Thursday, November 10, 2011

Brothers And Sisters - 20 Questions

With the UK release of the fifth and final season of Brothers And Sisters on DVD this month, I decided to do these 20 questions in relation to the series.

1. Favourite character?
Kevin Walker. Also IMO, the bestest gay character ever.

2. Second favourite character?
It's either Kitty or Scotty. Really do love both of those characters.

3. Least favourite character?
Holly Harper. Just couldn't sympathise with her and didn't find her the most interesting of antagonists either.

4. Favourite couple?
Kevin/Scotty. Beautifully realised, developed and the chemistry between Matthew and Luke was bloody sublime.

5. Second favourite couple?
Kitty/Robert. I might not have always liked Robert as a character but I always found him and Kitty to be a realistic pairing and again, great chemistry with Calista and Rob.

6. Least favourite couple?
Sarah/Luc. The actors lacked chemistry, the writing sucked and something about them as a couple never really gelled. Actually Sarah/Luc just lack a lot of substance.

7. Favourite season?
Its a toughie but I'm going with Season 1, which is a rare thing for me. After that, it would be Season 4, Season 2, Season 3 and ...

8. Least favourite season?
Season 5. It's got far too much going against it and if David Marshall Grant's comments on what a sixth year would've been like, maybe canning the show was the right thing for ABC to do after all.

9. Favourite friendship?
Nora/Emily. Man, the Walkers didn't seem to have any friends, did they?

10. Favourite sibling relationship?
I'm tempted to say all of them together but I quite like Kevin/Justin and Kevin/Kitty the best.

11. Favourite parent/child relationship?
I'm tempted to say Nora's with Kevin but I really dug the banter with Nora and Kitty the most at times.

12. What's one thing you wish never happened?
Only one? Okay, then I wish Scotty hadn't cheated because it served no damn purpose, plot wise. On a bigger scale, DeWalkering both Rebecca and Sarah was also pretty silly on the show's part.

13. Favourite quote?
“It’s not funny. You’ll give me a heart attack one day and I’ll die. Live with that.”

14. Funniest episode/scene?
Game Night, in particular Kevin's dinosaur impression.

15. Favourite wedding?
Kevin and Scotty. It's also my favourite finale as well, so go fig.

16. Favourite child?
Aw, again do I have to? Okay, I'll pick Evan then.

17. What's one thing you think should of happened that never did?
Hard to say, maybe we should've seen more of Kevin being a lawyer during Season 5 or got some continuity on that York fella.

18. Favourite actor?
Matthew Rhys but that kind of goes without saying.

19. Favourite actress?
I'm going with Calista Flockart to be honest.

20. Overall favourite thing about B&S?
Kevin/Scotty but also the family element of the show. You genuinely bought into the Walkers as a family, didn't you?

Season 5 is released on DVD from November 14th.

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Welcome To The House Of Fun

Yes, two TV jumbles this week. The next one will be either Friday or Saturday ...

American Horror Story: I caught up with the first episode of FX's new show and it's typical Ryan Murphy fare alright - complex but not always likeable characters and a surreal setting. The haunted house in question of this delightfully bizarre show certainly has some interesting people haunting it, which is good because I'm not totally sure if I like the Harmons or find their marital problems or even Ben's patient Tate interesting enough to sustain the show. People like Larry, Constance, Moira and the rubbery guy are far more interesting. Still, though I think we have a winner with this series.

Downton Abbey: As a set of final episodes go, this was a bit of disappointment. Of the three characters to succumb to Spanish flu, it's amazing they really did go for the safest bet instead of taking a gamble and the whole Matthew/Mary/Carlisle triangle is getting on a bit. Still, I did like Anna/Bates finally marrying (despite that ending) and Sybil and Branson getting eventual acceptance from Robert as well as any of Violet's one liners. It definitely made up for other storylines lacking. That being said, there's still the Christmas special to look forward to.

Glee - Oh goodie, after one exceptionally dreadful episode where Damien MacGinty's Rory was centre stage and living proof that no-one the writing staff has visited Ireland in the last decade, it's nice that the much hyped episode which finally saw Kurt/Blaine and Rachel/Finn take their relationships to the next level was just as good. Even more so for finally taking West Side Story to the stage and giving the always wonderful Coach Beiste a love interest. It's amazing how the episodes where Sue has little to do (or doesn't appear at all) are becoming my favourite and the less said about Sebastian the better.

Merlin - Oh, the last few episodes have been something brilliant, haven't they? I've enjoyed seeing Arthur using his brains more - first with Queen Annis and then with Merlin but I am hoping that Aggravaine's attempts of turning Arthur against Gaius don't come to fruition though. Even better was Morgana's attempts of using Merlin as an assassin and yet another encounter with an older looking wizard. The show does need to give the Knights a better role than their current but overall, the quality this year has really stepped up a gear.

Misfits - And it's back but is it as good as the first two series? It's hard to tell really. The opening episode had a job in setting up Rudy's character but overall, he has a lot of promise and an interesting power as do the rest of our lot, even though it was Curtis in the second episode whose powers really did give a great insight into the female form, didn't it? I'm also finding myself rather compelled by Kelly's interest in power dealer fella Seth as well. Plus with Downton Abbey now finished, it really is a good Sunday night drama too.

The Fades - Not a bad final episode for the series. It's hard to know if it'll come back (though I'll be surprised if it didn't) but either way, BBC3 did strike gold with this series in the end. I liked the defeat of John and Jay's death was reasonably effective too (even if I wasn't crazy about her character). The more I think about it, the more I hope there is more to see with this series.

- Despite the fact that we have yet to see Liam McIntyre in Spartacus: Vengeance, Starz have renewed the series for a third season. They're confident, aren't they?
- Downton Abbey's third season will be set in both 1920 and 1921 respectively. It's unknown if this will be the show's final series.
- John Schneider has been cast as Sam's father with Tanya Clarke as his mother in an upcoming episode of Glee.
- Carlos Bernard will be playing a suave business partner of JR's in the Dallas reboot. Channel 5 have the rights to the upcoming series.
- Emilie DeRavin will be playing Belle in an upcoming episode of Once Upon A Time.
- American Horror Story has been renewed for a second season.

Monday, November 07, 2011

The Sarah Jane Adventures - Season 5 On BBC1

Yes, Series 5 may have done the rounds on the CBBC last month but we did miss out on a BBC1 transmission. Well, now the fifth and final season of the show will air on BBC1, Thursdays and Fridays at 4.30pm from November 10th, so if you haven't seen Sky, The Curse Of Clyde Langer and The Man Who Never Was, there's a second chance to do so.

Saturday, November 05, 2011

True Blood - Season 5 Casting News/Spoilers

Warning: Some major spoilers in relation to the fifth season of True Blood.

It was announced a while ago that the fifth season was going to have a new regular vampire named Nora and now it's been announced that former Robin Hood actress Lucy Griffiths has been cast in the role of Godric's progeny/Eric's 'sister'. Nora is being described as intelligent and cool under pressure and will have an involvement in the vampire authority.

Other spoilers that have leaked for the upcoming season include the addition of a supernatural strip club, the arrival of Alcide's father, flashbacks to Sookie's childhood in the opening episode and the introduction of Marcus's mother (er, why?). No spoilers have leaked about Russell or Tara's ultimate fate or the casting of Salome yet.

Friday, November 04, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x03: "Smokey And The Bandit"

Written by Manny Coto
Directed by Stefan Schwartz

Walter: “Some needs don’t go away, even if the equipment is on life support.”
Dexter (to himself): “Does that hold true for killing?”

What I love about Dexter is that he seems to be an equal opportunist serial killer. It doesn’t matter about race, sexual orientation, gender or even age. If you’re a notorious baddie, then sooner or later, Dexter is going to add you to his slide collection. And if you happen to be a killer who er, inspired Dexter, then you’re equally up the creek without a paddle.

For an old man, Walter Kenney was quite the vulgar specimen that if you didn’t know he was the Tooth Fairy, you would be just appalled by him anyways. It’s interesting that this guy’s own killing spree and tooth collecting from his victims (lateral incisors- ugh) piqued Dexter’s interest but ultimately not that surprising though.

It also resulted in the best use for Harry this season so far when he confronted Dexter as a teenager about the newspaper clippings he had on Walter Kenney. Dexter was quite the fan of Walter but there’s a reason why people should never meet their heroes. Walter turned out to be both a massive disappointment and another cautionary tale to Dexter.

The disappointment factor being that Walter became little more than a sad, bitter old man who got drunk and looked at porno magazines but at least Walter showed some smarts when he realised who Dexter really was and tried to kill. Again, it seems that killing really doesn’t improve with age if you’re Walter Kenney.

Not only did he balls up on a prostitute as his last victim but he was also outsmarted by Dexter who decided to punish him by giving him the most mundane death going. I liked that instead of Walter becoming notorious as the Tooth Fairy, Dexter instead made him into another OAP who died of a heart attack. It was both a cold and a kind way of dealing with Walter and only Dexter would’ve done that.

As for the cautionary tale element – did we really need it spelled out? Over the last three seasons, we’ve had every possibility of what Dexter’s future could hold and how Harrison could see him more or less explained with this episode alluding to the bitter/useless old man part of it. In a lot of ways, the cautionary tale offered nothing entirely new to the table.

However there was the scene at the end where Dexter did lose it for a moment and his slides were put out of order. Perhaps this is something (fate?) telling Dexter that keeping evidence from his kills isn’t such a bright idea after all now that his life has changed so much in the last two years. That being said, I’m not sure if Dexter is ready to give up on taking souvenirs from his own victims just yet.

Also in keeping with Dexter – please tell me that Brother Sam trying to get Dexter to embrace religion isn’t going to go down south for either character? I really don’t want Brother Sam to be revealed as a nutter in later episodes because I quite enjoy the friendship they seem to have and we don’t need another negative connotation with religion on the show right now, considering that Travis and Gellar are covering that ground.

Speaking of Travis and Gellar – well, they didn’t kill poor Nathan in the previous episode. They kept him alive in this one long enough for him to try to repent, fail to escape and when that wasn’t enough, they chopped the poor guy’s head off and attached it to a display of horses they released in the street in the most interesting way this episode could’ve ended.

Unfortunately, while we had layers with Travis in the last episode, in this one he was little more than a foolish follower obeying the orders of a deranged fanatic. I really want to find Gellar effective as a villain but he’s feeling a little one note so far and whatever sympathy I might have had for Travis is beginning to wane all the more. I can handle the characters being religious fanatics but they need to be interesting ones too.

Elsewhere away from the main villains of the series and Dexter, it’s nice to see Deb settling into her new role as Lieutenant. Quinn and Masuka can act like jackasses all they want but I think Deb will actually flourish in the situation. She certainly did well by taking Angel’s advice in relation to Maria’s unnecessary micro-managing and she also dealt with Mike’s condescending attitude as well with her usual charm. I think giving Deb a promotion was the best thing for her to be honest.

Last but not least – is there a reason why Ryan has such a fascination with the ice Truck Killer case? I hope it doesn’t mean that she’s eventually going to become a nutter or a fanatical follower of Rudy’s but there definitely has to be something to it, though? And she also accepted a date from Masuka, which isn’t odd at all.

Also in “Smokey And The Bandit”

The title comes from a car that Angel idolised when he was younger and there was a certain reference as well.

Angel (re Deb): “She didn’t steal my job. It was never mine to start with.”
Quinn: “That’s always your problem, you’re too nice. You let those fucking people walk all over you, it’s bullshit.”

Quinn was a complete prick in this episode. I’m actually glad now Deb broke up with him and Ryan had the sense to turn him down as well.

Harry: “Most kids in the eighth grade were obsessed with their favourite baseball players. You tracked serial killers.”
Dexter: “Only certain ones.”

Nathan: “I don’t know what you want from me.”
Travis: “I want to hear you tell God that you’re sorry.”

I know Masuka wanted to impress Ryan but it was a bit stupid on his part to show her Rudy’s hospital ID and the artificial hand from one of the women he killed.

Brother Sam (to Dexter): “It isn’t easy to turn your life around, man. It can go south at any minute but I’ll take the blessings when they come.”

Dexter: “Is it a good time to ask for a raise?”
Deb: “Terrible.”
Dexter: “I’m serious.”
Deb: “Fuck off and die.”

There’s a wonderful bit of unintentional comedy when Walter admitted that he ‘goggled’ Dexter instead of saying ‘googling’.

Dexter: “And you’re going to kill me?”
Walter: “You haven’t left me much choice.”

Dexter (to Walter): “You are not my future. I will not spend my final days getting drunk and staring at a box of trophies.”

Chronology: A few days since the events of “Once Upon A Time”.

I didn’t dislike this episode but at the same time, I didn’t enjoy “Smokey And The Bandit” as much as I wanted to. Some of the ideas were generally good but as I said about the cautionary tale element of the Walter storyline – it didn’t really tell us anything we already didn’t know and the Travis/Gellar storyline does need some ironing out as well.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Thursday, November 03, 2011

My Review of Ringer's 1x07: "Oh Gawd, There's Two Of Them"

Written by Pam Veasey
Directed by Eriq LaSalle

Andrew/Henry (to police): “Bridget Kelly.”

Well, I didn’t see that was coming. I mean, I knew we were getting to a point where either Andrew or Henry (if only just one of them at a time) was going to be aware of the fact that Siobhan had a troubled ex-stripper/prostitute for a sister but even I thought it was going to be a little later. That being said – nice one, show!

Bridget’s abilities for thinking on her feet really are coming into their own. She knew that by making it look like she had an involvement in Gemma’s disappearance that she only a limited time before Victor and the NYPD came knocking and she took the bull by the horns and let both men know about Bridget. It was ballsy but it bought her a little time.

Both Andrew and Henry weren’t exactly overjoyed with the news and both of them had good reason. In their view, Bridget has done something horrible to Gemma when in reality; it’s Siobhan who is guilt of that and not Bridget. However the episode seemed to focus more on Andrew’s reaction than Henry’s for some reason.

For Andrew, it was a case of yet another thing Siobhan hadn’t been forthcoming about and he made it his business to tell Juliet about Bridget (loved her deadpan reaction that news) and sensibly wonder if any of Bridget’s mobster friends were about to pay them an unwelcome house call.

When I first listened to Andrew sort of trash talk about Bridget, I was a bit miffed but I get his point of view. Bridget to a lot of people would not seem a trustworthy person and ‘Siobhan’ certainly filled Andrew in on how much of a handful Bridget used to be, which wouldn’t exactly help Andrew be more open minded about Bridget.

It’s quite weird watching that scene where Bridget is opening up about herself to Andrew and the kiss that follows it. It’s Bridget being honest with Andrew for the first time since pretending to be her sister but at the same time, she’s still deceiving him and I’m not exactly sure if Andrew’s going to take it well when he realises that the woman he’s been with isn’t his wife.

And the game could be up for Bridget sooner as well if the doctor does the ultra sound and she’s not pregnant. There’s been some speculation online that Bridget possibly is pregnant and maybe she is and that was what caused her to faint along with her reunion of sorts with Malcolm. The only question is – who’s the father if she is pregnant? Have Bridget and Andrew actually had sex at all since the opening episode?

I don’t think she’s pregnant by Malcolm though. Yes, Bridget and Malcolm had sex in a flashback but that was nine months ago and I get the impression that was the only time they actually did the deed, despite the mutual attraction they seem to have with each other. I don’t know why but I’m pleased that Bridget and Malcolm did do, even if it was possibly just the once. I like her with Malcolm and he’s a good man as well.

Speaking of Malcolm – thank goodness he finally escaped from Bodaway and his gormless goons but I have a horrible feeling that they really did just let him escape and that Malcolm has inadvertently drawn them to New York. If that results in the Bodaway saga being resolved early, I’ll be pleased. That character is far too boring to be clogging up time on better plots.

In terms of better plots – is Gemma really dead? I mean we didn’t even see Charlie actually kill. Sure, he attacked her and went after when she escaped but did he actually kill her? There’s a flicker of me that is hoping that she’s alive because if Siobhan arranged the death of her best friend, then that really is making me hate the character a little more.

Also, keeping with Siobhan – I’m still waiting to find out what exactly is up with the character and why she’s doing the things she’s doing. I also wouldn’t mind having another episode where she gets more than one scene. At this point, that would be especially helpful with things. Siobhan definitely needs more development on this show, as does Victor as well come to think of it.

This was another episode for Victor where he managed to annoy Bridget before finding out something else – that Malcolm was in New York. I’m beginning to struggle with Victor as a character. Henry might not be likeable but occasionally he has his moments (regret over Gemma being one of them) but Victor is showing no characterisation at all and just seems a little too generic that I keep hoping Bridget dupes him all the more.

Even Juliet has more of a character than Victor. Granted, it’s spoiled rich kid syndrome but it’s a character and this week, when she tried to be sensible with her pal Monica, it still backfired on her. Somehow, Andre taking away Juliet’s trust fund doesn’t seem like that much of a big deal. She’ll probably end up with back by next week anyways and interesting that she called Mr Carpenter (does he have a first name?) to her aid. Not suspicious at all.

Also in “Oh Gawd, There’s Two Of Them”

This is the third episode in a row where the title has stemmed from something Juliet has said. At least she’s making a contribution to the series.

Henry (to reporters, re Gemma): “Whoever did this, I want my wife back.”

This episode was directed by former ER star Eriq LaSalle and Sarah Michelle Gellar is a co-executive producer on the series.

Andrew: “Siobhan has a twin sister.”
Juliet: “Oh God, there’s two of them?”

Victor: “Do you even care Miss Martin that your best friend is missing and your sister’s involved?”
Bridget: “What kind of question is that?”

In the flashbacks to Gemma’s death/attack/kidnapping was that even Tara Summers because it looked like a stunt to me.

Bridget (re cake): “Please tell me you didn’t bake.”
Malcolm: “I’m trying to celebrate, not kill you.”

Charlie: “You trust me. You haven’t given me your name yet.”
Bridget: “Siobhan Martin.”
Charlie: “I finally think we’re making some progress.”

Bridget was three months sober during her flashbacks with Malcolm, who might not be a great cook if Bridget’s comments are anything to go by.

Bridget: “I didn’t tell you about Bridget because I was ashamed. It sucks to feel that way about your family.”
Andrew: “You don’t have to feel ashamed. It’s not like you did those things.”
Bridget: “It’s different with twins. I don’t know how to explain it. I always felt responsible for Bridget. I guess I was afraid if I told you the truth, it would change the way you felt about me.”

Andrew: “I just don’t want anything to go wrong ever again between us.”
Bridget: “I don’t either. I’ve lost too much already; I don’t want to lose you too.”

Does anyone else find it a bit silly that they keep saying “Paris, France” every time we see Siobhan? We already know she’s there and most people are aware of where Paris is exactly.

Monica: “I’m sorry, Juliet.”
Juliet: “You owe me, bitch, like ten million.”

Chronology: A few days since “Poor Kids Do It Every Day” I think.

I loved this one. “Oh Gawd, There’s Two Of Them” might be a naff title but this was anything but a naff episode with the various twists and turns in this one. I’m really glad now that I’m sticking with this show because it really have found itself rather nicely.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x02: "Once Upon A Time"

Written by Tim Schlattmann
Directed by SJ Clarkson

Dexter: “So that darkness inside you is gone?”
Brother Sam: “No. It’s still there but I’m fighting it’s ass everyday. I don’t really have a choice. I sacrificed the bad part of my soul to make up for some of the pain I’ve caused.”

Okay, can what Brother Sam said actually be true, please? I know this was his first episode and all and I’ll be surprised if he makes it past this season alive but I think it would be nice for someone with such an abhorrent past like Brother Sam’s to actually be a person who has redeemed themselves.

I mean if Dexter can have such a dark side and still be a good man in some ways, can’t Brother Sam be the same? Do we really need another Big Bad this year anyways? It’s just that it seems predictable for Sam to pretend to be rehabilitated only to have him later turn bad and Dexter seems to have enough on his plate anyways.

Though, much as I like Brother Sam, I can’t exactly blame anyone for being sceptical around the guy. Quinn viewed him with total contempt and Angel himself was pretty sceptical when Sam couldn’t actually help with his enquiries either and all that was before Dexter decided to do some digging himself.

I loved Dexter and Brother Sam’s first scene in the latter’s place of work – definitely the most honest scene Dexter has had with a potential kill and I even enjoyed the subversion of having Brother Sam appear to be kidnapping a young guy when it turned out that he was trying to help him instead.

It does make me wonder that perhaps some people can change and it would be an interesting thing for the show to run with. It could even be a bit of a contrast to the current plot with Travis and Gellar as well too. Even Dexter seemed open to the idea that Brother Sam might have turned over a new leaf after all.

As for Travis and Gellar, I’m glad I didn’t write them off just yet because this episode certainly piqued my interest in both of the characters, particularly Travis. It might be clichéd that Travis has some conflict and is being partially manipulated by Gellar but I think it helps with the character quite a bit though.

Travis still showed some humanity in him with his sister, Lisa (nice casting with Molly Parker there) when he relented and had a home cooked meal with her but Gellar also seems to have an impressive sway over him as well when he burned himself because Travis didn’t show up to one of their little meetings.

The religious overtones to this plot (and likewise with Brother Sam’s too) will not win points for subtlety but it’s effective though. Gellar does seem to have a weird notion that only him and Travis can be saved and that the world is coming to an end. They also ended this episode with killing yet another poor guy as well. I wonder if there are more baby snakes that are left over from the previous episode.

Bad guys and religion aside, it’s nice to see the showing using the fact that Harrison is at that age where he picks up on everything almost immediately and for Dexter, it meant that he needed to take a little caution into the things that Harrison would be exposed to. It’s also one of those incidents that we really didn’t need Harry pointing it out either.

Still, good work on Dexter’s part for dealing with Harrison’s curiosity in some rather neat but easily simple ways, though serial killer or not, there are far worse fathers out there than Dexter Morgan as far as I’m concerned. Not that I’m recommending being a serial killer for dads out there. Look how that panned out in Hollyoaks recently.

Meanwhile – am I the only one who is actually pleased that Deb got promoted to Lieutenant? I know that Angel probably deserved it more and the only reason that Matthews actually gave the job to Deb was to get back at Maria but I do actually think that age/experience issues aside that Deb could very well be a rather decent Lieutenant as well.

I also liked the fact that although Angel was pissed he didn’t get the job, he didn’t take it on Deb. It said a lot about his character and also about their friendship but I’m not sure if taking it out on Maria was wise either. I would’ve rather seen him air his issues out to Mathews rather than his ex-wife though.

However the idea of Deb being everyone’s boss couldn’t have come at a worse time. Not only should it make things somewhat more complicated for Dexter but it’s probably not the thing Quinn needed to hear as well. It’s amazing that this episode made me feel both bad for Quinn and also annoyed by him at the same time.

I felt a bit bad for him because Deb really could’ve handled his proposal better and she could’ve turned him down a bit better but I was also annoyed with him because he seemed to blame it on Dexter in the end. I really don’t want Quinn to start investigating Dexter again but for some reason, I could actually see that happening once again.

Also in “Once Upon A Time”

Harrison asking about ‘daddy’s box’ and for a ‘monster story’ was amusing and worrying in equal measures. He’s a perceptive little boy alright.

Dexter: “I always knew this day would come, just not so soon. I’m not sure how this next chapter goes.”

This episode proved that Ryan was more than a pretty face. Should Masuka be worried about his job?

Deb: “Are you insane?”
Quinn: “Come on, Deb. I’m trying to be fucking romantic here.”
Deb: “Romantic isn’t springing something like this on me. When have we ever talked about marriage?”

Angel: “Her blood is on your hands.”
Brother Sam: “There’s a lot more than that girl’s blood on my hands.”

Brother Sam is played by Mos Def, which is interesting casting. His real name is Samuel Wright and he’s got a dog named Eli. That might be going overboard with the religious theme.

Lisa: “You’re working too much. I can see it in your face.”
Travis: “I like to keep busy.”

Brother Sam: “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
Dexter: “You don’t say.”

I do hope there’s going to be a bit more to Jamie than babysitting Harrison. I think there was an indicator where she didn’t seem fond of Deb.

Gellar (re Lisa): “It’s my job to take care of you, not hers.”
Travis: “Forgive me. I will do better. I will show you that I’m worthy.”

Dexter: “I’m not ready to call Julio a sign from God but I am grateful for the bounty I’m about to receive.”

With both Maria and Deb promoted in the first two episodes, is anyone else going to up the career ladder this season?

Masuka: “Please don’t sue.”
Ryan: “You like to watch? Good to know.”

Dexter: “Always the same ending because monsters don’t get to live happily ever after.”

Chronology: A few days since “Those Kinds Of Things”. Quinn mentioned that him and Deb had been dating for over a year as well.

This was definitely a stronger episode than the opening. “Once Upon A Time” played nicely enough with some fairytale concepts but this was another one about religion, which is definitely this year’s big theme. On the plus side, at least we’re getting interesting characters out of it.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Monday, October 31, 2011

Lip Service - Season 1 Review


You gotta give BBC3 their dues. Their comedies might have an alarming hit and miss rate about them but their dramas are solid stuff and tackling a lesbian themed one set in Glasgow could draw comparisons to The L Word but actually this is a better show with a likeable set of characters and intriguing triangles here and there.

Episode 1: Interesting opening episode. We learn that Cat's ex-girlfriend Frankie is back in town and she's on a mission to learn more about her past while Cat becomes friendly with a cop named Sam. Elsewhere Tess has the hots for the seemingly straight Lou as well as an embarrassing run in with an ex-girlfriend.

Episode 2: It's the one where Frankie meets the reckless and light fingered Sadie while continuing to look into her past and it's also the one where Tess makes an eejit of herself on live television and Cat and Sam begin their relationship.

Episode 3: One of the strongest episodes but sadly the one where Tess is dumped by Lou so she can date her horrible co-host while Jay fools around with an office intern with some disastrous results.

Episode 4: Frankie and Jay get a bit too close to each other after spending time together, Tess learns the hard way that internet dating isn't a good idea and Cat lies to Sam, putting their relationship in danger.

Episode 5: The best episode of the bunch Tess having the worst birthday (bad botox, Ed admitting his real feelings for her) and also the one where Sadie is given the elbow and Frankie and Jay's one nighter is revealed to everyone.

Episode 6: Good finale, even if the Cat/Frankie/Sam triangle takes a pretty predictable turn but the solution to Frankie's search into her past is a clear indicator of better storylines in the second season. It's also nice to see Tess with a suitable love interest in Finn as well.

An excellent series and also proof that when BBC3 put some concentration into it, they can produce a good drama that isn't supernatural. I'm definitely hoping that the second season is going to be just as good.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Soap Discussion - October 2011

And here's a soap blog. I'll have something different as my final blog for the month of October.

Coronation Street: The sad real life death of Betty Driver aside, October did seem more eventful for the show than it has been for the last while. The aftermath of Carla's rape and the arrival of Frank's horrible mother certainly made things difficult for Underworld's running but the return of John Stape for the billionth time and his subsequent death did make for some oddly entertaining viewing, even if his quest to get Fiz out of jail didn't really go to plan. I think that will be Stape's legacy as a character - a man whose plans never take off the way he wants them to.

EastEnders: Definitely a good month for this - both Eddie/Vanessa left with no fuss, Michael and Janine realise they have a tolerance for each other, Amira's timely returned to create more havoc with Christian and Syed and everyone is still stupidly being manipulated by Yusef, though that one is set to change. Also, I have to praise the show for the surprising way in which Phil handled Ben's sexuality (though did we really have to see him and Lola test it out?) and Ian and Mandy's bumbling romance is way better to watch than Kat and Alfie's deteriorating marriage again. Oh and it looks like Pat's exit has well and truly been set up too.

Emmerdale: Did we need a new family in the village? Maybe not but so far, while I can't stand Sean (one Aaron is more than enough on this show), I do like that we have an older gay couple with Ali and Ruby and I haven't really minded Rachel or Amelia either. Speaking of Aaron, this has been one of his better months with less antics than usual. As for the Marlon/Laurel and Cain/Moira affairs, neither are compelling and seem to be there to fill up airtime rather than anything else.
Fair City: Not that interesting a month. Suzanne's pregnancy seems to have clogged up most of the storylines as Carol seemed to have given birth with little fuss while the Bishops have seemingly petered in the background, apart from Sasha's mother arriving. Oh and no show, I really don't care about Dermot and Jo's financial problems.

Hollyoaks: Yes, it was Fright Night and in a month where Silas toyed with Lynsey, abducted Mercedes and generally seemed to dominated the voiceovers on Channel 4, even I didn't expect the twist on Friday's E4 episode. Not spoiling it here, because you can see it tomorrow on Channel 4 but either way, this really should be instrumental to Silas's downfall as a murderer. As for the fallout of Carl and Mercedes's affair and the departure of Lee - better than the Freshers antics for the time being. Good month overall.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Misfits - Season 2 Review

First thing is first, this article will contain some spoilers in relation to the second season, which aired over a year ago, so if you haven't seen it, then don't read on. If you have seen Season 2 and read some of the TV jumble blogs from last year when I talked about it, then nothing I'll be talking about will be that much of a spoiler. I'm not trying to be discourteous to anyone but there will be some spoilers here and I've given fair warning.

Episode 1: It's another set up episode for the series - first with Nathan being back into the mix, following the first season finale and then setting up the arrival of a super-hoodie who has been watching over the gang. The antics with a shape shifter from Simon's past also drive the opening story quite well.

Episode 2: Nathan gains a brother for the whole of an episode and then disaster strikes, while he deals with lingering issues with his father. There's also more to Nathan's powers that are revealed in this one as well while new girl Nikki is introduced towards the end of the episode to the gang.

Episode 3: A big one for the series. The identity of the hoodie is revealed when Alisha digs deeper while Curtis gets involved with Nikki and both Nathan and Kelly are up under the influence of a tattoo artist and it's up to Simon to save the day.

Episode 4: One of the most bizarre episodes going. The Gamer plot was interesting enough but it seemed like they got rid of the hoodie plot a little too quickly, even if Alisha is well aware of who the mystery person was under the mask. And Nikki gets a power of her own in an unusual way.

Episode 5: A costume party and an unusual love interest for Kelly? Also one of the best episodes we've had. The Jessica plot, despite being a bit unoriginal also worked rather well and even Curtis and Nikki getting together played out nicely.

Episode 6: For a brief moment, the gang became famous and a disgruntled freak took it upon himself to create as much havoc as he could with the strangest power going. This episode is probably more remembered for Simon and Alisha getting closer and Nathan's meaning behind the word, 'tripling'.

Episode 7: If ever there was a Christmas special that couldn't be described as typical, it's this one. Well, we did get a birth, a death, a classic line from Kelly and one hell of a game changing moment in the last scene.

In terms of a second year, this was a superb success from start to finish. It improved upon the first season, developed the characters even better and never lost it's coarse veneer throughout. I'm definitely glad I got into this show.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Thursday, October 27, 2011

My Review of Dexter's 6x01: "Those Kinds Of Things"

Written by Scott Buck
Directed by John Dahl

Dexter (to Joe): “What would Jesus have done? Seriously now?”

It’s amazing that we’ve actually long enough within this show’s lifespan and the character of Dexter that it’s only now where religion seems to have finally been addressed at all. I’m not sure if it’s necessarily a good thing as such but like with many a plot I have uncertainty about, I shall do my best to keep an open mind.

Let’s start the religious spiel into Dexter’s personal life. I get that Angel’s a great friend and his attempts of explaining God were reasonable enough but why does Dexter think it’s a good idea to send Harrison to a school run by nuns? Does he really think that a sense of enlightenment and rules will keep Harrison on the straight and narrow? I just don’t think that Dexter would be that naive on the matter.

I did however find it rather interesting when Deb broached Dexter’s own little guidelines with Harrison halfway through the episode. It’s time like this where I do hope and wonder that Deb is beginning to see deeper and deeper into who her brother really is but the more she does, the more it will inevitably change the way she sees him entirely altogether. I don’t know if I’m sure that I want a Deb who isn’t on her brother’s side even if her reactions would be understandable in the circumstance.

Dexter blew it with the nun initially when he openly admitted to having a lack of a religious belief in anything but somehow managed to redeem himself and get Harrison into the school by being a bit more honest and appealing towards the nun in question. At least that’s one worry in terms of religion that Dexter can stroke off the list.

Too bad for him that another one comes in the shape of a Professor Gellar and his creepy little acolyte named Travis Marshall (occasionally Wikipedia can deliver the accurate goods) who certainly made an impression in this first episode alone. I’m not sure if they’re going to usurp the likes of Brian Moser or Arthur Mitchell but they’d definitely give Jordan Chase a run for his money.

Watching them capture a pregnant water snake to steal it’s babies and then put them inside an unfortunate vendor that Travis decided to machete to death was a new level of disgusting for this show. It also gave Deb another appropriate reaction as well. Holy Frankenfuck anyone? I’m not exactly sure what these two have intended for Miami but whatever has begun, I’m sure it’s going to give Dexter no end of worries in the next few weeks, that’s for sure.

Also keeping with the religious overtones of this episode – Dexter went to his high school reunion and got to achieve a lot of things. He got a memorable encounter with a hot girl named Trisha and he probably fulfilled every geek’s fantasy by getting to kill a mean jock named Joe Walker towards the end of the episode.

Dexter at his school reunion was definitely a good highlight of the episode but there seemed to a lot more focus on it than I thought there would be. The bad dancing and myriad of people who wanted to talk to Dexter (mainly about Rita) was all well and good but it was his final confrontation with Joe that was a personal highlight.

Not just because Joe was killed for abusing and murdering his wife Janet but because Joe was pretty happy to talk about repenting before Dexter did him in. Funny, how Joe seemed to be okay about killing his wife and repenting for it but not believing that Dexter couldn’t repent for killing him in the end.

Elsewhere when Dexter wasn’t bumping mean jocks off, it seemed that he bought the apartment next door to him and Angel’s sister Jamie wound up becoming Harrison’s babysitter. I didn’t even know that Angel had a sister but it was funny how the episode had both Dexter and Angel correcting the audience and a waiter about who Jamie was to them on seperate occasions.

As for the character, Jamie seems nice enough and probably had more dialogue in this one episode than Sonya did in all of the previous season but I can’t help but wonder if we really need the character, unless they’re setting her up for something more in the next few weeks. I kind of hope so but I’m not sure what though.

As for Angel – divorced from Maria, really show? I was hoping they would’ve worked through their problems rather than throw the towel in. Still, it was nice that Maria actually made Angel into a Lieutenant after blackmailing Chief Deputy Matthews into making her a Captain.

If Matthews was a more likeable character and Maria’s history was different, I might actually have felt sorry for the former and appalled by the latter but them are the breaks when it comes to this show. I don’t doubt that Matthews will find a way to get his own back on Maria pretty soon in the same way I don’t doubt that Maria will do something to annoy the other main characters as well.

Last but not least – Quinn and Masuka. They didn’t really seem to have much to do in this one but with the former trying to find a way to propose to Deb while helping her with a gunman at a restaurant and the latter choosing a smart intern and then having to settle for a hot one instead. I’m pretty sure they’ll get more to do later in the season anyways.

Also in “Those Kinds Of Things”

The Previously On bit was longer than usual with a recap of the first five seasons, which really does show how much has happened on the series.

Dexter (to himself): “There are times in our lives where everything seems to go wrong.”

The opening scene was interesting – Dexter killing the EMT’s Ben and Roger but not in the same ritualistic manner that he later did with Joe.

Nun: “What do you believe in Mr Morgan?”
Dexter: “Nothing. I don’t believe in anything.”

Matthews: “Watch your back, Maria; you’re playing with the big boys now.”

From the dialogue we had at the end, it turns out that though they’re siblings, both Angel and Jamie did not live with each other.

Harry: “Put all those things together and it makes you ...”
Dexter: “... Popular.”
Harry: “How does it feel?”
Dexter: “I hate it.”

Maria: “Okay, my motives are not unselfish. I need someone who I can trust, someone who has my back.”
Angel: “I don’t know. I’m someone who needs to be on the streets.”

There were a few cult actors in this one. Brea Grant from Heroes is Ryan, the attractive intern for Masuka, Edward James Olmos from Battlestar Galactica is Professor Gellar and Travis Marshall is played by Colin Hanks from Roswell.

Angel (re belief in God): “It’s very hard to put into words.”
Dexter (to himself): “Because it makes no sense.”

Deb: “How do you know Greek?”
Quinn: “I dated some sorority chick back in the day.”
Deb: “Of course you did.”

Standout music: MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This”, purely for Dexter’s awkward dancing and hammer time references in the episode.

Dexter (re Joe): “Fast reflexes. I hate jocks.”

Travis: “So, it’s begun?”
Gellar: “Yes, it’s begun.”

Chronology: I read somewhere that nearly a year has passed since “The Big One”, which would seem to explain a lot of the changes in this episode.

As an opening story went, “Those Kinds Of Things” isn’t necessarily the best one we’ve ever had on the show but it was definitely interesting enough and had plenty of good moments. I’m not sure if the religion theme can be sustained throughout the season or how Gellar and his protégé will pan out as villains but I am looking forward to finding out on both counts.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Misfits - Season 1 Review

This was another show I caught sort of late (but not too late to catch). The series surrounding five teens in community service dealing with superpowers after a freak storm – Kelly/reading people's thoughts, Alisha/driving people wild sexually, Simon/invisibility, Curtis/turning back time and Nathan/being unable to die but once I started watching it, I became bloody hooked to it.

Episode 1: Pretty much sets up everything. Introduces us all to the five main characters, gives them their superpowers and also sees them killing their probation officer in self-defence, setting up a quest for the man's girlfriend to be looking for answers for the rest of the series.

Episode 2: It's the one where Nathan gets a hot new girlfriend and it turns out that Ruth is actually an older woman who becomes younger thanks to the freak storm. It's also the one where Nathan realises that his mother's new boyfriend has been affected by the storm as well.

Episode 3: Simon deals with the possibility of the bodies being discovered but mainly this episode seemed to one in which Alisha grew closer to Curtis and they tried to find ways of being intimate without actually touching each other.

Episode 4: An excellent flashback episode where we learned what led to Curtis's downfall originally as well as what the other kids were up to on the same night. Curtis's attempts of rewriting his own history and dumping his girlfriend also seemed to keep backfiring on him as well.

Episode 5: Maybe the best episode of the first series. It's the one where Nathan was put in the position of caring for a child and the same one where Simon ended up killing Sally after she discovered the truth about her boyfriend's disappearance.

Episode 6: The subplot with the cult called Virtue was nicely done but after six episodes, the most important thing about this episode was finally learning that Nathan could actually be unable to die. A nice way of ending the first year.

An incredibly impressive first run of episodes, it's no wonder this show has generated so much love. It's a refreshing incorrect take on the superhero genre with five genuinely interesting and diverse characters. As for the best part – the second series is even better.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The King Is Dead, Long Live The King

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

Downton Abbey: If you haven't read this week's Radio Times (the Crawley ladies are on the cover), then it's become apparent from some critics that Season 2 is a little too soapy, especially with the turn of events here - William's deathbed wedding to Daisy, Matthew's paralysis, Vera's much welcomed demise, more obstacles for Bates and Anna, Carlisle having Mary in his grasp and even Robert seemingly being tempted by a new housemaid whose circumstances have some slight similarities to Ethel. On the plus side, the war is finally over but on the flipside, Lavinia is back. Can both her and Carlisle just do one already?

Merlin: There are plenty of ways a young prince might want to celebrate his birthday. Nearly being assassinated and witnessing his own father's death probably aren't that high on the list. Much as I like Anthony Stewart Head, I just won't miss Uther as a character (though Aggravaine is becoming just as annoying) and his death has been overdue. More interesting was Morgana's sense of conflict when she learned that Uther had perished due to one of her spells interfering with Merlin's attempts to save. The next episode featuring the birth of a white dragon was also interesting, even if Game Of Thrones handled that plot much better.

Smallville: Interesting set of episodes. Apart from some nice progression with Darkseid and Lois holding off on marrying Clark, I think the returns of both Zod and Kara in the last two episodes, particularly considering the effect they both had on Oliver. I can't wait to see how the last two episodes wrap up ten years of superhero antics.

The Fades: I am really loving this show now. After a slow start, it's really picked up considerable pace and while some of the female characters (apart from Sarah) still need improving, I am loving the rivarly between Angelics 'leader' Paul and Fades leader John and Sarah becoming a fade was definitely not something I expected to see. Unfortunately, the writers really are not doing a lot in Neil's favour, are they? Having him resort to taking Mac hostage to get Paul onside isn't the best way of getting us to understand his point of view.

The X Factor: It's amazing how crazy this show gets and not in a good way. Who do the producers think they're fooling? The petty squabbling between the judges is old hat and Kelly and Tulisa are acting like spoiled brats doesn't help matters. Misha B's a bully? If true, there are better ways of handling it and for the love of God, get rid of that insufferable Frankie once and for all, please. Even Gary was forced to admit he was dire and the show's handling of rock week was unbelievably bad on so many levels. Tulisa, I know you're 23 but you do realise that Kesha, Salt 'N' Pepa and Gnarls Barkley aren't rock, right? Count yourself lucky that Sami's cruise ship singing doomed her on Sunday or it would've been one of your acts for the chop.

The Walking Dead: I'm always mystified that it takes nearly a year for FXUK to air the latest seasons of Dexter and True Blood but somehow they're able to air this show within days of US transmission. The second season of this show started on Friday and it's still as slow moving but interesting as ever. I'm hoping with thirteen episodes that the show has enough time to utilize every character better than the first one did. Oh and the cliff hanger at the end of the first episode was certainly a good shocker.

- Kristofer Polaha has mentioned that there are more interesting times ahead for Henry in the next couple of episodes of Ringer.
- Pan Am is expected to be picked up for a full first season as Steve Maeda has joined the series as executive producer.
- Lea Michele has recently mentioned that she was grossed out filming a sex scene for an upcoming episode of Glee. Er, too much info there.
- Both John Hannah and Ryan Philippe will be appearing in the fifth season of Damages. Season 5 will also be the series last season as well.
- Courtney Cox and David Arquette has sold a pilot named Skinny Girl to ABC.
- True Blood's fifth season will introduce a vampire named Nora, who is one of Godric's progeny and a sister to Eric as well as a mysterious character called Salome.

Monday, October 24, 2011

How Bad Are We?

And here is the first of two TV jumble blogs to look forward to during the week.

Pan Am: If I needed a reminder that there was no more Brothers And Sisters, then the arrival of ABC's new air stewardess drama on Irish TV was a nice way of doing so. It'd be easy to dismiss the series as a Mad Men for ladies but actually, it's a bit more interesting than said show to be honest. The most interesting character to emerge out of the ladies is Kate and the fact that she's working for the FBI. It's hard to tell if this show will be a long runner but I'm intrigued enough to give a few more episodes a go.

Shameless: The last two episodes of the eighth series ended the show on a reasonable enough note. Okay, I'm not a fan of Mimi and Billy as a couple, so their wedding wasn't that much of a highlight but Carl's out of nowhere decision to become a policeman and the breakdown of Kelly and Shane was surprisingly a lot more effective. Frank was still his unfortunate useless self (why is this character still on this show?). Here's hoping that Series 9 next year is better paced. The series certainly suffered from pacing problems.

Spy: Sky1's latest take on comedy is thankfully a lot better than their last few efforts. Spy will not win points for originality and Robert Lindsay's hammy acting does rear it's head but Darren Boyd is excellent as the hapless Tim who accidentally became a member of MI5. Also oddly funny is the Stewie Griffin-ish son Marcus, whose pithy observations might not be realistic for a nine year old but they are entertaining to watch. Definitely one of Sky1's better efforts.

The Apprentice (Ireland): I've been relegating this to a Sunday afternoon repeats but blimey, I wasn't expecting Eoin to actually leave. Typical. One of the most irritating contestants and we're denied the satisfaction of actually seeing him getting fired. Oh, and didn't Bill fire yet another female contestant? Any chance he can stop doing that so frequently because even I don't this series to be a boys club.

The Vampire Diaries: I really love this show and the last two episodes have made me so glad I actually took up watching. The flashbacks and reveals galore in relation to Klaus have been fun to watch and even more so, the renewed alliance with Elena/Damon and Bonnie being crafty enough to fake her own death while Jenna finally became privy to vampires and Klaus got his own body back. Of course, there's a few downers - Katherine largely being underused and Damon acting like his usual petulant/violent self when Elena took control of the Klaus and tried to find other ways of defeating. Gotta love the girl's gumption. Damon on the other hand, can just do one.
Threesome: Yay, another new comedy that I actually found myself enjoying. If this Comedy Central's attempts of doing flagship shows, then it's off to a terrific start. Even though I wasn't sure I needed to see yet another show where a gay man fathers a kid for a straight couple (during an awkward three-way during Alice's birthday), I can't help but enjoy this series. Alice, Mitch and Richie make for an interesting troika and Alice's mother in the second episode was fun to watch as well but that might be down to my soft spot for Pauline McLynn. Can't wait to watch the next few episodes.


- Jamie Bamber will be appearing in Body Of Proof as a love interest for Dana Delany's character.
- E4 have the rights to both Charlie's Angels (which was cancelled) and New Girl. Both are due to air on the channel in the next few weeks.
- Chord Overstreet will be returning to Glee after all, reprising his role as Sam in the eighth episode, due to air in December. Matthew Morrison will also be directing the Christmas episode this year.
- Marc Cherry is developing a new series for ABC called Devious Maids.
- Lena Hedly has said that the second series of Games Of Thrones will be even crazier than the first one.
- Catherine Tate will be reprising her role as Nellie in the second half of the eighth season of The Office.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

News Bit: ITV Have A Scapegoat

Yeah, I don't do this a lot for every one of my favourite actors but alongside his role in the upcoming two-parter, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, it does seem that Matthew Rhys is signing up to some very interesting UK projects.

Matthew Rhys and Eileen Atkins have signed to star in The Scapegoat, a screen adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1957 novel.

Rhys, best known for his long-running role in Brothers and Sisters, will star in the movie version penned and to be directed by Charles Sturridge.

Billed as a psychological thriller, the script details the story of a man who meets his perfect double and takes over his life.

The project marks the debut movie production from Island Pictures, the U.K. film and TV production banner unfurled byDominic Minghella and Sarah Beardsall.

The movie is due for transmission on ITV1 in 2012, and will be followed by a worldwide theatrical distribution rollout plan to be managed by Content Media Corporation.

ITV and Content Film, Content Television and Digital have provided financial backing for the project.

The movie will be produced by Beardsall and Minghella.

Beardsall, a former high flying casting director whose resume boasts Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Talented Mr Ripleyand TV's Inspector Morse described the project as a "landmark" for Island Pictures.

"This [The Scapegoat] is our calling-card, and a statement of intent - to produce film and television with the highest of ambitions," Beardsall said.

Sturridge said it was a daunting prospect, trying to bring du Maurier's novel to life on the screen after both Alfred Hitchock and Nic Roeg had previously done adaptations of the writer's work.

"I loved the story from the moment I read it and the extraordinary mix of brilliant characters surrounding these mirror image men,” Sturridge said.

Should be interesting to watch, even if I can't help thinking it could be seen as a male version of Ringer (which is silly considering the novel came out 54 years before that series).

Saturday, October 22, 2011

My Review of Ringer's 1x06: "Poor Kids Do It Every Day"

Written by Robert Doherty
Directed by Jerry Levine

Bridget: “I would never hurt Gemma.”
Henry: “Stop lying to me, Siobhan, where is she?”
Bridget: “It’s funny. You’re trying to convince me I did something to her when you clearly look like the one who’s snapped.”

There are a lot of things that are funny but as a person, Henry really doesn’t seem like a barrel of laughs, even on a good day. So, on a bad day, he’s even surlier to be around and this episode tried to inject sympathy for him but kind of failed in a way.

I didn’t believe that Henry actually killed Gemma in the first place in the same way that I actually don’t believe that Gemma is even dead but Henry certainly doesn’t make things easy on himself. Being evasive with Andrew is one thing but getting up in Bridget’s face twice during this episode was another.

I wish I was surprised that at one point during their affair that Siobhan had gauged the idea to Henry of having Andrew and Gemma killed but Siobhan so far has been portrayed as someone who goes to ridiculously extreme lengths that her involvement in Gemma’s disappearance seemed more of an odd relief more than anything else.

It still didn’t help Henry though flying into a rage and throwing accusations at Bridget before being gullible enough to tell her where he stashed all the materials he had used to clean up the apartment as well. What I don’t get is why Bridget handled the situation in the way that she did.

Wouldn’t alerting the police to Gemma’s disappearance just attract unwanted attention her way? Oh right, that’s exactly what it did because now Victor has another new reason to harangue Bridget and figure out what she’s up to and I don’t know if trying to shaft Henry is her best course of action anyways.

Henry’s not exactly Mr Slick and I wouldn’t be surprised if with a few more police visits about Gemma if he doesn’t end up blabbing about his affair with Siobhan and then Bridget really will be screwed. No, Bridget’s only best course of action is keeping Henry sweet and hoping her little fingerprint antics don’t result in her being chucked into the slammer.

Much as I like Bridget, the woman doesn’t half make it hard for herself this week. Aside from mishandled Henry, there was also a moment where it did look like she was nearly about to fall off the wagon as well when Juliet gave her the stash of drugs to get rid of too. I suppose in this respect, it’s a good thing she did call Charlie but a) I still don’t trust him and b) I’d rather she started asking questions about Malcolm.

Speaking of Malcolm – the torture needs to stop. I’m sick of seeing the poor guy being forced in taking drugs by Macawi and his crappy sidekicks more than I’m sick of seeing Macawi in general. I was really hoping that this episode was going to put an end to all of this but sadly, it seems that’s not the cause.

Even when Victor was actually able to get a warrant to search the strip club, Macawi and his rubbish goons were able to get rid of Malcolm before Victor could get to him. I’m having a hard time taking Victor seriously at times myself but when he’s being outwitted by Macawi, I’m beginning to wonder if being a detective is Victor’s true calling in life. He doesn’t especially seem to be good at it. Unless needling Bridget counts, which it shouldn’t.

At least Siobhan seems to be covering the villainy a little more convincing than anyone else. She wanted Gemma out of the way and for the time being, her wish is in place and I’m pretty sure she’s still getting her money’s worth out of Tyler’s interest in her but personally, we need more scenes with her and a better explanation as to what’s motivating her actions as of now.

Last but not least, Juliet got an interesting enough subplot that felt less distracting to the antics of this episode. Her snobbery aside, you can’t exactly blame her for not wanting to take crap from the likes of Tessa. If you’re stupid enough to bully someone because you think they’re a soft touch, be prepared for the consequences. My respect actually went up for Juliet by not taking crap from Tessa, even if it nearly got her in trouble.

I also felt bad for her when her new principal and Andrew were both quick to decide that she started the fight, so Mr Carpenter stepping in to defend her was quite nice. That being said, I’m not sure if it’s wise for this show to go into a student/teacher hook up but it does seem that’s exactly where this show will go in relation to Juliet and Mr Carpenter though.

Also in “Poor Kids Do It Every Day”

Is every episode now going to have an opening of the city? We get that it’s based in New York, though is it actually filmed there?

Andrew (re Juliet): “Would you tell her that’s not appropriate attire for her first day of school?”
Bridget: “It’s a little fabric challenged.”

The cop Bridget beat up from the first episode – Jimmy, made a reappearance in this episode and he did not seem pleased.

Henry (re killing Andrew/Gemma): “Oh my God, you’re serious, aren’t you?”
Siobhan: “Do you want me to be? God, I’m joking. You’re gullible. It’s a good thing you’re so adorable.”

Henry (to Bridget, re Gemma): “Do you really think it was me? She’s the mother of my children, Siobhan. Now I know you may not love me anymore but please tell me you still know me. Tell me that you know I would never hurt her.”

Mr Carpenter was played Jason Dohring, who played Logan in Veronica Mars and the principal was played by Adina Porter, otherwise known as Tara’s mother in True Blood.

Bridget (to Charlie, re drugs): “Yeah, you can. These are the relics of my old life. Today’s about protecting my new one.”

Mr Carpenter: “Everyone deserves a fresh start.”
Juliet: “Thanks.”

We learned that Mr Carpenter was an army child in this episode when he was trying to comfort Juliet. Andrew had also a business meeting in Tokyo with Olivia as well.

Siobhan (re Gemma): “I didn’t want it to have to come to this.”

Chronology: It’s October if we’re going by Juliet starting public school and Gemma did not appear in this one.

Despite a rather dodgy title for an episode, “Poor Kids Do It Every Day” is still a rather good episode. It’s nice that we know who is behind Gemma’s current predicament but some more motivations and scenes with Siobhan is really needed at this point though and can Bridget please save Malcolm now?

Rating: 8 out of 10

Friday, October 21, 2011

Fandom And Black Female Characters

A few days ago, a follower/friend of mine on LiveJournal linked an article (which I'm linking as well) on fandom's attitude towards black female characters and pointed out four different shows in order to raise a point. Here's my response/opinion to what the article addresses.

Merlin: I remember reading a lot of whiny/bitchy comments about Angel Coulby's casting as Guinevere being PC, whereas I thought she was cast because she was the right person for the role. And four seasons into Merlin, I can't imagine anyone else bringing Gwen to life in the same way that Coulby has done so effortlessly.

Glee: I like Mercedes more than Rachel at times but I was divided with the both of them in the Asian F episode. Mercedes does need more to do as a character. Amber Riley does have the ability to deliver. The writers just need to get off their lazy behinds and realise that all the female characters on this show matter, not just Rachel Berry.

True Blood: Tara's hostility towards vampires in the series is justified IMO. The poor girl was kidnapped, raped and has been repeatedly threatened by them. If Franklin wasn't played by an actor that some fangirls didn't fancy or if Tara didn't have the sense to tell Sookie how destructive both Eric/Bill are, I doubt these idiots would care to ciritique.

Doctor Who: As for Martha Jones, I've never understood how such a wonderfully compassionate character like her has been the figure of hatred for certain fans. It's genuinely mind boggling stuff. How can someone this kind, resourceful, intelligent and interesting can generated that much hatred? All is proves to me that there are some fans out there who are genuinely stupid.

Article: http://www.racialicious.com/2011/10/18/fandom-and-its-hatred-of-black-women-characters/