in Tyler’s further downfall this week.

I’m not sure if the show needed to go down the route of having Tyler’s craziness be a result of a psychotic disorder but thinking on it logically, it’s consistent enough with his characterisation and his pathological obsession with the Graysons. He really did cling in there until Emily was finally able to prise him off that particular family.

Framing Tyler for Frank’s murder, simply by slipping his wallet into Tyler’s jacket when he really should’ve been looking was a masterstroke on Emily’s part and that was as well as the verbal smackdown she delivered to the conman but by doing that, I think Emily’s also caused a future problem for herself.

If Tyler can convince at least one person that something is awry with Emily, she’s definitely going to need a lot more than Nolan to get her out of this particular jam. Speaking of Nolan – poor guy. Getting stabbed and left bound and gagged in his own place by Tyler until the latter’s brother arrived wasn’t fun for him but at least Emily finally managed to acknowledge Nolan as a friend. That was a massive step in the right direction.

As for the birthday party from hell – way for Tyler to try and liven up Daniel’s birthday proceedings. I don’t think Truth Or Die is likely to catch as a party game, especially if you’re in a family desperate to keep their darkest secrets hidden and this family aren’t keen on having that secret discovered.

However, it certainly made for a tense scene when Tyler vowed to expose the Graysons secrets about David Clarke and blow Emily’s brains out with her own gun. At least Emily was clever enough not to have bullets in the bloody thing but she faked being distressed so well, even I was convinced with her reactions during that scene on the beach.

Of course while everyone got out of that particular little pickle unscathed, I did like the tension between Amanda and virtually everyone in this episode. Conrad wasn’t particularly pleased to learn she was back in town and Victoria went from being irked by Emily’s friendship with her to positively dismissing the girl at the party. Oh Victoria that one will surely come back to bite you in due course.

Keeping with Victoria and Conrad – I don’t know why I should be happy that their divorce proceedings are going to turn ugly but I guess because of the soapiness of this show, it’ll just make for great tension and these two certainly will play ugly. I mean, Victoria faked a pregnancy and miscarriage prior to signing a prenuptial agreement and now her lawyer is more than happy to falsify documentation so the bloody thing becomes null and void. It’s a horrible thing for her to do but it’s certainly believable as well.

Conrad too is playing rather hard to break as well. I liked that he promised not to go easy with Victoria during the proceedings and he’s already doing his best to try and keep both Daniel and Charlotte on side as well. Plus, I also got something of a kick with Conrad and Victoria’s sniping when they met with their lawyers and on the beach. More scenes like that please.

Last but not least – do I spy an Amanda/Jack/Emily/Daniel quadrangle? Of course I do. This week, it was Amanda’s turn to look somewhat jealous with the closeness of Jack and Emily’s relationship while for once, Jack actually did not seem that bothered about Emily and Daniel. Of course, I’m sure it’ll be a different story next week but I like the fact that Jack sees that Amanda is trying to hold back her anger as well. It’s an insight that will hopefully pay off in later episodes.

Also in “Duress”

While both Emily and Victoria faked duress in this episode, the only person who was in it was Nolan and even that didn’t stop the fun one liners.

Emily: “I’ve Googled friendship on the interwebs. Apparently when you have a fight with your friend, you’re supposed to apologise.”
Nolan: “Word of advice, leave the joke cracking to me. You suck at it.”

Where the hell was Big Ed when Nolan was getting attacked by Tyler? Seems like money can’t always buy you the best security.

Victoria (to Conrad): “Like so many things, it hasn’t aged well.”

Conrad: “You really are a son of a bitch, aren’t you?”
Tyler: “Yes. It does appear you people are rubbing off on me.”

For the first time in ages, I actually liked Ashley in this one, though her growing antipathy towards Emily is interesting.

Victoria: “There’s more ways to lose a child in divorce.”
Ryan: “You’re not gonna lose anything. I happen to be quite good at what I do, Victoria but I can’t do anything unless you trust me.”

In flashbacks we learned that David taught Jack and Amanda how to clam bake, which is what Emily had for Daniel’s birthday.

Emily (re Tyler): “Are you sure?”
Nolan: “Positive. Unlike people, technology never lets me down.”

Tyler (to Nolan): “Now, what to do with you?”

Emily pretended to be Michelle Banks when she was getting info on Tyler (who broke his psychiatrist’s jaw), Lydia was mentioned again and both Emily and Victoria presented Daniel with memory books and Tyler came close to discovering Emily’s box of secrets.

Ashley (re Tyler): “He’s not a monster, Emily, he’s sick. It’s call empathy. You might want to try it sometime.”

Victoria (re Amanda): “So far, I’m not impressed. All I can see is a pretty girl with shoes and limited social graces.”
Conrad: “Sounds like someone I once knew.”

Standout music: Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata Part 1, Adagio Sostenuto” used to brilliant effect in this episode.

Emily (to Tyler): “Get out of my face. You know the Graysons can’t stand you, leaching off them all summer, who can blame them? Daniel told me you’ve always given him the creeps and even Ashley thinks you’re a lying hypocrite and as for me, well, I’ve always seen you for exactly what you are – an impotent little misfit who’s gonna spend the rest of his life on the outside looking in.”

Nolan: “Emily Thorne, displaying emotion while withholding her inner ninja at gunpoint. You must seem like a mere mortal tonight.”
Emily: “There’s a first and a last time for everything.”

Chronology: A few days from where “Loyalty” left off.

I loved “Duress”. This was riveting from start to finish. It had so many wonderful character moments, crazy twists and some interesting foreshadowing for later episodes. Easily another gem of an episode from an increasingly addictive series.

Rating: 9 out of 10