My Review of DaVinci's Demons 2x02: "The Blood Of Brothers"

Written by Jami O’Brien
Directed by Peter Hoar

Lorenzo: “It’s time to save our city, Leonardo. Our future.”

Well, this was certainly an interesting episode for Lorenzo. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the character go through the gamut of so many emotions in one episode until now. That’s not entirely a criticism as it did manage to work in Lorenzo’s favour this week.

The wanting to kill DaVinci over bedding Lucrezia was thankfully dispatched pretty fast when Lorenzo realised his city was being sacked and his brother was dead. The fact that he was also due to become an uncle thanks to Vanessa also might have helped move things along but while Lorenzo has been a lukewarm character at times, this was a great episode for him though.

I liked that he was initially despondent about his abilities to rule until DaVinci also helped to snap him out of it by publicly shaming the Pazzis and getting Lorenzo to appeal to his people. It managed to stop the riots for the time being, it also managed to get Lorenzo reunited with Clarice and more to the point, and the Pazzis have been taken out for the time being as well.

I wasn’t saddened to see Clarice’s brother and the annoying Francesco being killed off this week but while Lorenzo managed to gain some kind of victory this week, he was also savvy enough to realise that more attacks would happen and DaVinci was more useful to him alive than dead. It’s because of this that I get why Lorenzo wasn’t particularly keen on DaVinci doing some globetrotting for the Book Of Leaves until Cossimo’s swords made him see otherwise.

The one thing I’ve enjoyed about the first two episodes this season is that it does seem like things are moving forward. DaVinci might have been swindled out of a boat by Riario but thanks to Lucrezia and Zoroaster, he was introduced to Amerigo Vespucci, so his journey to the New World to get the Book, defeat Riario and save Nico can continue on.

Speaking of Riario – I do like the dynamic with him and Nico. He had no problem with getting rid of Zoroaster and Lucrezia but spared Nico simply because he liked him. I think it’s probably more that Riario sees a kindred spirit of sorts in Nico but either way, it’s an interesting character move as was his having sex with his freed slave in this episode. It’s nice that Riario still retains the ability to surprise in that regard. It certainly bodes well for him this season.

As for Lucrezia and Zoroaster – it was hardly a shocker that they survived but I did actually enjoyed their scenes together and I will admit that Lucrezia came good for DaVinci this week as well, which worked in her character’s favour. However I’m more interested in seeing Lucrezia actually try to get revenge on the Pope than I am watching her mooning over DaVinci though. More of the former than the latter would be better for the character.

Keeping with the Pope – it’s nice to see that he doesn’t waste time either. His allegiance with King Ferrante of Naples could definitely be a very interesting one now that Riario isn’t around. It’s strange but compared to most of the first season, the scenes with Sixtus this season so far have been a lot more interesting to watch. I do hope it remains that way.

Also in “The Blood Of Brothers”

Blood transfusions last week and this week, amplifiers. I can’t wait to see DaVinci ‘invents’ next week.

DaVinci (to Lorenzo): “It doesn’t matter what you want, fate made you a leader.”

Much as I enjoyed seeing Clarice taking down bankers and the like this week, I wasn’t too impressed with her attitude towards Vanessa (who now has to stay with the Medicis), even if I could understand.

Nico: “”Why are you keeping me alive?”
Riario: “Because I like you.”

Clarice: “Now Dragonetti. Now we apprehend the Pazzi traitors.”
Dragonetti: “My pleasure.”

Ferrante’s son, Alfonso was scared and left the room when his father pulled out a tooth. That’s both comical and extremely amusing though.

Zoroaster: “Has anyone ever told you you’d make a beautiful man?”
Lucrezia: “Has anyone ever told you you’re bit of a pig?”

Zoroaster (to DaVinci): “I don’t care about your Book Of Leaves.”

It’s been mentioned in interviews but it really does look like we’re getting some foreshadowing that both Nico and Zoroaster might fall out with DaVinci this season.

Vespucci: “I like you, Senior.”
DaVinci: “Ah, DaVinci.”
Vespucci: “Leonardo DaVinci – Lorenzo’s bastard war engineer? The pleasure is all mine.”

Chronology: Easter Monday according to this episode and from where “The Blood Of Man” left off.

An extremely delightful second episode. “The Blood Of Brothers” forged and further cemented some great connections while hinting at the fracturing of others as well. If the show can keep this sort of momentum up, this will certainly be a great season. Now let’s just get to the New World, shall we?

Rating: 8 out of 10

TWOP To Close Down

I don't usually talk about sites closing down but when it comes to one of the TV sites, I regularly post on, I thought I would though.

Television Without Pity was a site I discovered back in 2004 and one that I've been posted on in some capacity since 2005 but from April 4th, it seems the site will no longer be with us, though the forums will at least last until May 31st.

It's actually a pity the site is closing down. While it could be a little too snarky at times and the recaps for various TV episodes were ones I stopped reading, I liked the general cohesion of the forums itself (no multiple threads on the same topic) and I guess I'll miss that but then again, no site really lasts forever and already there will be a replacement of sorts from the original TWOP founders with a place called Previously TV, which seems like it will do more or less the same thing. I'll probably be signed on to that by the end of the week too.

Press Release: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbcuniversal-shutting-down-dailycandy-television-691660
Previously TV: http://previously.tv/

So will you miss TWOP and can Previously TV fill the void?

American Horror Story: Freak Show - PaleyFest 2014

A couple of days ago, the title for American Horror Story's upcoming fourth season was revealed by showrunner Ryan Murphy on his Twitter account as Freak Show. Now that the cast have attended PaleyFest 2014, more details about the new season have leaked.

Returning for the fourth season are Jessica Lange (her final season), Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett and in some capacity both Jamie Brewer and Gabourey Sidibe. Contracts for Emma Roberts and Denis O'Hare are being negotiated and we have no confirmation if Lily Rabe will be appearing either, though Murphy promised every actor would appear in some capacity in the new season. The premise for Freak Show is set during Jupiter, Florida in the 1950s (though it will be filmed in NOLA) with Lange's character - a German ex-pat running her own carnival with various cast members that she's rescued being a part of the show.

A new addition to Freak Show was revealed at the panel last night when Michael Chiklis (The Shield, No Ordinary Family) appeared on stage with the cast. Chiklis will play the ex-husband of Kathy Bates character and the father of Evan Peters character, which at least reveals some character connections to this season. With over six months to go, I'm not too surprised we didn't get any more information than we did but it's exciting stuff nonetheless and over the next few months, we'll know about further cast members and the like. This is certainly going to be one Freak Show I can't wait to see.

PaleyFest Panel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie9wDi0pUCk

American Horror Story: Freak Show will air on FX in October. Filming will begin over the summer.

Karen Gillan To Appear In ABC's Selfie

With ABC releasing details about some of their upcoming comedies and dramas for the 2014-2015 TV season (many of which not sounding particularly exciting), it seems that former Doctor Who actress, Karen Gillan has bagged herself a TV series named Selfie.

The half hour comedy, which is supposed to be loosely based on My Fair Lady sees Gillan playing the role of Eliza Dooley (with wig for the time being too) as a woman obsessed with the amount of likes she can get on various social media platforms but comes to the realisation that being friended isn't the same as having friends and enlists her uptight co-worker Henry (Star Trek's John Cho) to help rebuild her reputation.

I've got to be blunt here - if this show wasn't starring Karen Gillan, I think I would avoid it like the plague. The premise doesn't seem like the most sustainable of ones over multiple seasons and the meta commentary in relation to people's obsessions with social media might seemed a bit dated too in years to come. It also doesn't help that Eliza might not sound like the most likeable of leading characters but on the other hand, it's nice to see Gillan (who undoubtedly will be excellent in this, regardless of premise/writing) on our TV screens again and I have written off certain shows in the past, only to be pleasantly surprised by them.

If this does get picked up a series, I'll at least give it a go. Can't say fairer than that.

ABC 2014-2015 Pilots: http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/03/abc-pilots-2014-full-descriptions.html
Filming Pictures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2586984/Karen-Gillan-stuns-pink-frock-reveals-longer-locks-filming-wedding-scene-new-TV-Selfie.html

The pilot for Selfie is currently being filmed at the moment.

Glee - New Directions (Spoilers)

This won't be a regular thing, me recapping episodes of Glee (beyond the usual TV jumble thing) but seeing as this episode, titled New Directions was the second part of a two parter (of sorts) with 100, here goes nothing, folks.

My Girl Wants To: Party All The Time, y'all. I was not expecting a version of Eddie Murphy's 1985 hit being sang by Holly Holliday in the best music number of the episode but hats off to the episode for this little treat nonetheless. I'm not sure if this episode actually needed either Holly or April (aside from them being an infectious double act), especially given that once again Emma, Beiste and Figgins were all absent (what's up with that?) but when these ladies aren't hitting up gay cruises, can they please make an appearance at NYADA in the near future? Go on, RIB, you know you want to.

Friends Again: Thanks to some audience manipulation courtesy of Kurt, Mercedes and mostly, Brittany, this episode finally put an end to Rachel and Santana's ongoing feud. I have to admit that I'm relieved as I don't think the show could've sustained this for much longer and while the girls duet left me a little cold (oddly enough), the episode also resulted in Santana and Brittany getting back together. I'm guessing with Demi Lovato not being around long enough and audience craving for Brittana as much as Klaine, this was an inevitability. Ah, no, I'm pleased with Santana and Brittany back together and both Rivera and Morris had some lovely moments throughout the episode.

Goodbye In So Many Ways: This episode really was saying goodbye to a lot of things. The remaining kids have all graduated, the Glee club has been disbanded, McKinley is no more (for the show) and in some ways, this could also be the last time we really see Will or Sue again (or maybe not). Ultimately this episode actually felt like a series finale, even with the kids delivering some lovely tribute videos to Will and belting out Don't Stop Believing. In a lot of ways, this show really could've ended full stop with this episode. It's going to be interesting to see how the remaining 31 episodes left are going to end the show in a satisfying way because this episode really could've done it.

C.H.U.M.S: Other things I wasn't expecting this episode was Tina bumping her head and imagining that life in New York was akin to Friends, which has been gone for a decade now even if the excess repeats would make you think otherwise. It was an amusing enough sequence and a lot better than Blaine, Sam and Artie's Loser Like Me rendition. However the episode resulted in Tina actually getting into Brown, so it looks like she won't be going to the Big Apple just yet. Interesting enough, will the likes of Kitty, Marley, Jake, Ryder or Unique show up there either? This episode also looked like it could be the end for them. As for the Kurt/Blaine gif - it was another highlight of the episode.

Quick Reunion: Sorry, Faberry fans but Quinn and Puck really are back together and there was no better way of making that known than by telling everyone in the auditorium you're dating again and performing Just Give Me A Reason for good measure, in case anyone was confused. It'll be interesting to see if they're both still together the next time we see them onscreen but either way, I'm not too fussed about them being back together, though they had some nice moments here.

Glee continues to air Tuesdays at 8pm on FOX while Sky1 will air the second half of the fifth season later in the year.

Gotham - First Set of Cast Photos

With filming for the pilot of Gotham now underway, FOX have set up respective sites on their own place as well as Twitter and Tumblr and of course, they've also released at least four promo pictures of some of the cast members.

Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin: As played by Robin Lord Taylor (Accepted, The Walking Dead), his version of the sophisticated criminal may be more of an underling for Jada Pinkett Smith's Fish Mooney but he's still a dangerous force to be reckoned as his polite demeanor is the man with the morals of a jackal. I have a feeling this version of the Penguin might be the highlight of the series.

Selina Kyle/Catwoman: As played by Camren Bicondova, a relative newcomer and someone who oddly enough looks like a teenage version of Michelle Pfeiffer too. Filming pics have seen this Selina as something of a street thief with a cat like costume (goggles mainly) and will be interesting to see how this show will be able to utilise both her and the younger Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) as well.

Alfred Pennyworth: As played by Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Elementary). The character biog does seem to indicate a more tougher version of the usually reserved butler who is determined to look after Bruce Wayne, following the murder of Martha and Thomas Wayne (something definitely seems to factor into the pilot going by some recent filming pictures.

Detective Harvey Bullock: As played by Donal Logue (Grounded For Life). I have to admit, Bullock is far from one of my favourite characters but I am intrigued to see the partnership with the character and McKenzie's Gordon over the course of the series though.

Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gotham
Official Tumblr: http://gothamfox.tumblr.com/
Filming Pics: http://www.gothamsite.com/new-gotham-set-photos-show-bruce-wayne-selina-kyle-the-waynes-oswald-more-jim-gordon/

Gotham's pilot episode is currently being filmed. I'll do another post when the remaining cast pictures have been released.

My Review of Revenge's 3x16: "Disgrace"

Written by Shannon Goss
Directed by Matt Shakman

Victoria (to Daniel): “Oh, I just love the opera. You just never know what performance you’re going to get.”

You’d think for a family whose lives are a constant opera, it would be one of the last places they’d want to be but at least Victoria was right – that was certainly a performance from Emily. I have to admire the fact that she willing leaked her own medical records in order to make Victoria and Daniel think they had an advantage over her.

Of course, it also meant that for the time being she’s probably also destroyed whatever kind of a relationship she might have wanted with half sister Charlotte but after too many distractions, this episode was a relief with Emily getting her shit together and actually focusing on some takedowns for a change. It’s been way too long.

However, her plan wasn’t entirely flawless. While Daniel might be glad he can divorce Emily without her being able to use his attempted kill on her as leverage, at least Victoria was savvy enough to realise that Emily is actually targeting the Grayson family instead of being a standard grifter. She even managed to sort of make a Flight 197 connection as well, which is something that she should’ve done years ago to be honest.

With the Graysons getting Emily out of their hair (or so they think), I’m not too sad that one of Emily’s next targets happened to be Margaux’s father, Pascal. Nothing against Oliver Martinez but his acting isn’t exactly riveting stuff and within one episode, I found Pascal somewhat tedious as a character.

His horribly snide attitude towards Margaux was grating enough but his implied rivalry with Conrad and not so subtle attraction to Victoria (who really was crap at playing hard to get this week) along with his connection to David Clarke – meh, I’m just not feeling any of it to be honest.

It’s weird because Stevie has had similar predictable plotting and she actually has worked so far as a character but with Pascal, I’m actually not that keen on seeing any more of him than I have to at the moment. Speaking of Stevie – I think this episode confirmed that she’s more friend than foe with her various scenes with Jack and Emily this week.

She does genuinely seem to want to make up for some lost time with Jack and even seemed guilty when it came to failing David Clarke as well. I also liked that Stevie and Emily confronted each other and realised that they each had good intentions in relation to Jack. I think the best thing about Stevie is that even away from Conrad and Victoria, she’s actually holding her own as a character. Although it’s not too likely, I actually want her to stick around for a little longer too.

Last but not least when Emily wasn’t exposing herself on Voulez’s social media, Nolan was getting reacquainted with fellow computer genius, Javier, who did come in handy this week and managed to be more enjoyable as a character than Pascal was. Maybe it’s just the idea of Nolan having his own protégé but either way, Javier can stick around for the time being.

Also in “Disgrace”

With both Patrick and Aiden gone, it seems like both Javier and possibly, Brooks are there for the totty quotient. I could be wrong though.

Emily: “You’re testing me.”
Nolan: “Just wanna make sure you don’t blackout and become your own worst Emily.”

Acting aside, isn’t Oliver Martinez a little too young to be playing Margaux’s father?

Stevie: “I’m proud of you, Jack. Moving on is a brave thing.”

Daniel (to Emily): “We’re getting a divorce.”

Despite being rather horrible, Daniel did show some compassion for Patrick’s departure though.

Stevie: “Emily Grayson, why don’t you tell me who you really are?”

Nolan: “Jack, I can’t keep depriving the world of my genius.”
Jack: “Yeah, about that, do you want me to stop the elevator?”

I did like seeing Jack and Nolan (along with Javier) nicking some archives from June 1997 after Stevie tipped them off about a link.

Nolan: “Well, that’s a bombshell but who made the bomb?”
Emily: “My next target.”

Victoria: “Keep your distance, Pascal. This dress may touch my body but you’ll never be so lucky.”

Standout music: Mostly the opera this week.

Javier (to Nolan): “Thanks for letting me stay, man. You’re the only guy I liked inside so I’m in your debt.”

Chronology: Not long since “Struggle”.

Well, this was fun enough. “Disgrace” seems to be making some progress and slowly getting back to some decent takedowns and the scene at the opera was a nice moment too. Other than that, nothing too groundbreaking though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of DaVinci's Demons 2x01: "The Blood Of Man"

Written by David S. Goyer And Corey Reed
Directed by Charles Sturridge

Riario: “Did you ever think we’d see the end together?”
DaVinci: “I never believed I would be facing an end at all.”

I have to give the show it’s due – opening with a flash forward to South America was an interesting move. In a five minute scene, we had both DaVinci and Riario in a dungeon mulling over their respective fates before being taken for sacrifice as new character Ima watched over them.

In fact I enjoyed that scene so much that I was kind of disappointed that we had to go back to Florence but considering how the previous season had ended, it did make sense to explain what happened next. Which mainly involved the Pazzis and Pope trying to take over Florence and the Medicis desperately trying to survive and having their respective protectors come through for them.

While Piero could’ve been of better use to Clarice, I like the fact that Dragonetti stepped up to the plate several times for her in this episode. Not only did he prevent one of Clarice’s youngest children from being killed in a baying crowd but he also saved her from a more direct hit much later in the episode. Not only was Clarice grateful for the man’s renewed loyalty to the Medici clan but even I found myself pleased that he had such a prominent role throughout the episode.

I also admired the fact that despite being seperated from Lorenzo and having mercenaries trying to kill her, Clarice showed a steely determination to stay put. Florence really has become her home and with her own brother betraying her, it’s not like Clarice really would be any more safer outside of Florence than in it for the moment.

As for Lorenzo – well, he generally pissed me off in this episode. I can understand why he’s mad at DaVinci for sleeping with Lucrezia but it doesn’t alter the fact that I don’t care either way. DaVinci even risked his own life in this episode with a blood transfusion in order to save Lorenzo and the latter decided to repay him with a little attempted murder.

Unfortunately because of this stuff, it’s continuing to blur my feelings on Lucrezia just that bit more. Yes, she’s beautiful, mysterious and a little bit unpredictable but if I have to see any more scenes with DaVinci and Lorenzo fighting and fawning over her this season, I really am going to need the fast forward button. Neither of these relationships are that interesting to watch now.

Thankfully aside from one dream sequence, Lucrezia didn’t actually interact with either of her lovers and spent most of this episode being held captive by Riario before being chucked into the water with Zoroaster. I want to like Lucrezia more as a character but the writing for her needs to be a lot better and the sooner the better in that regard.

One character who really was a highlight of this episode was in fact Riario. Yes, he was a brutish thug to Lucrezia and for some reason decided to hold onto Nico but he was also oodles of fun to actually watch and the scene where he allowed his servant girl to follow him certainly spoke some volumes. Perhaps there’s a tiny bit of decency in Riario after all.

Also in “The Blood Of Man”

We got treated to Al Rahim in a dream telling DaVinci that he failed and another dangerous force is pursuing the Book Of Leaves.

DaVinci: “There might be a way out of this. You just have to play dead.”
Lorenzo: “I’m already dead.”

I don’t think you have to be a genius to figure out where exactly this show will go with Vanessa’s pregnancy once a certain person finds out, do you?

Clarice (to Dragonetti): “I am in your debt for the life of my child but if you ever betray the Medici clan again, I will have you gutted like a pig.”

Andreas: “There are other Medicis to replace Lorenzo. There is only one Leonardo DaVinci.”
DaVinci: “And look what Florence has become without Lorenzo.”

Maybe I missed something but who was Amelia? Lucrezia wasn’t best pleased when Riario mentioned the character. I also hope we get some more scenes with Pope Sixtus IV and Lucrezia’s father.

DaVinci (re his friends/Riario): “What do they want?”
Lucrezia: “They want what we all want, Leonardo. They want you.”

Andreas (to DaVinci): “I’m sorry my boy, but there’s already been too much death this day.”

I think the title sequence has been adjusted a little with a few new names thrown into the mix, including Carolina Guerra as Ima.

Al Rahim: “You have failed, DaVinci. You are not the one we hoped. It’s a dark hour and your arrogant belief that you are capable of anything has made it darker.”

Chronology: From where “The Lovers” left off and of course, six months later for the opening scene.

Following the reception in some parts this show generated for it’s first season, it’s unlikely that audiences will have completely returned for the second season but if they have, then this was a fine opening episode. “The Blood Of Man” certainly hinted at some very interesting times for our characters to come over the next few weeks.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Positively Wicked

It's been a while but here are some of the shows I've been watching lately ...

Arrow: A brilliant set of episodes. Of course, I'm on Sky1 pace but the last two I've watched had Robert Knepper as an impressive Clock King, introduced Nyssa al Ghul (a character so interesting I want her to return soon), made Sara's existence known to both Dinah and Laurel, gave Felicity something to do and set Oliver and Moira at odds, along with Slade making himself known as well. This show has certainly become rather addictive viewing with this season alone and the next batch of episodes look even better too.

Girls: On a list of things I wasn't clamouring for with this show, an episode where Hannah and Adam engaged in a little roleplay would be high on that list. The last two episodes of this show aside from that have been fun. It was actually nice to see some of Hannah's extended family (her grandmother was a hoot) and having Shoshanna actually break up Jessa and Jasper's toxic relationship was probably the most productive thing the character has ever done either. Marnie seems a little lost at sea though with the songwriting plot but aside from that, I am finding myself almost warming to these characters a tiny bit more.

Looking: Eight episodes in and HBO's newest dramady has ended in a way that felt as lowkey as it's beginnings. It's not entirely a criticism mind as it does look like Dom might have both his restaurant and his man, Patrick will juggle both Richie and Kevin and Agustin will probably just mope and feel bad for himself instead of trying to win Frank back. The last two episodes were pretty solid but not spectacular but I am hoping with a second season now confirmed, the show will pick up the pace a little.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: It's back on Channel 4 after a three month break and having watched the first two episodes of 2014, I have to admit the show is improving. The focusing on both Coulson and Skye's past certainly helped matters, the cliffhangers have become a little better but more to the point, the gang seem to have gelled together a little better as well between breaks. It's because of these little things that I really do hope now this show doesn't suffer the same fates as Firefly and Dollhouse right now.

Once Upon A Time: The first half of Season 3 dealt with Pan and the needlessness of him being related to Rumple. This second half now is focusing on Zelena (the Wicked Witch Of The West) and guess what? She's only Regina's half-sister. While I do wish the show would knock it off with having every main antagonist related to a regular character, I have to admit that I am finding Zelena a lot of fun to watch and I'm intrigued by why there's another curse and what exactly she seems to want with Snow's baby as well. Overall, there's a good sense of fun here with Emma back into the mix as well as some old favourites too.

The Musketeers: This show still isn't really doing it for me but the last two episodes have been alright I suppose. I have to admit I don't really care too much about D'Artagnan and Constance but I do like that Richelieu has gotten a bit more to do over the last two episodes. As glad as I am that Peter Capaldi will be the Doctor for the foreseeable future, I do think this show is going to lose something with his inevitable absence in two episodes time.

True Detective: I think the hype surrounding this show just proves that Breaking Bad might not be the greatest show of all time. Critics are quick to move on to one brilliant show and focus their attention on another. Episodes three and four of this show certainly have maintained a great pace with both Marty and Rust playing off each other as well and with the shock ending of the latter episode, it's really become a lot of fun trying to predict where the show is actually going with the characters and the ongoing mystery at the moment.

- It will be Arrow's 19th episode of Season 2 that will introduce characters from The Flash series into it.
- Chris Colfer will be writing an upcoming episode of Glee.
- Caterina Scorsone will reprise her role as Amelia in an upcoming episode of Grey's Anatomy.
- Supernatural's spin-off now has the title of Bloodlines. The main show itself has been dropped by SkyLiving.
- Desmond Harrington will be playing Alan Shephard in Astronaut Wives Club.
- Chicago Fire and Grimm have been renewed for further seasons by NBC.
- Patton Oswald will be appearing in Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD as agent Eric Koenig.
- White Collar will return for a sixth and final season comprising of six episodes.
- Zoe Saldana will be playing Rosemary in a new version of Rosemary's Baby for NBC.
- Another character will be killed off in the third season finale of Revenge.

First Look: Salem

I've been meaning to mention this show for a while but with a month to go before it airs, I guess now is a good time to talk about Salem (and I'm not referring to a talking cat either).

A historical fictional drama created by Adam Simon and Brannon Braga and also the first scripted drama for US cable station, WGN America, Salem is a 13 episode series that will tell of the infamous 17th century witch trials and it's cast boasts the likes of Revenge actress, Ashley Madekwe as Tituba, the right hand woman of Janet Montgomery's (Merlin) character Mary Sibley, the most powerful witch in Salem and the wife of the wealthy Selectman George Sibley.

Other cast members include Nip/Tuck's Seth Gabel as Cotton Mather who oversees the witch hunts of Salem as well as Xander Berkeley (24, Being Human US) in the role of Magistrate Hale, one of Salem's Selectman along with Shane West (ER, Nikita) as John Alden, a hardened veteran of war and captivity who is consumed into the Witch Hunt of Salem and Tamzin Merchant (The Tudors) a talented artist who finds an attraction to John upon his arrival in Salem.

Checking out the trailers, it certainly looks great and with the likes of American Horror Story: Coven, Once Upon A Time and Witches Of East End all proving that witches will always have a place on television, I can see Salem doing fairly well too.

Spoilers/Cast Pictures: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/Salem
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHYXXeXN97I

Salem will air on WGN America, Sundays from April 20th.

Glee - 100 (Spoilers)

Santana (to Brittany): What do you say you and I reunite a little threesome called the Unholy Trinity?

Did anyone think when Glee launched in 2009 it would become a show (in spite of it's glaring problems at times) that would run for at least 100 episodes? Not to mention the fact that there are still 32 to go through between now and 2015 of course.

Unholy Trinity: The original mean girls of McKinley (well, two out of three really were mean) provided arguably the best number of the episode with their version of Toxic and while this rendition didn't cause a sex riot, it did see Santana, Quinn and Brittany in some racy gear though as well as their Cheerio outfits. I have to admit to missing the three of them banded together and while Quinn didn't really interact with the other two bar the number in question, it was nice to see the possibility of Brittany and Santana reuniting. Brittany was otherwise a calming influence in a not so pleasant Santana this week and hearing the latter belting out Valerie again was welcomed.

Diva Off: Like we haven't had enough of those in the past but seeing as this was an episode laced in notalgia (old songs, attitudes, etc), having Rachel and Mercedes first compete and then bond with each other over their respective talent and current achievement was fine. Personally, I wasn't great fussed with their version of Defying Gravity (along with Kurt in the background) and both of them were as bad as each other to be honest. Still, it was nice to see Mercedes stick up for Rachel after Santana making their current feud so public to everyone else in the auditorium. I am beginning to wonder though if the show is going to end up replacing Santana with Mercedes when it comes to a certain living arrangement in New York. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it though.

The Lady Is A Seacrest Tattoo Owner: Oh Quinn, you just gotta love her in your own way, don't you? She bagged herself a moneyed, bland so and so named Biff Mackintosh (Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford) and tried to hide her past despite inviting him to come along to meeting her old friends at McKinley. Of course, Biff did eventually manage to find out about everything, acted like a plank and got binned by Puck (which was amusing enough). Actually this episode did seem to lay it on thick with Quinn and Puck but given that they got some beautiful scenes together (Puck's rendition of Keep Holding On was fantastic), it was actually nice to see them get together in the end. I guess this possibly means that along with Mercedes (and hopefully Brittany and Mike) we might get to see more of them for the remainder of the show's life again.

Guest Stars On Facebook Page: In absence of characters like Emma, Beiste and Figgins (why weren't they here?), we did have both April Rhodes and Holly Holliday resurface and provide some amusement as well as a mutual desire to try and save the Glee club. I have a feeling given that this show is moving to New York on a pernament basis that this might be a losing battle but between Will's elaborate spending, Sue's apathy and April's freezing funds, I'm guessing Glee club really will be out forever. Performance wise, April provided us with Raise Your Glass and Holly delved into Happy (the only new number of the episode). However with the mention of certain past guest characters, I'm surprised they didn't try to get in Idina Menzel and Ricky Martin for this one as well.

Everything Else: Apart from the main plot points - what else happened here? Well, the audience reminded that Kurt and Blaine are still engaged, with April offering them some Hooch, all the newbies from Season 4 onwards barely got any dialogue and Rachel even failed to know Ryder's name (which isn't the worst thing she's ever done) and the end scene seemed to set up that this was some kind of unofficial two parter. It seems that next week's 101st episode will feature even more nods to the past and the end of McKinley and probably the Glee club for this show forever. As 100th episodes went, I've seen better ones and I've definitely seen worst ones and the nods to Finn worked better here than in the previous episode if I'm being honest. However I will also admit that parts of this episode were rushed, the meta was it's usual choppy self in parts and it did feel like Santana was being regressed but overall, it was a solid, engaging episode nonetheless.

Glee continues to air on FOX Tuesdays at 8pm. Sky1 have not confirmed yet when the second half of the fifth season will air.

My Review of Revenge's 3x15: "Struggle"

Written by Michael J. Cinquemani
Directed by Christopher Misiano

Emily (to Aiden, re David): “He got his wish. I’m a Grayson now.”

Emily might be a Grayson but in this episode alone, she didn’t interact with any of them in the present day but even in flashback form, she knew that Victoria wasn’t to be trusted. The best thing about this episode was resolving the blackout plotline because let’s be honest, I don’t think it could’ve been sustained for any longer.

I kind of liked Aiden using similar tactics to Takeda in order to break Emily out of her blackout funk and the fact that it resulted in some actual flashbacks to David Clarke and her dealing with some her anger towards her father getting involved with Victoria was much needed.

However, the end bit with the connection between Stevie Grayson and David Clarke seemed a little trite-ish though and that’s taking into account that she’s Jack bio mother and Conrad might be unaware of that fact too. However I suppose it does raise the question as to whether or not Stevie really is friend or foe.

She admitted to Jack that she did want to make up for some lost time and that she had been an alcoholic but Emily had already deduced that her motives were entirely about reconnecting with the son she gave up. Personally I kind of hope that Stevie turns out to be a friend here or at least is willing to help Emily out her incompetent behaviour with David and her distaste for both Victoria and Conrad. Either way, in spite of some rather predictable plotting, Stevie has turned out to be a likeable character so far.

I especially enjoy the way that she managed to get Victoria’s back up a few times in this episode as well and while Victoria did later use her resentment towards Stevie in order to make Patrick make a decision about his own future, I wouldn’t put anything past Victoria trying to gain the upper hand with Stevie.

Speaking of Patrick – is this it for the character now? In some ways, it probably should be because both Nolan and Victoria used their cunning to actually help the guy out and maybe away from the Hamptons and working for Leone will do Patrick the world of good as well. I know he’s been hit and miss as a character but I guess I will miss him a little and his penchant for random (but always welcomed) shirtless scenes as well. It was also nice to see him part on good terms with Nolan and Victoria as well though, which is another in the plus column.

As for Aiden, last week he seemed to be packing off for good and this week it seemed like the same thing, so I guess the question remains – is he really off then? I guess that probably depends on whether or not Barry Sloane’s other show for ABC gets picked up for a series but either way, it looks like another sparring contest between Aiden and Daniel will be on the cards now that the latter knows Aiden is involved with Emily again.

As for everyone else – this episode didn’t need scenes at Voulez with Charlotte and Conrad, even if it was to tell us that Margaux’s father will be entering the fray pretty soon and similar Daniel hiring some goon to spy on Emily was a little bit boring as well, even if it did result in him being made aware of Aiden and Emily being in cahoots though.

Also in “Struggle”

I liked that we got to see the origin of the double infinity sign on the porch in the same episode where Emily destroyed it during one of her blackouts.

Victoria: “Oh, Stevie, you and I both know the only thing guaranteed to crumble is you.”

Nolan gave Emily a whole new Infinity Box that only opens to her touch. Like I need any more reasons to love the guy.

Nolan: “What are you gonna do?”
Emily: “What I should’ve done in the first place. I’m gonna kill them all.”

Emily: “You’re gonna try and snap me out of this?”
Aiden: “I’m gonna make you deal with it.”

While it was actually frustrating that Emily didn’t actually kill a Grayson, she did attempt to take out Conrad before Aiden stepped in.

Stevie: “I’m not doing this out of guilt.”
Jack: “Come on, how could you not be? Unless you’re really a Grayson and I know they never feel it.”
Stevie: “I am nothing like them.”

Standout music: Sanders Bohlke’s “The Weight Of Us”.

Nolan: “To Patrick.”
Victoria: “To my son.”

Chronology: At least three days since the last scene of “Payback”.

Okay, the episode wasn’t a “Struggle” to watch, which of course was a great thing and there was a tiny bit of progress made as well but enough speeches with Emily refocusing her agenda and more of her actually doing it, show. Other than that, better than last week.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Orphan Black - Season 2 First Look

It was one of the shows from 2013 that caught a lot of people's imagination and now the second season of Orphan Black is only five weeks upon us.

BBCAmerica have released a cast picture featuring Tatiana Maslany as Sarah, Cosima, Allison and of course the rather treacherous, Rachel, who was introduced in the first season finale. Also in the cast shot are Jordan Gavaris as Felix, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Mrs S, Evelyn Brochu as Delphine, Dylan Bruce as Paul as well as new cast members such as Michiel Huisman (Treme, Nashville) as rugged woodsman, Cal Morrison who gets involved with the on the run Sarah in the upcoming season. It also seems from the latest trailer to be released that there are nine clones as well.

Also cementing the show's impact, Maslany has appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as Sarah, Cosima and Allison respectively. Like the cover of the magazine nicely pointed out, I think anyone who has yet to see the show really will become obsessed upon viewing it and with a month to go and only ten episodes from the first season, it's definitely worth catching up on, especially given that the upcoming second season looks like it's going to be a similarly adventurous ride.

Season 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfUxpTSnq4o

Season 2 of Orphan Black will air Saturdays at 9pm on BBCAmerica from April 19th and will air on BBC3 for UK viewers later in 2014.

Doctor Who - Series 8 More Casting/Classic Series Repeats

It's not been that long since the casting of Samuel Anderson as recurring character, Danny Pink was announced for the upcoming eighth series of Doctor Who but now some more casting has been revealed for an upcoming episode.

Keeley Hawes, best known for her roles in such dramas as Spooks, Ashes To Ashes, Upstairs Downstairs and recently, Line Of Duty will appear in the fifth episode of Series 8, playing a villainous banker named Ms Delphox, whom the Doctor and Clara encounter when they land on a strange and puzzling planet. I have to admit, Hawes has been someone I've wanted to see on this show for a long while and I am hoping that writer Steve Thompson (who has previous scribed The Curse Of The Black Spot, Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS and various Sherlock episodes) gives Hawes a role worthy of her talent too.

Speaking of Thompson, his episode for the upcoming series certainly seems intriguing alright. Not only do we see Clara dressed up in a suit but it seems that Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch) and various other actors are playing cyborgs in this one as well. I'm oddly optimistic for this one and it seems that Clara isn't the only one with a different look for this episode too.

Peter Capaldi's Doctor also seems to have a slightly different look from the promotional picture we saw of him back in January. This time around he's wearing all black and he pulls it off quite well. It's not too surprising that there will be some variations to Capaldi's costume though. It happened with his predecessors and the basic silhouette for his general look is retained too. The episode being filmed will also be directed by Douglas MacKinnon who has previously directed The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, The Power Of Three and Cold War.

Elsewhere it seems that Horror Channel have picked up the rights to air thirty Classic Series stories (excluding Paul McGann's TV Movie sadly), starting from Easter with a 'Who On Horror' weekend marathon of episodes from the first seven Doctors. Stories that are expected to air include The Sea Devils, Genesis Of The Daleks and The Caves Of Androzani to name a few. It's been a while since we've had a channel airing some of the Classic Series (excluding Watch and SyFy UK) and with episodes airing during daytime and evening slots, it's nice to see Horror Channel step up to the plate with this.

Keeley Hawes Casting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Keeley-Hawes-to-Star-in-Doctor-Who
Classic Series Repeats: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a557370/classic-doctor-who-episodes-to-air-on-horror-channel.html

Series 8 of Doctor Who continues to film with an Autumn airdate expected for BBC1.

My Review of Revenge's 3x14: "Payback"

Written by Sunil Nayar And Christopher Fife
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Stevie (to Jack): “I’m your mother.”

That last scene should’ve come with an eye rolling Jack saying ‘really?’ but aside from what arguably was a pointless reveal, I actually think I like Stevie Grayson a lot. For Conrad’s first wife, she was a lot of fun to watch in this episode.

While I don’t care about her being Jack’s long lost mother, I do like that Conrad can’t seemingly wrap her around his finger and her delight in taking Grayson manor and declaring open season on both Victoria and Conrad was actually a lot of fun to watch. I just hope that the writers can maintain this momentum and give her a few more scenes with Emily as well.

While Emily unknowingly contacted Stevie in order to facilitate one of Conrad’s plans, I did like that Stevie was smart enough to realise that she had feelings for someone who wasn’t Daniel. Hopefully Stevie can be more of a friend than foe to Emily at the moment but this early in the game, it somewhat hard to tell where her loyalties truly lie though.

Speaking of loyalties, it was interesting to see Patrick having some conflict between Victoria and Jimmy and when the latter ended up dead, it seemed more to drive a wedge between Patrick and Victoria than bonding them. I’m actually surprised that Jimmy was killed off so quickly. I thought Jimmy might have had another episode or two in him before meeting him maker. On the other hand I’m not remotely shocked that Patrick ended up being the one who killed him though, even if it wasn’t deliberate.

As for the main plot of the week – Emily’s blackouts. On the plus side, she didn’t actually sleep with Conrad (even I didn’t think the show would really go there) but at the same time, it does seem her actions when she’s blacking are not good. Being hostile to Nolan was one thing but she almost got Aiden killed this week and he wasn’t exactly mollified when she eventually rescued him from a vengeful Niko.

Like Jimmy, I’m also surprised that Niko’s plot came to a swift end but at the same time, not too disappointed. She had every right to want to kill both Emily and Aiden but I guess the miracle here was that she failed without losing her life in the process. I suppose there’s a chance she might resurface once again but like Eli, there’s also the likelihood that she’ll never be seen or mentioned either. You can’t really tell with this show nowadays.

As for Emily’s blackouts and behaviour, this episode seemed to give off the allusion about Emily having similar mental problems to Kara, which I would be surprised/intrigued to see the show follow up on but either way, it would be nice if we got a definitive answer for her behaviour when blacking out sooner rather than later though.

As for Daniel – he was less of an asshole to Emily in this episode but mainly because his focus was centred on getting Charlotte into Voulez and using her to spy on their father. Given that Charlotte’s had nothing to do for quite a while, this might not be the most riveting of storylines for her but it’s at least something though.

Also in “Payback”

Nice visuals with the opening scene as Emily got scanned at the start of the episode.

Victoria: “I should’ve never told you what happened.”
Patrick: “Why? So I wouldn’t find out what a monster he was or that that I’m a child of rape? I’m gonna kill him.”

With Stevie now thrown into the mix and Margaux’s father joining soon, how many more family members is this show going to add now?

Stevie (to Emily): “That look you had in your eyes is a look of love and not for the man you married.”

Nolan: “So blackout Ems speaks the truth.”
Emily: “I’m aware of that, Nolan.”

Anyone else feel a tiny bit sorry for Niko when Emily mentioned that Takeda preferred her?

Victoria (to Emily): “Who are your parents? Where did you come from and why are you still here?”

Emily (re Aiden): “Let him go, Niko.”
Niko: “Not gonna happen. He’s guilty of too many things. Like killing my father.”

Charlotte turned nineteen in this episode, which gave the episode an excuse for another party/social event.

Jack: “So, you’re Conrad’s first wife, huh?”
Stevie: “We all make mistakes, right?”
Jack: “At least you were smart enough to leave him behind.”

Standout music: Lo-Fang’s “Animal Urges”. The singer actually featured in this episode during Charlotte’s party.

Victoria: “This house belongs to me and I will fight you until my last breath.”
Stevie: “Let’s hope that’s sooner rather than later.”

Chronology: Pretty much from where “Hatred” left off.

At the moment, it still does feel a little like the show is coasting a little but I will give “Payback” it’s due – it’s certainly a stronger episode than the three that aired in January but we need to see Emily getting back to her plan and pretty sharpish too.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Game Of Thrones - Season 3 Review

US Airdate: March 31st-June 9th 2013

Nice Day For A Red Wedding: This show started off impressively with a first season that provided many a talking point moment and with it's second season, it remained gripping television. However, it's with this third season in particular that it felt like the show elevated to new heights with nearly all of the characters being pushed into some exciting and often tragic situations.

Robb Stark and mother Catelyn are a great example of the latter as the former's betrayal of Walder Frey (David Bradley at his most horrid) resulted in the most discussed event from the series history. The Red Wedding was going to be the shocker of the season and like the events of Blackwater and Baelor, it was something packed a massive punch in the closing moments of the penultimate episode. If there's one thing I've learned about this show, it's that the weddings are always going to be a bloodbath in some capacity.

Even on the rare occasion where there is a wedding without death following behind it, an unpleasant undertone is still ever present. This season alone, both Sansa and Tyrion are forced into a marriage neither of them and both Tywin (Charles Dance also at his most horrid) and current antichrist ruler, Joffrey taking pleasure in the events a little too much.

It's not much of a joyous season for Tyrion when you think about it. Being forced into marrying Sansa is one thing, but being stripped of the being the hand and having to keep his growing relationship with Shae is another, the only real ally he had this season was Varys come to this of.

As for the Lannisters, well they definitely had better luck than the Starks but their rivalry and mutual alliance with the Tyrells was certainly worth watching. Whether it was Cersei's barely concealed jealousy of the always likeable Margaery or Tywin's clashes with the formidable Olenna (Diana Rigg on fine form), the dynamic between these two families was constantly entertaining to watch. It looks like the Lannisters are out of their depth with their new relations.

Keeping with the Lannisters, while it took all of this season for Jaime to actually return to Kings Landing, his rapport with Brienne was another highlight of the season. This season has done a lot to soften my opinion of Jaime, even to go as far as to enrich the character as well and it's become increasingly hard not to love Brienne either for that.

As for Daenerys - the previous season felt rather meandering for her but this one on the other hand might be her best one yet. When she wasn't sacking cities, freeing the Unsullied and employing Missandei, she became something of a figure of liberation to others and her quest to become a queen and slew of new alliance certainly means she's in with a fighting chance at the moment.

Last but not least, there's also the relationship with Jon Snow and Wildling Ygritte, which started off well enough and took a sour turn towards the end of the season while Bran and Arya both make some new alliances themselves and gear towards their own destinies while Theon literally suffers for his actions from last season at the hands of the sadistic Ramsay (Iwan Rheon). Overall, it's certainly a busy season for nearly every character involved, though the scenes with Stannis and Melisandre are probably some of the least compelling moments of the season. Does anyone actually want Stannis as a ruler? Didn't think so.

DVD EXTRAS

There's a lot once again. Twelve commentaries for nine episodes (only episode one is commentary free, oddly enough) with various cast and crew members as well as deleted and extended scenes, character profiles on our new players this season, a behind the scenes on the penultimate episode, an overview of the season and features in relation to marriage, the relationships in Westeros and of course, the Wildlings. More than enough to be getting on with, I'd say.

EPISODE RATINGS

3x01: Valar Dohaeris = 9/10, 3x02: Dark Wings, Dark Words = 8/10,
3x03: Walk Of Punishment = 7/10, 3x04: And Now His Watch Is Ended = 10/10,
3x05: Kissed By Fire = 8/10, 3x06: The Climb = 9/10,
3x07: The Bear And The Maiden Fair = 8/10, 3x08: Second Sons = 9/10,
3x09: The Rains Of Castamere = 10/10, 3x10: Mhysa = 9/10

Season 3 is currently available on DVD.

Come To My Beach House

And a rundown of some of the recent programmes I've been catching up on ...

Arrow: I'll admit the first two episodes that have aired in 2014 seemed a little on the filler side with Slade mostly skulking around in the background and Sebastian discrediting Laurel in an extreme way but they've still been good fun to watch though. However last night's Sky1 aired episode did finally move things along with Sara returning to Starling City and Roy (finally) becoming privy as to whom the Arrow really is. Even with slightly lesser interesting episodes, this show is still miles ahead than Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the moment.

Broadchurch: TV3 in Ireland have finally aired the finale to this show and I have to say, it's been an incredible eight weeks. I wish I had caved in earlier and watched this show properly on ITV transmission but better late than never. Having Ellie's husband as Danny's murderer was certainly a shocker and as brilliant as David Tennant has been as the abrasive Alec Hardy, this really was Olivia Colman's baby with her sublime performance as Ellie Miller throughout the eight weeks, though part of this show's success was showing the effect one single death can have on a whole community and a slew of characters. While I'm still a little iffy on it's imminent American counterpart, Gracepoint, I am intrigued to see what creator Chris Chibnall will devise next though.

Girls: I'm sure there was a time when this show was a bit on the headwrecking side of things but with recent episodes, I've started to soften to it. The beach house episode was probably the best one of the bunch with Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna and Jessa all taking each other to task in a pretty amusing way and Elijah is a decent enough recurring character while Adam continues to improve and is actually a rather likeable character nowadays. Still, Jessa's relapse at the hands of Jasper felt a little too random and Ray is so dull beyond belief that I am struggling to figure out why he's still on the show. Even his 'friends with benefits' thing with Marnie came to a swift end.

Glee: The first two episodes of 2014 for this show have been the definition of coasting. Aside from an amusing-ish feud with Rachel and Santana that at least thematically tied into their high school issues, virtually every other plot has sucked beyond belief. I'm at a point now where I'm convinced the writers hate Tina because her plots are getting more and more grating to watch. I just hope that post 100th episode, the rest of the season gets it's groove back.

Looking: The more I watch this show, the less addicted I am to it. Don't get me wrong, it's still enjoyable but it's really not gripping though. The episode focusing on Patrick and Richie connecting with each other was nice but then quickly marred with Agustin's snide dismissal of the relationship and Patrick's barely concealed lust for Kevin as well. Speaking of Agustin, it's amazing how he's gone from being likeable to an annoying git in six whole episodes but at least Dom's pursuit of Lynn is a little more interesting to watch. It's still not a bad show but it could with picking up the pace a bit now.

The Musketeers: Another show that's falling into the 'good but not great' category. It's six episodes and my investment in the show continues to wane a bit. I guess, it's down to the timing as well. While the last few episodes have explored more on Porthos and Aramis, I just don't think this show works in a Sunday 9pm timeslot and as excellent as Peter Capaldi is to watch, he's just wasted in this show as the Cardinal. Perhaps the final four episodes will inject something into this show but I'm starting to doubt it though.

True Detective: Every now and then, something comes along and makes you reassess a certain actor. I've never been a massive fan of Matthew McConaughey but his take here as the rather strange detective Rust Cohle and his rapport with Woody Harrelson's more straitlaced Martin Hart has made me see the guy in a different light. I've only seen the first two episodes of this show so far but it's a pretty absorbing series and the anthology format that the show is aiming will probably help sustain it as well. Why should American Horror Story be the show to have that advantage, right? Definitely worth watching and it certainly succeeds in making for uncomfortable viewing in a way that most detective dramas nowadays don't quite manage.

- David Morrissey's pilot for AMC has not been picked up for a series.
- Matthew McConaughey has also confirmed that he will not be returning to True Detective should it be picked up for a second season.
- An upcoming episode of Glee will focus on gay bashing in New York.
- Isaiah Washington will be returning to Grey's Anatomy as part of Cristina's exit for the series.
- Mary Louise Parker has been cast in upcoming NBC comedy, Feed Me.
- Patricia Arquette will be the lead in the upcoming CSI spin-off. Do we really need another one?
- Mila Kunis will play a love interest for Ashton Kutcher's character in Two And A Half Men.
- Lost Girl has been renewed for a fifth season.
- Riley Smith will play a rock and roll vampire named Keith in the final season of True Blood.
- Danielle Savre has been cast in Supernatural: Tribes along with Lucien Laviscount and Nathaniel Buzolic

BBC3 To End In 2015

It's been speculated for a while but now it's been confirmed. BBC3 will close as a channel in Autumn 2015 by BBC  Director-General, Tony Hall.

The station's axing, according to the BBC would save them over 50 million, with 30 million being pushed into drama for BBC1.  The freed-up spectrum from the axing of BBC3 will be used for a timeshifted BBC One+1 and an extension of CBBC by one hour a night. Over the last few days, it's been interesting reading comments about this particular decision with some people feeling the decision is a foolish one while others seem unfazed that the content of the channel will become online content through iPlayer from Autumn 2015.

I have to admit that I am mixed about the decision as well. On one hand, this was a station that gave us some big and brilliant shows such as Little Britain, Gavin & Stacey, Torchwood and Being Human to name a few and some of the documentaries that BBC3 have been doing over the last few years have been great to watch. On the other hand, a lot of the more recent comedies (some of which are great) have felt a bit samey and not too adventurous and the more reality themed shows have been worth avoiding at times too and with the amount of repeats as well, it's tricky to wonder if maybe the switch to online isn't such a bad idea. Then again, it was also a popular channel with a younger target audience, which is something I get that hasn't been considered as well with this decision.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-26464007

Arrow - Full Circle Trailer/Suicide Squad

It seems that things are getting more and more dangerous in Starling City as the CW have released a trailer, titled Full Circle for some of the upcoming episodes of Arrow's second season.

Suicide Squad: Appearing in the sixteenth episode of the second season with the same name, this squad comprises of Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), Shrapnel (Sean Maher), Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), Deadshot (Michael Rowe), Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) and Diggle (David Ramsay).

Birds Of Prey: It seems that Oliver's love life will continue to be complicated as Helena Bertinelli/Huntress (Jessica De Gouw) returns and there seems to be something of an instant clash between her and Sara Lance/The Canary (Caity Lotz). I do like both characters and with Sara willingly making herself a target for Slade in order to help Oliver, it will be interesting to see if Helena is either ally or enemy when she reappears in episode seventeen of this season.

Deathstroke: Manu Bennett's Slade Wilson/Deathstroke has been designed as the main villain for this season for quite some time and going by this three minute trailer, he's certainly going out of his way to make Oliver suffer by targeting the latter's family, friends and allies all at once. It's nice that Deathstroke is making more of an effort to directly strike out at Oliver and going by this trailer alone, it does look like anyone could suffer as a result of Slade's growing vendetta towards Oliver as well.

Full Circle Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEZQUcjG6AY

Arrow continues to air Wednesdays 8pm on the CW and Thursdays 8pm on Sky1.