Glee - Loser Like Me/Homecoming (Spoilers)

It's the final season of Glee and while FOX might have relegated the show to Fridays, the first two episodes of the season certainly had a sense of fun that a lot of last season simply lacked.

Back To The Old High School: Last time we saw Rachel, she was about to get her own television show. Cut to a few months later said show tanked, Rachel went into hiding before returning to McKinley and incurring Sue's wrath by going over her head and getting the glee club restored with some help from Kurt and of course, the rest of the original cast (except Mike) in the second part of the show. I have to admit that I really loved Rachel in both of these opening episodes more than I've ever loved the character before. It's like her humiliating knock finally made her a force for good, especially as she managed to get two new members for the club, even if recruiting one of them rubbed Blaine up the wrong way. The scene where she was also forced to watch the only episode of her awful show That's So Rachel was pretty amusing as well and I found her version of Let It Go pretty solid as well.

Brotherhood Traditions: When this episode wasn't banding Kurt and Rachel together, it was also seperating both Kurt and Blaine and hooking up the latter with Karofsky as well, which I am not entirely loving there. On the other hand, the very 'straight' Warblers re-emerged and when they weren't doing Ed Sheeran's Sing they seemed pretty hacked off over the idea of a girl possibly joining their ranks. Personally, their loss is McKinley as Jane endeared herself from the moment she revealed herself to be a fan of Janelle Monae. Now there is a girl with a sublime taste music and her version of Tightrope was equally sublime. Rachel mentoring that girl was a delightful contrast to the way she treated poor Sunshine back in the second season.

The Old Gang Are Back: Yup, there were a lot of returns in this episode - Sue as a tyrant principal, Becky as her maniacal right hand woman (I am really loathing her now), Figgins working in the coffee place whose name I don't think the show has ever bothered to mentioned, Sam assisting Beiste with the football team, Will as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline (where Max from the Wanted seems to have retreated to) and Blaine manning the Warblers of course. Then there was Santana, Quinn (with an unflattering bleached blonde bob), Brittany, Mercedes, Puck, Tina and Artie also cropping up to help sings songs like Problem, Take On Me (the highlight of both episodes) and Home when they were helping to recruit members for the new glee club as well as turning down members too. Just like the good old days then, yeah?

The New Kids: Clearly the show learned something from Kitty (who appeared here heading the Cheerios and was deeply resentful), Marley, Jacob, Ryder and Unique because the new batch of kids are clearly not reduxes of the original group we've had. You've got the soulful Roderick, the excellent Jane, post modern gay football player, Spencer (more on him in a bit) and of course twins Mason and Madison, who seem quirky enough, even if the Flowers In The Attic comparison to their dynamic is a little troubling but so far, all of them have made a solid impression without overshadowing the originals. I'd say that was a result there.

Post Modern Gay: Whatever your stance is on Ryan Murphy's use of LGBT characters, the consistent thing is that Glee has had plenty of them in abundance and Spencer is the latest in a long line of them. Vocally, he seems okay and I do like that he called Kurt out on trying to recruit him for the glee club but at the same time, I enjoyed him going toe to toe with Sue as well. There's an element of Puck and Santana in that kid and Marshall Williams is certainly easy on the eye, though they might want to ease up on the jerkish side to his character. Other than that, he's a good addition to the show as are all the new kids and these two episodes were easily better than anything we got in the majority of the previous season. Hopefully with the episode reduction that means we'll get a more coherent final year.

Glee's sixth and final season airs Fridays at 8pm on FOX for US viewers. Sky1 have yet to confirm an airdate for the final year.

Red Rock - TV3's First Soap Review

Yeah, this was some time coming - me doing a blog about the latest Irish soap to hit the airwaves - Red Rock. Hold tight, readers.

Announced early back in 2014 after it was revealed that UTV Ireland was to take over airing both Emmerdale and Coronation Street in 2015, TV3 revealed their own intentions for a soap with Red Rock - a twice weekly show set in a fictional coastal town of the same name with the main plots centring around a local Gardai station and between two warring families - the somewhat posh Hennesseys and the rather rough Kielys.

The opening episode opened up with a fight between Darren Kiely and Michael Hennessey, with the latter ending up in hospital before dying at the end of the first episode. Introduced into the second episode, the Kielys rather fearsome matriarch, Bridget (Denise McCormack) seemed pretty intent on getting vengeance for her deceased son while Hennessey matriarch Patricia (Cathy Belton) went as far as intimidating the daughter of the man she was sleeping with in a bid to keep her own son out of prison. Of course, when we weren't seeing and hearing about the long rivalry between both families intensifying, at least two of them were secretly sleeping together (Hennessey other son, David and only Kiely daughter, Katie) while young Gardai Sharon (Jane McGrath) was pretty horrified to learn that one of her co-workers was sleeping with a schoolgirl amongst other things.

Having seen the first two episodes, I have to admit that Red Rock is off to a decent start. With 160 episodes due to air over the next two years (I'm assuming that it will take summer breaks), it certainly has plenty of time to fine tune things - the theme for a start is one of the few negative things I have to say about the soap, it's just jarring I'm afraid. The acting is pretty solid, the majority of the characters are likeable and interesting enough to carry the show and while it won't initially give either Fair City or Ros Na Run a run for their money, I will admit that Red Rock does stand up pretty well so far. That being said, I am hoping for some more families outside the Hennessey/Kiely clans (the Reids who run the cafe are a good start) to be added over the next few months and while it's great that one of the Gardai is someone not from Ireland, I am hoping the show does follow it's other soap rivals lead with a few more POC and LGBT characters. Other than that, congrats TV3, I think you've got a hit on your hands and a soap that I will watch.

Official Site: http://tv3.ie/shows/redrock

Red Rock airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8.30pm on TV3. The omnibus is at 6pm on Sundays.

Recap/Review: American Horror Story: Freak Show - Magical Thinking

Three episodes to go and after an interesting (if somewhat up and down) slew of episodes in 2014, this one certainly kept my attention due to a certain guest star.

Written by Jennifer Salt
Directed by Michael Goi

The Man & His Creepy Doll: I love Neil Patrick Harris and while I wasn't particularly an avid fan of How I Met Your Mother, it's hard to deny the charisma that oozes off that man. It's bloody irresistible, isn't it? In this episode he played a chameleon salesman (no seriously, he sold chameleons, people) named Chester who managed to get himself an act and eventually ownership of Elsa's whole show. While he might have rubbed Paul up the wrong and been easily manipulated by Dandy (more on that in a bit), he did manage to charm both Bette and Dot into sleeping with him, Unfortunately, Chester has blood on his hands and a scarred war past and less said about his creepy as anything doll Margary (Jamie Brewer), the better, yeah?

Not Handy Anymore: If Margary wasn't enough to creep you out, the sight of Jimmy losing his hands after being duped by Stanley certainly did the trick. We already saw them at that morbidity museum in the previous episode but here, we see Jimmy waking up and realising that he's lost his hands while Dell gave us some insight into his own childhood (bit too late, Dell). On the plus side, at least two people actually managed to get Jimmy out of prison though.

The Strongman & The Strongwoman: Well, this episode might not have forged a friendship between Dell and the lovely Amazon Eve but both of them were willing to put their differences aside to rescue Jimmy and that's what matters, right? This episode did make me think if Dell had been a decent guy from the off that his comeuppance in this episode might have made me feel bad for him. That being said, he killed Ma Petite, left it too late to be a caring father for Jimmy, so Elsa shooting him after Desiree extracted a confession from him was his just desserts, Stanley next, ladies.

Jealous Boyfriend: While Dandy managed not to kill anyone in this episode, he did get his detective pal to spy on the camp and was pretty upset when Bette and Dot slept with Chester. I mean, instead of going into one of his OTT rages, Dandy actually cried, which made him rather pitiful. On the other hand, he did dust himself off and used Chester's fixation on Margary to his advantage, which was a lot more effective than his usual methods but with two episodes left, surely Dandy is due for a gruesome ending, right?

She Shoots Well: Crikey, two episodes in a row where Elsa has not wrecked my head. That's gotta be a record for any Jessica Lange character on this show. I liked that she seems to be showing more respect and affection for her monsters but I do think she palmed off her own camp to Chester a little too quickly. On the plus side, she shot Dell and if she kills Stanley next week, there might be some hope for her yet. Assuming the rest of her troupe don't find out she killed Ethel that is.

Next week, Dandy tries to drive a wedge between the twins and Chester and Stanley gets a much overdue comeuppance I think.

My Review of Revenge's 4x11: "Epitaph"

Written by Alex Taub
Directed by Bobby Roth

Daniel (to Emily): “If you open those curtains, it’s all be over.”

It’s been a month since Daniel was actually killed off screen and in terms of send offs; this was a satisfying episode to finally end the character. Assuming we won’t be seeing Joshua Bowman on the series, even in flashbacks and dream sequences any time soon.

With Daniel’s death being so prominent in this episode, there were some pros and cons. The obvious cons was the whole cover up of Kate’s body to make it look like Emily had to kill Daniel in self defence and if even Ben could easily see through that, then I’m pretty certain the arriving Malcolm Black will be able to as well.

It was also pointless because now we’ve got a misguided vengeance storyline of Margaux’s to deal with as well. I like Margaux but the whole idea of her wanting to take down Emily will become pretty tedious and at this point, with everyone else privy to her being Amanda, maybe Margaux could be used more as an ally than a threat to Emily, right?

Then there’s Victoria and David. Is it wrong that I like that Daniel’s death is doing more to drive a wedge between them than uniting them? They were both pretty nasty to one another this week, even if David did try to be a bit more supportive during the actual funeral itself.

As for David – I called his whole plan to take out Malcolm Black being a failure. Even without the last scene where the latter killed off Edward (who was the most annoying character this week), the latter half of this season alone needs Malcolm and whatever brand of danger he supposedly carries to the remaining cast members.

The rest of the episode also had it’s moments though – I liked that while Emily was banned from Daniel’s funeral, we still got some insight into her true feelings about him and I even liked that she told Ben about being shot by Daniel during her wedding night. However if anything, I think that’s going to make Ben even more of a problem down the line than anything else.

As for Louise – her loyalty towards Victoria remains gravely misplaced but her baking skills and general perkiness at least prevented the episode from being a total downer. Aside from the lingering plotline with her brother, I’m not sure where else Louise can go for the remaining half of the season but at the same time, I’m finding her a lot more enjoyable now than I did when this season began.

Also in “Epitaph”

While I didn’t miss Charlotte in this episode, it did feel slightly odd not having her in it either. At least her absence was accounted for onscreen.

Victoria: “How smoothly you lie.”
David: “I did that so you don’t have to.”

The Daniel flashbacks in this episode involved Victoria teaching him how to tie a tie and a bedroom scene with Emily. Jack also had a flashback to romping with Kate.

Ben (to Jack): “I’ve seen Emily play people, including me and she’s good at it. Anyway, I hope it’s true.”

Victoria: “I won’t be a prisoner to your lies anymore.”
David: “I was a prisoner for two decades because of you. You can hold on for one more day.”

Emily showed more of her bad ass nature when she got David to help her pop her shoulder back in. Whatever toughness Emily has was not courtesy of him.

Emily (to Ben, re Daniel): “I wouldn’t hurt him because underneath the scar tissue, the temper, there was a genuinely good guy trying to find his way.”

David (to Emily, re Victoria): “If all of this hadn’t happened, we’d be having her funeral right now instead of Daniel’s.”

Standout music: Izler’s “Emptiness”.

Malcolm: “Malcolm Black.”

Chronology: The episode picked up from where “Atonement” left off.

Not as gripping as the winter finale but at the same time, “Epitaph” was a good note to end Daniel’s death on and to properly introduce Malcolm Black into the mix. It’s good that the show has found it’s feet again after such a shaky start this season.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Gotham's 1x11: "Rogues Gallery"

Written by Sue Chung
Directed by Oz Scott

Leslie (to Gordon, re Frogman/Royston): “One man ends up a vegetable while the other one recites Shakespeare on a loop.”

It might have been a month and a half nearly since the last episode but I have missed this show and it’s great that this episode, in spite of one or two weak moments was generally a good one to watch.

With Gordon being demoted into working at Arkham Asylum, most of this week’s focus was there and I have to be honest, the episode worked all the better for it. Not only did Morena Baccarin make an instantly likeable impression as Dr Leslie Thompkins and had great chemistry with Gordon but the actual case of the week was just fantastic.

Having both Frogman and Royston become victims of some extreme shock treatment that generated different results was one thing but the actual reveal of the culprit was something else altogether. For a fraction of a moment, I considered Leslie being responsible (especially as Gordon was so quick to believe her innocence) and then it looked like the rather dotty Nurse Dorothy Duncan was the culprit instead.

Points have to be given for this episode’s reveal of Dorothy’s true origins (an inmate pretending to be a nurse and also the fall woman for the real baddie) as it was one of the best surprises the episode did, along with the arrival of Jack Gruber as well.

This show has needed a recurring menace who isn’t a mobster or a gun for hire and with Gruber, it seems like we’ve got one, at least until the next episode. I loved his cat and mouse antics with Gordon in the episode and his murder of the annoying Lang with his accomplice worked pretty well too. Also the preview for the next episode did highlight how much of a problem he will be for GCPD as well.

Speaking of GCPD, they were mainly in the background this week, save for Bullock getting involved in Gordon’s main case and lording it over a briefly imprisoned Oswald as well. Bullock’s unbridled delight in being reunited with his partner was another highlight and it did show just how much things have changed between him and Gordon as well. It wasn’t so long that Bullock would’ve been delighted to see the back of Jim, now he just wants his partner back as does Essen, who was also great in her small scene this week.

Another gem within this episode though was the friendship with Selina and Ivy. I liked that the former tried to look after the latter by giving her shelter in Barbara’s apartment and a part of me got a kick out of Ivy winding up Barbara as well for good measure. That of course did lead to the weaker aspects of the episode.

Barbara has not improved as a character over the winter break. Not only did Renee dump her in this episode (which made them getting back together pointless in the first place) but Barbara spent most of the episode out of her tree on pills and losing her cool with a little girl as well. I like Richards as an actress, I genuinely do but Barbara is starting to grate in a massive way as a character.

As for the gangland plots this week – something of a mixed bag. Neither of them were bad as such but both of them were plots that could’ve been left for later episodes. On the other hand, the fact that Butch willingly killed off one of his oldest friends to prove his loyalty to Fish was interesting and much as I do like Oswald, he did push his luck with trying to hike up the fishermen’s taxes. No wonder Maroni thought a night in the slammer would do him some good.

Also in “Rogues Gallery”

Props have to be given to the night time city scenes of this episode which really did look like they could’ve come out of the comics.

Oswald: “You’re beginning to irk me. You’re talking to me, the Penguin.”

I think we learned more about Butch in this episode than we have done with several other characters on the series, including Fish to a point.

Fish: “You don’t think I could run the family?”
Mobster: “Hell no, why not? Women’s lib and all that.”

Renee: “That was a mistake.”
Barbara: “What was?”

This episode was the first one not to feature either Bruce or Alfred, not to mention that Nygma, Falcone and Crispus were no shows too.

Bullock (to Oswald): “See I like having you here. I can sit at my desk and look at you. It’s soothing like a bonsai tree.”

Barbara: “Who’s this?”
Ivy: “I’m a friend of Jim’s. Who’s that?”
Barbara: “Go to hell.”

Standout music: The Five Satins “In The Still Of The Night”.

Maroni (to Oswald): “”You’re a smart monkey but you’re still a monkey and I’m the zookeeper.”

Chronology: No specified amount of time has passed since “LoveCraft”.

While this was not an episode without it’s faults, “Rogues Gallery” was however a pretty strong way of kicking off the second half of this season but I do feel like some of the mobster plots need to be trimmed in parts, other characters needs some more scope and back story but on the other hand, Arkham was well utilised in this episode, Leslie made a positive impression and Gruber now poses a good threat to Gordon and Gotham, so plus points there.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Broadchurch - Series 2 Airs Tonight

So, I probably should've written something sooner, right?

As you know from reading this blog, I didn't really get into the hype for Chris Chibnall's eight part ITV1 mystery drama, Broadchurch as it aired in 2013 but when TV3 started airing it in early 2014, I decided to finally sit down and see what the fuss was all about.

Now while I kind of prefer BBC2/RTE1 counterpart, The Fall (and nope, I have not watched BBC1's The Missing), I'll admit that Broadchurch pulled me in. The mystery of Danny Latimer's death was handled well enough over the course of the eight episodes as bit by bit we learned more about the boy's grieving parents Mark and Beth, the detectives Hardy and Miller, played by David Tennant and Olivia Colman respectively as well as the wider community before the killer was finally unveiled.

We even had Tennant reprise the role of sorts, prior to filming the second series on the show's US counterpart Gracepoint (along with Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn taking on Colman's role) but while Broadchurch managed to have quite the impact on UK audiences, Gracepoint did not exactly capture US viewers in the same way and was cancelled after it's 10 episode run.

Now tonight is the night and whether you're watching the show on either ITV1 or TV3, both stations will be airing the second series of Broadchurch and let's be honest - Chibnall has become a master of keeping things schtum. Sure, there may be some new cast members with James Darcy, Eve Myles, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Meera Syal and Charlotte Rampling along with David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, Arthur Darvill and Jonathan Bailey reprising their roles from the first series but in terms of what's actually going to happen, we're still surprisingly in the dark about things.

While filming went on, cast and crew members took extra precautions to ensure that anything major wasn't revealed and while Chibnall did admit that even Tennant and Colman's characters might not make it out of this upcoming series alive, he hasn't revealed anything else.

However, reading some of the theories online and watching the trailer again, could the use of bluebells have a prominent meaning this series? In the trailer, Miller receives a crushed on in a letter and they've cropped up in the cast shots for the new series too. The bigger question however if whether or not the second series can have the same impact it's first one did. Personally, I think it just might. I'm certainly intrigued enough to find out.

Series 2 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isToG5_U1Ug

Broadchurch - Series 2 airs Mondays 9pm and 10pm on ITV1 and TV3 respectively from January 5th.

Hungry: Channel 4 Commissions Irish Famine Sitcom

Yup, you heard correctly there. An actual comedy series based on the Irish Famine, apparently with a dash of Shameless for good measure.

Look, I'm an open minded bloke but from what I've read about this upcoming series (which has not surprisingly already inspired a Change.org petition to stop it being made), titled Hungry, I cannot see any good good coming from it.

The idea of a series centring on one of the horrific times in Irish history is a great idea but instead of a crass, unfunny comedy which will probably have too many outdated Irish stereotypes for it's own good, why not an actual drama that highlighted the sheer horror of that particular time period, even if it meant also discussing Britain's role in the whole saga as well.

The writer will be Dublin-based Hugh Travers, a 31-year-old, who has already had a major hit with a show called Lambo. He is a former film student at UCLA.

More Information: http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/British-TV-orders-up-a-comedy-series-about-the-Irish-famine.html

Supergirl - The Casting Rumours So Far

Well, it might be many more months before even a pilot episode is filmed but at least we have some interesting casting rumours as to whom could succeed both Helen Slater and Laura Vandervoort for the role of Supergirl.

In corner A, you've got Claire Holt, best known for her role as Rebekah Mikaelson in both The Vampire Diaries and spin-off series, The Originals. Truthfully, she'd probably be my ideal show and certainly has the charisma to pull off the role as well but I'm not a casting director though.

And in corner B, you've also got (and this is a surprising one) Gemma Atkinson, best known for her roles in both Hollyoaks and Holby City. The actress, also recently rumoured for a regular role in Emmerdale has become the second hotly tipped candidate for the series, which will be made by the same people responsible for both Arrow and The Flash.

Now it could be neither of these ladies but in the next few days, it does seem that CBS will announce casting as to which lady gets to play the role. May the best one win.

Supergirl Casting Rumours: http://comicbook.com/2015/01/02/gemma-atkinson-reportedly-up-for-supergirl-role/

The pilot for Supergirl will begin filming in the spring. The series will then air on CBS during the autumn.

2015 - Five Anticipated Shows

It's the last day of 2014 and to end the year, I decided to have a look at five new shows that I will be looking forward to in 2015.

1: Marvel's Agent Carter (ABC/UK channel TBC)

With the much improved Agents Of SHIELD not returning until March, the first eight weeks of 2015 shall see spin-off, Agent Carter taking it's place and given how popular Hayley Atwell's heroic character has become, I'd be surprised if this wasn't a hit for ABC, especially considering that the cast will also bring in the likes of James D'Arcy, Chad Michael Murray and Enver Gjokaj as well as Dominic Cooper reprising his role as Howard Stark. (Tuesdays 8pm from January 6th)

2: Daredevil (Netflix)

With shows such as Arrow and The Flash flying the flag for DC on the small screen for the CW, Netflix are getting into the act themselves with 13 episode series, Daredevil as Charlie Cox takes on the titular role with a cast also boasting Deborah Ann Woll,  Rosario Dawson and Vincent D'Onofrio for good measure. The show is also executive produced by Steven S. DeKnight, best known for creating Spartacus and working on shows such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Smallville. (April 10th 2015)

3: Jekyll & Hyde (ITV)

Now this one is a little tricky to talk about. So far we know that it's going to be a 10 episode series, due to film in 2015 by comedian and writer Charlie Higson and that it's set forty years after the original. In terms of casting, we have yet to find out who's playing who and given ITV's past history with genre television, I do hope that this upcoming adaptation fares a lot better than what's gone before. Last thing we need is another Demons, right? The series will follow Robert, grandson of the original Dr Jekyll, as he battles ghouls, zombies, werewolves and vampires, as well as his own inner demon. (Mid-Late 2015)

4: London Spy (BBC2/BBCAmerica)

A five episode one-off series (I think) starring both Ben Whishaw as reckless romantic spy Danny and Edward Holcraft as his lover, Alex, this series by Tom Rob Smith will also feature both Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling (also due to be seen next week in the second series of Broadchurch). The spy series will also see Danny dealing with the disappearance of his lover and having to decide whether he’s prepared to fight for the truth. (Spring 2015)

5: Scream Queens (FOX/UK channel TBC)

This one might have yet to shoot even it's pilot episode but like Gotham, it seems that FOX are confident enough in both Ryan Murphy as a showrunner and leading ladies Emma Roberts and Jamie Lee Curtis to already commission a first season of 15 episodes. I'll admit this could end up being just a network attempt of American Horror Story (especially as the serial killer on a college campus plot could easily be done on that show) but I'll also admit that this series is intriguing me more than Murphy's other upcoming TV project at the moment. (Autumn 2015)

Those are my five anticipated shows for 2015 - what are yours? Oh and to everyone who's peeked at my blog this year, Happy 2015. Here's hoping it's a good one.

Christmas Spills, Thrills & Kills?

Yes, it's a little festive themed this one as two of these shows had Christmas episodes while three of them had Christmas specials. Which at some point might lead to another musing/debate on either here or my Twitter account though.

Arrow: This show has been on an impressive streak this season and the recent two episodes were easily the show's best and brightest ones yet. The crossover with The Flash was an unbridled joy to watch, especially with having Cisco and Caitlin in the Arrow cave and helping with the mission against Captain Boomerang but the mid-season finale was something else. The actual use of a cliffhanger with the fight between Oliver and Ras Al Ghul, not to mention the reveal of Sara's killer. Bravo, this show has truly surpassed itself.

Black Mirror: Charlie Brooker's innovative anthology series has been one of the best shows that Channel 4 has come up with in years (after Utopia and very likely, Cucumber from next month onwards) and this eerie Christmas special, White Christmas might be one of his best ones just yet. Having John Hamm was a nice casting move but the shows themselves - ranging from bad Christmas dates to literally being able to block people certainly highlighted Brooker's wonderful flair for making mundane things rather macabre. It kind of makes you want another festive special from him, doesn't it?

Downton Abbey: After a fairly plodding and uninspired fifth series, this Christmas special certainly had it's moments. Everything involving Anna and Bates was pure tedium (just resolve the whole 'Who Killed Green' plot and be done with it now) and while I still don't care a great deal for Rose's inlaws or Mary's latest suitor, I did enjoy every scene with Violet and Isobel, loved the little tribute for Sybil, Robert's conversation with Edith about Marigold, Thomas's scheming being used for good and the fact that Christmas came into play in the last fifteen minutes of the episode. While Christmas 2011 will always be this show's best festive edition, this one certainly was a step up from the previous two we've had.

Mrs Brown's Boys: A couple of weeks ago, I saw D'Movie and while it provided a few chuckles, it wasn't Mrs Brown at her very best. This special (which did pretty well for both RTE1 and BBC1) on the other hand was a return to form. Whether it was another tree disaster related gag, commentary on Strictly Come Dancing or a certain whisk joke, the special certainly had it's share of funny moments. It doesn't matter that the jokes are easy to spot a mile off, it's still part of the show's charm.

The Flash: Outside of Gotham and How To Get Away With Murder, this show has been the best new thing to air in the last three months. The crossover episode with Arrow was sublime with Oliver, Diggle and Felicity blending well with Barry's team but again, the mid-season finale was the highlight. I'm not sure what to make of the connection with Wells and the Yellow Suit but it's certainly got me eager for the second half and after some ambivalence towards Cisco, I do think that character wise, he's come into his own. Plus, I'm looking forward to see more Caitlin and whether or not she'll be able to cure Ronnie. I'm guessing the answer there though will be no.

- Gina Torres has bagged a recurring role for the second half of Revenge's fourth season.
- Paul Rudd will return for the final season of Parks & Recreation.
- Michael Imperioli will appear in Hawaii Five-O.
- Sebastian Roche will be joining Once Upon A Time as King Stefan, the father of Aurora. Eion Bailey will also be returning for an episode.
- Mike Colter has been cast Luke Cage for Marvel's AKA Jessica Jones series.
- Joe Anderson will play the role of Mason Verger in the third season of Hannibal, following the exit of Michael Pitt.
- David Schwimmer will play Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story: The People V. OJ Simpson.
- Kiefer Sutherland has revealed that he doesn't expect 24 to return anytime soon.
- Game Of Thrones was the most pirated show of 2014.
- Julian McMahon and Daisy Betts will appear in the SyFy miniseries, Childhood's End.

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x13: "Last Christmas"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst

Clara: “Because every Christmas is last Christmas.”

Except if you’re Clara Oswald and it mostly definitely turns out not to be last Christmas at all. It was teased for several weeks that this episode could be the one to write out the school teacher, there was a moment that came close to it and then the episode ended with Clara actually resuming her travels with the Doctor.

I liked that some of the lingering issues with Clara and the 12th Doctor were dealt with immediately. The Doctor knows that Danny is actually dead and Clara is aware that Gallifrey has not been found. Add to the fact that they manage to overcome a creature responsible for Inception like dream states, both of them can now start the next series with no baggage or lies holding either of them back. Kudos in that regard.

As for the dream state stuff – I liked the Kantrofarri/dream crabs. They looked genuinely creepy enough and the dream within a dream stuff worked a treat, given how largely it dominated this particular special. Clara’s dream state of course took some screen time but again it worked extremely well.

I know some fans weren’t exactly jumping for joy upon the idea of Danny returning for the episode but given that his death was a recent thing, it was hardly a shock that he returned though. Clara dreamed of having the ideal life with the man she didn’t get a chance to be with properly only for the Doctor to wake her up again to another part of the dream.

Now that was where things got somewhat more interesting as well. You have to remember the big hype of this episode was a certainly fellow dressed in red and I hate to admit it, but Moffat managed to do a great job with Santa Claus here. Not only did Nick Frost not overact the role (never a bad thing) but Claus and his comedy elves Ian and Wolf were relegated to scenes only of importance (mainly helping the Doctor, Clara and a Polar expedition crew of scientists realise they were dying) and because of that, managed to be fun and never outstay their welcome.

Speaking of the crew – there were a likeable enough bunch of people. While Albert probably got the least amount and was the only one to be killed off by the dream crab, enough screen time was given to Ashley and Bellows to make them memorable enough but on the other hand, there was Shona.

Watching this particular character in action, it really did feel like Shona was being auditioned for the role of companion. She asked the right questions, made the right observations, had a lot of screen time dedicated to her interactions with the Doctor, Clara and Santa and even wanted to swap numbers with them too. I’ve seen a lot of people hyping Faye Marsay’s performance in this episode and I wouldn’t be too shocked if she somewhat returned next series either.

However for the time being, the status quo with the Doctor and Clara has remained and it’s strange because until a certain moment, this episode did feel like it was going to be Clara’s last hurrah. The scenes with her as a 90 year old woman meeting her friend for the last time would’ve been a great way of ending her storyline and time on the show but I’m intrigued to see where else Moffat and Coleman intend to take the character.

Also in “Last Christmas”

Nick Frost’s name was added to the opening credits and the credits themselves were more Christmassy than the episode itself.

Santa: “Why did you stop believing?”
Clara: “Because you’re a fairytale. I grew out of fairytales.”

Keeping with the Inception theme, the tangerine was the spinning top of this episode. A clear answer as to whether or not Santa is real was not given here.

Santa: “My Little Pony.”
Shona: “Shut up, you.”

The Doctor (to the crew): “There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder you keep getting invaded.”

Michael Troughton followed his brother and father’s footsteps by playing Albert in this episode. Bellows in the real world was a wheelchair bound grandmother and Ashley an account manager for perfume.

Danny (to Clara): “Every Christmas is last Christmas and this is ours.”

Santa (to everyone): “It’s Christmas Day, it’s the North Pole and you’re dying. Who are you gonna call?”

This is the third Christmas special in a row not only to have Jenna Coleman but also Dan Starkey, playing another character this time – Ian.

The Doctor: “Do you know what I hate about the obvious?”
Clara: “What?”
The Doctor: “Missing it.”

Clara (to the Doctor): “I’ve always believed in Santa Claus but he looks a little different to me.”

Standout music: Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody”, especially when you consider Shona’s dance moves as well. Oh and that cracking list she had too.

Clara: “Merry Christmas, Doctor.”
The Doctor: “Merry Christmas, Clara Oswald.”

Chronology: Christmas 2014 I assume. Also both the Doctor and Clara will return in “The Magician’s Apprentice”.

I wasn’t initially sure about this episode and I even thought some reviewers were jumping the gun by declaring “Last Christmas” to be Steven Moffat’s best Christmas special yet (still “The Snowmen” for me) but truth to be told, I actually adore this episode. For a story that had Santa, comedy elves, Rudolph and the North Pole, it was more horror tinged than Christmassy and with an engaging potential companion in Shona and a renewed vigour with the Doctor and Clara, it’s hard to deny that this episode really won me over.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show - Top 10 Christmas Episodes

Now that today is Christmas Eve, I thought I'd do a list of the ten best Christmas episodes from Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show.

1: Road To The North Pole (Family Guy)

A glorious two parter where David Boreanaz shone brighter than his days on both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel and Brian and Stewie are tasked to save Christmas upon realising the stress it's taken on Santa Claus himself. Also Christmas Time Is Killing Us among the musical moments of the two parter.

2: For Whom The Sleigh Bell Tolls (American Dad)

Never give Steve Smith a gun. It only results in Santa being shot and manning a mission to murder the Smith clan in the bloodiest Christmas episode Seth McFarlane has ever produced. It's probably also one of the best episodes from the Smiths as well to boot.

3: A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas (Family Guy)

The first Christmas special we got and one that I've enjoyed seeing no matter the time of the year. Whether it's Peter wanting to watch a Christmas special featuring Santa and Kiss or Stewie determined to be nice to get some plutonium, it's all good - more so when Lois loses the plot within the last five minutes as well.

4: Season's Beatings (American Dad)

Stan got ex-communicated from the church after giving Roger a probably deserved beating while Hayley and Jeff adopted the antichrist in another joyfully ridiculous Christmas themed episode. Also Steve being possessed managed to churn out some great moments too.

5: The Best Christmas Story Never Told (American Dad)

The one known where Stan messes up pretty bad and the US is taken over by Russia during the holiday period. Not to mention the fact that Stan took great exception to no-one using the word Christmas and his resentment towards Jane Fonda and later Donald Sutherland later came to light. Also the delight of Roger making money of disco music.

6: Die Semi-Hard (The Cleveland Show)

It's a Die Hard spoof. For that alone it was always going to be a contender for this list. However, I don't think Cleveland will be giving John McClane a run for his money any time soon though.

7: Minstrel Krampus (American Dad)

With various episodes featuring/factoring in Santa (including this one too), it was time for Krampus to make an appearance when Steve's bratty behaviour becomes even more annoying than usual. Turns out that Krampus is actually good for kids and Santa not so much. Also the episode gave us an interesting redemption story of sorts for Jack too.

8: Jesus, Mary & Joseph (Family Guy)

I'm surprised it took McFarlane to give us a version of The Nativity and this one was rather interesting, even if yet again in a special episode Meg is relegated to a less flattering role (the donkey of course). Certainly a fun version of a classic story.

9: Christmas Guy (Family Guy)

Brian came back to life and just around the time I was starting to like Vinny. To be honest, Brian's death was never going to stick because let's face it, both him and Stewie are the highlight of the series and having them reunited made for a nice festive treat.

10: Tis The Cleveland To Be Sorry (The Cleveland Show)

Another entry from Stoolbend, it's also one where Kendra dressed up as Santa to save the day (and had some nice bonding scenes with her and Roberta) while Cleveland pretends to be homeless in order to eat some nice food.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

My Top 10 Characters of 2014

Digital Spy did their Top 10 list yesterday and I've decided to do my Top 10 list of favourite characters from this year as well.

1: Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) - Gotham

If The Dark Knight blew people's minds with Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker, then Robin Lord Taylor has managed to do the same with his take on the Penguin in the space of ten episodes in Gotham's debut year. Playing a younger version of the character, it's been fun watching Oswald slowly but surely working his way to the top.

2: Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) - Doctor Who

The key to any good character is to be one that can provoke a strong reaction, whether it's love or hate. In Series 8 and Peter Capaldi's debut year as the 12th Doctor, Clara did exactly that as the school teacher proved to be a far more fleshed out character compared to her previous year. Whether or not Last Christmas will see the end of her remains to be seen, but it's hard to deny the impact Clara has had this year.

3: Dr Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) - The Flash

The one thing we can get clear is that not only is The Flash every bit as good as Arrow but it's almost arguably better than it's parent show. Not only do we have an exceptionally likeable leading man with Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash but amongst the superb cast we've also got Cavanagh's mysterious Wells, a man so delightfully unpredictable week in and week out.

4: Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee) - How To Get Away With Murder

I know most of these sort of lists would actually feature Annalise and while her character continues to fascinate me, I have to admit it's Connor who really fascinates me that bit more. He's not the nicest of guys at times but he's certainly one of the most amusing, most interesting gay male characters we've had in a while with a tiny bit of an edge too for good measure.

5: Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) - Game Of Thrones

It was nearly Oberyn for this list but much as I loved Pedro Pascal's performance, the fourth season of HBO's best show was easily the best for both Tyrion as a character and Dinklage as an actor with some genuinely sublime moments in the wake of Joffrey's much welcomed demise. Especially in the sixth episode and that unforgettable finale. Where the writers will go with Tyrion when the show returns in 2015, I cannot wait to see.

6: Melody 'Mellie' Grant (Bellamy Young) - Scandal

Truthfully, I'm more a recent convert to this show and having spent most of the last few months watching the third season on SkyLiving, Scandal is a show with almost too many interesting characters (Olivia, Cyrus, Quinn, Huck, Eli etc) but Mellie certainly managed to catch my attention that extra bit more. The fact that this show is able to make us sympathetic with her, Olivia and Fitz in equal measures is actually a good thing, especially considering what we learned about the character during the third year.

7: Cosima Niehaus (Tatiana Maslany) - Orphan Black

Ah, Orphan Black the series I don't think you're allowed to dislike, even if you want to. Just kidding. Seriously though, the second season managed to be as good as the first one and Maslany was on fine form again. When she wasn't handling new characters like Rachel and (briefly) Tony, she was perfecting her main four clones - Sarah, Allison, Helena and of course my personal favourite here, Cosima. Best actress on television at the moment.

8: Sara Lance/The Canary (Caity Lotz) - Arrow

Arrow has had it's fair share of brilliant female characters and while I was tempted to add Felicity to this list, Sara edged her out just a tiny bit though. As the Canary, she not only proved to be a good a hero as the Arrow but actually an even better one. It's a shame that the writers killed her off in the opening episode for the third season but at least the character's legacy will live on in Laurel. Yes, I don't hate Laurel, people.

9: Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) - Orange Is The New Black

This show has way too many great characters to pick from I could probably do a Top 10 list from it alone, but and maybe I'm being slightly controversial here, I decided to pick Piper as my favourite character, even if her role was a little smaller (though not by a lot) during the second season. Still however a fantastic, engaging, flawed protagonist as her relationships with Larry and Alex took decent turns as did her time in Litchfield.

10: Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) - Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD

It might have taken Agents Of SHIELD two thirds of it's first season to show audiences what it really could do as a series but when it got good, it really got good and even watching the second season, all of the main characters have improved for the better. Then there's May, who was just fantastic from the start and continues to be. Don't challenge her on that. It won't end well.

That's my list folks. So, what's yours?