Skins - Season 3 Review

UK Airdate: January 22nd-March 26th 2009

Halfway Home: When ditching virtually the entire original cast from a successful series, you’re really put in a difficult position. How on Earth can you continue to make a series without the characters that made it? Wouldn’t ending the series completely have been a better option?

Most teen shows find it hard to make the transition from high school to college. If all the characters commute at the same college, it’s somewhat implausible and if they go to separate colleges, it often feels like you’re watching about three different shows all at once.

The writers here decided to ditch the original cast and bring in some fresh blood in order to avoid that kind of transition. But by bringing in a younger crowd so you can write more teen also means that things could get very repetitive as well. Of course not everyone’s gone.

Effy quickly replaced her brother as the centre of attention with Freddie, JJ and Cook all gushing after her and Katie wanting to hang out with her. Then there’s Pandora, who also elevated into a series regular and became Effy’s right hand woman for at least the first four episodes of the season.

Introducing all of the characters in the premiere episode gave some interesting impressions. Out of the boys, JJ shone the most, especially with his magic skills and the fact that it was obvious he had Aspergers (which got beautifully addressed in the seventh episode of the season) and Thomas also became the gentlemanly boyfriend any young girl would be happy to have.

That meant that Cook and Freddie didn’t really hit it off as well. Out of the two of them, Jack O’Connell is the better actor but Cook is such a vile character and it’s also predictable that his first episode would portray him in such a negative light as well. This show needs to lay off gangsters because even Mackenzie Cook’s gangster Johnny White fails to be either interesting or threatening.

As for Cook, his relationship with Freddie is certainly more interesting than his random whoring about the place. He berates Freddie and JJ, yet he’s useless without them and in spite of the fact that he seems aware of that nugget; he treats them cruelly within the season, even to the point where he causes chaos during a party in the woods.

Not that Freddie’s any better. I mean he’s nice to JJ and arguably a nicer guy than Cook (not exactly a hard feat) but his constant harping on about how much he loves Effy doesn’t half irritate. The only time Effy actually offers herself to him is after she bashed Katie’s head with a rock in self-defence (though still a shitty thing to leave her behind for hours on end).

The Effy/Cook/Freddie triangle really is dull. Both Freddie and Cook have more chemistry with each other than with Effy, so if you’re a slasher you’re probably wondering why the two of them don’t just hook up. After all they did kiss during a fight over Cook sabotaging Freddie’s sister Karen’s ambition for a pop career.

Thankfully though there are two couples in this season worth giving a damn about. On one hand you’ve got Pandora (who’s more likeable here than in her Season 2 appearance) and Thomas who just about survive the fallout of him learning that she was sleeping with Cook but they’re sort of underdeveloped as well.

The couple who are much vocalised in the season though are Naomi and Emily. We know from the first episode that they once kissed and their storyline all season is the best storyline the show has ever done as far as I’m concerned as well. The slow but organic build up from Naomi initially resisting Emily to actually committing to a relationship with her is compelling. Even things like an almost shag between Naomi/Cook, an actual shag between Emily/JJ aren’t enough to undermine the good work of this couple. Hell, even Katie sticking her beak in and trying to break up Emily and Naomi doesn’t work.

When I first saw Katie in the premiere episode, I knew we had our new Michelle. A far nastier version of Michelle but still a new Michelle nonetheless (though weirdly enough, I think I like Katie more than Michelle). As a twin myself, I was seriously looking forward to her and Emily’s episode and without a doubt; I actually think it might be my favourite episode of the series full stop. Everything about the episode just sparkled but to be fair the only episode in this season that’s near unwatchable is Cook’s.

As for the finale, I really wished they had pulled their finger out a bit more. It was way too low key and only focusing on Effy, Cook, JJ and Freddie might have been a better mid-season episode than a finale. Plus at least we know that Cook’s vileness is hereditary when we have to meet his father. As for Effy choosing Freddie, here’s hoping she spark a personality out of him because as detestable as Cook is, at least you notice him more onscreen. However all I want in the upcoming fourth season is for the writers not to wreck Naomi and Emily’s relationship. Other than that, they can do whatever they want.

DVD EXTRAS: I don’t actually own the DVDs, seeing as they’re stripped of the original music used per episode but I do know what the extras entail.

- 10 Video Diaries (JJ's Video Diary, Naomi's Video Diary, Pandora's Video Diary, Freddie's Video Diary, Karen's Video Diary, Cook's Video Diary, Katie's Video Diary, Emily's Video Diary, Effy's Video Diary and Thomas's Video Diary).
- Behind the scenes of each episode
- 4 Unseen Skins Episodes (Wurst Case Scenario, Last Bus, Welcome to Roundview and The Pact)
- Behind the scenes of the London and final auditions
- Trailers and behind the scenes of the trailer shoot

EPISODE RATING FROM 1 TO 10

3x01: Everyone = 8/10, 3x02: Cook = 6/10, 3x03: Thomas = 9/10,
3x04: Pandora = 9/10, 3x05: Freddie = 8/10, 3x06: Naomi = 10/10,
3x07: JJ = 9/10, 3x08: Effy = 10/10, 3x09: Katie And Emily = 10/10,
3x10: Finale = 7/10.

Skins – Season 2 Review

UK Airdate: February 11th – April 14th 2008

Nude: As per usual, second seasons are a bitch and a half to get right. There’s always someone who is going to gripe about things not being as good as the first season. Skins like many shows nowadays did have some detractors when it came to its second year but to be fair, while the second season wasn’t perfect, it certainly wasn’t unbearable either.

First of all, the opening episode was the strongest season premiere this series has done and given that Tony and Maxxie are two of the show’s most talked about characters, having them share an episode made sense. On one hand you had Tony trying to adjust to life following his bus accident. Not the easiest of things to do and equally frustrating when your parents can’t help, your friends aren’t experienced to deal with the consequences of your problems and also when you can’t even write your own name. All of these things are enough to drive anyone nuts so Tony generates a lot of sympathy for that alone.

It also doesn’t help when you’ve got Abigail going around pretending that you’re her girlfriend. I guess for Abigail, it must have been her little way of getting back at Tony but it’s a plot that doesn’t actually generate much drama. Abigail sticks around for the first three episodes and then she’s gone.

The best person for Tony in the premiere was Maxxie. He was sympathetic, helpful and supportive without the writers manipulatively trying to tug at the heart strings. Mitch Hewer isn’t the strongest of actors on the show and I’m probably in a minority of fans who don’t fancy Maxxie (all of the male cast don’t really do it for me, a bit too young) but he comes leaps and bounds in this season, though the first two episodes are the ones that really put Maxxie in the fray.

The first episode had him and his dad (played by Bill Bailey) at loggerheads over careers (dancing vs. manual labour) but without anything turning overtly nasty. It’s also typical that one of the homophobic bullies, Dale would also be gay and actively pursue Maxxie in the woods during a party.

The second episode then introduced us to Sketch, an unhinged girl attracted to Maxxie and contriving various ways to get his attentions. Poisoning Michelle so she could score a lead role in the same play as Maxxie (Obama the musical anyone?) is typical but her masturbating on Maxxie’s bed is definitely not something you’d see on Gossip Girl or 90210. Needless to say that Maxxie was less than flattered with her attentions and her grooming Anwar in changing his appearance to look like Maxxie might be played for laughs but it’s also seriously creepy.

Maxxie’s lucky enough to score himself a nice boyfriend who he got to keep after graduation but Sketch’s plans to trap Anwar with her blew up in her. I’m surprised she didn’t try pretending to be pregnant given how often she and Anwar were at it in a short space of time.

When it comes to other relationships, the second season is also the very season that obliterates both Michelle and Tony and Sid and Cassie in almost typical teen show style. I never cared for Michelle and Tony, so their relationship falling apart was fine by me but I loved Sid and Cassie, so them devolving as a couple is probably the thing I disliked most about this season.

Sending Cassie away to Scotland for the first four episodes was an obvious test – could her and Sid survive that long apart? The answer turned out to be no and through Sid falsely believing that Cassie was having it off with gay couple Rory and Lachlan and Sid sleeping with Michelle, their relationship went down the tubes. Seeing Michelle and Sid embark on (a thankfully) short-lived as a result of losing their respective others certainly was depressing but not as weird as Tony chasing after imaginary girl Beth (who looked way too similar to Effy at some angles) or Cassie’s random sleeping around with everyone in sight, including a girl. Also even when Tony/Michelle and Sid/Cassie reunited, the damage had been done. The former broke up after graduation and the latter ended when one of them bolted to New York.

The best relationship of the season was without doubt Jal and Chris. There had been some moments with them in the first season and the writers expanded on it in the second but sadly they didn’t get much joy either with Jal’s pregnancy/abortion debacle and Chris dying in the penultimate episode.

I have to admit when I first watched the finale, knowing that it was the last episode for these characters that I was a little disappointed with it. Coffin stealing aside and stories about Chris were lovely but I guess I wanted more. Still, they did set up the next generation with Effy’s expanded role in this season and we did get to meet Pandora, so all that ends well I suppose.

DVD EXTRAS: I don’t actually own the DVDs, seeing as they’re stripped of the original music used per episode but I do know what the extras entail.

- Behind the scenes
- Interviews with cast & crew
- Skins Secret Party Special episode
- 6 Unseen Skins Episodes (Abigail Video Diary, Auditions, Michelle’s Dating Video, Anwar and Sketch’s Date, Sketch's Video Diary, Tony's Nightmare, Anwar's Second Dating Blog: Sketch, Cassandra, When Maxxie Met James, Chris's Final Message)
- Broadcast trailer
- Writer Daniel Kaluuya’s story of working on Skins
- Skins in New York City

EPISODE RATING FROM 1 TO 10

2x01: Tony And Maxxie = 9/10, 2x02: Sketch = 6/10, 2x03: Sid = 9/10,
2x04: Michelle = 8/10, 2x05: Chris = 8/10, 2x06: Tony = 7/10,
2x07: Effy = 9/10, 2x08: Jal =10/10, 2x09: Cassie = 9/10, 2x10: Finale = 8/10.

My Review of Dollhouse's 1x01: "Ghost"

Written And Directed by Joss Whedon

Echo/Caroline: “I know. Actions have consequences.”
Adelle: “What if they didn’t?”

I swore to myself that I wouldn’t touch this series with a ten foot barge pole but the last time I adopted that kind of attitude, I ended up caving in and reviewing the series and thanking my lucky stars that I did. Maybe I’ll feel just as thankful with this series as well.

I caught this episode on Tuesday now that the Sci-Fi channel in the UK finally got up off their backsides and premiered the series, I felt oddly compelled to take it on. As summer TV goes, I need more programmes but in terms of opening episodes, I have to admit that I wasn't impressed and Joss Whedon is one of the best damn writers on television.

In the past four years we've had amazing pilots from shows like Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Heroes to name three but this pilot felt a little too tame for my liking, which is strange given it’s general premise and the amount of discussion that can be generated from the very topic of mind-wiping people.

Logistically and morally, there are plenty of holes that can be picked at the idea of the Dollhouse. Why would anyone in their right mind want to be part of something like it? I can see that along with Caroline, most people are coerced into it and the ones that actually volunteer are nuts. There’s no way in hell I’d allow myself to be coerced into doing it but Adelle did seem to have Caroline/Echo over a barrel.

Morally, it's degrading. Being forced or allowing yourself to be imprinted into something else to cater to another person's needs is just reprehensive, plus aside from physical and legal consequences, there’s also got to be some emotional ones too. Topher talked about the dolls living the dream but I fail to see how this actually benefits them at all.

Echo (the name of Caroline the Active now has to go under) is a character I have no idea on how I feel about. We saw her as a date for a rich playboy and then as a hostage negotiator called Eleanor Penn who was abused by one of the men who took Davina. The latter role was the more difficult to pull off but Eliza Dushku did alright.

It might have helped if they had gone with a darker plot than the little girl being snatched (although there were allusions to child abuse, especially when Eleanor disclosed more on her former captor to Boyd and Gabriel). Also the extraction was something of a disaster what with Mr Sunshine getting a clean shot at Gabriel and Eleanor getting caught by the kidnappers as well.

Still there does seem to be an ongoing arc as well as in Whedon dynamic, a Big Bad to look out for. I am intrigued about this Alpha person and their interest in Caroline/Echo. Why is Echo/Caroline so important to Alpha and how long do we have to wait for them to make a move as well?

In terms of the remaining characters, they’re certainly a mixed bunch with some of them working better than others. Then again, this is a debut episode so I can’t gripe that every character wasn’t perfectly vocalised. There’s a remaining twelve episodes to give us perfect depth on the assorted regulars.

I adored Boyd. To me, the character had a mixture of Giles, Dixon and possibly even Jack Bristow. He certainly displayed a fatherly affection for Echo and even seemed appalled by what the Dollhouse was doing to all of the Actives in question. Maybe he’ll try and change things from the inside or maybe he’s a mole.

On the contrary, Adelle the iron lady in charge of the Dollhouse was another character I cared for. Yeah, the icy demeanour is hardly original or breathtaking and while I didn’t totally buy her sympathy for Gabriel when his daughter was snatched, I couldn’t help but like her. I guess I’m weird in that way.

I was also very intrigued by Claire, the doctor of the Dollhouse. Amy Acker is always a pleasing bit of casting and she certainly raised some interesting questions, namely what happened to her face and why did she flinch when Echo asked if someone took care of her? Maybe she’s a botched doll or something. Topher kept looking at her in a strange way as well.

In terms of the other dolls, we met two more besides Echo. Superficially, I thought Victor was cute, though the Russian accent was a bit much in certain scenes and I sorted of hated the bathroom confrontation with him and Paul, though there was amusement generated from it as well. Victor had no clue about the Dollhouse when Paul was demanding answers. Apparently on engagement, actives are unaware of the Dollhouse. I suppose there’s a degree of logic in that.

However I really liked Sierra and although she didn’t get much to do, I do have a good feeling that she’ll shine later in the season. She certainly came through for Echo towards the end of the episode, so that’s a good start with her. Plus Echo seemed enthused about the idea of having a friend and concerned when she saw Topher imprinting her.

I could also tolerate Dominic. Nothing against Reed Diamond but I don’t think Dominic is meant to be the most complex of characters but this is Joss Whedon and I’m sure they might be some hidden depths with the character but here, he was little more than right hand man for Adelle and nothing else.

So, the only characters who left me cold were Topher and Paul. The former came across as the standard sexless TV nerd, as well as being a frightening mash up of Warren/Andrew when a Xander type personality would've been more needed for this kind of show. Topher’s breezy attitude about his work is Dexter-esque and I don’t mean that in a good way.

Paul, whose motives for trying to take down the Dollhouse don't seem compelling to me. Plus he was way too much of a meathead for my liking. I’m not criticising Tahmoh Penikett but I almost sided with the FBI bosses during that dressing down meeting than Paul himself. I’m hoping over the course of the season the writers give him a strong personality, especially seeing as morally, we should be on his side. He did allude to the imprinting process in the least flattering of descriptions.

Also in “Ghost”

There was an original pilot as well for this series but FOX made Joss Whedon change things. They do seem to have a penchant for doing that. Sci-Fi did some edits as well to the episode and it trashed Prison Break in the ratings, UK wise.

Adelle: “I'm talking about a clean slate.”
Caroline/Echo: “You ever try to clean an actual slate? You always see what was on it before.”

Caroline was a college student but what the heck did she do that Adelle could force her into becoming an Active? Plus there does seem to be some prior feeling that they know each other.

Matt: “Oh my God, you are a sore loser.”
Echo: “I wouldn't know, I've never lost.”
Matt: “That's OK, the first time you're always just a little bit sore.”

Topher: “We're great humanitarians.”
Boyd: “Who would spend the rest of our lives in jail if anyone ever found this place.”

I’m not sure if I like the credits for the series. Unlike Buffy, Angel and Firefly, they don’t really jump out at you and perhaps they’ve should used clips from all of the cast members and not just Eliza Dushku.

Topher: “Look at Echo, not a care in the world. She's living the dream.”
Boyd: “Who’s dream?”
Topher: “Who's next?”

Claire (re memory): “Does that bother you?”
Echo: “Should it?”

The set for the Dollhouse does very much look like Wolfram And Hart, though glass windows over the Actives beds? Are Adelle and company that scared one of them might try to make a run for it?

Paul: “Nobody has everything they want. It's a survival pattern. You get what you want, you want something else. If you have everything, you want something else. Something more extreme. Something more specific. Something perfect.”

Topher (to Boyd): “Achievement is balanced by fault, by a lack. Can't have one without the other. Everyone who excels is overcompensating. Running from something. Hiding from something.”

That being said making someone near sighted and asthmatic seems especially stupid when they’re on an engagement. And the actives names are taken from phonetics.

Gabriel: “You told me you were good with people.”
Echo: “I misspoke. I'm good at people.”

Boyd: “The older man. You know him. He's the one who took you. They never found him.”
Echo: “He said he was a ghost. You can't fight a ghost, but he was heavy, the weight of him. Ghosts are heavy. Ghosts are sheets with holes cut out.”

How long has Echo been an active? It’s not five years right but definitely a while since Caroline’s meeting with Adelle.

Caroline (on video): “I'd like to take my place in the world, like Mrs. Dundee taught us. Global Recovery, Doctors Without Borders... The world is in need of serious saving. And I want to travel. Travel around the world as I save it. In a private jet that I pilot and designed. Okay go ahead and laugh yearbook monkey. I know, I'm such a cliché. What can I say, I want to do everything. Is that too much to ask?”

Standout music: Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” during Echo’s first engagement.

As an opening episode, “Ghost” did set a template for the show’s premise, the kind of stories it can and will probably do and is certainly something that will inspire a certain amount of debate. Superficially there are some gratuitous moments with Eliza Dushku in a skimpy dress and Tahmoh Penikett, all topless and sweaty boxing. I know the show gets better with later episodes but this was an incredibly underwhelming pilot.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

My Review of Ashes To Ashes 2x05: "Episode 13"

Written by Julie Rutterford
Directed by Philip John

Alex: “Is that why you’re here, to help me get home?”
Martin: “You and I are the only two people here who actually know what that means.”

Five episodes in and after going through a series of my own names for the guy – stalker bloke, Dr Death, we finally have another part of the mystery halfway solved. The man who has been stalking Alex all this time goes by the name of Martin Summers.

Adrian Dunbar is great casting for the role and I suppose it’s better to introduce him now that Mackintosh is out of the way rather than in the last two episodes. In fact, Martin even confronts Alex in her office, which is the most direct thing he’s done yet.

Like Alex’s he’s dying in 2008 but unlike Alex, I’m not exactly convinced that he’s the wizard that can get home. Even she thinks he’s more man behind a curtain than a wonderful wizard. If he really cared, would be have drugged her, abducted her and kept sending cryptic messages all this time?

The confrontation between him and Alex certainly is chilling. There’s no reason why Alex should really trust him, given the things he’s done to her. However the fact that another person, apart from Alex and Sam, who’s fallen into this world, could be very interesting plot wise indeed.

Of course, the thing I don’t get is Operation Rose. Martin himself didn’t explain it but he did try to get Alex to become a corrupt copper by trying to use her fading memories of Molly as a means of leverage. For a second, I did think that Alex would do it but perhaps there are good reasons as to why she didn’t.

Apart from the fact that virtually nothing can be gained from corruption (even if Martin is insistent that it would), Alex already knows that Sam’s experienced something similar with Frank Morgan and probably thought that Martin’s offer would be too good to be true.

Even Martin himself anticipated that Alex would turn down his offer. He did warn her however that by the time Operation Rose came into fruition that she would regret turning his offer down as well. When it comes to Operation Rose, is Martin a leader or a minion in the whole thing. Also, again, getting back to an earlier query – how can corruption help?

Matthew Graham has definitely mentioned in interviews that corruption is something that the series would be exploring more in the second year. Everyone was certainly feeling the heat from the fallout of Mackintosh’s treachery. Ray was on the money last week when he gave the warning of the department being torn down brick by brick.

In fact, Gene went even more about things by trying to reinforce a positive image of the police to the public eye, which was why he was so determined to nail George Staines for the burglary of the Drakes. Well, we’ve already met the Prices, so we had to meet the former significant others, right?

The problem for Alex is that whatever issues she has with Molly’s father Peter; she fails to remember that he’s only fourteen in 1982. Still, Alex’s reactions are supposed to be human and I guess we can give her some leeway but I did feel a little bad for Peter when she’s often too headstrong with him and he’s clueless as to what’s wrong with her.

However despite her harsh behaviour with a teenage version of her ex-husband, her relationship with the in-laws is beautifully drawn out. Her sympathetic compassionate with Marjorie is hard to fault as was the way that she revealed how much of a good influence Brian had on her.

Of course the interesting part of meeting the Drakes and trying to nail George for the burglary at his house was the fact that George was allegedly. Well dead men don’t send their mothers money and it was the visit to Elsie’s at first that tipped them off to George being alive.

For a revered gangster, George certainly had the most inept of cohorts. With a combination of Ray’s bully boy tactics and Alex threatening to use a vice in a very lethal way, Metal Mickey was the one to disclose that George was alive and kicking. And then there had been Gaynor, the Drakes offish neighbour.

Nicely played by Sara Stewart (who’s been in the likes of Sugar Rush, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, etc), I wish I had spotted the links between George and Gaynor a lot earlier than I did. The whole gangster’s moll was a little too unbelievable, so the reveal of George actually changing his gender was a neat twist.

Apparently George had reformed but needed more money to keep the Spanish authorities quiet. More interesting was having Alex be the one to explain all about sex changes to Gene, Ray and Chris and the usual bout of political incorrectness from the pair of them. Alex wasn’t necessarily wrong when she noted that all of them did like the look of Gaynor, Ray especially might I add.

Ray certainly had a bigger part to play in this episode as well. The fallout from Mackintosh seems to have soured him more than anyone else about the police force. It was also nice that in spite of their massive differences, both Alex and Ray had some genuine moments of respect for each other. She made the effort to talk him out of leaving the police force.

As for Chris, he tried to give up smoking and it blew up in his face big time. Poor thing was doing it for Shaz (this guy would literally walk on broken glass for her) and she stopped him because the mood swings were more insufferable than smelling like an ashtray. However I did like that it generated some brief discussion on fathering kids.

Also in “Episode 13”

All the previously on clips for this episode were from last week. Mackintosh certainly has left a stench behind in the wake of his death.

Alex: “No, you should be happy. You should be happy. I've made it to the hospital.”

Alex was talking to Orville, that weird looking duck in this episode and Molly was also the name of Peter’s cat.

Alex: “Look at you, you’re almost cute.”
Peter: “Cheers.”
Alex: “Yeah, I said almost.”

Gene (re Metal Mickey): “Are you ill?”
Ray: “No. Why?”
Gene: “You only hit him once.”

Who was that guy Gene and Ray were loading onto a truck at the start of the episode? An early plot of Gene’s to get the police back in the public’s good book?

Gene: “What are you doing, Drake?”
Alex: “I’m trying to solve a crime, Guv. It is what I’m paid for.”

Metal Mickey: “I’ve got five kids.”
Chris: “Sure they’re all yours?”

Was it weird that Gene and Martin Summers saw each other at the end? I didn’t think it was but some people on certain forums think otherwise.

Alex: “If I may paraphrase Dorothy Parker I don’t think we should put all our eggs in one bastard.”
Gene: “What other bastard have we got?”

Martin (to Alex): “I haven’t got much time to wait for an answer and sadly, neither have you.”

We learned that Martin was a disgraced former cop and that in the present day; a painful death was awaiting him. Shaz was also (predictably) unable to get any intelligence on him when Alex asked her to.

Gene: “Bolls, don’t cry. That’s an order.”
Alex: “I’m not.”
Gene: “Now if you don’t stop crying, I might even start feeling sorry for you and God forbid, I might even have to put a comforting arm around you.”

Gaynor: “You’d be a hell of a loss to the police.”
Ray (re handcuffs): “Buttering me up is not gonna stop me from putting this on.”

Standout music: David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” as well as his collaboration with Queen with “Under Pressure”.

Martin (to Alex): “I had a feeling that you were going to say something like that. Oh well, if I can’t change your mind, maybe Operation Rose will.”

Chronology: When exactly in 1982 are we? Summer/Autumn?

The more the episodes keep coming, the exciting they become. I can’t believe there’s three episodes left in this season, given how great it’s been. I really can’t wait to find out where this Martin Summers/Operation Rose plot is going to go.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of Buffy The Vampire Slayer's 8x25: "Living Doll"

Written by Douglas Petrie
Artwork by Georges Jeanty

Dawn: “How long are you going to keep doing this to me?”
Doll Maker: “I told you. Until you’re safe.”

In case, that could be the longest time. Dawn and safety aren’t exactly the best of bedfellows and something tells that even if she didn’t grow up with supernatural stuff happening around and to her all the time, she’d still be a walking accident prone.

In space of twenty five issues, Dawn’s spent about fifteen of them as a giant, five of them as centaur and has been missing for the last four without anyone so much as blinking. Nice to know that she’s well loved then, huh?

The title itself made me think of Dollhouse but the idea of Dawn being imprinted with various personalities and sent on countless missions (both dangerous and inane) is obviously one that the writers didn’t consider for this conclusion to the latest arc.

Instead we catch up on Dawnie in her most interesting transformation as well – a porcelain doll. One of my friends has an aversion to the likes so it’s not an issue that he’d read happily. I on the other hand, do no suffer from the same affliction so reading this issue wasn’t exactly the most taxing of things I’ve done in the last month.

The opening pages of this issue are a delight, beautifully teasing the idea of unabashed horror with Dawn clearly begging not to have a knife aimed at her in such a way. Even when her current transformation is revealed, it still doesn’t undermine the potential danger she’s in.

After all, she’s a doll and being held captive by some form of a doll maker/puppet master and he is more than adamant to keep her. It seems that in spite of his alarming creepiness, his intentions are to protect rather than to harm Dawn. Too bad that that isn’t the most comforting of thoughts.

As for Buffy, she’s finally developing a clue about Dawn being missing. The fact that we’ve gone through 25 issues where everyone (including Dawn herself) has been lax about the series of transformations does sort of leave a bad taste if you think about it too much.

I remember in the letter page back in “The Long Way Home Part 4” how someone naturally pointed out that if Buffy had been going through all the transformations that Dawn was suffering, the Scoobies certainly would’ve been working their backsides off to fix things. With Dawn, not so much.

Buffy’s actually taken note that she’s missing and although I love Xander, I kind of hated that he was blasé about the whole thing too. Without sounding like a broken record but Dawn’s transforming and taking off all of a sudden are something to worry about. Plus she’s an adult but that still doesn’t merit being forgotten about either.

Of course Dawn did have to go missing at a time when Buffy and the gang were preparing for another attack on the slayer haven. To be fair, we’ve been international spats for the last three issues so in a weird way, an attack on home turf has to be a given at this point.

Xander himself deserves credit for quickly thinking of a man to look out for Dawn. Buffy was more happy for him to send a recon of slayers to fetch her little sister but it’s Xander who came up with the ace here. Who could possibly be the guy that would help find Dawn?

It had to be Andrew of course. He’s a regular in this season (he’s even been in more comics than Giles or as good as) and he’s young looking enough to pass off as a college student at Berkeley, which unsurprisingly enough is where he goes to play roommate with Kenny.

We’ve had to wait 25 issues to meet the bloke and Xander’s description of him isn’t totally off the mark. In fact, him and Andrew could probably pass as twins as there’s a glaring similarity in looks between them. That being said, Kenny does look immediately suspicious of Andrew, so no points there.

Dawn on the other hand might not have control over what she gets turned into but at least she tried to make the effort to escape from the doll house of doom. It’s just too bad for her that the rest of the dolls put a stop to her antics before she got close to the door.

As for the army, we’ve had zombies and shape shifting vampires and green fire and Warren’s bomb so the big fight here is a let down. Six piss poor vampires against dozens of slayers. Not much of a fight there but the odds being in her favour does give Buffy something to smile about.

The better part is that because of this easy victory, it also meant that Buffy could go with Xander to find Dawn herself without relying on her slayer squad to do the work. Her conversations with Xander about Dawn are hardly original. There’s been enough stuff said in the past about Buffy wanting to keep her safe.

Xander made the point that unlike Dawn, Buffy had a lot of people she could actually talk to, even if she withdrew from them at times. Dawn doesn’t seem to have a lot of friends and in the show; she rarely interacted with people outside the Scoobies despite the likes of Janice, Kit and Carlos.

During their little conversation both of them also realised that Dawn had undergone another change. Actually Xander could be the one credited with that and he also revealed that Dawn had slept with Kenny’s roommate as well. Xander really shouldn’t have cursed himself for it. In fact, he really should’ve told Buffy about it earlier in the same way that this plot should’ve been resolved as early.

Dawn definitely didn’t fare well with escape and trying to reason with a doll maker was also something she didn’t fare with. The guy might not be outright evil but even when Dawn explained that she had a soul, he still refused to release her. In fact he made some allusions of what was going to happen to her soul.

As for Andrew, well I wouldn’t wish him on anyone as a roommate and Kenny certainly seemed more than uncomfortable around him. Still when Andrew was lining up totems and discussing magic, it was becoming more clear why he was sent to see Kenny.

Making a brief appearance in this issue, Willow and a few slayers showed up at Kenny’s dorm. Now, I shouldn’t side with Kenny but I did love when he morphed into his true form and fled without very little effort on his part. Even now, Buffy’s slayers are going to let a demon slip through their fingers.

As Buffy and Xander, there was a brief encounter with one of the forest creatures. Buffy’s method of resolving a break in rules involved hurling the thing like a brick into the bush. To be fair, it was a little too brutal on her part but the creature in question did smash a window to a certain cottage.

Finding the cottage was a good thing but poor Xander got shot with a load of poison arrow by the other dolls. And here I was hoping that Xander would get the chance to slay some dolls but I guess not. At least Dawn used the distraction to try and escape for a second time.

However once again, she got caught by the creepy doll maker but with Buffy so close, it wasn’t like Dawn was going to meet an untimely fate here. Plus, Kenny in his thricewise guise was also on hand, even pushing Buffy out of the way to help save Dawn. I guess he really does care about her.

There were plenty of ways that Dawn’s transformation back to a real girl could’ve gone and given how long this plot was dragged out, it was unlikely it was going to be something that would satisfy readers but I bought it.

Having something simple as a heartfelt apology to Kenny be the thing that lifted his spell from her made a lot of sense. I seriously don’t condone what Kenny did to her, regardless of the circumstances but he did seem genuinely remorseful that the spell had escalated so far.

As for the doll maker, well technically he wasn’t that much of a bad guy and given that his doll creations told Buffy that he kept them safe, I don’t think she had a choice other than to let him go. It certainly raised an interesting dilemma but shouldn’t the guy have some kind of a punishment for holding Dawn against her will?

The last few pages had some nice bittersweet moments with Dawn, Kenny and Buffy that other issues have done well prior to this. Dawn and Kenny parted on good ways with decent explanations on the issue of sex for them.

Dawn and Buffy on the other way talked about the distance between them with Dawn reminding Buffy yet again that she can’t keep her safe. With Dawn finally back to her human self, that should hopefully mean that she gets a more active role to play in this comic season.

Also in “Living Doll”

The cover for this issue had Dawn (as human) in the same dress she wore as a doll making out with Kenny in his thricewise form.

Dawn: “Not the knife. Not again.”
Doll Maker: “Yes. Again.”

Given her exchange with the doll maker, I have a feeling that Dawn’s transformation into a doll had been for a while.

Buffy: “I’m generally okay with most of the things Dawn’s not. She’s not punctual, not tidy, she’s not very good about returning the Veronica Mars DVDs I finally got my stupid Scottish player …”
Xander: “So awesome. End of Season Two, they -”
Buffy: “Don’t tell me.”

Buffy: “I want to get my sister to safety too. Can’t. Not now. The threat outside’s too big for every slayer I’ve got here. I mean, look at me. Who dresses like Wolverine for fun?”
Xander: “Certainly not me. Any proof you’ve seen to the contrary could have easily been photo shopped and besides, I was drunk.”

Um, Buffy, there is a thing called a multi-region player. It should help with imported DVDs. I’m just saying.

Dawn: “I had a spell put on me.”
Doll 1: “You’re different.”
Doll 2: “You can’t leave. You can never leave.”

Buffy: “This spell took work. How dangerous is this Kenny?”
Xander: “Hard to say. You don’t usually get this strong a spell from the thricewise community. Apparently he’s a nice guy who just snapped after Dawn boinked his roommate.”
Buffy: “How can I not know this?”
Xander: “It cannot be because I just told you because I would never do that. Bugger. Hey, check me out, now I can hate myself in British.”

Some good ads for the likes of Halo Wars, The Cleaners and You Are So Undead To Me, which clearly looks like it’s being aimed at Buffy fans.

Dawn: “If you know I have a soul, then you have to let me go.”
Doll Maker: “Why? You could get hurt. That’s what I’m keeping you safe from. Cracking open that porcelain and phht! Your spirit will scatter like atoms, blasting apart. I understand it’s quite painful.”

Kenny (to Andrew/Willow/Slayers): “Can I just say one thing? ‘Oh crap, he got away.’ No wait. You say that.”

Those of you eagerly anticipating Dollhouse only have to wait for May 19^th on Sci-Fi UK to watch it. And it got renewed for a second season.

Kenny: “I thought you liked me, like that.”
Dawn: “I had, have very intense feelings for you. Sex would have been at least equally intense. And I wasn’t ready. Not then.”
Kenny: “I get it. I’m sorry too.”

Dawn: “I might have scratched your Veronica Mars disc.”
Buffy: “And I will kill you.”

“Retreat Part 2” won’t be appearing until July but we’ve got a one-shot called “Tales Of The Vampires” coming out on June 3^rd.

Rounding this arc off, “Living Doll” is a decent enough story but for an arc that started so ambitious, it’s disappointing that we’ve had very little pay off or serious consequences for Buffy and the gang.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 3x04: "All In The Family"

Written by Adam Fierro
Directed by Keith Gordon

Dexter: “Role playing, such an important part of growing up. When we were kids whatever role Deb assigned me, evil monster, treacherous Nazi, horrible alien, I played them to perfection.”

In life, there are roles to play and Dexter is definitely someone who knows that better than anyone else, given how he brags about playing them to perfection but even Dexter is forced to admit from time to time that there are some roles he’s a little shaky on playing out.

Being a father isn’t always something that comes naturally to him. The way he blurted out to Cody and Astor that Rita was pregnant was a massive no-no. Cody seemed more interested in the idea of a puppy rather than a new sibling and Astor took upon herself to act up a little.

In general I don’t mind Cody and Astor as kids and Astor raised the kind of questions any kid in her situation would do as well. Plus, she’s at the age when she will defy Rita a bit more so playing up at the Prados wasn’t exactly an unrealistic thing for her to do.

I think the good part of Astor acting up was that it seemed to be a one-off thing. Rita talked about her earlier in the season trying to assert her independence and rebelling does factor in it. I liked that Rita made the effort to iron things out with Astor as well instead of letting it fester.

Bringing up marriage was surely an inevitability I guess though there is nothing wrong whatsoever with two people having a child together and not getting married. Rita herself that she didn’t want to get married because she was pregnant and Dexter didn’t exactly come out with the most romantic of proposals either at first.

Towards the end of the episode though, Dexter came out with one hell of a proposal that even I totally bought. The fan part of me wants his feelings for Rita to be real, there’s definitely been enough in the space of three seasons for us to believe that he has genuine feelings for Rita and Rita obviously believed in it if she was willing to accept his proposal at the end.

Rita did have a fair amount more to do in this episode, which is always a good thing because reading four books worth of this series, Rita is just one of the characters that works better on screen than in print.

Friendship with Sylvia aside (nice that we actually see Rita interacting with someone other than Dexter or her kids), Rita also got fired at the wrong time. I understand losing it with snooty customers is a major no-no but Rita was right when she called the woman a bitch. There are some people out there who do genuinely thrive on being pains in the backside for no reason.

Speaking of pains – how effing annoying is Ramon? I know I’m supposed to sympathise with him because he’s lost a brother and because Miguel is bonding more with him than with Dexter but I just don’t want and this episode more than made sure I wouldn’t feel sorry for him either.

Even with Dexter playing both brothers off each other, I still couldn’t care less for Ramon. Drinking yourself into a stupor, causing bar fights and hissy fitting on Maria’s lap is not the way to get justice for Oscar’s death. Miguel wanted to tell Ramon but even if Dexter didn’t have to worry about his hide, he was right in knowing that telling Ramon about Freebo’s death would be bad all round.

Dexter’s little acts of sabotage worked exactly how he wanted them. It was clever to make Miguel believe that he was coming round to the idea of letting Ramon in on their secret prior to Ramon’s little bar brawl. Dexter can pat himself on the back for that but he’s still essentially stuck with Miguel wanting to be his friend.

Speaking of Miguel, Maria’s also seemed to have a U-turn with the guy. Why else would she go to Chicky Hines’s lawyer (I think her name was Ellen) and give her that testimonial. The cupcake and scotch scene was certainly a nice moment but I’m not entirely sure if Maria should be treading on Miguel, especially given how much Matthews hates her. I’m just saying, might help to tread carefully.

I can also take it then that Deb decided to go with Internal Affairs and spy on Quinn after all. Even with an episode absence, Yuki’s still a pain and I wish Deb would get back to her sarcastic self and sock her one. Besides we haven’t seen too much to actually suspect Quinn of being corrupt.

Deb even tried to get Anton to talk about his friendship with Quinn and even he didn’t have a bad word to say against her. Quinn was also excellent during the whole Fiona case as well, even if he forgot to tell Deb that they were playing good cop/bad cop. I didn’t exactly blame Deb for blowing a gasket there.

Fiona was definitely psycho-stalker personified with her murder of a man that she claimed was her fiancé but clearly he didn’t even like her. The fact that she was so convinced she belonged to the guy was scary as well. Deb was naturally disgusted by her but Dexter seemed to be impressed.

As for Masuka and Angel, both of them seemed to be making impressions and not particularly good ones. Masuka couldn’t muster anyone except Dexter to attend his speech (Forensics Quarterly again?) and got one hell of a dressing down by Quinn. Is it wrong that I actually felt a little bad for Masuka? I’m not keen on his pervy jokes either but he’s hardly Topher from Dollhouse either. Even Masuka has a sense of right and wrong.

Angel getting busted with a hooker who turned to be Metro vice cop Barbara Gianni really did take me back. I guess it’s because I view Angel as such a family man that him sleeping with hookers would be a shock. From Barbara’s perspective, I can understand why she wouldn’t be so sympathetic towards Angel.

If Dexter’s marriage proposal was touching and heartfelt, then Angel’s apology to Barbara is equally effective. To be fair, the guy has had a rotten time – divorced, not being able to see his daughter, getting stabbed by Rudy and falsely accused of rape by Lila. They’re not excuses to seek out hookers but still, there were enough for Barbara to realise that Angel wasn’t a creep either.

Also in “All In The Family”

Some of the episode titles on this show are pop culture reference, so was this one a reference to the sitcom of the same name?

Rita (re Astor/Cody): “We should tell them.”
Dexter: “About the baby?”
Rita: “I don’t want them to hear from someone else.”

I noticed that Rita was wearing the dress that Julie Benz wore in the Season Three promotional shots in this episode.

Dexter (re Fiona): “Forensics are gonna need her clothes.”
Deb: “Why don’t you tell her?”

Rita: “The honeymoon suite’s the best room.”
Female Customer: “There’s always a better room.”

Why didn’t Rita tell her boss that she was pregnant when she was castigated about her absences?

Dexter: “It’s your secret spot, right?”
Ramon: “Not anymore.”
Dexter: “I’ll keep it between the three of us.”

Dexter (re morning sickness): “They say this part should pass soon.”
Rita: “They say I should be glowing. Am I glowing?”
Dexter: “You are to me.”

Not to sound like a nark but shouldn’t Rita have gotten health insurance way after she got Paul behind bars? Though come to think of it, that’s also something I should look into.

Anton: “What do you need?”
Deb: “A stiff drink for a shitty day.”

Quinn (to Masuka): “You’re like the foulest person I have ever met.”

I should’ve mentioned it in my last review but Quinn’s first name is Joseph. There was a priest in my home town with the same name.

Angel: “Does any part of you think that there’s any part of me that’s proud of what I’ve done?”
Barbara: “No part of me really cares.”

Dexter: “Raw emotions, not your forte, huh?”
Deb: “What’s that supposed to mean?”

There was no Harry in this episode and Dexter didn’t kill anyone in it either.

Miguel: “I have only one person I can trust anymore.”
Dexter: “Yourself?”
Miguel: “I was thinking of you, actually.”

Dexter (to Rita): “You're what makes me real. I want us to always go out for banana splits, and replant the lemon tree that keeps dying, and I never ever want to miss a pizza night. And that's how I know I want to marry you. Because something as simple as pizza night is the highlight of my week.”

Chronology: I don’t there’s been any time yet. Is Rita even past her first trimester?

For an episode that plays on the themes of role playing more than family from time to time, there’s no confusion in its message to me. “All In The Family” keeps things ticking over beautifully so that it’s really hard not to be interested in everything going.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

The L Word Tribute Blog

Originally posted May 14th on http://www.gcn.ie/The_L_Word_Tribute_Blog

After six seasons and 71 episodes, The L Word has finally come to an end. The show after the likes of Queer As Folk and Six Feet Under was the most prominent for it’s depiction of LGBT characters and in spite of various hiccups, it certainly has left a lasting impression.

The final episode, entitled “Last Word” was something alright. While I don’t think it was a particularly terrible episode (we’ve had worse), I did feel that perhaps we should’ve gotten more – like a resolution about who exactly killed Jenny (though I have a feeling she actually committed suicide) and perhaps seeing Bette and Tina actually take off for New York. I guess the birth mother really didn’t give them the baby in the end.

I liked the various cameos – Tim, Angus, Ivan, Peggy, Jodi, Marina, Carmen, Joyce/Phyllis as well as the various video tributes from the gang to Bette and Tina (oh and Dana got mentioned, which was nice) but some of the relationships decimating were a little sad.

I totally believe in Shane binning Jenny especially after the letter from Molly and hiding the negatives from Lez Girls but in a weird way, I was actually sad to see Helena and Dylan break up. Not sure why though. At least Tasha chose Alice over Jamie or at least that’s what it looked like to me.

Final credits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D42lJV_E8t0

From what I’ve read we were supposed to get a spin-off called The Farm with Alice jailed for Jenny’s murder but now that’s looking like it won’t materialise. Maybe it will eventually, given that the series did big for Showtime. Either way it’s unlikely that people are going to forget this show in a hurry. Even people on TWOP are still posting furiously on the show’s thread in the Drama Forums.

Six seasons is a lot for any show and each season has certainly had its pros and cons as I’m about to delve into.

Season 1

The first season of any show can be tricky but the series did manage to establish all of the leading ladies beautifully. Bette and Tina – the power couple on the verge of heartache, Shane the commitment-phobe but loyal friend, Dana choosing her sexuality over her career after the cost of her relationship with Lara, Kit the straight recovering alcoholic, Marina the alluring but manipulative temptress and Jenny, the once innocent, doe-eyed small town girl who’s voyage of discovery closed some doors while opening others. In other words as first seasons go, this was brilliant. The less said about Tonya though, the better.

Season 2

For me, this was probably my least favourite season (is that an unpopular choice?). Two storyline bugged me – Jenny’s self destructiveness and the myriad of horrible writing fantasy sequences that we had to endure and I suppose Helena and Mark as villains, which just didn’t work. The season also didn’t do itself any favours by going overkill on the Betty exposure (even to the extent of giving them acting parts in certain episodes). There were some positives though – Bette/Tina celebrating becoming parents, Shane and Carmen finally getting it together and the Alice/Dana/Lara triangle, which left me conflicted as well.

Season 3

Something of a mixed season but definitely better than it’s second. On one hand while I liked Dana and Lara back together as a couple, I did feel sympathetic for Alice even if her constant stalking of Dana did drive me nuts. Dana’s cancer plot and eventual death was harrowing, even if it lead to an episode where all the gang showed fond memories for her. It’s also interesting that while the writers got it right with Helena, they were wide off the mark with Moira (now Max) wanting to raise cash for a sex change. It was also nice that the writers gave Kit a romantic interest with Angus (though I’d pay not to hear him sing again) but once again, Bette and Tina broke up (damn the latter’s renewed interest in men and that dullard Henry) and Shane and Carmen didn’t quite make it to the altar either.

Season 4

I started to feel that things were getting a little better with the fourth season of the show. They found a way to keep Bette and Tina mostly apart but without having them at each other’s throats all the time but this was also the season that introduced us to Papi, Phyllis, Tasha and Jodi. Papi (was she the girl that Carmen lost her virginity to?) was sort of annoying and at times, I could really take or leave Phyllis (though hooking her up with Joyce was a good idea) and Jodi (wasn’t overly keen on her and Bette as a couple). Tasha for me worked a lot and I loved her and Alice as a couple. They might not have a lot in common but something about them does seem to fit. Jenny’s ongoing crazy antics (trying to get revenge on someone who dissed her book) were nonsense though and it was obvious that Shane’s relationship with Paige around the time she was parenting her little brother wasn’t going to last that long. And poor Helena was destitute, took to gambling scams with rich bitch Catherine, only for that to blow up in her face.

Season 5

The penultimate season of the series was dominated by the Lez Girls plots and you have to give the show credit for being able to poke fun at itself and also for reminding viewers of past storylines. Unfortunately it was also at this point that Jenny was pissing off all of her friends in one easy swoop. Her relationship with Nikki (the girl playing Jessie/Jenny in Lez Girls) brought out a much needed side but ultimately, Jenny got screwed over Nikki copping off with Shane and mousey assistant Adelle usurping her and taking control of the movie. It wasn’t all bad though. Helena might have had less to do but when she showed up, we saw Dawn Denbo tossed out with the garbage, Bette and Tina got back together, Shane opened up to Molly and Alice and Tasha also progressed as a couple. However a recurring trend over the last few seasons was Kit being savagely underused and even though she got robbed in this season, there was still very little she had to do.

Season 6

Most cable shows when they hit a final season (Sex And The City, The Sopranos) usually try to do more episodes whereas this show decided to opt for less. It was probably a smart move given that in the space of eight episodes, Jenny’s death couldn’t be resolved (still think it’s suicide). As a final season goes, this isn’t awful – there were some enjoyable moments, especially the dance off but perhaps we should’ve gotten a bit more for the last episode. All we know is that Alice might be heading to the slammer (if the spin-off actually does materialise), Bette and Tina are off to New York and everyone else is still doing the same old thing. Maybe on re-runs, things might better fall into place.

With so many couples on this show, here are my five best and worst of the bunch.

Five Best

1: Bette/Tina: No matter how much they fought, they were the ultimate couple on this show.

2: Alice/Tasha: Opposites attract and they are as unalike as you can get but adorable no less.

3: Shane/Carmen: Probably the only woman who got the farthest with Shane ever. Also kinda hot.

4: Dana/Lara: Probably my favourite relationship in the first season after my number one choice of course.

5: Jenny/Robin: The only non-destructive relationship that the former was in as far as I can remember.

Five Worst

1: Jenny/Shane: There’s a reason why you don’t date friends and these two prove it. Plus Jenny’s kind of nuts.

2: Tina/Helena: Penchant for pregnant women and Helena was a lame villain in the second season. All factors for me.

3: Bette/Jodi: I think ‘Yawn’ nicely covers this all round.

4: Jenny/Moira (Max): Another lifeless and unengaging pairing. Plus Max was a pain in the ass when we first met him/her.

5: Helena/Catherine: The one thing I probably would erase from the fourth season if I could.

Agree or disagree? Definitely let me know what you think on this topic.

My Review of Ashes To Ashes 2x04: "Episode 12"

Written by Ashley Pharaoh
Directed by Ben Bolt

Gene: “We did it, Alex. We stood tall and stared them down.”
Alex: “Yeah we did.”

In that case – all hail Team Quattro. Since the second episode of this season, the writers have established that Alex and Gene would make their own team to take out corruption but given the way, they have been around each other, it’s natural that others would suspect something else.

Ray himself wasn’t shy at suggesting the idea that Alex and Gene were actually sleeping with each other. The reality however had more to do with them planting bugs in Mackintosh’s office and going through flip charts. That being said, bit risky sleeping in the office when you’re out to oust your boss, isn’t it?

Luckily for Alex and Gene, being suspected of shagging around is more of an advantage than anyone knowing what they were really up to. Alex wanted to bring Ray and Chris in on everything but Gene didn’t. Did he simply mistrust them or was he protecting them in his own way? Both are plausible but the latter would be something that viewers were more comfortable with.

Gene had plenty of other things to worry about as well. Earlier on when spoilers were circulating that a Life On Mars character was going to show up on the show, I was naturally hoping for either Sam or Annie but it seems that Jackie from the hostage episode in the first season was the character in question.

First off all, she’s kind enough to return Gene’s coat from Life On Mars and then she’s happy to tell him that he’s the father of her unborn child. Smutty jokes aside from Ray; it’s amazing how things quickly got heated between Jackie and Alex.

Alex went to town criticising Jackie on her chain smoking and she even snarked to Gene that he could’ve done better. The bitchiness between both Alex and Jackie did lead to some excellent one-liners but fortunately there was more to Jackie than being a thorn in Gene and Alex’s sides.

For starters, her motives for coming up to London are more to do with finding her missing niece Rachel and less to do with annoying Gene. It gives Jackie a more sympathetic edge, especially when after a proposal from Gene; she’s forced into admitting that the baby isn’t his or that they didn’t have sex either. More smutty jokes from Ray please.

It’s also around this time that Alex seems to warm to Jackie a bit more as well. Could it have been jealousy on Alex’s part that made her initially less than warm to Jackie? It’s nice that the writers didn’t descend into childish hysterics with the pair. Alex possibly has feelings for Gene but Jackie certainly doesn’t.

Both ladies bonding over the issue of motherhood brought home some pointers. Jackie went from trying to baby her niece Rachel to telling Gene that Rachel could stand up for herself as well as coming to grips with imminent motherhood herself. Alex on the other hand had to focus more on her quest to get back to Molly.

In fact when the ladies weren’t discussing that and Alex wasn’t trying to get any insight into what happened to Sam up until his death, Jackie did make a point of asking Alex about her feelings for Gene – something to delight the shippers. The Sam references however were the bigger made of win.

The main plot of the week however involved missing teens from the North who ended up dead upon arriving in London. We had the gang save Debbie at first from a pervy photographer, only for her to later wind up dead and even Jackie’s niece Rachel wanted to try and help the gang catch chief suspect Ralph Jarvis.

When Alex and the gang first made an arrest on Jarvis, we learned more about the scheming so and so’s violent history with young girls. More importantly came the clanger about Jarvis and Mackintosh being in cahoots. Hardly a shocker but Alex and Gene did see it as more reason to get ride of Mackintosh once and for all.

Mackintosh wasn’t stupid though. He could definitely tell that Gene and Alex were up to something and he certainly did his best to try and get Alex out of the way, around the same time that she and Gene finally convinced themselves to let Chris and Ray in on their scheming only for Mackintosh to try and get Alex out of the way.

Planting evidence to make it look like Alex was taking backhanders and having access to secret bank accounts was a bit late for Mackintosh. Alex and Gene (thanks to Jackie’s encouragement) still managed to arrest Jarvis and connect the dots that he laundered money for Mackintosh in exchange for his freedom.

What no-one had banked on was that when it looked Jarvis was going to get away with things, Mackintosh opened fire on him and then turned the gun on himself. I actually found Mackintosh’s death to be quite satisfying, though a part of me did wonder for a minute if he might have shot Alex.

Instead he just told that he knew about the roses that she was getting and that Operation Rose was in order. What is Operation Rose and who is that guy stalking Alex? This week he pestered her about them being a team towards the end of the episode, coincidently enough when Mackintosh died. Even Gene is beginning to ask questions and Alex would do well to let him in on what’s been happening to her over the last few weeks.

Also in “Episode 12”

The opening scene with the other coppers singing to taunt Ray and Chris into a food fight was inspired.

Viv: “Sounds like you’re in for a promise.”
Chris (re Shaz): “Not really. She’s got me watching tapes of Brideshead Revisited.”

Shaz’s support of gay culture continues. Now all we need is gay character that she can be best mates with.

Alex (re exposing Mackintosh): “It’s a big step.”
Gene: “Between you and me, Bolls, I’ve been wanting to do this for weeks.”
Alex: “Yeah, me too. I just didn’t know you felt the same way.”

Gene: “That’s my coat. I was looking for that.”
Jackie: “You left it in my flat but come to think of it, that’s not all you left behind.”

Jackie told Alex that Sam and Annie had married but had no kids, that Sam had surrendered to being in 1973 and that she wrote his obituary. She seemed to like Sam.

Gene (re Jackie): “What’s wrong with her?”
Alex: “Well apart from the fact that she’s a journalist and she’s from Glasgow?”
Gene: “Blimey, you’re beginning to sound like me, Bolly.”

Jackie: “Where’s the father of my child?”
Ray: “He’s in there with DI Drake but I wouldn’t.”

Halfway through the episode, Shaz went undercover as a runaway trying to get information out of the girls about Jarvis’s parties.

Chris: “Shirt up.”
Shaz: “Bet you say that to all the girls.”
Ray: “Women in the police force, it’s just not right.”

Ray: “Is this a private conversation or can anyone join in?”
Alex: “No, it’s private.”

I have to give Ray points this week for telling Gene that he’d do anything for him as well as Chris for his hilarious response to it.

Alex: “That’s the difference. I have to get back. Somebody needs me.”
Jackie: “You’re quite a strange person, aren’t you? Have you and Hunt got something going on?” Alex: “God, no. Why do you ask?”

Dr Death: “When are you going to learn? What you do in this place has consequences.”
Alex: “What consequences?”
Dr Death: “You’ll find out.”

We saw a painting of Mackintosh and his daughter and Gene shot a dog to Shaz’s disgust when she found out. Plus Roland Rat and those nightmares with Molly and Jarvis.

Mackintosh (to Alex): “Drake, hanging around gents toilets. You’ll get a reputation.”

Alex: “This is an outrage.”
Mackintosh: “I made it quite clear, DI Drake – either with me or against me.”

Standout music: “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime” by The Korgis stood out for me the most.

Ralph: “Nothing to worry about.”
Jackie: “Well you should be worried. You’re surrounded by armed bastards.”
Gene (to Alex): “Oh that bloody woman.”

Dr Death: “You might be right, Alex. Maybe we can help each other, you and me.”
Alex: “Who is this? What do you want?”
Dr Death: “Not Hunt, not Mackintosh. Just you and me.”

Chronology: A few days after where the previous episode left off.

By far, my favourite episode of the season. The continuity references were brilliant, Jackie worked well, loved learning more about Operation Rose and the shipper vibes between Gene and Alex definitely appealed.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

Skins – Season 1 Review

UK Airdate: January 25^th – March 22^nd 2007

Standing In The Way Of Control: Teen shows aren’t exactly something that are really dying out. As long as they are young audiences, there’s always going to be enthusiastic viewers wanting their usual mix of teen angst, hedonism and cuter than thou totty. American shows such as The OC, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and 90210 are continuing that trend in their own style.

In the UK, the decision by E4 to do their own teen show, following subsequent cancellations from shows such as As If and Sugar Rush seemed inevitable. The producers themselves wanted something that would serve as a slight anti-thesis to some of the US counterparts I’ve mentioned, while at the same time, appealing to the same type of an audience.

January 2007 saw the arrival of this series and the opener certainly went its way into introducing the core cast – smooth operator and total bastard, Tony, the seemingly vapid Michelle, geeky Sid, out and proud Maxxie, stoner Chris, level-headed Jal, self-destructive Cassie, mysterious Effy and sex obsessed Anwar, all of whom on paper wouldn’t have appeared to be anything new.

And they’re not but what sets them apart is that unlike US TV, age appropriate actors are better cast in the UK. The reason why these teenagers look like teenagers is because they’re played by actors who are teenagers. Makes things a lot easier in the long run.

The opening episode was fairly standard, surrounding a lot of mishaps in acquiring dope while gate crashing rich bitch Abigail’s party (no, not that one) and legging it when things get out of hand. The gangster Mad Twatter is a weak spot in the episode and his presence in the following two are a dampener (though we can thank Jal’s father for ridding us of him).

What really sets the show apart is its second episode focusing on Cassie (the first fixated on Tony). Dealing with anorexia is a popular theme, especially with teen characters but Hannah Murray’s blistering performance as the troubled girl and her attraction to Sid certainly endeared Cassie in a major way while Jal’s mother issues and burgeoning desire to get into classical music make episode three a solid one. Jal’s chances of musical success are more likely, given the fact that her dopey brothers are spectacularly tone deaf by comparison.

Chris is another engaging character and Joe Dempsie who plays him is probably the strongest male actor on the show. Dealing with his own issues, including opening up to Jal about his younger brother’s death does prove (along with Cassie’s battle with her eating disorder) that the show can have some emotional intelligence and given that a lot of the episodes heavily focus on various parties, it’s a nice contrast. Plus this side of Chris is also a lot better than the one we see when he starts sleeping with his teacher Angie for the remainder of the season.

One of the weakest points of the season is Tony and Sid’s dynamic. Tony clearly uses Sid as a scape goat, an object of ridicule and he even doesn’t mind screwing him and Michelle over in the fifth episode. Sid’s crush on Michelle is understandable but out of the female characters, Michelle might be a bit too vapid to care about. April Pearson who plays Michelle is good in the role, so it’s not really down to her that I’m often less than interested in the character.

Season One’s weakest episode however lies in with the gang’s trip to Russia. It’s not particularly an awful episode – I mean there’s some great conflict over Anwar and Maxxie regarding the latter’s sexuality, you do have a brief encounter between Maxxie and Tony and Jal and Michelle’s drunken antics are funny but it just doesn’t work as brilliantly as the first few episodes.

The last few episodes however are wonderful. There’s something spectacularly satisfying in seeing Michelle beating the crap out of Tony and Sid realising that he’s fallen out of love with Michelle and in with Cassie (hey, Sid/Cassie are the ship in this season whereas as Jal/Chris are Season Two and Emily/Naomi are Season Three). Effy, who in later seasons takes over her brother’s leadership with a new gang gets one of the most interesting episodes of the season. The penultimate episode is interesting because for a fair chunk of it, very little actually happens and when it does, it’s all of a sudden but it serves as an ongoing trend in the last segment of the season to show Tony that there are consequences for messing with people’s lives. His relationships with Sid and Effy are far more engaging than his need to get Michelle back.

The finale is by far, the best one we’ve had from the show. Where else do you see a character mowed down by a bus who survives or with the main gang miming to Wild World? Okay, maybe it’s not that unique but as teen shows go, this might be over hyped to the hills and even occasionally silly at times (Sid in particular gets pissed on a lot – metaphorically and literally in one episode alone). Anwar is probably the most underused character of the bunch, even less so than Abigail or Posh Kenneth. Plus this show has got to be doing something right if it’s able to attract the likes of Arabella Weir, Harry Enfield, Peter Capaldi, Morweena Banks and Neil Morrissey to name a few in the roles of parents on this show.

DVD EXTRAS: I don’t actually own the DVDs, seeing as they’re stripped of the original music used per episode but I do know what the extras entail.

- 9 Unseen Skins episodes (I Mostly Do, Careers Advice, Shoot 'Em Up Bang Bang Props to the Hood, A Friend in Need, Careers Advice II, To Russia With Love..., The Cat & the Duck, Pop and Bye)
- 11 Video diaries (Jal, Chris, Abigail, Effy, Maxxie, Michelle, Posh Kenneth, Tony, Sid, Anwar and Cassie)
- Music video for "Standing in the Way of Control"
- Director's cut trailer
- Broadcast trailers

EPISODE RATING FROM 1 TO 10

1x01: Tony = 7/10, 1x02: Cassie = 9/10, 1x03: Jal = 8/10,
1x04: Chris = 8/10, 1x05: Sid = 10/10, 1x06: Maxxie And Anwar = 7/10,
1x07: Michelle = 9/10, 1x08: Effy = 10/10, 1x09: Finale = 10/10.

My Review of Angel's 6x20: "Aftermath Part 3"

Written by Kelley Armstrong
Artwork by Dave Ross

Gwen (to Desdemona): “This is no time for a catnap. Get up or I’ll deliver a wake-up call you’ll feel for -”

Desdemona. What a mystery. Is she really evil or secretly good or misguided? This issue doesn’t really clarify which side she’s really on (aside from her own). Gwen’s little detective skills showed Desdemona in a very questionable light.

So who was the unfortunate bloke she put the voodoo on and why did she turn him into a gorilla? Who are the people that she’s working for and what are they getting out of people being turned into animals? Can’t be good whatever the answer may be.

Kate deciding to withhold this information from Angel but sharing with Gwen is mixed. Maybe she should wait until she knows everything about Desdemona’s antics before getting Angel involved but at the same time, it’s not like he’s going to appreciate being kept in the dark either.

Not that Angel seemed all that bothered about Desdemona anyways. Kate and Gwen did all the heavy lifting with that plot end this issue, which included having both of them facing Desdemona with predicted results.

It’s not Kate, Gwen and Desdemona were going to sit down and actually have a rational conversation. When Desdemona realised that she had uninvited guests, she immediately went to attack them and she didn’t stop when she realised that said guests happened to be Angel’s trusted lady friends either.

Of course knocking out and locking Desdemona didn’t exactly unite Kate and Gwen either. Both women may want to find out what the kitty shape shifter’s motives are but both of them are critical to the others methods. Personally I side with Kate a little more.

As for the kitty, are the cubs belonging to Desdemona? It looks like it and it certainly generates some sympathy if her children (or whoever they belong to) are being held in captivity. Wowsers, this might actually explain a lot of Desdemona’s motives and why she’s eager to side up with Angel.

There also seems to be two sisters as well talking about being held against their will. However it seems like they’re recovering from the effects of turning into animals and are bound to a cult/sect/whatever they are in case they become animals again. With only two issues left in this arc, they better be good.

What was good about this issues was Angel and James Smythe, who might end up becoming my favourite character actually introduced into this comic form sixth season. After all, Betta George predates the damn thing.

Why did I like James Smythe? I don’t know. Maybe it was because Angel could always do with an extra pair of hands but mainly because it was some connection to Cordelia and at the end of the day, I think anything Cordy related is going to hold my interests even if the writers refuse to resurrect her, Wesley and Fred.

Angel’s search for the mysterious angel didn’t really take all that long. Smythe wasn’t exactly hiding from Angel and when the two of them did meet up again, we saw some very cool moments. Having the two of them team up for a spot of demon fighting felt more in line with the series than anything else we’ve seen in this comic form so far, fighting wise.

Smythe explained that he needed help with the demons and he also made an effort to make sure that Angel was packing the right ammunition as well. As for his race – the Potentates, well they’re warrior angels and did some background work during the hell segment of this whole comic season.

The snag is that Smythe’s people are also missing and he obviously wants/needs Angel’s help in getting them back. That means he’s coming back for more and it also gives us another mystery. Who would go about kidnapping warrior angels? Assuming that Smythe’s race are not either dead, corrupted or that Smythe is making the whole thing up.

Personally I hope not. I like the character and I actually want him to be a good guy, is that naively silly of me? As for Angel’s disgruntled employers, I wasn’t that much interested in them two issues ago and I really didn’t care that Angel relinquished his services with them in this one.

As for the cat sisters, one of them got snagged (Penelope) while Gwen was still frustrated with Desdemona being out for the count. Now I really do want to find out what’s going on here.

Also in “Aftermath Part 3”

The cover for this issue showed Kate whaling on a demon that I don’t think we actually saw in this issue at all. No, we didn’t.

Angel: “The people we’re rounding up. From now, they come here.”
Kate: “Whoa. Here? We’re not equipped?”
Angel: “Then we’ll get equipped. We’re holding them here until we find out what’s wrong with them. We need to research -”

Angel’s latest plan of rounding up the people they have and bringing them to his new digs might not be the best of ideas. Times like this, you’d need some SD-6 type of cells.

Angel: “Two choices, Kate. Either we bring them here or we leave them on the streets.”
Kate: “They’re dangerous – to themselves and others.”
Angel: “Then you have your answer. Get the cells ready, then get hunting. I’ll join you later tonight. I have something to do first.”

Gwen: “You think I’m being too harsh.”
Kate: “I just think we didn’t need to -”
Gwen: “We did. Every cop knows it’s easier to get a confession when you don’t have to follow the rules. You’re not a cop anymore, Kate. Time to stop acting like one.”
Kate: “What if I don’t want to?”

The other cover for this issue had Desdemona in chains in a dungeon with her cat eyes.

Angel: “We don’t have time for this.”
James: “In quite a rush for an immortal, aren’t you? All right, I’ll take it with me.”

James: “The name’s James by the way.”
Angel: “Why couldn’t we have just walked out?”
James: “Oh I could have. The spell works very well on humans. There’s only one problem … not everything in this world is human.”

More confusing chronology as James mentions 2005 and Angel had to touch a sword that could burn him.

Angel: “Kidnapping Angels? That’s ballsy.”
James: “I thought so. I’ll be back. First, you need to deal with your disgruntled employers. They’re waiting for you.”
Angel: “Inside? How do you know?”

The next issue will be out towards the end of May. I know I’ve complained but why can’t IDW just add dates on like Dark Horse do with the Buffy comics?

“Aftermath Part 3” might be my favourite issue from this arc anyway. With two issues to go, it’ll be interesting to see what happens next and whether or not characters like Desdemona and James will be around for longer.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

My Review of Dexter's 3x03: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Written by Scott Buck
Directed by John Dahl

Dexter (to Nathan): “I’m not like you. Nobody hurts my children.”

If there was a statement needed to cement your commitment as a parental figure, I’m not sure if (from a legal perspective) murdering a paedophile is the way to go about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to see scum like Nathan taken off the streets, it’s just authorities frown on all forms of murder (except self-defence).

Dexter was worried that he wouldn’t make a good father to his unborn child but his skills with Cody and Astor really didn’t back up that fear. Even Dexter’s expertise in faking have their limitations and he’s more or less said on more than one occasion that he does care about what happens to children.

When it came to Nathan, there was no way about it though – the moment Dexter spotted him talking to Astor in the supermarket, he was justified in worrying. Nathan looked like trouble from the off and Dexter didn’t have to look hard to find the evidence to back up his theory.

Even on the beach there was a sense of worry. No-one takes photos of children unawares like that ever. Dexter was right to be suspicious but his confrontation with Nathan was new. Dexter sometimes vets out his victims, he rarely takes them aside and tells them that he knows all their sordid details.

He however did do that and I did think that maybe Dexter was try to give Nathan a chance to either get his sick urges until control or leave town. In the end, Dexter paying him a house call and killing him was the better option. Even if Nathan hadn’t personally attacked Dexter by taking photos of Astor, Nathan is still a danger to society.

Nathan’s serving as a plot device to get Dexter around the idea of a biological worked for me. It worked more than poor Dexter having to deal with yoga classes. Whatever happened to antenatal? Dexter’s sheer awkwardness over the whole debacle made me feel a little for him.

I noticed that throughout the episode, Rita insisted on not pressuring Dexter but was sort of pressuring him to make a decision. Not that I’m down on Rita for that, it’s just something that really stuck out for me. Dexter’s sending of positive energy made for a lovely moment.

Then there’s Deb’s reaction to the idea of becoming an auntie. By far, the funniest thing this show has ever done. No-one can send out a congratulations like Deb. This is one of the few times where her excessive swearing was incredibly sweet. I found myself giggling with it.

Deb was also another person who told Dexter to get into gear with becoming a father. The various slaps to the arms as well as telling him that he’s brilliant brother. Deb was on fine form with her brother and it was her way of being nice to him after he did something nice to her (he put up a missing photo of Tegan around so she’d get another clue).

With all the positives of family present and accounted for, Miguel’s kind of a bad representation on the friendship front. I mean, the guy really just kept pushing and pushing with Dexter here, especially on the whole Freebo debacle. Dexter seriously needs to watch himself with this bloke.

Wanting to know where Freebo’s body is was hardly unreasonable and even trying to bond with him over failed fathers could be natural but Dexter’s had too many bad luck with people that he’s ‘connected’ with (Brian/Rudy, Lila) and it’s very unlikely that Miguel is somehow going to buck the trend.

It is however very likely that he can make things ten times worse for Dexter. Even if he is an accessory to a murder, it’s still Dexter who would serve a longer jail sentence and even Miguel giving Dexter his blood stained shirt still doesn’t make me want to trust him in a massive hurry.

Dexter’s pondering on the nature of Miguel’s motive is good though. In an alternative reality, maybe Miguel would be genuinely trustworthy but in this one, I just can’t help feeling the opposite and soon enough if previews for upcoming episodes have shown me, Dexter will come around to the same way of thinking.

Even with all the stuff he knew and the platitudes about justice not getting served, Miguel had no problem standing aside and allowing Chicky Hines to take the rap for a DUI he didn’t commit. Maria herself looked pretty disgusted and even more so when she overheard Chicky’s lawyer talking to the press.

Deb on the other hand when she wasn’t happy for her brother, seemed determined to get more information from Anton as best she could. The only problem was that following Javier’s death, Anton wasn’t as eager to talk to him and going all hard ass on him in the bathroom wasn’t her best idea either.

Anton didn’t exactly make things easy on himself either. If Deb was too rash with him, it was only because Anton continued to goad her and lighting up a joint in front of her was dumb on his part. Did he really think she wouldn’t arrest him? Maybe Anton wanted to be arrested. He did express some fears about his safety during their heated confrontation. After all, Javier got skinned as well as Tegan.

As for Quinn, what the hell is his deal with Deb and Anton? Maybe he fancies Deb and it’s jealousy, maybe Anton’s more dangerous than we know and he’s worried for Deb or (more than likely) Anton has something on Quinn and Quinn would rather Deb not knowing. All are valid guesses on my part.

It is pretty likely that one of these guys will end up sleeping with Deb if not both of them. Anton’s little song tribute to Deb (Skinny Mean Bitch) generated a fair amount of laughs, especially given that even Deb was able to see the funny side of the whole thing. She even danced as a result of knowing what it meant exactly.

Also in “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

The previously on bits for this episode were longer again. They always seem to be with this show.

Rita: “You do your grocery list alphabetically?”
Dexter: “How else would you do it?”

If it were me, probably listing it off with most important to least important. Or randomly write everything I remember and curse myself for the item I forgot.

Quinn: “You like milk or cream?”
Dexter: “Neither.”
Quinn: “Not exactly the chatty type, are you?”

Deb: “A baby? A motherfucking roly-poly, chubby cheeked shit machine? Are you kidding me?”
Dexter: “I’ve never heard it described in quite those words before, but yeah.”

I only just read in the May issue for Sky Magazine that Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter recently got married, so congratulations to them.

Sylvia (to Rita): “Men are such babies. They have to be carried kicking and screaming into fatherhood.”

Dexter (re Miguel): “Showing up late at night like this. Is it creepy or is it what friends do?”

During the meeting under the bridge, I was worried that Miguel might have found a hole in Dexter’s story. Luckily he hasn’t but I bet he will though.

Dexter: “My father was disgusted by me.”
Miguel: “Disgusted? No offence to the dead but your father’s an idiot.”

Anton (to Deb): “Looks like having conversations with you is dangerous for your health.”

I noticed that Chicky’s lawyer was played by the brilliant Anne Ramsay. Hopefully we’ll be seeing her in more episodes this season.

Deb (re Tegan): “I’m thinking of putting her picture on milk cartons.”
Dexter: “It’s a good idea.”
Deb: “Except no-one would ever drink milk again.”

Dexter: “What’s that for?”
Deb: “I know you, Dex; you’re the best brother in the world. You can do this. And if you don’t trust yourself, trust me. I’m the smart one in the family.”

Anton’s little ‘puta’ comment about Deb reminded me of LaGuerta frequently calling her that in Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Quinn (re Masuka): “Who the fuck are his people?”
Angel: “I don’t know little scientists or something.”

Dexter: “So there it is. I’m gonna be a father and raise my child. It’s what any good man would do.”

Chronology: The day after “Finding Freebo”.

The first two episodes of this season were good but “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was much better. Rita’s pregnancy plot should bore me to tears but it doesn’t, the skinnings are obviously leading to something bad and Miguel is dangerous.

Rating: 9 out of 10.