My Review of Looking: The Movie (2016)

Written by Andrew Haigh And Michael Lannan
Directed by Andrew Haigh

Patrick: "I came here to close a chapter"

Despite some unfortunate ratings and HBO inevitably calling time on this modest show after only two seasons, a movie was still commissioned to offer fans of the series some closure and it somewhat managed to do that in the space of 90 minutes.

Taking place at least nine months after the end of the second season, Patrick has returned to San Francisco (he relocated, quit his job, broke up with Kevin etc) just in time for Agustin and Eddie's wedding and within this movie, there was a lot of unresolved issues that needed to be resolved.

First of all, the break up with Kevin. It was messy and thanks to their shared app, they've still had to occasionally contact each other. We learned in this movie that Kevin got back together with his ex but that didn't stop him from giving Patrick a few home truths as well as the acknowledgment of some of his own shortcomings. Fans hoping for a reunion between the pair of them will be somewhat disappointed but overall, closure was achieved between the two of them nonetheless.

Then there was Patrick and Ritchie. At the end of the second season, Ritchie cut Patrick's hair and there was a hint of a reunion of sorts. At the start of this one, they're on good terms but Ritchie's boyfriend Brady is still around and has managed to become even more annoying than before. Of course time around, instead of mutual passive aggression to each other, both Patrick and Brady were somewhat more vocal in their mutual dislike for one another.

While I didn't like the idea of either going on about to act as a gay man (Brady has some serious projection issues), I did like the end result. Ritchie did us all a favour (and himself) and dumped Brady before getting back together with Patrick. I wasn't actually expecting a reunion between the pair of them but the way the movie played it was spot on and helped to end things on a really strong note.

Of course when Patrick wasn't dealing with his two prominent exes, he was also having sex with a fit younger guy named Jimmy (Michael Rosen) but there was also a subplot where his sexual past with Dom got some exploration. At one point, the two of them got close to having sex with each other once again but ultimately that storyline fizzled out before anything more pressing could happen with it.

Then there was the wedding itself. I haven't been shy in my love for Agustin and Eddie as a couple (they were the best part of the second season for me) and I've loved the growth in Agustin's character as well. Here though we got some mutual wedding jitters from the pair and a part of me was dreading that they'd split but again, this was a good one for the shipper in me as their wedding went ahead and then the somewhat hedonistic-lite reception do that followed. That in itself is why this movie did so well for me.

- Nice guest appearance from Tyne Daly in this movie. She was the one to marry Agustin/Eddie. Cleve Jones also appeared as himself in this one.
- Some of the music choices in this movie were superb, especially with the use of Britney Spears, the Housemartins, New Order and John Grant.
- Was Doris pregnant in this movie or trying to? I have to admit, I tuned out a little there and I do like the character. It's a pity we didn't see Dom hook up with someone else in this movie too.
- Nice references to the likes of The Goonies, Saw and Brokeback Mountain to name a few.

Now this was a satisfying of tying up some loose end. Looking: The Movie gave nearly every character a satisfying conclusion and while you can argue the focus was a little Patrick heavy at times (like the series had been), I am thankful that HBO allowed the show to end on a very strong note with this movie. Absolutely superb.

Rating: 9 out of 10

LGBT TV 2015: Highs/Lows/Missed Opportunities

Okay, this might not be an entirely definitive list. There are probably some omissions, due to me either not getting round to seeing certain programmes or simply forgetting stuff but without further ado, here's a look at some of the most prominent of LGBT programmes - either for the excellent representation, terrible representation or simply being a missed opportunity.

Starting this off on a good note ....

The Best

Sense8 (Netflix)

There were so many things this excellent summer series had going in it's favour from the makers of both The Matrix and Babylon 5. Some of the most notable was the diversity in it's casting, the fact that it was filmed in eight different countries (which really did translate onscreen) and of course, the fact that a good portion of the cast were LGBT. In the first season we saw the relationship between transgendered hacktivist Nomi (Jamie Clayton) and free spirited Amanita (Freema Agyeman) as well as semi-closeted actor Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) and the rather lovely Hernando (Alfonso Herrera). Both relationships were treated with utter sensitivity throughout the captivating series.

How To Get Away With Murder (ABC/Universal)

If only every second season can be good as this show. I feared that How To Get Away With Murder might have suffered from the cursed sophomore slump but has managed to actually subvert it so far. Not only that but Season 2 is seriously becoming close to edging out Season 1 in terms of craziness too. More importantly, the show's handling of Oliver's (Conrad Ricamora) HIV and his relationship with Connor (Jack Falahee) has developed so wonderfully onscreen. Watching this show, you do have to wonder why can't all LGBT writers get it as right as Peter Nowalk is currently doing.

Empire (FOX/E4)

Has there ever has been a show that has risen so spectacularly? In less than a couple of episodes, Empire went from a surprising rated well mid season series on FOX to becoming literally the most talked about network drama in the last five years and it's easy to see why. It's a modern musical equivalent to Dallas, has been more of a singing monster hit than the ended Glee and upped the soap antics with the Lyon family and the record company. More to the point (and excluding the blip we had with the Skye Summers plot), Jamal Lyon has become one of the most fascinating gay characters on television with Jussie Smollett proving to be a commanding presence and soulful singer.

Cucumber/Banana/Tofu (Ch4/E4/4OD/Logo)

16 years ago, Russell T/ Davies gave UK viewers Queer As Folk on Channel 4 and it certainly changed the landscape of television. In 2015, he went one step further with three interconnecting shows, all airing on connecting channels and while the shows in question might have divided some viewers, they did however provoke discussion. Not only that - they also examined what it meant to be LGBT in the present day, the division between young and older members of the community, the dangers of revenge porn, unrequited love, growing apart from family and friends as well as the ending of a long term relationship. Basically, these shows fucking rocked.

London Spy (BBC2/BBCAmerica)

Recently finished up on one channel and awaiting airing on another, I did a series overview of this five part spy series from writer Tom Robb Smith and starring Ben Whishaw, but covering myself again - there were moments that frustrated me, but the moments that didn't outweighed things. The love story between Danny (Whishaw) and Alistair/Alex (Edward Holcroft) was interesting and tragic but the friendship between Danny and Scottie (Jim Broadbent) and the ongoing quest to find out who killed Alex certainly kept the show watchable at all times.

The Pretty Good/Rather Great

Looking (HBO/SkyAtlantic)

The bad thing about this show was the moment it got it's groove in it's much improved second season, it was also the same moment that HBO decided to call time on the series. While a movie scheduled for 2016 will tie up any loose ends, it's a shame that apart from that, audiences won't get to see any more of Agustin (Frankie J. Alverez) and Eddie's (Daniel Franzese) relationship, which was the best thing about the second season. Far more interesting than seeing Dom and Ritchie just hanging around or the somewhat tedium surrounding Patrick (Jonathan Groff) and Kevin (Russell Tovey). Hopefully the movie should end things on a good note though.

Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)

To be honest, the third season of Netflix's most famous of shows wasn't it's best one but it was still an extremely watchable one as Piper/Alex (Taylor Schilling/Laura Prepon) reunited, got back together and then broke up over the 13 episodes while Ruby Rose made a memorable debut as the intriguing enough Stella. There was also a delving into transphobia with Sophia (Laverne Cox) towards the end of the season and the growing friendship between Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) and Tiffany (Taryn Manning) was pretty affecting.

Glee (FOX/Sky1)

One of three of Ryan Murphy's shows to make this list and while the show's final season wasn't capable of avoiding the odd stinker (mainly the Sue focused ones), it did have Kurt/Blaine broken up and then married (when the latter wasn't briefly with Karofsky) as well as Santana/Brittany. Not to mention the final episode showed us the gang's futures and Beiste's transition was dealt with a good amount of sensitivity, even if it could've been tackled earlier in the show's run.

Boy Meets Girl (BBC2)

BBC2's sweet natured comedy focusing on transgender woman Judy (Rebecca Root) meeting and starting a relationship with younger man, Leo (Harry Hepple) was one of the surprise hits of the last few months and within six episodes we got to see the relationship develop naturally with both Root and Hepple playing off each other extremely well. I do hope a second series is imminent.

Atlantis (BBC1/BBCAmerica)

A surprising addition to this list but a worthy one. Atlantis might have been a show with some of the laziest writing known to man at times and it's cancellation might have definitely been brought on itself but one thing it managed to get right in the second half of it's second season was the blossoming relationship between Pythagoras (Robert Emms) and Icarus (Joseph Timms). It's a shame we only got about five episodes of the two of them together but at least the show ventured where it's predecessor Merlin could never go though.

The Bad

Quantico (ABC)

You had one character (Simon as played by Tate Ellington) pretending to be gay for reasons too convoluted to entertain while the other character, Elias (Rick Cosnett) seemed to suffer various degrees of character assassination and ineptitude within the first half of this show's debut year. Bad form, show.

Scream Queens (FOX/E4)

It's a shame that for his first post Glee project and sticking with FOX, that Ryan Murphy had to resort to one of the most regressive tropes going. While the comedy/horror series could be entertaining at times, it was riddled with problems (not actually being scary, nastiness of main characters, humour trying too hair, pacing etc) and one of them being the irritating plot of Nick Jonas's Boone pretending to be gay. It's 2015 for flip sake. How can any writer think that sort of storytelling is even interesting to watch in the slightest? On the other hand, it's depiction with Chanel 3/Sadie Swenson (Billie Lourd) was marginally better.

American Horror Story: Hotel (FX/FOXUK)

Okay, not gonna lie - I do prefer Hotel that tiny bit more to Freak Show and while there's been a healthy dose of LGBT characters, the actual quality in them hasn't been something to write a glowing letter home about either. Let's be honest, they're either murderous (Lady Gaga's the Countess), revenge obsessed (Angela Bassett's Ramona Royale), not very bright (Cheyenne Jackson's Will Drake) or their relationships have been too brief to really care about (Denis O'Hare's Liz Taylor with Finn Wittrock's Tristan Duffy). Basically we're in desperate need for another Lana Winters, aren't we?

The Wasted Potential

Constantine (NBC/Amazon Prime)

I caught this series months after it's cancellation and mostly in preparation for Matt Ryan reprising his role in Arrow's fourth season (yay Nyssa/Curtis/alive Sara). Constantine as a series itself was actually pretty enjoyable for the most part but the show's decision to literally ignore the character's bisexuality (something which the latest comics have been more proud of depicting) infuriated me to no end and highlighted a horrible pattern with David S. Goyer as well (DaVinci's Demons, anyone?). Not to mention some of Daniel Cerone's comments on the issue were similarly annoying as well as patronising. It's kind of a shame the show only lasted a season but the writers decision not to have John as an openly bisexual character was met with deserved criticism. I can only hope the more the character pops up in the Arrow universe, the more the writers for those shows will go where Goyer/Cerone failed to go with the character.

Now that's my look at some of the highs and lows of LGBT TV in 2015. What are yours?

Atom Men & Golden Guns

A look into some of the more recent shows I've been watching ...

Arrow: A decent slew of episodes but also ones with over familiar arguments as well - like Felicity's constant disapproval about the League of Shadows, Laurel struggling to get her father's forgiveness, Thea being unable to forgive herself when she isn't furious with Malcolm, Roy doing very little other than being supportive and Oliver having have a face like a slapped backside anytime someone else dons a costume. Ray's transformation into the Atom could've been done a little better but his enthusiasm is a nice counterpoint to Oliver's gloominess and he was a highlight in a less than riveting Suicide Squad episode too.

Girls: Not a bad finale actually. Granted the problem with this show is that the recurring/supporting characters aren't strong enough to give a shit about though so the focus on Adam's weird sister and Hannah's just as weird neighbour becoming parents wasn't too interesting. More interesting was the six month flash forward and the sudden changes for Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna and Jessa, which could be a good sign for next season as well.

Looking: An okay-ish finale. I think the heavy emphasis on both Kevin and Patrick's relationship hitting the skids wasn't the best of ideas to be honest. The problem with this season (in a way) is that their relationship has become slightly less interesting than last season and one I'm hoping one that either the movies does away with altogether or gets back on track. The brighter spots were the Agustin/Eddie and Dom/Doris scenes but they were too few though.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: This season is still ticking over nicely and while the Skye/Inhumans and Real SHIELD plots with Bobbi and Mack are more central now, I did like the diversion of Ward trying to help Agent 33 get her face back while at the same time getting to briefly meet May's ex-husband. That being said though, the divide between Fitz and Simmons is a little sad and I do think Coulson needs to be a bit more objective as well over the Skye storyline. Other than that, the show is still moving along nicely.

Once Upon A Time: I am really enjoying where the last few episodes have been going, While Ursula's storyline was wrapped up a little too quickly, the Queens of Darkness are still oodles of fun to watch and it's been nice to have August back properly into the fold as well. I also like that we know who Maleficent's daughter as well as the Author and the fact that Emma is aware of what her parents have done should provide the working for darkness to creep into her. Oh and does anyone else think Henry has a certain future as well, given what we learned about the Author?

Scandal: Finally, this storyline is done with. I think four episodes of Olivia being kidnapped and potentially sold off was more than enough and having both Abby and a briefly returned Stephen be the ones to save her was a lot more satisfying than either Fitz or Jake doing it. I also really liked that Andrew suffered some consequences for this whole stunt (proving Huck doesn't have to dismember or kill to be dark). The final scene with Olivia and Fitz though in episode 13 was definitely one of the best written and acted moments this season as well.

The Flash: I've really been enjoying this show a lot more than it's parent and the last two episodes (have to catch up with episode 17) have been some of the best ones yet. The whole Reverse flash mystery with Harrison has gotten more and more unpredictable and the return of both Cold and Heatwave (with the former's sister in tow) worked pretty well as did the increased screen time for Cisco and the building development for both Barry and Iris as well. Overall, this show keeps hitting new heights of brilliance.

- Owain Yeoman has been cast as Vartox in the upcoming Supergirl series.
- ABC are considering reviving The Muppets Show.
- NBC are reviving Coach, starring Craig T. Nelson.
- House Of Cards has been renewed for a fourth season.
- Irish viewers can see the second half of Outlander's first season from Tuesday at 11.20pm on RTE2.
- George RR Martin is helping to developing a show named  about a sci-fi writer in 1949 called Captain Cosmos for HBO. Martin has also confirmed he won't be penning an episode for the sixth season of Game Of Thrones.
- New Girl has been renewed for a fifth season.
- Fear The Walking Dead is the name of the spin off for The Walking Dead.
- The final seven episodes of Atlantis's second and last series will air Saturdays at 7.45pm on BBC1 from April 11th.
- Mitch Pileggi and William B. Davis are returning to The X Files.

Looking - Cancelled

Yeah, it's been an interesting week. The X-Files coming back for six episodes, Downton Abbey ending during Christmas and of course, another ending in sight with HBO confirming that the end is nigh for gay drama Looking.

The series, which finished up it's second season (thoughts on that finale in a TV jumble blog next week) on Sunday (or Thursday for SkyAtlantic viewers) will not be returning for a third season, but in a bit of good-ish news, loose ends for the show will be tied up in a movie instead. Details as to when the movie will be made and aired have yet to be confirmed though.

I have to admit that while Looking wasn't exactly event television, it was a great show and one that certainly seemed to be improving for the better. Granted the second season did drag out the Patrick/Kevin drama and Richie was kind of just there at times but it was also a great season for both Dom and Doris's friendship and the Agustin/Eddie relationship was easily the best romantic pairing the show came up. It also helped that as a character, Agustin came leaps and bounds too. With ratings for the show not being particularly impressive, it was somewhat inevitable that HBO would pull the plug on the show. On the plus side, at least there's a movie to look forward to though.

Press Release: http://www.thebacklot.com/hbo-cancelling-looking/03/2015/

The first two seasons of Looking have finished airing on both HBO and SkyAtlantic. I'll post more details on the movie when they become available.

Swinging From The Chandelier

You don't have to be a genius to work out that title, right?

Arrow: I've noticed a lot of criticism for this season and I have to admit that aside from Roy having bugger all to do and Laurel's Canary being arguably a little too quickly done, I've still enjoyed it a lot. Especially the last two episodes with Thea finally in the know about everything (nearly) and Laurel FINALLY telling Quentin about Sara's death. I'll admit there have been some moment where I've found both Oliver and Felicity a tad annoying and the less Vinnie Jones on this show, the better but other than that, it's still be good though.

Girls: Hannah as a teacher is not the daftest plot this show has ever done (see I can compliment the show) but one who encourages her students to get their tongues pierced just proves that she's not someone who should be taken seriously. Keeping with this show's uneven tone, Marnie accepted a proposal from Desi (who is an even duller character than Ray), Hannah's father was revealed as gay (did I miss something there?), Shoshanna's dating some bloke whose name I haven't bothered to remember and Jessa is still just there for some reason.

Glee: Sue's downfall having no actual consequences just proves that Ryan Murphy likes having his baddies unpunished for the most but her and Will's continuous feud is just tedious and has been for a long time. On the plus side - I absolutely loved the return of Jesse (the more Jonathan Groff on TV, the absolute better) and the Sectionals stuff was brilliant. Any episode that gives me songs like We Built This City, Hey Mickey, Take Me To Church and of course, Chandelier is going to be a winner for me. Expect a recap blog for the last two episodes in the next week.

Looking: If Girls can bag a fifth season, then Looking absolutely deserves a third one. It might not be event television in any way shape or form but the writing for this current season has been such a step up. The Halloween episode was hilarious, the episode focusing on Doris attending her father's funeral a season highlight and the Gamer episode also rather fun too. While I'm not as enamoured with Patrick and Kevin as I was in the first season, their scenes are still solid but for me, it's been all about Agustin and Eddie. I hate the whole shipper craze but I'm rooting for those two right about now. As for Dom, he might need a little more to do than open up a restaurant in the final episodes.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: With Agent Carter filling up a void and both Daredevil and AKA Jessica Jones on the way, this show is powering full steam ahead with the Inhumans storyline with Skye and the division it's clearly going to have among the team members as well. This show has improved so much since it's shaky debut and the first two episodes it's aired this year have continued that as well, even if I'm slightly worried about Bobbi and Mac possibly scheming behind Coulson's back though.

Once Upon A Time: Another returning show (good news, UK fans - Netflix UK have all of Seasons 3 and 4 for you to watch now), the Queens of Darkness are a delightful force to be reckoned with and now with Maleficent being revived, I'm hoping for some serious chaos in the next few episodes and for the three of them to screw over Rumple as well (before he does with them). Other than that, I'm liking the Charmings having a dark secret, Regina and Henry continuing their quest for the Author, Belle getting on with things and the potential for Emma to become dark is interesting as well.

Scandal: Finally, SkyLiving are on to those episodes. I've read with interest about the whole Save Olivia Pope storyline and catching up with Run, even I think it's one of the best things that Shonda Rhimes has ever written for her television shows. I'd rather see Olivia save herself than have either Jake or Fitz rescue her but at the same time, it's likely both of them will have a hand in getting her out of her current predicament. This season has been seriously gripping and the next few episodes certainly look like they could be some of the show's best going.

The Flash: I still prefer it to the parent show and it's still one of four of my favourite new US shows in the last six months (you can guess the other three) and the last two episodes have done wonders in advancing the Firestorm plot (nice to see both Ronnie and Martin Stein), given Barry a love interest, Iris an actual journalism job while Joe and Cisco investigated Harrison, Caitlin was her general wonderful self and we had a teleporting villain as well as a brief glimpse of Grood as well. It's certainly been a busy bunch of episodes.

Two Weddings

A roundup of some of the shows I've seen over the last few weeks.

Arrow: I'm on Sky1 pace and the second half of the third season has started well enough. It's nice that we've Oliver actually survive his confrontation with Ras but the sooner his team become privy to that fact, maybe the better. Other than that, the flashbacks have been fairly okay (just realised that Tatsu is actually Katana) and I'm actually enjoying Laurel's slow but gradual evolution as the Canary as well. However the less of Vinnie Jones on my screen the better - as Brick, he's just dreadful. Ray's journey to becoming a hero is also developing nicely enough too.

Broadchurch: Series 2 has largely been a bit too hit and miss for it's own good and while the trial was painfully dragged out and had a terrible result, I did like the community banding together to ex-communicate Joe nonetheless though. On the plus side, at least the Sandbrook stuff got resolved and Hardy and Miller continue to shine as a double act. I'm not sure if commissioning a third series is entirely wise, given how this series struggled but I can also see why ITV might want to keep this show going for a bit longer too.

Girls: In the real world, Adam dumping Hannah for someone who is less annoying (even if she makes pretentiously boring YouTube videos) would be seen as a good thing. In this world, we're supposed to actually sympathise with Hannah, even if yet again, Jessa proved to be an awful friend by her own admission in Adam's new lover. Other than that, there was some witty-ish one liners from Shoshanna and Marnie going on about her dull as ditchwater relationship with the reject from Mumford & Sons. I think Ray might have done something but it's hard to remember, considering he's about as riveting as paint drying.

Glee: The last two episodes have been interesting. First of all, we had the transitioning for Beiste and it was dealt with well enough (even though it's a storyline that deserved more care and preparation with it) and then we had the weddings of Santana/Brittany and Kurt/Blaine, which I actually really enjoyed seeing, even if the latter's could've been a series finale treat. I do think they're forcing the Rachel/Sam pairing though and the absence of Quinn in the wedding episode stuck out like a sore thumb.

Looking: I'm really liking this season a lot. I like that we're seeing some tiny bits of growth with some of the main characters and I like that even though Patrick and Richie are no longer a couple, there's an effort being made to still have them interact in ways that don't feel trite. While the last episode I watched didn't feature Dom, I do like the budding relationship between Agustin and Eddie more than the current one with Patrick/Kevin. Overall, while the show isn't gripping, it has somewhat improved a little this year.

Scandal: Dear show - I've somewhat tired of Olivia, Jake and Fitz. Honestly, Liv could do better than either of them at the moment and eventually one of them (Jake mostly like) is gonna have to stand aside and hopefully sooner than later. Aside from that, the rest of the recent episodes have been good - anything involving Cyrus/Michael, Mellie snapping out of her depression and of course Huck's desperate attempts of interacting with his son too. All of this though feels like it's trundling along until we get to a particular plot thread I've already been spoiled for.

The Flash: Arrow is excellent but The Flash is just that tiny bit better. The last two episodes saw a cold/hot team up of villains resulting in a Prison Break reunion and then we got the introduction of gay villain/eventual good guy, the Pied Piper and while Hartley is a massive jerk, he's also pretty fun to watch as well. I also like that Iris is now a proper journalist (betting she learns Barry's identity by the end of the season) and that there are tiny advancements on Harrison's past as well as Robbie lurking in the shadows as well.

- Calista Flockhart has been cast as Cat Grant, the Anna Wintour style boss for Kara in the upcoming Supergirl series.
- Joel Gretsch has left MTV's Scream series.
- UK viewers will be able to see the sixth season of Community on SonyTV from next month onwards.
- Jonathan Groff will reprise his role of Jesse for the series finale of Glee and an episode prior to it.
- Lucien Laviscount will be regular in the upcoming anthology series, Scream Queens. Also added to the cast are Niecy Nash, Skyler Samuels and Billie Lourd.
- UK drama Dates will air on the CW.
- Cuckoo will get a US remake with YouTube actor Flula Borg in the title role. It'll air on NBC.
- Christina Aguilera will be appearing in multiple episodes of Nashville.
- Jennifer Hudson and Rita Ora will be in the season finale of Empire.
- Lena Dunham will be appearing in an upcoming episode of Scandal.

Continuous Trial

It's been a few weeks but here's a look at some of the shows I've been catching up on.

Broadchurch: I'll admit that the second series has been a bit of bumpy road. On one hand, I'm not sure if it was so wise to try and overextend the aftermath of Danny's death by having Joe Miller do a turnaround and there's only so much of Mark and Beth I can tolerate as characters (i.e increasingly not much) but at the same time, both Alec and Ellie continue to be a fantastic team to watch and the Sandbrook storyline (particularly with the increasingly erratic Claire) has been interesting to watch. After the remaining two episodes air, I'm not sure if the show should come back for a third run and if it does, then it needs to be devoid of Latimer storylines.

Girls: A decent start to the season. The opening episode was fun and while I knew Hannah's time in Iowa wouldn't last the entire season, a part of me was actually surprised that Lena Dunham managed to get at least four episodes out of it before having her character rub her fellow students up the wrong way and eventually quit. Aside from that though, I don't really care that Adam has a new girlfriend or that Marnie is in a crappy relationship with Desi (who is even duller than Ray now) but I've liked both Shoshanna and Jessa in the last few episodes and Ray managed to be slightly interesting for all of one episode, which was unexpected.

Glee: Okay, there's a certain two parter with it's homages to Saw and commentary on Klaine shippers that would happily like to erase from my memory banks and then there was an episode focusing on Brittana that proves when the show actually bothers to make the effort, it can be great viewing. With so little episodes left, the last thing fans want or need are smart arse, unfunny super meta textual episodes. Other than that, it's nice that the show is keen to have Rachel find love again but I'm not sure if they're going about it the right way with her and Sam though.

Looking: It's almost not fair and sort of awesome that SkyAtlantic decided to bring this show back and air it on Thursdays (especially after catching up with Cucumber/Banana/Tofu) and while this isn't a show where a great lot actually happens on a weekly basis, it does feel like there's been a noticeable improvement of sorts with the writing. Agustin is slightly more likeable as a character, Dom and Doris are still their great selves and Patrick (when he's not panicking over bug bites) is actually pretty enjoyable with Kevin. Plus Richie is there too and some of the new characters are working well. Overall, definitely a good step up from the first year.

Scandal: I'll say it - the scenes with Fitz/Jake where the former was convinced the latter murdered his son and somehow both fellas love for Olivia was brought into the mix was some of the most tedious scenes from a series of great episodes. Maybe it's because I don't greatly care for this triangle but those scenes left a bad taste in my mouth for me. Fortunately there has been some great stuff - like Quinn calling out her friends for not noticing her going missing, Olivia and Abby calling a truce to their ongoing feud, Mellie finally deciding to wash herself and the Cyrus/Michael storyline, even if that one is particularly doomed.

- Mehcad Brooks has been cast as Jimmy Olsen for CBS's upcoming Supergirl series starring Melissa Benoist in the title role.
- Milo Ventimiglia will appear as the Ogre/Jason Lennon in the 19th episode of Gotham. He will be an original villain for the series.
- Penny Dreadful will now air on May 3rd and May 5th for US and UK viewers respectively.
- Carrie Anne Moss has join Netflix's AKA Jessica Jones.
- David Morrissey has joined the cast of Extant for it's second season.
- UK viewers will be able to see Outlander courtesy of Amazon Prime Instant Video in the near future.
- Megalyn Echikunwoke will co-star with Bradley James in the upcoming TV version of The Omen.
- Luke Mitchell will take on a role of an Inhuman in an upcoming arc for Agents Of SHIELD.
- Marcia Cross will be guest starring in an episode of Law And Order: SVU later in the month.
- Naya Rivera has bagged a recurring role on Devious Maids as Blanca, a woman whose life could change when she learns a terrible secret.

First Look: Looking - Season 2 Trailer

While the show may not be back until the new year, HBO have released a 30 second tease for the upcoming second season of gay dramady, Looking.

The trailer doesn't actually feature any clips from the upcoming season but is more of a concept trailer with the five main characters in various shades of disco light.

Patrick (Jonathan Groff) - blue light.
Agustin (Frankie J. Álvarez) - red light.
Dom (Murray Bartlett) - purple light.
Kevin (Russell Tovey) - green light.
Richie (Raúl Castillo) - orange light.

It's a fun trailer with Tiga's “(Far From) Home The Speed of Sexor (Reprise)” playing in the background as the boys pose and look all kinds of delicious. I know the first season didn't exactly make for compelling television at times (like Girls, it had issues with not enough diversity and not much actually happening each week) but with the additions of several new characters, including the show's first transgendered character and 10 episodes, hopefully the second season will be made of stronger stuff.

Season 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ott9VndhVEo

Looking's second season will air Sundays at 10pm on HBO from January 11th. SkyAtlantic will air it shortly afterwards for UK viewers.

Looking - Season 2 Spoilers

While filming for the second season of HBO's drama, Looking has yet to begin filming, spoilers have finally started to emerge about what viewers can expect for Patrick, Agustin and Dom.

So here's a breakdown of what to expect (so far) for year two of the series ....

- Season 2 will comprise of 10 episodes.
- Lauren Weedman (Doris) has become a full time cast member along with Russell Tovey (Kevin) and Raul Castillo (Richie).
- The show will be adding more diversity to the cast as well with new characters such as Malik, an African-American staffer in the mayor’s office; Sammie, a trans man who lives at the shelter where Agustin gets a job; and Brady, Richie’s new redhead boyfriend.
- Casting for these characters have yet to be announced though.

While these are only some rather tiny spoilers, they are at least something to go on. It also seems that the producers took on board the criticisms over a lack of diversity in the cast (though in fairness, Looking's first season did marginally better there compared to three seasons of Girls) and the cast themselves did reveal some tiny tidbits at the recent Outfest panel - Inside Looking about the upcoming season. I know the show's first season was more solid/okay than amazing but I am enthused for the second season having read these spoilers.

Outfest Panel Interviews: http://www.thebacklot.com/looking-at-outfest-jonathan-groff-gang-give-season-2-scoop/07/2014/
Season 2 Info: http://www.newnownext.com/looking-gets-new-cast-members-adds-diversity-for-season-2/07/2014/

Filming for Looking's second season will begin later in the year with transmission due on HBO and SkyAtlantic in early 2015.

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.