2012 - A Year In Review

With 2012 near over, here are some of the things that piqued my attention over the last 12 months. I should warn you, there are some different choices/opinions here ...

Best TV Show (UK): Doctor Who. I know we only got six episodes so far but Series 7 truly has been incredible.

Worst TV Show (UK): TOWIE. Because ITV2 really do need to axe that pointless pile of shite.

Best TV Show (US): Homeland. Mainly it’s first season more than it’s second though at times.

Worst TV Show (US): The Inbetweeners. Watch at least five minutes and you’ll see why the damn thing got canned after one season.

Best Villain: Jim Moriarty in Sherlock. I know Andrew Scott’s version of the character is polarising to some but I enjoyed him.

Worst Villain: Salome/The Authority in True Blood. Too much Lilith dithering and not enough kills made them a dull bunch to watch at times.

Effortless Cast Shake-Up: Being Human losing Mitchell/George/Annie/Nina and having Tom/Hal/Alex fit so naturally into the mix.

Best TV Death: Lori’s in The Walking Dead and that’s despite the unfair vitriol that character’s generated.

Worst TV Death: Russell Edgington in True Blood. Such an anticlimax for a wonderful character.

Surprising TV Moment: The audacious way that Doctor Who decided to introduce new companion Clara Oswin Oswald in it’s seventh series so far.

Unsurprising TV Moment: Emily’s mother being alive in Revenge. I think everyone saw that one coming, didn’t they?

Best Finale: Game Of Thrones second season finale certainly delivered once again.

Annoying Kids Alert: Frankie in Skins at times during it’s sixth series.

Useless Character: Quinn in Dexter. And he’s still on this show, why again?

Awesome Couple (Gay): Vastra and Jenny in Doctor Who.

Not Awesome Couple (Gay): Brittany and Santana in Glee.

Awesome Couple (Straight): Tyrion and Shae in Game Of Thrones.

Not Awesome Couple (Straight): Finn and Rachel in Glee.

Improved Show: Dexter, bouncing back wonderfully with it’s seventh series.

Least Improved Show: Glee. Now I still watch it but you know, it’s been a bit disappointing in certain areas for a while.

Best Male Characters: Hal Yorke (Being Human), 11th Doctor (Doctor Who), Nolan Ross (Revenge), John Watson (Sherlock) and Dexter Morgan (Dexter).

Worst Male Character: Adam in Girls.

Sexiest Male: Joe Manganiello in True Blood.

Best Female Characters: Clara Oswin Oswald (Doctor Who), Emily Thorne (Revenge), Carrie Mathieson (Homeland), Deb Morgan (Dexter) and Lana Winters (American Horror Story: Asylum).

Worst Female Character: Hannah in Girls.

Sexiest Female: Lara Pulver in Sherlock.

Best Duo: I’m giving it to Sherlock/Watson in Sherlock. Other candidates include Hal/Tom, Eleven/Clara and Emily/Nolan.

Worst Duo: Merlin/Arthur in Merlin. I hate to say it but I kind of went off them this year, despite the excellent acting from Colin Morgan and Bradley James.

Sad To See It Go: Merlin, because despite some dodgy writing in Series 5 at times, it is sad to see the show end.

Glad To See It Go: Gossip Girl. One less vacuous CW show off the air. Rejoice.

Missed Opportunity: I wish we had gotten more of Jason and Steve in True Blood.

Shoutout 1: The Bridge. Now there was a Danish drama I got into.

Shoutout 2: RAW. I would’ve picked Love/Hate but everyone gushes about that one, so let’s be different, eh?

2013 Hopeful: Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D if it airs in time on ABC. The Americans also looks pretty promising.

Festive Treats

Christmas might be nearly over but here's a look at some of the other programmes I managed to watch over the last few weeks.

Downton Abbey: Okay - who didn't see Matthew's death coming? Seriously, even if you were unable about the hemming and hawing with Dan Stevens involvement with the show, then the fact that creator Julian Fellowes is incapable of subtlety surely didn't help matters? In the space of two hours during the only non Christmassy Christmas special going, Mary gave birth to a baby boy and lost a husband while the servants attended a fair, we've gained Rose for all of next season and well, not much else aside from Branson being made feel slightly embarrassed about his new position by Edna. The special wasn't quite as awful as some critics have made out but it was certainly lacking something.

Him And Her: I enjoyed pretty much all of the third series and this little one off special was also a lot of fun as well. A fun, simple solid way of enjoying Christmas with a nice emotional centre as Steve and his father had some catching up time together while Laura proved that she can even make karaoke ten times more painful than it usually is. On the down side, the lack of fall out from the previous episode bothered me a bit though.

Homeland: Um, the last two episodes weren't as good as I'd hope they would be to be honest. While I do think the second season has been enjoyable, I am beginning to wonder if logically this show can really sustain itself for a third season and beyond. Even the finale, while hugely enjoyable seemed like it could've ultimately been a series ender for the show as a whole (with some tweaking). That being said, at least we've seperated Carrie and Brody for a bit and next season with Saul could be very interesting as well.

Merlin: The final three episodes of this show really did seem to hurtle towards a rushed conclusion. Why did the writers wait until literally the last minute to reveal everything? I think my apathy towards the show has made some of the deaths we got in the last episode in particular less moving as well (I only cared about Gwaine and Mordred - Arthur and Morgana, not so much) and it really feels that after five series, the writers didn't really live up to the promise of Merlin actually making a difference at all. Maybe I need to watch these episodes again. I might not feel as disappointed as I did.

Mrs Brown's Boys: This will never go down as a politically correct show but with RTE1 due to air the third series tonight, I have to admit the two-part Christmas special was a lot of ridiculous fun. Only this show would make a holy shambles of the nativity, only for Maria to salvage it with a version of A Spaceman Came Travelling. Without a doubt, one of the funniest things to air all over the Christmas period. You might not want Agnes Brown as your mammy but she's certainly a riot to watch.

- Charlene McKenna will be guest starring in the final series of Skins. Her role hasn't been revealed yet.
- Ashley Fink will be reprising her role as Lauren Zizes for an upcoming episode of Glee.
- Mockingbird Lane has not been picked up by NBC.
- Happy Endings and Apartment 23 will be moving to Sundays now, following the cancellation of 666 Park Avenue.
- Leverage has been cancelled after five seasons.
- Game Of Thrones is the most pirated show of 2012.
- Julian Morris will be returning soon as Prince Philip in Once Upon A Time.
- Allen Leech will have a bigger role in the upcoming fourth series of Downton Abbey, following the departure of Dan Stevens.

Soap Discussion - December 2012

And here's a look at the events of December in soap land.

Coronation Street: So it wasn't really the soap wedding of the year with Nick and Leanne after all then? I think it's a bit unfair that when they start to be kind of enjoyable, we've got the likes of Peter, Carla, Eva and surprisingly even Kylie all being kind of deterrents in this relationship but then again, it is a soap after all and even this show needed something bigger than the ongoing triangle with Kirsty/Tyrone/Fiz as well or the growing attraction between Sophie and Jenna to contend with for the month.

EastEnders: Ding dong, Derek's dead and boy, in such an anticlimatic manner as well. I was expecting something a lot more dramatic after they spent his last week making sure half the square wanted to drop him from a great height. Christmas in Walford wasn't really that much really - Kat's tedious affair with Derek was revealed, Max seemingly forgot to tell Tanya that he had another wife (Kirsty could be interesting though), Bianca was skint once again and both Shirley and Lauren were their usual unpleasant selves as well. On the plus side, I bet the BBC were happy with the ratings though.

Emmerdale: Okay, another overly Dingle centred month where virtually any sympathy for Debbie and Charity has long been evaporated given the monstrous and entitled manner in which both of them are behaving. On the plus side, while Alex wasn't the most interesting of characters on the show, at least his death will actually facilitate Cameron's even more inevitable downfall.

Hollyoaks: A big month. Let's see - John Paul returned with a secret, Ste ditched Doug for Brendan while the latter's father made an unwelcome visit to Chester as Esther's bullying storyline continued and Jacqui found out about Rhys/Sinead/Cindy while Dodger's other father (Patrick) and sister (Sienna) are two potentially interesting characters and there was some lighthearted banter with Mitzeee and Maxine, which is not enough to make you forget the sheer implausible result in both Mercedes and Browning being back on the street.

My Review of The Snowman And The Snowdog

Written by Raymond Briggs And Joanna Harrison
Directed by Hilary Audus

Sequels are a tricky thing to do, especially when the original is such an iconic piece of television that everyone has an opinion on. To this sequel's credit, it waited thirty years before deciding to surface and while it might be a source of tedium for some, I was pleased that The Snowman And The Snowdog followed a similar plotline.

This time around, it's a young boy named Billy who's moved into the old house that once James lived into with his mother and ailing dog. Sadly, the dog died within the first five minutes of this story and Billy gets the idea of building both a snowman and a snowdog, both of which come to life, much to the young boy's delight.

From there, the story goes the same way as the original with some hijinks ensuing and a trip to the see the Snowmen festival and meeting Santa as we get to witness the childlike delight all over for a second time. Of course, while the outcome for the snowman once again remains the same, a different fate awaited the snowdog and as twee as it was, I was delighted with that particular outcome.

- Channel 4 did a timely repeat of The Snowman the day before this story aired.
- There was no new version of Walking In The Air in this one but instead a new song called Light The Night. It's not as memorable but it's certainly good though.
- Like the original movie, it took over 200,000 hand drawn images to create this movie.
- It took ages for author Raymond Briggs to be persuaded into doing a sequel for this, given his original opposition for such a thing.

Despite some of the criticisms I've read for this, I have to admit that I personally think The Snowman And The Snowdog is an extremely worthy sequel to The Snowman and deserves to similarly go down as a Christmas themed classic. I definitely enjoyed this immensely.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Doctor Who - Series 7 Part 2 Trailer

The Doctor: Running away with a spaceman in a box, anything can happen to you.
Clara: That's what I'm counting on.

After The Snowmen a trailer for the second half of Series 7 commenced and it was certainly an interesting one as the mystery of Clara Oswin Oswald looks set to (obviously) be the main arc for the eight episodes due to air in 2013 and is it me or is there definitely some flirting with the Doctor and his new lady friend?

We all love Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey) and the Paternoster gang will be in two episodes of the 2013 series assisting the Doctor and Clara once again. Though not seen in the trailer at all, River (Alex Kingston) is also rumoured to be in the finale as well for this series.

And here are the newly designed Cybermen as well, due to appear in the penultimate episode of the series, written by Neil Gaiman and if he can give us a gorgeous TARDIS story, then surely his Cybermen one will be another imminent classic too.

Ashley Walters and two other fellas in an episode that already has the confirmed titled of Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS. This one is written by Sherlock scribe, Steve Thompson I can't wait to see what he's going to do with this episode after his previous one being a damp squib.

Celia Imrie seems to be one of a few people intrigued by Clara, describing her as pretty. She's in the first episode to air in 2013, which has been described as an urban thriller. Other people seem to be a group of monks with a portrait of her and of course, the Doctor seems curious to find out who Clara really is as well.

Last picture of Clara looking all kinds of bad ass with a gun but at the same time, the trailer also showed some clips of new aliens, antics on an airplane, Clara running from an inferno, the Doctor with marking on his face, both of them in a submarine, Strax getting trigger happy and some new aliens. 2013 is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride, isn't it?

Series 7 Part 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXqXZepqgMQ
Series 7 Part 2 Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QGbsNIZ-uo

Series 7 Part 2 of Doctor Who is rumoured to air on BBC1 from April 2013.

My Review of Doctor Who's 7x06: "The Snowmen"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Saul Metzstein

The Doctor: “I never know why. I only know who.”
Clara (re TARDIS key): “What’s this?”
The Doctor: “Me, giving in.”

Is it me or did the Doctor’s attempts to stay out of people’s affairs and the like really seem to backfire on him? Even if Clara hadn’t been interrogated by the Paternoster gang comprising of Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax (in butler form) and persuaded the Doctor to help her by uttering the word ‘Pond’, then something would’ve prompted him to take an interest in the sinister goings on in this episode.

I like that the Doctor’s anguish over losing Amy and Rory was simply more than just him moping. He adopted to live the Victorian lifestyle and was even investigating the Snowmen himself before Clara managed to get caught up in the saga herself and when the two of them, already a new team was set in motion.

Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman just seem like a natural fit together and while both of them were on fine form, this episode really was Coleman’s chance yet again to truly shine and if you didn’t love Clara throughout this hour, then shame on you. Because she really is going to be a fantastic companion and already a good mystery is set up with her.

Moffat and Coleman might have described the ongoing arc for Clara as a soft mystery but this episode wasted zero time in actually drawing the obvious connection between Clara and Oswin or should I just say – Clara Oswin Oswald in the first place. Unfortunately for Clara though, she ended up getting a similarly horrible fate to Oswin.

Being killed by the icy form of the previous governess was certainly an interesting way to go but the fact that the Doctor has made the connection between Clara and Oswin means that he’s got a whole new mission on his hand, one made even more thrilling when a present day version of Clara managed to crop at the end to look at her Victorian counterpart’s gravestone as well.

Clara really was the selling point of this episode in such a manner. Her (re) introduction felt pretty natural as she flipped between accents and professions (barmaid and governess) and her scenes with the Doctor were an utter delight. After 49 years on screen, he’s finally met someone who can actually talk faster than him as well.

The scenes with the two of them running from Ice Ladies and Snowmen were a delight but it’s the moment where Clara got to see the TARDIS for the first time that really struck a chord as well. I think it’s safe to really say that she’s going to be an amazing companion once the show returns in 2013.

Of course while Clara was an absolute highlight in this episode, I have to admit that the Paternoster gang were also similarly delightful. Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax all seemed to be delighted to see the Doctor back into the swing of things and as a set of recurring allies, they work brilliantly. I’m definitely glad that Moffat decided to bring them back because they certainly were a highlight in this episode.

As for the main antagonist itself – the Snowmen and the Ice Lady managed to be suitably creepy but the return of the Great Intelligence (nicely voiced by Ian McKellen) was a pleasant surprise as was the referenced to "The Web Of Fear". It also seems that despite the Doctor and Clara managing to stop it’s scheme for a world filled with ice people, it will be also be something of a recurring threat in the second half of the season as well.

Richard E. Grant felt a little underused as the easily manipulated Dr Simeon though. He gave a good performance and played well against the rest of the cast but I sort of felt that he could’ve been a little better though.

In terms of the Christmas theme though, this one definitely felt less Christmassy than Moffat’s previous two efforts. In some ways that wasn’t actually a bad thing as it meant that the story flowed a bit more naturally compared to last year’s special but the tone was also pretty dark as well for a Christmas episode. However, this also wasn’t a bad thing when you really think about it.

Also in “The Snowmen”

The new credits are pretty nice – a feel of Classic and Modern Who with even Matt Smith’s face briefly seen in them too.

Simeon (to workers): “I said I’d feed you. I didn’t say who to.”

Clara’s employer was a man named Captain Latimer who hired her as a governess to his kids, Francesca and Digby. Oswin was also a Junior Entertainment Manager and modern Clara is rumoured to be an au pair. She was also born on November 23rd 1866.

The Doctor: “What’s wrong with silly?”
Clara: “Nothing. Still talking to you, ain’t I?”

Clara: “Doctor. Doctor Who?”

The new look TARDIS definitely translated as looking better onscreen as it did in the spoiler pictures leaked for it. It also seems to be a nice nod of sorts to the original look for the machine.

Madame Vastra: “The Doctor is not kind.”
Clara: “No?”
Madame Vastra: “No! The Doctor doesn’t help people, not anyone, not ever. He stands above this world and doesn't interferes in the affairs of it’s inhabitants. He is not your salvation nor your protector. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

Great Intelligence: “We are the Intelligence.”
The Doctor: “Talking snow, I love new things.”
Great Intelligence: “You are not of this world.”
The Doctor: “Takes one to snow one.”

The reference to Sherlock was delightfully shameful and silly to the hilt. Does this mean we’ll get Benedict Cumberbatch talking about bowties being cool in his hit show next year?

Clara: “It’s why you like me.”
The Doctor: “Who said I like you?”
Clara: “I think you just did.”
The Doctor: “You kissed me.”

The Doctor (re TARDIS): “Go on, say it, most people do.”
Clara: “It’s smaller on the outside.”
The Doctor: “Okay, that is a first.”

Clara kissed the Doctor in this episode and she made a reference to making soufflés in this one too. In fact, Clara was largely flirtatious with the Doctor but even she was beaten with Vastra and Jenny declaring they were married to each other.

Great Intelligence: “Do you feel it? Winter is coming. Winter is coming.”

The Doctor: “We saved the world, Clara, you and me. We really, really did.”
Clara: “Will you go back to your cloud?”

A trailer for the second half of Series 7 showed the return of the Cybermen, some people very interested in Clara, a submarine based story and many other interesting things to speculate until the show returns next year.

The Doctor (to Madame Vastra/Jenny, re Clara): "I never knew her name, her full name. Souffle girl. Oswin, it was her. It was Souffle girl again."

Clara (to her friend): “Nah, I don’t believe in ghosts.”

Chronology: Mostly 1892 Victorian London for this episode and perhaps 2013 with that little scene of the modern Clara we saw in this one.

As Christmas specials go, Moffat definitely got it right with “The Snowmen”. This episode really did highlight an exciting new chapter about to emerge with this series and I definitely cannot wait to see it unfold and Clara has already made a solid impression as the new companion.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Father Christmas

Written by Raymond Briggs
Directed by Dave Unwin

Father Christmas: "That's that for another blooming year. And a happy blooming Christmas to you and all."

It wasn't just The Snowman that was a Christmas classic at the hands of Raymond Briggs. In this particular story, we got something of an in depth look at what Father Christmas himself is really like and let's just say, the word 'blooming' is used at a rapid pace in this 26 minute little gem.

I liked the idea of Father Christmas trying to find a decent holiday in order to deal with the pressure of Christmas and his exploits in the likes of France, Scotland and Las Vegas are really amusing to watch. I guess when you look the way you do, it's hard to go to any country in the world without someone recognising you. Father Christmas's attempts of be unnoticed weren't exactly a roaring success.

Then there's the actual Christmas stuff. Frankly, I've got to admire anyone who can deliver that amount of presents in one night of the year while dancing with Snowmen at their annual party as well and Father Christmas just about managed to do it for another year with aplomb too.

I think after all of that, Father Christmas definitely deserved a good Christmas dinner as well as some better presents than his aunt and cousin managed to provide. At least Uncle Bob got it right with a certain gift that should be used sensibly over the festive period.

- Aunt Edie gave him a tie, Cousin Violet gave him socks and Uncle Bob provided him with booze. One out of three isn't great but could be worse.
- This was a Father Christmas who smoked and drank and swore a lot throughout this 26 minute film and did it in a way that will fly over younger viewers heads.
- I liked the actual segue into the events of The Snowman in this one. Plus Mel Brooks was a perfect choice for this slightly cantankerous but amusing take on Father Christmas.
- Father Christmas had two reindeer (neither of them had a shiny nose) as well as a dog and a cat.

Well, let's face it, this might not get as much acclaim as a certain other story but there's no denying that Father Christmas is blooming marvellous nonetheless. Definitely a treat to watch, no matter how old or young you are at this time of year.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Slay Bells

Yes, this one is a little Christmas themed, but hey, appropriate given that we're a few days away from the big day itself.

American Horror Story: Asylum: I've been loving the sheer craziness of this season and with the Bloody Face reveals, the role reversal with Sister Jude as well as the deadly partnership with both Arden and Sister Mary Eunice but more importantly, Lana really is coming across as our main protagonist, especially with escaping the hands of a madman and even interacting with the angel of death (as did Grace and Jude) and the Christmas episode was certainly a joy to watch with Ian McShane as a deliciously twisted Santa in his own way. I can't wait to see where the last five episodes go.

Glee: Not the greatest selection of episodes. Even I am beginning to think that the show's balancing act between the newbies at McKinley and the old gang isn't working so well. Also, everytime we see someone like Santana, Quinn or Puck, I realise how much I miss them more as characters and it hasn't helped that Marley's eating disorder plotline hasn't been particularly well handled either. And did we really need something else for Kurt to be upset by? I really hope they don't get rid of Burt but I am glad that Blaine has taken a little backseat in the last few episodes.

Him & Her: I've been watching all of the third series (and am looking forward to the Christmas special on Sunday) and this show really has become a lot better than when it first began. Sure, Laura's nastiness has escalated since her pregnancy, Paul's suddenly got a secret life and Steve took a whole six episodes to actually propose to Becky but having the usually shy Shelley verbally annihilate Laura has been one of my favourite moments from the show so far. I don't know if this show will get picked up for a fourth series but I'm starting to hope it will now.

Misfits: This show really has improved. The last few episodes have been inspired and added a renewed sense of fun and mischief in the series, while neatly introducing Abbey who really does work a treat as a character. The finale did kill off Nadine a little too quickly for my liking and it might have been nice to have had more with the four cyclists of the apocalypse but they were better than the tedium of Jess/Alex/Finn and it's nice that Nadine managed to show a softer side to Rudy as well. Looking forward to seeing where this show goes next year.

The Vampire Diaries: I've enjoyed the last set of episodes, even to the point where the idea of an Elena/Damon relationship bothers me far less than it seems to with Stefan and Caroline. On the flip side, while it was nicely have a weirdly gory Christmas episode, would it hurt the show just once to actually have a scheme against Klaus succeed? And the fact that he decided to bump off Tyler's mother only makes me dislike him that tiny bit more but at least April and Hayley managed to get moments to surprise and I'm quite liking the Silas and Jeremy storylines this season as well.

- Rose McGowen has been cast as a younger version of Cora for an upcoming episode of Once Upon A Time.
- Chloe Bennett has become the final cast member added to Joss Whedon's upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. She'll play a superhero obsessed agent named, Skye.
- Showtime's The Vatican will explore the inner workings of the Catholic Church and it's pilot will be directed by Ridley Scott.
-The CW are doing a version of Robin Hood called Sherwood focusing on a female vigilante who teams up with Robin and his Merry Men.
- Fringe's series finale will be simulcast in the UK on Sky1 (1.10am) the same night US viewers can see it on FOX. It airs on January 19th.
- Davis Zayas will be appearing in the upcoming Kevin Bacon series, The Following as Tyson, a former operative who is friends with Bacon's character.
- Rosie O'Donnell will be making a cameo appearance in Smash.
- Oliver Kieron Jones will be playing a love interest for Kurt in the second half of Glee's fourth season. UK viewers can catch the new series at Sundays 8pm on Sky1 from January 6th.

My Review of Dexter's 7x12: "Surprise, Mother******"

Written by Scott Buck And Tim Schlattmann
Directed by Steve Shill

Dexter (re him/Deb): “Is this a new beginning or the beginning of the end?”

Considering that next season is officially the show’s final year, I’d go for the latter option. I wasn’t sure if this season finale would pull a shocker to topple Deb witnessing Dexter killing Travis Marshall but somehow it managed to do so pretty damn spectacularly.

I guess there was always going to be some form of a consequence in Deb knowing about Dexter’s killer ways but even I didn’t think Maria getting killed by Deb to protect Dexter was going to be one of them. I get why Deb did what she had to do and at least she felt bad about it but it didn’t stop it from being a jaw dropping moment nonetheless.

I might not have always been a big fan of Maria but I think it’s fair to say she didn’t deserve to die at all. All she wanted to do was clear Doakes’s name and morally, she had every right to do that but by going up against Dexter and needling Deb about information on the church fire from the opening episode this season, Maria just managed to put herself in the firing line.

She had already made a fool of herself when she arrested Dexter and couldn’t hold him over Estrada and Dexter was able to trick her into a final confrontation as well. For a tiny moment, I did think that maybe Deb would shoot Dexter and save Maria but unfortunately, it went the opposite way.

I’ll miss Maria as a character though. Throughout seven seasons the writers gave her some material while the likes of Masuka, Angel and Quinn often had less interesting things to do. Her rivalry with Tom was a joy to watch and her backstabbing ways were interesting enough but just like Doakes, she’s managed to die knowing who Dexter Morgan really is and like Doakes, she died at the hands of a woman whose love for Dexter resorted in them taking desperate measure to protect him.

Speaking of Doakes, I loved that this episode gave us some flashbacks highlighting how he grew from getting along with Dexter to realising that something was off with him. With Maria now dead, someone else might have to take on the mantle of exposing Dexter’s true nature but who perhaps? I guess maybe Angel or Quinn at a push because I really can’t it being Masuka.

Meanwhile, with Maria getting shot, the other big deal of this finale happened to be Hannah. Again, for a moment, I thought Dexter might cave in and find a way to get Hannah released but it seemed a handy seizure causing pill from Arlene meant that Hannah managed to give the cops the slip and hopefully it also means that she’ll be in the next season as well.

Also in “Surprise, Motherfucker”

It’s nice that for the flashbacks with Doakes, they managed to film as similar to the way Dexter and Doakes scenes together in the first season were like.

Hannah: “You said you loved me.”
Dexter: “I do.”
Hannah: “Then why I am here?”
Dexter: “You poisoned Deb.”

Hannah did actually try to kill Deb after all. I am wondering if she’ll make another attempt on Deb next season as well. Plus, Harrison seemed taken with her too.

Dexter: “You’re hurt, angry, scared.”
Maria (re Doakes): “He’s dead because of you.”

Doakes: “I’ve never seen someone so excited by a crime scene before. You like this shit a little too much.”
Dexter: “I’m just doing my job.”

Quinn looked like he got over Nadia rather quickly, given that he started flirting with Jamie again in this episode.

Hannah: “I’m curious – how do you justify arresting me and not him? Or is the law just something you make up as you go along? Turning a blind eye whenever you feel like it or whenever Dexter is involved.”
Deb: “Fuck you. You are a liar and a killer.”
Hannah: “But not a hypocrite.”

Harry: “No, LaGuerta’s an innocent. She doesn’t even begin to meet the code.”
Dexter: “It’s my only option. I can’t let Deb go down for what I’ve done.”

Standout music: A rather creepy version of “Auld Lang Syne” played during this episode.

Maria (re Dexter): “Shoot him, Deb, you have to end this. Shoot him.”

Chronology: New Year’s Eve by the end of this episode.

Season Seven has certainly a renewed sense of intrigue and proper drama for this show and “Surprise, Motherfucker” has definitely turned out to be one of the best episodes from the show’s entire run. It’s also served as a brilliant set up to what definitely seems like a disaster in the making final season.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Misfits - Season 4 Review

With this current series just finished up on E4 and the promise of a fifth run, it's certainly been an interesting year as all our remaining originals have left the community centre and we've gotten four new characters over the course of the fourth year. Warning, there are spoilers.

Episode 1: I hate to admit but I found this opening episode actually quite horrible to be honest. Both Jess and Finn deserved a better introduction than seeing Curtis, Rudy and Seth going mental over a flipping briefcase. On the plus side, the last scene would effortlessly lead into Finn's backstory and aggressive probation worker, Greg is definitely an acquired taste.

Episode 2: Finn's probably my least favourite character of the newbies, so his whole storyline with his controlling girlfriend, Sadie wasn't thrilling but obviously was an improvement on the opening episode. This episode is probably more significant for exiting Seth and introducing sexy barman, Alex though.

Episode 3: A good character episode for Rudy, introducing us to another, more dangerous aspect of the guy but also the building up of Curtis's volatile relationship with the mysterious Lola as well. Importantly, it also gave us something of an insight into Jess as well.

Episode 4: It's the end of the line for the original cast as Curtis left in epic style in this dark and noir-esque episode. I really liked the final moments we got with the character, the reveal of Greg's sexuality as well as the reveal of Lola's whole backstory as well.

Episode 5: Another Finn centred episode (the writers really do love him, don't they?) but actually a rather good one for the character. Probably Finn at his most likeable as well, even if his jealousy over Jess and Alex's growing closeness can be a source of tedium as well.

Episode 6: Really, it's here where this season got so much better. Abbey is a fantastic character and the Killer Rabbit plot, along with Alex's plotline and Rudy meeting the saintly Nadine as well. It's definitely the show at it's subversive best and bizarre as well.

Episode 7: A good episode for Alex and Jess as the former's storyline is resolved and he's seemingly slipped back into his old ways. Rudy's burgeoning relationship with Nadine is rather sweet to watch and we learn that Abbey has no memory of her former life and she learns what happens when you pretend to be on community service.

Episode 8: This show really knows how to do finales and the arrival of overprotective nuns and cyclists of the apocalypse, courtesy of Nadine made sure that this episode was far from boring. Plus, the ongoing plotline with Abbey and Alex's end scene certainly set some interesting things up for the next year.

It's not the show at it's best and unlike Being Human earlier in the year with it's fourth series, Misfits transition from old cast to new cast didn't flow quite as naturally but by the second half of the series, the show certainly bounced back nicely.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Being Human - Series 5 First Clip - EDITED

With the new series of Being Human due to start early next year, T4 decided it was time to interview Kate Bracken, Damien Molony and Michael Socha yesterday morning.

The interview was pretty short and I got the impression myself that the presenters didn't even know what the show was actually about but the main cast were fair game in explaining the basic premise of the series while letting us know that Julian Barrett will be guest starring in the series as well as answering questions that revealed that each actor had more in common with different supernatural types, compared to the ones they're known for onscreen. Could you imagine Kate as a werewolf or Damien and Michael as ghosts? Now you can.

Of course during the four minute segment, we did at least get one exclusive clip from the first episode of Series 5. In the clip Hal is still bound to the chair, being spoon fed by Tom and getting into a panic because the B&B is messy. He even asks Tom to blindfold him at one point because of the mess and he's sporting some facial hair. Alex meanwhile quips about her brothers being messy, perving on the Wales team and both her and Tom talk about her finding her door. A brief but entertaining little scene.

I was going to do another blog, but I figured editing this one would just suffice. Sci-Fi Now magazine have published some more spoilers about the new series and it seems that both Tom and Hal will get jobs working in the Barry Grande where villain Captain Hatch is residing. It also seems that Mr Rook will be both an ally and an enemy to the gang in the upcoming fifth series as well.

Also CultBox has managed to post a synopsis for the first episode of the fifth series as well ...

"Hal, Tom and Alex are three housemates with some serious issues on their hands, and they’re not all about the washing up rota. Hal is a 500 year-old vampire, Tom is a hardened werewolf and Alex has recently had the misfortune of becoming a ghost.

"Strapped to a chair in the living room, Hal is finding it tough going cold-turkey – mostly because the mess Tom has made is really bothering him. But when Tom and Alex release Hal, they’re not to know it’s far too soon to be letting a blood-thirsty vampire onto the streets...

"When Hal recruits Crumb as a vampire and welcomes him to the supernatural world, the meek becomes mighty and we see what happens when a bullied man finds his bite. Meanwhile, Rook – head of a shady government department in charge of keeping the supernatural world secret – is given some devastating news."
 
T4 Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91PrF2IOnu8 
Cult Box Spoilers: http://www.cultbox.co.uk/news/headlines/5696-being-human-series-5-story-details-revealed

Being Human's fifth series will air on BBC3 in February 2013.

My Review of Dexter's 7x11: ""Do You See What I See?"

Written by Manny Coto And Wendy West
Directed by John Dahl

Hannah (to Dexter): “You should have killed me.”

No, Hannah, he really shouldn’t have. Besides, we already did the whole girlfriend killing plot at the end of Season 2 with Lila and she was far more deserving of it than you were. I have to admit, while I expected that Dexter and Hannah wouldn’t get a happy ever after, I’m also a little disappointed about it too.

Personally, I don’t believe that Hannah actually did poison Deb. Not because I don’t want to believe but because, I do actually think she loves Dexter enough that she wouldn’t risk trying to kill someone close to him and also because if she had tried to kill Deb, it would’ve actually worked like it had done with her other victims.

I did consider entertaining the possibility that Deb poisoned herself in a bid to drive a wedge between Hannah and Dexter but even then, I wouldn’t be so sure. And I’m also taking into consideration that Deb made no bones about telling Hannah that she’d do anything to protect Dexter from her but at the same time, even I’m not so sure she’d go this far in order to do it.

That to me then leaves Arlene as the only other person to do it. The woman suffered abuse at the hands of the counsellor Hannah poisoned, showed a pretty unwavering loyalty towards Hannah and Deb did threaten to take her kids away from her. To me, that means Arlene must be the one who poisoned Deb but hopefully the finale will answer that question pretty sharpish though.

It’s a shame that Dexter and Hannah’s relationship had to end because while the arguments of it’s authenticity have been widely debatable, it was actually engaging to watch and I did sort of like the idea of them making future Christmas plans together.

I did however like that Dexter gave Hannah the benefit of the doubt and at least confronted her on the matter before getting her arrested. He easily could’ve taken Deb’s word for it and finished what he attempted to do at Santa’s Grotto all those weeks ago as well. Unfortunately for Hannah, things really didn’t pan out for her this week.

Of course, while Hannah might be destined for prison, Dexter surely won’t be far behind her as well. Maria certainly upped the craftiness this week by trying to use Estrada in order to prove Dexter’s guilt and it very nearly worked for her as well. It was incredibly stupid for Dexter to try and kill Estrada, especially after he’d been informed that Maria was investigating him as well.

I’m going to assume with the finale though that Dexter will get caught for something. Maria’s determination to clear Doakes name is completely justified and morally, Dexter really doesn’t have a leg to stand on either. I’m still not really sure about Tom’s stance in the whole thing though. He might have helped Maria with her investigating but he certainly took more pleasure in making sure she lived up to their agreement more than proving Dexter’s guilt.

I almost get the impression that Tom does know Dexter is the Bay Harbour Butcher and actually has no issue with people who’ve slipped the system actually get killed by Dexter. Then again, I could be wrong and maybe his relationship with the Morgans is clouding his judgement. Either way, it’s clear that Dexter is going to be caught and Deb more than likely will be too as a result.

Also in “Do You See What I See?”

I liked the Six Feet Under like sequence with an older version of Dexter, Hannah and Harrison. Maybe had things been different, it really could’ve been a reality for all three of them.

Dexter: “I’ve never thought about the future, about growing old. Maybe because the future’s never been kind to people like me or their loved ones, but suddenly the future seems very possible.”

I’m trying to remember but is this the first Christmas episode we’ve had on the show? I also got the symbolism of Christmas marking the beginning and end of Dexter and Hannah’s relationship.

Hannah (to Dexter, re Estrada): “Look at it this way. Maybe it’s the universe giving you a Christmas present.”

Masuka: “Man, the Christmas spirit around here sucks big reindeer dicks.”

Quinn’s boring subplot got concluded with Nadia skipping Miami for Vegas and leaving him a note. I don’t want to rude, but what is the point of Quinn on this show nowadays?

Tom (to Maria): “I’m too afraid to leave you alone. You might decide I’m the Bay Harbour Butcher and haul me in.”

Tom: “Maria, it’s over. The fat lady isn’t singing, her song is done. She’s getting dry humped in her dressing room.”

Angel definitely confirmed that he was retiring in this episode and it seems that he’s managed to turn Jamie into a vegetarian as well.

Hannah: “Can we work out our issues?”
Deb: “I think we can. It’s because I love Dexter that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect him from you.”

Hannah: “Do you love me?”
Dexter: “Yes.”
Hannah: “I don’t know if I believe you.”

Chronology: It’s Christmas time. Hannah managed to get arrested on Christmas morning as well.

“Do You See What I See?” won’t be the most festive thing you’ll watch this month but it’s definitely a delightful episode that has managed to set up what looks like a truly brilliant finale. It’s a shame we’ve lost Hannah but it seems like Dexter will need more than a miracle this Christmas to get out of the trouble he’s about to be in.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Doctor Who In 2013

With The Snowmen another thirteen days away, the latest issue of DWM has some spoilers about the Christmas special and the show's future in the next year.

First of all, both SFX and DWM (both out this week) have some gorgeous cast pictures of the Doctor and Clara and while the former is a married man, there could be some flirting with these two during Series 7. We already know there will be a kiss between the pair of them in the Christmas special and when pressed in several interviews, Jenna-Louise Coleman has made a point of keeping schtum about whatever connection (assuming there even is one) is between Oswin and Clara. She's clearing been taking lessons from the Moffat man herself. Also the Christmas special is rumoured to be featuring the Great Intelligence (emphasis on rumoured) and Ian McKellen will be doing some voiceover work for the sinister Snowmen of the piece.

However the most significant thing to look out for with the Christmas special will be a newly redesigned TARDIS. Pictures are being released and it seems like we're getting some lovely Gallifreyan writing and some cool blues and whites as well. It seems like something drawn from the 1960s but easily appropriate for the 50th anniversary though.

Meanwhile the latest DWM have revealed a lot of stuff for the second half of Series 7, so brace yourselves here ...

- The finale will feature Vastra/Strax/Jenny as they along with the Doctor and Clara will battle some old and new enemies/monsters.
- Will Merrick will be playing a character called Brains in Neil Gaiman's Cybermen episode, which will also feature another disgusting related Cyber thing.
- The second half of Series 7 will air on BBC1 from April 2013.
- The first episode from 7B will be an urban thriller (with some across the world filming) while the second one is set on an alien planet.
- The 50th anniversary story will be filmed in April 2013 and has been described as a "love letter to fans".
- Matt Smith has confirmed that he'll also be filming a 2013 Christmas special.

So, that's interesting. Not quite as many episodes as the producers promised us but at least more than what we've received in 2012 and hopefully we'll get some mini-scenes (especially ones for Comic Relief) as well as Mark Gatiss's docudrama as well but overall, it does seem like 2013 is definitely going to keep us entertained, doesn't it?

The Snowmen airs on Christmas Day at 5.15pm on BBC1 and the second half of Series 7 of Doctor Who airs in April 2013.

Back To The Real World

It's been a while since I've done this but here's a rundown of some of the shows I've been watching recently.

Homeland: An intense selection of episodes here where just about every character seems to be at breaking point within recent weeks. Brody's constant shifting about the place between his myriad of alliances and desperate attempts of keeping his head above water has been fascinating to watch along with his increasingly complicated relationship with Carrie. Plus, the arrival of a certain someone into the mix has managed to make things ten times worse than they already were. I'm looking forward to seeing how the last two episodes end this excellent season.

Merlin: At this point, we all know the show has been cancelled and it's not that far away until the final episode airs during Christmas Eve, so it's nice that the writing is improving a bit with the last few episodes. Breaking Gwen out of her spell with Morgana took long enough and it does seem that Mordred is also slowly close to switching sides as well. Aside from that, it's been decidedly underwhelming and formulaic with the rest of the main character, though Morgana's recent punishment of a former ally was surprisingly nasty, even for her.

Once Upon A Time: Loved the last two episodes. For me, this show is so far managing to avoid the difficult second album curse and the stakes do seem to be upped with the connecting dreams between Henry and Aurora as well as Emma and Mary Margaret getting back to Storybrooke with both Cora and Hook not far behind them. Plus, it seems that despite her best efforts, Regina may very well slip again with Gold needling her as best he does. I can't wait to see where the second half of the season goes, especially given that Emma now has something else about her that raises a question mark.

Switch: The good news was that the last two episodes of this bewitching dramedy were pretty fun to watch. The bad news is that ITV2 have pulled the damn plug on the thing, in spite of it being one of their better offering. It's a shame but the last episode did have fun with the Solstice, a bout of sabotage, a family reunion for Hannah and didn't set up anything too major (aside from the continued vendetta with the Kensington lot) but it's a shame this show was taken out.

- Robert Patrick has become a regular for True Blood's sixth season. The first episode will be titled, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.
- Gina Torres will be guest starring in an upcoming episode of Castle.
- Gregory Itzin will be appearing in the 12th episode of Once Upon A Time's second season as the father of Dr Frankenstein.
- Treat Williams has joined Chicago Fire as the father of Taylor Kinney's character.
- The US version of Only Fools And Horses has not been picked up by ABC.
- Ruth Jones has insisted a US version of Gavin & Stacey is still unlikely to happen.
- James Cromwell will guest star in an upcoming episode of Do No Harm.
- Laurel's mother will appear in episode 16 of Arrow.

My Review of The Snowman

Written by Raymond Briggs
Directed by Dianne Jackson

David Bowie: "One winter I made a really big snowman. He got this scarf for me. You see he was a real snowman."

It's been a staple of Christmas repeats of many years and with both a sequel due and Doctor Who using this story as the basis of it's latest Christmas special, I thought it was about time I actually (and properly) watched this beautiful little animation that really both children and adults can enjoy equally with pleasure.

The biggest appeal to this story is it's glorious simplicity. A little boy named James during the winter builds a Snowman and it comes to life, which a lot of chaos and mischief ensuing in it's wake. This is a Snowman who likes to play dress up, sit by a fire, play with toys and in general takes a child on a journey that goes as far as the North Pole before melting away at the end of the animation.

It's a beautiful story, looking very much like the era it was made in with some truly delightful moments that not even the most cynical of people can deny. It's a story about hope, innocence and even just the tiniest bit of grief as James is saddened by the loss of new friend too.

It's also a story that is responsible for one of the most iconic of musical numbers with Peter Auty's stunning version of Walking In The Air providing the backdrop of the journey taken by James and the Snowman. Even to this day, it's a sequence that truly stands the test of time.

- The book version in which this animation is based on came out in 1978, while this version aired on Boxing Day back in 1982 on Channel 4 and was re-released on DVD recently.
- It's sequel, The Snowman And The Snowdog is due to air on Christmas Eve, 8pm on Channel 4.
- Love the opening narration from David Bowie, who sets up the tone of this animation beautifully.
- There are some alternative openings to this story as well.

What can I say? The Snowman is a must see piece of work. If you've never seen, then go onto YouTube or track the DVD down and even if you have seen it, now is the perfect time of year to watch it again. It really is a timeless classic and I can't wait to see it's upcoming sequel.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Wizards Vs. Aliens 1x06: "The Last Day"

Written by Phil Ford
Directed by Joss Agnew

Helen: "I've been so lucky, Tom, I had one more day with you. One day I should never have had and I'm so glad I did. I love you so much. I love you."

Okay, this episode was inevitable. Rarely do genre shows stick with established character deaths meaning that we're unable to see them again and I guess seeing Helen Clarke was bound to happen at some point. To be honest, the only thing that is really surprising about this story is that it happened in the first series but other than that, this is an excellent story.

The idea of Helen somewhat haunting Tom's dreams as he began to think about her death was a good way of leading us into the reunion between mother and son. I wasn't too shocked however that Helen was merely a clone and that the Nekross were setting up their own battery farm in order to keep themselves supplied with magic.

However as plans went though, it was probably one of the Nekross's  better (if monstrous) of ideas and had Helen not decided to do the heroic self-sacrifice thing (along with the fact that as a clone, she couldn't live for long either), it might have worked. Still a part of me was hoping this story would see the Nekross out of the show but I guess it was an inevitable conclusion.

I still enjoyed the family scenes between Tom/Helen/Michael/Ursula and though cheesy, it was a pretty good way for mother and son to stop the Nekross's overall plans and I guess it did give Tom more assertion to take down the Nekross next series as well giving both Michael and Ursula a chance to see Helen again, even if like Tom, they knew it wasn't meant to last.

- Tom went on a date with Katie in this episode. I guess that means she will get something of a bigger role next series.
- Loved Benny's attempts of trying to rationalise Helen's existence and is Randall's mother really over 1000 years old?
- Varg is still needling Lexi about her loyalty towards Tom. I guess that will play a bigger part in the second series.
- Helen was 35 when she died. Also, the actress who played her is another former Doctor Who guest star, having appeared in the episode, Gridlock.

The Last Day is a strong finale for a show that's actually improved nicely over the course of it's first series. That being said, for it's second run, it might want to expand on threats because the Nekross are running the risk of wearing thin. Overall, a wonderful finale.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Being Human - Series 5 First Trailer/Casting News

With the fifth series of Toby Whithouse's supernatural drama, Being Human due to air in early 2013, BBC3 have released some clips of the new series in their trailer for the first few months of the new year.

The clips from the new series seem to be the new gang checking out the antics at Melville Insurance, a shirtless Hal talking about them being at war as well as a chained man surrounded by a gang, Alex looking spooked in one scene and even Hal and Tom as waiters embarking on a food fight as well. I can't wait to see that particular scene play out. That being said, I don't think we got any clips of either the Men In Grey or Captain Hatch though.

Elsewhere, Mighty Boosh actor, Julian Barratt will be appearing in an episode of the upcoming fifth series as Larry. He can be seen in the trailer in what looks like he's either attacking or defending himself from something or someone. However the nature of his role has not been disclosed but either way, this is another nice coup for what's looking like a fantastic series ahead.

Series 5 Trailer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0127by8
Casting News: http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/being-human/23753/the-mighty-booshs-julian-barratt-to-appear-in-being-human-series-5

Being Human's fifth series will air on BBC3 in early 2013.

My Review of Dexter's 7x10: "The Dark Whatever"

Written by Lauren Gussis And Jace Rochdale And Scott Reynolds
Directed by Michael Lehmann

Hannah (re Clint): “I know he’s done some bad things but there’s good inside him as well. Oh right, you’ve known him for twenty four hours and you think you understand him.”
Dexter: “I have a sense for this sort of thing.”

Dexter’s senses weren’t exactly wrong either. After all, Hannah told us in the previous episode that her father Clint nearly drown her and this one, he really didn’t waste much in actually showing his true colours when Hannah wouldn’t put her business and home in financial jeopardy in order to give him something for a ‘business’ project he had in mind.

I really like that they cast Supernatural’s Jim Beaver for the role of Clint because he certainly wasted no time in getting this viewer to emphasise with Hannah more than possible during this episode. Hannah desperately wanted to believe that her father had turned over a new leaf but he turned out be pretty rotten to the core in this episode.

The fact that Clint happily trashed Hannah’s business before reading her the riot act about her antics finishing off Mrs McKay was one thing but trying to blackmail Hannah and Dexter for money in order to pay his gambling debts was a pretty low thing to do. Unfortunately for Clint, he chose the wrong guy to take on when he took on Dexter.

I have to admit, while I don’t actually approve of Clint actually being killed by Dexter (he didn’t fit the code), I think I’m just more disappointed that they couldn’t have kept him around for another episode at the very least. Still, he managed to screw Hannah over anyways by telling Deb about her former roommate Arlene, so Hannah definitely could be on borrowed time in this episode.

On a serious note, I do find the hostility that certain fans seem to have for the character rather annoying. I don’t believe that Hannah is Dexter’s true love and her influence on him is worrying at best but she’s also been the highpoint of the season and doesn’t seem to be evil as such but definitely more dangerous than Lumen perhaps.

Also, while she wasn’t exactly devastated by her father’s death, she was to her credit, willing to use a non violent method in order to get him out of the picture as well. I think surely that has to count for something with the character at the very least. I also liked the fact that she challenged Dexter about his Dark Passenger as well.

Dexter’s doubt about the control he has over the Dark Passenger did have some highlight scenes with him and Harry and it was also during his takedown of the Phantom Arsonist, Joseph Jensen that seemed to really raise the issue. Dexter was quick to dismiss Joseph’s claims of ‘Bobby’ making him set people on fire and he was harsher than Hannah was about his Dark Passenger.

I was actually surprised that the arsonist stuff was dealt a little quickly but perhaps it’s a good thing though. With Maria and Tom forming a grudging alliance and the evidence mounting against Dexter over the Bay Harbour Butcher cases, the final two episodes of the season are looking more and more exciting by the minute.

Also in “The Dark Whatever”

Harry pointed out that Dexter gave himself the Dark Passenger thing, not him. Still, at least Harry takes responsibility for the code.

Hannah (re Phantom Arsonist): “Why do I get the feeling you want to wrap him up in plastic?”
Dexter: “Doesn’t matter. I promised Deb I wouldn’t take any cases from the police.”

I did like the fake out with Dexter mistaking fire department guy, Philip Bosso as the Phantom Arsonist, only for the latter to be a war re-enactment enthusiast.

Dexter: “Hannah’s wrong. Of course I have a Dark Passenger. There is no other way to describe this compulsion.”

Clint: “Have you any idea what it’s like to be related to the Infamous Hannah McKay? You’re a goddamn curse, you ungrateful little shit.”

Quinn finally did something of use by shooting George after the latter threatened Nadia. It won’t end well for him I suspect.

Hannah: “Does it just take over? Where do you go? Does Dexter Morgan just disappear?”
Dexter: “No, I’m still there.”
Hannah: “Do you hear a voice or a?”
Dexter: “Not exactly. It’s more like a need.”

Although it was in character for Masuka to be supportive of Dexter/Hannah, it did seem a bit odd that Angel seemed unconcerned by it though.

Clint: “You don’t have to do this.”
Dexter: “That’s what I’m realising. I don’t have to but I want to, even though you don’t meet my code. I really want to but unlike you, I really care about Hannah.”

Chronology: Not long from where the previous left off as Hannah was talking about her stitches during the start of this one.

Easily one of the best episodes we’ve had this season. “The Dark Whatever” just had some solid, excellent character moments from start to finish and with all the strands seemingly coming together, it’s going to be a rather interesting finale as well.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Doctor Who - The Snowmen Airdate/Timeslot Confirmed

With 20 days to go, the latest Christmas special of Doctor Who titled, The Snowmen has got the confirmation of airing on Christmas Day at the timeslot of ...

... 5.15pm. Yep, it's the earliest time we've had a Christmas special air but it seems to be in aid of the rating juggernaut battle with BBC1 biggest new hit, Call The Midwife and ITV's mammoth hit, Downton Abbey. I have to admit, even for Christmas Day, it's arguably too early a timeslot for the show but hopefully, it'll do brilliantly, rating wise because it is finally debuting Jenna-Louise Coleman as new companion, Clara and it really does look like Moffat's best Christmas offering yet. Oh and the latest interview of Radio Times has both Matt and Jenna on the cover and the latter is as brilliant at evading spoilers as Moffat seems to be.

Meanwhile the BBC site and Blogtor Who have unveiled some pretty gorgeous new cast pictures of The Snowmen with the Doctor, Clara, Madame Vastra/Jenny/Strax, Captain Latimer and his children and the rather sinister Snowmen and Doctor Simeon, played by Richard E. Grant. The show's advent calender is also up on the BBC site and so far we've had new pictures as well as interviews with Jenna-Louise Coleman and Steven Moffat to keep us excited for the Christmas special. Last but not least, filming for the seventh series has been completed. Hopefully a trailer for the second half of the series will air at the end of The Snowmen.

Christmas Scheduling: http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/s104/strictly-come-dancing/news/a442942/eastenders-who-strictly-bbc-one-confirms-christmas-day-lineup.html
Promo Pictures: http://blogtorwho.blogspot.ie/2012/12/the-snowmen-promo-pics.html
Advent Calender: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p011gpsb/features/doctor-who-adventure-calendar-2012

The Snowmen airs on Christmas Day at 5.15pm on BBC1.

Sherlock - Series 3 Filming Delayed

I was meant to talk about this a few days but between purchasing and rewatching the first two series of Sherlock, it seems apt to meant that filming for the upcoming third series has been delayed. While Tumblr and Twitter may have exploded with the news, it seem that the delay is only by two months.

Instead of a January 2013 start, it'll be March before the three episodes that will make up the third run are due to be filmed. Producer Sue Vertue has promised that the delayed filming will not impact the actual transmission date of Series 3 but given that the schedules of it's leading men, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman is getting increasingly busy, it's not that shocking we've gotten a delay. Still, I'm sure when the third series airs, it will have been worth it.

Press Release: http://screenrant.com/sherlock-season-3-premiere-date-delayed/

Sherlock's third series begins filming in March 2013.

My Review of Revenge's 2x09: "Revelations"

Written by Ted Sullivan
Directed by Kenneth Fink

Padma (re Graysons): “Why not hit them now?”
Nolan: “It’s much easier to destroy a castle from inside it’s own walls.”

Okay, for an episode with a title like “Revelations” don’t expect much in the way of an actual reveal because apart from Daniel making the schoolboy error of making it on Nolan’s hit list, very little else in this episode will come across as much as a shock to even the most easily pleased of viewers.

The best thing about this episode through and through was Nolan and boy, did the poor guy get royally screwed over in this one? Aiden and Emily could’ve made more of a concentrated effort to try and stop NolCorp from becoming a subsidiary of Grayson Global but they didn’t and Daniel’s intense pleasure of staking a claim into Nolan’s company made me want to punch him across the face big time.

It also didn’t help that by re-enlisting Marco into NolCorp that Nolan could either be setting himself up for a further fall or possibly doing some damage control. Padma didn’t exactly look best pleased either with Marco back in the game but at least with Nolan given his own revenge based agenda, we’ve got something to look forward in the second half of the season. If Emily and Aiden are too distracted with each other, then at least Nolan’s focused on taking Grayson Global down.

As for Emily and Aiden – I really thought this episode served them rather badly. I get Aiden not giving a crap about Nolan’s company but Emily should’ve shown a bit more concern too. Whatever help Nolan has given her doesn’t mean that he deserves to pay for it with his company at the hands of the Graysons and I can’t help thinking that Emily should’ve tried something to help Nolan out this week.

In fact apart from outing a brief sexual tryst with Conrad and Ashley and receiving an alliance from Victoria, Emily was disappointingly inactive in this episode in terms of storylines. If this is what Aiden is going to do to her, then I have to admit I’m kind of worried. Emily really does need to get her head back in the game big time, so hopefully this ‘alliance’ with Victoria will be the thing to do it.

As for the Graysons, well, we didn’t get anything too revealing about them this week. Daniel’s attempts of playing the big man has put him under fire with the Initiative and the whole reveal of Ashley and Conrad shagging once was something most viewers predicted ages ago.

I did feel a little bad for Ashley but I have a feeling that we’re not done with her just yet, so I'm not too sorry for her then. Still, this episode did seem to emphasise that as angry as Daniel was by Ashley’s betrayal, he wasn’t that into her in the first place. After all, he had no problem deleting Ashley’s pictures but not the ones with him and Emily.

As for Victoria – maybe she does love Conrad. Otherwise why would she have been bothered by him sleeping with Ashley after all? Also, her overbearing maternal love for Daniel made her rashly set Ashley up for a fall and foolishly threaten Helen as well. It’s also probably the latter that’s prompting her to reach out to Emily of all people as well.

Last but not least – it was nice to see Jack and Amanda finally christen baby Carl and I certainly enjoyed that brief scene with Emily and Amanda but the rest of the story not so much. I really don’t care about Kenny and Nate’s vendetta against Carl Snr and if Jack had bothered to do some research beforehand, he might have actually spared himself a lot of trouble. The sooner this storyline is done with, the better because it’s certainly the weakest one going on at the moment.

Also in “Revelations”

Victoria with a rifle. If there was a reason for Conrad to want to sleep with one eye open, surely his wife’s fondness for guns would be one of them now?

Nolan: “That’s for me to know and you find out. How does that feel, not so fun, huh?”
Emily: “Just be careful. Nobody plays dirtier than the Graysons.”

Victoria and Conrad pimping out Ashley to Salvador must have been a bad reminder of the latter of how her life could’ve turned out without Emily stepping in that time.

Padma (to Nolan): “Prepare to enter the lion’s den.”

Aiden: “You don’t have to keep secrets from me.”
Emily: “I’m not.”

The Initiative watching Daniel with a camera in a clock isn’t as cool as Shamu but definitely less cheesier than that convenient fog that Kenny and Nate when they were beating up Matt.

Victoria (to Conrad): “You have wormed your way into the very nadir of repugnance.”

Emily: “I’m not destroying lives, Amanda. I’m righting wrongs.”
Amanda: “Tell yourself whatever you have to but when will enough be enough?”

Anyone else a little disappointed that Charlotte hasn’t had much to do in the last few episodes?

Ashley: “I do my best to keep out of your way.”
Victoria: “That’s debateable.”

Marco: “It’s not your usual hangout last time I remember.”
Nolan: “A lot of things have changed since you walked out the door.”

Standout music: Tunnels “The Hundred In The Hands” that played during the end of this episode.

Conrad (re being slapped): “What the hell was that for?”
Victoria: “Take your pick.”

Emily: “Revelations can help us accept the things we need the most.”

Chronology: Not long from where “Lineage” left off.

Not a bad episode but for an episode that was called “Revelations”, we virtually got nothing that was genuinely shocking or even game changing. I suppose maybe Daniel incurring Nolan’s wrath (more than the Initiative’s attention, now he’s CEO of Grayson Global) or Victoria reaching out to Emily could be considered big moments but they feel a little small scale compared to what we’ve gotten in the past.

Rating: 7 out of 10