My Review of Constantine's 1x10: "Quid Pro Quo"

Written by Brian Anthony
Directed by Mary Harron

Chas (to Constantine): "I've watched other people suffer the consequences of your actions but this is my family, so I'm gonna do things my way, not yours."

After ten episodes we finally got a backstory for Chas and I have to admit, it was probably in my least favourite episode so far. I mean, there's a fair bit going for this one but after the previous three for some reason, this one felt like a bit of a dip in quality in spite of the stuff we learned in this one.

Keeping with the positives, I did like that we learned a bit more about Chas's immortality and I also liked the focus on his wife and daughter - Renee and Geraldine as the latter's soul got stolen by Felix Faust and with the former we saw how her relationship with Chas broke down due to his friendship with Constantine.

Loads of episodes have alluded to Constantine being a bad friend and we've seen the consequences of that with both Gary and Anne Marie during the season but for a moment, I really thought that Chas was going to lose everything due to Faust's reluctance to release Geraldine. There was even a point when even Zed seemed like she might not have made it out of this one alive.

It was nice to finally get an exploration and insight into John and Chas's friendship but Renee was mostly a pain in the ass throughout the episode, even though she had a right to be. The show's characterisation with female characters hasn't been great but Renee was probably one of the worst we've had for some time though.

- Chas's real name is Francis and his immortality was shown after the outcome of a concert that went seriously wrong.
- Zed briefly met Constantine's mother and passed onto John that his mother didn't blame him for her death. That was a nice scene to end the episode.
- Felix Faust was actually a good guest villain but should've been saved for a better episode.We also met Constantine's other friend - a medium named Fennel.
- The Resurrection Crusade are the ones after Zed. They're led by her father. Chas also has 32 out of 47 lives left.

Probably the weakest episode for me now. "Quid Pro Quo" deserves points for giving Chas more to do but aside from a few choice moments, I largely found myself drifting in and out of this episode a little too much at times.

Rating: 5 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x09: "The Saint Of Last Resorts Part 2"

Written by Mark Verheiden
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Constantine (to Chas/Zed/Anne Marie): "I don't know about you lot but I could murder a bloody drink."

The second part to this story and it was arguably a better version than the first one. Namely because we got John having to be possessed by Pazuzu and a whole manner of chaos came into play as Constantine found himself spending some time in a Mexican prison after killing a gang and even a few more once threatened in prison as well.

On the plus side, at least we had Chas, Zed (yeah, she escaped pretty quickly in the episode) and Anne Marie to spring him out of the joint, tie him up and drive the demon king out of him but not without Pazuzu playing on all of their insecurities beforehand though.

I have to give Matt Ryan his dues in this one. He's been great since the show's beginning but this episode really did push his Constantine just that bit further and he truly excelled during the possession scenes and the quieter moment at the end with Anne Marie as well, who thankfully made it out of the episode alive. I actually do want to see her again. I also liked that both her and Constantine somewhat made their peace at the end of this one as well.

As for the Zed plot, it quickly fizzled out but given that a possessed Constantine is now aware of her backstory, at least it'll get addressed in the remainder of the season. I think Zed really did come through in this one as well and I liked her moments with Anne Marie and Chas too. As for the hints of more danger ahead - bring it on!

- I'm sure some male viewers were pleased with both Zed and Anne Marie's methods for distracting prison guards in this one. I liked that neither of them were competing for Constantine though.
- Manny briefly popped up just to be unhelpful and then buggered off. That felt like a step backwards from his last appearance.
- Now that we know more about Zed, it's also time to learn more about Chas and it seems we will in the next one.
- Still hoping we get to see one of Constantine's former male lovers. Had this show been renewed we might have.

A great ending to an impressive two parter. "The Saint Of Last Resorts" definitely provided some great scares, insights into character motivations as well as the further hints of more impending disasters on the horizons.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x08: "The Saint Of Last Resorts Part 1"

Written by Carly Wray
Directed by TJ Scott

Anne Marie (to Constantine): "No price is too high to save the innocent."

And now we've gotten our first two parter of the season as another member of Constantine's past made herself very well known when John and Chas were encouraged to take a little trip to Mexico as a demon named Lamashtu has been stealing babies from a particular family. However before discussing the demon stuff, let's discuss Sister Anne Marie first, shall we?

So far in the series we've briefly encountered Ritchie in the opening episode and had an episode that focused on Gary's desperation for redemption of the Newcastle incident as well. Here, we learn that former hedonist Anne Marie became a nun to deal with her guilt and when she wasn't lashing out at Constantine for his carefree attitude towards things, she was also slowly discovering the reason behind his stance before ultimately making a sacrifice in order to protect a child.

Now the demon stuff itself was interesting even before Constantine got shot and left for the Invunche to come after him. Firstly by finding out that La Brujería was responsible for the increase on supernatural stuff and secondly, just how the Newcastle incident seemed to be informing the way both John and Anne Marie tried to solve the problem with the babies at hand.

Of course, it wasn't just Constantine getting his own adventures this week. Despite not being a part of the main story, Zed's past caught up with her this week thanks to Eddie being a part of an organisation determined to bring her home. In spite of a few genuinely bad ass moments, Zed then got captured towards the end of this one, even when she was in John's not so protective fortress. I do like that we learned more about Zed in this one but it probably should've tied into the main plotline this week for a better result though.

- Anne Marie was the one who actually introduced John into the occult side of things. She's also a former girlfriend of his. Can we meet one of his ex boyfriends as well? Come on, show.
- Zed's real name is Mary and she spent most of her childhood locked away by her father I think.
- I think it's time for some Newcastle flashbacks, isn't it? I did like the picture we saw of the punk versions of John and Anne Marie there. We also have to meet Judith, don't we?
- No Manny in this episode. It does seem like we can't really have an episode with him, Zed and Chas all there. Budget reasons?

I liked this one. "The Saint Of Last Resorts Part 1" felt like a good opening story and I did slightly learning more about Newcastle as well as getting some solid stuff on Zed but both stories should've overlapped each other a little. Other than that, a terrific episode.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Country Vs. Country

A bit of a catch up on some of the stuff I've been watching prior to literally everything else returning from next week onwards.

Celebrity Big Brother: I've dipped in and out of the regular and celebrity versions of this since it's move to Channel 5 with the latter pulling me in more than the regular version nowadays, though not for the right reasons. Personally I think Channel 5 have oddly encouraged a sense of mutual xenophobia as both the US and UK contestants seem to be increasingly at odds with each - particularly Farrah and Jenna, who are taking the damn show too seriously that it's not even mildly amusing now. Then again, the sort of bromance (I really do hate that term) between Austin and James is one of the brighter spots in a very hostile house this time. And I thought Katie and Perez were bad earlier in the year.

Daredevil: An impressive ending to a great first season. The show really hit it's stride in the last two episode with some more deaths and a rather glorious showdown between Matt and Fisk, with the former finally getting his own costume as well for good measure. Equally as important was that we seemed to get Matt, Karen and Foggy back on track as friends and there was enough to set up the show's second season as well. Netflix really did prove that like the CW, they certainly know how to do a superhero series.

Marvel's Agent Carter: A solid finale for a great first season. I might not have loved this show as much as everyone else but I did enjoy it and I do like that we had some familiar faces like Stark in this one, along with Peggy and Dotty going to head to head (the latter has been a decent antagonist). However it was the end scene that really made the episode and set up something that could be fantastic for the upcoming second season.

The X Factor: Back for a 12th series and surprisingly one with no Louis Walsh, this current run seems like half of the decks being swept while the rest remained and not a lot else have changed. Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw aren't bad additions but have yet to really prove their mettle while Olly and Caroline are decent substitutes for Dermot. Simon and Cheryl themselves seem to be going through the motions a bit and the first two weeks alone hasn't exactly produced anyone yet who is destined to do any better than past contestants. Maybe there's just a genuine sense of fatigue to things this year in spite of the partial revamp to proceedings.

- Freddy Stroma will be playing Dickon Tarly, Pilou Asbaek will be playing Euron Greyjoy while Richard E. Grant will be playing a mystery role for the sixth season of Game Of Thrones.
- Dennis Haysberth and Sophie Okenedo have been cast for upcoming BBC series, Undercover.
- UK viewers will be able to see Quantico on Alibi and Code Black and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders on Watch shortly after their US debuts.
- Meghan Ory will be returning to Once Upon A Time.
- American Gods will premiere on Starz in 2017.
- NBC are planning a Brides Of Dracula series from from comic book writer and playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.
- Both Kermit and Miss Piggy will have new partners in The Muppets.
- Iddo Goldberg will be playing Red Tornado and the villainous TO Morrow in Supergirl.
- Penny Dreadful's third season will have Patti LuPone playing Vanessa's therapist, Dr Seward as well as Shazad Latif as Dr Jekyll.
- American Dad has been renewed for a further two seasons.

My Review of Constantine's 1x07: "Blessed Are The Damned"

Written by Sneha Koorse
Directed by Nick Gomez

Imogen (to Constantine): "Guess you're on your own. Your angel did what they always do - nothing!"
Manny: "Like hell!"

Now this was a blast of an episode. Aside from Manny's presence, the show hasn't until delved too much into the angelic side of things but this one more than made up for it as Manny actually got to be more than a cryptic mouthpiece and we met a rather devilish fallen angel by the name of Imogen, who really did have everyone else fooled.

I liked that the episode took some unexpected twists with Zachary the preacher. Yes, he was pious and dismissive of anyone who challenged his faith and mistook Constantine for being evil but the fact he was manipulated by Imogen for her own ends (as well as being saved from going to hell) by having possession of one of her feathers, only for the real potential trouble to emerge when Zed gave it back to her - oh boy.

I've not been the biggest fan of Manny as a character but this was a great episode for him as we learned a bit more about the angels (missing feathers make them visible to everyone, they can be killed etc) courtesy of him having to actually work with Constantine and Zed this week and the actress playing Imogen is probably the best guest antagonist we've had so far. It almost makes me wish that somehow she had escaped but thems the breaks.

As for Zed - she really came alive in this one as well. I liked how integrated she was with both Zachary and Imogen and setting up the rather nice looking Eddie as a threat too from her art class was another good moment too. After a few shaky bumps, it seems like the show has finally found it's groove. If there was a negative to this episode, it did feel like Constantine was almost a little underused compared to previous ones.

- No Chas in this episode this week. Plus John and Zed were in Briarwood for this one.
- The walls between realities are getting thinner and thinner according to Manny. That's exciting from a story point of view.
- There was a serious lack of Constantine's trenchcoat in this episode as well.
- We're certainly due a big info dump on Zed's past that she seems desperate to avoid talking about pretty soon, aren't we?

An absolutely fantastic episode. "Blessed Are The Damned" definitely was one for angels both bad and less bad this week and certainly upped the stakes in such a nice way. Constantine might have had a little less than usual but a great episode for both Zed and Manny though.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x06: "The Rage Of Caliban"

Written by Daniel Cerone
Directed by Neil Marshall

Constantine (to Henry/Marcello): "You're not the only one who had a rough growing up, boy. This world's dark, full of pain for everyone, only most people don't leave a trail of dead bodies, shattered lives and retribution."

A child possession episode. It's been done a couple of times on other shows and while there was an interesting twist at the end here with this one, I hate to admit that this was my least favourite episode so far with the show. A part of me was just bored with it and it also felt a little off as well but more on that in a bit.

The first kid to be possessed was a little girl whose parents were subsequently murdered and I thought that she was going to be the focus of the episode until another kid named Henry was possessed and then he became the focus of this one. While his parents actually survived the episode, it did get a little touch and go at times though.

I found the concept that the spirit possessing Henry (a boy named Marcello who suffered brutally at the hands of an abusive father) still had a very alive body of a catatonic man was a nice enough twist and I did like the confrontation between Constantine and Marcello in the scary amusement ride but other than that, this sort of story has been dealt with better on others shows (Angel being one of them).

There were some positives to the episode. Delving more into Constantine's childhood and the scenes he had with Manny (probably the character at his best used so far), particularly when the former was briefly imprisoned were nice and Chas seemingly had more to do in this episode, compared to previous ones.

- The reason for this episode being off was the fact that it was originally meant to be the second episode.
- Zed didn't feature in this episode. Much as I like her, I don't think she was needed either.
- If we're going to see Constantine in bed with women, can we also see him in bed with men too? Come on, writers/NBC.
- This episode also took place during Halloween and we saw Chas holding onto a very revealing sword at one point in this one.

Probably the weakest of the bunch so far. "The Rage Of Caliban" didn't really float my boat aside from a few select scenes but given when it was originally meant to air, I can understand.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x05: "Danse Vaudou"

Written by Christine Boylan
Directed by John Badham

Corrigan: "How do you live with it? The knowledge that all this could be real? How?"
Constantine: "It marks you for life but it doesn't change who you are."

I really enjoyed this one. So far the show has been enjoyable and while the previous episode had a character sacrifice, this episode really felt like things moved up a bit of a gear as well. Namely with the introduction of Jim Corrigan as Constantine, Zed and Chas found themselves in New Orleans for this particular story.

As I'm learning more and more about this particular universe, it's great that they've thrown another big player into the universe and while there's the odd moment where the accent slips, Emmett Scanlan's a great choice for the role of Corrigan. He's given some truly great moment with both John and Zed in this episode, particularly with the latter as he realises that the supernatural really does exist.

More to the point this episode worked on developing a rather genuine connection between Zed and Corrigan as her powers came into play big time with the way she delved into his past (as did he later in the episode) and realised that he had a grim future ahead of him. The fact that Zed saw it now must mean that we're going to see the other side of Corrigan probably sooner than later though.

As for the main plot of the episode - three different ghosts. There was hitchhiker Philip, former model Misaki and Clarke, all of whom had present day connections and were causing very present day problems/deaths, which forced an alliance between Constantine and Papa Midnite. I loved the latter in his previous episode and I loved him even more in this one. The grudging truce between him and John was definitely a highlight of the episode, along with the pot shots both were able to get at each other along with the really big hint of some bad shit coming Constantine's way.

- I was getting some serious American Horror Story: Coven flashbacks in this episode. There was even a mention of Papa Legba in the episode as well.
- There was a tiny hint of Constantine swinging both ways in this one, even though there was some flirty moments between him and Zed as well.
- Midnite's sister Cedelia is stuck in the beyond as well. Obviously a bigger plot for Midnite as the series will progress.
- I'm really loving some of the little gadgets that Constantine uses per episode, including that nifty bracelet he had in this one.

Easily my favourite episode so far. "Danse Vaudou" really had the best character moments, a fun if not wholly original ghost stories (along with some body burning) and just terrific partnerships with Constantine/Midnite and Zed/Corrigan. Chas could've been a little more involved with the rest of the cast but other than that, a truly great episode.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x04: "A Feast Of Friends"

Written by John F. Showalter
Directed by Cameron Welsh

Constantine (to Lester): "I'm proud of you, Gaz. Truly."

In the last few episodes we've gotten mentions here and there about John's past life in Newcastle and in this episode, one of those factors appeared in the shape and form of Gary Lester, who also brought a demon with him in order to keep things interesting.

I have a bit of a pet peeve about episodes with bugs or insects or in the case - beetles. I usually tend to find them a bit naff and the demon in question Mnemoth certainly spent a fair chunk of the episode in this form after being released from a bottle that Gary had acquired in Sudan before invading various hosts throughout. Then came the heroic sacrifice.

Personally while I do like the episode for exploring the complicated history between Constantine and Gaz as well as the latter's addictive personality and plethora of guilt issues and so on, a part of did feel that Lester's sacrificing himself to stop the demon didn't feel earned enough. It might have helped had this plot line had been done about two or three episodes after the character was introduced instead of his very introduction episode.

On the plus side, I really loved the dynamic between John and Zed in this episode. While he only told her a bit about his Newcastle past (makes sense, we're only on episode four), I did find it interesting that she was more sympathetic to Lester (after he hijacked her twice) and quite openly challenged Constantine as well. Basically, I think I'm really starting to like Zed a lot more than I did when she was first introduced.

- Manny really does need to do more than show up and be a dick to Constantine. No Chas in this one.
- Constantine's Shaman friend, Nommo was a good addition to this episode. I really liked the trippy scenes in this one.
- John's security system for his hideout looks more fun than a deterrent for some reason.
- This episode largely followed a storyline from Hellblazer.

A strong enough episode with some nice trippy moments, "A Feast Of Friends" definitely had a lot going for it but like i said earlier in the review, I do think that Lester needed to be in more episodes before the show done his big sacrifice. That being said, I like the way the show is giving us more and more on Constantine's past though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Scream's 1x10: "Revelations"

Written by Jaime Paglia
Directed by Jamie Travis

Piper (to Emma): "I seriously wish you could see your face right now. Hashtag: mind blown."

Er, yeah about that - more like hashtag: saw it coming from the start. I mean seriously, unlike most of the movies where I actually struggled to guess who the killer was going to be and what their motives were, the reveal of Piper as Ghostface was so bloody obvious from the start along with her motives that it just more of a relief when she unmasked herself more than anything else really.

It might sound like I'm annoyed by the reveal but I'm actually not. I get that I'm slightly older than the actual target audience for this show but it did feel like that aside from a few attempts at misdirection that Piper being Ghostface just wasn't shocking in the slightest. On the plus side, it finally gave Amelia Rose Blaire some meaty material as Piper told Emma and Daisy/Maggie a couple of home truths by the same spot where Brandon James was murdered in the first place.

The confrontation itself was pretty strong and I did like that Piper was fine with using Branson as a fall guy for her crimes until both Emma and Audrey royally mucked up her plans and killed at the lake. That of course led to something more interesting - Piper having an accomplice.

I'm not sure I like the idea that Audrey had some kind of role in the various murders during the season, though it wouldn't be the first time one of the killers/accomplices has murdered one of their own (Stu, Mickey, Jill and Charlie for example) and she has been acting fairly cagey before the last reveal of her and Piper previously being in contact with one another though.

As for the rest of the episode - a part of me is a little shocked that they didn't go for one hell of a bloodbath. Aside from the sheriff's death and a random extra, Piper's last hurrah wasn't quite as bloody as expected. On the plus side, she did make for a better killer than Roman did in the third movie and overall, it was a satisfying enough way of ending this saga while sort of setting up more stuff for next season.

- It was nice the show managed to get in a nice tribute for Wes Craven at the start of the episode. Thanks for the screams, Wes.
- Brooke literally got fridged in this episode but survived, which I was pleased about. I even liked Jake in this episode. That being said, only Will was the main character to actually die this season.
- Um, Piper - we've had two female killers in this franchise before. Plus Tatum back in 1996 pointed out sexism over dismissing the idea of a female killer.
- Whatever Audrey's motives for being in contact with Piper, I hope they make sense.

A decent finale but a fun, but not too challenging series. "Revelations" brought things to a satisfying enough conclusion even if Piper being the killer had been obvious from the word go. A part of me does wonder if it would be a better idea for the show to have a new cast and setting for the next season rather than extend the Lakewood stuff but I guess we'll have to see how things pan out next year though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Doctor Who - Christmas 2015: River Returns

Yup, you've heard correctly. If both Doom Coalition and The Diary Of River Song from Big Finish weren't enough for the character, then another onscreen appearance is in order.

Last seen in the seventh series finale The Name Of The Doctor back in May 2013, Alex Kingston will be reprising the role of the flirty archaeologist and spouse of the Doctor in the upcoming Christmas episode, which has begun production. The episode is written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon who also directed this year's Sherlock Christmas special, The official BBC synopsis for River's return to Doctor Who is ....

It’s Christmas Day in the future and the TARDIS is parked on a snowy village street, covered in icicles, awaiting its next adventure. Time traveller River Song meets her husband’s new incarnation, in the form of Peter Capaldi, for the first time this Christmas.

I guess we should've seen this coming in a way. Steven Moffat himself never really dismissed the idea that he wouldn't bring back River in Capaldi's era and even Russell T. Davies commented that a Capaldi/Kingston episode would be sexy. Not to mention the fact that the character is also meeting the Eighth Doctor, courtesy of Big Finish as well.

Now, the obvious questions to ask ...

- When in River's timeline will she be meeting the Twelfth Doctor?
- Is Clara a part of the episode? The press release doesn't mention her at all and it does seem like Jenna Coleman could be stepping down from the TARDIS in the finale as well.
- Also, is River the only returning character in this Christmas episode? What if there are more to be announced over the coming weeks?

Personally, I'm delighted to see River back. While I will admit that I felt the character's arc had come to it's natural conclusion during the seventh series, I am definitely intrigued to see how she'll fare with Capaldi's Doctor and the fact that she's in the Christmas episode gives it a little more momentum as well. Overall, it should be a very interesting one this year.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/32369834-a751-4dca-8829-b1a9ec3fb1cb

Doctor Who - Series 9 will air on BBC1/BBCAmerica from September 19th. The Christmas special will air on Christmas Day.

My Review of Constantine's 1x03: "The Devil's Vinyl"

Written by Mark Verheiden And David S. Goyer
Directed by Romeo Tirone

Constantine (to Papa Midnite): "All this to get me alone. I'm flattered. You're gonna have to respect my boundaries. I don't do zipties without a safe word."

It only took them three episodes but the introduction of Papa Midnite certainly turned out to be the highlight in a very music themed episode. The character is one of the biggest in the Constantine lore and his introduction here set him up as a rather interesting antagonist for John, who was happy to bleed the latter out a little while at the same time focusing on getting the Acetate.

I have to admit the main plot (despite my love of music) didn't really grip me as much as I was hoping it would do. Yeah, there was the nice trope of people selling their souls to the Devil for success or the survival of a spouse (with the main guest character this week) but it was only when Midnite made his entrance did it feel like the story actually went somewhere.

The back and forth between Constantine and Midnite is something that I really am hoping later episodes are going to go to town with as the fight between the two of them over the Acetate at the radio station did set up some potentially great future conflict. Then there was that final scene where Midnite decided to embark on a little voodoo against Constantine as well.

As for the rest of the episode - Chas had a little more than he did in the previous one but there was more focus on Zed, who more or less became a fully fledged member of John's crew and proved to be pretty resourceful throughout the episode as well. While a part of me would've liked Liv to have stayed on, I do think generally that Zed is a decent character though.

- Naked and bloody, that's an interesting way of seeing the lead character this week. Took me a minute to realise he was doing a spell though.
- Manny briefly popped up but seemed perfectly fine with leaving Constantine tied up and bleeding out.
- We also got some insight into John's musical past as well this week. We'll probably get more in a later episode.
- For a moment, I thought Jasmine's husband was actually Ritchie from the first episode.

Not my favourite one so far but the introduction of Papa Midnite in this one was satisfying though. "The Devil's Vinyl" did have a lot of fun with a favourite trope and there was still some lovely visuals (Zed seeing Jasmine and a white tiger for instance) to keep things interesting.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x02: "The Darkness Beneath"

Written by Rocknes S. O'Bannon
Directed by Steve Shill

Constantine (to Zed): "Everyone who's put their trust in me dies."

To be fair, so far on the actual show itself that's only been true of Astra but I guess it's a statement that will have (or would've done had cancellation not been a thing) as the show goes on. With the exit of Liv from the opening episode, this one introduced Zed Martin as she happened to encounter Constantine around the very time she wasn't actually looking for him in the first place.

Zed was the woman from the end of the last episode doing all those rather neat sketches of John. Their first meeting in a Welsh mining town in Pennsylvania was certainly a fun one as the two of them kind of flirted a bit and mostly tapped into Zed's powers in order to actually figure out what caused the rather fiery death of a rather unpleasant miner at the beginning of the episode in question.

I did like that along the way with the mystery this week, we were getting to know some of the locals a bit more, including a disillusioned priest, a father and son duo and of course, the wife of the dead miner who surprisingly enough (or maybe it wasn't in retrospect) turned out to be the one who summoned the Coblynau (miner spirits) and who also ended up getting killed by them herself when they realised what she had done to her husband.

For a second episode, it was certainly a solid adventure and there's certainly a fun factor in knowing that each week we'll be in a different place (something which Supernatural fans get to enjoy too). Like with the opening episode there were more hints of bigger things to come with Constantine and Zed clearly having some kind of destiny with one another, which for the less comic savvy is intriguing in itself.

- Not much of Chas in this episode, save a few scenes and no signs of Manny either.
- Kind of funny we had a sort of Welsh themed surrounding of sorts, given that Matt Ryan himself is actually Welsh.
- Interesting that we had a Romani witch in this episode. I hope we do see more witches in the series as it progresses.
- The coolest visual of this episode was the scene where Constantine nearly drowned in the car. The show certainly knows how to pull off a trippy moment.

While the opening episode was better, "The Darkness Beneath" was a pretty solid one too. I'm not sure if I prefer Zed to Liv just yet but unlike the latter, at least we'll get to know Zed over the course of the season and Constantine himself continues to be played brilliantly by Matt Ryan.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Aladdin (1992)

Written by Ron Clements And John Musker And Ted Elliott And Terry Rossio
Directed by Ron Clements And John Musker

Aladdin: "Someday, Abu, things are gonna change. We'll be rich, live in a palace, and never have any problems at all."

I've been meaning to review this one for a while now. One of my favourite Disney movies of all time and one I recently familiarised myself with again by buying the actual DVD, this rather loose but sort of faithful (ish) adaptation of the legend was in a slew of amazing films from the 1990s and from Disney's overall collection at the time.

The story is rather simple - master thief/street Aladdin and his monkey spent most of the time on the streets of Agrabah scraping by, stealing food here and there and generally making idiots out of the Sultan's inept guards until a chance meeting with Princess Jasmine results in Aladdin being thrown into a cell and the rather evil vizier Jafar deciding to use Aladdin's expert skills to enter the Cave of Wonders and get the lamp for him.

Of course that doesn't exactly pan out for Jafar, but Aladdin does summon the genie to transform into Prince Ali in order to impress the not so easily impressed Jasmine, who spends a great deal of the movie tiring of her father's attempts to marry her off. Eventually her and Aladdin/Ali do form a connection (along a romantic carpet ride) before Jafar's true colours are exposed and the genie falls into the wrong hands.

One of the reasons why I love this movie so much isn't just that Aladdin is the most perfect hero a Disney movie could conjure up but it's also that Jafar is the most perfect villain too. He's gloriously OTT in every moment, even his subtle ones and the partnership between him and malicious parrot Iago is one of the best villain partnerships of the entire movie.

To be honest the only main character here who is in any way short changed is the Sultan. He's well meaning but largely clueless to his daughter's needs and a little too easily manipulated by Jafar, even when he's not being hypnotised by the latter. Other than that, you've got a root worthy love story with Aladdin and Jasmine, genuinely fantastic villains with Jafar and Iago and wonderful support with Abu and the Magic Carpet. As for the Genie - it's one of my favourite roles with Robin Williams. He's the absolute highlight of the entire movie.

- I used to actually have the Sega Mega Drive game for this movie as a kid. It was a pretty fun game.
- Loved the little cameos of other Disney movie characters as well, courtesy of the Genie.
- The music highlights are too many but obviously, A Whole New World is the biggest one of the bunch. I also loved Jafar's mocking take on Prince Ali as well when revealing his new found power.
- There has been at least two sequels and a TV series to this movie. A live action movie is also being rumoured as well.

Easily one of the best Disney movies I've ever seen and one of my childhood favourites as well. Aladdin is a timeless classic that even over 20 years since it's release has held up incredibly well to this day. A definite must watch.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Constantine's 1x01: "Non Est Asylum"

Written by Daniel Cerone And David S. Goyer
Directed by Neil Marshall

Constantine (to himself): "My name is John Constantine and I'm an exorcist. In my line of work, there are days you need to forget but some you never will."

With all the DC shows that came out over the last twelve months, Constantine (as well as iZombie) was one that somewhat slipped my radar a bit but with the title character slated to appear in Arrow rather shortly, I thought I'd get up to speed on this shortlived NBC show before the episode in question and for a pilot episode, this was pretty fine.

Unlike Keanu Reeves in that 2005 movie of the same name, it took less than five minutes to actually believe in Matt Ryan as Constantine, which was a good start. Visually he looks the part so much and unlike Reeves, he actually embodies it as well, which almost the cancellation something of a disappointment.

The opening story itself is pretty straightforward with Constantine checking himself into an asylum, exorcising a demon only then to go out of his way to protect Liv Aberdine from a particularly nasty demon named Furcifer who also managed to toy with Constantine's guilt over the loss of a little girl named Astra but at the end of the confrontation, it was Liv who was able to spur Constantine into defeating the demon once and for all.

It's kind of a shame though that this was the first and only episode to actually feature Liv. I thought the character worked pretty well with Constantine and it was nice to see her reaction to both his powers, his friends and the growing powers of her own but Constantine's own manipulations more or less spelled the end for the character before she could properly begin to be honest.

The pilot episode had a lot to achieve and managed to do it well enough. Along with two different demon battles/exorcisms, we were given enough insight into Constantine's history with the occult as well as his allies in taxi driver Chas and estranged Newcastle mate Ritchie along with the arrival of angel Manny for good measure. Not to mention the rather glorious hints of bigger things to come as well.

- Though we didn't see it, Constantine's chain smoking will be a thing in the series. However the exploration of the character's bisexuality might not be - boo.
- Some nice little Easter Eggs in that cabin - including Doctor Fate's helmet, Pandora's Box, the Ibisick, Eclipso's Black Diamond and so on. There was even a Zatanna reference too.
- The episode's title is latin for "there is no asylum".
- It's nice that we got an opening shot of the character in Northern England, even if it was him in an asylum at the time.

A strong enough opening episode. "Non Est Asylum" played homage to enough of the comics while at the same time managing not to alienate those (including myself to a point) not heavily versed in them either. The show might have gotten a little overshadowed by both Gotham and The Flash (despite having more ratings than the latter) but it was a pretty solid opening episode, though more trippiness could be needed to make it stand out a bit more.

Rating: 7 out of 10

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Coming To BBC1

It's not exactly the first time the BBC have adapted Shakespeare's works for their channels with the likes of Hamlet and Richard II appearing in recent and now, A Midsummer Night's Dream will be popping up.

The comedy will be adapted into a 90 minute movie for BBC1 by Russell T. Davies, as announced by the channel’s controller Charlotte Moore revealed at the Edinburgh Television Festival this week. The former Doctor Who showrunner, whose recent hits have included drama Cucumber and Banana will produce a “truthful version of the play - the original play, the original words, the original Shakespeare" with Moore adding it would be "warm and funny" and "will have as much attitude and invention as any theatrical interpretation.”

The interesting thing also revealed about this adaptation (which has yet to be cast) is that Russell will be working with the Doctor Who team himself in Cardiff as the adaptation will have a riot of prosthetics, CGI, magic and action. With growing rumours of there not being a full series of the popular BBC1 next year, at least the team will have something to do next year.

With no further information on upcoming drama, The Boys (which Davies is meant to be doing for Channel 4) for now, it's nice to see that Russell will be back in Cardiff and working with the old/new team. One can only hope that while he's there, he might get some inspiration for reviving another series of his that last aired in 2011. As for the casting - you just know that both RTD and BBC1 are going to get the big guns for this adaptation.

Press Release: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-08-26/russell-t-davies-to-bring-doctor-who-magic-to-a-midsummer-nights-dream-adaptation-for-bbc1

Production for A Midsummer Night's Dream begins in the next few weeks and will air in 2016 on BBC1.

Glee - Season 6 Review

US Airdate: January 9th - March 20th 2015

All things come to an end.

Last Song: The sixth and final season might have aired a while ago and the DVD might have been released for US viewers is also not too recent but given that it's now finished airing on Sky1, it seemed the right time for this blog to do one more review for the final season. And it was certainly an interesting one, wasn't it?

While fellow FOX stablemate and current E4 hit, Empire might have overshadowed proceedings, Glee's final year did it's best to reminder audiences why it was such a groundbreaking hit in the first place and the focus on New York was halted in order for Rachel and Kurt to come back and manage the New Directions with the occasional guest appearance from past cast members and some new characters also thrown into the mix.

The new characters turned out to be rather likeable and interesting enough - quirky brother and sister duo, Mason and Madison, soulful singers Jane and Roderick and post modern gay (yes that phrase actually got uttered on the show), Spencer who breathed some new life into the New Directions along with the returning Kitty, the only member from the second generation that the show made the effort to retain for most of the final season.

I do like the focus of Rachel and Kurt as mentors as it forced the pair of them (the former especially) to grow properly as characters and it was nice to see some of the former characters like Mercedes, Artie and Sam factor enough times even if there was a noticeable reduction in the amounts of screentime for Santana and Brittany while Quinn seemed to be barely there at times.

For shippers though, the season briefly had Kurt and Blaine seperated, the latter dating Karofsky before they got back together and married in the same episode that Santana and Brittany did while Quinn/Puck and Will/Emma were going strongly largely offscreen. Even better was the reunion between Rachel and Jesse towards the final episodes of the season, even though it highlighted how ultimately pointless Sam's initial pursuit of Rachel was for the majority of the final season.

As for the final two episodes - 2009 and Dreams Come True, the former turned out to be one of the best nostalgia trips the series had as well as a clever retelling of the very first episode while the latter felt like a genuinely deserving series finale, bringing everything to a beyond satisfying closing while at the same time perfectly encapsulating the central message the series has always strived for.

While for the most part this final season did manage to recapture some of the heights of it's earlier years, there were a few blips on the way. Beiste's transitioning story while touching definitely should've been set up in the previous season as it was a little rushed here, the rivalry with Vocal Adrenaline was a bit tiresome in parts and some of Sue's antics (in particular that godawful Hurt Locker two parter) were barrel scraping in their awfulness as well. Other than that, Season 6 proved to be a mostly good return to form for the show.

DVD Extras: Just a Music Jukebox, The Final Curtain and "Looking Back" Video Yearbook for features. I thought with the final season they would've added a little more.

Episode Ratings

6x01: Loser Like Me = 7/10, 6x02: Homecoming = 8/10,
6x03: Jagged Little Tapestry = 7/10, 6x04: The Hurt Locker Part 1 = 4/10,
6x05: The Hurt Locker Part 2 = 4/10, 6x06: What The World Needs Right Now = 8/10,
6x07: Transitioning = 7/10, 6x08: A Wedding = 8/10,
6x09: Child Star = 7/10, 6x10: The Rise And Fall Of Sue Sylvester = 6/10,
6x11: We Built This Glee Club = 7/10, 6x12: 2009 = 9/10,
6x13: Dreams Come True = 9/10

Glee Season 6 is currently available on DVD.

ITV's Harry Price: Ghost Hunter - Cast Announced

ITV seems to have the supernatural/fantasy genre on the brain at the moment (most definitely not a criticism). With upcoming series such as Jekyll & Hyde and Beowulf on the horizon, ITV have also announced the cast for supernatural drama, Harry Price: Ghost Hunter.

The two hour movie will see Rafe Spall (The Shadow Line) in the title role,which has been described as a spine chilling mix of real history and fiction and is based on the novel The Ghost Hunters by Neil Spring and real paranormal investigator Price himself. The film has been written by Jack Lothian (Doc Martin, Death in Paradise, Ashes to Ashes) and produced by leading independent production company Bentley Productions

Rounding off the cast include Cara Theobold (Downton Abbey) who will play Sarah Grey, one of Harry’s team in his paranormal investigations; Richie Campbell (DCI Banks) will play Albert Ogoro, Harry’s friend; and Lewis Reeves (Unforgotten) will play journalist, Vernon Wall.  Further casting includes Tom Ward (Death in Paradise) as MP Edward Goodwin and Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey) as Edward’s wife, Grace.

Press Release: http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/rafe-spall-star-new-itv-drama-harry-price-ghost-hunter

Filming for Harry Price: Ghost Hunter is currently taking place in London. An airdate for ITV has yet to be confirmed.

My Review of Scream's 1x09: "The Dance"

Written by Jill E. Blotevogel
Directed by Ti West

Emma (re Kieran): "I can't believe he did this anymore than I can believe you killed Nina."
Audrey: "Then I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. You two have fun together."

With the finale less than a week away, I have to give the penultimate episode it's due. Not only did it spend a good time convincing most people that Seth Branson/Palmer was guilty of the murders but soon things were flipped over and the suspicion then fell on to Kieran after both Audrey and Noah discussed that he had a prior history with Nina.

I have to admit it was a solid enough twist and a good means of creating a little tension between Emma and Audrey as well as the former didn't want to believe that her boyfriend might be a killer. Then Piper did a little digging and it turned out that Kieran paid a little house call to Brandon's elderly mother as did Piper and Emma themselves in this episode.

I don't know if Kieran's the killer but I certainly don't think Branson is, even if the last scene of the episode resulted in a rather bloody escape from the cop shop while the sheriff was being held hostage by Ghostface as well. It's going to be interesting to see how many of the characters make it out of the last episode alive to be honest.

As for the rest of the episode - it mostly involved Jake putting his foot in it, Brooke giving Branson/Palmer the benefit of the doubt and various mentions of the many killed at different points. Set up wise, I do think they set the scene rather well for the final showdown between Emma and whoever the killer(s) may be though.

- Piper certainly had a little more fire to her in this episode than she's had all season.
- While I like the Pulp Fiction nod, it does seem a little old for the characters on this show.
- Maggie's getting a maternity test. I keep thinking her other kid is going to be Piper and not Seth.
- It's Halloween going by this episode.

A solid penultimate episode, "The Dance" certainly has everything set up nicely enough for the last showdown between Emma and Ghostface. I just hope the identity of the killer (or killers) is a good one though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

ABC's Marvel Universe - Spoilers

Yesterday I discussed casting for Luke Cage and today I finished up Daredevil and with this blog, I'm also doing a rundown of spoilers both Agents Of SHIELD and Agent Carter (the finale which will air Sunday on FOX UK).

- Going by the haircut it looks like Skye's transition into Daisy Johnson is more or less completed at this stage. Actually the character will now be referred to as Daisy this upcoming season.
- Luke Mitchell will be a regular this season and Blair Underwood will be returning for several episodes.
- Constance Zimmer will recur, Andrew Howard will have a recurring role and Matt Willig will be playing villain Lash.
-  Coulson is again trying to put the pieces of his once revered organization back together while also dealing with the loss of his hand.
- Fitz is obsessed with discovering the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Simmons.
- Grant Ward has a personal mission to take down Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D.

- Season 2 will be ten episodes instead of eight and will be set in Hollywood. 1947 to be specific and set six months after the events of the first season.
- Jarvis's wife will be introduced this season. Jarvis has also been helping Howard in LA.
- Madame Masque will be the villain for the second season, though the role has not been cast yet. A  1940s version of that villain.
- Due to comments from fans in relation to the first season, the producers will be more diverse with casting for this season.
- Chad Michael Murray will reprise his role as Jack for the second season. Dominic Cooper meanwhile will also be returning as Howard Stark.
- Filming for the new season begins in September.

Meanwhile it seems that if Netflix can have multiple connected Marvel shows then ABC will too as the network have ordered a pilot script for a Mockingbird spin-off featuring Adrianna Palicki as Bobby Morse and Nick Blood as Lance Hunter. This was announced a few months ago, then dropped and now seems to be back on. I guess if it goes through we lose two good characters from the main show but I'm not sure if there's enough of a USP for another spin-off really. It'll be interesting to see how this one pans out over the next few months.

Agents Of SHIELD Spoilers: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/Agents%20of%20SHIELD
Agent Carter Spoilers: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/Agent%20Carter

Agents Of SHIELD's third season will air on ABC, Tuesdays at 9pm from September 29th while Agent Carter's second season will premiere in January 2016.

Luke Cage - Casting Information

Well, I'm nearly finished Daredevil (one more episode to go), will definitely watch Jessica Jones (though it might take a while due to other shows) and then there's also Luke Cage, which I hadn't been paying attention to but the casting has certainly gotten me a little more interested though.

The lead role of course will be played by Mike Colter, known to audiences for the short lived series Ringer and guest roles in such shows as ER and American Horror Story. Of course prior to seeing Colter on his own show, he'll be popping up in Jessica Jones first (as will Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple) but casting for his own show has also gotten rather interesting in recent days.

Alfre Woodard best known for her roles on Desperate Housewives and Hill Street Blues has nearly finalised a deal to appear in the upcoming series. Woodard will be taking on the role (or a version at the very least) of Black Mariah, a character who in the comics is a nemesis to both Luke Cage and Iron Fist as well as being a professional criminal and a drug dealer. The casting has yet to be confirmed, but I'd say it's pretty likely to be honest.

It's still a while off before this series debuts so it'll be interesting to see who else the series gets given that both Daredevil and Jessica Jones so far have pulled in rather impressive actors.

Casting Info: http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/08/luke-cage-alfre-woodard-cast-as-lead.html

Luke Cage will debut on Netflix in 2016. The character can be seen soon in Jessica Jones, which will debut in late 2015.