The Wrong Other Woman

A rundown of some of the most recent shows I've caught ...

A Touch Of Cloth: Charlie Brooker's cop spoof trilogy finally came to it's conclusion with the airing of the third installment during the Bank Holiday Weekend. While the first one remains the best of the three, this final chapter was a marked improvement on the second with Karen Gillan's Kerry Newblood being a fun addition to the series. While the reveal of who Gillan's character was managed to be predictable, it still led to a great confrontation between her and John Hannah's always reckless Jack and the ends credits for this one were pretty cheeky - in the literal sense of the word.

Devious Maids: Finale time and the end to this second season managed to set up some interesting plotlines for next season - someone got shot, Rosie/Spencer got married as it was revealed the former's first husband was actually still alive, Zoila ended up pregnant, Marisol realised her husband killed the Powells son, Carmen slept with a married man (is Gilles Marini in every show nowadays?) and er, Valentina did something, didn't she? As a finale, it certainly packed a lot into it and it'll be interesting to see where this soapy show can go in it's third run.

Scandal: I won't lie - I've only gotten into this show more recently but having watched the first three episodes of the third season, courtesy of SkyLiving (and catching with the main points of previous seasons), I really do get why there's so much fuss behind this show. The fallout of Olivia and Fitz's affair took a surprisingly unpredictable (if slightly frustrating) turn of events while the further backstories of both Eli and Huck have been fascinating to watch. I'll definitely be watching the rest of this season and hope that the fourth season also airs pretty sharpish over here as well.

The Vampire Diaries: A hundred episodes later and this show is still here (okay, I know production for the sixth season has begun) but to celebrate it's landmark episode, the show brought back several characters (Klaus, Rebekah, Tyler etc) and had Katherine decide that she didn't want to go quietly into the night by swapping bodies with Elena during her dying moments. It's a good enough way of keeping onto Katherine for a tiny bit longer and for a prominent episode, it was also highly enjoyable too.

Utopia: A good finale but not as great as the previous series. I did like that they bumped off a few more characters and Wilson's increasing dark turn has been more riveting than anything concerning Ian or Becky and Jessica certainly had her moments in the last two episodes. With ratings being low though, it'll be a miracle if the show gets picked up for another run and I don't know how much longer they can sustain the threat of the virus but it would be a shame for Channel 4 not to give it another series too.

- Colin Woodell will be appearing in the second season of The Originals, playing a werewolf named Aiden.
- Outlander has already been renewed for a second season.
- Bex Taylor-Klaus has replaced Amy Forsyth for the upcoming Scream series.
- Mike Birbilglia has joined the cast of Orange Is The New Black.
- Derek Hough will be appearing in multiple episodes of Nashville's upcoming third season.
- Jyoti Amge and Patti LaBelle have both joined the cast of American Horror Story: Freak Show.
- The Leftovers has been renewed for a second season. SkyAtlantic will be airing the first season shortly.
- Mary McCormick and Josh Randall will be playing a power couple in the upcoming season of Scandal.
- Michael C. Hall will be returning to television in a mini-series called God Fearing Man. The project is currently being shopped around to networks at the moment.
- Homeland's fourth season will receive a two hour premiere. The series returns to Showtime from October 5th. Channel 4 will air it shortly afterwards.

Back For Janus

And a look at some of the shows I've recently been watching ...

24: Live Another Day: It's been a great half-season return for Kiefer Sutherland's career defining series and while nearly all the baddies were taken out rather quickly, the finale shocker of Audrey being killed off packed something of a punch and with the ending we got for Live Another Day, there's no way FOX can't bring it back for another twelve episode run. The show definitely cannot end on that cliffhanger after all. Plus, it has been some kind of a rating success again for the station and no doubt the DVD set for this will sell immensely.

Devious Maids: The last few episodes have been pretty interesting. It's nice to see that Rosie managed to get Reggie out of Kenny' house and reunited that family, Zoila's love life and friendship with Genevieve continuing to be a highlight and I can certainly sympathise with Carmen not being a kid person but the stuff with Marisol/Nick/Opal, even with the latter blowing her brains out has still dragged out a bit too long and I'm at a point now where I want to see Spence's annoying nephew go away now. Thankfully there's only one more episode to go now.

Orange Is The New Black: This show literally became this year's Breaking Bad, didn't it? It's a good job I was watching it this year because the hype/ads for it was inescapable. As for the remaining six episodes of the second season - some of the best television I've seen with Red and Vee's fight for supremacy intensifying with every episode, some great flashbacks for characters like Rosa and Sister Ingalls (along with the ones for Piper, Alex, Red and Vee), the downfall of Natalie, some great moments with Pennsatucky/Healey, Morello turning a corner, Nicky being awesome, Taystee wising up, the pregnancy plot with Pornstache/Daya/Bennett getting messier, Caputo improving as a character. The only bore of the second half of the season was the Larry/Polly scenes but we might be getting less of them next season if we're lucky.

The Vampire Diaries: I've watched a lot of episodes since my last TV jumble in relation to this series. Because of that, I've seen the fallout of the whole Tessa/Silas/Amara triangle, Bonnie becoming a link to two world, Katherine having to suck up to the fact that she's dying (though she has been a help to Stefan and his PTSD) as well as Damon filling Elena in on his past with the Augustine crowd and the introduction of the seemingly interesting, Enzo for good measure. It's certainly been a busy bunch of episodes. I think I'm enjoying this season a little more than the previous one though Caroline needs a little more to do given that her relationship with Jesse went nowhere and Tyler can't be arsed to even attend college.

Utopia: Possibly one of the craziest things to air on UK television at the moment is back for it's second run of episodes and while two thirds of it's second series has run, it's been interesting yet again. Okay, I still find Ian, Becky and Grant somewhat tedious at times as characters but the 1970s flashback opening episode with Rose Leslie playing a younger version of Millner has been one of the best episodes of television this year and in the current day, Millner has still been her delightfully ruthless self, corrupting Wilson all the more as she pushes for the virus to be released. Of course, Jessica similarly has been a delight too with her escape from captivity and her standoff with Millner in the latest episode. With ratings being terrible though, it'll be a miracle if this show gets a third run of episodes but here's hoping Channel 4 are feeling generous though.

- Claire Holt has joined the cast of NBC mini-series, Aquarius as a series regular. She'll play Officer Charmaine Tully.
- Elena Satine will play the slightly unhinged Louise in the upcoming fourth season of Revenge.
- Simon Kassianides will play right hand Bakshi, Reed Diamond will play Daniel Whitehall, Nick Blood will play Lance Hunter while Lucy Lawless will be playing Isabel Hartley in Agents Of SHIELD.
- Kyra Sedgwick will be appearing in the second season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Deputy Chief Madeline Wuntch.
- Kelly Frye will play Plastique in The Flash while JR Ramirez will be playing Ted 'Wildcat' Grant in parent series, Arrow.
- John Rhys-Davies and Tyler Jacob Moore will be appearing in Once Upon A Time, taking on the roles of Pabbie and Prince Hans respectively.
- Blair Brown will be appearing in the third season of Orange Is The New Black. Her role has not yet been disclosed.
- Lea Michele will be appearing in the final season of Sons Of Anarchy. Her character will be a single mother/waitress named Gertie.
- Fargo's second season will air for UK viewers again on Channel 4 in 2015.
- Gillian Anderson may become a regular for Hannibal's third season. A contract is rumoured to be negotiated for the actress.

Total & Unconditional Surrender

And a look at some of the shows I have been watching recently ....

24: Live Another Day: I can't be the only one disappointed that the whole Heller thing turned out to be faked after all? I mean, I guess it was a clever way of signalling Margot's downfall (quite literal in her case) but it also felt like something of a cop out as well not following through with killing off the character, though the seeds for a Jack/Audrey reunion were sown though. On the plus side, at least Navarro and Chloe's boss have made themselves known as the baddies while Kate finally realised her husband wasn't corrupt after all. I really hope she makes it out of the next two episodes alive.

Devious Maids: On the plus side, the whole Dahlia mystery got slightly more interesting when crazy Opal decided to mow down her employer, the fact is it's the other storylines that have had more impact though. Namely Adrian trying to catch out Evelyn and Tony, Zoila's relationship with the famous chef, the Reggie/Rosie/Spencer triangle and Spencer's nephew getting more into Carmen as the episodes have progressed. With Irish viewers due to catch up on the show's first season fairly soon, the second season has been fun enough but only slightly less than it's first year.

Orange Is The New Black: Again, the second season of this show has not been as great as the first year but it's coming close to edging it out. While Piper has had marginally less screentime, she's still gotten plotlines with her grandmother's illness, visits from Larry/a journalist and the newsletter plotline as well. On the otherhand we've also gotten flashbacks for Gloria, Poussey and Black Cindy, a crazy Valentine's Day episode, a touching subplot with an elderly inmate as well as Red trying to regain her role with the women and Vee slowly but surely orchestrating a divide between prisoners. In short, there certainly hasn't been a dull moment aside from the Caputo and Larry/Polly bits.

Orphan Black: I caught up with the last two episodes on BBC3 and right now, I really am hoping that BBCAmerica intend to renew this show and fast. Without a doubt, it's their best offering and the finale itself set so much up - the series of Mark clones, Charlotte the younger clone being looked after by the not so bad Marion, Rachel getting her just desserts, Siobhan and Paul working together, Helena being shipped off and of course, Cosima's current fate needing resolving. Oh and that sequence where Sarah, Helena, Allison and Cosima were dancing - clearly one of the most inspired moments from the series yet. A brilliant ending to an engaging second season. Let there be a third run, BBCAmerica.

The Vampire Diaries: Not a bad set of episodes. For a moment, we briefly got to see Tyler again, had a slew of new characters introduced, dealt with Bonnie's passing and also got a delightful confrontation between Tessa and Silas for good measure along with the usual Stefan/Elena/Damon angst for good measure. Personally, I'm just enjoying Caroline's snarky comments and Tessa actually being a sympathetic, rounded semi-antagonist a lot more though.

- Contrary to Twitter reports/hacking, Chris Colfer will be in the final season of Glee. Co-star Matthew Morrison has also confirmed that it will be 13 episodes.
- Peter Stormare has joined the third season of Arrow, cast in the role of villain, Vertigo while Karl Yune has been cast as Oliver's mentor, Maseo Yamashiro while Devon Aoki will play Katana.
- The pilot episodes for both The Flash and Constantine have leaked.
- Georgina Haig will be playing the role of Elsa for the fourth season of Once Upon A Time while Scott Michael Foster and Elizabeth Lail have been cast as Kristoff and Anna respectively.
- Community has been saved by Yahoo and will now get a sixth season.
- Spain has been added to the list of location that Game Of Thrones will be filming it's upcoming fifth season in.
- Jamie Bamber has joined Rizzoli & Isles.
- Jennifer Love Hewitt will be a regular in the tenth season of Criminal Minds.
- Better Call Saul will have a flexible time, which will make it exist before, during and after the events of parent series, Breaking Bad.
- UK viewers can see the third season of Scandal on SkyLiving from July 31st.

Over A Thousand Years Of Scorn

And here's a look at some of the recent shows I've been watching ...

24: Live Another Day: This show really stepped up a gear now. With Simone getting whacked by a bus and Jordan becoming a casualty too due to Navarro's underhanded tactics, the real shocker was Heller's sacrifice at Wembley stadium in order to get Margot to call off her terrorist plot. It's a shame to lose the character and a bigger shame that both Jack and Audrey (and even Mark) couldn't talk Heller out of his sacrifice but it certainly will be up there with some of the show's best and poignant deaths. Chloe and Kate were a little underused in the impressive episode but with four more to go, I'm sure they'll get some great moments.

Devious Maids: Entering the halfway point of this season and the whole Dahlia mystery is beginning to lose my interest. I'm getting close to the point of not really caring why she killed herself and the creepy hold that Opal seems to have on Nicholas, which is a shame because it should be interesting but it's not holding my attention. Thankfully some of the more interpersonal stuff is working better - like Rosie's plotline with Kenny and Lucinda, Carmen's involvement with Spencer's nephew and the whole Valentina/Remy/Ethan triangle a lot better now that we know a bit more about the latter and his antics earlier in the season and Zoila's new love interest seems decent enough. Marisol needs better material though.

Game Of Thrones: What a brilliant bunch of episodes. The attack on the Wall (complete with a mammoth) was a superb hour with the small cast going and even Ygritte's death managed to pack in a solid punch but the finale ended up being one of the best we've had. The mass body count, a general shift in gears with certain arcs all added to an incredible end for a season that certainly hasn't been lacking in discussion worthy moments. While it's a shame that a certain book plot wasn't used to end the final episode, I did like that instead of a Daenerys scene for once that we got an Arya one. Only another 10 months for the fifth season.

Orange Is The New Black: The problem with this being a Netflix series is that you have 13 episodes available to watch so I've had to control myself and only watch a certain amount of episodes per week in order to space this series out/savour it. So far I've watched four episodes of the second season of this addictive prison drama and they've all been great. The flashbacks alone gave us insight into Piper's issues with telling the truth, Taystee's relationship with Vee (who seems to be the main antagonist this season), Suzanne's need for acceptance and Morello's stalking of a man. It's been a joy to watch and while it's a shame that Alex has a reduced role and the Larry/Polly scenes aren't interesting, pretty much everything else has been. Some of the new characters have been a little so-so (Brook, I'm looking at you) but focusing more on the other regulars has done wonders with the new season though.

Orphan Black: Okay, hats off to this show. In two seasons we've had Sarah, Cosima, Allison, Rachel, Helena and to a lesser extent the likes of Beth, Katya and Jennifer but introducing a trans clone with Tony was something both unexpected and quite an interesting move as well. For the most part, it also worked really well, though I'm not sure I want to see Felix/Tony hook up as they're technically related and while the latter does seem a little too similar to Sarah, I am going to hope that Tony will reappear next season as well. As for the rest of the episodes - it was interesting to see Rachel realise why she cannot bear children along with Donnie getting rid of Leekie, Michelle Forbes debuting as the rather sinister Marion, Paul buggering off and Ethan Duncan being delightfully off-kilter as well as Kira's growing resourcefulness as a character as well as any scene with Art and Mrs S of course.

The Vampire Diaries: Has there been a meme passed where actors jump from one supernatural show to the other? I ask because we know Jackson from The Originals will be on True Blood this season and Luna from the latter show now is on this one as scorned witch Qetsiyah/Tessa and I have to admit that her appearance has done some wonders in improving the Silas storyline, though I was a little disappointed to realise that Silas/Amara were just another Stefan/Elena and that Damon and Qetsiyah are just destined to be true love's occasional obstacles in the process. On the plus side though, this season so far has been fairly entertaining, though I'd like to know what Nadia's interest in Katherine is and fairly soon too.

- Gethin Anthony will play Charles Manson in upcoming NBC event series, Aquarius, also starring David Duchovny as an undercover police officer in Manson's cult.
- Mary Steenburgen has been cast as the mother of Pornstache for the third season of Orange Is The New Black while Laura Prepon will be back full time.
- Both Rosario Dawson and Vincent D'Onofrio have been cast in upcoming Netflix series, Daredevil as a Hell's Kitchen advocate and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin respectively.
- Louise Brealey will be appearing in the upcoming third season of Ripper Street.
- Zachary Quinto will be appearing in an episode of Girls fourth season.
- Sarah Paulson has revealed on Twitter that she will be playing a two headed characters Bette and Dot in American Horror Story: Freak Show.
- Meryl Streep will be playing Maria Callis for a biopic movie on HBO.
- Boardwalk Empire's fifth season will have a seven year jump when it returns later in the year.
- Jack Coleman will reprise his role as Noah Bennett in the upcoming Heroes: Reborn.
- Expect a time jump in an upcoming episode of 24: Live Another Day.

Dont Be Baby, I Only Sprain

And a look at some of the shows I've been recently catching up with ....

24: Live Another Day: We're halfway through this mini-series/ninth season and I have to admit while some of the most recent episodes have lagged a little compared to the impressive opening two parter, at least some progress was made though. It's nice that Audrey is aware of the fact that Jack is alive and it's also nice that Kate has proven her resourcefulness yet again. She literally has become a female version of Jack Bauer but things like Margot's ongoing machinations and Navarro's reveal aren't as impacting as they should be. Still there's at least six episodes left to rectify that.

Devious Maids: Yes, it's still Desperate Housewives 2.0 and while most of the plots are fairly predictable (Evelyn copping off with hunky Tony, Marisol's fiancee and his creepy maid being suspicious), it still makes for some fairly lightweight and enjoyable television nonetheless. The dynamics with various characters like Zoila/Genevieve continues to be a delight and when Evelyn isn't cheating on her husband, the various back and forth with Adrian is actually quite fun, along with Carmen securing other work now that Alejandro is dead. Even Rosie's plot with the new family is a lot more entertaining than last season. It's only Valentina's storyline and the general mystery with Opal and Nicholas that's a bit at sea at the moment.

Game Of Thrones: It went away for a few weeks and while I have to watch the penultimate episode to the fourth season tonight on SkyAtlantic, the previous episode wasn't exactly a walk in the park, was it? I already about the grisly details of Oberyn's demise with the Mountain but even seeing it onscreen didn't prepare me for it though. I really enjoyed Pedro Pascal's performance and it's a shame the character wasn't kept on but despite appearing in seven episodes, he made quite an impression on the show and got a very memorable exit to boot. As for the rest of the episode - Arya's reaction to Lysa's death and Sansa finally learning to play the game were the other two obvious highlights from another memorable instalment of the series.

In The Flesh: The second half of this series certainly didn't pull any punches, did it? I've really enjoyed Dominic Mitchell's rural zombie drama and the last three episodes proved the depth of storytelling he's capable of with this series. Whether it's both Simon and Maxine's misguided beliefs over the Rising, Kieren's ability to combat the Blue Oblivion pills or even Amy's transformation (was she really becoming human again and how?) and Philip's fall from public council office into a happier person, BBC3 would be utterly insane not to renew this show for a third series. Especially given that we have a mysterious duo digging up a certain grave as well. Come on, BBC3 - you know you want to commission this brilliant show for another run of episodes. We need moregeous times in Roarton.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: A solid finale. Though not as spectacular as the Arrow one (I know I compare these show a lot but it's kind of hard not to at times), I do think this was a solid way of ending the first season and setting up some interesting stuff concerning Skye for the second season as well. More to the point when we didn't have Nick Fury reappear (which wasn't too shocking), there was also the glorious delight in seeing May kicking the crap out of Ward. Speaking of Ward, I'm a bit conflicted about him - can the show really sustain him as a recurring enemy or will they try to redeem him in the long run? Either option could be a bit risky though.

Orphan Black: I might be two episodes behind but this show continues to be bloody addictive. The idea of a road trip episode with Sarah and Helena clearly turned out to be the best idea the writers had this season and easily made for the best episode so far this season. Helena might be dangerous but she's also rather adorable and seeing her make a genuine connection with a bloke before a bar fight started was pretty sweet actually. The ongoing stuff with Project Leda and Rachel's family background isn't quite as compelling and Paul continues to be a lifelessly dull character to watch that scenes with Cosima/Delphine, Allison/Victor, Sarah/Siobhan and anything involving Felix and Art working together are a blessed relief. Basically in another wise fantastic series, Paul is the weak link of the bunch.

The Vampire Diaries: I might have missed this on ITV2 earlier in the year (though I did watch most of The Originals - a blog on that show will appear later in the summer), but thankfully TG4 have finally started airing the fifth season (despite the terrible timeslot). The opening episode alone seemed a bit similar to Buffy (Elena and Caroline's college antics) and Angel (Stefan's current watery whereabouts) but at the same time was still enjoyable with an interesting slew of new mysteries. Plus we had Katherine proving that she's still deadly even as a human and Silas has managed to become a far more interesting villain now than he was last season or Klaus during the previous two and a bit seasons he was on the show. That being said - the usual dynamic of the lead characters lying to each other and withholding information continues to be a downer for the series.

- Pedro Pascal will be appearing in the upcoming Netflix series, Narcos, playing the role of Mexican DEA, Javier Pena.
- Yaya DaCosta will play Whitney Houston in an upcoming biopic for Lifetime. Angela Bassett will also direct the project.
- Dominic Cooper will reprise his role as Howard Stark for Marvel's Agent Carter.
- Suraj Sharma has joined the cast of Homeland for it's upcoming fourth season, playing recurring medical student, Aayan Ibrahim.
- Jeremy Sisto is the latest addition to the US version of The Returned. He will be portraying psychiatrist.
- Penny Dreadful has been picked up for a second season.
- Rachel McAdams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kelsey Grammer and Lauren Graham are among the celebrities lined up for the next series of  the US version of Who Do You Think You Are? 
- Matthew Goode will remain on The Good Wife for the time being.
- Jason Ritter will appear in the sixth episode of the fourth season of Girls.
- Sonja Sohn has joined the second season of The Originals as powerful witch, Lenore.

Jack's Back

This will be a two part blog with the second part to be posted tomorrow after I've caught up with the final episode of a certain show.

24: Live Another Day: The show that was probably responsible for the boxset binge watching that most of us indulge in nowadays has returned after a four year absence and with a slightly altered format (12 episodes instead of 24 of them) and the action taking place in London, this has been something of a return to form while at the same time feeling all familiar in spite of it's new location, characters and the different shifts with familiar ones like Jack, Chloe, President Heller and Audrey. So far, it's been a fun ride and Margot has been a decent antagonist if not wholly original but on the plus side, I am glad to see the show back and that wasn't something I'd expect to feel again.

Devious Maids: Yeah this was something of a guilty pleasure series last year and while it still has that Desperate Housewives feel to it, it's still a lot of fun to watch. The opening episode for Season 2 did a time jump, set up another mystery that Marisol will be central in solving, had it's fair share of personal drama amongst the maids while at the same time showed that the Powells were still delightfully bonkers to watch and that Peri will do anything to keep her husband and Rosie apart. Overall, it's the bonkers soapy show you might not be watching because it's on TLC.

Glee: Something of a mixed bag here. I enjoyed the penultimate episode written by Chris Colfer more than the actual finale itself. Probably because the former still had Santana and seemed to make a little more sense. The finale just decided to give Rachel her own TV, while having an annoying parody of Lena Dunham shadowing Rachel for most of the episode as well as Sam being given Finn's original Lima intended plot and some minor dramas with Sam/Mercedes and Kurt/Blaine. In retrospect, while there have been some good episodes, I do think this season has been the weakest so far and it's probably a good thing that the sixth season will be the last one.

In The Flesh: If you're not watching this show on BBC3, can I just ask - why? It's probably one of the best things on television right now and like The Walking Dead and The Returned has offered something pretty interesting to the zombie genre at the moment. The first three episode alone have added more to the series with the arrivals of both Simon and Maxine and the ongoing battle between the redeemed and Victus has made for some gripping television along with Kieren's friendships with Amy and Simon and Jem being pulled back into her former hunting ways. A genuinely gripping series that certainly should be watched by more than it currently is at the moment.

Orphan Black: Having watched the second and third episodes of Season 2 for now (watching at BBC3 pace), this show has gotten that tiny bit more messed up than usual. Whether it's seeing Siobhan wield a shotgun and take some folk out or poor Helena being terrorised and forcibly married into a bizarre cult, this season has been pulling out all the stops. On top of that, there was also the introduction of Sarah's baby daddy, Rachel being a right bitch to Cosimo as well as the brief introduction of another clone and Allison losing it, this season has certainly reeled me in. It might be still a little early but I think this season could be even better than it's impressive debut year but the one thing that is abundantly clear is that Tatiana Maslany continues to impress each and every episode. The woman is a revelation. Easily the best actress on television at the moment.

- Hayley Atwell's Agent Carter will air for eight episodes between episodes of Agents Of SHIELD.
- Glee's sixth and final season will not air until early 2015.
- How I Met Your Dad was not picked up by CBS but is being shopped around.
- Adrienne C. Moore will be a regular in Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black. The second season premieres on Netflix from June 6th.
- T.R Knight and Mena Suvari will be joining Amazon pilot, Hysteria.
- John Barrowman will be a regular in the third season of Arrow.
- Marin Ireland has signed up for the fourth season of Girls.
- Heroes: Reborn will likely feature some of the original stars after all, according to NBC executive chairman Robert Greenblatt.

Looking For The Right Show

And here's a look at some of the shows I've been watching the last while.

Broadchurch: It might seem unusual talking about this show, nearly a year since it's original transmission but it's recently aired on Irish television and I thought I'd see what the fuss was really about. Three episodes in and it's not bad. It's not hard to feel for the Latimers, given that their son has been murdered and the double act with the more straitlaced Ellie Millers and the abrasive Alec Hardy works well enough with both Olivia Colman and David Tennant on fine form and there's a good mix of characters within the community as well to add to things. That being said, it's not particularly original and it's influences (The Killing, anyone?) are a bit too obvious at times. I will watch the remaining five episodes, despite already know who the killer actually is.

Devious Maids: I caught the final two episodes a while ago and forgot to mention them in my previous TV jumble blog. Overall, I've enjoyed this series as much as I did Desperate Housewives not so long ago. The reveal and wrap up of Flora's murder mystery, coupled with Rosie winding up into some legal bother thanks to a vengeful Peri means the show at least has some good plotlines for the second season but I do hope that like it's predecessor, Lifetime doesn't try to extend this show beyond it's natural life.

Girls: If there was an award for polarising show with often awful female characters, this show would always win it. Lena Dunham's baby is back for a third season and while I've mostly liked the first three episodes, not a whole lot has really changed. Hannah's still self absorbed as ever, Marnie is still a whinger (lovely singing voice aside), Shoshanna's still terminally annoying in her female Sheldon style way and Jessa's still a raging sociopath. Business as usual, along with Ray being a background character (minus a piss poor fight scene with Hannah's editor) and Adam being slightly less crazy than in previous seasons. On the plus side, the show can still attract decent guest stars with both Richard E.Grant and Rita Wilson popping up in the first two episodes and being somewhat more interesting than the main characters.

Looking: I've been somewhat unfairly comparing this show to Girls more than Queer As Folk and after watching the first episode, I probably should knock that right off. For one thing - all three main characters - lovelorn Patrick and his friends Agustin and Dom are a hell of a lot more likeable than Hannah and company and while this series isn't particularly groundbreaking, it was something of a breath of fresh air to watch as well. Patrick's quest for love is certainly a nice draw and Jonathan Groff makes for a likeable leading man but while Patrick is instantly likeable, I do think both Agustin and Dom might arguably overshadow him as the series progresses though. Definitely one I'll be watching for the remainder of the season.

The Musketeers: Anyone else think it's a bit weird this show is airing in a Sunday 9pm timeslot? Despite the fact that it's doing well there, rating wise, it seems more like it should be in the same Saturday slot previously occupied by Doctor Who/Robin Hood/Merlin/Atlantis etc. Having watched the first two episodes, so far it's pretty decent if not spectacular stuff. The four leads are likeable and engaging enough as the Musketeers in question and Peter Capaldi makes for a decent antagonist with his take on Cardinal Richelieu. Watchable stuff but not mind blowing. At least not yet anyways.

The Spoils of Babylon: I watched the first two episodes of this miniseries and I've got to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I really want to continue beyond that. I don't mind the spoofy nature of the show but there are times when it's a a bit jarring and I'm not sure if I want to care about the 'love' story between 'siblings' Devon and Cynthia Morehouse, despite some great performances from Toby Maguire and Kristen Wiig. Maybe the next few episodes will keep me glued but somehow I doubt it.

- John Simm, James Fraim and Mira Sorvino will be starring in the upcoming BBCAmerica drama, Intruders.
- Rose McGowen will reprise the role of Cora for the 18th episode of Once Upon A Time's third season.
- Danielle Panabaker and Rick Cosnett have signed on for The Flash.
- Starz have ordered ballet drama, Flesh And Bone, starring Sarah Hay in the lead role of Claire.
- J. August Richards's Mike will be transformed into Deathlok in an upcoming episode of Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Family Tree and Hello Ladies have been axed by HBO.
- PBS will not move Downton Abbey's transmission closer to the UK's.
- Episode 20 of Supernatural's ninth season will serve as a backdoor for a spin-off series. Jared Padalecki has described it as a reward for the show's more passionate fans.

Three Ghosts

It's been a while since I last did this one, so any show I miss out on is probably one that I need to catch up with (namely Sleepy Hollow at the moment).

Arrow: Wow, the last two episodes that formed the mid-season finale/winter ending were brilliant, weren't they? The show has gone from being a great watch to being rather unmissable and the latest twist with Slade was another good one but more to the point - Barry Allen. Immediately in two episodes, he won me over and I can't wait to see him return and to see him in action as the Flash. Oh and it's also amazing that it took Oliver 32 episodes to invest in a mask as well. Better late than never I suppose.

Bad Education: Every now and then, BBC3 award one of their comedy shows a Christmas special. Last year, it was Him & Her and this year, it was Bad Education's turn (as well as Bluestone 42) and let's just say, it was certainly a fun episode alright. The Robocracker production aside, I don't think I'm ever going to look at donkeys again thanks to this one. Oh and Frances Barber was a hoot as Alfie's mother, though a little underused.

Devious Maids: This show is moving along rather nicely but I am eager for the Flora mystery to be over and done with now. I like that it's taken a few twists and turns and I've certainly enjoyed seeing Marisol and Rosie working together as well but some of the more interpersonal stuff is a lot more interesting like Alejandro's love, Odessa's recovery and anything involving Peri and the Powells as well. At least with two episodes left, we should probably get the answer to who actually bumped off Flora then.

Glee: This show and Christmas episodes have been a distinct mixed bag. However this was the best one going, especially given that the show's cheesiness during the holidays was slightly dialed down and there was an equal emphasis on both McKinley and New York for good measure. The New York stuff was still the best and I can't help hoping that Rough Trade Santa, Cody crops up in a later episode.

Homeland: I've been dipping in and out of the season because much as I hate to admit it, the show is no longer holding my interest. The finale however was probably one of the better episodes they've done in a while but the decision to kill off Brody is either one that could rejuvenate the show next season or blow up spectacularly in the writers faces. I just hope that whatever the outcome is that the show and Showtime are smart enough not to attempt to take this show to eight seasons like they did with Weeds and Dexter.

Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD: I still think this show could benefit from Arrow at times but I did enjoy the mid-season finale nonetheless. It's just that after ten episodes and despite some interesting moments with recurring characters like Mike and Rayna and Coulson being handed over to the baddies, it's hard to deny that the show is still lacking something. Still the mid-season finale gave me some hope that things might get more interesting when it returns in 2014 though.

Misfits: It's been over a week since the last episode aired and I have to admit, I think it was a good way of ending things. We got some elements of timey-wimey, gross out humour, Greg finally admitting he was gay (and being marginally less creepy for a bit), the jumper gang becoming corrupt and our gang actually/possibly becoming actual heroes. Honestly, I really think this show ended a lot better than I expected it to.

Once Upon A Time: What a brilliant episode. I said somewhere else online that if the last minute didn't happen, this easily could've been a series finale. It had tonnes of tension, brilliant character moments, heartfelt sacrifices from both Regina and Gold, finally got rid of Pan and Storybrooke in one fell swoop. Of course, I'm glad the show is coming back next year, especially now that I know who Rebecca Mader is playing but overall, had this been an actual series finale, it would've been superb.