My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x10: "The Fixed Point"

 

Written by Matthew Maala And Paiman Kalayeh

Directed by Maisie Richardson-Sellers

Sara: "Get ready Legends because this time, there are no do overs."

We are near the final stretch of episodes and after last week's bombshell where Gideon gave Gwyn's suggestion of saving Archduke Franz Ferdinand and preventing World War 1 some serious thought, this episode quickly turned the idea on it's head.

Instead of the Legends trying to break a fixed point in time, they'd use it to smoke out Evil Gideon and the Android Legends and get the other Waverider. A delightfully cunning idea that could've gone without a hitch but then this episode would've been only five minutes long. Of course there was a hitch and then some.

The first hitch being the Legends getting roped into a time traveller's bar where they were the laughing stock among their peers while also waiting in line to try and prevent Ferdinand's assassination. This also resulted in Sara getting killed multiple times as the gang realised that a mystery man was there, derailing their attempts.

Had the promo pics and press releases for this episode and the next one not spoiled things, the return of Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash would've been a genuine surprise. Either way, it's nice to see the character again and it's even better that it's the Matt Letscher version of the character too. On a surprising note, Thawne's purpose for this episode was to make sure the fixed point remained intact and he was more grudging ally than dangerous foe for Sara and the Legends this week.

Now with the Legends in a prime position to reclaim the Waverider, what else happened in this episode? Oh, there was the rather understated manner in which Spooner came out as asexual to Zari as the two of them became friends this week. That was a lovely little moment in this episode and one that proved yet again, why this show has been the best for LGBT representation.

Speaking of LGBT representation, I never loved Ava Sharpe more than I did in this episode. With both her and Gwyn mostly sidelined in this one from the main story, there was a beautiful moment between them here. Gwyn's plan to save Alun but to deny himself happiness with the latter was heart-breaking and I loved that Ava seemed to have gotten through to him.

As for the other romances of the episode, both Astra and Behrad seem to be in the early days of their romance while Gideon went from self doubt about her knowledge of time to being elated about Thawne's arrival and being openly affectionate with Gary. As for Nate, we did learn that art was not a talent of his while he was also a great support for Sara.

- The credit sequence came back to normal for this episode after the last two doing something different with them.

- Zari's "smash, marry, avoid" game was a good catalyst to have Spooner open up about her feelings. 

- This episode had way too much with the amount of ways that Sara got killed this week.

- Chronology: June 28th 1914, Sarajevo.

The Fixed Point was another triumph for Maisie Richardson-Sellers on the directing front and on the front of everything else, this has become one of my favourite episodes of this season. Brilliant character moments, a welcomed baddie return. Everything about this one was a winner.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x03: "The Thing In The Mines"

 

Written by Katie Aldrin And Juliana James

Directed by Gregory Smith

Sam (to everyone): "There's a bizarre version of Superman on the loose."

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, Sam, but it's actually a Bizarro version of Superman. Close enough though. It also looks like that it's not Doomsday that was causing all that ruckus in the mines but it was Bizarro and now he's on the loose.

This also means that Tyler Hoechlin will be on double duty, acting wise this season and the episode did a great job in introducing Bizarro to both Superman and Steel where the former also made himself at home in the Fortress of Solitude. While Bizarro doesn't seem like a great conversationalist for now, he also doesn't appear to be very dumbed down either.

Bizarro's arrival certainly had Clark on edge all throughout the episode. Not only did he have to put his Superman duties on hold but he also snapped at both Jordan and Jonathan  in a way that even shocked him. Again, I'm so glad this show doesn't drag these plots out for too long. We know it's Bizarro that was the cause of Clark's recent distress and now so does everyone else.

As for Sam, he's helpful when the script needs him to be and a hindrance for the same reasons as well. He wanted Clark to tell Anderson everything about Bizarro while also clashing with Lois at first  over Lucy's past with Ally Allston and the latter's dangerous cult. Of course Sam did come good for Lois but unfortunately for the latter, it was made painfully clear that Lucy was still part of Ally's toxic cult.

As for Jonathan and Jordan, their woes were personal this week. The former found out his girlfriend was supplying Timmy with the drugs that was enhancing his football performance and decided he wanted in while the latter decided to continue seeing Sarah. That can only mean their relationship really will be doomed as the season goes on.

Last but not least there was Lana's mayor plot, which although made for decent screen time, it did feel too separate from the main plot strands this week. Lana did gut her first stumbling block in her campaign but thanks to Sarah getting her to do a cooking live stream, she might have recovered a little faster than expected. I'm guessing she'll win or lose before we get to the halfway point of the season. 

- I love the title card going backwards at the end of the episode. Very inline now that we have Bizarro in the mix.

- With the amount of mentions of Lois's mother this season, I get the feeling she'll be appearing later on. Natalie had some great scenes with Jordan and Jonathan this week.

- Not only are John and Natalie going to fix the former's suit but also the barn. I'm surprised that Sam didn't have more of a reaction to Natalie as well.

- Chronology: From where the last episode left off and we're still in 2021, going by Lana's homemade campaign posters.

The Thing In The Mines didn't waste time with the Bizarro reveal and it was nicely handled. We're three episodes in and this season has definitely been as strong as it's first one, balancing the family elements and the superhero ones too. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x09: "Lowest Common Demoninator"

 

Written by James Eagan And Emily Cheever

Directed by Eric Dean Seaton

Astra (to the Legends): "We are on a reality show in Hell."

Following last week's focus on the Android version of the Legends, this week saw the return of our guys, who thanks to Gideon landed in the pocket dimension of Constantine's manor in Hell. Could've been and of course, it means the gang would have the opportunity to come up with a strategy against Evil Gideon.

Except for the fact that Gwyn opened a door in the manor and let inside the cursed crew who sold their souls to a demon named Harris Ledes (Giles Panton) in order to make a hit reality show. Yup, the Legends have found themselves living out a reality TV series and all the tropes that came with it.

To cap off things, you had Nate and Zari 2 almost fall into 'friends to lovers' trope before both of them fell out over their own feelings about Zari 1 while a self doubting Gideon switched off her emotions to stir the pot among the feuding housemates. Gideon being a massive contrast to a very overly emotional Gary, who also made things worse for the Legends.

Then there was Sara and Ava with the former more fixated on planning a vacation than trying to get out of reality show hell while the latter grew tired of being the den mother of the gang and snapped. Meanwhile Spooner took Survivor a little too much or heart and Gwyn went from wanting to save Alun to wanting to prevent World War 1 altogether.

As for Astra, she had a plan to get Ledes to pull the show but Behrad's snooping just put them in the periphery of things instead. However it was also Behrad opening up about his own past experience and a commentary on being a stoner and chill dude that basically resolved this plot. As someone who found Behrad a weak character last season, I really like how much he's improved as a character this season. 

As for the potential romance between Astra and Behrad, I think the former has more chemistry with Spooner but I don't mind the pairing either. Both of them were the only ones who were more savvy about the main plot of the week and I do think the actors play off each other rather well. Likewise the same with Gideon and Gary and how the latter also castigated the Legends for being judgmental about their blossoming romance.

- The premise of this episode was set in Constantine's manor. There's a Hellblazer comic with this very premise and the title sequence were very Constantine themed. He was also mentioned in the episode. That's it really.

- Harris Ledes production company was named after the title of the episode. 

- Gwyn's constant praying throughout the episode being censored was funny as well as Nate's Jersey Shore look.

- Chronology: From where the mid season finale left off for the Legends.

Lowest Common Demoninator definitely and shamelessly went overboard with the reality TV tropes but only this show could've pulled this episode off with aplomb. Add some genuinely funny scenes with the main characters and development for both Behrad and Astra and this was a winner for me.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x02: "The Ties That Bind"

Written by Kristi Korzec And Michael Narducci

Directed by David Ramsey

Tal-Rho: "Aren't you gonna thank me for reuniting you with your long lost mother?"

Superman: "She could've been a mother to us both if you had chosen a different path."

Well, this was a family reunion I didn't expect so early in the season. Tal-Rho reappearing actually took me by surprise and it was a pleasant one nonetheless. Is it me or is this show going for a potential Loki vibe with the character?

I mean, sure his resentment towards Kal-El isn't going anywhere anytime soon but I do think a part of him wanted to help his brother this week as well as himself. On top that, he also seemed a little dejected when Superman didn't believe there was any good in him but wanted there to be. I feel a potential redemption story might be on the cards for Tal-Rho.

What I really loved about this episode was the fact that Clark took direct action about his visions. Once his family knew he was afflicted by them, he reached out to his estranged brother and the latter reunited them (and Jordan) with Lara (Mariana Klaveno). It was nice to see Lara both sympathise with Tal-Rho while also giving Kal-El a bit more information on what's causing her other son's visions.

At this point we know it's Doomsday and the antics down the mines certainly keep confirming that. There's also the fact that Dr Faulkner did her best to keep both Lois and Chrissy away from the mines while also confirming to a mystery person that something powerful was down there. I want to assume the mystery person Faulkner was talking to was Anderson (who's still a charmless pain in the ass) but I wouldn't rule out someone else altogether.

Meanwhile outside of the main plot, we had some interesting personal stuff too. Last week, Sarah was extremely distant with Jordan and this episode saw her and Natalie bonding over a car that the latter managed to get up and running. The reveal of Sarah possibly being gay or bisexual (she kissed a girl named Aubrey at camp) - it's too early to tell but I wouldn't be surprised if the show pairs her and Natalie before the second half of the season.

As for Lois, she had a lot of strong moments here too. Her attempts at bonding with Natalie over a big breakfast might have been a bust but she had some great scenes with both John and Chrissy this week. The latter especially as it was revealed that Lois's sister Lucy was in a cult and nearly killed herself. The show definitely has been laying the ground work for the character's imminent arrival.

Last but not least, I mentioned in my review for the season premiere that it wouldn't take the show long to go with Lana running for Mayor and it didn't. This episode had Daniel Hart quickly drop out of the race, Kyle get his fire station to vote for Lana and the latter to fill out the paperwork. Again, it's nice to see the show just speed through some of these plots.

- Superman nearly got defeated by an X-Kryptonite infused Philip Karnowski, also known as Barrage in the comics. He also got rescued by Tag, who has become of Mitch's soldiers.

- Jonathan figured out one of his lazier teammates was on steroids while still happy with his new girlfriend.

- I noticed the blog that was giving that cult leader a platform was from the same person that Lois didn't want Chrissy to hire last week.

- Chronology: From where the premiere episode more or less left off.

The Ties That Bind was definitely a better episode than the premiere. So many fantastic character moments, plots continuing to be moved forward while the Doomsday arc nicely being teased without feeling dragged out. This season definitely has gotten off to a great start.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Scream (2022)

 

Written by James Vanderbilt And Guy Busick

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin And Tyler Gillett

Ghostface (to Dewey): "It's an honour."

The horror franchise that galavanised the horror franchise of the 1990's and after an unrelated MTV series, it's back again to see if it adds little more bite in the horror genre one more time. The results are definitely something alright.

We open with a very familiar scene. Teenager Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) at home on the phone, thinking she's talking to her friend, Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison), only for Ghostface (Roger L. Jackson) to show up and kill her. Except, it's a new decade and there are new rules and this time, the supposed opening kill managed to survive their encounter with Ghostface.

With Tara not ending up the first victim hut still hospitalised, her estranged sister, Samantha (Melissa Barrera) came back to Woodsboro with her boyfriend, Ritchie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) in tow and it's soon revealed that Samantha has a noteworthy history with Ghostface. The noteworthy history being that her father was Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and he's been haunting her subconscious ever since she found this out.

Unfortunately for Samantha, the new Ghostface also knows her secret and it's not long before she enlisted a retired and divorced Dewey Riley (David Arquette) while getting to know Tara's friend circle, which included Randy's niece and nephew Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding), the latter's girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ben Ammar) and Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) son Wes (Dylan Minette).

As a younger generation, they're a mixed bag of characters that while mostly likable enough don't really stand out too much. Having most of these new characters, including a creepy guy named Vince (Kyle Gallner) who was revealed to be Stu's nephew did feel a tiny bit contrived, even though the movie went to lengths to point out the necessity of bedding both old and new in this 'requel'.

Speaking of the old, this movie certainly gives our three OGs the least amount to do of any movie by far. Dewey probably fared the best in some respects and also worse in a lot of others. As for Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), she's determined to stay away from Woodsboro but like Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), it only took one thing to draw them both back into the thick of things.

In terms of who Ghostface are, I won't spoil their identity but I will say they're the worst killers since Roman and I found myself generally uninterested in them as characters even before the reveal. The motive thought about wanting to make the perfect sequel while framing Samantha as the bad guy and commentary on toxic fandoms however did work as did the team up with Samantha, Sidney and Gale to take them out. While Samantha might not be quite as compelling a protagonist as Sidney, I do respect this movie for making her as different to Sidney as possible.

- This movie had a For Wes credit and of course, Dylan Minette's character was also named after him. I actually wish we had seen more of Wes. 

- Rian Johnson apparently directed the last Stab movie that sent the current Ghostface on their mission for that perfect sequel.

- Gale got a morning show in LA and Dewey left her. Dewey also had nerve damage from previous attacks, Sidney married Kincaid and had kids with him and Kirby survived the previous movie.

- Chronology: 25 years since the events of the first movie with the third act being set in Stu's house to really bring things home for all concerned.

Scream (2022) definitely had it's moments and while the third act didn't pack as big a punch as it could've with the killers being somewhat lacking, I do think this movie did manage to breathe a bit of new life in the franchise. Will it lead to another? Maybe it should but I'd be fine if it didn't either.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x08: "Paranoid Android"

 

Written by  Phil Klemmer And Marcelena Campos Mayhorn

Directed by David Geddes

Android Sara: "We are the real Legends Of Tomorrow."

Well, this was certainly an episode to come back to after nearly a two month break. I knew there was potential in Evil Gideon coming up with her own Android version of the Legends and this episode really scratched the surface of that concept. 

Having our Android version of the Legends firmly believe they're the good guys made absolute sense and of course would make Evil Gideon's plan seem just that bit more nefarious. However it shouldn't be a surprise that Doctor Sharpe would be the one enabling Evil Gideon's scheme and it was less surprising that Android Sara would be the one to suspect that things weren't quite as they appeared.

Watching the cast play somewhat exaggerated versions of themselves as Androids who didn't know they were for most of the episode was entertaining as hell. Although they're slightly better at cleaning up the timeline as the real Legends as Evil Gideon got them to fix up the mess that Gwyn caused with Chernobyl from two episodes ago.

So let's talk about the Android team shall we? There's Nate who seemed to have gotten Mick's old personality and seriously looked roided up to the hilt when he wasn't belittling the completely alien and always hungry Gary. Then there was Behrad and Spooner who for some reason seem to be locked in a permanent game of trying to up the other, which was also funny.

The Android version of Astra didn't feel that different or exaggerated from the version we already know while Android Zari was both the cause of Sara realising the truth and her eventual downfall. Not to mention the more antagonistic dynamic between Sara and Doctor Sharpe, which was definitely the highlight of the episode.

Unfortunately with Android Sara posing a potential threat to Evil Gideon's overall plans, it was up to the rest of the Android Legends to relieve her of command, regress her into only being an assassin and for Citizen Steel to take charge of the Waverider. Yup, this will definitely be fun to watch play out for the remaining five episodes of the season.

- The actual Legends themselves were confined to a scene from the previous episode as seen by the Android versions perspective. Gwyn for now does not have an Android double.

- The Android Legends got their own title sequence and Citizen Steel got a bullying ad where kids compared him to John Cena. That was timely considering that Peacemaker premiered today.

-  Even this episode seemed to be hinting at a future Behrad and Astra hook up while Spooner referred to the latter as her best friend.

- Chronology: 1943 Seattle, 1986 Ukraine and 1992 Norway for the Legends to assassinate a surviving Soviet scientist.

Paranoid Android definitely had far too much fun in parking our main heroes and giving us the spin off within a show with their Android versions. I had so much fun with these characters that I actually didn't miss any of the main players this week. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x01: "What Lies Beneath"

 

Written by Brent Fletcher And Todd Hellbing

Directed by Gregory Smith

Lt Anderson: "America can have more than one Superman."

And it's back. It's been nearly six months since the show went off the air, finally acquired itself a UK home on BBC1 and snaring the old Doctor Who timeslot. The first season raised the bar for what a CW DC could do. The question - can this new season continue to raise the bar? We'll definitely have to see, won't we?

Picking up from the finale, both Lois and Natalie Irons (Tayler Buck) have different reactions upon seeing one another. While Natalie struggled with meeting a woman who looks like her dead mother hut isn't her, Lois struggled to talk to a child that also isn't hers. It's a struggle that both Buck and Elizabeth Tulloch articulate throughout this opening story.

Lois's struggle with Natalie's existence affected her relationship with Clark and her sons during the episode, leading to some harsh words as well as her partnership with Chrissy at the Smallville Gazette and finding extra staff. It also led to Lois getting a breakthrough of her own and confronting the Natalie situation full steam ahead.

Having John and Natalie move back from Metropolis (where the latter was miserable in) to the Kent farm definitely could go either way. Clark did seem to support Lois's decision but both Jordan and Jonathan seemed apprehensive about it as did even Natalie. Either way, it's going to be a very interesting family dynamic with these characters this season.

Speaking of dynamics, one episode in and Lt Mitch Anderson (Ian Bohen) already has me missing the days of General Sam Lane and Superman butting heads. Anderson already comes across as a less flexible version of Sam Lane and he absolutely didn't waste any time in letting Superman know that he had his own way of maintaining America's interests at heart.

This season already seems to be tackling the theme of Superman's loyalty and whether he should be more loyal to the country he grew up in or the planet he feels responsible for. Anderson's use of those students from that school definitely feels like something that will put both him and Superman at odds for the majority of the season.

Then there's the actual baddie itself. Last season made viewers think that Captain Luthor would be the main threat, only to reveal that he was John Henry Irons/Steel all along while Morgan Edge was actually Superman's half-brother, Tal-Rho. This season definitely feels like Anderson and his militant devotion will be one threat while the thing that has been pounding it's way up through the Earth will be another. The thing in question might also be Doomsday, so that's gonna be a fun ti,e ahead for Superman.

- Lana has found herself campaign for potential mayor Daniel Hart and Kyle seems to be a tad jealous of him. 

- Jonathan got a new girlfriend named Candace and Lois caught them neatly having sex. It also seems like Sarah might be on the brink of dumping Jordan.

- Nice reference to Lucy by Lois in this episode. Jenna Dewan will be reprising the role from Supergirl this season.

- Chronology: Three months from where the previous season's finale left off.

What Lies Beneath got off to a relatively slow start and perhaps was a little too angsty in some parts. Saying that, the new dynamics set up here with various characters are definitely interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how the show will be able to handle Doomsday. 

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

 

Written by James Vanderbilt And Alvin Sargent And Steve Kloves

Directed by Marc Webb

Peter: "We all have our secrets: the ones we keep and the ones that are kept from us."

With this movie hitting it's tenth anniversary later this year and Andrew Garfield's tenure as the web slinger getting a certain appraisal from audiences, I thought now was the perfect time to take a look back at this movie.

Sandwiched between Tobey Maguire's trilogy and Tom Holland's dominance in the MCU, Garfield's movies have definitely had their fair share of scrutiny in the past. It's a shame really because this first movie alone while not quite as strong as Spider-Man (2002), I feel definitely was a bit stronger than Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

Andrew Garfield to me might be the best actor to ever play Peter Parker and likewise, Spider-Man himself The movie embarked on a straightforward origin story of the high schooler becoming the masked hero of the piece, learning more about the burden of responsibility, falling in love and battling his first major enemy.

The major enemy of the piece being Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) whose own experiments not entirely of his volition resulted in him mutating into the dangerous Lizard and Peter along with some help from Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and her cop father, played by Denis Leary have to work together in order to prevent the city from suffering the same fate as Connors.

For a first villain threat, the use of Lizard felt like a nice call back to the 1990's animated series and outside a few petty criminals here and there along with a wider conspiracy regarding Oscorp and Peter's parents (played by Campbell Scott and Embeth Davitz), just focusing on one major threat managed to keep things reasonably contained. The CGI for Lizard also looked pretty decent as well.

As for the more personal side of things, the flashbacks to Peter's parents helped to set up an ongoing mystery while both Sally Field and Martin Sheen did an excellent job as Aunt May and Uncle Ben respectively. Of course the start of Peter getting powers inevitably resulted in the latter's death and his determination to be a hero.

As for Gwen Stacy, it was a departure after Mary Jane Watson being used in both the 1990's animated series and Tobey Maguire's movies. I really do like Emma Stone as an actor and there's no doubt that she had fantastic chemistry with Garfield's Peter Parker and Spider-Man alike. It also helped that throughout the movie Gwen was written as both a sympathetic and competent character. Of course this would a romance very much destined to be doomed though.

-  Mid credit sequence saw Connors taking to a mysterious gentleman in prison. A gentleman who also seemed to have a rather keen interest in Peter.

- Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka) quickly went from being openly antagonistic towards Peter to being friendly to him, following Ben's death.

- Apparently both Big Wheel and Proto Goblin were considered for the movie. The latter would've been played by Irrfan Khan who played Dr Rajit Ratha here.

- Chronology: The movie came out in 2012, so I'm assuming that time as well.

The Amazing Spider-Man definitely has it's moments as a movie. For an origin story, it dies a good job in setting up this Spider-Man, has an engaging central romance and a pretty solid main antagonist in Lizard. I'm glad this duology has gotten a renewed sense of enthusiasm from fans and critics and I'll be holding on to that energy when I review this sequel for this one. Overall, a very enjoyable first outing for Andrew Garfield.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's "Eve Of The Daleks"

Written by Chris Chibnall

Directed by Annetta Laufer

Dan (to the Doctor/Yaz): "Anyone get a proper sense of deja vu?"

It's somewhat incredible for a show that's getting closer to it's 60th year that it's only now that the show decided to do an unashamed take on Groundhog Day complete with our TARDIS trio, a trio of Daleks and two guest characters for good measure.

After the universe destroying events of Flux, perhaps it was necessary for the Doctor, Yaz and Dan to have a more small scale adventure and this time loop themed one managed to fit that in. Taking place in Elf Storage, this was going to be the New Year's Eve adventure that would play over and over and over. Well, until finally there was a way for everyone to work and beat the Daleks at their own game.

The Daleks have been served well in Chris Chibnall's era. They've been one of his more successful stories here. From a modest start with a Recon Dalek to two different Dalek groups playing off one another , this story had them wanting revenge on the Doctor for the events of Flux and though their plan was definitely repetitive, it did almost work. Then everyone got a bit wiser, loop got broken and Daleks went up in bits. 

With the Daleks on a loop as a threat, what of our guest characters? We had storage owner Sarah (Aisling Bea) who clearly hated her business and for the first half of the episode, her admirer/stalker Nick (Adjani Salmon). She also wasn't best pleased with getting repeatedly killed by the Daleks or the three strangers that she had to rely on to save her life.

Needless to say as guest actors go in this era, Aisling Bea was a delight as Sarah. She could've easily made the character unsympathetic but managed to hit all the right notes, even when Sarah was rather prickly to everyone. Adjani Salmon did well too as Nick but the romance between their characters definitely felt somewhat off. I don't think someone like Sarah would date Nick in real life, especially given his penchant for keeping stuff from his exes.

As for the TARDIS trio, well this was an enjoyable enough adventure for them. Dan had a brilliant scene with a Dalek that might be one of my favourite scenes with the character. On top of that, it seems that fans of the Doctor and Yaz might get their wish as Yaz finally admitted that she has feelings for the Doctor, which might even be reciprocated. At this point, why not? There's only two specials left. 

- Karl from The Woman Who Fell To Earth made a brief appearance. I have to admit, I had completely forgotten about the character.

- Pauline McLynn appeared as Sarah's mother, Mary and the use of her bad timing did help with Daleks defeat.

- Aside from the lack of Davros, I was also surprised there wasn't much continuity from the previous Dalek specials.

- This is the first episode to air on a Saturday and the TARDIS problem from Series 13 has now been resolved. It also caused the time loop problem here though.

- The next special, due to air in Spring was revealed to be Legend Of The Sea Devils.

- Chronology: New Year's Eve 2021/New Year's Day 2022.

Eve Of The Daleks might have been a bit of a lowkey start to the 13th Doctor's final specials but it was rather solid as a story. Some nice scenes with the main and guest characters as well as the Daleks getting some nice one liners ("I am not Nick" for example). Saying that, I do hope the next special packs a bit more.

Rating: 7 out of 10

2021: A Year In Review

While 2021 might not have been the greatest of years, there was still that I managed to watch during the year and while some shows I probably should've watched (Line Of Duty, Succession) but didn't get into. I still did manage to watch a variety of stuff. Here are some of the highs and lows I had for 2021.

In terms of Ryan Murphy, I quite enjoyed current seasons of 911 and 911: Lone Star with the latter showing a marked improvement on it's first season. I did however miss Halston, which didn't seem to have any following at all and despite enjoying the first episode, I found myself not sticking with Impeachment: American Crime Story. Then there was American Horror Story: Double Feature, which started well and dove off a cliff within it's second half while spin-off series, American Horror Stories had one genuinely gripping episode while the rest felt sorely underdeveloped. As for Pose, the series might have ended too soon but it definitely went out on a high note.

This year was also a year for continuing the sequel series trend. The L Word: Generation Q added Rosie O'Donnell to the cast but did very little to warrant any interest while And Just Like That has somewhat been divisive with fans while at the same pulling in strong numbers for HBO Max. Gossip Girl upped the raciness and LGBT content while Dexter: New Blood gave a little more life into the title killer. None of these shows have successfully recaptured the magic of what came before but none of them have been out right disasters either.

Then there was Doctor Who. The year got off to a strong start with festive special, Revolution Of The Daleks while Series 13 introduced us all to John Bishop's Dan Lewis, hinted at the final days for the 13th Doctor and Yasmin Khan, saw most of the universe decimated by the Flux and gave us a campy sibling act in Swarm and Azure.We were also introduced to Karvanista, Bel and Vinder, had the return of Kate Stewart and with three specials for 2022 and Russell T. Davies back from 2023 onwards, this show isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

In terms of dramas, nothing came close for me than Russell T. Davies miniseries, It's A Sin. The five part series starring Olly Alexander and Lydia West to name a few was an incredible piece of television that got all the award love, broke streaming records for Channel 4 and tackled the AIDS crisis issue from a poignant point of view. One of the most sublime pieces of television and easily Davies most important work he's done in his career.

As for crime related material, Mare Of Easttown cemented a career high for Kate Winslet but my favourite crime series was of course, Only Murders In The Building. Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez truly delivered as murder solving, podcasting trio Charles, Oliver and Mabel while The Long Call gave us a gay lead detective in Ben Aldridge's Matthew Venn, and though the show itself didn't stray too much from the trusted ITV format, it was still massively enjoyable.On the non crime front, I finished up the likes of Bridgerton, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, Schitt's Creek, Friends: The Reunion and even found both The White Lotus and The Nevers pretty enjoyable.

As for the MCU, this year they definitely dominated in both theatres and on Disney+. Keeping with the latter, both WandaVision and Hawkeye were the best ones for me. I personally found What If to be the weakest of the bunch while both The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and Loki definitely had their moments too. Let's see if the next batch of shows can match the mostly high standards that these first five (or four out of five) have set up.

Meanwhile while HBO Max have yet to debut any of their own DC shows yet, they did give us the third seasons of both Titans and Doom Patrol, with the former being a mixed bag and the latter as enjoyable as ever. Pennyworth also pulled in a stronger second run while Netflix had both the last run of Lucifer as well as the debut of Sweet Tooth. CW wise, there was the endings of both Black Lightning and Supergirl while Batwoman debuted a new version of the title character and changed the show's whole dynamic. The Flash resolved the Mirror Monarch storyline, tackled the Forces and Godspeed before going all Armageddon on us with Despero and Reverse Flash. Legends Of Tomorrow played around with aliens, magic mushrooms, stranded our team in 1925, ditched some characters and added others while Stargirl tackled both Summer School and Eclipso. However the DC highlight of the year was of course the debut of Superman And Lois, which more than lived up to it's expectations.

Last but not least, some other LGBT highlights aside from shows I mentioned earlier in the blog. Legends Of Tomorrow might have seen Matt Ryan retire the role of John Constantine but having remain as gay scientist Dr Gwyn Davies continued to highlight why he's one of the best actors on the show while fans of Sara and Ava got to see them getting married. Then there was the second season of Love, Victor which ended with a triangle between Victor, Benji and newcomer Rahim while the main love story in the Chucky series was of course between Jake and Devon. 

Okay, those were my highlights of 2021- what were yours? What are you looking forward to in 2022?

DCEU Blog - Batgirl Adds Keaton's Batman, Blue Beetle Goes To Cinemas And Much More

It's certain been an interesting and rather busy December for DC. Upcoming projects are in full swing as we close the year with some interesting reveals. Here we go.

Michael Keaton will not only reprise his role as Batman for The Flash movie but he will also reprise the role for Leslie Grace's Batgirl movie for HBO Max, which has now begun filming.

The Flash will also see the returns of both Michael Shannon and Antje Traue reprising their roles as Zod and Faora.

An animated Crisis On Infinite Earths movie has been rumoured for a future release.

The WB released a final trailer for The Batman while Empire magazine has released several new photos and details about the movie. We're so close to it now.

Peacemaker will release it's first three episodes on HBO Max from January 13th with the remaining episodes being weekly releases. A UK broadcaster hasn't been confirmed yet though it's likely it'll go to Sky.

Both Amy Jo Johnson and Elizabeth Henstridge have directed recent episodes of Superman And Lois. The second season premieres on the CW from January 11th.

Jennifer Holland's Emilia Harcourt will appear in Black Adam. Henry Winkler is also rumoured to be playing the original version of Atom Smasher (Al Pratt).

Gal Gadot has been rumoured to be appearing in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods as Wonder Woman. This hasn't been officially confirmed, so take with a pinch of salt for now.

Legends Of Tomorrow and Batwoman's current seasons will air their finales on March 2nd. Both shows return to the CW from January 12th.

Blue Beetle will now be a theatrical release and is heading into cinemas from August 18th 2023. Filming begins in early 2022.

The CW are in early stages of developing a Gotham Knights series, but although it'll be from the writers and producers of Batwoman, it'll be set in a different continuity.

The Metal Men will now be an animated movie, instead of a live action one.

And that's it for DC News in 2021. How you enjoyed it and here's to seeing what will be on the horizon during 2022.

My Review of Crawl (2019)

 

Written by Michael Rasmussen And Shawn Rasmussen

Directed by Alexandre Aja 

Haley: "Apex predator all day."

Sometimes you just crave something a little different in the horror genre and every once in a while, a movie like this will come along. It's something different alright. No masked murderers. Just mother nature and a certain group of water based predators proving they're every bit as dangerous to all and sundry.

This movie focused on swimmer Haley (Kaya Scodelario) who has something of an estranged relationship with her father, Dave (Barry Pepper). Haely's sister, Beth (Morfydd Clark) wants the two to reconnect. Reluctantly, Haley agreed to her sister's wish and went to the old family home in order to try and recpnnect with their father.

Of course Haley picked the worst day for a reunion as the place her father was living in was not hit by a Category 5 hurricane but  also the house became flooded, her father badly hurt and on top of that, both Haley, Dave and the family dog, Sugar spent the majority of the movie being chased by alligators and these guys seriously meant business.

The threat of the alligators within this movie was something that worked far better than I expected. I have to admit there were moments that genuinely made me jump and while I was often more worried for the dog than Haley and Dave, the latter two definitely had their moments too. Before that though, I should add that the dog did make it out of this movie alive. 

As for Haley and Dave, some of the issue largely steamed from Haley's mother leaving them but as the two progressed, both of them were able to work through their issues. They also managed to work together, fending off the rather hungry gators in question as the whole town was ravaged by the hurricane. In the end, man just about managed to survive human nature. 

-  Both Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper worked together in the Maze Runner movies. The cast was largely made of UK actors for a US based movie.

- Quentin Tarantino  cited this as a favourite movie of his and Sam Raimi also has a producer credit to it.

-  Standout music: Rick Boston's Driving In The Car and Bill Haley And The Comets See You Later, Alligator.

- Chronology: Gonna assume around 2019 for this one.

Crawl was not a movie I had particularly any big expectations for, so as a movie, it was a pleasant surprise. The alligators /hurricane provided a different kind of threat and both Scodelario and Pepper were on fine form as Haley and Dave. I've hears rumours of a potential sequel but I'd be fine if this remained a one off. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

And Just Like That .... Another TV Jumble Blog

Also my last TV Jumble blog of the year. You know the drill, stuff I've been watching over the last few weeks. Let's get into it.

And Just Like That: It's somewhat odd to think of Sex And The City as a franchise but it is one. It was a popular book, then TV series that ran for six seasons, spawned two theatrical movies, a prequel series that ran for two seasons and now a sequel series, sadly lacking Samantha Jones. Still, the first four episodes have seen Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte navigate their social circles in lieu of their former friend's absence while also dealing with widowhood, getting older and learning more about the world around them. Four episodes in and there's no denying this sequel has lacked the magic of it's original series and some of it's attempts of presenting more diversity has been dicey at best. Hopefully the show will get it's groove for the remainder of the season.

Chucky: For a movie franchise that has spawned six sequels and an unnecessary reboot, taking the most evil doll for a cable series could've been easily been a mixed bag. After watching this eight episode first season, I can definitely say this series was an overwhelming success. Chucky works just as well on the small screen as he did on the big and straight to streaming. Te uses of classic characters such as Tiffany, Andy, Kyle and Nica along with new protagonists such as Jake, Devon, Lexy and the unfortunate Junior worked brilliantly. This show was a joy to watch from start to finosh and I'm really pleased that it will be returning for seconds.

Dexter: New Blood: With only three episodes left, this show definitely feels like it's shaping up to be a mid-tier season/series for me. It's not quite recaptured the heights of the first few seasons but it's also managed to avoid the lows of the last few seasons as well. It was nice having appearances from both Angel and the Trinity in episodes along with Angela becoming more aware of who her boyfriend really was. Less good has been Harrison, who has become somewhat annoying to watch while Kurt definitely could be a more compelling antagonist for Dexter. He's become rather underwhelming, in spite of his efforts to come between Dexter and Harrison.

Hawkeye: It's been a mostly good year for the MCU's debut with Disney+ shows and ending this year was this delightful six part series, focusing on Clint Barton and new protege Kate Bishop. As a pairing the two of them were excellent to watch, Lucky the Pizza Dog was obviously adorable too. The use of the Christmas worked in the show's favour, Maya was set up well for her own Disney+ series and it was nice to see Yelena again. Minor quibbles, would be Eleanor's painfully obvious villainy and perhaps Wilson Fisk being a tiny bit underused. Other than that, I still had a really good time watching this series.

Pennyworth: I wasn't a huge fan of the first season of this Alfred Pennyworth based series but upon learning that it had been renewed for a third one, I decided to give the second season a go. I'm glad I did as I actually found myself enjoying this season a lot more than expected. Like Gotham before it, this show found it's strength by reveling in being utter batshit crazy and became more enjoyable as a result. Whether it was the gang working together against the Stormcloud plot, Thomas and Martha getting to be parents to a girl, Alfred's reunion with his father or even the oddball romance with Bet and Katie, this season definitely hit it's stride. I'm looking to seeing what next year's time jump brings for this show.

The Flash: After the last two seasons being sadly poor, a part of me has felt ready to bail on the show. Fortunately this five part event has managed to breathe some life into things. It's not quite as good as crossover events from series past but both Reverse Flash and Despero certainly gave Barry the ring around. Not to mention some welcome returns from Ray Palmer and Damien Darhk, hints of future events for other characters and of course, other characters about to return. It's a good start and here's hoping the quality can be maintained when the show returns in March.

• Netflix have cancelled Cowboy Bebop after one season.
• David Tennant's Around The World In 80 Days has been renewed for a second series. It will premiere on BBC1 on Boxing Day.
• BBC3 will relaunch as a terrestrial channel again from February.
• American Dad has been renewed for two more seasons.
• Turner & Hooch has been cancelled after one season on Disney+
• A prequel series for Walker is in early development from the CW.
• UK viewers can see The Resident on Disney+ from next month.
• The third season of Atlanta will premiere in March on Starz.

My Review of Single All The Way (2021)

 

Written by Chad Hodge

Directed by Michael Mayer

Peter: "This is the best present ever."

Ah, Netflix. It only took you a year to get into the gay Christmas romance spirit and after rival studios gave us treats such as Happiest Season and Dashing In December to name the two obvious ones, the question remained: could this one deliver? Well, let's see, shall we?

Our protagonist of the piece was Peter (Michael Urie) - a social media guy who had more of an affinity for plants that he did with Instagram. Then there was his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers), both a handyman and author of a children's book based on his dog, Emmett. We don't get to see a lot of Emmett in this movie, so that's a minus I'm afraid.

As for Peter and Michael, it's somewhat apparent that the two of them are in love with each other. Every other character can see it but them and every other character isn't afraid to point out the obvious. They're also not afraid to do their level best to push Peter and Nick together. Most of these people also being Peter's family.

Peter had the great idea of bringing Nick home for Christmas to meet the family. Pete's mother, the rather festive Carole (Kathy Najimy) also thought it would be fun to set Peter up with handsome personal trainer James (Luke Macfarlane). As a character, I did like James but even he could see that Peter and Nick were meant to be, so needless to say, James felt more of a diversion than too much of an obstacle for the budding couple.

As for Peter's family, well I definitely think they filled out some tropes here. You had his father, Harold (Barry Bostwick), sisters Lisa (Jennifer Robertson) and Ashleigh (Melanie Leishman) as well as their kids pushing for Peter and Nick in the way that you'd only see in a romcom. Not to mention, Peter's aunt Sandy (Jennifer Coolidge) who also brought the two together by getting them to work on her rather bonkers  Christmas pageant titled Jesus H. Christ. As a family unit, they were definite'y entertaining and fortunately not too overdone as supporting characters.

However, the main point of this movie was seeing Peter and Nick actually getting together and this movie didn't disappoint in that regard. Both Michael Urie and Philemon Chambers did a good job making me want to root for Peter and Nick as a couple and had rather strong chemistry together. Overall, the movie did what it needed to do with the two of them. 

- At the start of the movie, Peter was briefly in a relationship with Tim (Steve Lund) who turned out to have a wife. 

- We had influencers such as Kyle Krieger and Max Emerson more or less playing themselves for Peter's razor photoshoot. 

- Standout music: Britney Spears My Only Wish (This Year) and Dan Finnerty's Single All The Way during the closing credits.

- Chronology: Christmas 2021 I presume.

Single All The Way doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel for seasonal romance movies and it's tropes are too predictable but it's a likable movie with likable leads. It's also hopefully not the only time we get this type of movie from Netflix as well. I'm also hoping we get more of Philemon Chambers because of this movie.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) - SPOILERS INCLUDED

 

Written by  Chris McKenna And Erik Sommers

Directed by Jon Watts

Aunt May (to Peter): "With great power comes great responsibility."

Trilogies are an odd beast, aren't they? The third part might be a good ending, it might also be the weakest of the bunch. Then there's the possibility that it might be the best installment of the lot. Can you guess the category where this particular movie falls into?

Following being publicly outed as Spider-Man from the previous movie, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has found himself to become a polarising figure among the residents of New York. It's also gotten to the point where both himself and Aunt May (Marissa Tomei) move in with Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and his associations with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) have jeopardized their own futures. 

Because of that, it would make sense that Peter would try and fix things. However Peter's method to do that mean getting in touch with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in order to make the world forget about him being Spider-Man. A spell that Peter managed to mess up on Stephen and as a result, the Multiverse made it's introduction into the MCU on the big screen.

Specifically, Peter's bumbling resulted in enemies from at least two different universes landing in Peter's own world. The enemies in question being Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and a revamped Electro (Jamie Foxx). If they had added one more member, you would've had a Multiverse Sinister Six there.

The five baddies in question make their presence known to our Spider-Man and the latter teamed up with Strange in order to contain them. However it didn't take much for both Peter and Stephen to have different opinions on how to deal with the visitors from other worlds. Peter also learned the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when the baddies predictably turned on him and as a result, Peter found himself losing the one important adult figure in his life and felt despondent.

Of course the highlight of the movie and the elephant that has been in the room for a year now was the returns of two other Spider-Men. Yes, both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are in this movie and the moment they're in scenes with Tom Holland, everything elevated to pure cinematic heights. Seeing these three actors together could be dismissed as fanservice but it's far greater than that.

There's history with both Maguire and Garfield's versions of the web slinger and it's respectfully honoured throughout here. Our Peter learns from his other selves as they learn from him and seeing the three of them band together in order to save the day definitely feels like a moment you'll want to witness on the big screen if you can. It's comic book history made on screen and the joy in seeing it play out truly felt unbridled. 

However there are lingering consequences to Peter disrupting the spell that Stephen tried to initially do and it's our Peter who will feel them for a while. It's like the MCU not only acknowledged certain criticisms regarding their handling of Holland's Spidey and felt this movie was the perfect place to deal with them head on, by setting up an interesting new status quo for Peter to set up his next trilogy. Even I didn't expect it to play out like it did.

- Charlie Cox might not have put on a certain suit but we did briefly see him here as Matt Murdock, who represented Peter at the start of the movie.

- Of course Flash would write a tell all book about his 'friendship' with Peter Parker while Betty has a job at the dailybugle.com.

- J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) certainly went out of his way to antagonise Spider-Man that I really do hope they have scenes together in the next movie.

- Giving Aunt May that infamous line as well as having two Spider-Men say it too worked beautifully here.

- Chronology: We did get to see parts of Halloween and Christmas as time progressed throughout the movie.

- The mid credit scene gave us a brief cameo of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the Venom symbiote with a little of the latter remaining the current MCU. 

There's no denying that Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered and then some. Every single cast member brought their A Game with Tom Holland giving his best performance in the MCU so far. Seeing him with both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield was sublime and I cannot wait to see where the next trilogy will take this version of Spider-Man. An absolute triumph of a movie.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Last Christmas (2019)

 

Written by Emma Thompson And Greg Wise And Bryony Kimmings

Directed by Paul Feig

Kate: "Why can I feel you?"

Tom: "Because I'm a part of you. Take care of my heart."

Kate: "Yeah, I promise."

Tom: "It was always going to be yours, one way or another."

It's the month for festive romances and this one from two years ago was on my list of ones to catch up with. Namely because of the lead actors and also because of the polarising reputation. Is this really that bad a Christmas movie? Not really. At least not for me.

Emilia Clarke when she's not using dragons to demolish King's Landing takes on the lead of Katarina 'Kate' Andrich, a somewhat selfish young woman, who when she isn't auditioning for her big break and alienating friends and family alike, also works at a Christmas shop for Santa (Michelle Yeoh) aka, Huang Qing Shin. Santa turns out to be a fair employer while Kate might not be the greatest of workers. However there's a lovely rapport between the pair and this film for it's credit has a few of those.

The main pairing of course being the one between Kate and charming volunteer Tom Webster (Henry Goulding). The latter doesn't take long to initially wind up Kate, before charming her and throughout the movie, it's easy to see how Kate becomes so smitten with Tom. Henry Goulding really does work wonderfully as a romantic lead and his chemistry with Emilia Clarke shines throughout the movie.

Of course where the movie earned it's polarising reputation was in it's reveal of Tom's actual backstory and the way it tied into Kate's own previous health problems. Looking at it objectively, I think the signs had been there from the start with Tom and while I don't actually hate the reveal itself, it's still a bit sad though. However, its also a mice subversion for this particular genre. 

Throughout the movie, Tom's influence on Kate turns out to be a positive. Kate's not a bad person. She's a refreshingly openly flawed protagonist  and she does have some great moments too. We get to see her set up Santa on a date and while she did out her sister, Marta (Lydia Leonard) to their parents Petra (Emma Thompson) and Ivan (Boris Isakovic), thongs did later resolve themselves as the movie progressed.

Kate's family are entertaining but Tom's biggest influence was getting her to help out at a volunteer shelter and organise the big Christmas event with the obligatory musical number. Not to mention the ultimate goal of getting Kate to open herself to the world. That's pretty good going for a guy who technically wasn't there to begin with.

- Emma Thompson who played Petra co-wrote this movie with her husband. She also got the director on board, even though he wasn't keen on directing another Christmas movie.

- The parallels between Tom Webster and George Michael are very apparent throughout the movie.

- Standout music:Well, this was a bit of Wham! fest with Emilia Clarke getting to sing a certain song to boot. 

- Chronology: It opened with a scene in 1999 Yugoslavia with the main action being set in 2017 London.

Last Christmas for me was something of a surprisingly enjoyable film. The script isn't perfect but it's enjoyable for the most part. There's also no denying that Emilia Clarke and Henry Goulding are a fine pairing and work wonderfully here. I actually don't get the hate for this one.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who: Flux - Chapter Six: The Vanquishers

 

Written by Chris Chibnall

Directed by Azhur Saleem

Time (to the Doctor): "Your time is heading to its end. Nothing is forever."

Well, this was something of a mish mash of things, weren't it? This six part series almost made the landing but ultimately things just fell apart. Chibnall's time might be coming to an end within the next year, but his divisiveness continues to be an unfortunate trend in his storytelling.

Following Tecteun's destruction, Swarm and Azure looked like they were about to take out the Doctor, only to spend the majority of the episode lording it over her. If you're going to be an actual threat to the Doctor, talk less and do far more. A lesson that this brother and sister should've learned if they want to stop the Doctor. And they were so close to it as well.

Instead they spent too much time going on about they can kill the Doctor, baiting her to open up a certain watch and wanting to put the final Flux event on a loop as an eternal punishment. In all that time, the Doctor found herself split in three and slowly coming up with a way to deal with the Flux altogether, in a very hastily done manner.

One version of herself caught up with Bel and Karvanista while the other version also reunited with Yaz, Dan, Jericho and met up with Kate and Williamson. Add Claire into the mix and some flirting from two Doctors and it turns out you've got a means for using the Sontarans to save the day. Not to mention rescuing Vinder and Diane from Passenger too.

Anyways, aside from one choice scene in a corner shop, Chibnall has made the Sontarans a bit more effective in this series than they have been so far. In this episode, they held the Earth prisoner, used both Claire and Jericho to pinpoint the final Flux event and even managed to trick the Daleks and Cybermen as part of a scheme to make themselves immune to destruction.

However their own arrogance, a lot of characters and essentially three versions of the same Doctor along with matter over antimatter and things sort of resolved itself. The Sontarans defeated, Flux resolved (though the universe ain't that in great shape), it was also time for both Swarm and Azure to be taken care of.

I have to admit, I thought the return to Atropos and introduction of godlike Time were handled badly. Swarm and Azure were promising villains wasted throughout this episode and given a rather unsatisfying exit. The Doctor also got a foreboding warning about her imminent demise and yet again, regeneration might not be on the cards for her.

As for the status quo, the Doctor had some nice scenes with Yaz and after what he went through this series, Dan also officially joined as a companion. These three specials almost have an impossible job in seeing out this era and having the Doctor open up that watch. It didn't surprise me that she chose not to do so here, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

- Bel and Vinder reunited and are now with Karvanista. The latter was implied to be a past companion and Division came up with a way to stop him revealing the Doctor's past.

- The Sontarans ranged from killing the Lupari to having one of their generals being a bit too partial to chocolate.

- What happened to the Ood at the end? Did we really need the Grand Serpent? Why did Jericho have to die? Will Claire team up with Kate and UNIT? Diane also chose not to go for a drink with Dan.

- I definitely sensed a near romantic moment between the Doctor and Yaz and I'm not sure there's a need for this plot, given that there's only three specials left. It also seems like the Master has been set up for the final threat for this particular Doctor.

- The next special will be Eve Of The Daleks, due to air on New Year's Day.

- Chronology: December 5th 2021. They really timed the airing of this series, didn't they?

The Vanquishers really had the potential to bring this all home. I liked that Chibnall tried to be ambitious with this series and I liked nearly all of the new characters. Alas, the plot came to a disappointing conclusion and it looks like we really will have to wait nearly a year before we can finally put this Timeless Child plot to bed. Just three specials to go.

Rating: 7 out of 10