Atlantis - Series 2 First News

While filming for the second season of BBC1 Saturday night fantasy drama, Atlantis began back in April, I've neglected to point out some of the stuff that viewers can expect from the upcoming series.

First of all, the cast themselves have suggested that the new series will air in a later timeslot and will have an overall darker tone. Considering that some of the lighthearted comedy was at times even worse than Merlin's lighter moments, this might not be such a bad thing in a way. Fans of Medusa will be delighted to know that Jemima Rooper will be reappearing in the upcoming series, but for less episodes and starting around the eighth episode. I'm guessing they're fully going to go with Medusa being evil then.

In terms of new characters though, Being Human's Amy Manson will be appearing in the new series as Medea while In The Flesh's Emmett Scanlan also tweeted recently that he had filmed an episode for the show. Other guest characters include Peter De Jersey (Broadchurch) and Robert Pugh (Game Of Thrones) and Vincent Regan (300) as Dion. After a divisive first series, here's hoping the second run will be made of stronger stuff.

Series 2 Spoilers: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s230/atlantis/news/a595353/jemima-rooper-on-atlantis-series-2-its-darker-and-more-adult.html#~oPmVES1FQXnMgg

Atlantis's second series will air later in the year on BBC1. An airdate has not yet been confirmed.

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x03: "Robot Of Sherwood"

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Paul Murphy

The Doctor (to Clara): “No damsels in distress, no pretty castles. No such thing as Robin Hood.”
Robin: “You called?”

It’s interesting that for a show that went out of it’s way not so long ago to prove that Sherlock Holmes was a work of fiction that the show decided to go down the route of giving us a Robin Hood episode – one that I am more than grateful for as well.

After the last two episodes being mostly darker, this was something of a lighter experience with the Doctor and Clara showing up to 12th Century Sherwood forest in order to have the former prove to the latter that a certain Prince Of Thieves did not exist at all. Then came the bit where he was proved wrong of course.

I love the casting of Tom Riley as Hood. He’s so utterly charismatic, sexy as hell and his take on Robin was one of the matinee idol persuasion, providing an excellent foil and eventual ally for Capaldi’s acerbic Doctor. Seriously, I could’ve watched a whole 45 minutes of the two of them bickering and constantly scoring points off each other. This episode certainly went to town on having the pair of them constantly challenging each other and all the better for it.

It’s because of this that Clara had to assume the role of mediator when the three of them got captured at the tournament and were locked up in the Sheriff’s dungeon. It was also Clara that managed to deduce that neither hero had a decent escape plan and that there wasn’t a guard outside. The last bit for plot convenience Clara got wrong but her cleverness certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the Sheriff either.

The scenes with Clara and the Sheriff trying to outwit each other were superbly played by Jenna Coleman and Ben Miller. I liked that Clara managed to get the Sheriff to confess his master plan with the Mechanical Men who fell from the stars and even though the Sheriff was clearly miffed at being outwitted by the Lancashire lass, he certainly admired her directness nonetheless.

The plot involving robot knights enslaving the townsfolk and using gold to fuel their ship was pretty interesting as well, if a bit similar to what we got with the Clockwork Droids two episodes ago. As monsters, they worked reasonably well but I did find that they were a little too easily defeated and obviously not quite as interesting as the Doctor’s ongoing quest to prove that Robin was a fraud.

By having the episode actually acknowledge Robin’s true existence, not only did the Doctor learn a valuable lesson but somehow, it made the episode more satisfying. The comparisons between the Doctor and Robin were far from subtle but between the excellent banter between Capaldi and Riley and Clara’s firm belief in both, it certainly gave the episode a lot punch than expected.

As for the Sheriff – I do think Ben Miller did the best in a great role and I certainly loved the final fight with both him and Robin but the weakest aspect was probably the Maid Marion plotline, but only because it wasn’t given as much attention. On the plus side, at least the Doctor did manage to reunite Robin with his true love as the episode ended. I think this Doctor cares a lot more than he’s willing to let on.

Also in “Robot Of Sherwood”

All the episodes have had the Doctor writing mathematical signs and what not on either the floor or on a chalk board. Is he trying to figure out where Gallifrey is?

The Doctor (to Clara): “That is not Robin Hood.”
Robin: “Well then, who sir is about to relieve you of your magic box?”
The Doctor: “Nobody sir. Not in this universe or the next.”

Loved the call-backs with the Venusian Aikido and the spoon fight with the Doctor and Robin. It’s little things like that.

The Doctor: “All those diseases. If you were real, you’d be dead in six months.”
Alan: “I am real.”

The Doctor (re Robin/Merry Men): “Right that wasn’t even funny. That was bantering. I’m totally against bantering.”

Friar Tuck was played the same guy who previously appeared in a rather popular Sixth Doctor story and Alan A Dale was played by Mark Gatiss’s partner, Ian Hallard.

Robin: “If you had not betrayed me, I would’ve been triumphant.”
The Doctor: “You would’ve been a little puff of smoke and ashes.”

Robin: “Soiled myself?”
The Doctor: “Did you? That’s getting into character?”

Anyone else spot a certain former Doctor who was also one of the first actors to portray Robin Hood during a certain moment in this episode?

Sheriff: “Doesn’t every King require a consort?”
Clara: “Right, you do that again and you’ll regret it.”

Robin (to the Sheriff): “Everyone should have a hobby. Mine’s annoying you.”

I’m not sure how one golden arrow could’ve really completed the take off of the spaceship but at least it didn’t blow up England I guess. Oh and the Sheriff got a death similar to Viserys and we got another mention of the promised land as well.

Clara: “Be safe if you can be but always be amazing. Goodbye Robin Hood.”

Robin: “And remember Doctor, I’m just as real as you are.”

Chronology: 1190 Sherwood of course.

I had some initial reservations about this episode but fair play to Mark Gatiss because “Robot Of Sherwood” was a blinder. Maybe not a future classic but a delightfully entertaining episode with some sparkling dialogue, a great double act with Capaldi and Riley and some truly madcap moments. Every once in a while the show really does thrive from stories like this one.

Rating: 8 out of 10

American Horror Story: Freak Show - Extended Trailer

We've had a slew of creepy little teasers for American Horror Story: Freak Show but now it's finally time for a proper trailer featuring several members of the cast and it's a bloody good one. Edited to include some information from Entertainment Weekly's reveal on plot and character spoilers.

The Bearded Lady: After playing an infamous serial killer in the previous season, Kathy Bates is now taking on the role of bearded lady Ethel Darling and as the trailer shows, she makes sure her standout feature is suitably trimmed at all times too. She will also be something of a right hand woman for Elsa Mars and something of a tragic past as well.

The Strongman: Making his debut into the franchise former, star of The Shield Michael Chiklis (complete with dodgy moustache) is playing a strongman named Dell Toledo and from the various spoilers, we know that he's the ex-husband of Ethel, father and rival of Jimmy and currently the husband to ...

Triplets: Desiree Dupree is the current wife of Wendell and she's also a woman with three breasts as the trailer and promotion poster have shown us recently. I can already tell that following the success of their rivalry as LaLaurie and Marie, that a rivalry between Ethel and Desiree will be on the cards during this season as well.

The Charmer: Having looked at this trailer again, it seems that Jimmy has webbed fingers as he's seducing an unknown female in the freak show. You can also expect a rivalry between Jimmy and Dell Toledo throughout the series.

Two Heads Is Better: I've always been a fan of Sarah Paulson, even to the point where she has become my favourite actor on the show, due to her growing prominence in the series. Having her playing the role of conjoined twins, Bette and Dot Tatler will certainly be a challenge for her but one I imagine she'll clearly excel at nonetheless. Now the question remains - which one is the evil twin?

The Ex-Pat: In what could be her final season, Jessica Lange will be playing the ringleader of this particular Freak Show - German ex-pat, Elsa Mars and she certainly has a commanding presence in the trailer with Jyoti Amge assisting her in the trailer. Elsa has also been described as 'manipulative' but also someone who cares about her crew as well.

The trailer itself focused on those characters but we do know that Denis O'Hare and Emma Roberts will be playing a part of con artists while France Conroy will be playing the mother of Finn Wittrock's character who wants to join the Freak Show. Gabourey Sidibe will playing a socialite whose mother, played by Patti LaBelle goes missing while John Carroll Lynch will be playing villainous clown named Twisty. We also have the titles for the first five episodes - Monsters Among Us, Massacres And Matiness, Edward Mondrake Parts 1 and 2, the titular character of that two parter to be played by American Beauty's Wes Bentley as well as Pink Cupcakes. As for the song used in the trailer - it's called Carousel by Melanie Martinez. Only a month to go now.

Season 4 Extended Trailer: http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/09/american-horror-story-season-4-extended_77.html
Character/Plot Spoilers: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/09/10/american-horror-story-freak-show-plot/

American Horror Story: Freak Show will air Wednesdays 10pm on FX from October 8th and Tuesdays 10pm on FOXUK from October 21st.

Batman: The Animated Series - Mask Of The Phantasm/Batman & Mr Freeze: Sub-Zero Reviews

To round off my final reviews for Batman: The Animated Series, I decided to have a look at the two movies that followed the show.

Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)

The first feature to come out and overall, not a bad one as such. For those hoping for some flashbacks to the very beginning of Bruce Wayne taking on the mantle of Batman, this movie satisfied there with a few flashbacks of the would be Dark Knight embracing his destiny/promise to deceased parents and beginning his campaign to take out the criminals of Gotham. Of course, during these flashbacks, Bruce met a woman named Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), fell in love and lost her twice through issues both of them were facing. Now in the present day, a mysterious vigilante known as the Phantasm has arrived in Gotham, seeking out criminals and acting like the angel of death towards them in the process. It doesn't take much to join the dots as to whom the Phantasm really is as the movie progresses and we learn more and more about Andrea and her father's dodgy dealings. The inclusion of the Joker is fun, but the movie essentially doesn't need him and it does seem like his contribution came down to the network wanting a familiar threat thrown into the mix. The romance between Bruce and Andrea is okay but perhaps could've been better had the series itself had referenced it beforehand. It's a solid movie with some great lines but honestly the story itself probably would've justified an episode in the series itself. 7/10

Batman & Mr Freeze: Sub-Zero (1998)

Much better however was this movie. Originally meant as a tie in to Batman & Robin, the movie was delayed by a year due to the poor performance of Joel Schumacher's other take on the Dark Knight franchise. Taking off where Deep Freeze left off though, Victor seemed to be living a peaceful life in a cold environment with his wife, some polar bears and a kid he befriended and took in, until a submarine kind of ruined things and he needed to recruit a former co-worker and kidnap Barbara Gordon (now voiced by Mary Kay Bergman) in order to finally cure Nora once and for all. It's a tense movie with some great moments and Freeze's desperation certainly makes him a lot more hostile than he was in his television episodes, although this movie did actually end with his goal being achieved somewhat differently than he imagined. It's also a good movie in developing that somewhat implied attraction between Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson as well, given that they're more or less a couple in this movie while Bruce spent a little time with a now blonde Veronica Vreeland but it's mainly the antics of the cold hearted Freeze that are the highlight of a thoroughly enjoyable movie. 8/10

That's it for now, but I will at some point cover The New Batman Adventures in a series of blogs and discuss other animated versions/movies as well.

A Passenger In My Body

And a look of some of the recent things I've seen ...

Cuckoo: I remember kind of watching the first series of this BBC3 comedy series and finding Andy Samburg's titular character (the actor who has now since moved onto Brooklyn Nine Nine), both amusing and somewhat annoying in equal measure. With his departure from the series, I wasn't expecting the show to return and I was rather surprised to see that we now have Twilight actor Taylor Lautner sort of taking on a similar role. I think what's more shocking is that he's actually pretty funny in parts, even if he's playing more or less the same sort of character his predecessor did.

Scandal: Season 3 has continued to be pretty promising so far but the addition of Lisa Kudrow as a potential presidential candidate in the last two episodes has been fun to watch. I've always liked Kudrow as an actress and here she played a character so likeable that you want her to beat Fitz, especially after her own scandal ended up having the country falling in love with her. Speaking of Fitz, the whole triangle with him, Mellie and Olivia took an interesting turn in the fifth episode and I'm rather enjoying the team up with Huck and Jake as well. If both of them manage to take down Liv's father, then fair play to them but I can't see this ending well for either of them.

Siblings: Another month, another new BBC3 sitcom and not strictly a bad one as such but they have produced better (Him & Her, the returning Bad Education etc). This one revolves around two 20 something siblings - office worker Hannah (Charlotte Ritchie) and layabout Dan (Tom Stourton) who seem to spend each episode actively ruining someone's life. Whether it's an employer, work experience students, complete strangers or even a former friend and her new spouse, the episodes see the disastrous duo unleashing their own brand of havoc wherever they go. It's funny in some parts and both Ritchie and Stourton are likeable enough leads but if you haven't seen it by now, then you're not really missing out. Diverting for a half hour but not overly memorable though.

The Vampire Diaries: With the sixth season a month away from viewing on both the CW and ITV2, TG4 are two thirds into airing the fifth year and the recent episodes have been a mixed bag. On one hand, I've been enjoying the Katherine as Elena plotline and even the Matt and Nadia scenes but Tyler's presence in the recent episodes have made me realise how little I longer care about the character (though I understand he was furious about Caroline sleeping with Klaus) and Damon's latest bout of self-destruction is more tedious to watch, even with the pairing with Enzo (who I don't mind, character wise) and the continuing plot strands with the Travellers, Wesley and the Augustine vampire stuff. However, the more scenes with Stefan and Caroline banding together and figuring things out, the better though.

The X Factor: Yup, it's back for it's 11th series and given that the US one was sent packing, the Dark Lord himself, Simon Cowell has returned along with 'nations sweetheart' Cheryl Cole, not so Scary Spice Mel B and that 'we can't get rid of him even if we wanted to' Louis Walsh. Okay, snarking aside, the first two episodes had some decent acts (Italian guy with the pugs jumper etc), some atrocious ones (the female Jedward) and of course, the polarising novelty ones (that posh girl), along with the usual sob stories, pointless gimmicks etc. It's alright stuff but eleven years into this show, does anyone really believe or care as to whether or not this show can produce a superstar?

Under The Dome: I sort of enjoyed this series when it aired back in 2013, so giving the second season a peek, it does seem like it's a little more or less the same. The dome is dangerous, people are getting killed (two female characters), new characters are emerging (a mystery girl, Jim's brother and school teacher Rebecca for example) and of course, there's also Big Jim who continues to be as volatile as he was in the previous season. As a series, it's probably being a little stretched out but overall, it's harmless fluff though.

- Greg Finlay will be appearing in The Flash as former high school bully Girder in a two part episode. The series has been picked up by Sky1.
- Hemlock Grove has been renewed for a third and final season.
- Kristin Bauer Van Straten will reprise her role as Maleficent in Once Upon A Time.
- Ioan Gruffud's Forever has been picked up by Sky1.
- Shutter Island is being made into a TV series for HBO.
- The Omen is being made into a TV series for Lifetime.
- NBC have cancelled Wizard Of Oz based drama, Emerald City.
- Kathryn Prescott has joined CBS miniseries, The Dovekeepers.
- Lost Girl's upcoming fifth season will be it's final one.
- Bryan Fuller believes that American Gods will begin filming next year and will air in 2016.

First Look: Transparent

It's not just Netflix coming up with their own original series. Amazon US/UK are also getting in on the act and with former Six Feet Under scribe Jill Soloway, they have come up with a unique ten episode series, named Transparent.

The series, starring Arrested Development's Jeffrey Tambor will focus on a family's reaction to their father (played by Tambor) becoming a woman named Maura. The family includes Amy Landecker as oldest daughter, Sarah, Jay Duplass as middle child Josh and Gaby Hoffman as youngest daughter, Ali with Judith Light playing the mother of the family.

Judging from the trailer, there's a nice sense of black humour reminiscent of Soloway's work on Six Feet Under as well as shows such as Orange Is The New Black and Weeds. It's certainly an interesting project for Amazon to take on and one that has been a dream come true for Soloway to make. Definitely one to watch.

Press Release/Trailer: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a592949/jeffrey-tambors-amazon-series-transparent-gets-us-and-uk-premiere.html#~oOI8364D4jVpEh

Transparent will be available to watch on both the US and UK versions of Amazon from September 26th.

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x02: "Into The Dalek"

Written by Phil Ford And Steven Moffat
Directed by Ben Wheatley

Rusty: “Victory is yours but it does not please you.”
The Doctor: “You looked inside me and saw hatred. That’s not victory. Victory would’ve been a good Dalek.”
Rusty: “I am not a good Dalek. You are a good Dalek.”

I have to be honest; I had initial mixed feelings about this episode. On one hand, I was delighted that Phil Ford was finally getting another chance to write for the series after his wonderful contribution in 2009 but at the same time, I wasn’t particularly in the mood for a Dalek episode.

It’s not that I didn’t want Peter Capaldi to have one in his first series but after having the Daleks play such big roles in Matt Smith’s final two stories, I was sort of hoping that the inevitable Dalek episode for this series would’ve been later rather than the second episode. It’s still a viewpoint that I maintain but on the other hand, this was a genuinely cracking episode.

Getting into the inside of a malfunctioned Dalek named Rusty meant that the Doctor and Clara, along a group of soldiers named Journey Blue, Ross and Gretchen Alison Carlisle would raise the question as to whether or not there could be such a thing as a good Dalek. This episode raised the possibility but ultimately nixed it by Rusty’s sudden morality being down to a malfunction and that even fused with the Doctor’s memories, the Dalek would always have a desire to kill – even if it’s Daleks themselves.

The Doctor might have stopped Rusty from wanting to kill humans but at the same time, his own hatred for the Daleks influenced Rusty into turning on its own race and the last exchange where Rusty told the Doctor he would make a good Dalek was certainly chilling, even if it isn’t the first time that’s been said to him.

As for the soldiers of the episode – the Doctor’s hostility towards them isn’t new terrain either. He’s always had something of an awkward relationship with military forces, even when he worked with UNIT but in this episode, he was especially hostile towards the Aristotle crew that the slap he got from Clara halfway through the episode was kind of deserved actually.

He was too cold about Ross being killed by the Dalek antibodies, relentlessly hostile towards both Journey Blue and her uncle, Morgan and even a little cold when Gretchen sacrificed herself as well. I think the worst part was his outright rejection of Journey later in the episode but clearly this renewed hostility towards soldiers will factor into his eventual meeting with Danny Pink.

Speaking of Mr Pink – Danny certainly made an interesting impression with the few scenes he had in this episode. I liked that we found out quickly he was a former soldier (who may have killed someone important/a civilian), a current maths teacher and possibly a lady killer. Either way, Samuel Anderson is a welcome addition to the series and the dynamic between Clara and Danny felt pretty natural as well. I can’t wait to see Danny go on that drink with Clara after this episode.

As for the other new character of the episode – Missy popped up again to offer the newly dead Gretchen some tea and a splosh of milk. I really don’t know where Moffat is going with this arc involving Missy but I’m still convinced that she’s a new character nonetheless. Still, I’m not sure why she seems to be collecting certain casualties like Gretchen and Half Face Man or whether or not she’s a friend or foe but for the time being, I’m still interested in the character.

Also in “Into The Dalek”

This is the first co-written episode we’ve had since Phil Ford’s last contribution to the show. Let him write solo for next series, please.

Danny: “How long have you been there?”
Clara: “Longer than you would like.”

Interesting pace with Danny’s dream/reality sequences with Clara. Is it the first time the series has done that?

The Doctor: “Clara, be my pal and tell me, am I a good man?”
Clara: “I don’t know.”

Rusty (to the Doctor): “All Daleks must die! I will destroy the Daleks! Destroy the Daleks! Destroy the Daleks!”

There was a lot of colour themes here – Danny Pink, Journey Blue, Missy dressed in black, the pink/blue/white lights inside the Dalek, the orange TARDIS interior etc.

Clara: “I’m his carer.”
The Doctor: “Yeah, my carer. She cares so I don’t have to.”

Journey (re Ross): “I thought you were saving him.”
The Doctor: “He was dead already. I was saving us.”

I think this is probably the first Dalek story in a long while where we’ve seen some proper deaths.

The Doctor: “Resistance to what?”
Rusty: “Life returns, life prevails. Resistance is futile.”

Journey: “You were supposed to be helping us.”
The Doctor: “I gave it a shot, it didn’t work out. It was a Dalek, what did you expect?”
Journey: “No more talking! You are done!”

Courtney popped up at the start of this episode. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but I’m really not interested in getting to know her as a character.

Missy (to Gretchen): “Hello, I’m Missy, welcome to Heaven. Would you like some tea? Little splosh? Lovely!”

Standout music: Some great score music here from Murray Gold. As for the theme/title sequence, still not that keen on it.

Rusty: “I see into your soul, Doctor. I see beauty. I see divinity. I see hatred.”

Chronology: Three weeks since the end of “Deep Breath”. Apparently that’s how long it will take this Doctor to fetch coffees.

Despite my reservations of having another Dalek episode so soon, I really did like this one. “Into The Dalek” riffed off some familiar ideas but found a way to make them work in a thrilling setting and I think this was an episode where the Daleks (Rusty specifically) just had the right amount of bite for good measure. As for the partnership with this new Doctor and Clara, it’s certainly getting more and more interesting to watch.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Batman: The Animated Series - Episodes 81-85 Reviews

The fourth and final season of Batman: The Animated Series was the shortest and it certainly had a mixed bag, in terms of episodes.

Episode 81: The Terrible Trio

What does that fox, vulture and shark say? Who cares really as this episode took three idiotic rich guys who decided to embark on a bit of petty crime in order to sate their need for excitement with one of them willing to kill his girlfriend after she accidentally deduced that they robbed her father. It's an okay opening episode, but we've had better ones (The Cat And The Claw, Shadow Of The Bat etc) and as a set of one-off antagonists, this particular trio are not ones that I would be in a hurry to ever see again to be honest. 6/10

Episode 82: Showdown

I honestly thought following the events of Avatar that the series was done with Ras Al Ghul but it seems that the writers had at least one more story for him and interestingly, one that did not feature Talia as well. I guess it's believable for a man who's lived for several centuries that he would've fathered more than one child and this episode has some nice flashbacks to his other child's altercations with the famous Jonah Hex. It's a surprising twist in the episode and while Ras has had better adventures (namely The Demon's Quest two parter), this was a decent final run for his character on the show. 7/10

Episode 83: Catwalk

I am the cat that walks alone - these are words that became apparent for both Catwoman and Selina Kyle in the final appearance for the character in the series and it's an unusual exit episode for the character. I knew realistically that it was unlikely the series would end with her and Bruce Wayne/Batman ever settling down and this episode certainly ended their truce as Selina realised that she couldn't give up her identity as Catwoman any more than Bruce would ever be able to give up his identity as Batman. I'm not sure if the episode needed a double-cross/near kill from Scarface and the Ventriloquist but their appearance in the episode and hostile alliance with Catwoman certainly didn't hurt the episode in any way. It's an interesting exit episode for Catwoman and the best episode from this final season as well if I'm being honest. 9/10

Episode 84: A Bullet For Bullock

With so little episodes left to go, there's time for another team up of unlikely characters and this time around, it's the pairing of Batman and Bullock himself. I've never been the biggest fan of Bullock but this was a truly great episode for him as he had to team up with the Caped Crusader in order to avoid being killed and with the amount of enemies that Bullock's made, it really could've been anyone who could've taken him out. Of course, the actual would be killer is pretty obvious within the first five minutes of the episode but the episode is joy just to see both Bullock and Batman having to work together and trust each other. The fact that it's set during Christmas is interesting too, though probably not as iconic as Christmas With The Joker. Still though, a very enjoyable episode. 8/10

Episode 85: The Lion And The Unicorn

The series finale and one I'm wondering why so low key? I mean it's great to have a tie to the opening episodes with Red Claw's return (though her plot here is no different than before) and I appreciate taking the action to London and giving us some backstory on Alfred but for a final episode, it's a bit too small as a story. I know the series often had tonnes of episodes with various Rogue Gallery members appearing together and what not but perhaps one more of them or even another altercation with the Joker would've been a better series ender. That being said, this is a solid episode, just not a spectacular one for the series though. 7/10

The next and final blog relating to Batman: The Animated Series will cover the TV movies, Mask Of The Phantasm and Sub-Zero.

American Horror Story: Freak Show - Official Poster/Airdate/Teasers/Spoilers

Following the show's recent Emmy win for the likes of Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates for American Horror Story: Coven, the promotional material for American Horror Story: Freak Show has started to come in thick and fast.

The promotional poster for Freak Show is certainly laced with spoilers. We've got Kathy Bates as the bearded lady, Angela Bassett having three boobs as well as Sarah Paulson as the two headed lady and there seems to be something up with Jessica Lange's arms as well. Michael Chiklis is definitely the strongman of the bunch along with Evan Peters and I'm fairly certain that Emma Roberts is trapped in a particularly sticky position as well. I'm not too sure what exactly is meant to be freaky with Denis O'Hare, Frances Conroy and Finn Wittrock's characters but the WirSindAlleFreaks hashtag translates from German as 'we are all freaks', tying into Lange's character Elsa Mars being a German ex-pat.

Adding to the show's guest list, Matt Bomer, who has previously worked with co-creator Ryan Murphy in other projects such as Glee, The New Normal and The Normal Heart will be appearing in one episode of the upcoming season. Bomer will be playing a role that's 'very warped' according to Murphy. Other guests  and recurring actors in the new season include Jamie Brewer, Gabourey Sidibe, Patti LaBelle, John Carroll-Lynch and Wes Bentley. Also tiny teasers have started to air now - three of them so far titled, Admit One, Lick and Spotlight and like previous season teasers, they're delightfully twisted.

Spoilers/Teasers: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/American%20Horror%20Story

American Horror Story: Freak Show will air Wednesdays 10pm on FX from October 8th and will air for UK viewers on FOX shortly afterwards.

My Review of True Blood's 7x10: "Thank You"

Written by Brian Buckner
Directed by Scott Winant

Sookie: “I can’t let go.”
Bill: “It’s time. Thank you.”

After seven seasons, I’m not sure I could let go of this madcap show either and that’s in spite of the fact that this season has largely been polarising in parts. As for a final episode, this felt more like a chipper version of Chosen than a more nihilistic version of Not Fade Away. If you get those references, you’ll know what I mean.

The main point of this finale was of course Sookie and finally putting a nail in the coffin to both her relationship with Bill and Eric. It seemed that last week’s interaction was the last time Sookie and Eric got any onscreen interaction, so it was really up to the episode to end things with Bill once and for all.

I did think it was a tad selfish of Bill to ask Sookie to use her light in order to kill and I’m glad that when it came down to it, she opted to stake him in his coffin in the cemetery instead of giving up the last bit of light she had left inside her. As for the scene itself, I think it hit the right note. Bill was ready to die and the last episode was in need of a major kill and his death had the impact that both Tara and Alcide’s should’ve done earlier in the season.

More to the point, the show took up the flash forward route in order to show us that Sookie married an unidentified man (we literally didn’t see his face) and was pregnant while Jason started a family with Bridget and Hoyt and Jessica tied the knot before Bill met the true death. If Sookie was going to marry someone, maybe it should've been Alcide instead of an unknown stranger though.

Speaking of Jessica and Hoyt – the wedding was rushed, a little cheesy with Andy’s ‘love is love’ speech but it was still a lovely moment in an episode where the latter and Jason managed to patch up their differences and move on but was it one step too sweet in a final episode low on big kills? Minus Bill of course.

However, let’s be reminded of the fact that not everyone got a happy ending here. Mr Gus Jr went up in a ball of flames thanks to Eric’s quickness with a gas canister and a light and the Yakuza themselves never got to pay Sookie that house call they intended to either. Of course, the only person who got a worse fate than them was Sarah Newlin herself.

She only got one single moment of her freedom back before being recaptured by Pam, having her blood synthesised into the internationally popular New Blood while being locked in the basement of Fangtasia going out of her mind, being fed off by rich vampires and haunted by Steve as well for good measure. If she wasn’t such a horrible person, I might actually feel sorry for Sarah but her own bigotry and stupidity sealed her fate in the end.

As for Eric and Pam, their outcome was pretty. I wouldn’t have minded if one of them had perished in this episode (is that controversial, opinion wise?) but I did like them getting rid of Gus and his irritating cronies and becoming billionaires with the New Blood while maintaining their hold on Fangtasia. As fates go, it was a nice one for the mischievous pair.

Also in “Thank You”

Nice cameo from Adele in this episode encouraging a younger Sookie to persevere. We also got to see a younger Tara but not Rutina Wesley though. At least Lafayette and James seem to be happy.

Bill: “You deserve everything. You deserve the world.”
Sookie: “What if I all want right now is to see you live?”

Bill legally left his house to Andy. Andy ended up letting Jessica and Hoyt continue to live there as well.

Pam (re Gus): “I thought you were gonna kill him.”
Eric: “Humans are slow.”

Sarah: “I’m a horrible person, aren’t I?”
Pam: “Yes dear, you are.”

I had to laugh at Sarah’s horrible attempts of seducing Pam, only for the epic knock back she received from the latter.

Tara: “Who do you like?”
Sookie: “I don’t like anybody.”
Tara: “You know my secret, you have to tell me yours.”

Andy (to Jessica/Hoyt): “The love you two share is beautiful and love is love, plain and simple.”

Sookie could read Bill’s thoughts during the ceremony. For a moment, I actually did begin to think the writers were going to turn him human.

Sookie: “You know what I am, right?”
Reverend Daniels: “You’re a telepath.”
Sookie: “I’m a fairy.”
Reverend Daniels: “No kidding.”

Sookie: “I love you, Bill Compton.”
Bill: “I love you too.”

Standout music: Led Zeppelin’s “Thank You”, which was an interesting choice for a final song.

Steve (to Sarah): “Let’s say what we’re thankful for. Personally I’m thankful you’re losing your fucking mind.”

Chronology: With the four year jump, it’s either Thanksgiving 2014 or 2015, isn’t it?

For a series finale, I’m not sure “Thank You” will go down as one of the best but at the same time, I’m not sure it deserves to be a maligned one either. This final season really could’ve been better thought out and executed as a collective whole (something I’ll write about in a later blog) but even though this episode was a little saccharine at times, I actually enjoyed it more than I probably should’ve done. A good ending overall.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's 8x01: "Deep Breath"

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Ben Wheatley

Clara: “I don’t think I know who the Doctor is any more.”
Madame Vastra: “It would seem my dear, you are very wrong about that.”

For someone who not so long ago jumped into the Doctor’s time stream and interacted with his previous selves, you would think that Clara Oswald would know the Doctor the best out of everyone but this episode proved to be something of a crash course for the impossible girl as she struggled to at first accept her friend’s new look.

I’ve seen a fair amount of criticism for this particular choice but it seemed that it wasn’t so much that Clara didn’t like not having her Doctor looking like her gentleman friend but more that she didn’t really know who the man was that was standing before her. The same man that now looks older, is a bit ruder and somewhat more prone to leaving Clara to deal with the baddies under some serious stress as well.

It’s not just Clara that had to get used to a new Doctor – the audience did too and there was a certain directed commentary at the younger side of the audience with the discussion of the Doctor older looks and demeanour, explicitly with the barbed comments that Vastra had made to Clara about wearing a veil. It was those comments that provoked a strong reaction from within Clara and despite her trepidation with the new Doctor, she wasn’t exactly ready to throw in the towel just yet, was she?

Last season there were some complaints about Clara not having much of a personality. This episode alone certainly added a fire to the character that she might have been previously lacking but more to the point, it gave Jenna Coleman some meaty material to work as she struggled to hold her breath when surrounded by Clockwork Droids and even had to put her fear to one side when the Half Face Man/control node threatened to kill her. If this is a sign of things to come, then Clara will definitely become a far better character to watch this upcoming series.

Of course Clara wasn’t the only one providing able support for the Doctor. This episode alone had the events set in Victorian London, so the Paternoster Gang were out in force, providing the Doctor somewhere to recuperate and also able assistance when things went to pot with the Clockwork Droids as well for good measure.

While Strax does remain the same comedic character (notably with his interactions with Clara this week), I actually think this episode added a lot more depth to Vastra and Jenny and in particular their relationship. Both women got to explain to Clara and the audience the dynamics of their marriage and the veil they also wear in relation to society’s attitude while at the same time finally sharing a kiss in one of the loveliest moments from the series. I’d even go as far as to say now that this might be my favourite appearance of the gang so far. I also hope contrary to some fan opinion that it is not the final appearance either.

As for the man of the moment, in case anyone was thinking that I had forgotten about Peter Capaldi – do I really need to say he’s brilliant? Okay, then – he is, from start to finish with every single interaction with everyone in this episode. He’s certainly not going to be a fools suffer gladly type of Doctor and his whole ‘I’m not your boyfriend’ speech to Clara (along with a certain phone call) means that the two of them are definitely going to have a very different but interesting dynamic. Already in this episode alone, there was a biting chemistry between Capaldi and Coleman and it’ll be interesting to see where the remaining episodes take it.

Last but not least – the Droids/Half-Face Man, overall, I think they were a great use for a returning monster. They provided some suitable gore (murdering a dinosaur for an optic nerve, a balloon made of human skin, etc), were a nice throw back to a popular Tenth Doctor episode and there was also the hint of the series arc here as well – the promised land. As for whether or not Half Face Man jumped or was pushed, I think it was the latter.

As for the mysterious, Mary Poppins inspired Missy – she’s another of Moffat’s mystery women, played with a creepy charm by Michelle Gomez, who thinks the Doctor is her boyfriend and might let him keep his new accent. I don’t know if Missy will be a friend or foe but I do think it’s obvious that she’s the woman in the shop and that she made sure Clara and the Doctor met at the restaurant. Out of all the theories that are currently circling the internet about her, I really like the idea of her being death personified. It’s the one I’m sticking with for now until something else comes along.

Also in “Deep Breath”

I don’t like the new theme tune or title sequence. I even think they might be the weakest we’ve had so far but on the other hand, I will probably get used to them.

Clara: “That’s him, that’s the Doctor.”
Madame Vastra: “Well then, here we go again.”

Aside from meeting Missy, we also met Courtney (the bratty student who told Clara to ‘do it’), who’ll be recurring this series as well.

Jenny: “Oh, I see, so people are monkeys now, are they?”
Madame Vastra: “No dear, people are apes. Men are monkeys.”

Madame Vastra (re the Doctor): “You thought he was young.”
Clara: “He looked young.”
Madame Vastra: “He looked like your dashing young gentleman friend. Your lover even.”

Brian Miller, the husband of the late Elisabeth Sladen played the homeless man that the Doctor demanded a coat from.

The Doctor (to Barney): “I am Scottish. I can complain about things. I can really complain about things now.”

Jenny (re posing): “I don’t understand why I’m doing this.”
Madame Vastra: “Art?”

Clara made a comment about having a poster of Marcus Aurelius while Strax told us that she was 27, narcissistic and liked ‘men doing sports’. Let’s not forget the egomania as well, shall we?

Clara (to the Droid): “Is there a lot of that on demand?”
The Doctor: “I don’t think that’s on the menu. I think we’re the menu.”

Clara (to Half Face Man): “If the Doctor is still the Doctor, he’ll have my back.”

This episode confirmed that a connection between the Doctor’s current look and the previous appearances of Caecilius and John Frobisher will be made over the course of the series. As for the cameo of the Eleventh Doctor – it wasn’t needed but it added nicely to the episode though.

Half Face Man: “I will not die. I will reach the promised land.”
The Doctor: “There isn’t any promised land.”

The Doctor (to Clara): “I am the Doctor. I have lived for over two thousand years and not all of them were good. I’ve made many mistakes and it’s about time I did something about that.”

With Confidential and Behind The Scenes/Lens proving popular, this series is accompanied by something called Doctor Who Extra, narrated by Matt Botten.

The Doctor (to Clara): “I’m not on the phone, I’m right here, standing in front of you. Please just see me.”

Missy: “Hello, I’m Missy. You’ve made it. I hope my boyfriend wasn’t too mean to you.”
Half Face Man: “Boy-friend?”

Chronology: Mostly 1894 Victorian London, present day Glasgow and wherever ‘Heaven’ is actually set.

For an opening episode, “Deep Breath” was certainly different. I’m not sure it completely needed to be over 70 minutes (cinema screenings be damned, lol), but the extra time did allow for many great character moments, the beginnings of a wonderful new Doctor with Peter Capaldi, a nod to some of Moffat’s familiar tropes while promising for a new dynamic as well. Overall, I’d say the episode was a success.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Gotham - UK Broadcaster Announced/Legend Reborn Documentary

With a month to go, it seems that for UK viewers at least for now, Gotham has found itself a home.

Channel 5 announced over a fortnight ago that they will in fact be airing the 16 episode Batman prequel series and on Monday before the launch of Celebrity Big Brother had actor Benjamin McKenzie (James Gordon) introduce a two minute trailer for the series. While there weren't any new clips (from what I could see) that were shown, Five did announce that the would be airing Gotham close enough to US transmission, though a specific date was not confirmed. Given their sketchy history with US shows though, I am hoping that Gotham somewhat fares better than others have done in the past.

Elsewhere several new character shots have been released. Not only are there new ones for our main players but we've finally gotten ones for Victoria Cartagena (Renee Montoya), Andrew Stewart Jones (Crispus Allen) and John Doman (Carmine Falcone) while it's also been revealed that former Dexter actor David Zayas will be taking on the role of other influential mobster, Sal Maroni. More excitingly, FOX have released a 22 minute documentary (streamed in four parts), titled The Legend Reborn, featuring interviews with cast and crew members on the upcoming series and a lot of new clips, including a look of Oswald Cobblepot's (Robin Lord Taylor) mother as played by Carol Kane, the power struggle between Oswald and Fish, the connection between Fish and Bullock as well as a look into Renee and Barbara's past. If that doesn't get you excited for this series, possibly nothing will now.

Cast Pictures/Video Links: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/Gotham

Gotham will air Mondays 8pm on FOX from September 22nd and shortly (I hope) afterwards on Channel 5 for UK viewers.

Batman: The Animated Series - Episodes 76-80 Reviews

The third season came rather quickly and it ended as quickly too as the final five episodes see a few more Rogue returns and the start of another interesting alliance as well.

Episode 76: Harley's Holiday

It might have taken the show it's sweet time but we finally got an episode with Harley Quinn that not only didn't feature the Joker but as far as I can remember, it didn't actually mention him either. It's a bonkers episode with Harley's attempts of going straight not lasting and all because of a misunderstanding with a paid/unpaid dress and briefly taking Veronica Vreeland (less annoying in this episode compared to past appearances) hostage. I really felt bad for Harley here. While she did almost give into her crime committing ways a little too quickly, it did feel like she actually wanted to change for the better and even Batman seemed to sympathise with her plight as well. The last scene between Harley and Batman is priceless, especially for the shared reaction of disbelief between Robin and Poison Ivy. 9/10

Episode 77: Make 'Em Laugh

Speaking of the Joker - this was an interesting episode for him. At first it just appeared that a bunch of light entertainment people were unsuccessfully trying their hands at crime, then it looked like the Mad Hatter was controlling them, only for it then to be revealed that it was the Joker involved all along. I found the fact that the reason behind this escapade was something more mundane (a disguised Joker losing a comedy competition, gets revenge on the judges by ruining their reputations) worked pretty well in the episode's favour but the ending did seem to go a little overboard with the Clown Prince getting royally embarrassed as he was being arrested. Still, at least he didn't get royally spanked like Robin did in this one. 8/10

Episode 78: Batgirl Returns

Maybe it was the success of Harley & Ivy, but whoever thought of an episode where Batgirl and Catwoman team up to solve a crime, you have my thanks. As a team, the pair of them work so well, that you don't actually miss the Dynamic Duo (handy considering that Batman's relegated to a dream sequence/Bruce is in Paris on business and Robin's kind of a third wheel here) and while it was a little predictable that Catwoman always intended to steal the Jade cat, my only disappointment is that Batgirl didn't allow her to get revenge on Roland Daggett once and for all. On the plus side, I really liked that this episode implied another future team up between Selina and Barbara. It's just a shame that it never came to pass but at least we'll always have this episode. 9/10

Episode 79: Lock Up

Now this was an interesting one. I was a little curious to see an episode where perhaps the residents of Arkham Asylum (Harley, Scarecrow and Ventriloquist/Scarface) were being mistreated and they were at the hands of the volatile/power mad, Lyle Bolton who then became crazed vigilante named Lock-Up. The same vigilante who then kidnapped Summer, Gordon, some doctor and the Mayor in order to set a crazed example before he ended up being eventually taken out by Batman and Robin and locked up in Arkham himself. Like Baby Doll before it, it's one of those episode I found more interesting than expected. 8/10

Episode 80: Deep Freeze

The third season came to the conclusion of bringing back someone we really hadn't seen for ages. With the likes of Killer Croc, Clayface and even the Riddler, part of Mr Freeze's impact has been down to the fact that he didn't appear a lot in the series. In fact, this was his second and final appearance (of sorts) and while he's not strictly the antagonist of the episode (that would be Walter and his daft plot to freeze Gotham), there was some nice enough continuity to his previous adventure and he seemed initially taken in with Walter's offer before coming to his senses courtesy of the Dynamic Duo. The last image of the story as Freeze found himself relocated to the perfect (for him) environment is certainly striking. 8/10

Next blog I will be focusing on The Terrible Trio, Showdown, Catwalk, A Bullet For Bullock and The Lion And The Unicorn.

Batman: The Animated Series - Episodes 71-75 Reviews

And just like that, I've managed to get to the third season where a new title sequence and name was put in place to highlight that the show was more about Batman & Robin than just one of them. As for the first five episodes, a little bit of a mixed bag.

Episode 71: Bane

I have to admit over the years, I've gone from not liking the character of Bane (my first experience of him was his appearance in 1997's Batman & Robin) to finding the character more interesting thanks to Tom Hardy's take on the character in The Dark Knight Rises. For his only appearance on this show, the character (voiced by Henry Siva), Bane managed to hospitalise Killer Croc, use Robin as bait and nearly did some damage to Batman, mainly at the behest of Rupert Thorne and the overly ambitious Candace. As an episode, it's not bad but not as engaging as I hoped it would be though. 7/10

Episode 72: Second Chance

Following his antics in Shadow Of The Bat, this episode attempted to follow the trope of seeing if Two-Face could be reformed as a character and when he went missing, both Batman and Robin were perhaps a little too hasty to accuse both Rupert Thorne and the Penguin for his disappearance. It's a solid story but not one that particularly does anything too new with Dent's struggles with his duality. Still though, I liked the reminder of Dent's friendship with Bruce, something which the final scene of the episode highlighted rather nicely. 7/10

Episode 73: Riddler's Reform

It's rather a shame that the Riddler didn't have more episodes to his name in the series but on the other hand, perhaps that's also the reason why his three episodes (excluding the cameos in The Worry Men and Trial) have effect that they do then. This episode in particular saw Nygma toying with the idea of going on the straight and narrow or at least making people think he was while he continued to commit more crimes before eventually being outsmarted by Batman. The end scene in particular when Nygma is sent back to Arkham is surprisingly unsettling but as a final story for the character, it's excellent. 9/10

Episode 74: Baby Doll

I have to admit, this wasn't an episode I thought I would particularly enjoy. The premise didn't strictly excite me but the execution of it though was wonderful. A former child star (who still looked like a child) wanting to recapture the fame she had with a cheesy television show by holding her former co-stars hostage shouldn't have worked but there was a genuine sense of pathos to this story with Baby Doll being irritatingly cutesy, surprisingly menacing and even tragic as well during the final moments. A surprising gem really. 8/10

Episode 75: Time Out Of Joint

Out of the five episodes here, this one I found the weakest of the bunch. I liked the Clock King's debut story but for some reason (and despite the playing around with time), this story seemed to lack the same spark that his first story had, even with the continuity of the Clock King wanting to finish off Mayor Hill once and for all. It's not a bad story as such but it's just not that great either. I was expecting something a lot better than what we got here.  6/10

Next blog I'll focus on Harley's Holiday, Make 'Em Laugh, Batgirl Returns, Lock Up and Deep Freeze.

My Review of True Blood's 7x09: "Love Is To Die"

Written by Brian Buckner
Directed by Howard Deutch

Bill (to Eric, re Sookie): “In the end, you have to admit it. It’s her light that pulls us in, just as much as she’s pulled towards our darkness.”

It might have taken Bill to the penultimate episode of the series but when it comes to the triangle between himself, Sookie and Eric, perhaps he’s finally right about something. If Bill indeed is no good for Sookie, then perhaps neither is Eric. However at the same time, both of them did in this episode try to demonstrate some genuine selflessness in relation to Sookie at long last.

Bill’s refusal to drink Sarah’s blood and cure himself might be frustrating but despite the fact that he’s about to make Jessica an orphan of sorts, perhaps being dead is the only way that Sookie can be free of him and his influence. I don’t know if either Bill or Eric will make it out of next week’s episode alive or if Sookie will end up with either or neither but at least this episode was something of an honest appraisal of this triangle for the last few seasons.

As for Eric, when he wasn’t having the briefest and funniest of sex scenes with Ginger – I have to admit, my respect for him actually soared in this episode. He gave both Bill and Sookie some rather sound advice while putting his own desires to one side. More to the point, he actually managed to get through to both Bill and Sookie as well. Here’s hoping for his sake, he’ll be able to get through to the Yakuza or better yet, just kill of Gus Jr and his tiresome cronies already.

As villains go, the Yakuza have become clichéd and boring and I’m hoping the finale doesn’t spend too much time on them either. This week, Gus Jr chose to torture Pam once again to get Eric to admit that Sookie was aware of Sarah being the cure. For once, I wasn’t that frustrated that Eric ratted out Sookie as I am hoping that it will lead to this New Blood plot being over and done with, once and for all.

Speaking of things being done – Sam and Nicole actually left town and left a few letters to explain the motives behind it. I liked the contrasts in the letters that both Sookie (heartfelt) and Andy (to the point) received. While I don’t think the show has done a great job with developing Sam and Nicole as a couple, I do think that perhaps Sam made the right choice by actually leaving Bon Temps.

Keeping with the relationships – I think it was a great gesture on Jessica’s part to give her own blessings towards James and Lafayette but her and Hoyt getting back together was laid on pretty thick though. I loved them as a couple during the second season but the way Jason explained it to Bridget made Jessica and Hoyt sound like the epic romance of the series instead of the whole Sookie/Bill/Eric thing.

Speaking of Jason – I’m proud that he actually didn’t sleep with Bridget and while their connection did feel a tad rushed, I will admit that after she got over her frustration with Hoyt and Jessica that Bridget was actually pretty enjoyable in this episode. It does though seem a little neatly wrapped up though – Jessica/Hoyt and Jason/Bridget but I guess there are bigger issues to deal with in the finale, so I won’t complain about it too much.

Also in “Love Is To Die”

Willa briefly appeared in this episode during Arlene’s get together at Bellefleur’s Bar & Grill. I also liked the brief telepathic exchange with Sookie and Adylin as well.

Sookie (to Bill, re Sarah): “If you don’t drink her blood, you’re making a choice. A choice you won’t have to live with but we will, Jessica and me.”

Pam showed a fragment of compassion for Sarah by dyeing the latter’s hair back to blonde. Sarah spent most of this episode bound and gagged and being threatened/insulted.

Pam (to Jessica): “Cry on my jacket and you’re paying for it, sweetheart.”

Sookie: “Who would’ve thought – Arlene Fowler dating a vampire?”
Arlene: “You don’t have to tell me how strange it sounds.”

I’ve really enjoyed the ‘advice’ side of Arlene this season. I hope she’s able to get business up and running successfully again.

Pam: “You remind me of Mary.”
Sarah: “Mary of Bethany?”
Pam: “Of the whorehouse I used to run.”

Jason (to Bridget, re Hoyt/Jessica): “You just happened to pick a guy who had already met the girl he was supposed to be with.”

Standout music: Warpaint’s “Love Is To Die”.

Sookie: “I’m scared.”
Eric: “Death is scary. I’ve been avoiding it for a thousand years.”

Eric: “She knows.”
Gus Jr: “Finally, some honesty. Where does Miss Stackhouse live?”

Chronology: From where “Almost Home” left off.

I really enjoyed this one. “Love Is To Die” certainly focused on some serious matters of the heart and while it was nice to see some emotional honesty – Sookie’s dynamics with Bill and Eric, Jason’s sexual prowess etc, I do hope that the last episode will give this show the true death is really deserves as well.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Revenge - Season 4 New Characters

With the upcoming fourth season due to air on ABC in a month's time, I guess it's time to start discussing Revenge again. Well, no new cast shots have appeared yet but when the show returns you can expect a few new faces added into the mix as well as the expansion of another too.

James Tupper, who has mostly played David Clarke through flashbacks in the first three seasons, until the recent finale Execution revealed that his character was alive after all will become a series regular this season. As to how the rest of the main characters react to David being alive is something we'll have to wait and see as his reveal will take some time.

Brian Hallisay, best known for appearing in The Client List will be recurring this season as an easy going cop named Ben, who is an old friend of Jack and a rumoured love interest for Emily as well. It seems that for the first time since the show has began that Emily herself will be in a good place. Considering the revenge she got on Victoria, how could she not feel a sense of catharsis, right?

Elena Satine has bagged a recurring role on the show too, playing the role of socialite Louise. Described as the “black sheep” daughter of a wealthy Southern family as well as being “slightly unhinged,” though she has only the best of intentions (within the context of her own warped logic). Either way, it's nice to have another female character added into the mix.

Last not but least, along with The Simpsons actress Yeardley Smith guest starring in the opening episode as a fellow patient with Victoria, it seems that Nestor Serrano will be appearing in the series as a recurring character named Edward Alvarez. He's described as a “commanding and perceptive police chief” who’s (surprisingly) in Victoria’s corner. I guarantee anything he'll end up as a love interest long before we get to the winter finale but I guess Victoria does need someone on her side though.

Season 4 Spoilers: http://www.spoilertv.com/search/label/Revenge

Season 4 of Revenge airs Sundays at 10pm on ABC from September 28th and will premiere on RTE2 and E4 in early 2015.

Doctor Who - Series 8: All Episode Titles Confirmed

With five days to go before the arrival of Peter Capaldi's debut series as the 12th Doctor, the BBC have finally released titles for every episode of Series 8 of Doctor Who. Here they are ...

Episode 1: Deep Breath

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Ben Wheatley

Clara trying to cope with her best friend being someone else. A terrifying monster.

Episode 2: Into The Dalek

Written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat
Directed by Ben Wheatley

Introducing Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink. Gritty Dalek ep that goes into the last place in the universe the Doctor should be.

Episode 3: Robot Of Sherwood

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Paul Murphy

Very funny Robin Hood story all about being a hero and whether the Doctor is a good man.

Episode 4: Listen

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas MacKinnon

The story of a date and the Doctor having what appears to be a mild nervous breakdown. Tiny guest cast, no CGI. A bit of Coupling. Quite scary.

Episode 5: Time Heist

Written by Stephen Thompson and Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas MacKinnon

A Doctor Who heist movie with a cracking monster, one of Neill Gorton’s best.

Episode 6: The Caretaker

Written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat
Directed by Paul Murphy

What effect would slipping away with the Doctor have on your life? A hoot with some serious bits. Bit like The Lodger.

Episode 7: Kill The Moon

Written by Peter Harness
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst

Proper drama with monsters and all the Doctor Who stuff that you could want. Also features a callback to a past episode (sort of).

Episode 8: Mummy On The Orient Express

Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst

Moffat playing the long game with a callback to something from Matt’s first series. A brilliant idea of a monster. Foxes singing.

Episode 9: Flatline

Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Douglas MacKinnon

A horror story that starts off with a very cute idea and becomes really quite frightening by the end. One of the best ever sight gags in it.

Episode 10: In The Forest Of The Night

Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Directed by Sheree Folkson

Boldly beautiful, lyrical and poetic. A fairytale, but not Moffat fairytale. Quite different with a clever main visual idea.

Episodes 11/12: Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay

High octane action, with Cybermen and some proper UNIT stuff. Strong emotional story about Clara and the Doctor and the fact that the way they interact might not be healthy for everyone around them.

The synopsis for each episode is a brief one from last month's SFX preview but it certainly seems like we've got a bloody fantastic series ahead of us. I should also warn that rough copies of the first three episodes have been leaked online (as though the scripts weren't enough). If you've managed to avoid them before now, only another five days to go now.

Press Release: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/New-Series-All-the-Episode-Titles-and-More
Synopsises: http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/sfx-251-previews-series-8-64349.htm

Series 8 of Doctor Who airs on BBC1/BBCAmerica from August 23rd.