My Review of True Blood's 4x07: "Cold Grey Light Of Dawn"

Written by Alexander Woo
Directed by Michael Ruscio

Jessica: “The sun!”

God damn it, Marnie/Antonia! Out of all the vampires I wanted to actually see kissing daylight, Jessica wasn’t one of them – even if she did seem determined to actually kill Marnie/Antonia. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t panic just yet.

Sure, Jessica managed to get out of her restraints, tricked a guard into opening her cell and ignored Bill’s pleas before trying to walk outside but considering that Jason was inches away from her aid, there is a hopeful possibility that Jessica might not be a casualty just yet. One can at least hope, right?

This was one hell of an episode for Jessica and her bonds with three prominent men in her life. On one hand, it’s looking increasingly likely that she and Hoyt are due for splitsville once again and on the other, it’s also looking rather likely that Jessica and Jason may share a connection of sorts too.

Jessica’s blood is definitely tying Jason’s loyalties up in knots as well. He tried to console Hoyt in the best way possible but also found himself compelled to come to Jessica’s aid as soon as he became aware that magic was afoot to make vampires walk in the daylight. In that respect, I gotta love Jason. He can be quite the hero when he sets his mind to it.

However the best bonding scenes Jessica had in this episode were with Bill. I love how their relationship has evolved over the last few seasons and it’s without a doubt one of the best dynamics we have. Bill was determined to keep Jessica safe but he was also determined to keep her humanity intact too. Even the most ardent of Bill haters have to respect that at least.

Another thing worthy of respecting Bill for was the fact that he informed both Sookie and Eric about Marnie/Antonia’s spell casting antics. He could’ve left them defenceless or even locked Eric away from Sookie but he didn’t. I’m not saying that we’re gonna get a Bill who approves of Sookie/Eric but unlike last week, at least he was being mature about things.

Speaking of Sookie and Eric, more sex between them this week and also, some much needed dialogue as well. I’m glad that there’s a part of Sookie that seems aware that she couldn’t love the old Eric, even if it’s sort of contradicted by the fact that a part of the old Eric is also capable of being the man she now seems to love.

Eric this week finally got some decent clothing but once again, I think the writers overdid it on some of his dialogue to a degree. I get that this Eric is supposed to be in love with Sookie but isn’t the one he doesn’t want to turn back into also in love with Sookie? Also, it’s been six episodes and Eric’s still without memory. I thought at this point, like with last season’s Bill’s abduction that Eric would’ve regained his memory by now. I guess we’re going to have to wait a little longer.

One thing we didn’t have to wait longer for was Tara making a reckless decision again. Dumping Naomi might have been a smart thing to do but did she have to join up with Marnie/Antonia’s quest against vampires so easily? Considering how prone Tara is to making bad decisions, it might have been wise if she had actually spent more than five minutes thinking it through.

More amazingly is how quickly Holly and the rest of the coven also joined in on the act. It wasn’t so long ago that they were horrified over the necromancing and now they’re actively participating in genocide. I guess now I can feel some kind of sympathy for the vampires against Marnie/Antonia. Except for Luis, but thanks to Bill, that annoying vampire is no more, so there’s still a little plus side to the witches’ plans.

Keeping with the witch stuff – Lafayette’s a medium? Well, that’s nice but again why did Jesus’s grandfather have to put him through the ringer to convey that piece of information? And while we’re at it, can Jesus get something to do because as pretty as he is to look at; he’s feeling like a spare part too.

I did find the scene where Lafayette could see the spirit woman around Mikey interesting as well. I’m wondering if that spirit is genuinely harmful or not because she kind of seemed friendly. Let’s hope they don’t continue to drag this little plot out too long as well, even if it is nice to have an episode where Arlene isn’t ranting about her son being the spawn of Satan for once.

Meanwhile, there was a time when Pam struck me as a sharp vampire but now, without Eric, she’s letting her emotions get the better of her. Attacking Tara and Naomi is only going to bite her in the ass considering she was caught on camera and Dr Ludwig’s solution for the rotting flesh isn’t going to fix her either. Pam really is in one of the worst positions right now, isn’t she?

Last but no least – Tommy, Sam and Luna. I’m glad that Sam and Luna worked out what Tommy had done pretty quickly and while I sort of felt a tiny bit sorry for Tommy, I think he got off lightly, considering what he did to Luna. Sam had every right to throw Tommy out but for some reason, I don’t think we’re done with the character just yet.

Also in “Cold Grey Light Of Dawn”

Marnie/Antonia used Luis to kill Katie and attack Bill. I actually felt bad for Katie. She didn’t deserve to die.

Pam (to the crowd): “I am not a zombie.”

Maybe not, Pam but I really want to see what this show’s take on a zombie is. Maybe it’s something they should consider for next year.

Alcide: “It’s not right to leave her alone.”
Debbie: “It’s not right to be thinking about Sookie when we’ve joined a new pack.”

Naomi: “I changed my mind. I don’t like Tara and everything you’ve shown me says you don’t really like her. Fuck her, let’s go.”

Alcide/Debbie joined Marcus’s pack and it seems that Debbie has realised that Alcide is into Sookie. Well, she’s always known, hasn’t she?

Bill: “It appears the reunion was a happy one.”
Eric: “Yes, very much so.”
Sookie: “Shush, Eric.”

Marnie/Antonia: “You may call me Antonia.”
Tara: “Why should I call you anything?”
Marnie/Antonia: “Because we are alike. Because we have both suffered at the hands of vampires. They have raped us, fed on us, am I right?”

Where was Nan during this episode? I assumed that Bill warned her about Marnie/Antonia’s spell but it was odd not seeing her here.

Sookie (to Eric): “I’m sorry. I’ve lost too many people in my life, I can’t lose you too.”

Bill: “I’ve had 175 years on this Earth and I’ve accomplished little good. If we survive, when we survive the day, I’ll put a stop to it.”
Jessica: “But you have done good, you made me and we survive the day, I’m going to eat that fucking witch, starting with her face.”

Other bits: Steve Newlin’s been missing for six months, Andy’s date with Holly went awry and Maxine’s elderly neighbour was the only vampire we saw killed in daylight.

Marnie/Antonia (to her coven): “But understand this – vampires are not immortal. They are only harder to kill and that is where our humanity is our greatest advantage, for our human spirits are immortal. I stand before you as living proof of this very fact. I have matched my human spirit against their emptiness and I have now won. Now I require your support, so we may do so again. Let us show these vampires the fury and power of the human spirit. We have waited 400 years for this. Who of you will join me?”

Chronology: From where “I Wish I Was The Moon” left off and standout music wise, it’s gotta be Nick Lowe’s “Cold Grey Light Of Dawn”.

Well, while I preferred the previous episode, I have to admit that “Cold Grey Light Of Dawn” is fantastic. It’s nice to see Marnie/Antonia step up her game as a credible foe and while Jessica’s demise would be effective, I’m still hoping for Jason to save her.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Why We Don't Kill The Duplicate

And here's my second TV jumble blog of the week ...

Angry Boys: The finale has to air on Tuesday but I've loved the last two episodes of this show. Gran's Alzheimers storyline has been handled wonderful and it's nice that after weeks of Skype-ing that we'll actually see her interact with Daniel and Nathan in next week's episode. Also well handled was giving Smouse a sense of humanity but writing that song for the squashed Aborigine kid and having Tim get rid of his mother as a manager. Kind of gratifying considering how monstrous that character was, isn't it?

Camelot: Well, that was certainly an interesting finale. For a moment there, I actually thought Morgan's plan to take over was going to succeed but er, I guess Arthur is harder to kill after all. Stripping Morgan of her power and her nun (nice slicing skills there, Gawain) should've ended her chaos but erm, the ending means that she won't down without a fight. However, there were some hiccups. Merlin literally did nothing of interest at all in this one and Igraine's death lack something. Too bad we won't get a second run of this show.

Smallville: Teri Hatcher playing the mother of Lois Lane is one of the most exciting things this show has done and this show has always used Superman people throughout it's ten years. But seriously, an episode delivering some much needed backstory on both Tess and Granny Goodness was a winner for me. Too bad the next episode where Aquaman and Green Oliver were nearly killed by another bunch of anti-vigilante wasn't half as interesting.

The Hour: Okay, I am hooked to this show, so the less than impressive ratings that it's getting on BBC2 are slightly worrying. The episode at Hector and Marnie's country home was actually the best one we've had and that's despite Kish's death and Hector/Bel's affair being predictable as well. Still utterly loving Freddie as a character. He might be patronising at times but he certainly is charming and I bet I can guess Adam's secret as well. Only three more to go.

The Vampire Diaries: Two solid episodes in a row and also two that seemed to further stuff. Katherine may be entombed but I doubt she's going to remain that, especially considering the emphasis she put on her not killing Elena. As for Rose and Elijah, definitely two promising characters and ones that hopefully won't be bumped off so speedily. Unlike Damon, I want some actual badass vampires on this series. Oh and I loved the stuff with Tyler/Caroline and Jeremy/Bonnie in the last two episodes as well.

- It's been confirmed - Desperate Housewives will end in 2012 with it's upcoming eighth season. Both Marcia Cross and Vanessa Williams even confirmed it on their Twitter pages.
- Lara Pulver has been cast as Irene Adler in the second series of Sherlock, due to air in 2012.
- Wilfred, Louie and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia have all been renewed by FX.
- The US X Factor will start on September 21st on FOX. TV3 will be airing it a day later for Irish viewers.
- John Stamos and Jenny McCartney will both appear in Two And A Half Men's ninth season premiere. Ashton Kutcher's character is called Walden Schmitz, a billionaire with a broken heart. Er, okay then.
- Ricky Gervais will be appearing in one season of Family Guy, playing a dolphin called Billy Flinn who moves in next door to the Griffins. Oh, joy!

My Review of Torchwood's 4x05: "The Categories Of Life"

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Guy Ferland

Vera: “So am I Torchwood now?”
Jack: “Welcome aboard.”
Vera: “Not sure if that’s good or bad.”

Oh, Vera, you really should have done your homework. Even when the world is immune to death, Torchwood’s almost monstrous knack for having its staffers killed can’t seem to take a break. I know this was coming but why did it have to come now?

Couldn’t Vera have made it through a few more episodes without ending up as a casualty? I guess not and as deaths go here, Vera’s wasn’t dignified and it wasn’t heroic but it sadly was believable and if there’s one thing this season is excelling at, it’s in the depiction of how human beings can become ruthless bastards in great peril.

Slimy Colin Maloney had no problem in causing misery to the poor people that he had hidden away from the public and when Vera threatened to expose him, he also had no problem in shooting her down and incinerating her. I hope for Vera’s sake, she actually is dead because no one should suffer that level of torture if she did survive being burned alive.

The episode wasted no time in showing the sinister side to the overflow camps, which means that it finally feels like this show is progressing with the storyline and that’s something to be pleased about. That being said, there are some logic gaps in relation to the overflow camp situation.

I find it a little to believe that more liberal countries would quickly cave into the idea of packing people off and I certainly find it hard to believe that for all her intelligence, that Gwen would be a tad reckless as well in her attempts to get her father. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud her determination, it’s just her planning that seemed to lack common sense.

Trying to demand her father out of the overflow camp was never going to work, even with Andy trying to use his police status and what was the point of using a fake ID when Gwen practically told those sarcastic soldiers who she was? And then there was the rescue attempt with Geraint – sadly not Gwen’s finest hour.

Instead of getting her father to safety, Gwen managed to endanger the poor man up the first category and seeing what’s just happened to Vera, Gwen really doesn’t have much time to spare before her own father could end up incinerated and that’s something the episode’s ending forced her to confront as well.

Speaking of confrontations, I just loved the exchange between Jack and Oswald in this episode as well. As if PhiCorp trying to manipulate Oswald wasn’t enough, Jack attempted to have a go at it but getting Oswald to expose PhiCorp’s prior knowledge to the miracle and for a moment, it did look like Jack was going to win.

Seeing Oswald working a crowd would’ve normally been a highlight for me because usually it is intriguing to see villains manipulate the general public but here, it was actually sickening to watch. Even though Bill Pullman is doing the best he can with this show, I find Oswald too abhorrent to root for in any way and the fact that people are stupid to follow him and believe the angel theory from Oswald is every bit as sickening as the overflow camp situation.

As for the rest of the episode – who was that guy talking to Jilly before Oswald? One of PhiCorp’s head lackey or someone else who’s interested in her PR skills? Four episodes in and Jilly is still more of an enigma than a lot of the other characters. I hope we learn more about her soon because I don’t think Lauren Ambrose has many more episodes left to go in the series and I find her character more fascinating than Oswald.

Similarly fascinating was the fact that this episode was the first one where Rex managed not to annoy me from start to finish. He was funny, helpful and clearly devastated when having to witness Vera’s demise. All in all, if we get more episodes like this with Rex, he could be more entertaining to watch.

The only character who I felt was a little short changed in this episode was Esther. Sure, she was there to help Rex and Vera during the overflow camp scenes in San Pedro and she had two nice scenes with Jack but I don’t know, maybe something was off with Esther this week or something. Still, I continue to like her a lot more than other fans seem to do.

Also in “The Categories Of Life”

Category 1: No brain function, Category 2: Ordinary people with minor problems and Category 3: People in between life and death, Rex for example.

Vera (to Rex): “Oh, I’m doing a lot more than that. I’m joining the cause. Whatever you’re doing to fight this miracle, count me in.”

This was the first episode since “The New World” where half the action was based in Wales. Now that is definitely something I want to see more of.

Gwen: “Andy, don’t be so thick.”
Andy: “It’s nice to have you back.”
Gwen: “Well, think about it – no NHS. Who’s paying for this? PhiCorp.”

Jack: “All I get is a kiss?”
Esther: “You look after yourself. You’re unique, you’re Category Jack, so don’t get yourself into trouble.”

Loved Jack telling the paramedic that Rex was his boyfriend for the latter’s reaction as well as Gwen and Rhys’s flirting at the airport. Gwen’s also still using her Yvonne Pallister alias – in this episode as a nurse.

Colin: “Look at you; you’re as thin as a twig. I’d bet you’d snap easily.”
Vera: “I’m getting there, yeah.”

Jilly (to Oswald): “Don’t get angry. Careful with the bloodlust, it’s showing.”

Phil Collins was mentioned in this episode. I wonder if we will see an actual known celebrity during this miracle debacle.

Oswald (to the miracle rally): “The truth is, I know what I am and I know what you are too. Yes, I do. Each and every one of you.”

Chronology: A couple of hours since “Escape To LA.”

This was an odd episode. In some ways, “The Categories Of Life” had excellent humour, forwarded the plot and had some suitable gore but I guess while I am enjoying the season for the most part, it doesn’t feel like the show I started watching back in 2006.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Top TV Pairings Part 6

And here's the sixth part of my TV Pairings ...

Ashes To Ashes - Alex Drake/Gene Hunt

Bollyknickers and the Guv to me were something of a sharper pairing than Gene and Sam from time to time and the show wasn't particularly subtle with the brewing attraction between them, it was fantastic to watch.

Torchwood - Captain Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones

While some of the more voracious of Janto fans can actually be off-putting to this ship, like many, I did fall in love with Jack and Ianto's relationship and was saddened to see it end during the events of the third season. Still, it was good while it lasted though.

The Sarah Jane Adventures - Clyde Langer/Rani Chandra

Okay, so these two technically haven't or have yet to become romantically involved but as a pairing, it's hard to deny that Rani and Clyde do have some wonderful potential though and they were seemingly getting closer in the fourth season of the show.

Angel - Angel/Cordelia Chase

The hell with Buffy/Angel or Buffy/Spike. The coolest Whedonverse coupling (of sorts) were Angel and Cordelia. Those two definitely brought something out of each other. Too bad Joss Whedon didn't man up and deliver more on it.

Sherlock - Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

No, I don't believe they're gay for each other but the relationship between Sherlock and Watson has been the most defining and important one, regardless of the various interpretations we've had with them and the newest version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman is no different in that regard.

No I Won't Cry

And this week, I'll be doing two TV jumble blogs, so here's the first one ....

Camelot: Okay, these last two episodes I have absolutely loved to bits. Morgan as Igraine for an entire episode made me reassess Claire Forlani's acting performances but even after the chaos she caused, I still had to admire how Morgan managed to turn the situation to her advantage. Even though I've had no issue with Arthur personally, his recklessness does seem to be biting him in the backside, doesn't it? The situation with Guinevere and Leontes couldn't have come at a worse time and even Merlin can't seem to outsmart Morgan, can he? Looking forward to seeing how this short lived series actually ends on Saturday.

Mildred Pierce: Am I the only one disappointed with this series? It started so well but I think it ended up running for two episodes too long and funnily enough, the last two weren't that thrilling. Did I really need to know that as an adult that Veda would still be an unbearable anti-christ? Probably not but at least Mildred tried to strangle her at one point and the bitch fecked off to New York. Mildred, count your blessing if you really do never see the brat again.

Sirens: Good set of last few episodes. I really hope this show is picked up for a second run. It's not exactly a series that reinvents the wheels but it's thankfully nowhere near as juvenile as it could've been. And the characters have developed a little - Stuart confronting his father issues, Ashley his issues with relationships and Rachid's own issues with the job itself. Even Maxine has progressed some since the first episode. Please Channel 4, another run?

The Hour: I caught up with the first two episodes and I think I'm in love with it. The Mad Men comparisons aren't totally justified but I do understand where they come from but controversially enough, I'm finding this show more enjoyable than the antics of Don Draper and company. The running of a topical programme, the characters of Freddie, Bel and Hector, the social and political elements and the murder mystery with the creepy Kish. If you're not watching this show, you should catch it.

- Justin Breuning has been cast as a love interest for Bridget in Ringer.
- Felicity Huffman has revealed that the opening episode of the new season of Desperate Housewives will revolve around the women getting rid of Alejandro's body.
- Tom Everett Scott has joined the cast of Good Christian Belles in a recurring role of a former high school nerd turned millionaire.
- Alan Ball will be returning to work on the fifth season of True Blood. It hasn't been decided what the next season big bad will be though.
- Sean Hayes will be starring in a new sitcom for NBC, scheduled to air on the station in 2012.
- Grey's Anatomy's new season will pick up five days after the seventh season finale.
- Jack Coleman will be appearing in the third season of The Vampire Diaries.

My Review of True Blood's 4x06: "I Wish I Was The Moon"

Written by Raelle Tucker
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa

Bill: “Sookie is not mine.”
Eric: “But you love her.”
Bill: “Irrelevant.”

Okay, so that exchange of quotes is nowhere near as funny as the one Bill made about Sookie’s prowess but here’s another episode where the two vampires who love/are obsessed with Sookie duke it out and one of them managed to have sex with the supernatural tinged barmaid at the end of the episode.

Eric, alone for his cringe inducing comments should be gagged but he made some rather perceptive points about Bill and Sookie, points I have a feeling that probably enraged certain viewers of this show but certainly good pointers none the less.

Bill isn’t over Sookie by a long shot but seems to have accepted (to a point) that their relationship is over but at the same time, was spurred by his jealousy and hatred for Eric is trying to bring the true death to the amnesiac vampire.

Until normal circumstances, Bill would’ve gone through with killing Eric but the other vampire’s comments managed to spare his life. Unfortunately they made me want to barf a little. Even in an amnesiac state, I have a hard time believing that Eric would both submit to Bill and even give his rival some hope for Sookie. It just seemed a little too out of character for a character who isn’t acting himself. Does that make sense?

However for those of you who are delighted that Eric managed to be freed from Bill and his AVL henchmen, the plus side to this episode was both the Viking vampire and Sookie finally getting it on. Again, I am not a shipper but it was a nicely done scene between Sookie and Eric and the most hardcore of shipper should probably be pleased with the results.

That being said, I really hope for Sookie’s sake that she doesn’t allow herself to actually fall in love with Eric. I doubt Adele said the relationship wouldn’t last for her own amusement in the afterlife and truth be told, Sookie also has other issues that are worth addressing as well, such as her fairy lineage and Jason’s own supernatural problems.

I don’t believe for a second that we would’ve been subjected to Jason being kidnapped, raped and savaged by the Hotshot crew if the end didn’t result in him becoming a were panther. Granted, they’re a dumb bunch but just because Jason didn’t change during this full moon, it doesn’t mean that he won’t during the next one.

I liked that Jason actually had to tell Sookie about what happened to him and that we got to see her in supportive sister mode. Okay, so his scenes with Jessica comforting him were a lot more interesting (I’m getting worried – I might actually like a Jason/Jessica pairing) but at the same time, it’s just nice to see Jason and Sookie actually interact more with each other.

Speaking of interaction, anyone else slightly disappointed that Sookie couldn’t tell that Sam wasn’t himself? I know shifters are harder to read but Sookie’s been friends with Sam long enough that she should’ve been a tad suspicious when he fired her in the manner that he did. Still, considering that Sookie barely even seems to work at her job, I’m not surprised that Tommy took it upon himself to fire her whilst looking like Sam.

Ah, Tommy – last week I felt bad for you and this week you reminded me of what a little shit you are. Firing Sookie is hardly the worst thing he could’ve done but sleeping with Luna and running her was pretty damn nasty. I know Tommy didn’t deliberately intend to turn into Sam but he could’ve made an effort to not try and wreck his brother’s love life, especially given that Sam’s actually been trying to help him again.

In terms of helping, can I just say that Jesus’s grandfather really is the worst person to turn to in times of need? Sure, his antics got Lafayette to possess a spirit but they also nearly got Jesus killed via rattlesnake and a decent person would’ve conveyed the information about Marnie through conversation rather than bullshit sacrifices. Just saying is all.

Also while we’re on the communication front, it’s nice that Tara and Naomi actually got to talk honestly about the former’s double life but why the heck did we have to have Pam go feral and attack Naomi? Hasn’t Tara been crapped on enough in this show? How many lovers is that girl going to lose? If Naomi does survive Pam, then I have a horrid feeling that Tara’s going to be single again anyways.

In better plots, it did seem like the creepy doll and baby plot with Arlene, Terry and Mikey is advancing. Arlene clearly loves her son but was worried that he caused the fire. The fact that Mikey is seeing spirits as well probably won’t be a comfort to Arlene if she becomes privy to that piece of information.

Last but not least – Marnie/Antonia have combined forces and I will be one disappointed viewer if Luis does not meet the sun. Considering that he took absolute pleasure in raping Antonia before her death, I really do hope that he gets one hell of a comeuppance for the crap he subjected her.

Also, six episodes in, it’s nice that Marnie finally has the power that she’s been craving for. I’m aware that the consequences will be dire for nearly everyone involved but it also means that the storylines will finally progress and it’s certainly high time that the vampires of this show were taken down a peg or not.

Also in “I Wish I Was The Moon”

Can we get Eric a new set of clothes now? That tracksuit combo has kinda worn it’s sell by date.

Eric (re Bill): “Who is this vampire to you?”
Sookie: “He is your King.”

I think this is the first episode we’ve had this season where a main or recurring character hasn’t died. Well, apart from seeing Antonia’s execution again.

Bill: “Believe it or not but my entire existence does not revolve around what or who is between your legs.”
Sookie: “Don’t you dare speak to me like that.”

Jesus: “Sometimes there are more important things than pride, Grandpa.”

Anyone else bored of Andy’s treatment of Sam? On the plus side, I am interested in seeing what his date with Holly will turn out to be like.

Tara: “Long story.”
Naomi: “Then you better start telling it.”

Debbie: “I don’t know anyone other than Sookie and she hates me.”
Alcide: “You’ve got me, we’re together. I thought that’s what you wanted.”

Alcide caved in a little too easily with him and Debbie joining Marcus’s pack, didn’t he? Also, the hostility between Debbie and Sookie could be smelled a mile off.

Jason: “The second I start sprouting fur, I want you to shoot me right in the head.”
Sookie: “I’m not gonna shoot you.”
Jason: “But you promised.”
Sookie: “I promised I’d take care of you.”

Debbie: “Hey Sookie, did I scare you?”

Standout music: Neko Case’s “I Wish I Was The Moon”.

Pam (to Tara/Naomi): “Girls, no need to squabble. There’s plenty of me to go around.”

Marnie/Antonia: “Father Luis, what a surprise. Coincidence you think or fate?”
Luis: “Antonia.”
Marnie/Antonia: “I know I look different but you made such a mess of my last body, this one will have to do.”
Luis: “You mad whore. You burned my maker. This time you will scream.”

Chronology: Straight from where “Me And The Devil” left off with Sookie and Eric.

Overall, I really loved this episode. Yes, “I Wish I Was The Moon” had some niggles but it was such a great character driven episode, it was hard not to love. More importantly, both this season and Marnie have really found their groove, so kudos on that one too.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Soap Discussion - July 2011

And here's a soap blog to end the month of July ...

Coronation Street: It's been a strange month for this soap. Unfairly picked on in the press and by former actors for being too gay/crime fuelled/humourless, it's almost a shame that the actual storylines themselves were overshadowed. Ken's grandson turned out to be a bad egg and fleeced him, Leanne suffered a miscarriage, Gary held Izzie hostage and even Tracy got her own back when Steve rejected her for the millionth time. Still Amber returned, there was less of Becky and Fiz and Sylvia remained amusing, so the month wasn't all bad.

EastEnders: You lose a Mitchell, you gain a Mitchell. With Ronnie getting sent down and finally ending this ridiculous baby swap nonsense, Billy and Julie gained a mouthy granddaughter in the shape of Lola, whose only purpose so far is arson and getting between Jay and Abi. Meanwhile as Max and Tanya's affair continued, Lauren made a tit out of herself and Rainie spiralled yet again, the arrival of Eddie's other sons, Tyler and Anthony proved that some people really do get hired on this show without the need of basic acting ability. On the plus side, at least I managed to go through an episode where Zainab managed to get her points across in relation to Christian and Syed's adoption process that I could agree with.

Emmerdale: Aw, here I was hoping they might actually send Aaron down for his part in Jackson's death. Nope, I guess we're stuck with the misery guts for another while. I know the acting in this storyline has been great but it doesn't mask how much I've hated Jackson's death and how bored I am with the never ending angst surrounding Aaron. There are limits and Paddy and Chas's overprotectiveness as well has been more headwrecking than endearing too. In other storylines, it doesn't take much to see that Leyla's inches away from telling Jacob who his real mother is and even I'm confused about Sarah's bruises. Could Samson really have done it? The stuff involving Declan and Ella on the other hand is boring me senseless.

Fair City: Bit of a dull month on this show. Carol's pregnant and we're still not sure who the father is, Jo and Tommy's affair is still nonsensical as it's dull, while I struggle to see what David sees in the miserable Suzanne. At least they sort of progressed the Sarah arc a bit by introducing her mother, even if Barry was a little too successful in getting her off the scent.

Hollyoaks: Ah, Bart and Sinead - love's young dream those two certainly aren't and the Romeo And Juliet style antics were not all that amusing to watch either, well, at least not as funny as Ethan getting his comeuppance via Theresa, Liberty and Rae publicly humiliating him with milkshake. Less impressive was Noah's crappy exit at the hand of Brendan once again finding away to sabotage Ste's love life. Oh and wasn't there a serial killer supposed to be looming about the village?

My Review of Torchwood's 4x04: "Escape To LA"

Written by John Shiban And Jim Gray
Directed by Billy Gierhart

Gwen (re shot assassin): “He was just about to tell us.”
Rex: “Thanks, anyone? Thanks?”

Oh, Rex, I really do believe if you could go five minutes without being such an asshole, people like Gwen might be more appreciative when you come to their rescue. Granted, its good thing Rex did shoot that guy – the assassin was absolutely rubbish, wasn’t he?

Okay, so he presumably used dirtier methods to break into PhiCorp than Jack and Gwen did and he certainly had a glee during his scenes with Jack and Gwen but as an episode threat, he wasn’t that very engaging to be honest. I didn’t doubt for a second that would’ve slit Gwen’s throat but it still didn’t make me care about him as a villain.

On the plus side, at least he actually served a purpose with the info dumping exchanges between him and Jack in this one. This episode seemed to practically confirm that Jack’s responsible/connected to the miracle and there are families out there who have an axe to grind with the now mortal Mr Harkness.

Who they are exactly we didn’t find out, thanks to Rex shooting the trained assassin in the throat but I have a feeling that this series is finally going to get to the point and soon enough, we’ll find out who exactly is responsible for the miracle and why. At this point, PhiCorp only seem to be benefitting from the miracle rather than being the cause behind it.

Ah, PhiCorp – until someone other than Jilly steps out as a representative, they’re still very much a faceless group. Still though, their level of nastiness hit an impressive if scary this week when they found a unique way of dealing with politician Ellis Hartley Monroe.

I might have disagreed to a certain point about her whole ‘Dead Is Dead’ philosophy but even I didn’t expect that it would come to bite her on the ass so soon. Ellis believed that those who should’ve died should be segregated from the rest of society and now, thanks to PhiCorp, she’ become one of ‘Dead Is Dead’ herself given that she was crushed in a car.

Then again, things were going wrong for Ellis even before all of that, thanks to Oswald. Oswald was able to use his own ‘Dead Is Dead’ status to show a beacon of support for the same people in his position and managed to win himself some more press coverage, much to Vera and Ellis’s disgust and Jilly’s delight.

Four episodes in and Oswald is still a strange villain for me. On one hand because he’s a paedophile, he still makes my flesh crawl but on the other hand, I’m still not as compelled by him as I should be. Bill Pullman is doing a decent job with the character but at the same time, something about Oswald is lacking for me and this series to an extent.

Jilly on the other hand completely works for me in the villain stakes though. While she might be openly disgusted with Oswald in general, she’s also more than happy to be a good little PhiCorp lackey and benefit from Oswald’s successes with the general public. It certainly makes for a more interesting character in an episode devoid of decent villains too.

And when we’re not dealing with villains, our main players are also remembering they’ve still got families out there. Seeing Rex confront his angry and sick father should’ve made me feel bad for him but Rex blew it when he let his hypocrisy getting the better of him and started yelling at poor Esther.

Yes, it was reckless for Esther to go and see her sister and nieces and maybe even more so for causing her nieces to be sent into care but I can’t help sympathising with Esther’s plight more than I should do. Maybe it’s just nice that we finally got something on Esther’s background for a change.

As for Gwen – her phone conversations with Rhys were lovely, seeing Anwen was lovely but having her father taking off to Wales’s version of the Overflow Camp at the end of the episode made for a predictable cliff hanger. That being said though, I guess it was to be expected though.

Meanwhile the only character in this episode that actually felt short changed was Vera. The endless hospital scenes might be needed but they are becoming something of a chore to watch and Vera needs more to do than just churn out exposition. The sooner she joins Torchwood at this point, the bloody better for all of us.

Also in “Escape To LA”

Esther’s sister was named Sarah and her nieces were Alice and Melanie. Sarah was put into psych I think during this episode.

Esther: “Can I see them?”
Sarah: “Esther, I’d never hurt them.”

Rex’s gay jokes and comments – are they supposed to highlight homophobia or is it him trying to be funny?

Jack (to biker landlord): “We’re travelling circus folk.”
Rex (re Jack): “Yeah and he’s the clown.”
Gwen: “I’m the bearded woman but I’ve shaved.”
Jack: “Yeah, you missed a bit.”

Jilly (re Ellis): “Looks like you got a rival. You better think of a line, Oswald or you’ll be yesterday’s news.

I had to laugh at Jack using the John Smith alias during his interaction with Nicholas but Gwen’s attempts of an American accent were terrible.

Jack (to Gwen): “You are so never doing that accent again.”

Oswald: “Dead is not dead, no, not anymore. Life is life. Look at her and I can promise you with all my heart, this little girl is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever.”

Four episodes in and at this point, we could really do with some more scenes outside of the US – particularly in Wales.

Vera (re Oswald): “This is disgusting.”
Jilly: “I know.”

Gwen: “Who are you?”
Assassin: “Names aren’t important right now.”
Gwen: “Oh great, he’s cryptic.”

Chronology: A couple of hours from where “Dead Of Night” left off. No further signs of the Soulless in this one though.

Easily the weakest out of the four episodes aired so far. Though it’s nice that “Escape To LA” progressed some stuff, the episode itself wasn’t as engaging as the previous one and I still doubt that whether or not this whole premise can be sustained for such a lengthy time period.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Top TV Pairings Part 5

Sorry for the slight delay but here's the fifth installment in my TV Pairings.

Desperate Housewives - Gabrielle Solis/Carlos Solis

If I had done this list a couple of years ago, there's no way in hell these two would've been my favourite pairing but unlike nearly every relationship on the show nowadays, Gabby and Carlos are the only ones who have actually grown, so they get my vote for that alone.

Lost - James Sawyer/Juliet Burke

When I found out these two were going to be become a couple in the fifth season, I had my doubts but damn, they so worked as a pairing. Far better than Jack/Kate or Kate/Sawyer and their reunion in the series finale was just lovely as well.

Skins - Naomi Campbell/Emily Fitch

Yeah, this one might have been a cliche choice (my other one would've been Chris/Jal) but apart from the choppy treatment they got in the fourth season, I actually do like Emily/Naomi. Both actresses have genuine chemistry with each other and they rightfully became the popular couple of the second generation and considering the dull as dishwater triangle between Cook/Effy/Freddie, is anyone surprised?

Life On Mars - Sam Tyler/Annie Cartwright

Being stuck in another time cannot be all that bad after all. Sam certainly might have been desperate to get home but he ultimately chose to stay in 1973 with the Guv and the lads and most importantly, Annie too. Personally, I've never seen anything with Sam/Gene but Sam/Annie were a nice pairing.

Nip/Tuck - Sean McNamara/Christian Troy

No, they're not gay, no, this isn't a slash entry but six seasons of mostly toxic relationships, Sean and Christian's friendship is the closest to something decent and even that was marred with problems from time to time.

Glee - Comic Con 2011 Clips Season 3

And here's my final Comic Con themed blog, this time it's for Glee.

Okay, so the best bits from this panel - well we learned that Sam is not returning at all for Season 3 but at the same time, Finn, Rachel and Kurt are not leaving either. We're also going to be meeting Mike Chang's parents, Mercedes is getting a new boyfriend and Kurt and Blaine will have their problems but will be a solid couple.

The most interesting sounding plot was the reveal of Sue's motives for Congress running - apparently she's out to sabotage all Glee clubs by getting the arts removed from high schools and there was the reveal that Tina was a junior. Definitely an informative panel but sometimes the likes of Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk seemed a little snappy.

Comic Con Panel: http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/07/glee-comic-con-panel-3-clips.html

Glee Season 3 will air Tuesdays at 8pm on FOX from September 20th and premieres on Sky1 shortly after.

My Review of True Blood's 4x05: "Me And The Devil"

Written by Mark Hudis
Directed by Daniel Minahan

Adele (to Sookie): “Sweetheart, this woman poses great danger.”
Marnie: “No, how can I be a danger to someone? I have never hurt anybody.”

Even from beyond the grave, Adele Stackhouse is one hell of a savvy woman. It’s just a shame that voice aside; we didn’t actually see her in this episode visually. Sookie certainly needs to listen to her grandmother’s words of wisdom.

In less than a minute, Adele gave Sookie three sensible heads ups – one, she needs to look after Jason. He might not want to let her in about his own ordeals but sooner or later, he’s going to need his younger sister and Sookie should be there for him. Two, Sookie and Eric will not last – the fan girls are probably incensed with that one but hey, at least the show’s being practical.

And then there’s three – Marnie poses a great danger. The fact that Marnie doesn’t consider herself to be a threat kind of speaks volumes. Granted there are sociopaths and psychopaths out there who genuinely believe their actions are right or for some good but is Marnie either one of those categories?

From what we’ve seen she’s been a somewhat mild mannered woman who’s gotten in over her head by becoming a conduit of sorts to Antonia (not Hallow then) and struck out against vampires – but only when she has been provoked herself as well. And this week, she was kidnapped by Bill’s men and glamoured by the head vampire himself but I have my qualms with this witch storyline.

For the life of me, it’s been five episodes and everything we’ve seen with Marnie and Antonia in the past and the present and it’s occurred to me that the witches are more victims than villains. Antonia herself had her coven and herself fed on and burned at the stake by vampires, so why should I feel outraged that she got her own back by summoning some of them into the daylight?

If the show is trying to generate sympathy for the vampires in this saga, then it’s actually failing on that front. Vampires are interesting to watch but on this show, the majority have a huge disregard for human life (look at how nearly all of them, except Bill wanted to torture and kill Marnie?) and the witches so far have only struck out in self-defence.

Granted that’s obviously set to change in the next few weeks when Marnie/Antonia come into their own but right now, I’m kind of sympathising a little more with the witches on this show than I am the vampires. Even Pam’s rotting face isn’t doing much to make me feel bad for the vampires this week. That being said, I do not support the whole necromancing thing either, so Marnie obviously loses points for that bit.

Continuing with the witching trend, it’s nice that we got some more back story on Jesus’s family history, but I kind of wish someone would tell both him and Lafayette that right now, Eric is actually the least of their worries. In fact Jesus’s crazy looking grandfather looks a lot more threatening than the memory wiped Mr Northman nowadays.

As for Eric and Sookie, I’ll never ship them as a couple but I am enjoying their scenes together in this episode. Their closeness feels organic enough and while their relationship will not last (coupled with Tara’s timely reminder of Eric’s shortcomings); even I thought the kiss between them at the end worked nicely. Too bad Pam blabbed to Bill about Eric’s whereabouts and memory loss then, isn’t it?

Speaking of blabbing, I kind of wished Tara had actually allowed Sookie to explain what was going with Eric instead of going off on one but considering that she did open up about Naomi and Sookie deliberately tried to keep Tara in the dark about Eric, I can see why she was so mad at her friend. As for Naomi – come on, show, and involve her better into the storylines a little more please.

Even Tommy has a better purpose now that he killed his awful parents, got Sam involved in disposing of their bodies and realised that his own brother has killed before. I wouldn’t trust Tommy if my life depended on it but I love this plot with him and Sam though and with Joe Lee and Melinda dead, that’s another two characters I won’t have to deal with any more.

Also, please let’s hope that this new pack master of Shreveport doesn’t last too long either. With leaders like Marcus, is it any wonder Alcide refuses to get himself bound to a pack? That guy was absolutely annoying and he was only on the air for at least a minute. On the plus side, at least this should mean that Alcide is getting more to do, story wise.

Keeping with the rest of the stories – the show didn’t waste time with Jason having sex dreams about Jessica and Hoyt but I’m not sure if I want another love triangle, plus even Jason should have enough common sense not to go after his mate’s girlfriend, though something tells me that Hoyt and Jessica are heading for a break up anyways.

Last but not least – I got a right laugh out of Reverend Daniels and Lettie Mae trying to exorcism Arlene and Terry’s house. It was actually genuinely funny to watch without being insulting but this whole baby plot with Mikey needs to step up a gear. Is it the baby or that creepy doll that Jessica gave them? Let’s not drag this one out, eh?

Also in “Me And The Devil”

HBO have this episode credited as “Me And The Devil” but other places are citing it as “I Hate You, I Love You”. What is it called?

Godric (to Eric): “You are incapable of love. You are damned.”

Nice use of Godric in this episode. Even in death, the man is still a huge part of Eric, isn’t he?

Eric: “Am I evil?”
Sookie: “You’re no Gandhi but you’re not evil.”

Pam (to Bill, re Marnie): “I can put up with a lot but you fuck with my face, it’s time to die.”

Bill’s beekeeping comments about Pam were sort of amusing but the fact that he had to glamour Portia to stop harassing him was weird, but Portia is weird herself.

Marnie (re Adele): “She misses you very much.”
Sookie: “I miss her. Is she okay? Is she happy?”
Marnie: “She’s at peace.”

This episode was written by a new writer for the series – Mark Hudis and Sookie mentioned she was a fan of Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Charmed when trying to appease Marnie.

Sookie (re Eric): “Something’s happened, he’s different. He isn’t gonna hurt you.”
Tara: “He’s a psycho murdering asshole.”

Standout music: Gil Seth Heron’s version of “Me And The Devil” naturally.

Pam (to Bill, re Marnie): “If anyone deserves the true death, it’s that witch. Let’s at least torture her.”

Chronology: From where “I’m Alive And On Fire” left off and Comic Con premiered a trailer for the rest of the season, which can be seen on HBO’s YouTube page.

I really loved this episode. “Me And The Devil” just gelled in the right places with nearly every plot just hitting the right spot. Granted the likes of Holly and Andy didn’t serve much purpose to the episode but overall, this one is a cracker.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Doctor Who - Comic Con 2011 Clips Season 6

And here's my blog on Doctor Who's day at Comic Con and boy, what a day it was ...

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Toby Whithouse, Piers Wenger and Beth Willis were all certainly on fine form for the hour panel and when they weren't joking about, mentioning favourite Doctors or talking about how to get into acting, we did get some nice exclusives.

For instance, there's this gorgeous promotional shot for the second half of the season, a minute long trailer for the second half of the series and a two minute preview clip for Toby Whithouse's episode, The God Complex. But let's see what the trailer gave us.

Well, there's definitely going to be a lot going on in Let's Kill Hitler, including a scene where Rory actually punches Hitler as well River sporting an eyepatch, flashbacks to the Astronaut debacle from the start of the series and Madame Kovarian still being a total bitch in the mix.

And then there's this ... is the Doctor really going to snog Craig? Probably not but it does seem that James Corden will be having plenty to do with his second appearance in the series, especially as his episode contains Cybermen too.

Other monsters that are in the mix include the Silents (rumoured to be responsible for snatching Amy's baby), Amy battling it out with Handbots, the Weeping Angels, a Minotaur type creature and even Churchill brandishing a gun at one point.

Perhaps the biggest news from Comic Con though was the admission that Karen Gillan will be appearing in the seventh season. Arthur Darvill hasn't been confirmed to return but if Amy is coming back next year, Rory more than likely is too. Filming for the Christmas special is slated to begin in September.

Comic Con Panel: http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/07/doctor-who-full-comic-con-panel.html
Season 6 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xkQkPo7KRU
The God Complex Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-4M0wXCkg8&feature=related

Season Six of Doctor Who will air on BBCAmerica from August 27th. BBC1 have yet to confirm an airdate.

Torchwood - Comic Con 2011 Clips Season 4

And here's a look at the Torchwood panel from this year's Comic Con ....

Nearly all the cast are there bar Kai Owen, Lauren Ambrose and Arlene Tur but it's wonderful that Jane Espenson was also presented and accounted for in absence of Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner.
The session didn't exactly reveal anything too new (though fans got to see Dead Of Night before Starz) aired but aside from a nice trailer that showed us what else was due to happen in the fourth season and the cast talking about pranks, we still don't know if the series is coming back for a fifth year.

Comic Con Panel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAoIQEdn2h8
Season 4 Trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk2g6h_torchwood-miracle-day-comic-con-preview-2011_shortfilms

Torchwood: Miracle Day continues to air on BBC1 on Thursdays at 9pm and on Starz on Fridays at 10pm.

My Review of Torchwood's 4x03: "Dead Of Night"

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Billy Gierhart

Jack: “What I wanted to say was – we’re good, aren’t we? You and me, good team. I missed you.”
Gwen: “I was thinking if this happened a bit sooner.”
Jack: “I know.”
Gwen: “He’d be here, Ianto.”

See, Jack/Ianto shippers – Ianto is not forgotten. He ain’t coming back to the series and the recent audios that featured him were obviously a compromise but the show hasn’t forgotten his existence and that’s good because this is the first episode we’ve had that felt like the show I watched from 2006-2009 and hopefully that bodes well for the remainder of the season.

I know there’s been controversy about this episode because the BBC are going to edit out Jack’s sex antics with Brad the barman and my personal opinion? I think they’re wrong for doing so. Maybe it’s not relevant to the overall storyline (but neither is Rex and Vera at it either) but it speaks some bad volumes to me.

To me, its like the BBC are pandering to the narrow minded morons who see the slightest hint of same sex affection and go whinging to the likes of Ofcom when stuff that’s genuinely abhorrent is not acknowledged. That level of hypocrisy annoys me to no end but this is not Points Of View, so I’ll get on with this review.

The sex scenes in this episode to me served as a breather of sorts. Both Jack and Rex are trying to deal with various problems and like every TV show on the planet, sex is seen as a temporary solution but I think people would be complaining a lot more if it had been Jack and Gwen having sex rather than him and a fir bartender.

Still though, he did call Gwen up after his night with Brad and pretty much confessed how deeply he felt about her. It’s a scene that can be construed in a lot of way but the truth is simple – Jack does love Gwen and they’ve been through so much together that for me, it’s a scene that works.

What also works excellently about the scene is its cut in to Gwen’s brief reunion with Rhys and Anwen and that just seems to prove that regardless of what she might feel for Jack, it’s her husband and child who come first in Gwen’s world. That’s right, isn’t it?

It would’ve been nice to have seen a little more of Rhys and Anwen here but the episode amends that with the absolutely brilliant rapport between Gwen and Esther in this one. I know I complained about a ‘UK vs. US debate’ but it was actually done in a fun way here.

Esther clearly has a lot of affection for Jack and Gwen and it’s actually nice to see Gwen interact with another woman. She and Toshiko weren’t exactly that close and we didn’t get enough of her and Martha during the second season, so if I have to pick something that’s the highlight of the week, it’s going to be Gwen and Esther’s friendship.

Equally fun is the pithier dynamic with Jack and Rex. Much as Rex annoys me (though surprisingly less in this episode), he had every right to voice doubts about signing up for Torchwood but I nearly cracked myself up when Jack managed to get in that comment about Rex not liking his jokes too gay. If the show keeps up the humour like this one did, it will help the series a lot more than being serious all the time.

As for moving the plot along this week, Vera does seem to be largely in a position where she gets to point out a lot of crap. This week idiot cops banging on about not being able to call an attempted murder for what it is and then there’s the whole fact that she managed to get herself sucked into helping Rex by spying on PhiCorp.

Three episodes in and I’m still struggling to see how and why a company like PhiCorp want or need Oswald Danes on their side but with Jilly Kitzinger around the place, at least this company has an interesting face representing it. Jilly really is a breath of fresh air in this episode too.

I swear for every medical scene and for every scene revolving around pharmaceuticals, we need Jilly. Her presences of klutziness, her false sincerity, her way of getting under Oswald’s skin – I think she’s actually the more charismatic character we’ve had in this series and she’s usurping Oswald a lot in my opinion. I want more of Jilly and less of Oswald if I’m being honest.

Don’t get me wrong – Bill Pullman is doing a great job and I liked the way Oswald turned on Jack during their meeting but aside from that and deservedly getting beaten up by the police, I am struggling to see how people are getting sucked in by this guy. He’s a paedophile for flip’s sake. Doesn’t that count for anything?

Still, it’s nice that Jack and the new gang have made the connection with the miracle to both PhiCorp and Oswald. I just hope that whilst they’re dodging capture they don’t wait until the last minute to actually stop the baddies and the miracle either. Oh and Vera is totally joining Torchwood by next week, isn’t she?

Also in “Dead Of Night”

This episode was written by the legendary Jane Espenson, whose TV credits really are worth bragging about.

Friedkin: “Listen, Rex, you’ll never find them, I never did. They’re everywhere. They know everything.”

Rex was surprisingly lenient with Friedkin during their meeting but damn, Friedkin just turned out to be another minion.

Esther (re knocked out security guard): “You’ve done this before?”
Gwen: “So many times.”

Vera (to Jilly): “We don’t deserve the miracle. We’re gonna screw this up like we always do. Human damn being and I’m including myself.”

Esther admitted to Gwen that she had an older sister who cannot cope. I assume we’ll be meeting Esther’s sister later on in the series.

Rex: “As far as I can see, you got all your staff killed.”
Jack: “They were my friends.”
Rex: “Yeah, dead friends.”

Jack: “Jack. You like the coat?”
Brad: “Brad. Passionately.”

The gay bar Jack visited in this was called the Golden Gopher and Gwen encountered a V For Vendetta style group called The Soulless as well.

Jilly: “These are the times that make men, Oswald, so it’s your choice – stay where you are or stand tall and stride across the skin of the world. Which is it?”

Rex: “You aren’t impaled.”
Jack: “You should see the other. Ooh, that face. Rex doesn’t like his jokes too gay.”

Oswald backed PhiCorp’s plot to give free drugs without prescriptions. It should be interesting to see how quickly that incites chaos.

Esther: “What are you smiling for?”
Rex: “I think we got them worried.”

Chronology: This episode more or less picked up where “Rendition” left off.

After two somewhat shaky episodes, I think “Dead Of Night” might be our first solid episode of the new season. Okay, logic gaps with the miracle plot are still there and people can argue about the relevance of the sex scenes in this one, but overall, I liked this one a lot.

Rating: 8 out of 10

True Blood - Comic Con 2011 Clips Season 4

And here is the third of my Comic Con themed blog. It's True Blood folks ....

The cast gathered and they were definitely the longest panelists that were there. Also much to a lot of fan joy, it seems that this year, Alexander Skarsgard was also present and accounted for. Oh and we got a trailer for the second half of Season 4.

Bill's found that Sookie and Eric are getting closer and he's far from pleased with that little tidbit of information. He's going to be even less pleased when his attempts of giving Eric the true death backfire on him too.

Jessica looks like she's about to walk in daylight but could that be down to Marnie or something else? Both her and Hoyt have issues they need to hash out and there will also be a growing bond between Jessica and Jason in the latter half of the season as well to contend with.

Marnie's going from meek mouse to witch possessed. In the trailer, she's activating a bigger coven and fighting vampires in quite a brutal manner. I was hoping for Marnie to up her game as a baddie and now she is. Thank you, show.

Elsewhere when Sam isn't pissing off Luna's ex and Andy isn't struggling with his addiction to V, it seems that Debbie's true colours are emrging again. I knew that the second Sookie and Alcide got closer (they're not a couple), Debbie's jealousy would escalate and it looks like she tries to take Sookie out, once and for all.

Other scenes in the trailer included a fire, Sam turning on Tommy again, Tara slaying vampires, Naomi being attacked, Bill,/Eric/Nan in bondage and multiple fantasies about Sookie in a slinky red dress. Oh and she's been shot in a graveyard but if a coma couldn't keep her down, then neither will a bullet, will it?

Comic Con Panel: http://www.trueblood-online.com/events/comic-con-2011/videos-of-the-complete-true-blood-comic-con-panel-2011/
Season 4 Second Half Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvvLacE7lcg

True Blood continues to air Sundays at 9pm on HBO.

Dexter - Comic Con 2011 Cips Season 6

And here's a look at Comic Con's take on Dexter this year as the countdown to the show's sixth season begins.

A stylish photo with actor Michael C. Hall, one of the things that we learn about the upcoming year is that faith is going to be playing a huge role in the series. I'm actually surprised it's taken the show this long to add religion into the mix of murdering mayhem in Miami.

The cast seemed to be in their element talking about the upcoming season but the two minute trailer released for it really did a lot of talking to. It looks like Dexter is certainly going to have his hands full with the likes of Colin Hanks and Mos Def being added to the series.

Comic Con Panel Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCbEwjFMJTo
Comic Con Panel Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BZvAlwiCdY&feature=related
Season 6 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsvGslI_KcM

Season Six of Dexter will air on Showtime, Sundays at 9pm from October 2nd and premiere on FXUK in 2012.