Jack's Back

This will be a two part blog with the second part to be posted tomorrow after I've caught up with the final episode of a certain show.

24: Live Another Day: The show that was probably responsible for the boxset binge watching that most of us indulge in nowadays has returned after a four year absence and with a slightly altered format (12 episodes instead of 24 of them) and the action taking place in London, this has been something of a return to form while at the same time feeling all familiar in spite of it's new location, characters and the different shifts with familiar ones like Jack, Chloe, President Heller and Audrey. So far, it's been a fun ride and Margot has been a decent antagonist if not wholly original but on the plus side, I am glad to see the show back and that wasn't something I'd expect to feel again.

Devious Maids: Yeah this was something of a guilty pleasure series last year and while it still has that Desperate Housewives feel to it, it's still a lot of fun to watch. The opening episode for Season 2 did a time jump, set up another mystery that Marisol will be central in solving, had it's fair share of personal drama amongst the maids while at the same time showed that the Powells were still delightfully bonkers to watch and that Peri will do anything to keep her husband and Rosie apart. Overall, it's the bonkers soapy show you might not be watching because it's on TLC.

Glee: Something of a mixed bag here. I enjoyed the penultimate episode written by Chris Colfer more than the actual finale itself. Probably because the former still had Santana and seemed to make a little more sense. The finale just decided to give Rachel her own TV, while having an annoying parody of Lena Dunham shadowing Rachel for most of the episode as well as Sam being given Finn's original Lima intended plot and some minor dramas with Sam/Mercedes and Kurt/Blaine. In retrospect, while there have been some good episodes, I do think this season has been the weakest so far and it's probably a good thing that the sixth season will be the last one.

In The Flesh: If you're not watching this show on BBC3, can I just ask - why? It's probably one of the best things on television right now and like The Walking Dead and The Returned has offered something pretty interesting to the zombie genre at the moment. The first three episode alone have added more to the series with the arrivals of both Simon and Maxine and the ongoing battle between the redeemed and Victus has made for some gripping television along with Kieren's friendships with Amy and Simon and Jem being pulled back into her former hunting ways. A genuinely gripping series that certainly should be watched by more than it currently is at the moment.

Orphan Black: Having watched the second and third episodes of Season 2 for now (watching at BBC3 pace), this show has gotten that tiny bit more messed up than usual. Whether it's seeing Siobhan wield a shotgun and take some folk out or poor Helena being terrorised and forcibly married into a bizarre cult, this season has been pulling out all the stops. On top of that, there was also the introduction of Sarah's baby daddy, Rachel being a right bitch to Cosimo as well as the brief introduction of another clone and Allison losing it, this season has certainly reeled me in. It might be still a little early but I think this season could be even better than it's impressive debut year but the one thing that is abundantly clear is that Tatiana Maslany continues to impress each and every episode. The woman is a revelation. Easily the best actress on television at the moment.

- Hayley Atwell's Agent Carter will air for eight episodes between episodes of Agents Of SHIELD.
- Glee's sixth and final season will not air until early 2015.
- How I Met Your Dad was not picked up by CBS but is being shopped around.
- Adrienne C. Moore will be a regular in Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black. The second season premieres on Netflix from June 6th.
- T.R Knight and Mena Suvari will be joining Amazon pilot, Hysteria.
- John Barrowman will be a regular in the third season of Arrow.
- Marin Ireland has signed up for the fourth season of Girls.
- Heroes: Reborn will likely feature some of the original stars after all, according to NBC executive chairman Robert Greenblatt.

My Review of DaVinci's Demons 2x09: "The Enemies Of Man"

Written by Allison Moore And Marco Ramirez And Brian Nelson
Directed by Justin Molotnikov

DaVinci: “I will fix this, maestro. I swear I will make this right.”
Andreas: “I know you will, boy. You know no other way.”

It hadn’t been since about three episodes since we’ve had an important death and with Riario losing poor Zita back in the New World, in this episode DaVinci ended up losing the one person who was anything in the way of a parental figure and all because another character revealed their true colours at the worst time.

I actually wasn’t expecting either Andreas to wind up getting the axe quite literally or even Carlo to be revealed as part of the Enemies of Man, but it certainly made the last five minutes of the episode all the more interesting as well. However, both outcomes are also something of a shame as well.

I’ve always enjoyed Andreas and his protective nature over DaVinci and it’s sad to see the latter lose him as well but I’m also sad that Carlo turned out to be a baddie after all. Maybe it’s because his concern for Clarice always seemed genuine or maybe it was just down to the fact that now he’ll probably be dead by a vengeful DaVinci or someone else in the finale but either way, it’s kind of a bummer.

However, dealing with the Enemies of Man has been rather overdue and this episode did delve into an interestingly shared history with Mama DaVinci (who’s still alive it seems) and Carlo while at the same time, actually proving that the Book of Leaves was nearer to Leonardo than he thought. In fact Carlo seemed to point out that it was closer than DaVinci actually thought as well.

I really do hope that by the finale, this Book of Leaves segment is done with once and for all. It started off as fascinating, petered a little, got a bit more interesting again and now it does feel like it’s a storyline that needs wrapping up. At the very least we need to know where it is before the Enemies of Man get their hands on it.

Keeping with the Enemies of Man – I don’t think it was too shocking that Riario ended up being recruited by them. He knew in this episode that his allegiance with DaVinci was over once they returned to Florence. Also given that he burnt his bridges with both his own father and Lucrezia’s, I guess joining another fanatical cult bent on ultimate power was probably the most logical thing for Riario to have done in the circumstances.

As for Florence itself – why didn’t previous episodes actually show the city being sacked properly by Duke Federico before DaVinci and his gang managed to defeat the sadistic ruler and Clarice went from being enslaved to killing her slaver as well? I feel it would’ve helped benefit the series had that been played out a bit instead of being skimmed over for the context of this episode alone.

However Florence wasn’t completely out of danger though. With Carlo and Riario showing their hands again, we also had the misfortune of Alfonso killing his father and denying any peace with Lorenzo as Sixtus looked pretty pleased with himself. I know I’ve complained about Alfonso all season but he’s still a tedious villain lacking any kind of depth and back story and the sooner he’s bumped off the better in my book.

Also in “The Enemies Of Man”

Was it me or did Riario look a tiny bit disappointed when DaVinci told him that their truce would come to an end when they returned to Florence?

DaVinci: “You do realise that Sixtus may show you none?”
Riario: “Perhaps that is what I deserve for worshipping false idols.”

Lucrezia’s ‘torture’ involved being asked the same three questions multiple times before she unwitting revealed information about her father. It’s interesting that her ‘torturer’ seems to think Lucrezia’s father is dangerous though.

DaVinci: “Lorenzo would never abandon Florence.”
Federico: “Yet here I am sitting on his throne, among his many luxuries.”

DaVinci (to Zoroaster): “We’re not leaving Florence. We have to take the city back.”

There were some nice moments in this episode with Nico trying to protect Vanessa from being raped by a guard and Zoroaster and Amerigo’s various exchanges as well.

Bayezid (to Lucrezia): “I trust you are as happy to see me as I am to see you.”

Federico: “I will be judged by my fellow heads of state.”
Clarice: “That you will. Guilty.”

I’m guessing from the bath Lucrezia was getting in this episode, she’s either about to be killed off or married off to someone.

Clarice: “Where does this humility come from? It doesn’t suit you.”
DaVinci: “I’ve had an enlightening few months.”

Carlo was revealed to having killed Cossimo in this episode, Andreas fixed the Brazen Head while DaVinci revealed that he learned to play the lute at eight as a girl and boy were involved.

Riario: “Who are you?”
EOM: “We are the Enemies of Man.”

Chronology: Not long from where “The Fall From Heaven” left off.

“The Enemies Of Man” - something of an engaging episode. It’s a shame that Riario fell into old patterns and that Carlo was revealed as a baddie but it was certainly an interesting to Florence nonetheless and the finale should be pretty interesting when we see it in a fortnight.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Recap/Review: Penny Dreadful's 1x01: Night Work

This show might be debuting on SkyAtlantic in three days time but already the first episode has aired on Showtime (after being leaked in advance) and with the second episode also available to watch before US transmission, here are my thoughts on the first episode of Penny Dreadful.

Written by John Logan
Directed by J.A Bayona

It's An Invitation: It's London 1891 and it's also a little hard to say which point of view we're mainly supposed to be seeing this show from but the most focused POV does seem to come from Eva Green's clairvoyant, Vanessa Ives. Now she's a character who certainly drove a fair amount of the narrative in this opening episode alone. Here we saw her bring American gunslinger, Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) into her and Sir Malcolm Murray's (Timothy Dalton) dark and interesting world where we saw contorting creatures and even vampires. Vanessa's certainly an interesting character - tempting Ethan, sharing some sort of guilty past with Malcolm and those scenes when she's alone and praying like mad. Especially the second one where spiders appeared on the wall and the cross was upside down. She's one of two of my favourites from this episode alone.

My Name Is: Victor Frankenstein as played by Harry Treadaway and for the time being, my second favourite character of the episode. I actually loved him from the off when he was snappishly dismissive and equally curious about Vanessa, Malcolm and Ethan and the end scene where his creature, played by Alex Price came to life was a pretty poignant moment and beautifully shot. Frankenstein has always been something of an intriguing character (hence the reason why we've seen countless versions of him and his creature for yonks) and it looks like he's going to be that way in this series as well. He also challenged Malcolm in a pretty intellectual way that I can't see Ethan necessarily doing over the course the first season.

He Shoots A Lot: Speaking of Ethan Chandler, I've seen other blogs and posters online being less than complimentary about Josh Hartnett but he's not actually not that bad in this. It's just compared to the other characters (Vanessa, Malcolm and Victor), he just doesn't come as interesting though. He's kind of the straight man with a penchant for exaggerated tales and shagging married women and spent most of the episode reacting to the craziness of the demimonde world that Vanessa introduced him to while at the same time being very drawn to it. I'm not entirely sure why both Vanessa and Malcolm are actively seeking out Ethan (other than his shooting skills) but he does compliment the slew of characters pretty well enough.

From Africa To London: Another focus on this episode was the backstory of Sir Malcolm Murray. We learned in this episode (when we weren't looking at corpses with hieroglyphics on them) that he's on a mission to find his daughter Mina. It doesn't take much to assume that it's Mina Harker and briefly seeing her in this episode as a vampire certainly gave it away but it's an interesting enough plot and Dalton shone in all of his scenes throughout the episode. Plus the relationship with both Malcolm and Vanessa was actually pretty interesting to watch as they mulled over their guilt (for what though?), Mina and Ethan amongst other things.

The Titles, The Titles: For a show like Penny Dreadful, the title sequence really needed to stand out and by god, they certainly do. They're probably some of the most impressive ones (at least until the ones for American Horror Story: Freak Show appear) and certainly set up the macabre tone for the show impressively as well. Overall, they're really worth watching multiple times but when I wasn't being impressed by them, I also noticed that the episode opened with a grisly death of a mother and daughter and there was also the fact that we still have yet to meet three other prominent characters (though their respective actors names were in the opening credits) but that's another incentive to keep watching and recapping/reviewing this show, which I intend to do for the next seven weeks.

Title Sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wLWawdi6jA

Next week, we will meet Brona Croft, Dorian Gray and another of Victor Frankenstein's pet projects and hopefully some more on Malcolm's right hand man as well, who we briefly saw in this episode.

First Look: The Flash

It wasn't a shock last week when the CW announced that the would be picking up Arrow spin-off, The Flash for a series and now they've gone and released a five minute trailer for the upcoming series as well.

The series featuring Grant Gustin's Barry Allen will see his forensic character taking on the role of the current Flash following his accident seen on the parent show a few months ago. In the trailer alone, we learn that Barry has been in a coma for nine months, has co-workers who think he's weird but also has a crack team, led by Tom Cavanagh's wheelchair bound character, Harrison Wells - the mind and money behind S.T.A.R labs. We also see in the trailer that Barry is also backed up by Danielle Panabaker's Caitlin Snow, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon as well as detective Joe West (Jesse L.Martin) and daughter Iris (Candice Patton). We also saw in the trailer that Stephen Amell will also be making an appearance as the Arrow/Oliver Queen in the pilot episode as well.

In terms of antagonists though, we've got Chad Rook as Clyde Mardon/Weather Wizard, who seems to be the main antagonist of the first episode and something of a primary motivation for Barry to use his new abilities for good as well. It's also revealed in the trailer that we'll have the mystery of Barry's mother's death to solve and the quest for finding other metahumans as well. It certainly looks like it will be a lighter show compared to Arrow but along with Gotham and Agent Carter, it also looks it's going to be worth watching too.

Season 1 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj0l7iGKh8g

The Flash will air on the CW Tuesdays at 8pm from the Autumn.

Gracepoint - Trailer/Airdate & Broadchurch Casting News

Well, it's been a rather busy news for all the various news about certain shows being picked up, cancelled and renewed that for fans of David Tennant, you get to be spoiled twice with both exciting new for Gracepoint and Broadchurch.

Gracepoint - well I caught the three minute trailer that FOX released and I have to be honest, it didn't blow me away. I know the show is going to deviate away from Broadchurch in terms of who the killer will turn out to be but the trailer was a little too shot for shot remake for my liking. Also, much as I adore Tennant as an actor, I have to admit his US accent did sound a little jarring in that trailer as well. Of course I will watch the series when it eventually airs on UK television and I do admit that Tennant looks like he'll have a great rapport with Anna Gunn in this series, though whether it will be as electrifying as the one he has with Olivia Colman remains to be seen.

As for Broadchurch itself, well ITV have confirmed that both Tennant and Colman will be returning along with Arthur Darvill, Andrew Buchan and Jodie Whittaker but on top of that, we're also getting Charlotte Rampling (last seen in the final season of Dexter) in a major role for the second season. Rampling's an excellent casting choice and I'm hoping she's one of many new and interesting faces to be added to the show's second series.

Gracepoint Trailer/News: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/Gracepoint
Broadchurch News: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/may/13/charlotte-rampling-broadchurch-itv-dramas

Gracepoint will air Thursdays at 9pm on FOX from the Autumn while the second series of Broadchurch will begin filming later in the year.

Gotham - Airing/Cast Pics Update/First Pic Of Affleck In Costume

Is it me or has the Batman universe just been exploding in the last week? With Gotham, we've already gotten a trailer and now we have some goodies to mull over as well.

First of all, some new cast shots have been released of the main cast - including this group picture featuring the usual suspects, along with Cory Michael Smith's Edward Nygma (he's been promoted to a regular) and Clare Foley's Ivy Pepper. If you look at the cast shot, there's even some foreshadowing to another famous member of the Rogues Gallery as well, while individual shots feature both Erin Richards Barbara Kean and Zabryna Guevera's Sarah Essen as well. The show has also gotten an episode order of 16 episodes and will be paired up with Sleepy Hollow when it debuts in the autumn and I've also provided a link to the Upfront trailer which has some cast and crew interviews and newish footage. No word on a UK broadcaster just yet though.

Meanwhile we've finally gotten a picture of both the Batmobile (not a Tumbler folks) and Ben Affleck in costume and while hopefully some better shots are on the way, both look good so far. I actually like the smaller ears on the costume and the picture has a nice moody vibe to it as well. It's a nice look overall for Affleck.

Gotham Upfront Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REoELMS5tXc
Gotham Cast Pictures:  http://batman-news.com/2014/05/12/first-gotham-still-photos-new-character-images-released/
Ben Affleck In Costume: http://batman-news.com/2014/05/13/batman-vs-superman-batmobile-photo/

Gotham will air Mondays at 8pm on FOX from September while filming for Batman Vs. Superman has begun.

My Review of Revenge's 3x22: "Execution"

Written by Sunil Nayar And Joe Fazzio
Directed by Kenneth Fink

Victoria: “You won’t get away with this.”
Emily: “Watch me.”

After something of a largely disappointing and somewhat rudderless second half to this season, it’s pretty fantastic to see that this finale managed to deliver several shocking moments, even if one of them really did fall into the ‘jumping the shark’ category.

I knew from the moment this episode went to town with Emily and Aiden declaring their undying love for each other that the latter would end up being toast. That and the fact that Barry Sloane is also moving to a show called The Whispers as well might have been another indicator but either way, we ended up losing Aiden in this episode and all because of Victoria’s misguided belief that Emily was responsible for super bore Pascal’s death.

The way in which Victoria killed Aiden though was malicious- even by her standards. Using a paralysis in his tea (more British stereotyping there) and then suffocating him with a pillow just proved how evil Victoria really is as a character. I mean she’s always been evil but making sure that Emily found Aiden’s corpse the way she did just proved how vicious things have gotten between Victoria and Emily though.

However, at least this episode finally confirmed that Victoria actually realised that Emily was Amanda and their graveyard spat was nicely brief before the former got whacked with a shovel. I actually thought for a moment that Emily was going to bury Victoria alive and I was somewhat cheering on the notion. However what Emily cooked up instead was a lot more gratifying to watch though.

The idea of Victoria being confirmed to a mental institution called Claremont by the same doctor who damned Amanda all those years ago was delightful karmic and with no-one believing her about Emily being Amanda, I have to admit this was the most satisfying act of revenge that Emily managed to achieve in three seasons. In some ways had this episode been tweaked, this would’ve been a perfect series finale but it’s clear that Sunil Nayar is not done with Emily and her antics just yet though and that’s something I have mixed feelings about.

As for David Clarke being alive – I was really hoping the show was going to avoid that cliché but sadly they succumbed to and you just know it was done to extend the storyline just that bit further, don’t you? On the plus side, at least his appearance shocked the living daylights out of Conrad before the latter found himself stabbed and left for dead. While I definitely believe that Aiden is dead, I’m not so sure that Conrad necessarily is for now.

David’s return came at the time where his whole reputation was publicly vindicated and I guess he probably stabbed Conrad due to his belief about Amanda being dead but at the same time, I still wish the show hadn’t done this. It feels like it’s betraying the original premise of the show and it could end up being more of a hindrance next season than the start of an interesting for the series.

As for the rest of the episode – Nolan teaming up with Margaux’s brother clearly turned out not be a great move. I’m all for Daniel being taken down a peg or two but having some innocent girl along with it though wasn’t wise. Nolan might have been better off teaming up with Javier to reclaim his MyClone thing that Gideon.

Last but not least – Charlotte’s still an idiot. I know under the circumstance she’s still in the dark about certain things but having Jack arrested wasn’t her wisest move either. Then again this season as a whole hasn’t exactly been great for Charlotte so maybe it’s thematic that yet again she does something stupid in the finale.

Also in “Execution”

Creepy cabin guy was working for Victoria and those letters were just another ploy to smoke out Emily’s true identity.

Emily: “I wish my father was here to see this.”
Aiden: “Yeah mine too. They’d be proud of us. We’ve been to hell and back for them.”

The same cabin in this episode was also revealed to be Emily’s grandfather, so I’m gonna assume that’s where David will hide out for the time being.

Aiden: “I think you know why I’m here.”
Michelle: “You want Victoria?”

Victoria (re Emily): “You really did pick the wrong girl to fall in love with.”
Aiden: “Go to hell.”

This might be stating the obvious but I think Gideon deliberately killed that girl and has more than blackmail in mind to get Daniel out of the way. I almost want to root for him.

Jack (to Emily): “You honoured your father today. You honoured Declan and Amanda too. They’d be proud of you.”

Nolan: “Aiden was my friend and I loved him. Victoria deserves to die.”
Jack: “I know but Emily was this close to getting her life back and doing something like this could rip it all away again.”

Victoria made some implication about David not being a good guy during her graveyard spat with Emily. I hope he doesn’t turn out to be a baddie.

Emily: “Let them come. You’re the murderer here.”
Victoria (re Aiden): “You received my gift. After what you’ve done to the ones I love you deserve far worse.”

Conrad: “No, it can’t be! David?”

Standout music: Frank Sinatra’s “Softly As I Leave You” – which Conrad was singing whilst dressed as a priest after a prison guard helped him escape.

Victoria (to the doctors): “She’s Amanda Clarke! She’s Amanda Clarke!”

Chronology: From where “Impetus” more or less left off.

This has been something of a dodgy season and while Nayar and company really are at a point where they need to set an end date for this series, I will admit that “Execution” was also pretty great as a finale too, especially for the final scene alone. I will be back next season as a viewer but I also believe that next season probably should be the final one now.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Doctor Who - Series 8 Films In Lanzarote/More Guest Stars Confirmed - EDITED!!!!

It's been a little while since my last Doctor Who related blog and now with filming for the first six episodes completed, filming has now turned to the fourth block of episodes - written by Peter Harness and Jamie Mathieson, and a prominent guest star has been announced.

Hermione Norris, best known for her roles in Cold Feet, Spooks and recently, The Crimson Field has been cast in Peter Harness's episode. Described as an 'intense and emotional script', Harness's episode will also see the crew film in Lanzarote for the first time since 1984's serial Planet Of Fire. Though whether or not this episode is a sequel to the story that introduced Peri Brown and departed Vislor Turlough/Kamelion remains to be seen though lead writer Steven Moffat has confirmed that 'the Doctor is returning to the scene of an old adventure - but there have been sinister changes since his last visit.’ Sounds very intriguing nonetheless and nice to see that Peter Capaldi is getting some abroad filming as well in his first year.

I've decided to edit this blog instead of doing a new one. Why, you ask? Well, because it is has now been announced that Frank Skinner will also be guest starring in Mathieson's episode. Skinner who also appeared in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot back in November will be joined by Christopher Villiers (who appeared in The King's Demons), Janet Henfry (The Curse Of Fenric), David Bamber and Daisy Beaumont in what is increasingly looking like a very packed and exciting episode.

Elsewhere from the previous block, it was also confirmed that Ben Miller (Primeval) had been cast in Mark Gatiss's episode for the upcoming series. From previous filming pictures and videos, it was also confirmed that the episode was in fact a Robin Hood themed episode with DaVinci's Demons actor Tom Riley playing Hood and Miller confirmed for the villain of the piece as well.

Last but not least, the latest issue of Radio Times not only has Peter Capaldi on the cover but there's an interview with Steven Moffat (in light of The Day Of The Doctor's BAFTA nomination). There's nothing in the way of major spoilers but Moffat's comments on the type of men that are best suited to playing the Doctor are rather interesting and enough to make me think that we're in for some good times ahead for Capaldi as well as a change of direction for the show.

Hermione Norris Casting: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Hermione-Norris-to-Guest-Star-in-New-Series
Frank Skinner Casting:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Frank-Skinner-to-Appear-in-New-Series-of-Doctor-Who
Steven Moffat Interview: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-05-12/handsome-men-dont-quite-suit---doctor-whos-steven-moffat-on-how-to-choose-a-time-lord

Doctor Who Series 8 continues to film and will air on BBC1 in the autumn.

My Review of DaVinci's Demons 2x08: "The Fall From Heaven"

Written by Jonathan Hickman And Corey Reed
Directed by Peter Hoar

DaVinci (to Riario): “For me, the quest is far from over.”

Okay, this episode was brilliant in most regards but it was also disappointing in some others. The obvious one being that this show has unwisely decided to extend the Book Of Leaves plotline while adding a pit stop as well to proceedings.

Despite all the trouble and craziness that DaVinci, Zoroaster, Nico and Riario have gone through to try and find the bloody book and DaVinci’s mother, this episode made sure they barely escaped with their lives from Ima and her people and left the New World empty handed as well.

It might have been fun for the last few weeks exploring the New World and perhaps in light of the show officially being confirmed for a third season, it’s understandable that DaVinci didn’t succeed in his goals but it does make things rather frustrating though. Even Riario seemed pretty defeated to contrast DaVinci’s strange jubilation at the end of this episode.

It’s all well and good the writers wanting to hold off on DaVinci getting the Book of Leaves and reuniting with his mother but it could end up being the show’s undoing as well. I do think this episode should’ve resolved one or the other, aside from revealing that Ima’s people were in possession of neither.

Speaking of Ima – I kind of felt bad for her this week. Yes, she led hunt on DaVinci and came close to sacrificing her dreamer and Riario to her God but her genuine despair when she realised her own people were doomed was actually a little heartbreaking. I might not have agreed with her methods but I at least understood them and I have a feeling that she herself probably ended up being sacrificed as DaVinci and company escaped from the New World.

Keeping with the escape – Lorenzo just cannot seem to catch a break, can he? When it finally looked like he was making progress with Ferrante (thanks to Ippolita’s scheming), Alfonso had to sour the mood by bringing Sixtus to Naples and really put Lorenzo in the crapper as well. Have I mentioned my dislike for Alfonso? He does seem to excel with each appearance and manages to also remain deeply uninteresting as a result.

When he wasn’t endangering Lorenzo’s life yet again, he was also attacking Bayezid on Sixtus’s orders. To be honest, it’s a bloody shame that both Bayezid and Lucrezia’s assassin didn’t get to kill him but with two episodes left and DaVinci returning, surely Alfonso will meet his maker soon, right? I literally don’t care who kills the man, just as long as someone does it and fast.

As for Bayezid – I actually did feel sorry for the bloke. He foolishly thought he could reason with Sixtus and ended up getting rightly humiliated for it, which does prove that Lucrezia’s propensity for endangering people is still there. As for Lucrezia – I did laugh a little how the Sultan’s advisor figured out rather easily who she was. It also seems that there’s at least one bloke that’s immune to her charms as well if that advisor had zero qualms with setting his right hand woman on Lucrezia.

Also in “The Fall From Heaven”

Riario being manipulated into murdering his own mother answered a question from the previous season. It was also pretty grim to watch as well.

Lorenzo: “I have to do this. I must fight for what I hold dear.”
Ippolita: “As must I.”

I don’t think anyone was shocked to see Lorenzo sleep with Ippolita in this episode. However I am betting that she won’t make in the next two though.

Riario: “We have failed, artiste. We should accept that.”
DaVinci: “Never.”

Ima: “Wait for me in the next life, Leonardo.”

This week we had escapes via parachutes, diversions courtesy of exploding animal fat and a creepy golden mechanical doll that made DaVinci think he was hearing his mother.

Bayezid: “I came in the hope of peace.”
Sixtus: “Your dream of diplomacy is entertaining. Utterly misguided.”

Nico: “I hate flying.”

We saw something of a darker side to Nico during the escape attempt. Even Zoroaster was shocked with how easily he attacked the guards.

Ima: “Don’t take the book away from my people, please.”
DaVinci: “There was no book.”
Ima: “Then we are doomed.”

DaVinci (to Zoroaster, re Riario): “He’s coming with us. There’s been enough death.”

There was no Clarice, Carlo, Andreas or Vanessa in this episode. That’s two episodes this season that have been Florence-less.

Riario (to DaVinci): “How foolish I have been to follow the Book Of Leaves to the end of the world, thinking it could absolve me from my sins.”

Chronology: From where “The Vault Of Heaven” left off.

Certainly this was a strong episode in other regards but I do wish “The Fall From Heaven” had offered some permanent closure with either the Book Of Leaves or DaVinci’s mother instead of possibly extending the stories beyond their natural life. However, I am now looking forward to see the gang back in Florence next week though.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Eurovision 2014

Every year I make a promise that I will avoid the Eurovision like the plague and every year, I usually fail in actually living up to that promise. It probably doesn't help that I also choose to go on Twitter during the time as well. Even Ireland not actually qualifying didn't manage to deter me from watching it this year - mostly by myself and then with my father and oldest sister during the voting bits. So live from Copenhagen, Denmark and all that ...

First of all - the winner. By the time even a third or two fifths of the 37 countries that could vote have voted, you'll have already sussed out which country had this in the bag. I did think briefly that Hungary had it with their stirring song Running by András Kállay-Saunders but by the time we had gotten past the halfway point, the clear winner materialised as Conchita Wurst with her song Rise Like The Phoenix, which while a little Bond influenced, turned out to be a solid song and a rather deserving winner as well with 290 points. I like that Conchita won and that audiences both at the actual event and on social media proved that their support was there in spades and even the idiots who did resort to tiny bits of transphobia and homophobia were rightly put in their place by the majority of people showing their support to Conchita. Like most Eurovision songs, we'll have perhaps forgotten it in a week but a great victory should be applauded though.

It's hard to deny that this year's Eurovision certainly seemed to be more politically charged than previous years but I have to admit that while I loathe Vladimir Putin as much as the next person, even I thought the booing that the Russian contestants got was beyond excessive and misplaced to a point. The twin girls - Anastasiya and Maria Tolmachevy had a reasonably okay, if not remarkable song with Shine and I do think that should've been the focus. I also think that despite some good intentions and justified anger towards Russia's current political system, the booing should've been left out.

However something that pleasantly surprised me this year was the slew of pretty good songs we had as well. Along with Conchita's winning number, Switzerland also gave us the rather dapper looking Sebalter and his song, Hunter of Stars, while both Finland and Greece went boyband crazy with the former having Softeengine singing Something Better and the latter with FreakyFortune/Risky Kidd singing/rapping Rise Up, both of which were pretty decent. I also have to admit that Norway's entry - Silent Storm by Carl Espen was quite nice as well. I'm also probably one of the few people who was non fussed by Poland's rather cleavage-y performance of My Slowianie by Donatan and Cleo, though the appeal wasn't lost on the general audience though but at least it fared better than France (who came last position with two points) and their pretty embarrassing Moustache by Twin Twin. I can't help but feel relieved that Ireland wasn't in this year's Eurovision now. Speaking of which ...

Yes, let's talk about Ireland, shall we? I think (and no disrespect to Kasey Smith here) that we didn't deserve to be in this year's contest. RTE have become ridiculously complacent with choosing people each year and perhaps this will finally give them the kick up the arse they did and they'll actually come up with a better process for picking contestants. Hell, we might even get someone next year who might have an actual fighting chance of doing well in 2015 but it'll only happen if RTE finally get the hint and make more of an effort. Otherwise, we'll probably be sitting out more Eurovision contests in the near future. You'd almost forget with our string of dire luck and acts over the recent years that we actually won the bloody contest six times.

Overall though, it was actually a good night and better compared to previous years, though the male presenters did grate a little at times and the contestants looked bemused when the female presenter was giving them their favourite foods. And I could've done without the Twelve song as well but yeah, I actually enjoyed the Eurovision this year.

Constantine - NBC Order To Series

With the likes of Gotham (FOX), Agent Carter (ABC) and The Flash (the CW), it seems that NBC themselves also want to get into the comic book and have commissioned Constantine for a series.

The official description from NBC ...

Based on DC Comics' Hellblazer graphic novels, the drama centers on master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan - Torchwood). The drama centers on Constantine as he struggles with his faith while haunted by the sins of his past but is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness. Dexter's Daniel Cerone penned the script and will exec produce the Warner Bros. Television drama alongside David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy, Man Of Steel, DaVinci's Demons). Lucy Griffiths (Robin Hood, True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Oz, Lost)and Charles Halford co-star.

I have to admit this really could go either way as a series. Constantine as a show seems more like something that would be better suited to a cable channel for adaptation rather than a network but NBC have done well with the likes of adapting Hannibal, so perhaps it will work out well here and it'll probably be better than the Keanu Reeves movie did a few years ago and at least Matt Ryan looks the part too. Either way, this fall season certainly seems to have an interesting influx of comic adaptations, doesn't it?

More Information: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-orders-constantine-mysteries-laura-702424
Season 1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPE2oBnzROY

Constantine will premiere on NBC Fridays in the autumn.

ABC & CW Pick Ups/Cancellations

It's May and with certain shows ending with their current season finales, both ABC and the CW have announced which shows will be coming back, which ones won't and which ones will be joining them in the fall schedule.

Fans of Agents Of Shield can not only take comfort for knowing that the show will return for a second season but it will also be joined by Agent Carter, a show centering Hayley Atwell's popular character from the Marvel movies. Elsewhere stalwarts at ABC such as Once Upon A Time, Revenge, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family etc have all been renewed for further seasons amongst a slew of new shows that will also be joining the roster as well.

Karen Gillan's Selfie has been one of the new series to be picked up along with the likes of American Crime, Forever, Manhattan Love Story, The Whispers and Galavant to name a few. However shows such as Mixology and Trophy Wif have been axed. Since writing this Nashville's current fate is that it's been renewed for a third season. I can't say that there's many new shows from ABC's schedule that intrigue me, except maybe two perhaps. The rest aren't exactly bowling me over.

As for the CW, the good news is that shows like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, The Originals and Arrow were all confirmed a while back for renewals and surprisingly enough the likes of Beauty And The Beast and The 100 have also been renewed as well. Pleasantly though, while Bloodlines was passed over, it seems The Flash will be making his return to television in the fall though.

In terms of axings, both The Carrie Diaries and The Tomorrow People will not be returning for further seasons and mid-season show, Star-Crossed was also dropped from the CW. There are some new shows on the horizons but with titles like Jane the Virgin, The Messengers and iZombie, can you really see any of them being good or going the distance?

Overall, something of a mixed bag really. I'm still surprised the likes of Grey's Anatomy and Supernatural are still on television as both of these shows have had their day but some of the axings are less surprising and not many of the newly commissioned shows are inspiring to be honest. Only Agent Carter and The Flash seem the most tempting and Selfie might be a laugh, despite it's dated sounding premise. At the same time though, it's nice to see some current favourites renewed though.

More Information: http://www.spoilertv.com/#

Cucumber/Banana/Tofu - Cast Announced

It's been a while since filming for Russell T. Davies upcoming gay themed dramas, Cucumber and Banana began for both Channel 4 and E4 and now some casting has finally been announced for the series.

Julie Hesmondhalgh, best known for her role as Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street, which she left back in January this year has been cast as the sister of the main character, Henry. This is the first TV acting gig that Hesmondhalgh has been signed for since her departure from the cobbles and it's nice that we will see her back on our television screen pretty soon.

Meanwhile Vincent Franklin (best known for his role on The Thick Of It) has been cast as Henry, half of the main couple in this series. The series will focus on Henry and his long-suffering boyfriend Lance (Cyril Nri), whose lives are turned upside down after a disastrous date night. The disasters involving a death, a threesome, two police cars and the Glee Christmas Album – Henry’s old life shatters, and his new life begins.

Also rounding off the cast for both Cucumber and it's youth oriented spin-off series, Banana are Freddie Fox (The Mystery Of Edwin Drood), Fisayo Akinade (Fresh Meat), Con O’Neill (Uncle), James Murray (Primeval) and Ceallach Spellman (Waterloo Road). The spin-off series will focus on young lesbian Scotty’s first love as well to 19 year old Dean’s mysterious family secrets while the main series is more focused on Henry and his life. It certainly looks like between both series and online companion, Tofu that Russell T. Davies will have all bases covered with these upcoming shows.

More Information: http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2014/05/vincent-franklin-julie-hesmondhalgh-cast-russell-t-davies-cucumber-banana/

Cucumber/Banana/Tofu will debut on Channel 4/E4/Online in early 2015.

My Review of Revenge's 3x21: "Impetus"

Written by Gretchen J. Berg And Aaron Harberts
Directed by J. Miller Tobin

Conrad: “What about Victoria?”
Emily: “Oh, I’m not finished yet.”
Conrad: “Well then, god speed.”

Now that was the return of the show I fell in love with back in the first season. Charlotte’s kidnapping courtesy of Emily and Aiden brought about Conrad’s downfall and hopefully by next week’s finale, both Victoria and Daniel’s too for that matter.

I’m actually glad both Emily and Aiden actually went to that length to kidnap Charlotte because while I can understand both Jack and Nolan’s disgust for the idea, it actually did the character the world of good. Charlotte’s needed her eyes opened about Flight 197 for a while now and with Pascal’s death inconveniencing Emily’s other plans, kidnapping her little sister turned out to be the more fruitful endeavour.

Having Charlotte shown graphically the corruption of her family was brilliant but even more so with the recent reminders of Amanda and Declan’s respective deaths and the scenes where Jack released her and Conrad turned on her spectacularly were some of the best the show has ever done in my opinion.

It’s almost a shame that Conrad savagely turned on Charlotte, calling her a bastard and threatening to ‘erase her’ but it was still rather gratifying to have his ugly display made so public as well. It’s just a shame that Victoria’s part in Conrad’s activities wasn’t made so public but there’s always the next episode for that.

I also liked the twist at the end with Emily visiting Conrad in prison and telling him her part in his downfall as well. If only for the moment where he cheered her on for vowing to take Victoria down. I’ve just realised that Victoria arguably should suffer more for this whole Flight 197 fiasco than Conrad and I know that’s messed up but her constant attempts of playing victim have kind of cemented a resentment for her.

Given that she finally seems to know that Emily is also Amanda Clarke (courtesy of testing both Charlotte and Carl’s DNA samples), I just can’t see Victoria taking some responsibility for her action. Conrad framed David but Victoria was the reason for it and also helped him to do it as well. I’m just at the point now where I want to see Emily truly destroy Victoria once and for all and finish her story.

Which leads me to the other thing – this episode really felt like the penultimate episode of a series finale and given that ABC haven’t confirmed the show’s future, I am beginning to wonder if Emily’s saga will be over completely by next week. A part of me thinks it should be for the show’s own credibility while other part of me wants just one more season (even a truncated one). I guess we’ll just have to see what happens next, shall we?

Also in “Impetus”

Daniel’s creeping onto Margaux keeps getting slimier with every episode but I found myself bored senseless every time someone mentioned Pascal as well.

Victoria: “Sleep can wait, Daniel. I have vermin to stalk.”

Do we really need a plotline where some bloke seems to be obsessed with David Clarke? Maybe it’s a clue that the show will get a fourth run. Possibly. Or not.

Emily: “I would never hurt Charlotte, Nolan. If you don’t believe me, there’s the door.”

Nolan: “What’s the first thing you think you’ll do as Amanda Clarke? I mean you’ve been at this race since you were a kid. You haven’t even fantasised about the finish line?”

Aiden deserves massive props for punching Daniel’s lights out at the police station and telling Jack that Emily isn’t the Amanda Clarke he once knew. Let’s face it, someone really did need to tell Jack that.

Emily: “Charlotte, please open your eyes.”

Emily: “Poor Daniel, so bitter about our divorce. You’ve always gotta stir up trouble for me.”
Daniel: “You got it, babe.”

Was the same Victoria hired the same one who seems to be obsessed with David Clarke? I was also surprised that we got another Javier appearance in this one.

Charlotte: “You disgust me.”
Conrad: “And you my dear are an ungrateful bastard.”

Victoria: “Bye Conrad. Do rot in hell.”

Standout music: Strange Talk’s “Young Hearts”.

Aiden: “Conrad was defeated. Revenge is yours.”
Emily: “Oh, the war’s not over yet. There’s still Victoria.”

Chronology: From where “Revolution” left off.

Watching this episode, I just wish that the quality we had gotten in “Impetus” had been more consistent in the second half of the season, instead of the meandering we had instead. This episode set about doing everything the show has needed to do for some time and did it in a pretty satisfying way.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of DaVinci's Demons 2x07: "The Vault Of Heaven"

Written by Brian Nelson And Marco Ramirez
Directed by Peter Hoar

Ima (to DaVinci): “I am sorry my dreamer, our visions were very clear. You are to lead me to this point and die in return and lead my people into salvation, no matter the cost.”

Hmm, I can’t help but this is rather an extreme version of sour grapes, Ima. I knew her and DaVinci were doomed thanks to that opening scene in the premiere episode a few weeks back but did she really have to threaten to kill DaVinci and his gang just because he entered the Vault of Heaven without her?

DaVinci might not have had any intention of waiting for her but Ima herself chose not to follow through with the various trials, so she can’t entirely blame her dreamer for not taking her to the Vault of Heaven either.

Speaking of the trials – they were inventive, puzzling and the right side of perilous but served more to open up an interesting dialogue with DaVinci, Riario, Nico and Zoroaster than anything else. While there’s a part of me that thinks Zoroaster was absolutely right not to trust Riario at all, there was also another part of me that found him annoying throughout the episode. I hate to say it but aside from Alfonso, I think Zoroaster has become the weakest character this season or at the very most, the least developed one too.

There’s only so much of his laddish humour and complaining I can take with Zoroaster and the show has gotten to a point of exhausting it now. At least Nico tried to keep a level head and managed to persuade Riario to spare Zoroaster. In a crisis, I think you would want Nico at your side more than Zoroaster. That’s what I learned from this episode.

As for DaVinci and Riario – they actually managed to be more civil with each other. Sure, both of them were a little competitive over seeing the Book of Leaves but at the same time, they also worked pretty well together too. It’s just a shame that Ima and her tribe took it upon themselves to shorten their partnership by the episode’s end.

As for DaVinci’s mother – I guess it makes sense that she was in the Vault Of Heaven, even if we didn’t see her. I assume we will do by next week though and hopefully this whole Book of Leaves plot will be resolved too. I’m still interested in it as a whole but it’s a loose end that needs tying up though.

Speaking of loose ends – I liked Carlo’s method of dealing with hostile bankers and protecting Clarice. He’s slowly becoming my new favourite character this season and while his affair with Clarice is pretty predictable plotting, I do think they work together rather well. Carlo certainly seems to have given Clarice a steely determination that Lorenzo certainly wasn’t.

Last but not least – Lucrezia and the Sultan’s son. It did seem like things were going a little too smoothly at first in Istanbul so having the former being kept captive while the latter decided to go to Rome was probably a good idea. However knowing Lucrezia, I’m pretty sure she’ll manage to get herself out of the sticky situation fairly soon. After all, she does have three weapons at her disposal as the Sultan’s son seemed a little too eager to point out.

Also in “The Vault Of Heaven”

Sixtus seems to have cottoned on to the fact that Lupo’s faith in him is dwindling. I wonder will he pick up on the fact that Lupo’s also removed something important from the Secret Archives too.

DaVinci (to Zoroaster): “We need to go home. We need to get what we came for.”

Clarice seemed a little kinder but still patronising to Vanessa in this episode. I did like that Vanessa stood up for herself though.

Ima: “How many years do you think we’ve been at this problem?”
Zoroaster: “Maybe you just need a bigger spear?”

Vanessa (to Clarice): “The man I chose to bed will not define me. One receives as much respect as one demands.”

Lucrezia went by Amelia’s name when she met up with the Sultan and dressed for the occasion too.

Carlo (to banker): “As you reminded me, I am a bastard.”

Clarice (to Carlo): “What I’m doing is what I damn well please.”

This episode didn’t feature anything in relation to Naples at all. I think only DaVinci and Zoroaster have appeared in every episode so far this season.

Bayezid (to Lucrezia): “Charm, beauty, intelligence. I cannot trust a woman with so many weapons at her disposal.”

Chronology: Not long since “The Rope Of The Dead”.

Not quite as strong as previous episodes have been but certainly, “The Vault Of Heaven” had it’s moments and overall, it was enjoyable to watch. However I do think it is probably time to wrap up the Book of Leaves plot now.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Gotham - First Trailer/Commissioned For 13 Episodes

Sometimes I think this place is cursed but I won't let it fall apart without a fight.

It's been a while but last night during the premiere of 24: Live Another Day, not only did FOX confirm that Gotham has officially been picked up for a thirteen episode series but they also aired a two minute trailer for the show and it looks seriously awesome, if a little on Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy side of things too.

I promise you I will find the man who did this - If there was any doubt about whether or not former Southland actor Benjamin McKenzie was up to the task of portraying Detective James Gordon, this trailer blew it out of the water. In the trailer alone we see him clashing with partner Harvey Bullock, being told about the dangers of Gotham by one of his superiors, comforting a grief stricken Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), indulging in some alone time with fiancee Barbara (Erin Richards) and also also butting heads with both Fish Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot. He might not have the moustache but he's undeniably in character from this trailer alone.

There's a war coming ... a terrible war - And so says Oswald Cobblepot, played with sophistication and eerie charm by Robin Lord Taylor. This version of the Penguin might look seemingly harmless as James Gordon pushes him around for information but beneath the suave look does behold a dangerous man and it's none so evident than at the end of the trailer when he's savagely beating someone to a pulp with his cronies. I think he's definitely going to be one of the most interesting interpretations of the character we'll have ever seen.

You have a little danger in your eye - I wonder what you plan to do with that - For a while now, we've known very little about Fish Mooney as played by Jada Pinkett-Smith and now we've seen her in action and she looks to be a suitable villain, taking advantage of the chaos that's engulfing Gotham and certainly making sure she's seen as a legitimate threat. I have to give props to Gotham already for the fact that the main antagonist of this first season alone will be a female villain.

This is war ... we're at war - My experience with Bullock has mainly been with seeing him in Batman: The Animated Series and in that series, he was always something of a divisive and occasionally incompetent character. It seems with this version of events that Donal Logue will be bringing something of a grounded take to the character as he advises James on the war in Gotham in the trailer as well as introducing his new partner to other members of the force.

However dark and scary the world might be right now, there will be light for us - One of the things that Gotham has promised has been to show the origins of the Rogues Gallery and while the Joker might not be wisely included for now (guaranteed he will be if the show doesn't suffer the same fate as other shows sometimes do on FOX), we also managed to see Camren Bicondova's young Selina Kyle stalking Wayne manor and standing on top of a building looking a little sombre and cat like. Of course the future Catwoman is not the only Rogue Gallery member we see at a young age.

Fear doesn't need conquering. Fear tells you where the edge is - We also get to see a younger version of Poison Ivy as played by Clare Foley and renamed Ivy Pepper (not sure why but I'll let it slide though) looking all creepy as she tends to one of her plants. Personally I would've made Ivy a little older but she's one of my favourite characters from the Rogues Gallery and I'm delighted she's being included nonetheless, though I could take it to assume that most of her scenes might be either with Bruce Wayne or Selina Kyle for now.

Somebody has to take over and it might as well be me - Slightly older than some but younger too in the Rogues Gallery is Edward Nigma, played by Corey Michael Smith. In this series, the future Riddler is actually a forensic scientist with the Gotham PD and will become a recurring character in the series as well. Other cast members for the series include Zabryna Guevara as Sarah Essen, Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean,  Victoria Cartegena as Renee Montoya (a former lover of Barbara Kean as well) and Andrew Stewart-Jones as Crispus Allen.

Overall, this looks bloody brilliant and with thirteen episodes at least guaranteed for now with FOX, I will certainly be giving Gotham a decent go as a series.

Gotham Greenlit: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/05/05/gotham-series-order/
Season 1 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d1zpt6k5OI

An airdate/time for Gotham's first season on FOX will be announced next week.

You Don't Own Us

And a look at some of the show I've recently caught up with.

Arrow: The last couple of episodes have been great but I'll admit that the Roy plot is dragging a bit and I do think it's a bit convenient that Oliver might have a secret child out there but between setting up stuff for the upcoming Flash spin-off and Slade showing his hand by killing Moira, it's hard to deny that the second season has continued to push the show into interesting directions. I just hope that within the last three episodes Oliver is able to take out his former friend before there are more casualties.

Game Of Thrones: And the last two episodes of this show have seen the ratings shoot up and draw controversy. That scene with Jaime and Cersei in the sept was one the show could've done without but on the plus side, at least we know who to thank for Joffrey's death, Dany's got Meereen's loyalty, the White Walkers were shown to be doing something unique with the babies they take and the road trips with Brienne and Pod could be fun as well, even if they don't find Sansa anytime soon. Plus more sexiness with Oberyn and Tyrion at least having one family member on his side while Margaery gets in with Tommen and this season continues to be as impressive as it's previous ones.

Glee: First of all, I would personally pay Ryan Murphy if I never have to hear a song by One Direction ever again on the show. Secondly, having Santana/Mercedes belt out Lauryn Hill's Doo Woo That Thing was actually pretty inspired as the recent episodes have been a little better, even if they most contained Rachel achieving Broadway success and nearly losing it as well by getting ahead of herself. The TV deal thing is a bit trite and could've been left for next season but props to the show for getting Shirley MacLaine for a multi episode arc though.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: Ward is a traitor, Ward is a traitor. I'm gonna let that settle in for a bit. While you could argue that Boyd being a baddie in Dollhouse might have been more shocking, the not exactly dazzling with a personality Ward being revealed as a baddie of sorts at the end of Turn, Turn, Turn (poor Victoria Hand) was the first genuinely shocking moment the show has produced so far and it was well overdue. Nice to see the show turning itself around and getting to be that little bit more interesting.

Once Upon A Time: Much as I am loving Zelena, her whole plot about changing her past just looks obviously doomed to fail but on the plus sideat least her antics have cooled Hook and Emma for a tiny bit. I also like the fact that the writers took something more of a gutsy gamble about the actual cause of the second curse and the introduction of Glinda (who has to be in Narnia by the looks of it) and everyone's memories being restored was certainly needed as well. I'm still not entirely sold on Regina and Robin though as a pairing but their scenes are getting a little better though.

Orphan Black: One of the most hyped about shows in the last year made it's BBCAmerica and BBC3 return and sticking to watching it on the latter, I have to admit that the opening episode was brilliant. I'm not sure who are worse between the DYAD and the religious fanatics that have Kira but Sarah/Allison/Cosima need to band together and annihilate both factions and pretty much within this season as well. As for the other Clones - I was surprised to see that Helena actually survived and Rachel's coldness might not make her sympathetic but it's certainly intriguing to see her act as though she's above the other Clones. A great start to what looks like will be another terrific series. Also the less said about Felix in assless chaps, perhaps the better, yeah?

- Teen Wolf's fourth season will air on MTV from June 23rd at 10pm with a new villain named the Benefactor also revealed.
- Scandal has been dropped by More4 but UK viewers can still see it as SkyLiving have picked up the series.
- Bryan Fuller is confident that Hannibal will be picked up for a third season, while the second season airs on SkyLiving from May 6th.
- The Simpsons are planning a Yellow Wedding episode.
- Michael McKean is joining Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul as a powerful attorney.
- Yvonne Strahovski will appear in an episode of Louie.
- Despite recently being cast in the Star Wars movies, Adam Driver will still be a part of the fourth season of Girls.
- Another version of The Saint is in works despite last year's attempt not getting picked up by ABC.
- Almost Human has been cancelled by FOX, though Watch will air it for UK viewers from May 6th.
- Bates Motel has been picked up for a third season.

In The Flesh - Series 2 First Look

A few days ago, I did a review for the first series of In The Flesh and with the second series only days away from airing, here's a brief preview of what to expect.

First of all, let's meet Simon, shall we? He's going to be played by Emmett Scanlan, best known for his roles in Hollyoaks and The Fall and also due to appear in upcoming Marvel movie, Guardians Of The Galaxy. Scanlan's character will be an instrumental one in the upcoming second season as he's also one of the twelve disciples of the Undead Prophet and he soon comes into contact with Kieren (Luke Newberry) and Amy (Emily Bevan) and if you've read Scanlan's recent interview with Gay Times, you might have come across a rather interesting spoiler concerning both Simon and Kieren as well.

On the other side of the fence and for the anti-rotter group, Victus, you also have Maxine Martin (Wunmi Mosaku) - Roarton's new MP, who's also doing her bit to campaign against the recently risen as well. It seems from several interviews with cast and creator, Dominic Mitchell that both stances (the Undead Liberation Army and Victus) are going to be in conflict in the six episode second series. As for the show's future beyond a second run of episodes in light of BBC3's imminent departure - well, one can hope it is picked up for a third run of episodes as Mitchell has mentioned that some characters from his series bible will not be in the second series and that he has more stories to tell with the village of Roarton.

Series 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_eiUP43aL8
Dominic Mitchell Interview:  http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s223/in-the-flesh/feature/a567885/in-the-flesh-dominic-mitchell-on-series-2-and-the-shows-future.html#~oD0InhnbP2P3of

In The Flesh - Series 2 airs on BBC3, Sundays 10pm from May 4th.