The X Factor UK Bags A Winner, US Bags Controversy

And we have a winner at long last. Anyone not see this victory coming a mile off?

I called it a few weeks and during last night's overlong finale (really, two hours is not justified, especially some of those hours mean that we had to put up with Westlife and Michael Buble), Little Mix were finally declared the winners with a cover of Damien Rice's Cannonball being their Christmas single. Personally I would've rathered their version of Silent Night or Don't Let Go. It's nice that a group finally won it after eight series and out of the judges, Tulisa irritated me the least. Whether or not these girls have a bright future ahead or will be a flash in the pan remains to be seen though. The less good news about the finale was that it was 3.5 million viewers down from last year. Have viewers finally tired of The X Factor or is this press just overreacting to ratings like they've done with Coronation Street and Doctor Who this year?

Meanwhile the US X Factor has finally generated something worth talking about with the surprise axing of Rachel Crowe (even I didn't see it coming) when Nicole Scherzinger put the girl's fate to deadlock. Rachel's axing was surprising and seeing her meltdown wasn't pleasant but she'll get over it and those idiots out there calling for Nicole's head need to lighten up and realise it's only a TV show after all. Nicole hasn't endeared herself as a judge but I'm not sure she deserves to lose her job because of this either.

My Review of Dexter's 6x10: "Ricochet Rabbit"

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

Dexter: “Travis is the only Doomsday killer and I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

At this point in time, mistakes like Travis are not ones you should be making. Did you not learn anything about Trinity after all? Then again, even I was convinced that Travis had a glimmer of redemption until the end of the previous episode revealed that Gellar had been dead and Travis was the Doomsday killer after all.

As a twist, it was a rather unsatisfying end and as Travis is the main killer, I wish I didn’t have to say this but I’m disappointed. I was hoping this religious fanaticism with the main big bad this year would offer something innovative to the show but as an enemy, Travis is now a bigger letdown than the Skinner was back in the third season.

Travis even couldn’t keep Dexter as a hostage and spent more time getting actively annoyed that Dexter was tampering with his blog than actually trying to catch Dexter himself, who let’s be honest was a bigger mistake for Travis than his releasing of Holly a few episodes back.

Speaking of Holly, the poor girl ended up having to suffer Travis’s wrath again when the madman and two newly acquired disciples held the woman captive on their boat before Travis ended up killing her. On the plus, at least one of those irritating followers of Travis wound up dead courtesy of Dexter.

Did I feel a glimmer of sympathy for Steve Dorsey when Dexter killed him? I most certainly did not. All Steve and his wife Beth did was serve as a horrible reminder that deranged whackos like Travis can actually inspire a following and while Beth showed some reticence over killing Holly, it was extremely difficult to sympathise with her either. Plus both Steve and Beth are complicit with Travis’s little Wormwood plan (an explosive of sorts) for his next masterpiece.

It also doesn’t look good for Angel who made the mistake of visiting Beth without back up (damn you, Quinn) and wounded up being knocked out by Travis. I wonder if this means that Travis will actually get a chance to kill someone from Miami Metro. I really don’t want Angel to die though. Why can’t Travis kill Quinn instead? Surely god-fearing psychos must have a stance against grade A incompetence, right?

If they do, then Quinn is a perfect candidate for a tableau. Let’s face it, it’s like the writers have given up trying to make viewers like him and have opted for him to spend this episode mostly drunk and unhelpful through and through. At this point, unless the writers don’t buck up their ideas, there really is no point to Quinn at all as a character on this show. I say kill him off once and for all. Maybe in death he’ll be useful than he is right now.

Speaking of useful, Deb’s latest therapy session seemed to be more productive than the one from the previous episode. Maybe because here it didn’t feel like Michelle was judging and also because Deb seemed to make another breakthrough about her relationship with Dexter. Dexter is Deb’s safe place – I got it but their relationship has also been changing for the last bit now. Maybe it’s time for Deb to find another safe place.

As for the whole debacle with Matthews and the dead prostitute, why do I still get the horrible feeling that will be Deb who ends up paying the price for this? By finding out that Tom was the last person to see Jessica alive; Deb has placed herself in an unenviable position. I’m beginning to think that by actually like a professional in this show, you suffer more than being incompetent. That can’t be right though.

Last but not least – Louis, you idiot. The last thing you should do is go to a man whose wife died at the hands of a serial killer and tell him about a computer game where you can be a serial killer as a player, even if the same man in question happens to be a serial killer. The writers missed an obvious emotional beat response when Dexter didn’t handle Louis’s game idea very well but I didn’t forget.

Also the thing with Louis – I can’t help but think his obsession with serial killers could go either two ways next series (assuming he’s in it). It could go that Louis ends up becoming a copycat killer or he ends up becoming the victim of a serial killer (not Dexter) but either way, I’m not sure if his hobby is going to remain simply harmless. By saying that, that also makes me worried for Jamie as well.

Also in “Ricochet Rabbit”

The title for this episode comes from the name of Holly’s boyfriend’s boat. The boyfriend in question was in Spain at the time.

Travis: “I proved it to you that you couldn’t be hurt.”
Gellar: “You stabbed me with a sword three years ago.”

Before his death, Gellar had told Travis to get professional help. It turns out that Travis really is the more fanatical of the two.

Dexter: “Maybe you’re pregnant.”
Deb: “First of all, fuck you and second of all, that would be the immaculate fucking conception since I haven’t been with anyone since Quinn and lastly, fuck you.”

Dexter (re Travis): “He’s been a monster from the start. He’s been using Gellar to justify his kills.”

As well as his sister, it also has turned out that Travis has murdered his parents as well in a car crash.

Michelle (re safe place): “Do you think it’s weird?”
Deb: “Not really, he’s my brother. I think it’s weird.”

Louis (re computer game): “What do you think?”
Dexter: “I think this is offensive. Who would choose to be a serial killer?”

Funnily enough, there was a Dexter game out a couple of years ago. Oh and I loved the call back to “Seeing Red” in this episode too with Deb’s freak out in the church.

Beth (re Angel): “What are we gonna do? He’s a cop.”
Travis: “He doesn’t enforce God’s law. We do.”

Harry: “When are you gonna let this go?”
Dexter: “When I kill Travis.”

Chronology: From where “Get Gellar” left off and it’s four days until the end of the world.

It’s usually at this point in the season where the ante feels well and truly upped but apart from Angel being in the firing line, there’s not much in “Ricochet Rabbit” that really feels eventful. Gellar has now felt like a waste of time as a potential threat and as the actual threat, Travis isn’t cutting it I’m afraid. I hope the final two can deliver though.

Rating: 6 out of 10

The Bicentennial Of Charles Dickens

February 2012 will make the bicentennial of Charles Dickens and the BBC are certainly getting into the spirit already. With various documentaries slated for BBC4 over the Christmas, there's also at least three of his novels have been adapated to air over the next month ....

The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff

Starring: Robert Webb, Katherine Parkinson, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Johnny Vegas.
Synopsis: Jedrington owns the bleak shop of stuff and finds himself and his family evicted on Christmas Eve and is forced into a debtor's prison. He does however receive help from the Artful Codger of all people. Be warned, it's something of a parody this one.
Airing: December 19th, 8.30pm on BBC2. Three other episodes to air in January, times/dates to be confirmed.

Great Expectations

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Ray Winstone, David Suchet, Douglas Booth, Claire Rushbook, Shaun Dooley.
Synopsis: Pip is brought up by his sister and her husband but soon becomes company for Estrella, the adopted daughter of Mrs Haversham, a woman who has a thing for sabotaging happiness, due to her own past rejection.
Airing: December 27th-29th, 9pm on BBC1 for three episodes.

The Mystery Of Edwin Drood

Starring: Matthew Rhys, Freddie Fox, Tamsin Merchant, Alun Armstrong, Ron Cook.
Synopsis: Choirmaster and secret opium user, John Jasper lusts for Rosa Bud, the woman that his nephew's love interest. When Edwin winds up dead, there can only be one person to blame. This was Dickens last novel and therefore uncompleted, so we never find out who the killer is, though one suspects it's the most obvious of culprits.
Airing: January 10th and 11th at 9pm for two episodes on BBC2. This was originally meant for BBC4.

I have to admit it's an interesting list of stories to adapt but there's a part of me that wonders if they all need to be two-parters/three-parters/four-parters instead of the usual 90 minute/two hour thing. It might have meant more than three novel adaptations. Still, it's a good way of celebrating one of the most influential writers on TV and now it makes perfect sense that Simon Callow reprised his Dickens role in The Wedding Of River Song recently.

Sherlock - Season 2 Cast Pictures

It's been over a year since the first series but with repeats and countless award nominations and wins, the second series of Sherlock is only a month away and here are some cast pictures.

Andrew Scott oozes more sinister looks as the immoral Jim Moriarty and the best part is that he's supposed to have a bigger role this series than the previous. Good - I want more Sherlock/Moriarty interactions.

One of the first cast pictures of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Watson together. I wonder who's left the smiley face on the wall.

Oh look it's Irene Adler. When she's not playing treacherous sisters, fairy godmothers and spies, Lara Pulver has been drafted in as presumably one of the few women who gets to be a little closer to Sherlock than he's comfortable with. Should be interesting to see Sherlock/Irene's interaction.

One more cast shot with Sherlock, Watson, Moriarty and Irene as well as the visual hints of what the stories are for Series 2 - A Scandal In Belgravia (Steven Moffat/Paul McGuigan), The Hounds Of Baskerville (Mark Gatiss/Paul McGuigan) and The Reichenback Fall (Steve Thomspon/Toby Haynes).

Sherlock Series 2 begins on BBC1 on January 1st 2012 at 8.10pm.

Downton Abbey - Season 2 Review

Well, the Christmas special is less than three weeks away and the second and somewhat divisive season has been recently released on DVD, so here's a rundown of each episode from the second year. Careful, there are some spoilers here.

Episode 1: Another lengthy opener dealing with the events of World War 1, in particular with both Matthew and Thomas in the trenches and Robert's frustration of not having an active role there. There was also the unwelcome arrival of Vera, who managed to cause upset with Bates and Anna, a stroppy new maid in Ethel while Mary, Edith and Sybil all find their own roles in the current climate. November 1916.

Episode 2: I liked the arrival of Lang, who showed us the true side of surviving war and even Edith's brief dalliance with a married man she was helping out was certainly interesting in light of her actions of the first year. Of course, this was also the episode that introduced the not so nice Carlisle as well into the mix but he was better than the somewhat dull Lavinia. April 1917.

Episode 3: Isobel has turned Downton into a hospital and Ethel's gotten herself rather familiar with one of the visiting soldiers there as well. Also it didn't Anna that long to find out where Bates was hiding and Lang also left in this one. July 1917.

Episode 4: Weakest episode for me to be honest. The whole 'missing' thing with both Matthew and William felt like a cop out and the Cora vs. Isobel antics over the running of the hospital in Downton got a little tedious to watch. Ethel's plot however was a bit of an improvement on this episode. 1918.

Episode 5: Ethel might have left Downton but she still has Mrs Hughes helping her out in the current circumstances and the writers weren't subtle with the attraction between new maid Jane and Robert either. Of course, this was more eventful with the death of two characters and a bedside wedding for Daisy and William as Mary putting her fate in Carlisle's hands. August 1918.

Episode 6: Robert writes a letter to the father of Ethel's child and discovers that the soldier has passed away, Carlisle tries to get Carson as a butler for a home he wants to move in with Mary and the dead heir from the first episode isn't so dead after all. November 1918.

Episode 7: Thomas proves that if The Apprentice existed back in the 1910's, he would be the first person fired from it, Sybil/Branson finally get together, Robert gives into temptation and Carlisle shows his unpleasant side and Matthew continues to make a recovery. November 1918.

Episode 8: It's time for the Spanish Flu to afflict three people and kill the most obvious candidate in question and once again, the chance of Anna and Bates actually being happy is squandered again and Downton loses another maid while Ethel tells her child's grandparents to do one. Well, sort of. April 1919.

Overall, not quite as good as the first season. The show needs to loosen up with the obstacles between both Anna/Bates and Mary/Matthew before it runs the risk of viewers losing interest in both couples. Still though, the show did have many highlights including it's depiction of the first World War, Violet's witty barbs and having mostly interesting new characters as well slightly developing others.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

The X Factor 2011 - Final Three

Okay, so Misha B's been kicked out and we've been left with these final three people for The X Factor 2011.

Amelia Lily: I like her but I'm not crazy about her, though Gary's comments on her shouting her songs are sounding increasingly ridiculous. I'm not sure I'd like to see her win the show though. That being said, she's been a strong enough performer and if the show was ever going to bring back someone in the first week, Amelia was always going to be the wisest choice.

Little Mix: Tulisa - please stop harping on about them being like regular girls/best friends/etc. If I was going to vote for them, I'd do it on the basis that I actually enjoy them musically. Actually, I do like them and it might be nice to see a group win for once.

Marcus Collins: I like him, he's definitely been the best of a dire bunch of lads we've had this year. Whether or not he wins though is up in the air. I don't think I could take Gary's ego if he did win but at the same time, Marcus is an all rounder, performance wise. Then again, it really doesn't matter who wins because all three of them (plus Janet and Misha B no doubt) will have released singles and albums by 2012 anyways.

The X Factor final airs Saturday and Sunday at 8pm on ITV1/TV3.

My Review of Dexter's 6x09: "Get Gellar"

Written by Karen Campbell
Directed by Seith Mann

Dexter: “Gellar. He’s been dead all along. Did Travis act alone? Did Travis kill all those people?”

Oh crap – they actually went there. I was really, really hoping that Gellar was actually real and instead, he’s a dead man in a freezer and it’s been Travis who has been the Doomsday Killer all along. I suppose I should’ve seen this coming but I was really hoping that Gellar was alive.

Though it does explain how lifeless Edward James Olmos’s performances have been all this season – he’s been playing a figment of Travis’s imagination and in life; Gellar was hardly fun a minute. Travis must have been the student that made Gellar suffer for his beliefs. I do hope there’s a flashback in one of the last three episodes showing us how Gellar died.

Travis talked about Gellar being influential to him and it made sense that he killed him. He did manage to fool Dexter long enough in this episode with the goose chases the latter went on in order to find Gellar, including the one where Dexter was heralded as a false prophet. Now Dexter better hope there’s a way out before he winds up on Travis’s next tableau and fast.

Travis did manage to get in another kill this week with Trent Casey. The blood coming from the ceiling was a pretty nifty and gross thing to do to Miami Metro but it certainly had the desired effect in freaking Deb and her team out rather well. Still though, it’s nice to see that Deb made it her business to try and further track down the idiots who were commenting on Gellar’s doomsday blog as well.

It’s not the only bout of professionalism Deb undertook in this episode. She even went one better and reopened Jessica’s case in spite of Maria’s warnings. I’m glad this show decided to quickly reveal that Matthews was responsible for Jessica’s death but Deb better not suffer as a result of his incompetence, though I have a horrible feeling her professionalism could cost her being a lieutenant.

As for her meetings with the shrink – they really annoyed me this week. I don’t think Michelle was being that professional with some of the comments Deb made. Yes, Deb has made some bad romantic choices and maybe her dynamic with Dexter needed assessing but Michelle made it sound like everything was Deb’s fault. It certainly wasn’t Deb’s fault that her father largely ignored her after her mother’s death, that’s for sure.

Still, at least Deb is trying to tackle her problems and she did manage to make things up with Dexter (who rightfully apologised to her for the previous episode), so there’s a start. Personally though, I think the shrink was being far too harsh on Deb but maybe that’s my own bias for the character seeping out again.

Speaking of bias, yes, I’ve grown bored of both Angel and Quinn this season. Quinn needs to get over himself. Yes, he got jilted but being even more reckless than usual and taking cheap shots at Angel has become tiresome to watch. Even their fisticuffs was more fast forward worthy than actually being entertaining.

And then there’s Angel as well. I get that things have gone for him – another divorce, no promotion, etc but sticking his nose into his sister’s love life and scrapping with Quinn isn’t going to make things any better. It’s amazing that as these two seem to be losing the plot; Masuka is the mature one of the bunch.

Even though Masuka is probably one of the last few people I’d take dating advice from, the pointers he gave to Louis about Jamie seemed to be on the mark. I guess maybe Masuka is a lot smarter at times than he’s given credit for because his advice seemed to work well when it came to Louis and Jamie.

However the reveal of Louis owning the mannequin hand from the Ice Truck Killer is now worrying. I guess it was too much to ask that he’d be a normal computer geek. I wonder if the writers are setting something up for next season with Louis and that hand because it almost seems too late to have him strike out now. On the other hand, a fanatical Louis could be more interesting than the Doomsday stuff right about now.

Also in “Get Gellar”

Is it really that shocking that Dexter’s motives for trying to get rid of Travis’s dark passenger so he could be a better dad to Harrison? Probably not but it was never going to work.

Harry: “What’s this about Dexter?”
Dexter: “It’s what Brother Sam would’ve wanted.”
Harry: “Are you sure this is about Brother Sam?”
Dexter: “I know what I’m doing.”

I wonder if anyone of Brother Sam’s flock are going to report Nick being missing? Also for that matter, are we going to get an update on Clarissa as well?

Angel: “You look confused.”
Dexter: “Your sister ever say anything that absolutely makes no sense whatsoever?”
Angel: “All the time.”

Dexter: “I hate to root against my own team but I want a shot at Gellar first.”

Harrison was offering cookies to his playgroup in this episode. Maybe it’s Jamie’s influence but it’s a step up from scratching kids from last season.

Travis (re Casey’s death): “This is all my fault.”
Dexter (to himself): “Travis is proving to be my penance.”

Deb (to Michelle): “I’m not sure I believe in God but I’m pretty sure he hates me.”

Deb/Dexter’s relationship got compared to both chairs and tables with the latter being described as a chair. Chairs are mostly dependable, aren’t they?

Dexter: “Are we okay?”
Deb: “I have no idea if you are. I’m sure not but I’m working on it.”

Gellar (to Travis): “God has given you so many chances and you disappoint him time after time.”

Chronology: From where “Sins Of Omission” left off.

I was disappointed with “Get Gellar”. It should’ve been better, it should’ve shocking and game changing and while the season has improved, I hate to admit it but the Doomsday plot is actually rather boring. Travis is an even lamer villain than the Skinner and we all know he wasn’t an interesting character. Hopefully the final few episodes give the show a boost and up the ante.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Doctor Who - Christmas 2011 Promotional Pictures

And with three weeks to go, here's some promotional pictures for The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe ....

A cast shot of the Doctor, Lily, Madge and Cyril as they all seem to have fallen into a Narnia type world during this Christmas special. Moffat has been promising that this year's Christmas special will be extra Christmassy and Matt Smith has commented on it being rather character driven.

Bill Bailey will be appearing as Mysterious Harvester Droxil in this episode along with Arabella Weir playing Bilis and Paul Bazely as Ven-Garr. I'm not sure if they're ally or foe to the Doctor and the Arwells but they could be a threat to those woodland creatures we saw in the trailer.

Madge Arwell, playing by Claire Skinner will be another one of those people that the Doctor has encountered more than once. She saves his life in 1938 and three years later, he returns the favour by trying to give her and her children the best Christmas ever. I have a feeling he's going to succeed.
Reg Arwell is played by Alexander Armstrong, already known as the voice of Mr Smith in The Sarah Jane Adventures and The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. I have a feeling that his character is going to ensure that Madge technically doesn't live up to the widow bit of this Christmas special after all.

More Pictures: http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/12/dwn031211145508-christmas-special.html

The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe airs on Christmas Day, 7pm on BBC1.

My Review of Ringer's 1x10: "That's What You Get For Trying To Kill Me"

Written by Eric Charmelo And Nicole Snyder
Directed by Stuart Gillard

Gemma: “That’s what you get for trying to kill me.”
Charlie: “How are you even alive?”
Gemma: “You’ve got bad aim.”

Unfortunately for Gemma though, Charlie/John’s aim managed to improve significantly when she tried to drive away to freedom. I guess after ten episodes, we had to lose a character that mattered and whose death could have consequences for most of the main characters left – namely Siobhan, Bridget and Henry.

I’m going to miss Gemma as a character. Tara Summers didn’t have a lot to work with but she did the best she could and managed to make Gemma likeable enough for her death to matter. I was hoping that Gemma was going to escape from Charlie/John and now sadly she didn’t. On the plus side, at least Charlie/John actually paid for killing Gemma, courtesy of Siobhan.

I have to admit that it’s a little too late for Siobhan to pretend she gave a shit about her best friend but there was something gloriously satisfying in watching her take out her glorified babysitter. Now this is a treacherous side of Siobhan I could get behind. I mean, I liked Charlie/John as a villain but I also liked that Siobhan was the one to take him out.

Siobhan showing some distraught over Gemma’s death doesn’t do anything to erase the fact that she was overall responsible for her friend’s fate though. While both Bridget and Henry both tried to get Gemma out of danger this week, it was Siobhan who put Gemma in more danger by underestimating Charlie/John though.

Of course, if I was hoping that Siobhan would’ve learned that her feminine wiles can go only so far with manipulating men, then I was in for a letdown. Still, I have to admire the fact that she managed to manipulate Tyler into thinking that he was the father of her unborn baby and that Andrew was physically abusing her. Then again I don’t because Tyler really does seem to come across as that gullible.

I don’t even know why Siobhan bothered in bruising herself. I think if she had just put on the tears, Tyler still would’ve fallen for anything she had said but the biggest game changer now seems to be more the fact that after killing Charlie/John she decided to remain in New York. Isn’t that a bit odd considering the lengths she went to get Bridget to take her place?

One of the slight disappointing things about this episode was that I was hoping we would finally get a hint as to what Siobhan is up to and sadly this episode failed on that count. Still, odd as it is that she’s returned to New York, I am interested in seeing what exactly she’s going to get up to in the second half of the season now that she’s nearer her old life again.

As for Bridget – now there’s a true friend. She tried her damndest to rescue Gemma (who sadly died thinking Bridget had done this to her) and even confessed to Andrew that her friend was being held prisoner by Charlie/John and even cried real tears when Andrew told her that Gemma had been killed. There was no way that Bridget was faking any of that, was she?

As for Bridget and Andrew, this was quite the episode for them. For viewers and even for Bridget, it was the first time she slept with him and it was also Andrew and Siobhan’s anniversary. You don’t have to be a genius to see that Bridget is falling for Andrew big time and nor do you have to be one to see that worries Malcolm too. Malcolm has a point though and it’s one that Bridget’s ignoring as well.

Speaking of Bridget and Malcolm, them working together as a team to thwart Charlie/John and rescue Gemma though was fun to watch. Also this episode more or less indicated that they’ll be further investigating into Siobhan’s connection with Charlie/John, which could spell some massive trouble for Siobhan in the second half of the season as well.

Keeping with the investigating, I nearly bowled over with Victor actually being competent for once. I loved that he finally realised that Jimmy had known more about Bridget’s disappearance and about a man of Bodaway’s known as the Matador as well and tricked him in exposing himself. If Victor keeps this up, he might actually get a solid lead on Bridget/Siobhan after all.

Oh and while we’re talking about Victor, I really hope he wasn’t lying about Mary Curtis being more than an informant. I was looking forward to seeing Amber Benson on this show (she really does need to pick more high profile gigs though) and despite the fact she was rather underused and wound up playing a dead character again, she was a joy to watch as well.

As for Juliet and Mr Carpenter – what the hell just happened there? Did he actually rape her or was she making it up? It is sadly hard to tell because she did look genuinely distraught and was left alone with him, yet he did seem to be uninterested in her sexually. I hope this is one mystery that isn’t dredged out for too long.

Last but not least, if I have to moan about someone, I am going to moan about Henry. It’s not the actor’s fault but the character is damn annoying and this week he annoyed me more. Sure contacting the police was believable over Gemma’s kidnapping but maybe he should’ve actually listened to Bridget on this one.

Also in “That’s What You Get For Trying To Kill Me”

Andrew really does know how to woo a woman doesn’t he? I can see why Bridget is falling for the guy.

Andrew: “Can you believe it’s six years? Feels like -”
Bridget: “- Six weeks.”

Juliet managed to reference both Twilight and Big Brother in this episode in a rather clumsy sort of way.

Malcolm: “Anniversary?”
Bridget: “Six years already. Can you believe it?”

Siobhan (re Gemma): “John, if you hurt her, I swear.”
Charlie/John: “Oh, would you spare me? I think it’s a little too late to pretend to give a damn about her.”
Siobhan: “She’s my friend.”
Charlie/John: “Yeah, I hate to see how you treat your enemies.”

Mary mentioned to Victor in her flashback scene that she missed Bridget. I do hope we get some flashbacks to Bridget during her stripping days.

Mary: “Don’t sweet talk a sweet talker Vic. I’m just a blabbermouth stripper, don’t pretend I’m anything else.”

Bridget: “I’m begging you.”
Charlie/John: “Sorry Siobhan. My good will is all maxed out.”

Standout music: Adele’s “Rumour Has It” that played at the end of the episode.

Jimmy: “Sorry, Vic, I didn’t want it to come to this.”
Victor: “Oh no it won’t. I’ve had two agents tailing me ever since we spoke this morning.”

Charlie/John: “Besides you said so yourself. You need me.”
Siobhan: “I don’t. You’re a glorified babysitter who got too expensive.”

Chronology: Six weeks since “Pilot” according to Bridget and the show is back on the CW from January 10th.

As a mid-season finale went, “That’s What You Get For Trying To Kill Me” certainly made the right noises. It’s going to be interesting to see where this show can go in the second half and how much longer Bridget/Siobhan can be kept apart or even what Bodaway plans to do next, seeing as he’s been quiet for a while.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Soap Discussion - November 2011

Last blog for the month, so it's a soapy one ...

Coronation Street: I think I've had it with this show. There hasn't been much of an exciting plot for weeks now, even since Stape breathed his last. Ciaran and Michelle came back, the former blew their wedding fund away and both of them left just as promptly. Not really a bad thing but it seemed almost pointless them returning. Similarly, the whole Sally vs. Fiz fiasco isn't all that fun either or the Amber/Sophie/Sian triangle but on the plus side, at least the writers have finally gotten rid of Chris and given Dennis a storyline but either way, it feels like the show is treading water at the moment.

EastEnders: Arguably this show's strongest month. I mean, don't get me wrong - Yusef needs to go and I'm of the persuasion that Christian and Syed should never get back together and Amira needs to do one, but the stuff with Amy's near death experience, Tanya's cancer coming to the fore for everyone, the arrival of Derek Branning, Phil being blackmailed (I think it's Denise) and the deepening of Janine and Michael's strange relationship certainly gave this show it's strongest performances in a long while.

Emmerdale: Question - is Cain actively trying to alienate himself from the entire village and make enemies en masse? Answer: Er, yes. Unfortunately that just makes Cain aggravating to watch rather than enjoying him as a bad boy. His relentless campaign to break up Charity and Jai has gone on long enough and even I'm finding increasingly impluasible that nearly every female character finds him irresistible - Moira and Priya being the latest two to succumb to his odious charms. And the less said about Amy's traumatic giving birth and Marlon/Laurel's badly thought out affair the better.

Fair City: Another deathly dull month. Tommy and Jo has been exposed and two families are at loggerheads - big whoop. Similarly grating is Orla's further desperate attempts to improve her rubbish financial position by failing to get Leo as a sugar daddy of sorts. I don't even think this show is trying anymore. At least The Republic Of Telly are having fun at this show's expense.

Hollyoaks: Surprisingly, even with the Silas plot being resolved and Gilly finally admitting that he raped Jacqui, this has been a solid month for the show. Warren's growing paranoia over Brendan's disappearance has been amusing to watch, Joel has potential to be a decent character and the band of freshers have become more of an improvement to watch, even if Ethan running over Rob didn't feel as dramatic as it could've been. Plus I do like the set up for Jason's imminent departure and Mitzeee continues to be a bright spark as well on the show. Overall, good stuff.

A Geek Joke Too Far

Sorry, I know I was meant to get this done during the weekend, but I ended up getting caught up with some other things but here's my second TV jumble.

Grey's Anatomy: I've always had a love/hate relationship with this show - the actors are brilliant but the characters are often badly/inanely written and most of the time, this show comes across as chick-lit set in a hospital. If the first few episodes of the eighth season are anything to go, by maybe it's time ABC decided to bring this show to an end because the episode where a bunch of geeks attending a sci-fi conversation had every offensive cliche chucked out for any geek's belittlement. Thanks, Shonda Rhymes. You really are the producers who keeps on giving - rubbish!

Him And Her: This show has started to improve quite massively, despite the fact that apart from Steve and Becky, I actually don't like most of the other characters. Laura and Paul especially are two horrible individuals, who I wouldn't mind chucking in front of a bus and Dan is the type of person I hope I'd never have for a neighbour. Actually, only poor Shelly seems the most sympathetic character from the entire show and she seems to be belittled (mostly by Laura) at nearly every turn. Still, the episodes surrounding Steve and Becky's parents and a fight between Paul and some unseen fella does show that the quality of the show has picked up from it's less than impressive first year.

Pan Am: This show can't seem to do right for doing wrong. Not only does it look like it's going to be a one season wonder for ABC, but most critics seem to be taking joy in pointing out that it's not as good as Mad Men (I can think of 20 shows more enjoyable than that one). The last two episodes centring on the girls antics in both Berlin and Jakarta were amusing though. I'm going to enjoy this show while it lasts. I have to catch up with episodes five and six on Thursday.

The X Factor: Damn it, Janet. You leave and I feel bad for you. I blame Twitter. Some people are a bit too nasty (and no, Alan Sugar, contestants aren't axed because you don't like them) on there but like Craig the week before, Janet messed up and unfortunately for herself got the boot in the process. So I guess, it's gonna be a Marcus or a Little Mix win. Misha B might be talented but I can see her going next week and I'm not sure if Amelia can win (though she's a dead cert for the last week).

- Justin Hartley will be guest starring in the same episode of Castle as Hilarie Burton, playing her character's boyfriend.
- Hart Of Dixie will air for UK viewers on Really while Alcatraz will air on Watch. Both shows will air over here in early 2012.
- Will Young, Jessie J, Will I Am and Tom Jones are rumoured to be the judging panel for the UK version of The Voice, set to air in January 2012.
- Jennie Garth will star in ABC Family pilot, Village People, playing a career woman who adopts a baby.
- Frances Sternhagon will be appearing in Parenthood, playing the mother of Zeke.

My Review of Dexter's 6x08: "Sins Of Omission"

Written by Arika Lisanne Mittman
Directed by Ernest Dickerson

Deb: “Oh, Jesus, are all brothers assholes?”
Michelle: “Who are you talking about?”

I’ve asked that question about my own siblings from time to time (I’m joking – don’t shoot) but I have to admit, I really felt for Deb in this one. Twice she tried to reach out to Dexter and twice he threw it back in her face. Dexter’s an awesome character but yeah, he really does treat Deb like shit at times.

If he’s not sabotaging some of Miami Metro’s cases so he add more slides to his collection, he’s blatantly lying to Deb and creating more problems for her. Even Dexter can’t use his social ineptitude to get him out of the crappy way he treated Deb tonight. Would it have really killed him to have spent a few hours with his sister?

What makes me laugh is for all the problems Deb has ever dumped on Dexter, she is actually the model sister and I thought her therapist was being a little silly in assuming that Deb doesn’t always let Dexter get things off his chest. Anyways, even if there was some truth in it, Deb did her best to try and be there for Dexter.

When she got annoyed with him for visiting Jonah in Nebraska, it was because she felt that Dexter didn’t give her the option to try and let her be there for him and I have to admit, I did side with Deb there. Even with the dinner, she was trying to reach out to him and Dexter didn’t give her a chance.

It’s not that I don’t understand why Dexter keeps Deb at arm’s length but surely, he’s got to realise that by doing it continuously at this point (and especially now that she’s his boss), it’s going more rather than less problems for him in the long run. Also I enjoy Dexter and Deb’s rapport and I don’t want to see them being at odds with each for a prolonged period of time.

Continuing with the Deb storylines of the week, it’s nice to see her continued dedication with the dead prostitute and I liked that she wasn’t initially dissuaded by Maria as well trying to close the case. The difference between Deb and Maria is that Deb actually cares whereas to Maria, that girl was just another statistic and she was also desperately trying to cover the death up.

I wonder who Maria is trying bail out though. I have a feeling it’s Matthews but wouldn’t Maria just use this to get him out of her hair, once and for all? It’d be very much in character for Maria but again, I could be wrong and it could be someone else that she’s covering for but honestly Matthews does seem the likeliest of candidates.

Also, speaking of murder – of course Lisa was going to wind up becoming the whore of Babylon. Gellar (or was it really Travis?) going after her was always going to happen and his determination to get Travis back on side resulted in a little kidnapping this week too.

I felt bad for Lisa. She loved her brother and because she had a brief conversation with Deb, she ended up becoming a Doomsday Killer victim. By that turn, I also felt bad for Deb again who blamed herself for Lisa’s death. Not your fault, Deb. By Travis’s furious reaction to his sister’s death, maybe Gellar is real after all. This show would want to finally put that little mystery to rest.

Dexter and Travis as a team, determined to take down Gellar could be a lot of fun to watch as well. Travis for all his horrible acts has finally seen the light when it comes to his mentor and Dexter is finally taking his own proactive steps in actually trying to take Gellar down as well. For me, this also means the season is finally moving forward in a big way as well.

Of course not everything about this episode made for great viewing. Quinn getting drunk in a strip with Masuka was a plot point, I could’ve done without and similarly, Angel interfering in Jamie’s relationship with Louis was another pointless storyline. I don’t know what Angel’s problem is – Louis seems like a nice enough fella and Jamie’s an adult. Maybe he should concentrate on his own love life rather than sabotaging his sister’s.

Also in “Sins Of Omission”

Lisa’s body had no numbers on it when it was discovered, which led Deb and company to believe that Gellar did it himself, rather than Travis.

Travis: “You said I was free.”
Gellar: “And you are. I can’t say I’m impressed with what you’ve done with your freedom.”

It was nice that we got to see Brother Sam’s funeral briefly in this episode and that some people have noticed Nick’s disappearance. That’s not so good for Dexter though.

Dexter (re Gellar): “I can help you, Travis. I can get him out of your life for good. The police will never know about you. You just have to help me find him.”

Dexter (to himself): “Children should trust that when we put them to bed at night they should live to see another day. Adults are not always so fortunate.”

We met Father Nicholas Galway in this episode and I noticed that he was played by William Morgan Sheppard. Surely that must mean another Sheppard should pop up in this show at some point?

Deb: “LaGuerta’s being weird?”
Dexter: “Weird how?”
Deb: “She’s being helpful.”

Travis: “What do you want?”
Gellar: “Penance to cleanse your soul. It’s not your fault, Travis. The devil comes in many forms.”

Maria talked about the com stats meeting being worse for both her and Deb. If one of them loses their job, I know who I’d rather it would be.

Dexter: “I’ve killed people.”
Father Galway: “Continue.”
Dexter: “A lot of people.”

Travis (to Dexter, re Gellar): “I’ll help you. I’ll help you kill him.”

Chronology: A bit from where “Nebraska” left off.

I enjoyed this one a lot. For me, “Sins Of Omission” continue to show that this season has improved greatly from it’s shaky start and while Gellar is still lacking as an antagonist, I am somewhat intrigued by the new alliance between Dexter and Travis in next week’s episode. If it doesn’t go sour for Dexter, it will be a change, won’t it?

Rating: 8 out of 10

Let's (Fail To) Kill Hitler Again

And here's one of two TV jumbles to expect in the next few days. The next one will hopefully be tomorrow or Sunday.

American Horror Story: Okay, you can definitely tell this is a Ryan Murphy show, can't you? Our protagonists are a frustrating lot to watch but between home invasions and murdered pregnant mistresses, this show is certainly impressing at every turn. I might not care about the Harmons as much as I should do but I do care about all the murders that have happened in their new home and I can't wait for next week's Halloween themed episode on FXUK.

Glee: With three more episodes for 2011, the show's third season is actually picking up well. The 300th performance with Mercedes and Santana delivering a cracking version of Rumour Has It/Someone Like You served as a new high for the show but it's the Santana vs. Finn antics that drove this episode. Santana went too far with her treatment of both Finn and Rory in this episode but a week on, I still think Finn was a prized idiot for outing her the way he did. Looking forward to the fallout though in the next episode.

Merlin: A mixed batch of episodes here. One episode saw Gaius captured, Morgana nearly coming close to discovering who Emerys really was and Merlin gaining a following of sorts. Then we got a rather disappointing episode where a girl named Lamia managed to make the Knights ina round table of idiots for most of the hour. I love the Knights, I genuinely do but the show needs to stop featuring them in every episode because they're not being well served to be honest.

Misfits: Now this is definitely more like it. Not one but two incredibly enjoyable episodes in a row. Okay, so there were cliches with dorky guy being a hindrance to Simon and Alisha and their future and a world where the Nazis were victorious certainly had it's moments. As a character, Rudy is definitely improving though and the blossoming relationship between Kelly and Seth has actually been a lot of fun to watch, though Kelly put Rory to shame with the way she decided to deal with Hitler. Let's just say a simple punch wasn't enough for Kelly.

Mongrels: Yup, I'm still watching. Even an episode that features Danny Dyer can't stop me watching this bloody show (well, Vince did try to kill him). At some point, I'm going to go and find the first series but right now, I continue to enjoy the violent Vince, the funny as hell cat Marion and of course, Kali, who for a pigeon isn't too proud to eat her own cousin at a wedding or get a rival pigeon killed so she can reclaim her perch. And the songs are pretty addictive as well.

Threesome: It's been a fun little series (and I hope it gets a second run) but even dressed as a space hopper, the show finally decided that it was time for Alice to give birth, with the assistance of her mother, plus the mothers of Mitch and Ritchie as well for good measure. I've enjoyed this series and it'll be interesting to see Alice, Mitch and Ritchie now that they've got Lily to look after next series but can we get Dave back too?

- Dana Delany, Kyle MacLachlan and Andrea Bowen will all be returning to Desperate Housewives in the second half of Season 8.
- Hilarie Burton will be guest starring in an episode of Castle as a woman famous for being famous.
- HBO have decided to pass on the comedy pilot, Spring/Fall starring Tea Leoni.
- Dexter has been renewed for both a seventh and an eighth season.
- SyFy are developing a series for Booster Gold from a script by Fringe writer, Andrew Kreisberg.
- Ewan McGregor will star in a pilot for HBO called The Corrections.

Doctor Who - 48 Years/Christmas 2011 Spoilers

Yes, today is the day where Doctor Who turns 48. Who would've thought that all those years we'd have a series that has produced 32 televised series, a movie (or three/four), four spin-offs and has become a cultural icon in a massive way. So as a result, I'm gonna pick a few favourites from the series - 11 to be precise.

The Dalek Invasion Of Earth: Didn't this story prove that sequels can surpass the original because the second outing for the pepperpots was better than their first. And Susan's departure was nicely done as well.

The War Games: For a story that's ten episodes long, the biggest miracle of this thing isn't the harsh regeneration forced on the Doctor or Jamie and Zoe having their memories wiped, but more the fact that each episode really keeps the pace moving nicely. Plus, the War Chief. Can't forget about him.

The Three Doctors: It's the first multi-Doctor story we got and it's the best one too. A brilliant way of celebrating the show's first twn years and Omega was a lot more interesting here than he would be in future encounters with the Doctor.

Genesis Of The Daleks: It's a cliched story to pick but the debut of Davros and the ethics behind whether or not the Doctor had the right to end his ultimate enemies once and for all still makes for gripping viewing all these years later.

The Five Doctors: Another cliched choice but the first five Doctors (well Four from Shada), most of the companions as well as baddies such as the Master, Cybermen, Yeti, a Dalek and Borusa did make for a fun anniversary story.

Revelation Of The Daleks: Six's era gets too much criticism for my liking. It's hardly perfect but it's nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be and this story where he and Peri encountered Davros and two versions of the Daleks is one of my favourites.

Survival: It might not have been meant as a series finale at the time of filming it and the whole 'survival of the fittest' mantra won't win points for subtlety but this is an absolute gem of a story and actually was one of the best uses of the Master too. Plus Seven and Ace are a dream team for me.

The Movie: I feel this gets too much hate and while I don't want an Americanised series and thought the half-human reveal was somewhat naff, Paul McGann's only onscreen portrayal of the Doctor was rather superb.

Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways: Parodying reality TV fodder even by 2005 was rather old hat but this show managed to have some fun with it in a way that put others to shame. Plus the Daleks were at their best in this story and the regeneration from Nine to Ten was something to be hold as well as the brilliance of Rose, Jack, Mickey, Jackie and poor Lynda as well.

The End Of Time: Literally this could be seen as a televised version of fanfiction. The Doctor vs. the Master and Rassilon, returns of Wilfred, Donna, Martha, Mickey, Rose, Jack, Sarah Jane as well as a plethora of other minor character, this was a great way of both wrapping up the Tenth Doctor's run on the series.

A Good Man Goes To War: It's harder picking a favourite 11th Doctor story and it's always going to change but I'm picking the mid-season finale of Series 6 (or Season 32) for the time being. Great use of many characters and the reveal of River actually being the daughter of Amy and Rory still packs a punch too.

So, what are your favourite stories from each Doctor?

Elsewhere Digital Spy have released a few pictures of this year's Christmas special, The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe, which can be seen here .... http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a352316/doctor-who-christmas-special-in-pictures.html

A synopsis for the story can be found here ...

Doctor Who - The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe

It’s Christmas Eve, 1938, when Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel as she cycles home. He promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish. Three years later, a devastated Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. She is crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the channel, but determined to give Lily and Cyril the best Christmas ever. The Arwells are surprised to be greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world. Here, Madge will learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible. And that wishes can come true.

Matt Smith has also mentioned that filming for Series 7 begins in February 2012 where 14 episodes will be filmed, comprising of a 2012 Christmas special and a special for the 50th anniversary. More details are soon to follow.

Happy 48 years, Doctor Who. Here's to the next batch.

My Review of Dexter's 6x07: "Nebraska"

Written by Wendy West
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Rudy/Brian (to Dexter): “At last a kill. No lengthy vetting process, no stalking. One could argue self defence maybe. A little too much talking for my taste.”

I have to admit that after watching this episode, it probably made sense that Rudy/Brian taking on the role of Dexter’s conscience/dark side only lasted in this episode because as fun as it was to watch the brothers reunite in their own way, I’m not sure if it’s something that could’ve been sustained for the rest of the season.

It’s amazing itself that this episode focused on three season big baddies and yet only two of them actually appeared in this episode. Given that Deb was under the belief that the Trinity killer had struck again, should we have gotten a ghostly appearance from Arthur Mitchell as well in the mix? Probably not. This episode seemed to do well without his appearance.

I liked that the whole scenario connecting Sally and Rebecca’s deaths with Jonah wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared to be. For all the show’s continued talk of serial killers being hereditary at times, I’m not entirely sure if Jonah actually fits into that category. Yes, he killed his mother but Rebecca had killed herself and Jonah at least showed some regret for murdering his mother.

Rudy constantly goading Dexter to lash out was amusing and while we did see Dexter having sex with a shop girl, stealing her gun and shooting at signs, I liked that he actually continued to show some hesitation when it came to the killing part. Both Dexter and Rudy are serial killers but Dexter isn’t dead inside whereas Rudy completely is.

The killing of the pot dealer wasn’t like last week with Nick where Dexter snapped – it was actually self defence. I didn’t need Rudy to point out that Dexter would’ve been killed himself if he hadn’t struck first against the pot dealer but this was yet another episode where Dexter showed a sloppiness that has to come back to bite him somewhere down the line.

As for Jonah – maybe in earlier seasons, Dexter would have killed him but I liked that before Dexter even did anything, he looked for proof and even when he found it, he was still reluctant to actually kill Jonah in the end. However that didn’t stop Dexter from running him down though. The question worth asking now, is whether or not Jonah is capable of keeping the fact that he knows Dexter bumped off his father a secret? Again I suspect only time will tell on that one.

Of course Dexter’s unwillingness to actually kill Jonah seemed to break Rudy’s influence from him and as a result, we got Harry back. I actually found myself a bit bummed out that Harry returned. I mean, I knew it would happen but sometimes this show does benefit from actually having a break from the character. I actually think I would’ve rather seen either Rita or Lumen, despite the latter being very much alive as Dexter’s moral guide for the time being.

Speaking of morality – can Travis actually stray a nice path and keep the hell away from Gellar? Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy for him. Lisa’s a great influence and all (despite the horrible feeling I have that she’s on borrowed time) but Gellar’s a desperate man and he’s the sort to do anything to get Travis back on board.

Emotional blackmail and God fearing might have backfired on Gellar for now but I can see him getting Travis back into the fold through other means. He’d want to get a move on though, considering that thanks to Masuka and Louis, Deb now knows that Travis is Gellar’s acolyte (or was). Now all we need is Gellar and Dexter to cross paths and things really will be back on track.

Getting away from the Gellar plot of the week, I also have to admit that Quinn and Maria sort of won some respect from me this week too. Maria, even though she was still annoying during the stats meeting at least seemed to remind that it was nothing personal and that she didn’t want Deb to end up with a failed relationship because of her new job. I think you’re a little too late with that one, Maria.

As for Quinn – he apologised for being an asshole and it looked like he genuinely meant it too, so I’ll ease up on him for it. I liked that Quinn and Deb were able to sort their differences, especially considering that it meant they didn’t get back together. Deb could probably do with being single for a little bit right about now.

Also in “Nebraska”

I wonder if this is finally the last bit of both the ice Truck and Trinity killers that the show is going to delve into.

Rudy/Brian: “You used to love to play. Why the long face?”
Dexter: “Brother Sam hoped I’d be able to forgive Nick for shooting him.”
Rudy/Brian: “Because you don’t turn the other cheek, you slice it.”

I found it interesting that the town in Nebraska they went to visit was called Kearney. It’s a family name of mine as well.

Gellar: “God is the one with choice, Travis. He chose you and me. We however have no say.”
Travis: “What about free will?”

Rudy/Brian (re Harrison): “It’s weird seeing you with a kid.”
Dexter: “Let’s go to Nebraska.”

Jamie and Louis are now dating as this episode confirmed. I’m wondering if they’re going to have a bigger storyline later in the series.

Rudy/Brian (re shop girl): “Wouldn’t it have been more fun to kill her than fuck her?”
Dexter: “I got what I wanted.”

Deb: “I would kill myself but that would add to my total of the month.”

It seems that Gellar’s next plot was the whore of Babylon, involving the poor victim Holly being forced to drink blood. I bet I can guess who Holly’s replacement will end up being.

Rudy/Brian: “Not this again, Harry’s Code. Tell me what does it matter if a person’s good or bad? Does it make you feel better to kill bad people?”
Dexter: “It’s part of the ritual.”

Dexter: “I know for a fact that Trinity did not kill anyone in this house.”
Jonah: “Was that because you killed him?”
Dexter: “Yes. Just like you killed your mother and your sister.”

It’s been confirmed that Showtime have renewed this series for both a seventh and an eighth season, so there’s more of Dexter to enjoy for the next two years after this season.

Rudy/Brian (to Dexter): “Don’t you just love it when things fall into place?”

Harry (to Dexter): “Welcome home, son.”

Chronology: From where “Just Let Go” had left off, more or less.

Not quite as fun as the previous episode but as road trip stories went, “Nebraska” was an interesting episode. I liked the back and forth with Dexter and Rudy and at least the Gellar/Travis interactions have improved as well. This season started off shaky but it’s getting better now.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Glee - Season 3 Spoilers

Okay, so I'll be posting some thoughts on Mash Off later in the week in my TV jumble but here are some spoilers for the last three episodes of Season 3 of Glee to air in 2011 before the show returns in 2012.

The show's seventh episode I Kissed A Girl will not only see Santana singing that bloody Katy Perry song but it's also the episode where she has to come out to her parents while the results for the school election are back in. Brittany surely has to win that one, right? Then again, maybe Kurt could seal the deal too. Elsewhere, Quinn quickly learns that Puck and Shelby have gotten closer and she plans to use that to her advantage.

The show's eighth episode, Hold On To Sixteen is this year's Sectionals episode and it's also the one where Sam finally returns and we meet his parents. Also, it's an episode where Rachel gets suspended, her and Quinn reach out to each other, Mercedes and Santana do a mash-up of I Will Survive/Survivor and Kurt and Sebastian square off. Sebastian's cute but he's a tad too smarmy, so I'm hoping Kurt takes him down a peg or two. Oh and Harmony from the first episode makes a reappearance too and there's performances of Man In The Mirror and Red Cup Solo as well in this episode.

The last episode to air for 2011 is called Extraordinary Merry Christmas and it's a Christmas one directed by Matthew Morrison. It also looks like Sam is back at McKinley and New Directions and Troubletones have merged as well. There's also an appearance of Chewbacca, courtesy of Artie as well another appearance from Harmony and the other two Glee Project winners (one of them playing Puck's cousin, the other involved in scenes with Jesse - yes, he's back too). The soundtrack for the Christmas episode is due out shortly and here's a tracklist from it and you can find some of the songs on YouTube at the moment.

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You Featuring Amber Riley (Mercedes)
2. Extraordinary Merry Christmas Featuring Darren Criss (Blaine) and Lea Michele (Rachel)
3. Santa Baby Featuring Naya Rivera (Santana)
4. Christmas Eve With You Featuring Jayma Mays (Emma) and Mathew Morrison (Will)
5. Little Drummer Boy Featuring Kevin McHale (Artie)
6. River Featuring Lea Michele (Rachel)
7. Do You Hear What I Hear? Featuring Lindsay Pearce (Glee Project) and Alex Newell (Glee Project)
8. Let It Snow Featuring Darren Criss (Blaine) and Chris Colfer (Kurt)
9. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Featuring Mark Sailing (Puck), Cory Monteith (Finn) and Samuel Larsen (Glee Project)
10. Christmas Wrapping Featuring Heather Morris (Brittany)
11. Blue Christmas Featuring Damian McGinty (Rory)
12. Do They Know It’s Christmas Featuring Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Lea Michele (Rachel), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Heather Morris (Brittany), Mark Salling (Puck), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Naya Rivera (Santana)

Glee continues to air on FOX, Tuesdays at 8pm from November 29th and on Sky1, Thursdays at 9pm from December 1st.

Doctor Who - Christmas Special 2011 Trailer/Children In Need Scene

Well, it's that time of year again, isn't it and the official Children In Need scene was a two minute special which saw the Doctor trading in his clothes. Elsewhere, the title for this year's Christmas special has been revealed as The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe and it's definitely a Narnia themed episode alright.

Christmas Trailer/CIN Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVnSD1M3-CA

The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe airs on Christmas Day on BBC1.

My Review of Ringer's 1x09: "Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna"

Written by Robert Berens
Directed by Scott White

Malcolm: “This isn’t about sobriety, Bridget. Something’s not right here.”

Wow, and why isn’t this guy a detective already? It’s amazing that we have Victor, who can’t really seem to crack a case if his life depended on it and Bridget, who despite her smarts, has still missed out on some vital things and then there’s Malcolm.

I loved that something like mouthwash containing alcohol actually tipped him off that Charlie might not be the person he’s pretending to be and I also liked that he did some sly detective work on his own bat before him and Bridget teamed up to learn more about their new best friend. I’m also hoping that Malcolm’s detective work doesn’t end up backfiring on him as well.

Where Bridget accidentally discovered that Charlie had been playing her (spotting him getting hammered at a bar where Siobhan used to go), it was Malcolm who suspected the guy and got the proof he needed before pursuing anything else. Malcolm really could put Victor out of a job with those amazing skills.

The only downer point to the whole thing was Malcolm not being able to reach to Gemma in time. He was this close to discovering and freeing her from Charlie’s clutches and Bridget texting him to get out of the house came at a worse time for Gemma. Much as Bridget was right to give Malcolm the heads up, I can’t help but worry for Gemma.

I knew she had to be alive and this episode she was pretty locked in a basement, bound, gagged and blindfolded to a chair while Charlie was taking calls from Siobhan and deducing that Bridget was finally onto him when she met with him in order to reclaim the police gun she had given him at the start of the episode.

I suppose because of this discovery this could possibly mean that Charlie’s days on the show are effectively over. If he’s daft enough to try and kill either Bridget or Malcolm (and I think he is), then either of them are likely to kill him in self defence. My only fear is that Gemma is not long for this world and that basically sucks. I like Gemma and as exits go, it’d be brutal but still rather an unsatisfying way of writing the character out.

It’d also still raise more complications for Bridget as well, who seems to be getting a little too comfortable with playing Siobhan, something which Malcolm was right to call her out on. Her Prince Charming fantasy with Andrew can only go so far and considering the amount of complications she’s attracted and the way this show moves forward, who’s to say that Andrew could learn the truth a lot sooner than Bridget would want him too?

That being said, it’s also hard not to enjoy Bridget and Andrew as a couple. In a weird way, they do work well together (though I think I do prefer Bridget/Malcolm) and Andrew’s estimation in his marriage is certainly affecting his judgement when it came to seeking investments from Mr Arbogast (Gemma’s father) as well.

I knew Olivia wasn’t going to take Andrew deciding not to pursue the Arbogast deal lying down, so her paying Henry a visit to resign papers again was hardly a shocker. I was a little surprised though that she managed to quickly work out that Henry had been sleeping with Siobhan but considering that he left a rather incriminating picture on his phone, Henry really has no-one else to blame but himself for that one.

Olivia back to her scheming self reinforced the fact that she’s not a particularly likeable person but she’s still light years behind when it comes to Siobhan. Thanks to Siobhan, Bridget was manipulated by Jimmy the cop to meet up with her sister and eventually assume her identity. At this point, I don’t think I’d even be surprised if Siobhan’s manipulations hadn’t gone even further than that too.

My favourite thing about this episode was Bridget actively upping her game into learning more about Siobhan though. The antics with the therapist might have future repercussions down the line but it’s interesting if Siobhan really is a victim of a stalker. Here’s hoping that the next episode actually gives us a bit more insight on who she was running from.

Also in “Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna”

Instead of Juliet, it’s Charlie who is actually responsible for this week’s episode title. I think the writers need to think the titles out a bit better.

Bridget: “I can’t really sleep on the bus.”
Siobhan: “Well, get some rest. Big plans tomorrow.”

I liked the little flashback to Bridget and Siobhan from the opening episode. Siobhan certainly knew how to play Bridget there and the thought experiment thing with Bridget and Andrew was lovely.

Malcolm (to Bridget): “You’re pretending to be his dead wife, how can there be any trust in that? I’m sorry but this Prince Charming fantasy you going with Andrew, it was supposed to be temporary. This is not your life.”

Bridget: “This is the new Siobhan Martin, no aliases required.”
Therapist: “Well, whatever name you’re using, I’m glad you decided to return to therapy.”

Speaking of names, Charlie’s real name is John Delario. Siobhan also used her Cora Farrell alias with her shrink too.

Charlie (re Jimmy/Bridget): “He got her to you, didn’t he?”
Siobhan: “Whatever.”

Henry: “So, what’s your story, Olivia?”
Olivia: “What have you heard?”
Henry: “That you’re a bitch.”

Is Tara Summers even filming these scenes anymore as Gemma and if not, then why not? Oh and the twins her and Henry finally made an appearance in this one. Also, what’s Siobhan doing for money or accommodation now that Tyler ditched her in the previous episode?

Charlie (re Bridget): “Siobhan, she’s onto me.”

Chronology: It’s been six weeks since the opening episode and this episode in particular didn’t feature Victor or Juliet.

Not quite as good as the previous two episode but “Shut Up And Eat Your Bologna” certainly had it’s moments though. Bridget and Malcolm made for an interesting team, Charlie’s days are certainly numbers and Olivia is now going to be a bigger nuisance than before.

Rating: 8 out of 10