Doctor Who - Series 7 Press Release/Writers News

And we have lift-off - well, sort of. While Series 7 of Doctor Who doesn't begin filming until the 20th of February, it does start production on the 13th and spoilers are already leaking for the upcoming year.
The BBC have released this press statement ...

It's almost time. New monsters are becoming real, old friends are returning to Cardiff and somewhere in Wales, a tweed jacket is being taken from its hanger and lovingly dusted off. It can only mean one thing... Filming on the new series of Doctor Who begins on 20 February, 2012! The first director to shout 'action' will be the award-winning Saul Metzstein whose previous credits include Micro Men (starring Alexander Armstrong and Martin Freeman), the critically acclaimed Late Night Shopping and BBC Wales' Upstairs Downstairs. For the very first time, Doctor Who will be produced at the new BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff, which officially open in March. The production team includes Steven Moffat (Executive Producer and lead writer), Caroline Skinner (Executive Producer) and Marcus Wilson (Producer). The new series will see Matt Smith return as the Doctor in what Steven Moffat has described as 'the biggest, the best and the most ambitious season we've ever made'. Karen Gillan (Amy) and Arthur Darvill (Rory) are both back, for what will be their final voyage with the Doctor - a thrilling rollercoaster ride which will culminate in a heart-breaking farewell to the Ponds. But there will be more shocks, surprises and adventures to come when the Doctor meets a new friend, in the last very place he could ever have expected... And yes! We've been promised the return of some old monsters, but some new and terrifying ones lie in wait for the Doctor.

I'm not sure what old monsters are exactly returning but I did hear rumours of the Yeti, which would be excellent in a Christmas special, as would the Ice Warriors come to think of it and surely, we're due another Master story. I mean, he's been absent for two full seasons at this point. As for Amy and Rory's heartbreaking exit - surely River is going to factor into this somehow? Looking forward to the new person but I guess we'll have to wait another two or three months before the casting's been announced.

In terms of writers for the seventh series, Moffat will be penning five episodes out of the fourteen scheduled, Mark Gatiss will be submitting another script, John Fay has been rumoured and DWM 444 has confirmed that both Toby Whithouse and Chris Chibnall will be penning episodes as well for the upcoming year. Whithouse's script will be the third one of the season and Chibnall's will feature one of the biggest sets the show's ever used. I'm a huge fan of the former's work and a bit cautious of the latter but I'm hoping for a new writer thrown into the mix as well.

Series 7 begins filming on February 20th with transmission pegged for Autumn 2012.

My Review of Ringer's 1x12: "What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?"

Written by Hank Chilton
Directed by Jerry Levine

Siobhan (to Henry): “That’s Bridget. She’s the one living the lie with Andrew, not me. And I’m still pregnant with our child.”

You know how last week’s episode basically felt like nothing of real interest actually happened? Well, thankfully this week’s episode was something of a massive improvement with Henry actually becoming privy with the antics of Bridget and Siobhan but then again, he did more or less back Siobhan into a corner when it came to her end confession.

For that reason, I actually found myself enjoying Henry to a certain degree. I mean, he’s still annoying but at least he didn’t take everything Siobhan was saying to him at face value, actually followed her, set Victor on her and because of all this, he managed to get a confession out of her in the end.

Of course, Henry is still unaware of the fact that Siobhan’s series of lies factored into Gemma’s death but at least he knows the woman playing happy families with Andrew is Bridget and not the woman he loves. Oh God, I actually sound like I care about Henry’s happiness. I apologise – I really don’t but I guess I’m happy that at least one other character knows a bit more than before.

Henry also better hope for his sake that knowing about Bridget and Siobhan’s antics doesn’t result in him being killed off anytime soon as well. It didn’t fare well for Gemma when she became privy to things and given the way things were shaping in this episode, I’m not so sure Henry is going to be thankful to actually have Siobhan back in his life, even if she is carrying his child.

Oh, Siobhan – it’s been twelve episodes of this show and I’m still clueless as to what you’re actually up to. Annoyingly, I believe your feelings for Henry are genuine and I find myself amused that Bridget keeps wrecking your plans without actually knowing she did but at this rate, it would be sort of nice to actually know what the hell you’re up to.

Is all this scheming just a ploy to get at Andrew’s money or ruin him in some way and if so, why? What exactly has Andrew ever done that bad that Siobhan would be motivated to do this to him? This episode made some great character progress but it needs to make more and we need to know what Siobhan is actually up to and fast.

Also, can we please lose Tyler at this point? He’s sweet and I don’t like seeing him being duped by Siobhan, so unless his character is going to take an interesting turn and preferably soon, I don’t think there’s that much point in keeping him around. Still, if he shows some suspicions towards the woman he thinks is carrying his child then that could be fun to watch.

Speaking of fun to watch, I really enjoyed seeing Bridget piecing things together in relation to Siobhan. She realised that her sister was carrying on with Tyler and that Siobhan had actually been to Wyoming prior to contacting her and also came more or less to the deduction that her sister was still dead. Without making the hardest of efforts, Bridget is a far superior at figuring things out than Victor will ever be.

This also gets to my other point – what’s more frustrating than not knowing Siobhan’s motives behind her actions is Victor’s ineptitude throughout this episode. He thought he was being clever with Jimmy but even that guy was able to pull the wool over Victor’s eyes by confessing to the strippers’ deaths. Every time it seems like Victor makes any progress, something seems to undo it.

Even when he had Siobhan in his custody, he couldn’t keep her there. Siobhan did manage to dodge him as best she could and that was despite the false passport and the Charlie/John association as well. Basically Victor sucks at his job and this is becoming an increasingly thankless role for Nestor Carbonell, much as I hate to admit it. Oh and Bodaway can just go away as well. I do not care for that character one bit.

In better plotting, it’s actually looking like Juliet is telling the truth about Carpenter if Tessa’s little confession is anything to go by. I’m finding the twists in this episode in relation to that plot pretty amusing and even the presence of Catherine, who managed to be a Grade A Bitch to both Bridget and Juliet at different points in the episode didn’t deter matters. It still feels too seperate a plot for the show but it’s better than anything Bodaway related or Victor’s uselessness as a character, so points there.

Also in “What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?”

Bridget was a bit tactless in this one when she was calling Malcolm. Erm, Bridget, security can actually hear you, you know.

Siobhan: “I know it doesn’t make sense but I did it for us.”
Henry: “Did what for us?”
Siobhan: “I ended the relationship to protect us.”

Where are Henry’s kids by the way? Shouldn’t they be one of his main priorities right about now?

Catherine: “What’s your problem, Siobhan? After all, it was my tub first.”

Andrew: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in an apron before.”
Bridget: “I’m channelling Martha Stewart.”
Andrew: “You know I’ve got a thing for her, right?”
Bridget: “That’s gross.”

We saw courtesy of CCTV that Juliet actually did come to Carpenter but later changed her mind. However, I’m sure Juliet isn’t a virgin. We did see her with a fella back in the “Pilot” episode.

Tyler: “I’ve been thinking about you and the baby. Is it weird to miss someone you’ve never met?”
Siobhan: “I don’t know.”

Catherine (to Juliet, re Carpenter): “What the hell is wrong with you? You try to do him right there in the hallway?”

I liked the word jumble thing that Bridget/Siobhan used to do and something the latter later did with both Andrew and Henry. I guess it beats twin-speak. Also Siobhan’s limo man, Solomon previously appeared in a similar role in Cruel Intentions.

Henry: “Why did you kill Gemma?”
Siobhan: “Why would you say that?”
Henry: “Because I know you did it, Bridget?”

Bridget (re cowboy boots): “I thought I was so cool.”
Juliet: “You weren’t cool, you were a redneck.”
Bridget: “I know, right?”

Standout music: There was an interesting version of “Tainted Love” used in this one.

Bridget: “My sister and I we used to do word jumbles when we were kids.”
Catherine: “Did you sleep behind her husband’s back too?”

Bridget (to Malcolm): “Siobhan lied. She knew where I was before the trial. She knew I was in Wyoming because she was there too. If she was looking for me, why didn’t she contact me?”

Chronology: A few days from “It Just Got Normal” left off.

“What Are You Doing Here, Hoe-Bag?” definitely is a better episode than the previous one but anything that forwards the show is going to be a good thing. Sadly though, good as this episode is, I’m not sure if this show really does have a future, considering that the ratings haven’t been good at all.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Being Human's 4x01: "Eve Of The War"

Written by Toby Whithouse
Directed by Philip John

George: “Annie, it’s okay. It’s just the end of my story. I have to be with my Nina.”

And what an end to the story of George Sands this episode turned out to be. I mean, it was beyond obvious that George wasn’t going to make it out of this episode alive but I do like that before he died, he got to save his child and pass the torch off to Tom at the same time while giving his daughter the most obvious of names, considering her future role.

Russell Tovey has definitely flourished with this show and he was on fine form with his last episode here. George had become a broken shell of a man following the deaths of both Mitchell and Nina and for most of this episode, he was both catatonic and unable to think clearly at crucial points, leading to Griffin tricking him and Fergus managing to snare Eve from Annie halfway through the episode.

Both Annie and Tom tried their best to snap George out of his depression and it was fair that only Eve (yes, that’s what she’s called) could be the one to do it. I know, it ain’t subtle playing the father’s love card but who cares? From a narrative perspective, it was a satisfying way of getting George to take a stand against Griffin and he certainly did that.

George had to be the one to end Griffin’s existence, given that the vampire was the one who saw that Nina died in a violent manner – a manner that made me glad we didn’t actually have to see it played out on screen. As a big fan of Nina, I definitely don’t think I could’ve handled seeing her being battered to death by visor wearing vampires but it was enough incentive to make sure that George would be just in his eventual defeat of Griffin.

As a villain, Griffin might not have been as memorable as Herrick or potentially Wyndham would’ve been but he was an adequate enough villain. I actually did think for a moment that he was going to best George until the latter fed him his blood and caused him to die. I’m not sure why now it was needed to point out that werewolf blood was toxic to vampires but it did serve for a good way of getting rid of the character though.

Unfortunately by doing this and by the fact that George only partially transformed, his body wasn’t strong enough to cope and he ended up giving himself live, kidney and heart failure. George knew he was going to die but he made sure the vampire responsible for Nina’s death died first and he made sure that both Annie and Tom were placed as guardians for Eve.

I’m not gonna lie – I will miss George and Nina more than I miss Mitchell as a character and while I have a strong suspicion that regardless of quality that this series could easily be the show’s last (BBC3 have been on an axing spree of late), I’m still confident that as a writer, Whithouse certainly has plenty of material in him to give off an exciting series.

First off all, let’s talk about Eve – she’s a baby bred of two werewolves but human and able to see Annie. We also know thanks to strips of human parchment that she will bring about the end of vampires, so the Old Ones have even more incentive to get rid of her than ever but we also know that twenty five years in the future she’ll get a soldier to kill her so that a ghostly version of herself will go back to undo her existence. Well, that last bit is actually left for discussion because the woman in 2037 isn’t confirmed as Eve, though it’s very likely that’s who she’s supposed to be, character wise. I know some fans aren’t keen on this Terminator style plot and I have my own reservations but I’ll give it a chance before completely writing it off.

Then there’s also the arrival of Hal, whose storyline is independent of the main antics of this episode. Here he’s already living the unholy vampire/werewolf/ghost trinity with Leo and Pearl, both of whom I suspect aren’t long for this show when Hal takes up residency with Annie and Tom. It’s a shame because older Leo’s werewolf antics showed another aspect of the changes and I quite like Pearl, even if she is a bit too similar to Annie though.

As for the vampires of the story – apart from Hal, Dewi (he who betrayed/helped Tom) and Regus (the recorder fella who chose to protect Eve), they’re still a rotten bunch. Fergus had a nastiness to him that was a bit unsettling and Cutler seems to be quite a calculating individual as well. I suppose with Griffin out of the way, both of them will be fighting for supremacy before the Old Ones arrive in Barry.

Also in “Eve Of The War”

There’s a prequel for the Old Ones with Mark Gatiss on the BBC site (and YouTube) that’s a bit of a spoiler future episode. Also, apart from the prequels for Hal and Tom, there will be ones released every week per episode.

Annie (re Eve): “This isn’t good for her, for either of you.”
George: “I’m protecting her.”
Annie: “She needs a father, George, not a bodyguard.”

Since we saw him last, Tom’s been working in a cafe and he wasn’t particularly subtle about trying to live in Honolulu Heights either.

Griffin (re Eve): “Werewolves have only ever been made, not born.”

Tom: “Will you just stop hitting me?”
Annie: “Oh, for God sake’s Tom, I can’t lose anyone else. I’ve said goodbye to too many people, I can’t even process it.”

Annie had an interesting nickname for Eve – Splodge. Not quite Stormaggedon but it’s an amusing one nonetheless. Less amusing was seeing the baby in a pet carrier and on that sand filled bed of skulls.

Hal (re Superman): “Maybe he had special scissors.”
Leo: “Special scissors, that’s ridiculous.”

Pearl: “If you want anything, I’ll be sat outside with my Marie Claire.”
Leo: “Pearl, say goodbye, just in case.”
Pearl: “In case what? You’re not going anywhere. You’re strapped to a bed.”

Okay, can we please have some continuity with Annie’s abilities as a ghost because her confrontation with Fergus definitely should’ve played out differently?

George: “Tom, I am not your fucking father.”
Tom: “You ain’t nobody’s father.”

Fergus (to Annie): “Do you really call it Rentaghost? That’s just stupid.”

Apart from Pearl and Eve/Woman, the only one thing that does worry me for this series is the lack of female characters. I think at least one female vampire would be nice. I miss Lauren and Daisy.

Griffin (re Nina): “She begged, George. She screamed, she wept. I just want you to know that.”

Tom: “She needs a name, George.”
George: “Eve. She’s called Eve.”

I noticed that the building/company owned by the vampires in this one was called Stoker Exports And Imports.

Woman: “I’m going to save the world.”
George (to Annie/Tom, re Eve): “She’s going to save the world.”
Woman: “I’m gonna kill that baby.”

Chronology: I think it’s safe to assume this has taken months from where “The Wolf Shaped Bullet” left off.

Well, this was certainly an impressive episode. It’s hard to know what the future holds for this show but even with the major cast upheavals, “Eve Of The War” certainly shows there’s still some life in the series yet, though now that Annie is our most familiar character, the writers really need to make her a more formidable threat against the vampires. Don’t just leave it all to Tom and Hal.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 1x10: "Loyalty"

Written by Wendy Calhoun And Nikki Toscano
Directed by J. Miller Tobin

Emily (to Nolan, re Tyler): “Now you sabotage our alliance because you fell for a hooker.”

Emily – ever hear of the phrase, ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’? Well, if you haven’t, then familiarise yourself with it pretty fast because even though I believe you could take Nolan down without breaking a sweat, it should be abundantly clear that Nolan could easily do the same to you as well.

I mean Nolan had a good chance of actually doing that this week when Emily decided that Conrad needed to become privy to how Tyler really got Nolan to invest in his company and to be honest, I wouldn’t have blamed Nolan if he had decided to teach Emily a rather expensive lesson. She went too far this week and if she doesn’t watch herself, she’s going to find it a lot harder to get her own back without Nolan bankrolling most of her antics.

Nolan definitely felt betrayed by Emily and acting wise, Gabriel Mann and Emily Van Camp were pretty much on fire with each other when he more or less told Emily that she had gone too far. The comment about David as well was pretty fair too, considering that Emily didn’t exactly correct Nolan when he said her father wouldn’t be proud of her.

I get that Emily is a hardened person but Nolan’s been nothing but kind and trust worthy to her (and for that matter, so have Daniel and Jack), so it actually irked me this week with the way Emily screwed him over. In her own twisted way, she actually did Nolan something of a favour but at the same time, she needs to stop fighting against the guy and realise that he genuinely seems to have her best interests at heart.

Also, if she could control the Amanda situation through kindness and a fact filling diary, then saying so much as a thank you to Nolan every now and then isn’t going to kill her. It’s well and good, Emily lamenting about loyalty and the people who didn’t show it to her father but she’s risking becoming every bit as bad as the people she’s trying to get even with.

That also leads to the presence of Satoshi in this episode and my conflicting views with him. On one hand, he’s right about Emily falling in love with Daniel and how her emotions will be her undoing when it comes to her scheming but at the same time, he was given a rather weak way of departing from Emily’s company after she gotten him to invest with Daniel in the Grayson business. I do hope we see Emily’s sensei once again.

Speaking of business, Daniel has the knack for it but his hatred for Conrad and Tyler might not always work in his favour. He had every right to be frustrated when Tyler wasn’t fired but at the same time, if he only knew about his father’s antics, his reasons for hating Conrad would definitely intensify all the more.

As for Tyler – yeah, I really don’t feel sorry for him in the slightest. He might have managed to make Nolan feel like crap about himself and destroy the sex tape between but he was crafty enough to ensure that Conrad didn’t give him his marching orders and his continued manipulation of Ashley has done a lot to make me less fond of the character than before.

Of course, I have a feeling that Tyler is on the way out nonetheless though. Victoria won’t put up with him for much longer and I’m sure Conrad will find someway of getting him out of the family business if Emily, Nolan and Daniel don’t themselves. In other words, Tyler is more or less on borrowed time as we speak. Oh and the fact that he’s off his meds as well was an interesting reveal too.

Speaking of time, I did love that Amanda was struggling this week with keeping up the pretence. Sammy didn’t recognise her and Jack trying to jog her memory also kept her rather confused until Emily handed over the diary to bring her up to speed, plus the hostility between her and Daniel is rather promising. Of course now that Victoria knows she’s back in town, it can only be more interesting though.

That being said as rushed as Amanda and Jack and as much as their ‘relationship’ is built on lies and big expectations, I quite like the pairing in a way. Both of them need someone (Amanda more than Jack) and to an extent, it actually does work in Emily’s favour. That being said, I don’t envision this pair lasting too long though.

Also in “Loyalty”

I like the slight change they made with the credit sequence. It’s a good look for the show.

Emily: “Amanda, she’s a ticking time bomb.”
Satoshi: “Then you must stay clear of the blast.”

Now that we’ve seen training with Emily and Satoshi, can we please get a sequence where the former gets to use her skills on someone?

Ashley (to Tyler, re Nolan): “You kiss a billionaire, you get 200,000. I’ve been kissing Victoria’s arse all summer and I’m lucky if she lets me call her by her first name.”

Jack: “I can’t tell how good it feels to have you back.”
Amanda: “And I can’t tell you how long it’s been since someone was this nice to me. Thanks Jack.”

For all of Ashley’s complaining, Victoria is obviously softening towards her. Also Amanda managed to win Sammy around and the plot with her and Jack’s sea glass was nice.

Nolan: “You do realise you’re paying me back with my own money, right?”
Tyler: “I’m trying to say thank you. You have no idea the doors you’ve opened for me.”

Satoshi (to Emily, re Daniel): “Do not let the feelings you pretend to have for this boy to grow true.”

Instead of moving in with Declan, Charlotte decided to move in with her father instead. Emily’s also targeting Victoria’s divorce lawyer, Ryan Huntley, who wouldn’t take on David’s case.

Conrad: “Sorry but you’re fired.”
Tyler: “Am I? At least when I do business, people don’t die.”

Daniel (re Amanda): “That girl makes me nervous.”
Emily: “She just seems a little lost to me. Can you imagine growing up the way she had to?”

We got two flashbacks in this one – one with Amanda giving Jack her dog before being taken away and another where she confronted Ryan Huntley.

Tyler: “You’ve been playing me this whole time, setting me up to fail.”
Nolan: “Let’s not mix business with pleasure.”
Tyler: “Funny, coming from the guy who videotaped that sickening encounter.”

Standout music: The Velvet Underground’s “Oh Sweet Nothing’”.

Satoshi (re Daniel): “You are in love with him.”
Emily: “Of course I’m not.”
Satoshi: “When you came to me, you were a little girl. So much rage, so much betrayal. I did not want to train you because your emotions made you destined to fail.”

Chronology: From where “Suspicion” left off.

Now this was bloody excellent. “Loyalty” might have proven that Emily needs to develop a sense of the very thing to someone other than herself but it was also the strongest episode we’ve had in the series as well so far.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Doctor Who - Series 7 Companion Spoilers

No, they haven't announced the casting just yet but we're gotten a clue about the new person though.

The picture of a Cybermen, Dalek and Silent is from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular and apparently Steven Moffat has sent them this exact information in relation to the next TARDIS occupant ....

Doctor Who's 50th anniversary is coming. In Cardiff, we're gearing up for the biggest, the best and the most ambitious season we've ever made. There will be shocks, surprises and heartbreak - the Doctor is about to say goodbye to his very best friends, Amy and Rory. And then he's about to say hello to someone very different - the Doctor is going to meet someone very new in the very last place he could ever have expected...

Sounds wonderfully intriguing. Now where exactly could that be because let's face it's, 21st Century England is very much expected, isn't it?

Also, while Amy and Rory are soon to bid adieu, Alex Kingston however has dropped hints that she will in fact be reprising her role as River Song for the show's seventh series, now that she's finished filming her stint in the second year of Upstairs Downstairs. Good, because personally I think River needs to be in the episode that actually departs her parents.

Series 7 of Doctor Who begins production from February 13th and will air on BBC1 from Autumn 2012.

My Review of Revenge's 1x09: "Suspicion"

Written by Salvatore Stabile
Directed by Bethany Rooney

Tyler: “No con, Nolan, I like you. I thought we had a mutually beneficial thing going on here. You said yourself you have more money than you can wrap your brain around. Besides, I have every intention of repaying you.”
Nolan: “Transaction denied, cash only.”

Now, there’s a rebuff line you don’t get to hear every day. So, after the lack of Tyler and Nolan action in the previous episode, it’s good that this one reminded us that even with these two becoming sleeping and investing buddies, there is no actual love here people. Both men are just doing whatever they can to outsmart the other and that’s rather amusing to watch.

Tyler will literally do anything to stick with the Grayson money train and if he has to make out with Nolan in order to get the eccentric billionaire to invest in Conrad’s business, he’ll do it and no amount of scowling from Ashley is gonna determined. Despite my dislike for the character and the apathy I have with his classism issues, his steely determination is bizarrely admirable at the same time.

Of course, the problem with conmen like Tyler is that they never seem to believe that they can be outsmarted and while Tyler did patronise Nolan by pretending the guy had a brain, he also continued to seriously underestimate him at the same time. No offence Tyler but it does look like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew here.

Not only does Nolan have zero intention of actually handing over 20 million to Conrad’s business but he was also clever enough to video Tyler messing about with Lydia’s original speech and figured out that Tyler was doing some digging on David Clarke to use against the Graysons as well. If Nolan wasn’t my favourite character on this show beforehand, this episode certainly edged things in his favour.

He was clever enough to make sure that Ashley also saw the kiss between him and Tyler as well and he was giving some pretty sensible advice to both Emily and Jack in relation to the problem known as Amanda (or the Real Emily) as well. It’s just too bad that both they and Amanda herself continued to ignore Nolan and his sound words throughout the episode.

And getting to the problem that is Amanda – it looks like that along with Tyler and Victoria, Emily has gotten herself a triad of threats that will not go away in any shape or form. With Tyler looking into her father’s connection with the Graysons and Victoria latching onto her distrust towards all the more, Amanda’s refusal to actually leave the Hamptons could also be part of Emily’s downfall.

Emily might have had good reason to think she could coerce Amanda into doing whatever she wanted (the flashbacks certainly portrayed the woman’s willingness to give up her own identity to become Amanda) but here, it did look like she was out of her depth. I expected Amanda to reveal herself to Jack and I even expected them to become a couple. I didn’t however think it would happen this fast though.

Jack’s fixation from Emily to Amanda does however make me wonder if the man is a good judge of character though. Nolan gave him so pretty sound advice about treading carefully with Amanda and Jack decided to ignore him. Plus it did seem a little too convenient that he brought Amanda to see the porch at the end of the episode with Emily there. The look Emily gave the both of them, I’m surprised they didn’t succumb to frostbite there and then.

As for the rivalry between Emily and Victoria, it’s nice that this episode maintained Victoria’s mistrust of the girl, even if she did try to play nice for Daniel’s sake. As for Ashley, I know there’s a part of me that should actually praise her for giving Victoria more insight into Emily but actually this episode just didn’t paint her in a good light. Yes, Victoria’s a far worse person morally but I’ve lost any respect for Ashley to be honest at this point and her nastiness towards Emily seems to be down to Tyler manipulating her rather than anything Emily has done to her personally.

Keeping with Victoria – I’m not surprised she attempted to break up Declan and Charlotte and I’m also not surprised that her plan failed there but I do like that she’s questioning Conrad more about Frank’s death (his phone was found in their garden) and trying her damndest to keep a hold of Lydia. However, Conrad outsmarted her on the last one but it’ll be interesting to see if Lydia turns on him in the upcoming weeks.

Also in “Suspicion”

Emily’s not being that crafty after all. Daniel has actually noticed that she sneaks off at night, though he didn’t seem that bothered by it.

Emily: “Did you sleep well?”
Daniel: “Better than you I’m guessing. I heard you get up in the middle of the night again.”
Emily: “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m still getting used to someone sleeping next to me.”

It’s actually been five episodes in a row now since Emily’s extracted revenge on someone and it’s not hurting the show at all.

Amanda: “Who’s Amanda, an old girlfriend?”
Jack: “More like a childhood crush.”

Emily (re Amanda): “Don’t tell me she didn’t leave town.”
Nolan: “Okay but I will tell you she’s got a killer body, no pun intended. Amanda is on the Amanda toasting herself as we speak.”

Looks like Emily has another ally in her corner with Satoshi Takeda (the same fella Daniel was trying to woo, business wise) and in flashbacks, it appears she spent some time in Japan with him.

Tyler (to Daniel/Conrad): “Ambition versus nepotism, game on.”

Emily: “May I ask what it is about me that troubles you so much?”
Victoria: “Call it maternal instinct.”

We got some David and Victoria flashbacks in this episode and some Amanda/Emily ones too. That brown wig Emily Van Camp is wearing is distracting.

Amanda (to Nolan): “In case you haven’t noticed, I do things on my own terms. If Emily wants me gone, she’ll have to consider the ripple effect.”

Nolan: “Between Tyler’s scheming and Amanda’s homicidal tendencies, this is a very dangerous game that we’re playing here.”
Emily: “I told you this is not a game. I never should’ve trusted you to take down Tyler.”

Standout music: The Business’s “Pigs And Pearls”.

Emily: “I fear I’m losing control.”
Satoshi: “As you were warned, revenge is a stony path. Remember, inside the viper’s nest, you must be a viper too.”

Emily: “It’s nice to see you again, Amanda.”
Amanda: “Jack has the nicest things to say about you. I’m happy my home is in good hands. It’s a very special place for me and my father. It’s good to be home.”

Chronology: From where “Treachery” left off.

We’ve had stronger episodes in the run but “Suspicion” was a lot of fun and it’s nice to see that Emily has her work cut out for her with Amanda making herself rather comfortable at the Hamptons.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Ringer's 1x11: "It Just Got Normal"

Written by Cathryn Humphris
Directed by Jeff T. Thomas

Andrea: “You need help.”
Juliet: “No, I don’t. I just want to forget it happened and move on.”

And I’d like an answer as to what’s really going on with Juliet and Mr Carpenter as well. Did he really rape her or is she making it up and committing to the lie because he seemed genuinely startled when Bridget smacked him one and Juliet did seem genuinely distressed as in this episode.

As plots go, it’s not the most compelling of storylines but its better than most of what actually did happen in this episode. There’s nothing about Carpenter’s demeanour that seems off or sinister but at the same time, Juliet was noticeably off that Bridget picked up on it and managed to get an answer from her.

The fact that Bridget punched Carpenter so publicly and embarrassed him might not have been the wisest of moves but it’s more than enough proof that she does genuinely care about Juliet’s safety. It also made me wonder if Siobhan would’ve reacted the same way or would’ve chosen to ignore the accusation or simply not believe Juliet at all.

However, it’s also another example of how Andrew seems to be genuinely clueless with Juliet as well. He doesn’t really pick up on her distress and automatically assumed the worst when she was lashing out at the charity (what is it with this show and Revenge when it comes to these functions?) for her public school. At least he came through when Bridget brought him up to speed on thing.

However, this is not a storyline I want to see dragged out for much longer so hopefully within the next episode or two, we actually find out the truth with Juliet and Carpenter. That being said, either way I have a feeling I’m not gonna like the outcome. If Juliet’s lying, then it puts her in a bad light and the same with Carpenter if she’s telling the truth as well.

Speaking of bad light – can someone actually point to me what’s so appealing about Henry because I’m rather at a loss here? I mean, Siobhan loves him so much she came back to New York, has been hounding him for the entire episode and it seemed like this one was going to end with her telling him who Andrew is really with at the moment.

Personally I don’t get it myself. Henry’s a good looking guy but he’s also a rather petulant whiny man child who doesn’t seem to take any responsibility for his actions. He might not have been responsible for Gemma’s death but he was certainly responsible for cheating on her and it seemed like he was too happy just to blame everything on Siobhan here.

On the plus side, at least he actually found himself being suspicious of Siobhan’s motives for wanting to rekindle with him and also about the extent of Charlie’s involvement in Gemma’s death as well. That shows that when Henry isn’t thinking about himself or playing the victim, he can actually use that brain of his.

I take it from the posters the CW have been using to promote the second half of the season that Henry is actually going to learn about Bridget and Siobhan, which should see some nice progression for him as a character and the show itself. However, bearing that in mind, I can also see him actually turning on Siobhan too.

Keeping with Siobhan, having her in New York again means that we actually get to have her in more than two scenes per episode and here, she wasn’t exactly on fine form but at least she wasn’t entirely focusing on getting back with Henry as well. I take it by stealing Bridget’s ring and Andrew’s files she’s got plans to make both her sister and husband’s lives uncomfortable in the next few weeks but we are in the second half of the season and we still need to know a bit more about the character and why she’s doing the things she is.

That also applies to Victor, who is still a cipher character wise at this point as well. However, on the plus side, Victor actually took Henry’s suspicions about Charlie seriously and even managed to make a connection between the dead ex-copper and Siobhan, so if he can do that, maybe there is hope for him as a character after all.

Last but not least, the subplot with Bridget making amends with Siobhan’s old pal Greer during the charity do for Juliet’s school seemed a little tepid too. I thought Greer and her annoyance over knowing about Siobhan’s adultery would’ve offered a bit more tension but she seemed to forgive ‘Siobhan’ a little too quickly for my liking. A bit of a wasted opportunity there, show.

Also in “It Just Got Normal”

I know the show needs to visually distinguish between the sisters but those hideous bangs that Bridget was sporting need to die faster than Bodaway does right about now.

Andrew (re Greer): “Do you wanna talk about it?”
Bridget: “Nah, can we just leave the past in the past?”

I zoned out during Andrew’s business meeting plot but seriously if doing computer for him is the only plot Malcolm can get this week, then I’m worried for the character’s future.

Siobhan: “I miss you.”
Henry: “You know who I miss – my wife? You brought Bridget Kelly into our lives and if it wasn’t for you, Gemma would be here today.”

Andrew: “It doesn’t matter what dress you choose, I’ll only be thinking about tearing it off.”
Bridget: “Hmm, I like the way you think.”

The way Siobhan was staring at Bridget showering before snatching her ring was a little too Psycho like for my senses.

Juliet (to Andrea, re her drinking): “Don’t judge, support. It’s the only way I’ll get through tonight.”

Greer (re Henry): “I hated you for that.”
Bridget: “I don’t blame you and I’m sorry, more sorry than I know how to put into words.”

Andrew’s favourite team seems to be Arsenal, Tyler still thinks he’s going to be a father, there was a lot of discussion of the Pivoine hotel and Henry was seemingly about to get a book deal.

Juliet: “All I wanted was to forget what happened and now the whole world knows.”
Bridget: I am so sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I was so angry, I couldn’t see straight.”
Juliet: “No kidding, just get out.”

Chronology: About two weeks since “That’s What You Get For Trying To Kill Me”.

Given that it’s been two months since the previous episode, “It Just Got Normal” was a bit of a disappointing way to really kick start the second half of the season. I do hope that this is a temporary glitch because it did manage to find a good groove during the first half of the season and I’d hate to it regress.

Rating: 6 out of 10

When A Slushie Goes Too Far - Glee Post

Okay, if you haven't see the Glee episode, Michael, back away now cos there are spoilers and a debate on the show's increasing double standards on bullying and violence.

So in three seasons we've been used to seeing Sue assault people left, right and centre, the Glee kids themselves being repeatedly threatened with violence, subjected to it and actually hurting each other but this episode where Sebastian hit Blaine with a rock salt slushie intended for Kurt kind has broken the straw for me - this show needs to man up and take a stance on violence and bullying.
When I say man up, I mean there needs to be some actual repercussions for the characters who react violently towards others. Sebastian crossed the same line as Sue has done often before and it's time this show made an example - as in have Sebastian actually pay for his actions because this episode (excellent as it was) spectacularly mishandled the entire situation big time.

Not only did Sebastian show zero remorse for actually hurting Blaine but he practically gloated upon admitting it to Santana (after their Smooth Criminal face off) before giving her a slushie facial as well, only this time without the rock salt. At least Santana and Artie had the sense to team up and get a taped confession off Sebastian and they were the only ones actually having the most appropriate responses to Sebastian's actions - even Kurt's passivity felt off in this one. Unfortunately, this is where the show really dropped the ball.

The McKinley kids had the perfect evidence to actually bring Sebastian down and punish him for what he did to Blaine and they did what exactly - give Sebastian the flipping tape because apparently beating the Warblers at Regionals would be a better punishment for him instead. How is that remotely logical? There's a time and a place to turn the other cheek, be the better person but this most definitely was not it. After making some narrative mistakes with Santana's coming out story in I Kissed A Girl, the show needs to take a firmer position on the likes of bullying and violence and follow through with because what I saw here was a show taking a rather irresponsible and unrealistic stance towards the very things it's main characters are supposed to stand against. Ultimately, it's time for a change and Sebastian needs to pay and seeing as he's due to appear in more episodes, I'd say retribution is needed.

Being Human - Season 4 Trailer/Airdate

Oops, I forgot to actually add a link to the trailer to the upcoming season of Being Human. It's certainly looking like an interesting season and with a plethora of guest stars and a few character exits, it'll be interesting to see how the fourth year of this show fares.

Season 4 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV-Afza7HwE

Season 4 starts Sundays at 9pm on BBC3 from February 5th.

Downton Abbey/Upstairs Downstairs - Battle Of The Period Dramas

Oh yeah, let the battle commence as both period heavyweights release tantalising spoilers for their 2012 episodes.

While we have ages for Downton Abbey's third season to air, it's now been revealed that Shirley MacLaine has been cast as Martha Levinson, the mother of Lady Cora Grantham (Elizabeth Mcgovern) and we can expect her character to be clashing with Maggie Smith's Countess Violet of Dowager throughout the series. Filming for the third year begins in February with the series slated to air on ITV in September. Now that's an impressive coup for the series.

Not to be outdone, Upstairs Downstairs, whose second year begins airing next month for six weeks is set to have a lesbian relationship between Alex Kingston's character, Dr Blanche Mottershead and Emilia Fox's character Lady Portia Alresford as well as some other steamy affairs between the main characters. However it's been reported that Eileen Atkins will not be appearing in the second season of the show. I watched the first series over the Christmas and it's actually quite a decent show, so I'm intrigued to see where the second series goes.

Upstairs Downstairs Season 2 airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC1 from February 19th while Downton Abbey Season 3 will air on ITV from September.

Soap Discussion - January 2012

And here's my penultimate blog for the month and it's a soap discussion one.

Coronation Street: After six years, Becky has finally left Weatherfield and while her exit was something of a mixed bag, at least it wasn't boring. The issues I have with her hooking up with a new bloke she barely knew, I can almost leave to one side in order to revel in her wrecking Steve and Tracey's reception by revealing when exactly the latter miscarried. The other interesting storylines this month include Carla's day in court with Frank (and not her pointless affair with Peter) and the issues raised with Owen smacking Faye for killing his fish. The writing hasn't improved that much from last year but this was a better month than most.

EastEnders: And keeping with big soap departures, I bet there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Pat Butcher finally met her maker after having many a visitor at her bedside. An excellently crafted episode, highlighted by the return of David and then Simon at the last minute of her funeral episode, Pat's death certainly sent the right amount of shockwaves throughout the month. Actually this has been a really strong month for the show, especially with Derek still trying his damndest to be the hard man of the Square, Phil getting banged up thanks to Ben, well it's been a solid month. Okay, maybe Bianca/Ricky splitting up for the billionth time and Lucy vs. Mandy have been a bit annoying but the rest has been great.

Emmerdale: I am really struggling to care about this show at the moment. It seems like nothing of real interest is happening. The fact that the writers continue to struggle for a decent storyline with Aaron is making more happy he'll be leaving soon and I wish the writers would just drop this unconvincing Marlon/Laurel/Ashley nonsense and fast. Plus Debbie and Andy's plots have been tiresome to watch so only Hazel's exit and Charity and Jai's wedding have been the highlights of an extremely dull and uninvolving month.

Hollyoaks: It's interesting what a couple of months can do for a character. George previously went from having no character at all to getting a surprisingly engaging storyline involving his character being homeless and Callum trying to help him out. I'm glad the show is tackling the issue because no other soap is right now and it's certainly easy to sympathise with George and his abrasive pal, Phoebe as well. Too bad the same cannot be said for Maddie, whose tedious interfering in her friends relationships have gotten irritating to watch and that's even more annoying than Brendan's usual bully boy antics (thumping Ste, rejecting his kid, annihilating the 6th formers in football). Still, I also enjoyed the girls antics in the cells, Cindy's money woes, Darren and Nancy's storylines, so overall a solid month of storylines.

True Blood/Game Of Thrones - New Season Trailers

Okay, before anyone goes any further, there are SPOILERS here for both trailers/upcoming seasons of both True Blood and Game Of Thrones. You have been warned, okay?

True Blood - Season 5: No actual clips in the 30 second trailer, but the caption of 'Nothing Stays Buried Forever' could mean a lot of things. Russell's not due for the first few episodes and Salome is the main villain for the new year, so perhaps it's her the trailer is alluding to more. Plus, there's more antics in both the fairy and were story lines this year to contend with as well.

Game Of Thrones - Season 2: This minute long trailer certainly has a lot of spoilers, including Joffrey upping his cruelty towards Sansa, Arya pointing out that anyone can die, Daenerys aiming for her birthright, Catelyn turning on Littlefinger, Jaime tied up, Tyrion giving Cersei a fair warning about her people and other fun stuff. If anything, Season 2 looks like it's gonna be ten times more addictive than the first season will be and it's the show we're getting sooner as well.

Game Of Thrones - Season 2 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOzXsqoJhtE
True Blood - Season 5 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzcX-vCOFis

Game Of Thrones Season 2 will air on HBO/SkyAtlantic from April 1st/2nd and True Blood Season 5 will air on HBO from June 10th.

How To (Re)Solve A Problem Like Torchwood?

According to a recent interview with actress Eve Myles, apparently she wants to see a closure to Torchwood but has admitted nothing is happening with the show this year. Also considering that RTD is back in the UK and currently focusing his energies on upcoming CBBC series, Aliens Vs. Wizards and personal matters, it looks like we'll be waiting a while but the question is - how do you resolve a problem like Torchwood? Miracle Day wasn't the show at it's height and I have been wondering if there's actually much left to tell, story wise anyways. I suppose two options for resolving Torchwood could be ...

a) Commission a 90 minute special, finish up the storyline with the Families, reverse Rex's immortality and have Jack and Gwen FINALLY go their seperate ways.
b) Commission 6-8 episodes, bring it back to Cardiff, having Jack/Gwen/Rhys reopen the Hub, add some new characters and keep the tone closer to the first two series.

Either are decent options but at this rate, which one is the most likely to happen? Regardless of the quality of the last series, the show does deserve some form of closure, doesn't it?

My Review of Revenge's 1x08: "Treachery"

Written by Ryan Scott
Directed by Bobby Roth

Emily: “You came.”
Amanda: “I told you I would.”
Emily: “People have a way of breaking promises when it comes to me.”

Oh dear – what a pickle this is. On one hand, the presence of the real Emily Thorne posing as Amanda Clarke should be firing up all kind of alarm bells but at the same time, I can’t help but feel sorry for this girl in a way. She’s ultimately another in a long line of pawns in the real Amanda’s scheming but one that should be treated with kid gloves.

The real Emily had no qualms with bumping off Frank in order to protect herself and Amanda and it’s the same Emily that wasn’t too enamoured with being shipped off to Paris as well. Now anyone who didn’t see her not taking up Amanda’s offer to go to the capital of France has clearly never watched a TV episode of anything in their lives.

Margarita Levieva is certainly a great addition to the show right about now. As the real Emily, she offers a different type of a threat to the real Amanda Clarke that both Tyler and Victoria necessarily don’t but at the same time, all she really wants is to connect with the woman who decided to become her friend all those years ago in the detention centre.

The only thing she doesn’t know is that Amanda was coached by Sharon into manipulating people and by doing that, getting lonely people like Emily on side. This was something Amanda managed to do effortlessly because all it’s taken was some basic kindness and the offer of half a million dollars for the real Emily to be a willing participant in identity fraud.

It’s sort of a shame really because there’s a part of me that’s hoping that deep down Amanda actually cares about Emily and that her motives for trying to get her out of the way actually had some shred of selflessness in them but I guess not. Also, possibly because of that, she’s going to have to learn to play nice with Emily all the more.

Emily as Amanda certainly managed to make impressions on both Nolan and Jack in this episode too. Nolan was automatically suspicious of her, noticed that her clothing was bloodied and quickly deduced that she was responsible for Frank’s death. Nolan might be cool with a lot of thing but apparently aiding murderers is not one of them, which Amanda wasn’t particularly thrilled with.

As for Jack – of course he’d have to try and forge a connection with her. The flirting was instant between Jack and the woman pretending to be Amanda, so when she showed up at the Stowaway at the end of the episode, Jack really wasn’t all that shocked to see her there. Of course, it’s a complication for the woman pretending to be Emily, but hey, it’s not just her former roommate that was the only complication for her this week.

The real Amanda had to think on her feet pretty quickly when Victoria set the police on her about Frank and because of it; she was actually forced to be a bit more honest with Daniel about her past than she would’ve liked to have been. I hope for the Fake Emily’s sake that Daniel’s guilt tripping tirade to his mother buys her some more time because it does look like she’s having more and more problems being handed to her at the moment.

Another problem that also surfaced was Lydia being taken care of by Victoria and the woman’s attempts to remember that 2003 photograph. It’s probably a good job for Emily that Nolan’s Photoshop skills are decent and that Victoria and Conrad were too busy scoring points off each other to really pay attention to Lydia’s accusations though.

Speaking of Lydia, it’s interesting trying to figure her out this week. How much did she actually remember before Victoria attempted to fill her and how much of Victoria and Conrad’s conversations about Frank did she actually take in as well? I have a feeling that Victoria’s gonna have her work cut out for her trying to keep her former friend sweet.

Last but not least – am I really supposed to give a damn about Tyler and Ashley’s relationship and classism issues? Seriously, the whole ‘us vs. them’ mantra those two had bored the living daylights out of me (even if both raised excellent pointers), so Tyler actually getting a hold of Lydia’s original speech from “Guilt” was the only interesting thing that happened with those two this week.

Also in “Treachery”

Now that Daniel has moved in with ‘Emily’, she’s gonna have to be a bit more careful with her nightly antics. Also Daniel’s gone from working for Jack to working for his father.

Amanda: “You’re funny, cool house.”
Nolan (to Emily): “Thanks. Does Miss Manners have a name?”

If you thought that was an amusing nickname, then the woman pretending to be Emily has earned the moniker of Bossy Pants.

Ashley: “You do not see me here. This is the very picture of mortification.”
Daniel: “Ah, the walk of shame.”
Ashley: “More like a bloody knuckle crawl.”

Conrad: “It’s not all bad news, Victoria. The secrets died with Frank. In many ways, you can see this as a relief.”

Declan and Charlotte need some stronger plots as well because their relationship/her parents’ problems isn’t strong enough. I’m also glad that Jack apologised to Nolan as well.

Nolan: “Let’s play a game of twenty questions.”
Amanda: “I don’t like games.”

Amanda: “Come with me.”
Emily: “I wish I could.”

The real Emily was given another alias in this episode – Kara Wilkins, the name of the real Amanda’s mother.

Emily: “Amanda would never hurt me.”
Nolan: “Right, cos that’s such a stretch for a violent psychopath.”

Standout music: Widowspeak’s “Limbs”.

Emily (to herself): “The past is a tricky thing. Sometimes it’s etched in stone and other times, it’s rendered in soft memories.”

Chronology: From where “Charade” left off.

Another enjoyable episode. “Treachery” certainly proves that Conrad and Victoria really should get a move on with divorcing each other but personally for me, the real Emily and Amanda scenes were the highlight of the episode. I can’t wait to see more of those two playing off each other.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of We'll Take Manhattan

Written And Directed by John McKay

Jean: “You don’t know anything about me.”
David: “I know you’re posh.”
Jean: “I’m not posh. I feed the pigs.”

Okay, confession time – if Karen Gillan hadn’t been cast in this one-off drama for BBC4, then chances are I probably wouldn’t have watched this, let alone actually review it. Fashion is not my thing in the slightest and a lot of what happens in this 90 minute drama cements my reason why it’s an aspect of journalism/media I wouldn’t want to have that much involvement in.

Also, I’ve never heard of either model/muse Jean Shrimpton and her photographer lover, David Bailey at all but after watching this, I was a little more interesting in learning a bit more about both of them, which BBC4 partially helped with airing a documentary on the latter after this aired.

The strand of this story mostly covers an infamous shoot between Shrimpton and Bailey for Vogue Magazine in 1962 New York and its one where we have iron lady like Claire Rendlesham telling us to the point of nausea that that Bailey’s an arrogant so and so and that Jean is too plain looking to really stand out as a model.

It probably comes as no surprised that we’re supposed to side more with Shrimpton and Bailey as they love and argue their way through the story while eventually proving to Claire that their way for the photo shoot is the best way after all. It’s amazing how charismatic and frustrating Bailey is in equal measure but it’s hard not to see where he’s coming from, even during his less likeable moments in the story.

This production won’t win points for it’s classism commentary but it is rather gratifying to see the likes of Claire taken down a peg or two as well, more so for relentless haranguing of beleaguered yes man Larry rather than anything she says to Jean or David. Larry’s probably the most likeable of the four leading characters here, even if we know next to nothing about the fella.

In terms of performances, Karen Gillan is excellent as Shrimpton but this piece really more for Aneurin Barnard, who bloody well commands your attention throughout the entire production as David Bailey, whose unshakeable belief in both his muse and his abilities as a photographer really are captivating to watch.

Helen McCrory has some good moments as Claire but often she does feel a little too one-note as a character, even if the piece does make a decent attempt to justify her behaviour and even try to play nice to the very people she kept fighting with for the most of the 90 minutes here. At one point, I could even empathise with her a little but her elitist behaviour whilst realistic more or less justifies my own misgivings about the fashion, considering that it’s an attitude than hasn’t changed in five decades.

Apart from the photo shoot elements itself, there’s not much to explore with Jean and David as lovers. They have a certain passion and belief in each other but theirs wasn’t always a harmonious of unions. It probably also didn’t help that Jean’s involvement with a well known married man also cost her having a relationship with her family but that’s something that’s glossed over a bit though. I think I would’ve liked to have seen a tiny bit more of Jean’s family life in this story.

- Along with Helen McCrory, another famous face was Vogue woman Diane, played by Frances Barber. I missed not seeing an eye patch on her this time.
- Points to the cinematography for this story. Some of the scenes in New York just looked beautifully shot.
- Karen Gillan has recently done a photo shoot with the real David Bailey, according to her interview with Radio Times.
- Unlike Matt Smith last year with Christopher And His Kind, there wasn’t that much sauciness in this story.

While a part of me would’ve liked if this hasn’t been relegated to BBC4 only, I have to admit that We’ll Take Manhattan was a pretty good move for Gillan, who as a former model herself was a good choice for the role of Jean Shrimpton and after this, I bet there’s going to be a lot more people who will want to see more of Aneurin Barnard on their screens.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 1x07: "Charade"

Written by Mark B. Perry And Joe Fazzio
Directed by Sanford Bookstaver

Amanda: “You obviously know who I am, who are you?”
Emily: “Emily. Emily Thorne.”

As in holy shit – there’s an actual Emily Thorne out there and now she’s made her way to reconnect with the woman who’s been using her name for the last while and we can all thank Frank for this little reunion. Well, we could but sadly, he’s no longer with us thanks to the real Emily actually taking care of him to protect herself and Amanda.

I know this is kind of strange but I actually feel bad for Frank here. Okay, his part in making sure Victoria ruined David Clarke’s life obviously doesn’t do much to endear him but it’s painfully obvious how much he values Victoria’s opinion, especially considering the lengths he went to in this episode to make amends to her.

Of course as soon as he pieced that Emily Thorne was really Amanda Clarke and the real Emily was a stripper working in a seedy looking bar, he was obviously gonna die. Amanda hasn’t quite yet gotten to the level of actually killing those who threaten her (good thing for Tyler that) but Emily on the other hand had no problem with killing Frank to keep him quiet.

The only problem is that she should’ve timed it quicker. Frank had more or less heightened Victoria’s doubt in Fake Emily and because the real Emily has now made contact with Amanda, it doesn’t take much to guess that both girls are going to be under fire for the next couple of weeks.

As for the real Amanda and Emily relationship – two troubled girls in a detention centre who went from trying to beat the crap out of each other to aiding each other in pursuing false identities. Of course, with one of these girls living it up in the Hamptons and the other one lap dancing for a living, it’s hard to tell how much of a bond these ladies really have. In other words, Emily/Amanda is basically screwed.

It’s a good plot though and one that’s certainly going to make the next couple of episodes all the more exciting as Fake Emily certainly has had to deal with a lot of problems in the last few weeks. The arrival of Fake Amanda was definitely something she could’ve done without, couldn’t it?

Speaking of problems, you have to admire Tyler and his determination, don’t you? Despite Daniel actively warning him not to stir the pot, Tyler went out of his way to continue his hostility with Fake Emily, all by getting some reporter to write a piece of the budding romance of the year. I admire the way Fake Emily dealt with it but at the same time, I think I would’ve preferred seeing her kicking seven shades of crap out of Tyler instead.

Thankfully then, Nolan managed to come into excellent use this week by doing some actual research on Tyler and finding out some interesting tidbits. If I hadn’t read the spoilers beforehand, I wouldn’t have guessed that Tyler was some form of a gay hustler but the bit about his family’s financial crisis however seems to make a lot of sense considering his brownnosing with the Graysons.

As for the Tyler and Nolan tryst, nice to get a confirmation on both characters sexualities (Tyler’s basically gay for pay, Nolan’s bisexual) but this definitely not a relationship to look at with rose tinted glasses folks. Tyler’s willing to sleep with Nolan in order to keep him out of his hair and similarly, Nolan’s only doing it to help out Emily, though he was savvy enough to film their encounter though.

Also, I’m sure people have noticed that I’ve complained a bit about Ashley’s lack of character development and now that she’s gotten one, I’m not sure if I like it though. Ashley more or less admitting that she wants to be Victoria really makes me hope that she fails in her endeavours or learns from her role model’s screw ups because there are certainly better things and people in life to aspire to.

As for Victoria, I think this episode gave her more layers. I actually gave a crap when Conrad openly admitting his annoyance that she doesn’t love him like she did with David and her advice to Daniel about love in relation to Fake Emily was pretty much on the money as well. However, it’s still really hard to tell how much real affection Fake Emily actually has for Daniel though, especially in light of her conversations with Nolan this week, which justifies Victoria’s dislike for the woman.

Also in “Charade”

Another episode minus getting revenge on someone. In fact, this week, Fake Emily actually got Sharon Stiles to help cover her tracks with Frank. Too bad it didn’t work out so well for her.

Emily (re Big Ed): “You hired a bodyguard?”
Nolan: “You would too if Frank had almost blown your kneecaps.”

Jack lost my respect this week when he took being rejected by Emily out on Nolan but I did like that him and Emily got to clear the air.

Emily: “You should leave before I call the police.”
Frank: “Go ahead, though I suspect you don’t want them nosing around.”

Sharon: “What is the first thing I taught you?”
Emily: “Never underestimate your enemy.”
Sharon: “And never let your guard down. This one seems determined.”

The real Emily Thorne was put in the detention centre for attacking her father, who was a child abuser.

Conrad: “I thought you didn’t believe in luck.”
Victoria: “I don’t believe in good luck.”

Emily: “About the other night?”
Jack: “Can we pretend it didn’t happen? I’m still pretty embarrassed.”
Emily: “Don’t be.”

Victoria was paying for Lydia’s medical bills in this episode. Lydia also woke up while Conrad visited her and both Victoria/Conrad’s 25th anniversary dinner ended in disaster.

Tyler (re meeting): “I won’t be there.”
Nolan: “You will and you’ll be prompt. I can be a very impatient person.”

Nolan (to Tyler): “Ambiguous sexual identity. I guess I’m about a three on the Kinsey scale myself. Still doesn’t tell me what you’re up to.”

Even though he had a point, I found Declan’s whole attitude during Victoria/Conrad’s party a bit out of line actually. I don’t know why Charlotte puts up with him. Maybe she’s too nice for her own good.

Frank: “Actually I just wanna talk.”
Amanda: “You’re one of those. It’s your money. What do you want to talk about?”

Daniel (re Emily): “Why don’t you like her?”
Victoria: “I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

Standout music: Kurt Vile’s “Baby’s Arms” during Emily and Daniel beach frolics.

Emily (to herself): “Just as there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to every person. One we reveal to the world, another we keep hidden inside.”

Chronology: A few days since the events of “Intrigue”

Now, this was definitely a lot of fun. “Charade” saw Frank bumped off, introduced us to the real Emily, saw Lydia wake from her coma, completely obliterated Victoria and Conrad, gave us more back story for certain people while also changing the game a little. This show is definitely becoming an increasing joy to watch every week.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Doctor Who At NTAs 2012/Series 7 News

And the winners of last night's NTAs, well the ones that matter to me anyways ...

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan both scooped Best Actor and Best Actress gongs for their roles as the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond and while Doctor Who lost out to Downton Abbey for Best Drama, this is still excellent. Maybe now the anti-Moffat brigade will finally get their heads out of their arses and realise that despite their mindless wittering, the show still is actually popular with the general public. Probably not but one can dream though.

As for Series 7, preparation for the new series begins on February 13th, with filming due for the 20th of that month. Already various rumours are flying about the place but Matt Smith isn't leaving just yet, the new companion has not been cast, Mark Gatiss will be penning an episode with the words, 'meat', klaxon' and 'Vienna' in it, there's rumours that River will be in the opening episode and that a famous American actor will also be appearing in the series, though as to who they are and what their role is remains to be seen.

NTA 2012 Results: http://www.nationaltvawards.com/winners

RTD's New Project

It's been a while since we've heard a lot from Russell T. Davies, apart from the news about his partner (get well soon, Andrew) and while it's hard to determine what the future holds for Torchwood or even that Cucumber series that was being discussed last year, RTD does have another project in the pipeline though.

Called Aliens Vs. Wizards, the show for CBBC will focus on two young boys who are wizards and battle aliens. Writers for the series will include both Joseph Lidster and Phil Ford. To me, it sounds like a replacement of sorts for The Sarah Jane Adventures but considering how well that show went, this could be another success story for Russell. I'll certainly give it a look when it airs during the Autumn period.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16677583

True Blood - Season 5 Casting News

Haven't done this in a bit but here's some casting new for the upcoming fifth season of True Blood.

First off all, the role of Claude has been recast. last year, Neil Hopkins played the role in the fourth season episode, She's Not There but this year, British actor, Giles Matthey will be taking on the role of the fairy stripper who encounters Jessica earlier in the season. There's been rumours that a supernatural strip club will appear during Season 5, so I'm guessing that is how Claude is going to factor into the show.

Elsewhere former Law And Order: SVU actor Chris Meloni has also gotten a prominent role on the series. He's playing a member of the Authority and one that could spell trouble for Bill and Eric as well. Another actor playing an Authority based vampire is Christopher Heyerdahl as Dieter Braun. The titles for the first four episodes of Season 5 are Turn, Turn, Turn, Authority Always Wins, Whatever I Am, You Made Me and We'll Meet Again.

Season 4 will air on FXUK, Sundays at 10pm from February 5th while Season 5 will premiere on HBO from June.

The Voice Of Ireland - Holy Crap, RTE1 Didn't Screw Up Alert

It's been three episodes, so I know I've given it a fair chance and it pleases me to admit that for once, RTE1 have produced a Sunday evening entertainment/reality TV series that hasn't made want to write an angry letter to Montrose/head for the sick bucket.

I was delighted when I heard that The All Ireland Talent Show was getting the boot in favour of The Voice Of Ireland. It might have been a nice little ratings earner for RTE1 but it was the type of show that seemed horrendously behind the times and with 60% of that judging panel just being personalities, rather than experts, I was delighted to see the back of it. But at the same time, I didn't know if the replacement they had lined up would be any better.

Thankfully, The Voice Of Ireland has been good viewing in the three episodes that have aired so far. Presenters like Kathryn Thomas and Eoghan McDermott have been entertaining without being cringe worthy and the coaches in question - Niall 'Bressie' Breslin, Sharon Corr, Kian Egan and Brian Kennedy have actually been fun to watch as coaches, probably because they actually know what they're talking about, which always helps with these sort of shows.

I think the bigger question remains to be asked - why did it take RTE1 this long to actually air something this enjoyable? Have they only started doing effective market research because a lot of the stuff that they've been commissioning over the last few years has been horrible to watch but The Voice Of Ireland has been their best effort in a while (apart from Raw and Love/Hate, naturally) and it's been a nice success for them.

I'm just wondering though when the BBC version kicks off in March and turns out to be a success, will that be a nail in The X Factor's coffin? Any thoughts?

The Voice Of Ireland airs Sundays at 6.30pm on RTE1.