My Review of Batman: Year One (2011)

Written by Tab Murphy
Directed by Sam Liu & Lauren Montgomery

Batman: "Ladies, gentlemen, you've eaten well. You've eaten Gotham's wealth. Its spirit. But your feast is nearly over. From this moment on, none of you are safe."

A few years before landing the role of James Gordon in Gotham, Benjamin McKenzie actually had the honour of playing the Dark Knight himself, albeit in animated form in this pretty faithful adaptation of a popular Frank Miller comic of the same.

Year One is telling us the readers/viewers of Bruce Wayne's first year as Batman and it's a pretty fascinating enough look into things as after several years of being out of the city, Bruce returns to Gotham with a mission statement in mind and a determination to help clean up the city of the crime that the police themselves just haven't been able to manage to do since his absence.

With flashbacks to his calling with a bat flying into his house, we get to see Bruce going undercover to tackle a pimp mistreating one of his girls while also getting into a fight with Selina Kyle (Eliza Dushku), who in this universe is a dominatrix before taking on her more famous role. Bruce then manages to get arrested before escaping police custody and escalating his fight even further by attracting the wrath of mafia boss Carmine Falcone (Alex Rocco).

However while this might be exploring Batman's first year, it's also delving into Detective James Gordon's (Bryan Cranston) as he not has to deal with a crime riddled city, but also corruption within his own station thanks to both Flass (Fred Tatasciore) and Commissioner Loeb (Jon Polito) playing their own role in the city's corruption.

There's a not so thrilling affair subplot with Detective Essen (Katee Sackhoff) thrown into the mix which doesn't really threaten or endanger Gordon's marriage to his pregnant wife, Barbara but it does come to a head when Bruce manages to successfully get Gordon off his scent (for a bit), even though it adds little to the storyline. However by the time Barbara actually gives birth, the baby in question is then used as leverage between Loeb, Falcone's men as both Gordon and a barely disguised Bruce rush to save the child and take down the baddies.

For an insight into one year, it covers a decent amount of stuff. We get to see both Gordon and Bruce's journeys play out really well and there's space for Selina to go on her journey as Catwoman, even if she's treated as being in the way during one particular altercation between herself, Batman and Falcone. While I definitely could've done with more of Selina and am critical of Miller's depiction of her in this story, it was nice to see both her and Batman still share some screen time together.

- The DVD for this has a 15 minute Catwoman cartoon, which sees Dushku reprise the role and take down a baddie of her own.
- Vicki Vale was added to this movie, though the character did not appear in the comic itself.
- Prior to Batman Begins, there were some plans for a Year One movie but they were scrapped.
- The movie ends with a set up for the Joker.

Year One is a dynamic enough adaptation of the popular comic. While I think McKenzie might make a better Gordon than Batman on another show, he does a decent job even though he's slightly overshadowed by Cranston's depiction of Gordon. It's a strong animated movie though, one that really should get a sequel at some point.

Rating: 7 out of 10

SDCC 2017 - Highlights Part 2 (DC Special)

I did this last year - covering most of the DC related stuff at San Diego Comic Con and this year again, I'm also doing it because there was a lot of exciting stuff unveiled over the weekend.

- First of all, a brand spanking new trailer for Justice League was unveiled, giving us more details into the upcoming movie (November 17th, people) as well as hints that Superman fans will be pleased with the movie itself.
- There was also some footage from Aquaman but it's yet to be officially released.
- Ben Affleck also confirmed that despite, adamant media reports, he's not leaving the role of Batman just yet.
- Future movies announced as well include Shazam, The Batman, Batgirl, Justice League Dark, Green Lantern Corps, Flashpoint and sequels for both Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad.
- It's now been confirmed that the Wonder Woman sequel will be released December 13 2019.
- While I had wished that there was some new casting announced for some of these upcoming movies, it's nice that we have a definite slate coming up. We just need some filming and release dates though along with further cast announcements.

Justice League Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DblEwHkde8U
Comic Con Panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ltriuluIhM

Meanwhile in the television universes ....

We got some obligatory trailers for the CW verse shows and a lot of spoilers to boot. Let's discuss, shall we?

- Michael Emerson will be joining Arrow's sixth season (October 12th) in a mysterious role. The trailer revealed a few survivors but not all of them as of yet.
- Danny Trejo will play Gypsy's father while Neil Sandilands will play the Thinker on The Flash's fourth season (October 10th). The Mechanic (Kim Engelbrecht) and Elongated Man will appear this season as well.
- Supergirl's third season (October 9th) will see Calista Flockhart reprise her role as Cat Grant in a recurring capacity while Adrian Pasder, Yael Grobglas, Emma Tremblay and Carl Lumbly have joined the cast as Morgan Edge, Psi, Ruby and M'yrnn J'onzz respectively.
- Legends Of Tomorrow's third season  (October 10th) will see returns from Leonard Snart, Damien Darkh and Rip Hunter in regular and recurring roles while Sara's bisexuality will be further explored. Matt Ryan may also be appearing as John Constantine in a later episode of the season. Kuasa (Anika Noni Rose) will be the main antagonist this season. Also expect a new hero not from any of the other shows to appear.
- Black Lightning (Spring 2018) has added both James Remar and Damon Gupton to it's lineup.
- Robert Knepper will be a regular for iZombie's fourth season.
- Tom Welling has joined the cast of Lucifer for it's third season.
- Krypton will feature versions of Brainiac and Hawkwoman in it's first season.

Meanwhile no new details have been given yet for the upcoming four way crossover, other than a reveal that it will happen properly in the Supergirl part of the show.

Arrow - Season 6 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpCOMDpmJ28
The Flash - Season 4 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CvhSFv1VaI
Supergirl - Season 3 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy5JnzKZBr8
Legends Of Tomorrow - Season 3Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwGNep39atY
Black Lightning - Season 1 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dM8dI_-P9o

Meanwhile Gotham's fourth season (September 21st) is certainly heading into darker territory as well. With the subtitle, Dawn Of Night, the trailer released over the weekend gave us plenty to mull over. First of all, there was seeing Bruce (David Mazouz) and Selina (Camren Bicondova) embracing their respective destinies while Oswald (Robin Lord Taylor) and Ivy (Maggie Geha) unveiled a frozen Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) as part The Iceberg Lounge's main feature. Other highlights in the trailer include a confrontation between Alfred (Sean Pertwee) and Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan) along with Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) facing off a not so dead Barbara (Erin Richards), Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie) facing off a clown thug and the arrival of Jonathan Crane's The Scarecrow (Charlie Tahan). Not shown in the trailer but confirmed on the panel would be that Barbara would be working with Ras Al Ghul (Alexander Siddig) this season as will Lee (Morena Baccarin) with Nygma and Solomon Grundy (Drew Powell) while Bruce will be getting armor and weapons for his vigilante lifestyle. Viewers can also expect to meet Sofia Falcone (Crystal Reed) and Professor Pyg (casting tbc) this season as well. The fourth season will also draw influences from both The Long Halloween and Year One. Benjamin McKenzie will also be writing the season's fourth episode too.

Gotham - Season 4 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd3Dp4zVJmY

Last but not least, a preview of the CWSeed's upcoming animated series, Freedom Fighters: The Ray. Announced last year, the show will finally be making it's debut in the autumn and will see the titular hero (actor tbc) fighting evil versions of the Green Arrow, the Flash and Supergirl in an alternative universe. Touted as the first superhero show where the main hero is gay, the trailer does look promising and I'm hopeful at some point that like with Vixen, the character will eventually appear in a live action Arrow universe show. As in within this current TV season.

Freedom Fighters: The Ray Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-YfN_moK0k

That's a warp for all the DC related stuff, until another while folks.

SDCC 2017 - Highlights Part 1

It was that time of year again. Last week, San Diego Comic Con was all over the press and here are some of the highlights of the events, spread out on two blog entries.

Doctor Who: In the past, this would've been given a blog to itself but I don't think I had enough to justify that this time around. The panel this year comprised of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss along with outgoing stars Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas and Michelle Gomez and it was certainly an emotional panel as the focus was rightly on the 12th Doctor's era, resulting in Peter himself getting a much deserved round of applause from the audience. While there was some brief discussion from various Whoverse people surrounding Jodie Whittaker's casting as the 13th Doctor, the focus was primarily on the current era. A minute long trailer was released for the Christmas special, now titled Twice Upon A Time, which sees both the 12th and 1st Doctors (latter played by David Bradley) dealing with time being wrecked once again. The special will also see the return of Pearl Mackie's Bill Potts for the last time on the show as well as Lily Travers taking on the role of 60's companion, Polly Wright (the role played by Anneke Wills) previous while Mark Gatiss will be playing a character named the Captain along with Toby Whithouse as a German soldier during the WW1 setting. Unlike last year's entry, this one does look a little more Christmassy by comparison. You can watch the trailer for it here ....

Christmas 2017 Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCkDXegqjR0

American Horror Story: The show is back yet again, for a seventh season, which now has the subtitle of Cult and with it, at least two scary-ish promos involving sinister looking clowns to boot. Over the last few days, it was confirmed that the show would be moving to Tuesdays and airing from September 5th. On top of that, we also learned that this season will now have eleven episodes and that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters characters are named Ally and Kai, who have "a love story for the ages" while both Mare Winningham and France Conroy will be back this season along with Lena Dunham guest starring in an episode. Oh and Twisty the Clown from Freak Show too.

AHS: Cult Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v0ISjTugh4

Star Trek: Discovery: Another show given quite the push over the weekend with Netflix and CBS releasing another trailer for the prequel series. I've seen a lot of debate surrounding the fact that this is a prequel (that and the new looking Klingons) and while I'll admit that it feels unnecessary after Enterprise, the second trailer sold me more to the series than the first one did (and I quite liked the first one). It's also come to my attention that Anthony Rapp's character, Lt Stamets will also be in a relationship with Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber, the Starship Discovery's medical officer. US viewers will be able to see the show on Sundays from September 24th with UK viewers getting it the very next day on Netflix.

Star Trek: Discovery Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnYtyNKPsA

- Once Upon A Time's seventh season will see Dania Ramirez playing a new version of Cinderella/the mother of Henry's daughter, Lucy. Also joining the cast this season are Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine, Adelaide Kane as Drizella, Rose Reynolds as Alice and Mekia Cox as Tiana. Emma, Henry and Belle will return for an episode each and there will be a gay character introduced this season as well.
- The Originals fifth season will be it's last season.
- Michelle Pfeiffer will play Janet van Dyne in Ant Man And The Wasp. Laurence Fishburne will also be a part of the movie.
- Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury will also be appearing in Captain Marvel.
- Iron Fist has been renewed for a second season and Misty Knight will be joining the series.
- Game Of Thrones released another trailer for the remaining episodes of it's seventh season and more chaos is come for all concerned.
- Supernatural's female led spin-off, Wayward Sisters has it's cast with Briana Buckmaster, Kathryn Newton and Katherine Ramdeen heading up the series.
- Vanessa Morgan will be joining the Riverdale cast for it's second season. The show will also introduce a bisexual character too.
- Charlize Theron will guest star in The Orville.
- Jonathan Tucker and Neil Jackson will guest star in Westworld's second season.
- Isaiah Washington will return for the fifth season of The 100.
- Wynonna Earp has been renewed for a third season.

That's it for Part 1. Part 2 will be up and it'll be a DC related one. 

Aladdin - Live Action Movie Cast

And this also happened during the weekend. A few days ago,  Guy Ritchie apparently had trouble finding the leads for his upcoming live action version of Disney's Aladdin but during the weekend, three prominent cast members were announced.

The title tole itself will be played by Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud. A relative newcomer, Mena's previous credits have included a short film named Americanistan and a role in the upcoming Jack Ryan TV series. Mena will now be the infamous street rat turned prince and while I haven't really seen any of his past credits yet, he does look the part.

Meanwhile the role of Princess Jasmine herself will go to British-Indian actress, Naomi Scott, who earlier this year played Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart in the Power Rangers reboot movie. Needless to say, Naomi's casting has generated some comments on the usual places but personally, I'm pretty fine with her playing the headstrong princess.

Elsewhere Will Smith will be taking on the role of the Genie for this live action production. He's been rumoured for the role for a while now, so I wasn't too shocked when his casting was confirmed over the weekend. The casting so far looks pretty solid and it'll be interesting to see who they get for Jafar, Iago and the Sultan. The live action movie is being written by John August.

Press Release: http://variety.com/2017/film/news/aladdin-will-smith-naomi-scott-jasmine-cast-mena-massoud-d23-1202496767/

Filming for Aladdin begins soon with a release date to be confirmed.

Doctor Who - Jodie Whittaker Is The 13th Doctor

I think in the last twenty four hours prior to the announcement, we probably all saw this one coming, huh?

On July 16th at 4.30pm on BBC1, history was made when a minute long trailer aired during the Wimbledon Men’s Final as it showed us the new Doctor walking through a forest, all hooded up, only for the last few seconds to reveal that the thirteenth incarnation of the Time Lord was in fact, Jodie Whittaker as she smiled and headed towards the TARDIS, key in hand.

The 35 year old actress, best known for her roles in both Broadchurch (created by incoming showrunner, Chris Chibnall) and Attack The Block was confirmed as the 13th Doctor and to say the reaction on social media was strong would be an understatement. The reaction primarily being one of near universal support for Whittaker’s casting but like with any actor casting in the role of the Doctor, there was also some opposition and some concerns too.

Now anyone who’s followed my tweets or read my comments on GallifreyBase will be more than aware of the fact that I haven’t been keen on the idea of a female Doctor and while I  would’ve preferred a male for the Doctor too, I am however in complete support of Whittaker’s casting in the role. Did you really think I was going to drop the show because the Doctor’s a woman now? As if!

However I do feel that there are some things from both sides of the female Doctor debate that should be addressed a little here, so here goes ....

1: Labelling people who either didn’t want a female Doctor or have concerns about what the casting means for the show as misogynistic fails to address the fact that there have also been female fans too that have shared similar viewpoints on the matter. Sorry social media, but it’s not just men who may have an issue with a female Doctor.
2: The feminist critics and ‘woke’ social media types who do this are exactly the same people who would’ve reacted in a similarly childish manner had the BBC and Chibnall cast a conventionally attractive white male Doctor.
3: Framing Whittaker’s casting as a feminist victory comes across as pretty extreme response, considering that the show itself has always had fantastic female characters since it’s debut in 1963 and that the revived series has been more inclusive to female fans and generally everyone since it’s return in 2005. The show hadn’t been lacking a strong female presence, so not let’s not act like it was people, okay?
4: There is nothing wrong with having concerns about a female Doctor. Whether people like it or not, the casting is a huge risk, but it’s also one that obviously both the BBC and Chibnall considered but felt they could pull off. Vilifying people for expressing concern on this also reeks of hypocrisy.
5: Casting a female Doctor does change the show’s dynamic. It’s naive to assume otherwise. While I don’t think it’ll help the show if it overemphasises the Doctor now being a woman, it’s still something the show has to address too but I have confidence that Chibnall will not treat it in a gimmicky way.
6: With a female Doctor now at the helm, I do think it’s time for the main companion of the series to be male. By all means, introduce a secondary female companion towards the latter half of Series 11, but for now the main companion should be male.
7: The show has been in something of a rut for a while and it needed a jolt. This might not have been the one I had in mind, but the fact that it got people talking in a way that Peter Capaldi’s era hasn’t certainly indicates that Whittaker’s casting might bring some viewers back and add some newer ones in this mix.
8: Gender swapping characters still doesn’t address the gender imbalance issue in the media either. Spotlighting existing female characters and creating newer ones should be the way to tackle this thorny issue as well as acknowledging the plethora of female led shows we’ve had in the last several decades.

That said and going back to one of my earlier statements – Jodie Whittaker is the 13th Doctor and therefore she has my support and I can’t wait to see what she brings to the role. I still do have some concerns but I will admit the trailer alone did inspire confidence that she’ll bring an interesting new side to one of the best characters of all time and I liked her costume, even though it's not actually her official one.

Elsewhere there’s still one more episode left from departing Doctor Peter Capaldi and this week (July 23rd), the 12th Doctor actor along with Pearl Mackie (Bill), Matt Lucas (Nardole), Michelle Gomez (Missy), Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss will be attending San Diego Comic Con for a special panel, complete with a preview clip of the Christmas special, rumoured to be titled The Doctors that will also include David Bradley as the First Doctor and a glimpse of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteen Doctor as well. Further casting for the special has yet to be confirmed but both Bill and Nardole will appear in some capacity along with rumoured appearances from some other past faces as well. Either way, we’re moving into a bold new era for the series.

13th Doctor Trailer/Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/399b321f-63cb-4b83-8bd3-e6874d09579f

The Doctors will air on Christmas Day on BBC1 and BBCAmerica respectively. Series 11 of Doctor Who is rumoured to begin filming around November.

Riot, Riot

A bit of a Netflix special here with three shows I've been catching up on.

Iron Fist: The most divisive of the Marvel/Netflix shows and aside from the moaning about Finn Jones's casting, which I've long since decided to drown out, the biggest crime this show has committed has been how ridiculously slow paced it is. I'm all for build up as much as the next person but even I have to admit that the first two episodes were something of a slog to get though. As for Jones himself, he's okay as Danny Rand but I'll admit the fight scenes are a little underwhelming so far while the flashbacks are only okay. Other characters like brother/sister duo, Ward and Joy Meachum are pretty decent and I already like Colleen Wing. Harold Meachum on the other hand is a little hokey on the baddie front but at least we're getting more on the Hand threat though.

Luke Cage: Like the other Marvel/Netflix show mentioned, I've only just started this one and while there are some pacing problems with this show too, I didn't find the first two episodes to be quite as slow moving though. The Harlem setting and the use of musical acts like Faith Hill in nightclub Paradise are a high point of the series along with the deft handling of Luke's backstory and characters such as Misty Knight, Cornelius and Mariah herself. The gang and political related storylines are also strong enough so far too. In some respects, the series feels like something from a different era and that's one of it's strengths so far. I plan to have both this and Iron Fist completed before moving onto The Defenders.

Orange Is The New Black: The fifth season of the popular prison drama came back last month and I've so far managed to watch about seven episodes. Setting the seasons entirely around a prison riot in the aftermath of Poussey's death seemed like a risky venture but so far, it's actually working pretty well. While the prisoners themselves are going overboard in getting their revenge on the guards, I've liked the various group dynamics and the flashbacks have helped break up the riot scenes a little so things haven't felt too bogged down. Now onto the remaining six episodes of the season.

- Colton Haynes, Charlie Carver and Tyler Hoechlin will be appearing in the second half of Teen Wolf's final season, starting later this month.
- Jared Gilmore will appear in Once Upon A Time's seventh season in a guest role. Dania Ramirez has also joined as a regular this season.
- The 13th Doctor will be revealed tomorrow on BBC1 after the Wimbledon's Mens Final.
- Brit Morgan will recur in Riverdale's second season.
- Manu Bennett will be returning for Arrow's sixth season as will a rumoured character from the show's first season.
- Lady Gaga will not be appearing in the seventh season of American Horror Story but Allison Pill will be while Twisty the Clown will also be returning. Adina Porter and Cheyenne Jackson are also returning.
- FOX are planning a crossover event with both Empire and Star this season.
- Erica Durance will be playing Alura in Supergirl's third season, replacing Laura Benanti in the role.

The L Word - Sequel Series In Development For Showtime

Well, this was a little unexpected, huh? I mean I know we're living in sequel/reboot culture for TV shows but I was surprised to read this one.

A quick brush up though - The L Word was a series that focused on the lives of lesbian and bisexual women in LA, starring Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Mia Kirshner and Katherine Moennig and ran for six seasons on Showtime between 2004-2009. The show was extremely popular at the time and even generated a reality TV spin-off called The Real L Word, which managed to last three seasons between 2010-2012 before it was axed.

Now it seems that the original series itself will be coming back for another season. However there's some twists - the first one being that the show will be brought back with a different showrunner as creator Ilene Chaiken is currently working on FOX's Empire and it will be a new set of women that the show will focus on.

However Chaiken will be an executive producer the rebooted series as will former stars of the show, Jennifer Beals (Bette), Kate Moennig (Shane) and Leisha Hailey (Alice). There is also speculation that along with a new cast for the show, some of the characters from the original series may also have some involvement if Showtime push ahead with the series.

The L Word joins Will & Grace as a prominent LGBT centred series that is currently being revived while US audiences will soon also get their own version of Russell T. Davies's Cucumber/Banana series with ABC's upcoming, Adult Behavior. Considering how massive the show was for Showtime back in the day, I can see this being a hit all over again, provided it goes ahead.

Press Release: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/l-word-sequel-works-at-showtime-1019916

The complete series of The L Word is available on DVD. I'll post more about this revival as the information comes along.

My Review of Doctor Who's 10x12: "The Doctor Falls"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay

The Doctor (to Missy/the Master): "It's not because it's fun and God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not because it even works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do, because it's right. Because it's decent. And above all, it's kind."

In that speech is everything that has ever and will ever capture the Doctor's motives for helping people and I have to admit, like a certain speech in the Zygon two parter, it's moments like this where the Twelfth Doctor well and truly shines. In this penultimate episode/finale, did he truly shine though.

Opening up with getting smacked about by both the Master and Missy, it didn't take long for the Doctor to get his old frenemies to get on side when he made the Cybermen go after Time Lords for conversion and having the Master and Missy helping certainly livened proceedings a bit as everyone went up another level of the ship from last time.

Having a bit of a mood whiplash here, we've got from a city polluted by fog and Mondasian Cybermen on the rise, to a nice countryside with a bunch of kids and an overprotective woman named Hazran (Samantha Spiro), who seemed to have a thing for the not equally receptive Nardole. Despite some of the popular rumours that floated around and that even I believed, Hazran was just a new character. A good one, but not the one we were expecting though.

Speaking of Nardole, he had his moments in this episode. I liked his pragmatic stance with both the Doctor and Cyber-Bill and I certainly enjoyed his scenes with both Masters but his exit was a little on the rushed with him being volunteered as protector for Hazran and the kids though against the evading and evolving Cybermen though.

This episode was all about the exits though. The Master and Missy in particular had one of the best with the pair of them stabbing and shooting each other in the back. Despite all their flirting, their conflict over whether or not to help the Doctor was the thing that turned them on each other. Missy was edging towards some form of redemption while the Master himself still revelled in being evil as his mocking of both the Doctor and Bill more than demonstrated. As exits go, it was a dramatic one for both of them, excellently played by Michelle Gomez and John Simm but while the character will be undoubtedly rested for a bit, we will see the Master again in some form though.

Then there's Bill herself. She spent most of this episode pulling an Oswin by perceiving herself as still human while outwardly looking like a Cyberman but she did forgive the Doctor for endangering her and she did stick around during the final battle itself to actually help him. However for those of us who feared that Moffat contributed to the 'bury your gays' trope with Bill, well he did manage to subvert it at the very last minute.

Despite there being no continuation since The Pilot, Heather came back and yanked Bill out of her Cyberman suit and the pair of them shared a kiss before putting the Doctor back in his TARDIS and exploring the universe. It's hard to deny that it's an exit that mirrors the Clara/Ashildr thing from last series but it works decently enough as a way to write Bill out of the series though.

As for the Doctor himself, he spent most of the episode holding back his regeneration, wanting to take out the Cybermen while also trying to save his friends and redeem both Masters too. He might have mostly failed with the latter and even Bill to a point, but he did succeed elsewhere and the near regeneration sequence was pretty stunning.

Of course with Christmas on the way, it was still held off but this time around we saw the Twelfth Doctor actually meet the First Doctor. It was rumoured for months and while I do have some reservations about a multi Doctor story for an outgoing Doctor's last episode, I did like the bit of David Bradley as the original you might say that this particular episode ended with.

- David Bradley previously played William Hartnell playing the First Doctor in An Adventure In Space And Time. He was also Solomon in Dinosaurs On A Spaceship.
- We saw both the 2006 and 2013 Cybermen in this episode. I think Moffat missed an opportunity by not including some 70's or 80's Cybermen while he was at it.
- Companions we saw in Twelve's head were Rose, Martha, Donna, Jack, Sarah Jane, Amy, River, Clara, Bill, Nardole, Vastra and Jenny along with Missy. Odd there was no Mickey or Rory though.
- Nice references to past regenerations and encounters with the Cybermen in this episode too.
- Rachel Talalay has now directed three finales in a row. That's got to be a record for the series, right?
- Chronology: Two weeks after the events of World Enough And Time.

The Doctor Falls could've let the side down after such a brilliant set up with it's previous episode but I genuinely think it didn't. Yes, Bill's exit was too similar to Clara's and the Cybermen were relegated to being blown up but with all the emotional beats and the hook for Christmas, it really does look like Peter Capaldi will go out on a high note.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Sense8 - Netflix Commissions A Two Hour Special

June was the month for Pride and while we had some great stuff last month, one of the misfires was Netflix announcing that Sense8 would come to an end after two seasons. Fans were upset and angry, especially as the second season had ended on a cliffhanger that was looking unlikely to be resolved.

Then we head towards the end of June and it seemed that fan outcry actually worked for once. Netflix announced on Thursday that the show would be coming back as a two hour special next year. Netflix shared the letter on its official account, along with a video tribute to the sci-fi series. "After seeing that the cancellation was a total cluster, we decided to give Sense8 fans the ending they totally deserve," said a Netflix spokesperson.

This is fantastic news and while this doesn't guarantee anything more than this upcoming special, at least it means we'll get a resolution to the overall series arc and have one more episodes of our favourite Cluster members. I cannot wait to see it and I'm imagining that it'll possibly be another Christmas special as well.

Press Release: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sense8-two-hour-finale-set-at-netflix-1017948

Sense8's second season is currently streaming on Netflix if you haven't caught up. The special will be released in 2018.