My Review of Revenge's 1x20: "Legacy"

Written by Dan Dworkin And Jay Beattie
Directed by Eric Laneuville

Amanda: “If you came to get your money back, you’re too late.”
Nolan: “I don’t want it back. I just want you to use it for something other than your own self-destruction.”
Amanda: “Destruction’s in my DNA. Take it up with Darwin.”

And for this review, I will strictly be referring to Emily as Amanda because apart from one scene that is exactly who she is to all and sundry in this episode. If this was meant to be a filler episode, at least it was one that served a purpose – back story.

Ever since the flashbacks in the first episode where Nolan informed Amanda that she had part of his company and her father was dead, we’ve been really needing of an episode where we saw her quest for vengeance take shape and this was a particularly great way of showing that.

Amanda’s scepticism about her father’s innocence for a while was interesting. Instead of avenging her father, she was too busy boozing it up and beating the crap out of a horrible boyfriend before Nolan implored on her to read her father’s journals and that’s where things began to get more interesting.

I loved that she pretty much returned to the Hamptons and interacted with so many people and yet, no-one actually recognised her. The fact that this was a time before using her Emily Thorne guise made it all the more interesting but at least she wasn’t entirely idle during her visit to her old stomping ground.

Nope, Amanda made sure to snag herself a waitressing gig at the Graysons for their New Year’s Eve and apart from Nolan, she actually bagged an ally in Roger Halsted who passed her a letter explaining more on the people who shafted but thanks to Frank’s underhanded methods it was the only thing he could do for her.

I liked that Roger’s death actually affected Amanda back then because it rammed home just how much the Graysons had destroyed her childhood and her steely determination to get her own back on them was certainly the best performance we’ve seen of Emily Van Camp in regards to the show.

Also from a flashback perspective, it was wonderful getting to see the likes of Bill Harmon, Tom Kingsley, Michelle Banks, Mason Treadwell and of course, Lydia Davis all in one room together, none of them the wiser that Amanda was working the place and would become their worst nightmare a few years down the line.

Not only that but this episode also had flashbacks within flashbacks as well. Victoria spent a good portion of the episode mulling over her first meeting with David and her inability to let go of his home until Conrad sold the place to Lydia and Mike while Amanda also fondly began to remember her childhood with her father as well.

Not only that but this episode had some interesting moments for Nolan too. When he wasn’t trying steer Amanda on the right path, he was also feeling guilty about Carl losing his home and getting his face punched in after being kissed by Jack’s girlfriend. More interesting though was Nolan’s fashion sense back then as well but once again, this was another good episode for affable billionaire.

As for the present day scene, Emily and Daniel headed off to a New Year’s Eve party that we didn’t get to actually see play out. Either way with that steely look in her eyes, Emily really is going to unleash all matter of hell in the final two episodes, isn’t she?

Also in “Legacy”

While it’s painfully obvious that Emily/Amanda’s hair looks like a wig, Jack’s really did look like one more so. Not a good look, Jack.

Amanda: “You fell asleep last year. I think you need a new tradition.”
David: “I did not fall asleep.”

Again to state an obvious point – how did anyone not recognise Amanda? She used her own name on the catering list as well if memory serves.

Frank (to Conrad): “Everyone’s a suspect, even you.”

Victoria: “Why do we have to do this?”
Conrad (re David): “Because you’re still in love with him.”

In flashbacks we saw Conrad’s affair with Lydia starting and Mason sent a blackmail letter to the Graysons though Frank believed it was Roger and killed him for it.

Roger: “And if I told you he was right, what would you do with that information?”
Amanda: “I would make sure that everybody knew about it. That these people would get what they deserved.”

Conrad (re Victoria/David): “It’s perverse, don’t you think? Destroy the man you love and then weep for him eternally?”
Lydia: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand at least part of her motivation.”

I loved Nolan’s look in this episode and I guess I’m not the only given that Jack’s girlfriend Kai at the time decided to kiss him during the New Year’s Eve party. We also saw Amanda getting her Infinity tattoo as well.

Roger: “No-one should be forced to suffer my company. I’m surprised I was even invited. Must have been an oversight.”
Frank: “Oh no, we wanted you here.”

Victoria: “Shame the devil, you wrote that note.”
Mason: “I’m a writer, though this gruesome turn of events was certainly not my intention.”

Standout music: 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” during the club scenes with Amanda. It actually reminds me of a former job I had.

Nolan: “Amanda, more than knowing the truth, your father wanted you to get past all this.”
Amanda: “Then why did he give me those journals? One way or another, those people are gonna pay. They’re gonna pay for what they did.”

Chronology: Primarily December 2002 as well as some time in 1995 (or was it 1994?) and of course one scene in December 2011. This episode also didn’t feature Declan (except a younger version), Charlotte or Ashley.

“Legacy” definitely lived up to the hype as a flashback episode. I know there were times when it did feel intentionally filler like but given the back story it gave us for Amanda, I’m more than willing to let that slide.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Where Are My Dragons?

And here's a look at some of the stuff I've been watching over the last two weeks.

Desperate Housewives: We're edging towards the finale and the last two episodes have been interesting enough, especially with the neighbours burying Mike and Susan trying to find her own way to grieve for him with MJ. I liked that Gaby managed to bag a personal shopper job without even trying (Christ, I wish it was that easy to bag employment nowadays) a heck of a lot more than Andrew being engaged to a woman, Bree looking like she's about to be sent down for murder and Lynette's ham-fisted attempts of getting Tom back. Not sure if I care about Ben and Renee's engagement either but enjoyable episodes nonetheless.

Games Of Thrones: This show is getting better and better at the moment. It's interesting that both Robb and Jon have been given love interests but Theon's treachery and Joffrey's realisation of how much he's despised as a ruler have provided better shocks to me. I was surprised the show went so graphic with a near rape attempt on Sansa though for once, the Hound really was the best person the poor girl could have in her corner. Cersei's warning to Tyrion about finding someone he loves doesn't bode well for Shae and Daenerys seems to be massively out of her depth with her new 'friends' as well. The only disappointment was that Renly was killed off too quickly and we haven't seen anything of Stannis and Melisandre in these two episodes.

Glee: Oh, sometimes I don't know with this show. If the Michael Jackson tribute episode this season was too late then surely the Whitney Houston one was too soon, right? And much as I love Blaine, that version of It's Not Right But It's Okay was criminally bad. Similarly, while I admire the show tackling the thorny issue of domestic violence with Beiste and Cooter, a bit more build up would've worked in that storyline's favour. On the plus side, I did enjoy seeing Whoopi Goldberg on this show and while Rachel may have blown her audition, it's pretty obvious that it's going to be a minor setback for her, isn't it?

Homeland: I absolutely loved these last two episodes. What an incredible series this has been and I can't wait to now see Prisoners Of War because of it. Carrie vs. Brody in the last episode alone was utterly brilliant and that ending was pure evil. With nearly 3 million viewers for the finale, Channel 4 really have finally bagged an American show that's done wonders for them and it's easy to see why. The writing has been sharp as a tack, the performances from both Claire Danes and Damien Lewis have consistently intrigued and the supporting characters have been wonderful to watch. I can't wait to see where this excellent series goes next.

Lip Service: And we get not one but two episodes where we lose three regulars. I'm not going to lie - I won't miss either Jay or Frankie but I am sad to see Cat leave the series in a body bag but them are the breaks sadly. Sam and Tess's grief was certainly affecting to watch and while Sadie is a mixture of headwrecking and amusing, I guess I can live with her expanded role in the series. Of course, Lexy right now is the best thing about this show while her gay best mate and Nora the actor luvvie cliche are not totally gripping me. I hope this show gets a third run but it's hard to tell if it will though.

Smash: I still have to catch up with the third episode but so far, I'm still pretty meh on this show. None of the characters are really that striking, except for Ivy and even she's a character that's been done better on other shows. The musical numbers are good though and at least they picked the right person to play Marilyn as well but the show is hardly appointment TV if I'm being honest. I'll stick with it for a bit longer though.

The Vampire Diaries: This show on the other hand continues to be appointment TV. Seriously, the last two episodes with the fabulous Sage (who wins points for actually pining over Finn rather than Damon) have been a blast to watch and this show managed to make me feel bad for Rebekah, despite her being a scheming little madam. I've also enjoyed the ongoing plot with Alaric becoming a crazed killer as well. I can't believe there's only five episodes for me to go. This season has been so much fun to watch.

- Lauren Socha will not be returning for the fourth series of Misfits. I'm not going to dwell into it but I'm sure people are aware of why she won't be returning by now.
- While the fifth series of Merlin is still currently being filmed, the chances of a sixth run are looking good. The producers are at least mapping storylines if they get one.
- Both Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow have ruled out a Friends reunion in the future. Thank goodness for that then.
- Matthew Lillard will be appearing in the upcoming fifth season of Leverage.
- James Cromwell will be playing a doctor named Arden in the second season of American Horror Story for a 10 episode arc.
- Channel 4 have confirmed they will air the second season of Homeland, though they haven't specified when exactly.
- The Borgias has been renewed for a third season from Showtime. SkyAtlantic will air the second season soon.
- SkyAtlantic have bagged the rights to HBO series Girls, which they will air in September.
- Both Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries have been renewed by the CW. Is anyone surprised?
- Mary Lynn Rajskub will be appearing in Grey's Anatomy as part of a couple with a mysterious illness.

True Blood - Season 5 Details/Promos

And while I still have to get my hands on the latest book, Deadlocked, I have found some more spoilers in relation to True Blood's upcoming fifth year. Again, some pretty huge spoilers, so back away if you don't want to know anything about the new season.

Waiting Sucks: Eric & Pam

I have to admit that I'm a little disheartened to see that both Eric and Pam are still at odds with each other and this time around, he seems to think that she's responsible for digging up Russell Edgington as well. I can sort of see why Eric might come to that conclusion but even still, Pam wouldn't, would she?

And we have our first promotional poster of the fifth season with I presume Jessica crying. It looks pretty good but then again, so do the synopsis for the first three episodes of the new season ...

Episode 5.01 - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Sookie and Lafayette clean up the Tara and Debbie Pelt mess; Bill and Eric are visited by the Vampire Authority; Sam and Alcide deal with an angry werewolf pack. (Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Daniel Minahan) (TV-MA) [AC, AL, V, N] ESP Playdates: 10, 13, 14 and 16

Episode 5.02 - Authority Always Wins
Tara resurfaces in Bon Temps; Pam recalls her human life and first encounter with Eric; Bill and Eric meet Salome at the Vampire Authority headquarters. (Written by Mark Hudis; directed by Michael Lehmann.) (TV-MA) [AC, AL, V, N] ESP Playdates: 17, 20, 21 and 23

Episode 5.03 - Whatever I Am, You Made Me
Bill and Eric barter for their lives with Roman, the head of the Authority; Jason reunites with his old high school teacher; Sookie searches for Tara. (Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by David Petrarca.) (TV-MA) [AC, AL, V, N] ESP Playdates: 24, 27, 28 and 30

Why do I get the feeling that Tara might become a member of the undead?

Elsewhere promo pictures and trailers are surfacing for our new vampires. Not only do we see both Nora (Lucy Griffiths) and Salome (Valentina Cervi) in action but we also get to meet Chris Meloni's Roman and he certainly looks like a power player alright. Overall, this is shaping up to another interesting year for the Southern vampire drama series. Oh and there's an interview with the main cast due to air on HBO from May 27th as well in order to further psyche people for the new season. 

Waiting Sucks: Eric & Pam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sv-aGLOiMU
Conjuring Up Season 4: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTrueBloodSource?feature=watch
Season 5 Vampyr Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yR3O9OkM-Y
Season 5 Promo Pictures: http://www.spoilertv.co.uk/images/true-blood/season-5/Promotional%20Episode%20Photos/Various%20Episodes/

True Blood's fifth season airs Sundays 9pm on HBO from June 10th and will air on FXUK later in 2012.

Doctor Who - Series 7 More Filming

And filming has begun for the fourth episode of Doctor Who's seventh series, rumoured to be titled Cubed (more likely a working title that will change) and penned by Chris Chibnall.

The Doctor is up in a tree trying to catch a black cube box and it seems to be something of a theme for the episode. They're also cubes that seem to be on a countdown as well. This episode will feature both Henry VIII played by Stephen Blything as well as Jemma Redgrave, playing one of his wives. It won't be the only feature of the episode though.

Last seen properly in Planet Of The Dead, UNIT are also returning for this episode and while a recent spoiler of Moffat's in DWM mentioned Martha, there's no indication that this episode in question will actually feature the former companion. Hopefully, a brief mention of Martha will pop in the episode. As for the UNIT, it seems they're raiding a house, looking for the cubes as well.

It looks like Mark Williams will also be making a second appearance this season as Rory's father, Brian. It seems that a theme with Amy and Rory is that they're not properly travelling with the Doctor anymore and every time he encounters them, they're a little older too. It's an interesting format.

Amy and Rory are looking out of a window. Must be an early morning for them. Other hints in the latest issue of DWM from Steven Moffat include every Dalek appearing in the opening episode with the Paradigm being seen as an officer class of Daleks. We're also going to find out about the question, the fall of the Eleventh and Trenzalore but not all at once. Some of this is obviously going to bleed into the 50th and/or Matt Smith's eventual departure from the show.

Elsewhere while Moffat has making some rather interesting comments in relation to the role of the companion on the series, he's also mentioned that Jenna-Louise Coleman's character is going to be different to others and will shock viewers. I can't wait to see if this is genuinely true on Moffat's part. Other than that, there will be an arc to Series 7 but not as tight as the one for the previous series and while there will be no two-parters, one could still appear if the story requires it. Moffat has also stated that filming will continue for the rest of 2012 as well as 2013.

This is shaping up rather nicely, isn't it?

Filming Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mugim0e/

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 in late 2012.

Honourable Mentions Part 2

And here's the second and final part of my Honourable Mentions lists.

Piper Halliwell (Holly Marie Combs) - Charmed

Yeah, this was one of my guilty pleasure shows. There were times when I found Charmed extremely naff beyond belief but for eight seasons, even in all of it's naffness, it had some wonderful moments and the excellent, level-headed Piper was easily the best of the Halliwell sisters and the one who seemed to show the most growth as well as the show progressed.

Max Blum (Adam Pally) - Happy Endings

It's been one of these shows I've been watching on E4 and damn it, it's a bloody funny one. Max certainly seems to fall into my favourite type of gay character on TV - snarky, well rounded and a good mate all around and Adam Pally's performances have certainly gotten better over the two seasons of the popular ABC comedy.

Sarah Lund (Sofie Grabol) - The Killing

Is it a cliche to feature Sarah on my list? I know I don't talk about The Killing a lot but I have seen a fair amount of it and Sarah Lund is definitely one of the better and more original compared to the majority of our leading cops and way better than her American counterpart as well, though interestingly enough Grabol recently did pop up in the US version of the show that's made her a household name.

Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) - The X Files

Sometimes being the sceptic is actually better than being the believer. I loved Mulder as a character but between him and Scully, the fiery sceptic certainly edges him out though. Scully also seemed to work reasonably enough with Mulder at times and even with Doggett and Reyes too and she's a more deserving iconic female character than the Carrie Bradshaws of the world.

Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) - Will & Grace

In an ideal world, no-one would really want an employer, spouse or mate like Karen Walker, a woman who literally insults all and sundry without batting an eyelid with a helium sounding voice. That being said, she was a relentlessly entertaining character nonetheless and for that, I'll salute the madwoman. 

Well, that was fun. Any other characters anyone thinks I should've recommended?

My Review of Revenge's 1x19: "Absolution"

Written by Nikki Toscano And Ryan Scott
Directed by Sanford Bookstaver

Nolan: “This is bigger to me than your revenge against the Graysons. This is my -”
Emily: “- Family. I know. I would’ve done anything to protect mine too.”

Now this was a joy of an episode to behold. Nolan’s been a little too underused for a bit now and finally we got an episode that gave more of an insight into his motives for helping Emily with her revenge scheming and it was completely satisfying in every way.

Nolan might not always come out with the truth but at this point in this show, I really cannot think of him badly so when he lied to Emily about David’s other journal from the Infinity box that went missing, I knew there was going to be a reasonable explanation for it. Nolan wouldn’t do anything to hurt Emily but at the same time, there was someone more important to him than Emily.

I liked the introduction of his Aunt Carole and I also liked the fact that he put Carole about Emily. It made sense and Emily herself even seemed to respect Nolan for it as well. Having Carole be the one who introduced Nolan to David and also the one who came close to clearing David’s name was a nice twist too.

It certainly made the whole plot with Carole faking her death more believable and hopefully even though Emily is privy to Carole’s existence; it won’t put the woman in danger. Carole was smart enough to deduce that Emily wasn’t an FBI agent and that was before Nolan put the kibosh on Emily’s latest scheming.

As for the man responsible for David’s death – he’s got white hair and looks scary but I’m sure within the next three episodes that Emily herself is going to make mincemeat out of him and the Graysons and with the latter, that might also include Daniel considering where he chose to place his loyalties to in this episode.

There was the implication that Daniel was brought up to speed by Conrad on what really happened to David Clarke but Daniel (who was cleared of killing Tyler) chose to stick by his father and the very company that Victoria’s blabbing to the feds has now endangered. Either Conrad really does have luck on his side or Daniel’s going to become his undoing but either way, I am really intrigued to see what will happen next.

Conrad was on fine form in this episode. He took complete pleasure in seeing Victoria openly distressed about losing Dominik, advised Daniel to look after Charlotte while getting him on side and even managed to get Ashley a job at Grayson Global after Victoria made her unemployable to Mr Brooks as well. As a character he’s certainly become far more formidable over the last few episodes and that’s been fun to watch.

As for Victoria herself, this wasn’t one of her best episodes but it wasn’t her worst one yet. Yeah, her snide attitude towards Emily seemed to lack her usual finesse but I did like that she actually took Charlotte to David’s grave and that they had an honest conversation about him. It was actually nice for once to see Victoria care about Charlotte instead of obsessing over Daniel. It probably won’t last but at least it made for a nice moment.

However, one thing that I’ve noticed online that people have complained about – Emily leaving the rose on David’s grave – was it sloppy? Maybe, seeing as Charlotte picked up on it but it was a lovely gesture and it’s tiny moments like that which are supposed to show us that Emily isn’t a total sociopath so for me, I’m willing to overlook it a bit.

This episode did have a lot of satisfying emotional beats for Emily. Her scenes with Jack and his warning about the Graysons was one, both her and Charlotte discussing David was another. Those also coupled with Nolan’s own family loyalties and Emily’s barely concealed disappointment with Daniel towing the party line were all just personal highlights for me when it came to Emily this week.

Also in “Absolution”

Is it me or has the snowy backdrop in the last two episodes made the show more visually gorgeous to watch? I almost want it to stay like that for a bit and we saw Emily pretending to be a nurse and from Homeland security this week.

Emily: “Absolution is the most powerful form of forgiveness.”

Declan in a bid to help Charlotte got her busted for drugs. She retaliated by having her dad stop paying for his school fees and then Nolan stepped in.

Charlotte (re David): “He doesn’t look like a monster, does he?”
Emily: “No, he looks scared.””
Charlotte: “That’s what I think too.”

Nolan: “I was honouring your father’s wishes.”
Emily: “Do you know how sick I am of hearing you say that?”

In flashbacks we saw that Nolan had darker hair and it was back in April 24th 2002 that Carole had disappeared/faked her own death. David died two days before that.

Emily: Then what are you saying?”
Jack: “That there are some things you might want to think about before marrying into that family.”

Nolan: “Aunt Carole meet Amanda Clarke, David Clarke’s daughter.”

Jack shouldn’t have told Daniel about the hoodie being his. That is obviously going to come back to haunt him pretty soon.

Daniel: “My parents raised me to be a Grayson. To put my name before everything, including the truth.”
Emily: “You don’t have to be that guy, Daniel. Maybe this interview is an opportunity for you to be honest, seperate yourself from your name.”

Victoria (to Daniel, re Emily): “The downside of taking the moral high ground is that you have a lot further to fall.”

Standout music: Warpaint’s “Stars” which played at the end of the episode.

Nolan: “So what are you gonna do now?”
Emily: “I’m gonna marry him and I’m gonna track down the man who killed my father.”
Nolan: “And what are you gonna do when you find him?”
Emily: “I’m gonna kill him.”

Chronology: Still set in December, though the David/Conrad/Carole flashbacks were in both 2002 and 1995.

Now this was an impressive episode. “Absolution” may not have given any character just that, but overall it was interesting to finally get more back story on Nolan, show the further levels that Emily, Victoria and Conrad will stoop to get what they want as well as Daniel’s sudden turnaround as well. This was definitely a compelling episode.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Honourable Mentions Part 1

And here's the first of two Honourable Mentions list for some of my favourite TV characters. In order of show, alphabetically of course ...

Nora Montgomery (Lily Rabe) - American Horror Story

This show might not be teeming with sympathetic characters but apart from Moira, Nora is one of them that came pretty close to it. I might not have liked what her and husband were doing to make extra money but I did feel for her losing her child and she was one of the nicer ghosts on the show. Plus I'm pleased the show has secured the wonderful Lily Rabe for the second season, even if she'll be playing a different character.

Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) - Dexter

I could've kicked myself for not including Dexter in my 40 rundown, which is partly why I'm doing an Honourable Mentions list. How I love this complicated serial killer so much. Michael C. Hall certainly knows how to make Dexter both menacing and sympathetic in equal measure that you almost hope he would never get caught. Then the end of Season 6 happened.

Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) - Friends

Friends has always been a strange show for me because while I always/mostly watched it, I was never actually addicted to it. It was fun and had a great series finale but I never was that obsessed with it compared to a lot of shows. In terms of characters, I did find Chandler to be the most consistently amusing of the bunch so he makes the list here.

Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) - Grey's Anatomy

Yeah, the usual 'I have a love/hate dynamic with this show' spiel from me but the one consistency is that I love Callie and I've loved her evolution throughout the last few seasons. Plus her relationship with Arizona is wonderful to watch. Definitely one thing that Shonda Rimes has nailed perfectly with this show.

Ian Gallagher (Gerard Kearns) - Shameless

I'll admit it - with the exception of Frank and Monica, there isn't a Gallagher I dislike but Ian was wonderful for the seven series he was on the show. A wonderfully written, consistently interesting character not overdefined by his sexuality but neither was his sexuality underplayed either. We need more gay characters like Ian on UK telly right now.

Part 2 of the Honourable Lists will be up on Friday.

Soap Discussion - April 2012

And here's my final blog of the month. It's been an odd month.

Coronation Street: Definitely a better month. Okay, I still don't care about Sunita/Karl or the latter's gambling problems but with the death of Betty, near miss reunion between Sally and Kevin, the return of Terry Duckworth for the billionth and David and Kylie's antics causing Audrey a heart attack, it's been a really good month for the show. Still, though it seems like Kylie is taking over Becky's mantle of messing up and not accepting responsibility for her actions. Meanwhile the hinting of an abusive relationship between Tyrone and the controlling Kirsty is becoming increasingly interesting to watch.

EastEnders: I'm gonna get accused of being a heartless bastard for what I'm about to say but here goes nothing - why the hell am I supposed to feel bad for Bianca? She's poor - big freaking deal! Nearly everyone in Watford is poor and given that she's repeatedly allowed her pride to prohibit her from getting proper help, this storyline which resulted her being thrown in jail after stealing a moneybag was badly written and researched. We had this crap last year with Heather and it didn't work then. I'm all for the show giving us a storyline in relation to poverty but this wasn't it. On the plus side, Derek's been less annoying, Shirley is still investigating Heather's death and the Alfie/Roxy plot isn't that annoying.

Emmerdale: Aaron's departure might have a lame letdown and Chas and Cameron's affair might be a deathly dull one but props to the show on at least two storylines. First of all, there's Zak's increasingly worrying behaviour and downward spiral and then there's Ashley's abuse of his own father. The latter being an especially shocking and effective storyline, resulting in the guilt stricken abusive vicar confessing his crime in the Woolpack (this is a soap after all). It's easy to see why everyone has turned on Ashley because of this storyline but it has made for fantastic, if uncomfortable viewing.

Hollyoaks: It's been a bit of a mixed bag. The whole dynamic between Brendan and Joel has gotten increasingly tiresome to watch as had Maddie and her never ending insecurities/pathetic attempts of retaining a queen bee status. Even Tilly's relationship with Jen is lacking a fun factor but on the other hand, I've actually enjoyed most of the Phoebe storyline with Jacqui and Rhys and I'm keeping an open mind in relation to Doug's attraction towards Ste as well. We've had better months though.

First Look: Wizards Vs. Aliens

And it's been months since the announcement of the latest television project from Russell T. Davies but now we know more on the slightly renamed, Wizards Vs. Aliens. Casting wise, newcomers Scott Haran and Percelle Ascott will play the roles of Tom Clarke and Benny Sherwood, two friends whose lives are changed when the aliens Nekross (sounds familiar that) decide to invade Earth. It seems Tom comes from a family of wizards and Benny is the supersmart one of the duo.

Premise wise, it seems to be a reasonably straightforward enough story but while there's some support adult cast wise with the likes of Don Gilet and Nina Sosanya as Benny's parents, as well as the likes of Annette Badland, Michael Higgs, Gwendoline Christie and Jefferson Hall, I can't help but thinking there's a lack of female teen characters in the mix, which is odd when you think of how successful Maria and Rani were in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The 12 part series will feature episodes written by Russell T. Davies, Phil Ford, Gareth Roberts, Clayton Hickman and Joseph Lidster to name but a few as well as directors such as Daniel O'Hara, who has helmed some of the opening installments of the series. What does everyone else think? I'll give it a go but I won't be reviewing it episodically though.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/270412-wizards-vs-aliens-filming.html

Wizards Vs. Aliens will air on CBBC during the Autumn.

Doctor Who - Series 7 And She's Back

I should've put these ones up a few days ago but here are some spoiler pics for Series 7 that I'm sure have been seen at this point. Massive spoilers, so look away if you don't want to know.

River Song is back in all her glory and if that dress is an indicator, then it's a River from The Time Of Angels/Flesh And Stone as well. However, she's outside the TARDIS at a graveyard, which cannot be good. Apparently, it's not as Rory is supposed to have been sent back in time, courtesy of a Weeping Angel, resulting in a rather drastic decision from Amy as well.

Elsewhere, it's been announced that actor Mike McShane will be playing a villain in Amy and Rory's final episode as well. As of now, both episodes 1 and 5 have completed filming and according to Karen Gillan's recently Twitter update, they're currently reading for episode 4, penned by Chris Chibnall. We really are getting towards the end of the era for the Ponds now.

Meanwhile, after filming for the fourth episode is completed, filming for the Christmas special, the first episode to feature Jenna-Louise Coleman's as of yet unnamed companion will begin. I have to admit I am increasingly looking forward to seeing her and Matt Smith on screen together, regardless of what her character will be or what she'll be called.

Doctor Who returns to BBC1 later in 2012.

Top 40 TV Characters Part 8

And here is my final list of sorts of my current five favourite characters on TV.

1: The Doctor (William Hartnell-MattSmith) - Doctor Who

It was always going to be the Doctor who topped this list for me. The most unconventional of leading men and while it might have been easier to have picked a specific Doctor, I've decided that all 11 versions and actors who've played him deserve equal praise. William, Patrick, Jon, Tom, Peter, Colin, Sylvester, Paul, Christopher, David and Matt, you've all been bloody fantastic and I'm sure whoever plays the role next will be too.

2: Jessica Hamby (Deborah Ann Woll) - True Blood

Sometimes I hate this show. Picking favourites always seems to be a frustrating task in hand but out of the vampires, I guess Jessica has that wonderful duality of retaining some of her innocence and embracing her more ruthless nature as well. Out of all the things Alan Ball added to the show that did not originate from Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, Jessica has been by far the best of them, hasn't she?

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

Again, another show that it was hard picking favourites from. Other candidates did include Daenerys, Jorah, Renly and Arya but as the second season has proven, Tyrion Lannister is a far more interesting leading character than Ned Stark (and I say that as someone who liked Ned a lot) and given that his family are a rotten bunch, it's amazing how Tyrion is not only the best of a bad lot but the best character on the bloody show right about now.

4: Emily Thorne (Emily Van Camp) - Revenge

Female protagonists like Emily Thorne are sometimes a rarity on television. Like a female version of Dexter Morgan, minus the killings, Emily's trail of destruction in pursuit of avenging her father has been consistently fascinating to watch. Also this show has really opened Emily Van Camp up as an actress with her performances getting increasingly better as the show has progressed. The only characters who come to excelling her are Nolan and Victoria at this point.

5: Henry 'Hal' Yorke (Damien Molony) - Being Human

Had I done this list a year ago, it would've been either George or Nina who would've been my favourite character but it's interesting a difference a series can make. Hal didn't come in as a poorly placed successor to the popular Mitchell - he was his own character, a wonderfully OCD, uptight Old One vampire whose dynamics with everyone throughout the fourth series made him the most fascinating character to watch.

I'll be doing two Honorable Mentions lists next week. If you enjoyed this rundown of favourite characters or want to tell me your favourite characters from the shows I talked about, let me know.

My Review of Revenge's 1x18: "Justice"

Written by Sallie Patrick And Liz Tigelaar
Directed by Bobby Roth

Nolan: “So, that’s what this is all about – protecting Jack?”
Emily: “He might be willing to sacrifice himself for Amanda. I’m not willing to let him.”

Of course, we all forget that Emily truly is the most altruistic person on this show. Okay, sarcasm aside, it was nice that Emily actively went out of her way to protect both Jack and Daniel in this episode, even though once again it nearly blew up in her face.

I have to admit that stealing the troublesome hoodie from Jack and using it to frame Lee the thug Tyler’s murder (plus taking into account that he beat up Jack not so long ago) was a masterstroke on Emily’s part. Did I feel bad that Lee was going to be punished for a crime he didn’t commit? Morally, I probably should’ve but I just couldn’t sympathise with him all that much to be honest.

However, even I was a bit shocked when Conrad had it arranged that Lee would end up being hung in prison before he could expose the Graysons but considering how ruthless that family are and that Conrad was cleaning up after Victoria throughout this episode, it probably shouldn’t have been that much of a shocker.

Lee’s arrest and death should be a nice way of ending the whole trial saga with both Jack and Daniel but considering the damage it’s caused with Declan and Charlotte as well; it’s not going to be that easy. Declan couldn’t be swayed when it came to discrediting his former girlfriend’s reliability as a witness and that too was something of a conflict to watch.

Perjury aside, I didn’t blame Declan for trying to protect Jack yet again (and I certainly didn’t blame him for being frustrated with his brother as well) but I couldn’t help feeling bad for Charlotte. Victoria and Conrad are continuing to fail her and Declan should be the one she should be able to turn to but she can’t.

It didn’t help that Victoria tried to get Charlotte to seduce Declan in order to make sure Daniel wasn’t screwed during the trial and the rather unwelcome return of Adam supplying Charlotte drugs was another bummer moment as well. It looks like things are only going to get much worse for Charlotte than better.

As for the whole Jack/Emily/Daniel triangle – that got rather interesting as well. Jack managed to inadvertently create tension between Emily and Daniel to the extent that the latter was reckless enough to violate his own bail conditions. I didn’t like seeing Daniel shoving Emily in this episode but given that he’s being lied to left, right and centre, it’s easy to see why he lost it in this episode.

That being said though, whatever doubt Daniel might have had with Emily’s love for him didn’t seem to last that long. He was about to do something stupid before Mr Brooks stopped him and he did seem to instantly regret losing his temper with Emily as well. It’s also Emily who may make or break him on the witness stand as well, given that she’s next in line to speak at the trial.

As for the reveal of Conrad having someone kill David Clarke in prison – I actually did see that coming. David wasn’t some casual fling for Victoria – he was the big deal and I mean that in the way that Dominik certainly isn’t and given that Conrad resorted to underhanded tactics to get rid of Dominik, having David killed doesn’t seem all that shocking to be honest.

However, I can see why maybe it shocked Emily a little in her last scene with Nolan and I definitely can’t wait to see how she’s going to deal with the Graysons now that she knows that bit of information. Maybe the performance of a lifetime in court could end up spelling doom for Daniel after all.

Also in “Justice”

It seems that both Dominik and Victoria conned Conrad with a piece of art and that’s how Victoria seperated from Dominik and met Conrad.

Emily: “Explaining all the reasons why I love Daniel shouldn’t be difficult.”
Mr Brooks: “Good, because forensic evidence is not on our side. We’re going to have to build an emotional connection between the jury and Daniel.”

Charlotte was reading Mason’s book in this episode. I wonder if Mason is going to enlighten Charlotte on who David Clarke really was.

Emily (to Nolan, re Daniel): “I came here for one reason. Nothing’s gonna get in my way.”

Victoria: “What are you doing out here? You’re going to catch your death.”
Daniel: “That seems inevitable.”
Victoria: “Oh, Daniel, don’t be so morbid.”

Both Nolan and Ashley seemed a bit underused in this episode, though I did love the scenes Nolan had with Declan in this one.

Victoria (to Daniel): “I simply don’t give my trust as freely as you do. Need I remind you who your fiancée was sitting next to in court?”

Daniel: “Maybe my mom was right about you. Maybe Tyler was too.”
Emily: “How much have you had to drink?”
Daniel: “Don’t change the subject. I saw you yesterday with Jack.”

Standout music: Crocodile’s “No Black Clouds For Dee-Dee”.

Emily (to herself): “Justice like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some see an innocent victim; others see evil incarnate getting what’s deserved.”

Chronology: It’s 58 days since the events of “Doubt”, so it’s either late November or early December.

“Justice” was certainly an interesting episode to watch. While Dominik may have ended up being a rather pointless addition to proceedings, I do like that things continue to step up a notch between our main players and the reveal of the circumstances behind David’s death were certainly overdue as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Smash - Some Thoughts

Like Glee before it, I was tempted to avoid watching this show like the God damn plague but after missing Saturday's premiere of it on SkyAtlantic, I caught one of the repeats of Smash and well, it made for an interesting(ish) hour.

The premise for this show is simple - songwriting partners Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) and Julia Houston (Debra Messing) decide to set up their own version of Marilyn Monroe the musical in spite of the fact that previous attempts of it had bombed and that we know live in a time where Monroe's popularity has extended to being a phone app. Amongst the plot, you've got discussions of adoptions (Julia and her husband), divorce (Angelica Huston's Eileen and her soon to be ex-husband) and two eager ladies competing for the coveted role of Marilyn Monroe as well.

On one hand, you've got the rather homely Karen Carthwright (Katherine McPhee, previously of American Idol), a mid-western gal living in New York with her English boyfriend (Raza Jaffrey) who makes an impression on Julia and company by actually turning up to the audition not dressed as the movie icon and belting out a popular Christina Aguilera song before getting a second audition of sorts with Simon Cowell lite director Derek (Jack Davenport). The same audition where her sexy routine resulted in her not bonking him for the part. Countering that, you've got the more ambitious Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), who I have to admit I found ten times more interesting than Karen as a character.

As an opening episode went, it set everything up nicely for Smash. The characters aren't particularly well defined just yet (the gay characters in Tom and Ellis are walking cliches and Derek is nowhere near as intimidating as the show tries to imply) but there's potential and while being a Broadway based show will not be enough to stop people comparing it to Glee, I have to admit, I'll be sticking with the show for the time being and with a second season already commissioned, it's certainly going to have enough time to really stand out. At least worth giving a glance at. Not quite addictive but maybe, just maybe it might be someday. Oh and I'm linking two of the standout numbers from the first episode as well.

National Pastime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EvkN1PnZOw
Let Me Be Your Star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huaauJ48JUs

Smash airs Saturdays at 10pm on SkyAtlantic.

Save Your Lies For Court

And here's a rundown of some of the stuff I've been watching over the last fortnight.

Desperate Housewives: Okay, now that was an interesting episode. We've got seven episodes left until the series finale and they decide to kill Mike off now? Why? I've never been the biggest Mike/Susan fan but it seemed a rather cold thing to do, especially considering the ups and downs they've had during the series duration but it still made for an interesting final scene. Keeping with the interesting, there was also Orson's vendetta against Bree and Karen's attempts to kill herself, all of which are better viewing that Carlos's latest epiphany or the growing tedium with Lynette, Tom and Jane as well.

Game Of Thrones: A solid bunch of episodes we've managed to get over the last few weeks. We've had a slew of impressive new characters, Joffrey's cruelty towards Sansa intensifying and every scene between Tyrion and Cersei has been riveting to watch. Even the Loras/Renly/Margaery triangle has been interesting to watch along with Arya/Gendry's battle for survival and Melisandre giving birth to whatever that thing was in the last episode. A bit more of Daenerys would be nice though, considering how underused she's been this season but overall, the show continues to deliver in spades.

Glee: It's been an interesting two month wait and while the first two episodes haven't been amazing (Blaine's brother issues, a tribute to disco), they certainly haven't been that boring. They do feel more like an obvious build up to graduation with various people calling into question what they want to do with their lives, but highlight-wise, we had some sublime scenes with Quinn/Artie, a continued alliance with Will and Sue, an episode where Rachel didn't sing and Brittany using underhanded methods in order to point out to Santana that being famous for nothing isn't particularly good along with Mercedes/Sam finally getting it on.

Homeland: Now that was an episode. Okay, the one where we saw Brody in flashbacks bonding with a young boy and being conditioned to accept a political position but the one where Carrie nearly got blown to pieces was better. Carrie's becoming increasingly the best thing about this show and the closer she seems to get to a result, the more things seem to be going against her. Capturing Tom Walker in this one should've been a walk in the park but apparently not. I can't wait to see what the last two episodes are going to bring for the series.

Lip Service: And it's back. Like Sherlock, BBC3 decided that waiting nearly a year and a half for the second series of the Scottish drama was a great idea. On the plus side, this was a solid opening episode. I'm not keen on the Frankie/Cat/Sam triangle and I still don't like Jay as a character but overall, the episode was good. Tess's love life with the football fan Finn and her new co-stars (including bitchy Nora) are amusing and Lexy seems like she's going to be a good addition to the series, so welcome back ladies.

The Vampire Diaries: The arrivals of all the Originals and their mother en masse is certainly fun, up until a point, isn't it? I don't know why the writers are trying to soften Klaus by having him develop feelings for Caroline but I'll keep an open mind. Personally I love that Caroline continues to be progressively smarter than people expect her to be and as for Elena pitting Stefan and Damon against each other to learn Esther's true motives - I don't hate her for it, but it's still annoying to a large extent. I wish Bill's death and Abby's transformation had more of an impact but neither were on screen long enough for me to care and that's a bummer. Still the show is on fine form though.

Titanic: And so endeth this uninspired four parter. The more I think on this, the more Julian Fellowes and ITV should've just made it as a 90 minute special rather than four episodes. The repetition of scenes didn't help matters and the characters sadly didn't feel fleshed out enough to really engage. It's a bloody shame because this should've been so good and it really wasn't.

- If Ringer is picked up for a second season, the producers have promised that we will be getting less flashbacks and the consequences from the actions of Bridget and Siobhan will be addressed.
- House's final episode will be called Everyone Dies and Olivia Wilde will be one of the guest stars in it.
- An upcoming episode of Glee will deal with domestic violence while the 20th and 21st episodes will feature a body swap plot as well.
- Desperate Housewives last episode will be called Finishing The Hat and will feature James Denton, Dana Delany, Christine Estabrook and Brenda Strong.
- True Blood will feature an upcoming flashback to Alcide and Debbie as children.
- Adam Levine's character in American Horror Story will be part of a duo called The Lovers and it's a sexual role. It will be set in a criminal asylum.
- Upstairs Downstairs has been cancelled after two series but Prisoners Wives will be back for a second series of four episodes, according to the BBC.
- Carrie will be going under in Beirut and Brody will encounter a beautiful, Middle-Eastern woman in the second season of Homeland.